Patrick Hynes takes on the idea that Republicans may be "misunderestimating" Howard Dean as chairman of the DNC>. Dean has been chair for only two weeks and there has been blooper after blooper. And Hynes fights the characterization of Dean has a secret conservative.

WE ARE, OF COURSE, reminded daily that Howard Dean was once endorsed by the NRA. But did you know he's also a "fiscal conservative"? Well okay, not really. But that's the talking point du jour, and the mainstream press has been rather uncritical in reporting it. Unfortunately, for Dr. Dean the facts get in the way.

The town of Killington, Vermont, has actually voted to secede from the Green Mountain State and has asked New Hampshire to annex them. Why? Because of a wildly liberal property tax scheme called Act 60, which was principally implemented by Howard Dean. Act 60 is a "rob Peter to pay Paul's property taxes" Robin Hood scheme that got socialist novelist John Irving to deride Dean's plan as "socialist."

Let's consider some real fiscally conservative Governors. Arnold? Rick Perry? Jeb Bush? Even Bill Richardson? Not one of these guys -- Republican or Democrat -- has a town in his state that is trying to secede because of a confiscatory tax structure.