Snow got things off to a frosty start: "We mentioned the president's approval rating. It's about 38% in our last poll. Not so good. In another recent poll, the Democrats' positive [rating was] just 32%. To be blunt, are you blowing an opportunity here? Are you not capitalizing on the president's weakness?"
Later, Snow dumped on Dean's freezing-cold relationship with Rahm Emanuel, the Illinois congressman who heads up the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and with whom Dean notoriously clashed over the spending of campaign funds.
"You mention being unified. Emanuel - the Democratic congressman in charge of trying to win back the House for the Democrats - we are hearing from our sources that you haven't spoken to him in months. How can you take control of Congress if you can't play together nicely in the sand box?"
Dean's response was a classic non-denial denial: "That stuff is mostly press gossip. We work very well with the DCCC. . . I do think that's most inside the beltway gossip."
Don't you love it? If it's gossip, there are two people perfectly positioned to confirm or deny it, Howard, and you're one of them. So how about it - have you spoken with him or not? To her credit Snow wouldn't let Dean skate:
"So you have spoken to him?"
"What really matters is, can we really change. We work the the DNC, the DCCC every single day."
Howard, the answer is 'yes' or 'no.'
In any case, I can hear our NB readers now: "Sure Snow was tough on Dean. She wants the Dems to win and is worried he might, just as she suggested, be 'blowing it.'" Could be, but whatever her ulterior motives, Howard surely didn't enjoy the 'Snow' balls Kate tossed his way this morning.
