vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

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

12.19.2007

Pollina update

As you may have read in our post earlier today, Anthony Pollina has an ad in Seven Days seeking campaign volunteers, staff and contributors with a logo that says: Pollina Governor '08, all indications that Pollina is running for governor in '08.

During the course of the day, Progressive Party Executive Director Morgan Daybell said, when asked if this means Pollina is running, "I would say yes."

In a more roundabout way, so would Chris Pearson, a Progressive from Burlington who's been working closely with Pollina. When I said that this ad runs contrary to Pollina's previously claims he's not a candidate yet, Pearson said, "I don't think he would say today 'I'm not a candidate yet'."

So that's what the people around Pollina are saying - that if it looks like he's running that's because he IS running.

Moments ago, I spoke with Pollina. This is what he says,

"As I told you before, we're taking steps. Nothing has
changed."
...
"You become a candidate when you announce you're a candidate. I haven't done that. We'll see what happens in January."

Pollina claims that the people around him are wording it differently because they are so eager to get things going.

He did say, though, that people are urging him to make that next step (to official candidacy) soon. "My sense is that come the New Year we're going to have to step it up," he said.

The Prog is trying to win the support of Democrats, but Democrats say they still have some of their own in the mix.

Doug Racine left a message to say that contrary to a statement in a column by Peter Freyne, he's still considering a gubernatorial run. Racine, now a Democratic state senator, is a former lieutenant governor and 2002 candidate for governor. He lost a close contest to Republican Jim Douglas -- the guy still in the top job.

"I'm still very interested in it," he said. "I'm trying to do due diligence ... about where the money is and where the support is."

Word is that Sen. John Campbell, D-Windsor, also is still weighing a run.

The more things change ....

-- Terri Hallenbeck and Nancy Remsen

posted by vt.Buzz | 5:21 PM |

Comments:

Only in Chittenden County would anyone even care about some insignificant loser like Pollina. What he does or wants to do is about as important as Brittney Spears or Dennis Kucinich. Why don't you occasionally focus on someone who has accomplished something meaningful in his/her life, like creating good jobs for Vermonters, or maybe serving his/her country in the military, etc.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:55 PM, December 19, 2007

Interesting, other doofuses say Pollina can't win in Chittenden County. Which doofus are we supposed to believe?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:18 PM, December 19, 2007

Anthony Premadonna -- spare me!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:45 PM, December 19, 2007

Anonymous said...

"Interesting, other doofuses say Pollina can't win in Chittenden County. Which doofus are we supposed to believe?"

None of the above.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 7:24 AM, December 20, 2007

Gee, Tancredo is dropping out of the Republican race for President.

Now who coulda seen that comin'.

That means the ignorant bigot vote is up for grabs.

Who will benefit from Tancredo's absence - besides the World - and grab the ignorant bigot vote?

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 7:41 AM, December 20, 2007

Tancredo calls for enforcement of immigration laws, so of course he is immediately labeled a bigot by the liberal elitists that of course are not affected by illegal immigrants! Typical blubbering liberal know-nothings!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:51 AM, December 20, 2007

bubba said...

"Tancredo calls for enforcement of immigration laws, so of course he is immediately labeled a bigot by the liberal elitists that of course are not affected by illegal immigrants! Typical blubbering liberal know-nothings!"

And if I ever find the need to get the ignorant, ill-informed, knuckle-draggin' nitwit perspective on things I know just where to find you, bubbles.

So, now that your beloved loon in chief has made the loonie worth more than the US Dollar when it was worth a mere 63 cents on the US Dollar 5 years ago, do you propose we seal the US-Canadian Border, too?

It's not like the Vermont Economy has traditionally benefited from Canadians crossing the Border to shop here or anything.

Do you think sealing the US-Canadian Border will help or hinder a slowing Vermont Economy, bubbles?

Tancredo and the coalition of the clueless likes of you and the little fella are tagged as ignorant, ill-informed, knuckle-draggin' nitwits for the same reason the yard outside my window would be classified as snow covered.

It applies.

Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:21 AM, December 20, 2007

From Freyne's Slog:

"That's Anthony [right] in a recent shot taken at Uncommon Grounds on Church Street."

