Howard Dean: One loose cannon

By JOESPH W. McQUAID - Publisher

IMAGINE what world terrorists must think of an America where Howard Dean is his party’s leading candidate for President. Imagine what would become of America if this man ever got to BE President.

Dean’s latest outrage takes the cake — until he says something even more idiotic. He said last week he wouldn’t want to pre-judge the guilt or innocence of Osama bin Laden, the man who has boasted of his mass murder of thousands of innocent Americans.

Bin Laden and his al-Qaida thugs must truly be encouraged that a would-be American leader could make such a ridiculous statement. That’s not good for this country. Contrast Dean’s words with those of our current President. Of bin Laden, George W. Bush has said, simply, we will take him, “dead or alive.”

That is language our enemies understand. That is why Libya’s Gadhafi has changed his tune and wants to surrender his weapons. Can anyone imagine him doing so to a President Dean?

As with many of his astonishing pronouncements, Dean has since tried to amend this one. And he has been lucky that a fawning media and hapless opponents have so far let him get away with it. But we predict that this Dr. Jekyll is going to turn into Mr. Hyde once too often and be exposed for the dangerous loose cannon that he is.