The Self-Destruction of Howard Dean

The self-destruction of Howard Dean: that is the subject of this evening's "Talking Points Memo".

The head of the Democrat National Committee (search) has made a fool of himself again, this time on yesterday's "Meet the Press." As he has done for years, Dean used personal attacks to smear his perceived enemies, including your humble correspondent. The display was simply sad.

As we've documented, Howard Dean is afraid to appear on “The Factor”. While most powerful Democrats enjoy the forum, Dean is not up to it, preferring to take cheap shots from afar. He is a bitter and increasingly incoherent man, who is routinely humiliating his own party.

Dean's assertion yesterday that I had done damage to the families of 9/11 victims is simply bizarre. As everybody knows, “The Factor” was the leader in defining the 9/11 charity chaos and getting the money quickly to the families who needed it.

But facts are not something Howard Dean deals with. He's far more conversant with the personal attack.

For the record, Dean knows nothing about me. I've never spoken to the man, but he consistently takes allegations and defamation, and asserts they're fact. It does not get any lower than that.

My own feelings about Dean turned negative when I saw him out on the campaign trail in 2004, running out the most vicious smear merchants in the country to attack people he didn't like on his behalf. While all the other candidates conducted themselves professionally, Dean reveled in slinging the mud. It is simply who he is.

"Talking Points" has said this before. As long as the Democratic Party embraces the likes of Howard Dean, it will not win anything. He represents the lowest form of discourse and shames a party built on the legacies of FDR and JFK.

“The Factor's" offer to Howard Dean still stands. You are welcome, sir, to come in here and state your case any time, face-to-face. That is what responsible people do. Your behavior has put you in the category of a cowardly guttersnipe. Prove me wrong. Step up and clear the air.

And that's "The Memo."

The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day

Time now for "Most Ridiculous Item of the Day"...

The results of our billoreilly.com poll question which asks, "Do you care about Star Wars'?" More than 20,000 of you voted. Seventy-two percent do not care about the space odyssey. Twenty-eight percent care very much.

By the way, as we predicted, the movie is on pace to break all box office records taking in more than $300 million worldwide in just four days. Ridiculous? What would Yoda think?

I—You can watch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Most Ridiculous Item" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the FOX News Channel. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com