Paul Krugman: “What Howard Dean meant by his flag remark was that Democrats must make the case to working Americans of all colors that the right’s elitist agenda isn’t in their interest.” —New York Times op-ed. I agree with Krugman that Dean’s remark could have been better phrased, but that his Democratic rivals should be ashamed of themselves for the way they are going after him. The pundits on the talk shows have focused on Dean’s unusual integrity for not excusing or retracting his statement under fire. I think Dean is proving himself to show grace under fire despite innuendoes about his non-Presidential volatility. But more importantly, he is keeping his ‘eyes on the prize’ — Dubya and the Republican abuses of the worst administration this country has seen int he post-war era — rather than descending to the level of politics as usual of several of his hack rivals.