Ellington

In a big endorsement, Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa has endorsed Howard Dean just days before the primary there, reports the Associated Press, "calling him the 'kind of plain-spoken Democrat we need' and giving a key boost to the embattled front-runner 10 days before the state's kick-off caucuses. ... In the interview, Harkin praised Dean's straightforward approach to campaigning, saying it brought a breath of fresh air to the campaign trail. He said the former Vermont governor is 'the Harry Truman of our generation. Howard Dean is really the kind of plain-spoken Democrat we need.'"