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


9.26.2007

 

Chertoff's visit

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

Comments:
Douglas is only coming out against Bush now because Bush is a lame duck. Where's Lil' Jimmy been the previous six years. I'll tell ya where, uttering dribble like:

"Aren't we lucky to have George W. Bush in the White House!"

Douglas is a coward and an opportunist. He asked Vermonters to listen to him and vote for Bush--TWICE! Now he's acting like he's insensed about Bush policy. What a schmuck Douglas is.
 
Jim Douglas is just covering his butt - GW is not up for re-election, BUT Jim Douglas is.

Jim Douglas keeps telling the media (who laps it up like a thirsty dog) that the Legislature won't work with him - Laughable!

In reality he won't work with the legislature - it's either his way or the highway!
 
Hey Terri,

Why don't you do a story on Jim Douglas' travels around the state?

If anyone were to connect the dots (I mean time) they would find that Jim Douglas spends very little time in the office - and the vast majority of his time campaigning at taxpayer expense.
 
If Jim Douglas were serious about his opposition to Bush Administration policies, he would follow Jim Jeffords' lead, leave the Republican party, and run for re-election as an independent.

Of course Douglas will never do that, because he's much more committed to the Republican party than Jeffords was. The only reason Douglas wins is because of the incompetence of his Democratic opponents. If the Dems had a candidate with some skill, Douglas would be defeated - the same way Pat Leahy beat Douglas back in 1992. Also, the Dems should not let Douglas run away from Giuliani, Romney, or whoever ends up being the GOP Presidential candidate next year.

If Douglas is re-elected in 2008 and there's a Democratic President in Washington as of January 2009, Douglas will be irrelevant on state-federal matters. Leahy, Sanders, and Welch will be Vermont's conduits to the new Administration.
 
Douglas already is irrelevant on state-federal matters. Bush couldn't give two craps about Jim Douglas.

And Douglas will never leave the GOP. He's a loyal right-winger.

Plus, he'll need money from the National Party if he chooses to run for Senate again.
 
It's surprising how many rabid anti-Douglas folks have commented on this post. I'm not a big supporter, but there is no denying he is popular with Vermonters.

My view is the Dems are over-reacting here, and they won't score that many points with voters. It is not particularly shocking that a government official would come to our state.

Moreover, what's wrong with a National ID? And why do we want to legalize illegal farmworkers, when dairy farmers are getting the highest milk price ever and could afford to pay better wages to American workers? The Dems are out of touch with average Vermonters on some issues, including the immigraiton issue, I think.

The Dems should go after Douglas on issues the Vermont government can control, not just because he is in the same party as that idiot Bush.
 
OK, here's a Vermont issue.

From this morning's Free Press: "Vermont Labor Force Falls by 6,800 in 8 Months"

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070926/BUSINESS/709260312/1003

Jim = Jobs?
 
God, why do any decent people like Chertoff even bother to come to the Vermont loony bin? Let's just keep Vermont fenced off as a ward of the state like your crazy Uncle.
 
What's decent about Chertoff? What's he done right?

Name something tangible.

Other than his adept supervision of his underling Michael Brown.

Are we safer now? People get knives on airplanes all of the time ... but thank God that we all have to take our shoes off before we board!!
 
The Democrats and their leadership in the house and senate are their own worst enemy.
 
Get a new speaker.
 
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