"Dated Dean, Married Kerry"

It's not too hard for me to slip into Dean-bashing mode. Something about the guy just aggravates me, even when I agree with him. I don't need a candidate, any candidate, to make me proud to be a Democrat again, for instance. I've always been proud to be a Democrat, thank you very much.

But I try to control the impulse, because I know this scrimmage is just an intramural tuneup for the big game to come. Still, news like this makes me smile....

A Vision Of Things
By John P. Gregg - Valley News Staff Writer

"U.S. Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign got a small boost yesterday from an Upper Valley lawmaker. State Rep. Ruth Bleyler, a Lyme Democrat, decided to back the Massachusetts Democrat after initially endorsing former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean earlier this year.

Bleyler, a retired environmental scientist and first-term lawmaker, said Kerry's experience in international relations and “statesman”-like presence prompted her to switch candidates.

“He's somebody you can look at and say, ‘Yes, I want you to be talking to other countries and other nations and doing the right things,' ” Bleyler said. “I also think Kerry has a grasp of a big picture, and has more of a vision of things as a whole than Dean does.”"