Vermont's governor-doctor eyes White House. (Health Care is Campaign Centerpiece).

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA -- Most politicians, when touring a hospital, tend to smile, nod, and shake a lot of hands. Howard Dean talks confidently about whether the facility really needs a cardiac catheterization lab.

That's partly because Gov. Dean (D-Vt.) fancies himself a straight talker who is not afraid to say what he thinks, even if it's not what people want to hear, like the hospital officials who really want a cath lab. It's also because Gov. Dean is an internist and the first official candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in 2004.

A doctor sitting in a governor s chair is an uncommon occurrence. (Oregon's John A. Kitzhaber is currently the only other physician/governor.) It's even more rare to have one running for president. But Gov. Dean insists that a doctor is a better choice For that position than the lawyers or businessmen he'll likely be running against.

"It would be great from a physician's point of view to have me in the White House," he said. "I'd change Medicare reimbursement rates, which are a disaster. Also, every American would have health insurance, and I would do it through the existing systems. I've learned the hard way that you can't radically reform the American health care system. I want insurance first, then will argue about radical reform later."

As a physician who is married to a physician--his wife, Dr. Judy Steinberg, is also an internist--it's not surprising that health care issues form the cornerstone of Gov. Dean's campaign. Gov. Dean is hoping that his strong health care reform background, combined with what he says is his Democratic opponents' reluctance to propose strong measures to solve these issues and Republicans' historic weakness in the area, will lead to success for him.

"This will be much easier than what happened with President Clinton's plan, because we are not taking on any of the interest groups," he said. "There's no reason for the [American Medical Association] to be upset about this, no reason for the National Federation of Independent Businesses to be opposed to this, because we help small businesses. There's no reason for the hospitals to be upset about this.

In his stump speech, Gov. Dean is fond of saying that, while others propose solutions, he can point to a record of success in providing health care for the citizens of Vermont.