Good reads

Paul Krugman provides a nice counter to all the charges of racism initially facing Howard Dean after his remarks. He's right, but the bigger problem is that this remains a story.

Dowd kicked a lot of ass yesterday too. (thanks Scot)

And finally, Howard Dean is considering refusing federal matching funds for his primary run. I'm conflicted on the issue, because I want a Democrat to win, but to compete against the President's $175 million war chest, limited federal matching funds offer no help. The real answer is serious campaign finance reform, but most curious about Dean's decision is that he's offering his supporters an opportunity to vote on the issue.

Clearly Howard Dean has used the internet in a way we haven't yet seen in a campaign, and his efforts will be studied and modeled in the future. But this poll he's conducting will be a barometer as to whether his internet support actually understands the issues his campaign faces, or is a group of people who signed up for an e-mail list. To put perhaps the most significant decision his campaign faces in the next six months in the hands of his mailing list seems an incredible gamble. The poll will certainly provide an idea of future financial contributions to his campaign, but I still wonder about the wisdom of the strategy. Are Gov. Dean's supporters familiar enough with the nuances of campaign strategy to be the best people to make this decision?