Howard Dean and The Western Platform

Jerome over at MyDD has an interesting post on Howard Dean's travels to Western States.

Here's Dean in Utah:

"I'm tired of Republicans telling us we're pro-abortion. I served on the board of Planned Parenthood for five years. I don't know anybody who's pro-abortion," he said. "Most people in this country would like to see the abortion rate go down. That includes Democrats and Republicans. The difference between the parties is that we believe a woman makes that decision about her health care -- and they believe Tom Delay makes it."

This is vintage Dean and he goes on to talk about winning with a "western platform." Kos conveniently provides a definition of this western platform:

A "Western platform" is the future of the Democratic Party, and one that I embrace to my very core -- fiscal and personal responsibility, rugged individualism, freedom to live one's life without government intrusion into the doctor's office or the bedroom. The intersection of libertarianism, good government, and economic populism.