Dean's Sleepless Summer Tour Rocks

Looking to get a jump on the traditional post-Labor Day presidential campaign season, Democrat Howard Dean is promoting himself like a rock star with an eight-city road trip that began Saturday.

The trip is called the "Sleepless Summer Tour," but not because the former Vermont governor won't get any sleep during its four days. He will. The name is a swipe at President Bush's policies and his monthlong vacation at his ranch.

"The president is sleeping comfortably in Crawford, Texas, tonight, but there are an awful lot of Americans who are kind of sleepless these days," Dean told thousands at his kickoff rally. "They're sleepless about wondering where their job went. They're sleepless about wondering where their health insurance went or whether they are going to have health insurance. They are sleepless wondering whether their kid is going to be the next to die in Iraq."

T-shirts promoting the tour are being sold to add to the concert-like experience, and the rallies will feature loud music and cameras broadcasting the events live on Dean's Web site.