Hell hath no fury like a drivel-writing columnist scorned:

NEW YORK TIMES op-ed queen Maureen Dowd was left waiting by the phone by Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

After scheduling a phone interview with Dowd at her hotel in Des Moines, the candidate never called!

Dowd is preparing to write about the snub in her Sunday column, sources tell the DRUDGE REPORT.

"I never got the five minutes with him!" Dowd regrets. "Which left me five minutes to think about why his candidacy was sputtering."

"Shunning personal storytelling, Dean has chosen to make his campaign arc about his campaign arc. He brags of facing down the dragon George W. Bush."

Through a dial tone, Dowd recalls: "As he said at a rally here last week about his Democratic rivals: 'They weren't there when it was time to stand up to the president on the war in Iraq. ... If you want someone to stand up to George Bush, I've done it.'"

But Dowd connects: "Personal history shouldn't be a substitute for policy. An overreliance on stories of dramatic heroism and physical suffering can overwhelm a campaign, as it did with Bob Kerrey and Bob Dole, devolving into the politics of self. And yuppie sagas of sin and redemption can become strained with repetition.

"A race rooted mainly in attacking the president may not take Dean far enough. Voters want someone who's been through the fire. They care about character. They want to know the evolution of the man, even if it's a myth."

The Dean crash and burn continues. Don't worry Howie, nobody takes her seriously anyway.

Update: Here's the article.