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


1.31.2007

 

welch and W.

Peter Welch made his debut as a Congressman on VPR's Switchboard program last night, and wouldn't you know it: A caller to the program brought up the business about his smiling exchange with President Bush on the floor of the House last week after the State of the Union speech.

The exchange has been bandied about on Vermont political blogs, including this one, ever since. Some think the incident is proof Welch will bend to the ways of Washington instead of sticking to his principles; others think it shows he knows how to put aside partisanship and get along with with political opponents when the occasion arises.

Here's a shortened version of the Switchboard exchange:

MICHAEL, FROM WORCESTER: To see you basically reduced to a schoolboy cheerleader, clamoring to get his autograph and slap his back and then, to add insult to injury, to not see you show up at the peace rallies in Montpelier, not show up at the peace rallies in Washington D.C. last Saturday, and worse, not put your name on important pieces of legislation ... which offer specific targets in reduction of troops and truly oppose President Bush."

CONGRESSMAN WELCH: My voting record so far is very clear. I've voted on all of the legislation that's been in direct conflict with the Bush positions ... I've also joined with the many other members of Congress who are opposed to the war and are taking concrete steps to try to bring that war to an end.
On the question of President Bush, the first time I net him was at the Congressional orientation... I had a chance to interact with him as the rest of us did ... I asked him about Vermont farmers and could he help and then he asked me about a friend of his who lives in Burlington and who is somebody he when to high school and college with, Jack Sartore. He asked if I would call him and say hello, which I did. And it was President Bush, when he was leaving after the state of the uinion, he saw me -- the man has a memory -- and he asked me if I had called Jack Sartore and I said I had... and he asked me if I would let him know he was asking about him again at the State of the Union and so I did that.

So does any of this change your view of Welch, or what you think of his exchange with the Prez that night? One final note, the video of the exchange does not show that Welch slapped the back of the president during their chat. It was actually the other way around.

-- Sam Hemingway

Comments:
Michael from Worcester represents a lot of Vermonters who are very angry about the Iraq War and want Congress to do something more substantive than pass a nonbinding resolution.

If Congress in general, and Welch in particular, don't take serious action to stop the war by 2008, Welch may very well face an anti-war Progressive or Independent challenger in November 2008 along with a Republican.
 
God forbid that anyone display any sign of bipartisan civility in Washington.
 
God forbid that anyone display any sign of bipartisan civility in Washington.
 
It proves that Peter knows the difference between disagreeing and being disagreeable.
The questioner has the juvenille idea that differing on principle requires personal nastyness
 
Sorry folks - this is nothing compared with the bait and switch hypocrasy exhibited by some of the folks in our own Legislature...

Would love to see some investigative journalist look into how many VT House and Senate candidates bororrowed or leased hybrid vehicles for the campaign trail, and then slapped their House and Sentate license blates on some monster gas guzzler.

And yes - there are at least two of them. One State senator being shamed into driving to Montpelier with his eco friendly Mustang instead of the 10MPG SUV that he normally drives. Funny - he sits on the very committee that is charged with looking at climate change!
 
yes, it was clear to all: Bush saw Welch from across the room, pointed him out (amongst the 1000 other people near-by, of course) and then made a special effort to go and see what Welch had to say about his college buddy in b-town. right, that's the consistent story from Welch's camp...or is it?

let's be clear, this new version makes absolutly no sense.

also, it directly contradicts what Welch's press guy said, which was that Welch went to get an autograph from the prez for his nephew.

well, which is it?

either way, slapping the Prez in the back, getting slapped in the back, who cares. it was clearly all smiles from Welch, all chummy-chummy with Bush, etc.

and this from a guy who campaigned almost exclusively on his contempt for the guy?

Pollina for house in 08!
 
Pollina would come in third ... like he always does.
 
yeah, it does change my view of Welch: instead of getting a simple autograph for his nephew and showing respect to the office, Welch was actually reporting back to Bush about a personal favor that Bush asked him to do: call Bush's college buddy and check in. Which Welh actually did. twice.

yes, i get it fully. i'll be looking for P candidates in 2008
 
Wouldn't Anthony be wonderful in the House? Perfect!
 
How about Martha Abbot?

No, she couldn't win an a race for Auditor, never mind Congress.

How about Pollina?

Nope. Two third-place showings in the race for Gov. positions him poorly for a race for the US House.

Vermonters don't trust Pollina to be their Lt. Gov ... why would they trust him in the US House?

How about this -- the Progs put down the recreational drugs and get a reality check ??
 
When the choice is between political reality and abstract purity of action, I want a congressman who can get things done for VT.
A handshake and an autograph are small price to pay for access to the oval office when Vt needs help.
Grow up and let peter get his feet on the fround
 
Rome is burning and this is all you reporters can come up with. Superficial! Report on his voting record when he actually has one. Don't waste my time on this "enquirer" fluff!
 
This is much ado about nothing whipped up by some anonymous partisan hater who spews his hate through Welch Watch. This kind of trash has no place in Vermont or in politics. Even Drudge signs his name. Shame on the MSM for giving it any play. Let's look at the record objectively. In his first month Welch has voted for the first woman Speaker of the House, been appointed to two high powered committees, supported anti-war resolutions while voting for an increased minimum wage, cutting student loan interest rates and reforming ethics in Congress. Pretty damn good for four weeks of work.
 
For the record, name calling is okay only when directed at Republicans.
 
A pat on the back and a hearty, "You're doing a heck of a job, Welchie"?
 
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