In addition to Mark's piece highlighting Dean's call for the Democratic Party to reach out to pro-lifers, I'd like to add this observation...

When commenting on the Pennsylvania Senate race between Senator Rick Santorum and Democrat Bob Casey—both of whom oppose abortion—Howard Dean had this to say:

"You have to respect people's positions of conscience," said Dean. "I think Bob Casey's position is a position of conscience."

Dean, a former Planned Parenthood board member, said the difference between his party and Republicans is that "we believe a woman has a right to make up their own mind and they believe (House Majority Leader) Tom DeLay should make it up and Rick Santorum should make it up for them."

So let me get this straight... The Democrat Bob Casey's opposition to abortion is "a position of conscience," but Republican Rick Santorum's opposition to abortion is "making up the minds of women?"

It's this kind of thinking that causes Howard Dean to demand Tom DeLay "serve his sentence" in Texas, despite not doing anything illegal, yet offers no criticism for fellow Democrats who either violate the law, compromise national security, or commit ethical violations... Of course, Dean would sooner pronounce DeLay guilty, but would never jump to conclusions about Osama bin Laden... heck Dean thinks Osama deserves due process while Republicans don't.

Partisanship... double standards... The Democratic Party.