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First, an admission: I have yet to see the new TV ads from candidate Dean that are described as "negative". But we should be careful of what we call negative.

Is a Dean ad that draws important distinctions between his positions and those of his Democratic opponents an inherently negative ad? (The New York Times reports that the ads -- now playing in Iowa and New Hampshire -- differentiate Dean's record from his "opponents" on health insurance/prescription drug benefits and in supporting the Iraq War resolution.)

On the heels of the decision not to participate in the Iowa caucuses, Joe Lieberman must surely have been disappointed to see he stands at just 3 percent in New Hampshire, according to the just released Franklin Pierce College poll.

The Lieberman campaign's lack of traction isn't so surprising after observing their tactics today in Concord. In the middle of a cold, windy day -- with the first snow of the year falling all around them -- a team of young Lieberman supporters were promoting the fact that their man fights global warming. Apparently oblivous to the large white flakes around them, an observer noted, "It's snowing!" Unabashed, one young supporter replied, "That's because of global warming!"

Two stories from Iowa today -- Dick Gephardt taking a slight lead over Howard Dean, and Dean launching a TV ad attack against his fellow Democrats -- add up to one conclusion: Howard has hit the panic button.
He raced out to an early lead here in Iowa, but now he's stuck right around 20 percent, maybe even starting to fall.
Iowans can expect more Dean attacks -- like his one saying that members of Congress were going to scatter "like cockroaches" when the lights come on if he's elected -- as he gets farther into this battle.