Chris Dodd, the erstwhile Democratic presidential aspirant and five-term senator from Connecticut, will be the keynote speaker at the Vermont Democrats' annual David Curtis Leadership Awards (fundraising) dinner at the Hilton in Burlington on April 25.

Word has it that fellow Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy was the one who landed Dodd's appearance at the dinner, regarded as the biggest fundraising event of the year for the state party assuming the Dems' eventual presidential nominee or veep nominee, whoever he or she turns out to be.

Speaking of the presidential sweepstakes, the Obama folks announced today that they've opened up three more campaign offices in Vermont, including a second one in Burlington. That means the Obama brigade has seven campaign offices in the Green Mountain State. I think that's a record for any candidate who has ever competed in the state's fledgling, late-reaking presidential primary.

-- Sam Hemingway

bringing to seven the number of storefronts the Obama