The Lamoille County Democratic Committee is going where the state committee was unwilling to go. They have agreed to meet with Progressive Anthony Pollina to discuss his run for governor.
The meeting is due to take place right out in the public - April 29 at the 7 p.m. at the Hyde Park town clerk's office.
The vote was unanimous Monday night, said committee member John Burgess, who is also a member of the state committee that put off a decision last month whether to grant an audience to Pollina. Some state committee members expressed heebie-jeebies over breaking bread with a man who has been known to rain on their party.
If they're not ready to break bread, Lamoille Dems seem to be saying they're willing to have tea with the Prog. Burgess said he thinks anybody who's interested should be heard. He also said he supports Pollina's right to run a write-in campaign in the Democratic primary.
Does that mean he and his fellow Dems are ready to sign on with the Pollina campaign?
"I'm not prepared to lock arms with anybody," Burgess said. "I think it's fair to say if there were a vote taken last night as to whether we support Anthony, I don't know how that would have come out."
Burgess said there was also some talk of landing a meeting with Peter Galbraith, the Democratic candidate many consider the most promising prospect the party has to field its own candidate. Galbraith's decision on whether to run should come within the next couple weeks.
- Terri Hallenbeck