Thoughts from the Senate campaign trail on primary night...
Republican Richard Tarrant was a happy guy Tuesday night. Surrounded by cheering supporters he wore a big grin as he made his way to the microphones at his Colchester headquarters, introducing his youngest grandchild, one-year-old Nina Tarrant, to one and all.
Once he made it to the podium Tarrant once again made reference to his granddaughter. Then came this attempt at humor from the happy candidate. Introducing his wife, Deb, he grinned and said that sometimes she "acts like my oldest granddaughter." No explanation of what he meant by the remark.
Over at Bernie Sanders' headquarters, independent, eight-term Congressman Sanders was enjoying his first-ever victory as a Democratic candidate, even though he was quick to say he'll politely turn down the party's nomination today and run again as an independent.
Once upon a time, when Sanders was mayor of Burlington and city Democrats detested everything about him, the idea of such a friendly relationship between the Ds and Bernie would have seemed impossible.
Sanders' independent streak runs deep, though, even if he has voted with the Democratic caucus
almost all the time. "I am the longest serving independent in Congress in American history," he insisted on reminding reporters. Okay, got it.
-- Sam Hemingway
