On top of retreat overseas and universalizing health care on the home front, Governor Dean, it turns out, has yet another priority should he become president of America: ensuring “a wide variety of opinions in every community.” According to Dr. Dean, talking Monday to Chris Matthews on the show “Hardball,” this diversity doesn’t exist now because of “Michael Powell and what George Bush has tried to do to the FCC.” Dr. Dean seems to be referring to the recent rules change by the Federal Communications Commission that allows television and radio networks to own more local stations and loosens the restrictions on companies owning broadcast and print outlets in the same city. Dr. Dean’s plan goes in the opposite direction: “We’re going to break up the giant media enterprises.”

“The essence of capitalism, which the right wing never understands — it always baffles me — is, you got to have some rules,” Dr. Dean said. However, it seems unclear just how what Dr. Dean is counseling counts as a rule, as opposed to a diktat from Washington.”What we’re going to do is say that media enterprises can’t be as big as they are today,” Dr. Dean said. But what counts as too big? Which “giant media enterprises” would be targeted by a Dean administration? Mr. Matthews did an admirable job trying to nail the former governor down on this count. “Would you break up GE?” he asked. General Electric owns NBC, the network on which “Hardball” is aired. “You can’t ask me right now and get an answer,”Dr. Dean replied. Mr. Matthews pressed the point. “Would you break up Fox?” he asked. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation owns Fox News, The Weekly Standard, and the New York Post, among other properties. “On ideological grounds, absolutely yes,” Dr. Dean replied, to laughter from the crowd.

Dr. Dean seemed to be joking in his jibe, but it’s worth noting that the potential for such abuse of government power is why it is important for Congress and the president to take a hands-off approach to any type of regulation of the press, whether print or broadcast. Certainly capitalism requires rules. But the rules it requires are fundamental things like property rights — not a doctor turned governor turned antiwar presidential candidate who thinks he can determine the optimal number of television stations his countrymen can own.

It is particularly surprising to find such a view of the information landscape — obsessed as it is with television, radio, and print — coming from a presidential candidate who has spread his message, and organized his financial support, on the Internet, through supporters’ Web sites and Web-community sites such as Meetup.com. Where is the lack of a “wide variety of opinions” when everyone and his grandmother has a personal Web log, including the Dean campaign? Of all people, Dr. Dean would seem to be someone who could understand that “big media” has in no way snuffed out the ability of ordinary people to communicate.