I'm sorry, but every time Pollina is photographed, it's inside or outside some coffee place. Does this guy work? I'm serious. What does he do? Will he even be able to even relate to the average working guy or woman?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:51 AM, December 20, 2007

I'm waiting to hear Gov. Scissorhands' response to yesterday's decision by the Bush-Cheney EPA to deny California, Vermont, and 16 other states the right to set tighter emissions rules for motor vehicles.

The Bush-Cheney administration really has gall on this one - they justify their decision by pointing to the Congressional energy bill, which they were threatening to veto as recently as last week.

Bush and Cheney must be laughing up their sleeves as they hear Douglas, Schwarzenegger, and other Republican governors protest the EPA decision, as the GOP rakes in the campaign contributions from the oil, coal, and auto industries.

The Presidential election next November will be much more important than who is governor of Vermont. If there is no respectable Democratic candidate for governor of Vermont in 2008, Vermont Democrats should use their money to support the national Democratic presidential campaign, and to help the Democrats gain seats in the U.S. House and Senate, rather than send it to Anthony Pollina.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:10 AM, December 20, 2007

^^^There's a lot of truth in that statement. Maybe Dems should just channel it all into the presidential race. At least we know we'd repeal the tax cuts for the rich and then maybe some more federal money can start flowing into Vermont again.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:31 AM, December 20, 2007

jw, why would anyone want to seal the US-Canadian border? Have you heard of anyone suggesting that? What US citizens should be concerned with is illegal immigration from Mexico. Last I knew, there was no similar problem with our northern border! I notice you quickly change the subject when pressed for some semblance of an informed reply. Try this one on, little fella: What has Tom Tancredo done wrong? And what is your answer to illegal immigration.

You have one hour to complete the quiz.
Class dismissed.
Good DAY.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:38 AM, December 20, 2007

Why don't you twits find someplace else to play. Then the rest of us wouldn't have to witness it all.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:25 AM, December 20, 2007

Excuse me, I didn't realize this was the Green Mountain Daily, home of the cooing leftists lovebirds. Sorry for exposing you to real-world facts.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:12 PM, December 20, 2007

Anonymous said...

"Why don't you twits find someplace else to play. Then the rest of us wouldn't have to witness it all."

And once again, little fella, just who is this everyone for whom you claim to speak?

You're just another factually-challenged clown posting under the screen name anonymous. As far as I know, you're just another one of bubble's buddies anonymous imaginary little friends he trots out to pretend he's got support beyond bubbles.

If you're not, just what measures have you taken to distinguish yourself anyone else posting under the name anonymous?

How would I know and why should I care?

Therefore, unless and until you manage to do something but whine about me shredding your bogus arguments and non-existent evidence and do something to demonstrate that you're not merely just another one of the little fella's imaginary little anonymous friends, you've given me no reason to consider you a serious person expressing a legitimate point of view worthy of careful consideration and serious debate when you've demonstrated none of those qualities or characteristics.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 12:18 PM, December 20, 2007

Terri, another example of jwcoop sticking to the issues . . .

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:21 PM, December 20, 2007

" you've given me no reason to consider you a serious person expressing a legitimate point of view worthy of careful consideration and serious debate when you've demonstrated none of those qualities or characteristics."

Attention on the board:

You must be a SERIOUS person to earn and receive JW's consideration.

What a scary thought, actually achieving parity with JW on an intellectual level.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:45 PM, December 20, 2007

bubba said...

"jw, why would anyone want to seal the US-Canadian border? Have you heard of anyone suggesting that?"

Ya mean besides Tancredo and the bogus minuteman slime that came up here to guard the Border when they couldn't find enough Vermonters to buy into their ignorant, ill-informed, ill-advised, bigoted BS?

Where did the Algerian guy the US Border Patrol busted on December 14, 1999. trying to sneak into the Country to blow up LAX in the Millennium Plot try to cross the Border? Eagle Pass? El Paso? Tijuana?

Refresh my memory, bubbles. Is Port Angeles, Washington on the US-Mexico Border or the US-Canadian Border?

"What US citizens should be concerned with is illegal immigration from Mexico. Last I knew, there was no similar problem with our northern border!"

