"An elixir to the new, nutty Dems"

"Howard Dean's running in 2008," predicts Hugh Hewitt, on the scene in Boston:

That much is clear from his remarks this evening: "Never again will we be ashamed to call ourselves Democrats. Never. Never. Never. We're not just going to change presidents, we're going to change this country and reclaim the American dream." Look for that line and that clip to play over and over again as Dean travels the country in the aftermath of Kerry's loss. It is an elixir to the new, nutty Dems following Michael Moore around the convention, which will tell them it wasn't their nuttiness that lost their election, but the refusal to go even farther over the cliff. Dean, Edwards, and maybe Hillary -- it will be a fun cycle.

Hewitt witnessed a 20-minute argument between James Lileks and the American bureau chief for Paris Match yesterday:

Regis acted towards Lileks as all French diplomats acted towards Bush Administration people throughout the fall of 2002 and the spring of 2003. It wasn't pretty, but it should inspire Lileks to some pretty good writing in tomorrow's Bleat. Basically, Regis confirmed that the French would vote overwhelmingly for Kerry if given the choice. We knew that, but hearing it confirmed by a senior French journalist somehow makes Kerry's politics much more distinct.

Lileks promises a "response to Chanticleer will be up by noon Central Standard Time" and meanwhile offers a "Short version":

Suggesting that Chirac was close to Saddam does not mean one works for Fox, you prique.