Republicans protested Dean in Alaska yesterday. All 10 or 15 of them.

Dean, the former presidential candidate and current head of the National Democratic Committee, says his party has a chance to win back the governor's mansion this year. He arrived in Anchorage on Wednesday for a $100-a-plate dinner at the Hilton Anchorage to raise money for Alaska Democrats, prompting Republicans to stage an "open ANWR" rally outside.

In a phone interview last week, Dean said Murkowski was vulnerable to a Democratic challenger and accused Republicans of practicing a "culture of corruption." He listed Alaska examples, including the resignation of former Attorney General Gregg Renkes, who quit amid reports that he used his state job to promote a coal technology company that he owned stock in.

Alaska Republicans took Dean's visit as a chance to paint Democrats as out of sync with average Alaskans. Nationally, Democratic leaders have worked to block oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and are traditionally soft on gun rights, said state Republican chairman Randy Ruedrich. But at the banquet, one of the first things Dean talked about were his eight consecutive endorsements from the National Rifle Association.

Republicans had organized a rally before the banquet. Ruedrich expected maybe 15 to 20 Republicans to show. More would be coming if it weren't for the rain, he said.