The Democrats are eager to pin today's visit by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on Gov. Jim Douglas.

An e-mail from Democratic Party Chairman Ian Carleton to party members (and the media) is slugged: "Bush Administration in Vermont." It goes on to declare that Douglas should be asking Chertoff serious questions, then lists some questions:

- There are no federal funds to pay for the enhanced driver's license
program. How much will this program
cost the State of Vermont? Will the federal government provide funds?
- Implementation of the enhanced driver's license program is scheduled for
November 2008, but Secretary Chertoff has insisted on the use of passports for
crossing the U.S.-Canada border by June 2008. Since Secretary Chertoff is
insisting on passports by June 2008, how will an enhanced driver's license
benefit Vermonters 5 months later?
- Is this the beginning of a National
I.D. System? If not, can you assure us that there will not be a National I.D.
System?
- How will the enhanced driver's license benefit Vermont businesses,
when they do not help Canadians, who travel to Vermont, spending tourism, retail
and business dollars that are critical to the Vermont economy? Current lengthy
back-ups at the border are already hurting Vermont business, and the Customs
& Border Patrol (CPB) has failed to assign the new agents it promised on
Vermont's border with Canada when CBP Commissioner Thomas Winkowski visited Vermont
earlier this year. The Department of Homeland Security will also miss its
promised target of Border Patrol Agents on the Northern Border by as many as
100. When will these jobs be filled?
- Will you support the AGJOBS
legislation that would provide a stable, legal workforce on our dairy farms?
- Public Safety Commissioner Kerry Sleeper has expressed
concerns that the Department of Homeland Security has been ineffective in
communicating with state & local law enforcement. How has DHS addressed
these concerns?

Here's my question for you all. Who does it help to have Chertoff here - the Dems or Douglas?

Does the attempt to link Republican Douglas with Republican Bush fly with voters, even acknowledging that Douglas headed up Bush's election efforts in Vermont and has slept at least twice in the Bush White House?

Or does Douglas win points with Vermont voters by showing that he's taking the Bush administration to task on three recent issues: immigration, auto emissions and SCHIP? And if so, is Douglas doing it on purpose so that when Democrats accuse him of being a Bush supporter he can point to those as example where he was not?

- Terri Hallenbeck