vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen

11.24.2006

Plum assignment

Looks like Senator-elect Bernie Sanders independent political label is paying him -- and Vermont -- some early dividends.

USA Today reported this week that Sanders is getting special treatment - like a seat on the Budget Committee Sanders didn't even ask for -- from incoming Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who knows his party needs to have the support of the two independents, Sanders and Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., to maintain its grip on the Senate. For USAT's full article, click HERE.

Sanders, according to the article, was surprised he got all the committee assignments he requested plus the Budget Committee post but he shouldn't have been. The article said Sanders is regarded as one of three "key players" for Senate Democrats because the party needs him and Lieberman to stick with the 49 elected Democrats so that the party can prevail on critical roll call votes.
The third incoming Senator in the group is Senator-elect Jim Webb, D-Va.. He's getting special treatment because he is a former Republican and could be tempted to vote with Republicans from time to time.

Kind of obliterates the ineffective tag often hung at Sanders for being an independent, doesn't it?

-- Sam Hemingway

posted by vt.Buzz | 11:30 AM |

Comments:

Sanders will always get special treatment. It's the Democrats way from keeping him from becoming the clown that he was in the house, in the Senate.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:09 PM, November 24, 2006

"Kind of obliterates the ineffective tag often hung at Sanders for being an independent, doesn't it?"

Uh, not really. The tag isn't hung on him for being an independent, it's for not doing anything. If he suddenly gets a whole lot better at his job than he was in the House, then you can start talking about washing that label off.

As far as committee assignments, it will take the Dem party leadership about ten minutes to realize that he's not "Lieberman" independent, he's a mile left of the D's independent, so they don't need to do anything special for him to get his vote other than assign him a handler to make sure he shows up. Simms makes a good point though, they might need to throw him bones just to keep him from challenging Bernanke to a fistfight until a real Democrat takes over that seat in six years. We'll see, I guess.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:39 PM, November 26, 2006

I just love the sour grapes.

The definition of ineffective is spending $7 million on a campaign to smear Bernie Sanders and Sanders winning in a landslide.

Vermonters know that Bernie works hard for them -- that's why he wins in a landslide every time his name is on the ballot --

So keep up the smear campaign -- nothing is less effective than your efforts to discredit Sanders.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:06 PM, November 26, 2006

"that's why he wins in a landslide every time his name is on the ballot"

Really? How did those first half dozen national campaigns go?

Come back and let us know when all that "hard work" actually accomplishes something.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:54 PM, November 26, 2006

Hey Anon: Try selling that to the voters.

There is nothing less effective than your smear campaign.

Heh.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:23 AM, November 27, 2006

You're using the wrong word, "smear" implies that what I'm saying isn't true. If you want to point out how that's so, please feel free.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:14 AM, November 27, 2006

Point out how it isn't so --

Actually, don't waste your time -- the VAST majority of Vermonters know that Senator-Elect Sanders has done an excellent job.

That's why Vermonters keep voting for him in such large numbers.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:25 AM, November 27, 2006

Sam Hemingway, Andy Potter, most of the AP - how long have they been in Vermont?

Part of the reason (not nearly the whole reason) for Sanders' success over sixteen years does not stem from hard work on his part. He's good at holding the town meetings - but what did he accomplish by holding the town meetings? Did he learn anything new?

The Vermont Press core is not very good at covering issues, not only during campaigns - but during sessions, court battles, etc. Why?

My theory is the older Vermont reporters are happy where they are. They are not trying to move up in the ladder and win a job at the NY Times or what not.

There reporting never goes anywhere but the Burlington Free Press. With the Dean Machine a few years ago, you'd think they learn?

Now I could be wrong, and I'd love to hear what Vermont reporters really seek to accomplish? Good reporting? The truth? What motivated them to become reporters. That's a story and an interesting posting. After all, we read their articles every day, but we know nothing about the people we trust to keep us updated on current events, etc.

It's alright though, Vermonters are still leaving the state as the elders move in. And here we are debating whether the independent tag hung on himself really makes Sanders ineffective.