Really? Is that so? So the only problem is Mexicans, eh? What about Cubans? Haitians? Are they more desirable than Mexicans? If so, Why? What's your rationale for that?

"I notice you quickly change the subject when pressed for some semblance of an informed reply."

Nice try. You couldn't press a pair of pants, putz.

"Try this one on, little fella: What has Tom Tancredo done wrong?"

Well, given the fact that he's droppin' out of the Republican race today, bubbles, evidently, everything.

Try this one on for size. If he speaks for so many loons like you and the little fella, why has he fallen by the wayside?

On the face of it, he would appear to be no more of a long shot than Ron Paul. So, given that set of facts, just what prevented him from catching fire like Ron Paul?

"And what is your answer to illegal immigration."

Well, assuming that statement was meant to be a question, I'd bust the people who provide the jobs for 'em, tighten up immigration for the next 5 or 10 years or so, and get a handle on who's here, what we're dealing' with, formulate Standards and a strategy for future US Immigration Policy and proceed from there.

In other words, a lot of big gop campaign contributors will be movin' to the big house.

So, that said, what's your answer to Illegal Immigration, bubbles? Unless it's substantially different from Tancredo's, you're toast. That particular flavor of Kool Aid doesn't appear to be catchin' on.

Bummer.

Current Law clearly states that anyone born in this Country is a US Citizen. Just like Army Brats born in Germany, Saudi Arabia or Korea. They're no more anchor babies than you, the little fella and his anonymous little friends are, bubbles.

The Sainted Ronald Reagan and a Gop-controlled Senate passed the first "amnesty" in 1986.

The gops ran Congress into the ground for the 12 year period between 1/95 - 1/07.

Moreover, once the Supremes installed the madness of King George on the Throne on 1/20/01, the gops controlled everything.

Given that set of facts, just what prevented them from doing anything about Illegal Immigration during that period of time, little fella?

That's what I thought.

Those are what's known here in the real world as facts, bubbles. Deal with it.

Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 1:21 PM, December 20, 2007

Anonymous said...

you've given me no reason to consider you a serious person expressing a legitimate point of view worthy of careful consideration and serious debate when you've demonstrated none of those qualities or characteristics.

"Attention on the board:"

"You must be a SERIOUS person to earn and receive JW's consideration."

Well, since that only applies to the likes of you, yourselves and bubbles, little fella, why bring the rest of the board into it?

What've they got to worry about?

"What a scary thought, actually achieving parity with JW on an intellectual level."

Clearly, that's one dilemma you'll never be presented with, little fella.

You've got a better shot at the World Series MVP Trophy.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 1:29 PM, December 20, 2007

Get a job.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:46 PM, December 20, 2007

Anonymous said...

"Get a job."

You say that to me a lot, little fella. How is it that you have the free time to answer my every post with another fact-free whine?

That's what I thought.

Get some new jokes, little fella.

Always a pleasure.

Get some new jokes, little fella.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 1:59 PM, December 20, 2007

Tighten up immigration for the next 5 - 10 years says jw. How is that different than Tancredo? Fence? Barbed wire? Details, please.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:35 PM, December 20, 2007

Goodbye Terri, Goodbye Nancy, Goodbye VT Buzz . . . this once loyal blog reader is signing off. If you cannot instill some semblance of decency and decorum to the comment sections of this blog I will take my limited free reading time elsewhere.

A few days ago you told folks to "avoid posting or transmitting abusive information of any kind." You said it, you should have enforced it . . .

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:04 PM, December 20, 2007

^^^ good start, but as long as there are people in the world who are not American citizens, there is a chance that they will get in.

Everybody who wasn't born here should be eliminated.

It's the only way to guarantee an end to illegal immigration.

Anything short of this will fail.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:46 PM, December 20, 2007

Of course being a Vermont blog, and in particular, Burlington, probably 95% of participants are fanatical left-wingers. Along comes one or two conservatives questioning Hoffer's use of stats, the states' perceived anti-business, pro-tax policies, the lack of law enforcement, the exodus of Vermont's youth, etc. and boy, do those lefties get their pants in a bunch!! Instead of refuting conservative questions with facts, they throw jw and company, then whine because of the lack of "civility"! (Boo hoo, Teri, those bad old conservatives are picking on us again! Hey, who really cares about anything here anyways; it's sort of like shooting rats at the local dump with a .22 when I was a kid; after a while it justs gets boring!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:52 PM, December 20, 2007

Tom Tancredo, like Bush and Cheney is a war fanatic, but dodged the draft himself.

