(2003-12-17) -- Democrat presidential candidate Howard Dean today fulfilled Al Gore's promise that Mr. Dean would 'take America back,' stopping by the customer service desk at a local Wal-Mart store to do so.

In an odd coincidence, President George Bush had made a top-secret visit, under cover of darkness, to that same store to encourage the Wal-Mart associates. Mr. Bush was working behind the service desk helping customers when Mr. Dean arrived and announced that he had come to take America back.

Despite Mr. Dean's lack of a receipt or any other evidence that America was his, Mr. Bush smiled, gave him a refund and encouraged him to spend the money "to keep this economic recovery rolling."

However, on the way out of the store, Mr. Dean was trampled by his Democrat presidential rivals.