**oh and winning by a landslide doesn't make you effective - just more desired.

Why not focus on issues? Sound like a plan? Here's a question - what is going to be accomplished in the next two years?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:16 PM, November 27, 2006

Um, I hate to break it to you, but our new Junior Senator scoring key committee assignments is an important issue -- and it dictates heavily what will be accomplished in the next 2 years.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:20 PM, November 27, 2006

Vermonters know that Bernie is effective. That's why they keep sending him back. (and why they gave him a raise 3 weeks ago.)

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:09 PM, November 27, 2006

Sanders is a extraordinarily effective demagogue. He is a very skilled politico who oversees an impressive machine that gets his supporters out to vote, and deals efficiently with anyone in its way. He also fully understands Vermonters' remarkable love affair with incumbents.

But let's be honest, he is not much of a legislator or consensus-builder. In fact, Sanders depends upon discord, strife and dissatisfaction for his demagoguery to work.

I respect his obvious political and rhetorical skills. On substance, he is off the mark -- but most voters (pro- or anti- Sanders) aren't voting based on substance. Simply put, he is a polarizing figure who conjures up strong, visceral reactions for and against, and he loves to play that role. Can't argue with his electoral successes. Just don't stand in his way ....

# Posted by:

BarreBoy | 5:42 PM, November 27, 2006

Lots of mocking of those who say Sanders is ineffective, accompanied by zero examples of said effectiveness. Amazing.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:02 PM, November 27, 2006

"A person who cites no examples then casts blame on others for providing none."

You want examples of... someone not accomplishing anything? OK, February 21, 2006. The whole day. Didn't accomplish a goddamned thing.

You literally cannot name one substantial positive thing that Bernie has accomplished in Washington, can you?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:32 PM, November 27, 2006

Bernie was the first member of Congress to take his constituents across the Canadian border to buy their prescription drugs at a fraction of the price they were forced to pay in the United States. He is the author of major "reimportation" legislation which would lower the cost of medicine in this country by 30-50%

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:39 AM, November 28, 2006

Bernie Sanders voted against the PATRIOT Act and introduced legislation to undo the unconstitutional provisions in that bill. His succesfull efforts to repeal Section 215 and his introduction of the "Freedom to Read Act" recently earned him the American Librarians Association award of "Politician of the Year."

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:41 AM, November 28, 2006

Bernie has been one of the leaders in Congress in opposition to the war in Iraq.

Contrast this with the Republican efforts to stay the course and continue putting our soldiers in harms way for no good reason.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:43 AM, November 28, 2006

Bernie has brought in tens of millions of dollars in LIHEAP funding for low income Vermonters who need energy assistance.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:44 AM, November 28, 2006

Bernie has brought federally funded healthcare centers to the most economically depressed areas of Vermont -- more than any other congressman.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:46 AM, November 28, 2006

Bernie over came a $7 million dollar campaign to discredit his reputation -- and won with more votes than any other state wide office holder in Vermont history.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:48 AM, November 28, 2006

Wow, those are some of the most heavily spun bullet points I've ever seen outside of an election. You know you've got, like, a two year window where you can just tell the truth, don't you?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:16 PM, November 28, 2006

They asked for examples and then they couldn't refute them -- so they call they "heavily spun"

Ouch. You really got me there.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:22 PM, November 28, 2006

We all know what he's done.

Well, credit is due if you keep earning re-election. I personally believe he's a joke. You may disagree, and that's perfectly fine.

We'll see what he accomplishes in the next six years. He's earned that opportunity...

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:45 AM, November 29, 2006

"so they call they 'heavily spun'"
"Nice one, Sour Grapes!"

Yeah, so nice it didn't make any sense.

Bernie's job for the last 16 years has been to author legislation that gets passed. Not one example of his doing that was presented. Everything else consists of writing letters, attaching his name to other peoples' bills or just "being against" things.

The reimportation efforts are a classic example of what a joke this guy is - it's well-known that reimportation could never work on a national level. See the 5/3/04 Businessweek for an explanation of this that even Bernie's fans can understand. Surely he knows that, but it sure sounds good when you don't think about it too hard. And therein lies the basis for Bernie's career in politics.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:23 PM, December 02, 2006