Howard Dean last night sharply criticized Bush's use of the word "quota" in reference to UMich's affirmative action debate. This was the piece de resistance of a speech that also touched on such (lesser?) issues as recent American foreign policy. He trumped it with a story about his gubernatorial chief of staff hiring strictly women like herself: "It's not just 54-year-old white males. We all have a natural tendency to hire and surround ourselves with people like us. That's why we need a policy like affirmative action." Smart guy. He's got the Anglo name, and the jaw; this guy could conceivably be president.