Media Matters is in a tizzy over pundits who accuse Howard Dean of calling John McCain a “blatant opportunist.”

Here’s the defense of Dean:

Summary: Echoing his false claim the previous day that DNC chairman Howard Dean accused Sen. John McCain of “blatant opportunism” for referencing his military service as part of his presidential campaign, co-host Steve Doocy asserted on Fox & Friends that “Howard Dean looked at the biography tour and called John McCain blatantly opportunistic, which is extraordinary about a guy who spent five years in the Hanoi Hilton.” In fact, Dean did not say that McCain’s reference to his military record was “blatantly opportunistic.”

And here’s what Howard Dean actually said, via Media Matters:

The American people have been waiting for a president who understands the challenges they face, not another out of touch Bush Republican who promises four more years of the same failed leadership. John McCain can try to reintroduce himself to the country, but he can’t change the fact that he cast aside his principles to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Bush for the last seven years. While we honor McCain’s military service, the fact is Americans want a real leader who offers real solutions, not a blatant opportunist who doesn’t understand the economy and is promising to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years.

Got it? John McCain is a “blatant oportunist,” just not in regard to his military service.