The No. 2 Democrat in the Senate yesterday blamed "the right wing" and elements of the press "in service to it" for repeating Howard Dean's remarks about Republicans and inflating them out of proportion.

"I think we all understand what's happening with you all," said Senate Minority Whip Richard J. Durbin, in remarks echoing Hillary Rodham Clinton's blaming a "vast right-wing conspiracy" for her husband's legal-ethical woes.

"The right wing has got the agenda moving. Fox [News Channel] and everybody's got the agenda. It's all about Howard Dean. You've bought into it," Mr. Durbin said.

"You can't let up on it. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves."

Mr. Dean, who took over as chairman of the Democratic National Committee four months ago, has caused a stir with a string of public statements that he "hates the Republican Party and everything it stands for" and that its members are "liars," "evil," "corrupt" and "brain-dead."

Senate Democrats emerged from a Capitol Hill meeting with Mr. Dean, a former Vermont governor, yesterday touting their message of the day: Change the subject...

Some in the Washington press corps and on Capitol Hill are in a huff because Fox News Channel anchor/reporter Brian Wilson was too aggressive with DNC chair Howard Dean at his press conference with Sen. Harry Reid yesterday.

Awwwwww.

Wilson raised his voice. And he didn't wait his turn. And he didn't ask "substantive" questions. Translation: He didn't genuflect before the Democratic leadership or the Beltway journalistic elite, and he asked exactly what viewers wanted to know...