Dean and Wesley Clark talking?

Adam from The Likely Story caught something significant in this mornings Washington Post story on how the Dean campaign has had to shift into a higher gear now that the Governor is fast becoming the front-runner:

What started as a point-by-point review of his economic and health care policies turned quickly into his dissertation on foreign affairs in Cuba, Saudi Arabia, North Korea and Iraq. Dean has been getting tutored on foreign policy by numerous experts, including retired Marine Gen. Joseph P. Hoar. He has also had several private conversations with retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, the former NATO commander who some Democrats see as an attractive running mate for Dean if Clark does not join the race himself.

Someone I know made the comment a few days back that maybe Clark won't be announcing his candidacy in a few weeks but will, instead, be making a joint announcement with Dean that he WILL be Dean's running mate. It's a bold idea, but I said that one argument against it is that such an announcement would require a lot of negotiation between the Dean and Clark camps, that much chatter would be hard to hide and I had heard nothing that suggested that Dean and Clark had ever talked to each other. Then comes this little report. Hmmm... I still think it unlikely that Dean and Clark would make a joint announcement this early. However, it is good to know that the Governor is getting some top notch foreign policy advice. It demonstrates, once again, that this campaign responds to criticism and works to overcome it. By the way, this mornings Post story was also significant in that it is another indication that the establishment media is no longer treating Dean's candidacy as a joke. But neither are they automatically dismissing him as some leftist. As much as I criticize the establishment media, I think they can be taught to correct their mistakes. They just have to be nudged in the right direction. Update: The more I think about this the more significant I think it is. The simple question is this: if Clark is mere days away from announcing his candidacy, why would he be holding private talks with the man who would be his chief rival? This does not mean that Dean/Clark will be announced in a couple of weeks. But it does indicate that Clark 2004 may be less likely then some have thought.