CNN discovers that Dean’s trips to the red states are greeted by Democrats running away from happy-handshake pictures with Howard:

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat who scored a surprising win in 2002 but is a top GOP target next year, won’t appear with Dean during his two-day visit. An aide noted that Sebelius remained neutral in the DNC race and backed Kerry in the presidential primary. Rep. Dennis Moore, the state’s only congressional Democrat, is traveling out of the country and won’t return until next week. A Moore spokeswoman declined to comment on Dean’s trip. Aides to other Kansas Democrats, including state Sen. Janice Lee and Kansas City Mayor Carol Marinovich, also declined to comment on Dean’s visit. Dean is likely to face a similar reception next week in Mississippi, where Rep. Gene Taylor, the state’s only white Democrat in Congress, has been openly critical of his party’s new chairman.