The "Spleen for Dean" campaign continues to build, and this columnist points out why.

Sure, there are differences on policy matters, but that's not what's going on here. The Washington Democrats -- incumbents, fund-raisers and the consultants who feed off them -- don't like Dean mostly because he doesn't need them.

So far, Dean has reacted to the attacks by holding his ground and taking the high road. The Deanies complained so vociferously about the bin Laden commercial that three unions which had each given $50,000 to the effort went public and asked they be dropped.

The ads have now been dropped, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports, but there's more negativity ahead. Jonathan Chait, who writes for the formerly liberal New Republic -- which this week features a critique of Dean's religious beliefs -- has launched the "Dean-o-phobe Blog." Blogs have become part of the political vitriol machine, feeding venom to the established media and turning the political process into a 24/7 online food-fight.

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