Tancredo hates illegal immigrants, but hired them to remodel his house.

Tancredo gave a speach last year to a friendly crowd of white supremisists.

Many Republicans in Tancredo's home state refuse to share a stage with him, because of his far right views.

The guy is a loon.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:10 PM, December 20, 2007

Apparently dodging the draft is a badge of honor with lefties. Does Bernie Sanders come to mind?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:07 PM, December 20, 2007

Deb Markowitz for Governor.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:00 PM, December 20, 2007

Apparently dodging the draft is a badge of honor with the right wing nut jobs. Some come to mind:

- Dick Cheney
- Rush Limbaugh
- John Bolton
- Andrew Card
- Pat Robertson
- Karl Rove
- John Ashcroft
- Bill O'Reilley
- Antonin Scalia
- Newt Gingrich
- Jerry Falwell
- Jeb Bush
- George W. Bush
- Tony Snow
- Dan Quayle
- Gary Bauer
- Paul Wolfowitz
- Bill Bennet
- Tom DeLay
- Clarance Thomas
- Trent Lott

They are all in favor of war ... just don't sent them.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:30 PM, December 20, 2007

Add:

Rudy
Mitt
Fred
Huck

and

Dennis Hastert
Dick Armey
Don Rumsfeld

Like Dick Cheney, they had "other priorities" durring the Vietnam war. Too busy to serve our nation.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:34 PM, December 20, 2007

How does flying F15 fighters for the Alabama National Guard, as President Bush did, constitute "draft dodging"? I can just picture some pants-wetting Vermont "anonymous" doing the same! And by the way, when you smear Bush you smear a LOT of Vermonters that have served our state and country in the Guard. Bernie on the other hand, ran away from his Brooklyn draft board and hid out in Walden, Vt. living on welfare around the same time with his hippie, druggie pals.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:54 AM, December 21, 2007

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 8:09 AM, December 21, 2007

Anonymous said...

"Goodbye Terri, Goodbye Nancy, Goodbye VT Buzz . . . this once loyal blog reader is signing off."

Ya gonna run away and join the circus now, little fella?

It's been fun.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 8:18 AM, December 21, 2007

bubba said...

"How does flying F15 fighters for the Alabama National Guard, as President Bush did, constitute "draft dodging"?"

Well, leaving aside the fact that he suddenly jumped over 6 or 700 other people who were ahead of him on the list because his daddy was a Congressman who voted against the Civil Rights Legislation and there is no evidence whatsoever that he did anything of the sort.

As always, bubbles, if you have any, feel free to cough it up.

"I can just picture some pants-wetting Vermont "anonymous" doing the same! And by the way, when you smear Bush you smear a LOT of Vermonters that have served our state and country in the Guard."

What have they got to do with the likes of you and shrub?

That's what I thought.

If you support a War, go fight in it. If you support only extends to the point where you might actually have to go fight and die in it yourself, like most gops, stuff a sock in it.

You, like most gops, have no credibility whatsoever.

"Bernie on the other hand, ran away from his Brooklyn draft board and hid out in Walden, Vt. living on welfare around the same time with his hippie, druggie pals."

Evidence?

I'm shocked.

Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 8:49 AM, December 21, 2007

Bush rarely even showed up for his guard duty.

And Bush had plenty of druggie pals of his own. Bush's drug use and alcoholism is well documented.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:18 AM, December 21, 2007

bubba said...

"Of course being a Vermont blog, and in particular, Burlington, probably 95% of participants are fanatical left-wingers."

In other words, we can walk upright.

"Along comes one or two conservatives questioning Hoffer's use of stats, the states' perceived anti-business, pro-tax policies, the lack of law enforcement, the exodus of Vermont's youth, etc. and boy, do those lefties get their pants in a bunch!!"

The next assertion you make and can sustain with a foundation based on legitimate, factually-based evidence will be your first.

