Crossfire Monday

What's remarkable about this exchange is its Tucker Carlson, the Republican, who comes across as the guy who's impressed by Dean (although he does absurdly call him an "unrepentant leftist"):

CARLSON: The Democratic Party's collective nervous breakdown continues. Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, an unrepentant leftist, will unveil the first of the television ads of campaign 2004 this week in Iowa. Dean is spending more than 10 percent of his entire Iowa budget on the spots, a sign that Dean believes he can generate the momentum necessary to win his party's nomination.

And he could be right. Sober Democrats shiver at the thought. The Democratic Leadership Council describes Dean's politics as, "defined principally by weakness abroad and elitist interest group liberalism here at home." That's a perfect description and apparently precisely what many Democratic primary voters are looking for in a candidate. I can't wait to find out.

BEGALA: This is a very risky tactic. We are seven months from the Iowa caucuses. Most candidates are putting out position papers, putting out their issues. He's beginning with advertising seven months before the caucuses. I'm very doubtful that that's going to do him long-term good.

CARLSON: Particularly in Iowa, where it's not clear how much television advertising helps you in the first place. But it says something about Dean's support. I think he probably has the most committed, the most active, the most aggressive supporters of any candidate, apart, of course, from Al Sharpton. And it tells you something that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) candidates, like Dean and Sharpton, are the ones getting the most grassroots support. So it's something (ph) about the Democratic Party, I think.

BEGALA: They get grassroots support, but they don't get mainstream support. I don't know. Howard Dean should come on this show and debate you as to whether he's mainstream or far left, because I think you'd be surprised.

That sounds like an invitation!