vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

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

9.04.2007

Club Obama

Senator Barack Obama's fans in Vermont continue to have a leg up -- heck, make that a whole body up -- over the in-state backers of Obama's rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination. Word has it the recent Norwich fundraiser may have added $300,000 to the Obama coffers.

So it's not surprising that the group is formally finally kicking off the Vermont for Obama effort with an event at Club Metronome next week cleverly titled "Club Obama." For a look at the poster, click HERE.

Just don't get why the Edwards and Clinton crowd in Vermont has been so invisible, so far anyway. Hillary's the undisputed frontrunner and her husband won this state in 1992 and 1996. That's got to be worth something. And John Edwards support from unions and the activist trial attorneys group ought to be gaining him some traction here as well. Hey, even Bill Richardson and Dennis Kucinich ought to have stirred some interest in the Green Mountains by now.

Thoughts?

-- Sam Hemingway

posted by vt.Buzz | 2:36 PM |

Comments:

The "Vermonters" who are giving the $2300 maximum to Obama are the same trust fund Democrats who gave us Act 60 and Act 68. These people live in a world that is far removed from everyday Vermonters.

Obama may be pulling in the cash from lawyers, professors, and doctors from Norwich and Hanover, but the race will be over by the time rank-and-file voters go to the polls in the Vermont primary on March 4. Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee by then, and the same people who are now going ga-ga over Obama will go ga-ga over Hillary next summer and fall.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:30 PM, September 04, 2007

Why is it any Democrat or Progressive with a little coin is labelled a "trust funder". Hey, we have jobs and businesses and are just as likely, if not more likely, to have made it on our own. We're the ones who favor keeping inheritance taxes rather running up deficits. Right?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:09 PM, September 04, 2007

Democrats generally fall into three categories: (1) politically connected, will benefit from new government "make work" jobs "solving" global warming, etc., (2) lazy - have listened to Bernie Sanders too long, believe the world owes them a living, all well-off people should have their worth confiscated, deserve free health care, pot, car insurance, veterinary care, etc., (3) naive - basically good kids, but have been subjected to leftist propaganda in schools for so long they believe it, at least until they go out into the work force. Number (3) probably are for Obama, number (1) probably are for Hillary, and number (2) for Hugo Chavez.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:49 PM, September 04, 2007

If you don't like Hugo Chavez, make sure you don't buy gas from Citgo - it's owned by Chavez' Venezuelan state oil company.

7-11 stores dropped their contract with Citgo a few months ago for this reason.

Also, if you don't want to support authoritarian rulers, don't buy gas from Lukoil either (they have at least one station in Vermont - in White River Junction). Lukoil is owned by Russian oligarchs tied to Vladimir Putin.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:05 PM, September 04, 2007

I only buy gas at Citgo.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:19 PM, September 04, 2007

"I only buy gas at Citgo" means that when you're there, you don't buy anything else besides gasoline.

What you mean is: "I buy gas only at Citgo," or "Citgo is the only place at which I buy gas."

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:47 PM, September 04, 2007

"Hey, we have jobs and businesses and are just as likely, if not more likely, to have made it on our own."

No. That's the point. Many of you DON'T have jobs. Many of you inherited your money or sold your house in California or New Jersey for a lot of money and have moved here to Vermont to hang out at the coffee shop or the gym all day long.

And now you want to change Vermont to make it unaffordable for working people.

And, NO, volunteering for a couple of hours a week at the library is NOT a job.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:50 PM, September 04, 2007

Bubba, were you even born in Vermont???

I was. And my father was. And his father was. And his father was. And his father was. And his father was. And his father was.

So before you tell be I'm not a Vermonter, shut the eff up. I don't fit in your little boxes.

I'm a person who actually thinks. I make tons of money. I live in Vermont. Nothing was given to me. My parents were farmers. They were poor. (of course they were, they lived under Republican governors.)

Think for yourself for a change.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:00 PM, September 04, 2007

JIm Douglas is the governor. What has he done to make this an affordable place to live?

What has he even proposed?? Nothing.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:02 PM, September 04, 2007

I'll tell you what he's done. He's vetoed tax increases by Symington and Shumlin. He's vetoed bills that would drive more businesses out of Vermont. Stopping bad policy is something.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:10 AM, September 05, 2007

Just want to let you know the Bill Richardson campaign is doing pretty well in Vermont. We have more than 50 people who have volunteered to help the campaign, and our petition drive to get the Governor on the Vermont primary ballot is underway.

Governor Richardson has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize four times for his trouble-shooting diplomatic work. As Governor of New Mexico, he has increased jobs and cut taxes. And no candidate has been stronger in his opposition to the war in Iraq. I don't know about you, but I think a tax-cutting, job-creating diplomat is what our country could use right about now.

If anyone reading this wants to help out, please email me at jimcondon@lycos.com or call me at 655-5764. We have volunteers in every county except one (c'mon Grand Isle), and we'll be helping out in New Hampshire as well. The more, the merrier.

- State Rep. Jim Condon, Colchester, VT

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:58 AM, September 05, 2007

Gotta love it. Douglas is on the front page crying about federal cuts impacting Vermont. DUH Jim! The guy you were campaign director for is why that's the case. Careful what you ask for Jimmy. Now grow some you know whats and call your chosen candidate and let him know how you feel.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:20 AM, September 05, 2007

"He's vetoed tax increases by Symington and Shumlin"

That's a lie. Symington and Shumlin have not let any tax increases through the legislature.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:21 AM, September 05, 2007

It's absolutely hilarious to hear Jim Douglas complain about the Bush Administration attempt to balance the federal budget by passing costs onto states.

WAKE UP VERMONT! That is exactly what Jim Douglas is doing here - trying to balance the state budget by passing costs onto the local towns or even to Vermonters by increasing fees - because they are not called "taxes".

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:33 AM, September 05, 2007

When is a fee, a fee?
When is a fee, a tax?

Easy! A fee is a fee if the Governor proposes it. A fee is a tax if the legislature proposes it.

Governor Jim Douglas is such a hypocrite on this.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:35 AM, September 05, 2007

Douglas, Symington, and Shumlin should all take a look at what Bill Richardson (subject of previous post) has accomplished as Governor of New Mexico. Richardson and the Dem legislature in New Mexico have LOWERED TAXES, and provided INCENTIVES TO BUSINESSES to create high-paying jobs, that pay at least the median wage in the state. Of course, many Vermont Democrats would have a heart attack if they heard that Democrats anywhere actually lowered taxes to encourage businesses to locate in that state.

Many of the biggest financial supporters of the Vt Dem Party think the state should raise the income tax on high-income Vermonters to compensate for the Bush tax cuts. That's the kind of thinking that leads high net-worth individuals to move out of Vermont and businesses to expand in other states. Even Taxachusetts has lower taxes than Vermont.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:45 AM, September 05, 2007

"He's vetoed tax increases by Symington and Shumlin"

That's a lie. Symington and Shumlin have not let any tax increases through the legislature.

Peter Shumlin is just one big LIE.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:11 PM, September 05, 2007

"That's a lie. Symington and Shumlin have not let any tax increases through the legislature."

Oh, I guess that $30 million tax on the state's biggest, cheapeast energy producer, proposed by Shumlin and Symington, is a "lie."

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:38 AM, September 06, 2007

Get rid of Symington - it just is a train wreck!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:02 AM, September 10, 2007