HE'D RATHER BE PRESIDENT

I predict that Howard Dean will be CRUCIFIED by the yahoos who misunderstand or just misrepresent what he was saying here to Chris Matthews last night on Hardball:

MATTHEWS:  You know, an old boss of mine, Ed Muskie of Maine, the great governor, great senator, great secretary of state, once said the only—he said this after he’d just won his last reelection as senator from Maine.  I’ll tell you, it was the most amazing statement...

He said: “The only reason to be in politics is to be out there all alone and then be proven right.”

(LAUGHTER)

MATTHEWS:  Do you think Howard Dean is going to be proven right that this was a bad war?

DEAN:  I think I have been proven right.  But you know, Barry Goldwater once said: “I’d rather be right than president.”  I think Barry Goldwater didn’t know what he was talking about.

MATTHEWS:  Well, we’ll see.  Thank you very much, Howard Dean.

Dean was clearly saying, "I wish I hadn't been right -- I wish the war wasn't a bad war. Therefore, I'd rather be president than right." But unless I miss my guess, the yahoos will be screaming that crazy Howard is a megalomaniac who'd rather be president than just, correct, or whatever other synonym of "right" sounds most virtuous. Bush, of course, would surrender the presidency rather than be "wrong," which is why he never admits to being so.

The link to the transcript is here.