When it comes to identifying nutcases, some might say that Howard Dean gleans valuable experience daily, while shaving.
The failed presidential candidate put his expertise to dubious use on Morning Joe today, calling National Review editor Rich Lowry a "right-wing nutcase." Lowry's sin? Having written a column mocking Eric Holder, and President Obama's decision to put Holder in charge of investigating himself in the James Rosen affair. View the video after the jump.
The reason for Dean's resentment of National Review quickly became apparent. He was peeved that NR had published an item reporting that Dean dismissed the Benghazi controversy as "a laughable joke." According to Dean, he meant only that the investigation of the affair was a joke. View the National Review item here, which contains the video of Dean's statement, and judge for yourself.
Lowry is among America's most respected and erudite pundits. For the former Vermont governor to dismiss him as a nutcase only exposes Dean's own tenuous grip on reality.
You'll note Dean's claim that he doesn't read editorial pages because he "doesn't give a damn about what these people think." Dean's embargo apparently doesn't extend to the opinion pages of National Review, which Dean had obviously read and by which he was so manifestly wounded.
Note: Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski reacted with shock to Dean's dismissal of Lowry and National Review, with Scarborough stating for the record that Lowry was no nutcase.
Note deux: Later in the show, Dean put himself on record regarding the IRS scandal: "it almost certainly was underlings, and the President didn't know anything about it."
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: This is Rich Lowry --
JOE SCARBOROUGH: -- National Review editor --
BRZEZINSKI: He writes "Being Eric Holder." Lowry writes this: "What Eric Holder has done is so troubling to everyone including Eric Holder that President Obama has ordered a review of Justice Department policy to be undertaken by the single most appropriate man for such a task: Eric Holder. Eric Holder has a tight July 12th deadline to report back on Eric Holder. Let's hope he can imagine to be fair-minded to Eric Holder despite his bitter disappointment upon learning about his practices."
SCARBOROUGH: Is this fair?
HOWARD DEAN: No, this is silly right-wing nonsense. Who cares? The National Review is just silly. Who's going to take them seriously?
BRZEZINSKI: What? Wait a minute. What are you talking about?
DEAN: This is a right-wing, conservative nutcase. They claim that I--the National Review? Let's just be blunt about the National Review, right? They claimed last week that I said that the death of four Americans in Benghazi was a joke. What I said was that the investigation was a joke. This is crap. Who gives a damn? Why do you--this is why I don't read editorial pages, because I don't give a damn about what these people think.
