Write-up of the Howard Dean/Ralph Reed debate tonight.

[madfloridian]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04282/392468.stm

SNIP..."Former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean and Ralph Reed of the Bush-Cheney campaign traded barbs over Iraq, terrorism, the economy and a range of other issues during a freewheeling debate at the University of Pittsburgh last night..."

SNIP..."Siegler's remark elicited a chorus of cheers and applause from the crowd of 500 people at the William Pitt Union on Fifth Avenue, and it sparked a heated exchange between Dean and Reed, who were invited by the Pitt Program Council to speak about the presidential election.

"People accused me of being an angry candidate. I think there's a lot of truth to that" said Dean, the former governor of Vermont.

He then blamed his anger on Republican political maneuvers, citing the defeat of Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia in the 2002 election, when his Republican opponent ran commercials accusing the Vietnam veteran of being soft on terror, while using images of Osama bin Laden alongside Cleland's picture......"

[autorank]

1. Future: Dean-distinguished career; Reed-time in pen for AL mess.

Hey Ralph, you are going to meet so many interesting people in the Federal Pen. You can be the second coming of Chuck Colson.

[George_S]

2. Looks like Reed went for Kerry's orangeness.

[madfloridian]

5. Ha Ha, I think you are right.

Reed does have a little sun-tanned glow to him.

[Mojambo]

3. I think that Howard Dean's 2004 Presidential run

will be considered no more than a blip on the radar in his life story.

He has MUCH greater things ahead of him. I admire Dean more than anyone in politics since RFK.

Not that I would ever compare the two, but Dean has that same ability to cause people to rise up with him.

I expect huge things from Howard Dean in the future. Huge.

[dorktv]

4. All the Dean people are busily taking over the party

and then when 2008 or 12 (remember that would be possible as Dean is only 55) BAM! President Howard Dean.