TV president Sheen endorses Dean
By Ross Sneyd The Associated Press
MONTPELIER -- The man who plays the president on television has endorsed a former governor who wants to be president.
Former Gov. Howard Dean dropped by a taping of NBC's "The West Wing" in Washington last week for a tour and picked up the backing of actor Martin Sheen.
The actor wanted to tell Dean, and an accompanying reporter for People Magazine, that he supported the Vermonter's run for the presidency.
Sheen plays President Josiah Bartlet in "The West Wing," a drama about the presidency. As Dean's staff and supporters are happy to point out, the fictional Bartlet is a lot like the real-life candidate.
The television president is a Democrat and a former governor of a small state in northern New England -- New Hampshire in the case of Bartlet. Both also are married to practicing physicians -- Dr. Judith Steinberg in Dean's case.
"People are familiar with the show: a New England governor whose wife is a doctor. That is our story line," Dean campaign press secretary Susan Allen said. "Not only does it boost name recognition, but it promotes the real life story line of Governor Dean."
Sheen has been an activist for a variety of peace causes.
Dean has carved out a position for himself as a leading critic of President Bush's policy on Iraq. Dean describes himself as the only candidate with government experience who would have voted against the congressional resolution giving Bush power to go to war in Iraq.
Dean has said he doesn't oppose waging war against Iraq, but he does not believe the president has made a compelling case for it.
