LAME DEAN GAME

From the masterminds of the Howard Dean campaign for president comes this mind-numbingly useless interactive Flash game that could spark a groundswell for swift, severe punishment for people who unleash on the world such ill-conceived and harebrained ideas: Play the Dean for Iowa Game.

The object of the game?

"Make a virtual trip to Iowa and help campaign for a Dean win in the important Iowa Caucus. Recruit your real friends to join you in Iowa, where you'll canvas neighborhoods, pass out pamphlets, and wave Dean signs to encourage Iowans to attend the caucus and stand in support of Howard Dean."

In other words, use your mouse to control your cartoon Dean supporter and wave your "Dean for America" sign for maximum visibility.

If this sounds like an abominable waste of time, that's because it is.

One would hope this doesn't foreshadow the astuteness of a Dean administration, although at least American soldiers aren't getting killed.