US: Trying to rescue his presidential campaign from free fall, former Vermont governor Howard Dean yesterday toned down his rhetoric and sought to present a softer image of himself by appearing on television for the first time with his wife, Dr Judith Steinberg.
Several new polls yesterday showed that the political terrain has shifted dramatically in New Hampshire since Mr Dean led by 25 points at the start of the year.
Two polls, one for the Boston Globe and WBZ-TV and the other for the Boston Herald, showed Senator John Kerry 10 points ahead of Mr Dean with only four days to go in the New Hampshire primary campaign.
Dr Steinberg has been nearly invisible during her husband's run for the Democratic nomination, and made only a fleeting visit to Iowa as his campaign there faltered. Some Dean backers see her as a role model, an independent woman balancing her career as a doctor and as a mother of two children, but critics say her absence has contributed to the harsh image that Dean is now struggling to overcome.
The interview, scheduled for last night with ABC's Diane Sawyer, has echoes of the CBS 60 Minutes appearance by Bill and Hillary Clinton in 1992 when Mr Clinton's campaign in New Hampshire nose-dived over allegations of draft-dodging and an affair with Gennifer Flowers.
Like Dean, the former Arkansas governor had been front-runner but fell 18 points behind Paul Tsongas over the Flowers affair and famously said: "I'm dropping like a turd in a well, but I'll fight like hell."
He came a respectable second and went on to win the nomination.
Mr Dean's raucous scream as he promised supporters that he would fight on after his shock third place defeat in Iowa has raised serious questions about his temperament and caused many voters to think again about supporting him.
A subdued Mr Dean admitted to reporters yesterday: "I have my warts. I sometimes say things that get me in trouble. I'm not blow-dried. I'm not coached. I wear suits that are cheap. But I say what I think and I believe what I say, and I'm willing to say things that may not be popular but ordinary people know are right. In other words, I lead with my heart and not my head. That's the only chance we have against George Bush."
He tried to make light of the incident yesterday by telling supporters, hoarsely: "I still have not recovered my voice from my screeching in Iowa."
Mr Dean's lead has also been eroded by the campaigns of Senator John Edwards of North Carolina and Gen Wesley Clark of Arkansas.
The former Vermont governor indirectly criticised his opponents, saying: "This president is just plain irresponsible, and we need some folks with backbone in Washington who have the courage to stand up and say so, whether it's popular or not."
Also last night the seven Democrat candidates met for a nationally televised debate that could be one of the most critical encounters yet in the battle for the nomination. The debate is a last chance for Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut to haul himself up from single digit support.
Meanwhile Senator John Edwards of North Carolina is campaigning hard to capitalise on his strong second-place finish in Iowa to position himself for his must-win primary in South Carolina on February 3rd.
Gen Clark found himself on the defensive yesterday over a remark unfavorably comparing Senator Kerry's military service with his own. He referred to Senator Kerry, a much-decorated Navy lieutenant, as a "junior officer" while "I'm a general".
Prodded by reporters he said, "I'm not drawing any distinction in rank, I'm drawing what I've done."