NYTimes -- The Doctor Is In, and Busy Hanging a Bigger Shingle

There are lots of questions about Howard Dean. How did the son of a wealthy Republican stockbroker in New York wind up a doctor and the Democratic governor of Vermont? How can the man who signed a landmark law legalizing civil unions for gays have an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association? How did a self-described fiscal conservative provide health insurance for almost every Vermonter under 18?

But at the moment, there is only one big question about Mr. Dean's campaign for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination: Why should anyone take him seriously?

He is the best practical, experienced, new idea man in the race for the White House.