There's nothing to refute.

"Instead of refuting conservative questions with facts, they throw jw and company, then whine because of the lack of "civility"! (Boo hoo, Teri, those bad old conservatives are picking on us again!"

"Hey, who really cares about anything here anyways; it's sort of like shooting rats at the local dump with a .22 when I was a kid; after a while it justs gets boring!"

Tell me about it. First the little fella and his imaginary anonymous little friends and now you.

At this rate, we'll be without a dump rat to shoot at by noon.

It's been fun.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:22 AM, December 21, 2007

Anonymous said...

"Tom Tancredo, like Bush and Cheney is a war fanatic, but dodged the draft himself.

Tancredo hates illegal immigrants, but hired them to remodel his house.

Tancredo gave a speach last year to a friendly crowd of white supremisists.

Many Republicans in Tancredo's home state refuse to share a stage with him, because of his far right views.

The guy is a loon."

Which is why bubbles and the little fella love him so.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:25 AM, December 21, 2007

Anonymous said...

^^^ good start, but as long as there are people in the world who are not American citizens, there is a chance that they will get in.

Everybody who wasn't born here should be eliminated.

It's the only way to guarantee an end to illegal immigration.

Anything short of this will fail.

3:46 PM, December 20, 2007

_____________________________________--

He's had 18 hours to figure out your tongue may have been firmly planted in your cheek at the time you posted this.

What does that tell you?

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:32 AM, December 21, 2007

Teri, please look at jwcoop's uncivil and hate-filled postings of 8:09 and 8:18 and ask yourself if jwcoop has "cleaned it up?"

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:29 AM, December 21, 2007

Funny the Republicans hate druggies -- but love that doped up gas bag Rush Limbaugh.

Ironic.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:14 AM, December 21, 2007

Anonymous said...

"Funny the Republicans hate druggies -- but love that doped up gas bag Rush Limbaugh."

"Ironic."

Yeah, well, given the fact that so few of them can walk upright as it is, if they had the intellectual capacity to grasp concepts like irony or hypocrisy or be able to distinguish fact from fiction, I'm sure that, like any other decent, clear-thinking human beings, they'd be troubled by that sort of thing, but they're not because: they can't, they can't, they don't and they're not.

Unfortunately, that renders your point rather moot.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 11:43 AM, December 21, 2007

Anonymous said...

"Teri, please look at jwcoop's uncivil and hate-filled postings of 8:09 and 8:18 and ask yourself if jwcoop has "cleaned it up?"

Still trying to overcome your lack of quality problem with quantity, eh, little fella?

As long as she/they call it both ways and goes over all the bubbles and anonymous postings directed at me, Hoffer and everyone else who doesn't buy your slop, I'll take my chances.

Will you?

I'm shocked.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 11:52 AM, December 21, 2007

Sure, I'll take my chances. You can tell me my and everyone else here that our opinions are wrong, and explain why if you wish. But there's no need to tell me I'm wrong (and generally refuse to explain why, by the way) and hurl a bunch of personal insults.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:42 PM, December 21, 2007

I don't have to explain why you're wrong, little fella. You've already taken care of that for me.

Your slop is so weak that it arrives pre-shredded for Christ Sake.

I just point it out and give ya a dose of your own.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 5:04 PM, December 22, 2007

No, after saying "you're wrong," to anything anyone posts here, you feel the need to add gratuitous personal insults.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:10 PM, December 22, 2007

Post something that even remotely resembles a legitimate argument or POV that's backed by something approaching legitimate evidence and I'll give ya the time of day, little fella.

Unless and until you prove you can muster that up ya may as well stick with your full-time whining gig.

At least ya can manage to pull that off.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 5:19 PM, December 22, 2007

Decades of Progs and nothing to show for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:02 PM, December 30, 2007

Anonymous said...

"Decades of Progs and nothing to show for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Really?

Such as?

That's what I thought.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 8:25 PM, December 31, 2007

In today's (1/4/08) Free Press story about Pollina making it official that he's running for Gov.:

"Pollina, of Middlesex, ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2000 and lieutenant governor in 2002."

. . . and unsuccessfully for Governor again in 2008.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:53 PM, January 04, 2008