Dean Channels Kerry: Howard Dean seemed to want it both ways on Hardball. First, on his last race for the Vermont governor's seat:

MATTHEWS: The last re-election was close.

DEAN: It was. It was a little -- actually it wasn’t that close.

On his draft-board appearance:

MATTHEWS: You make it sound rather passive. Now, you have read “The New York Times.” You know how they described it -- quote -- "In the winter of 1970, a 21-year-old student from Yale walked into his armed services physical in New York carrying X-rays and a letter from his orthopedist, eager to know whether a back condition might keep him out of the military draft." Is that accurate? Did you carry materials into argue your case against being...

DEAN: Yes. No, I brought my -- I didn’t argue any case.

On unions:

MATTHEWS: Well, let me ask it -- let me ask it totally open. Do you think a person has a right to work somewhere if they don’t want to join a union?

DEAN: I do. No, wait a minute. I don’t.

On secrecy:

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Governor Dean, you often criticize the Bush administration for its secrecy. How do you reconcile this with the steps you have taken to seal away documents from your time in Vermont?

DEAN: Well... There are some that are left private, and I don’t exactly know all the things that are in those because those are attorney to secretary of state negotiated. But some of the kinds of things might be a letter from a constituent saying, dear governor, I am an HIV, AIDS victim, can you please help me?

That answer might fly if Dean hadn't run his mouth the other way. TNR notes: "As the candidate himself told Vermont Public Radio, "We didn't want anything embarrassing appearing in the papers at a critical time."

And now this:

Former Vermont governor Howard Dean (news - web sites), who has bashed the Washington establishment throughout his presidential campaign, is increasingly courting this city's lawmakers, lobbyists and political operatives to help cement his status as the man to beat for the Democratic nomination.

After threatening earlier this year to send lawmakers scurrying like "cockroaches" if elected president, Dean is aggressively pursuing key House members -- black lawmakers in particular -- and promising to raise money for as many as 20 congressional candidates.

Add this to matter of how Dean scathingly critiqued candidates who opt out of public financing -- only to later opt out himself -- and Dean looks like a guy who will be unable to manage a step toward the political center without some embarrassment.