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


5.21.2008

 

Uphill races

Before we all move much farther into the future, we’ll undoubtedly have a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor and a Republican candidate for Congress.

Neither of those races are easy sells to anyone who actually wants to win.

I would not be going out on any limb to say first-term Democrat Peter Welch will be tough to beat for Congress. Even Republican state Rep. Rick Hube of Londonderry locked arms with Welch at a recent local event and praised him so much to make one do a double-take.

In a recent e-mail newsletter, Hube said:

"As a state, we are very lucky to have Peter Welch as our representative in
Washington. His ability and willingness to work with others brings a different
style of politics to Washington - a Vermont approach. It is this approach that
will ultimately make our state and our country a better place to live, work and
raise our kids."
Republican Gov. Jim Douglas, at his news conference today, said he thinks it’s important for a Republican to challenge Welch and that he expects somebody will. It’s good for democracy and good for Welch, he said. "He’ll do a better job if he’s tested."

As for Lt. Gov., Dems apparently have a candidate in the wings.

At the same time, one Democrat told me that beating Republican incumbent Brian Dubie could be harder than beating Douglas for governor. And here’s the argument why: The lieutenant governor casts almost no votes, and as such does nothing to anger anyone. An enviable position. Dubie also happens to be a likable guy who connects with a lot of people.

That’s not to say Democrats have no beefs with him. Party Chairman Ian Carleton, speaking the other day when it became clear Deb Richter would not run for the office, said the light guv should use the position to speak out on public matters, as Richter presumably would have tried to do with health care. "The real failure of Brian Dubie in that office is he hasn’t used the symbolic merits of the office to raise issues," Carleton said.

Last session, Dubie did speak up against decriminalization of marijuana, but it was a rare moment for him to take on a cause publicly.

To make the argument stick with voters, though, Democrats would have to prove that the raising of issues could be more than symbolic.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Comments:
If Jim Douglas thinks it's so important, why doesn't he take on Welch and get the hell out of the governor's office. Oh yeah, I know why. Because he loves having Vermont taxpayers take care of him and his family and his family's extended Latino migrant worker family. Plus Welch would trounce him.
 
If there hadn't been a war Welch would not have won. Lots of moderates would have voted for a Republican but were upset about the war.
 
Its nice to see bi-partisan cooperation in an election year. The partisan bickering and cheap soundbites are driving average Vermonters from the electoral process.

Peter Welch and Rick Hube should be commended for this kind of cooperation.
 
Anonymous said...

"If there hadn't been a war Welch would not have won. Lots of moderates would have voted for a Republican but were upset about the war."

And if your ignorant, anonymous ass had a screen name and ya knew what the fook ya were talkin' about you wouldn't be just another coalition of the clueless cretin with no name, no case, no clue and no ability to discern which end is up, schmuck.

Gee, is your ignorant anonymous ass gonna pull a bubbles and tell me there'd have been no Depression, no Pearl Harbor and no WWII if FDR hadn't forced the Japs to bomb Pearl Harbor just to get us out of the Depression he'd had us mired in for over a decade now, too, little factually-challenged fella, or are ya just gonna tell me FDR appeased Hitler, the Dems were the Isolationists and Chamberlain was a Liberal PM?

Either way, you're dumb, you're scum, ya got bupkis and ya just plain don't know your ignorant ass from your elbow in general, little nameless-nitwit fella.

There was a War, shmendrik. There still is. It was started and supported by gop scum who lied there asses off to get us into it.

Gop scum are still lyin' and American Troops are still dyin' because of it to say nothing of the fact that the war that wasn't for oil was for oil and oil has gone from 30 bucks/barrel to 133 bucks/barrel because of gop scum and gop scum policies.

Clearly, you gop scum do things a bit differently, but that's not a recipe that most folks are gonna rave about, reward and reelect ya for.

Evidently, that meshugass doesn't even fly in Mississippi, anymore.

Always a pleasure.

Dismissed.
 
Anthony Zinni should be Obama's VP pick.
 
Let me see - the loonies on the left babbled on and on how the war against terrorism was really just a war for cheap oil. Now that oil is $133 how does that theory make sense? jw? jw? Are you still there? And what would oil be now if the Leahys and Sanders had voted for oil exploration in ANWAR and other off-shore U.S. spots years ago? Wouldn't we be starting to reap the benefits of oil independence about now?
 
No one said it was a battle for cheap oil, rather it was a battle for control of oil.
 
bubba said...

"Let me see - the loonies on the left babbled on and on how the war against terrorism was really just a war for cheap oil. Now that oil is $133 how does that theory make sense? jw? jw? Are you still there?"

Once again, little bigot boy, given the fact that he recently told one of his lunatic-fringe town hall audiences:
“My friends, I will have an energy policy which will eliminate our dependence on oil from Middle East that will then prevent us from having ever to send our young men and women into conflict again in the Middle East.”
it appears your boy McCain didn't get the memo. Or is he one of the loonies on the left now, too, little factually-challenged bigot boy?

As for being effective and making sense, feel free to point out just where and when I've ever accused the bush administration and their treasonous-trash supporters of making any sense, little factually-challenged bigot boy?

That's what I thought.

" And what would oil be now if the Leahys and Sanders had voted for oil exploration in ANWAR and other off-shore U.S. spots years ago? Wouldn't we be starting to reap the benefits of oil independence about now? "

No.

Always a pleasure.

Dismissed.
 
Cooper-Since everyone who disagrees with you is a "bigot boy" and since Obama is only 1/2 black- your reference should reflect "1/2 bigot boy". This means you can have it both ways- bigot against blacks or bigot against whites!
Oh, BTW, your posts are senseless.
 
K has left a new comment on the post "Uphill races":

Cooper-Since everyone who disagrees with you is a "bigot boy" and since Obama is only 1/2 black- your reference should reflect "1/2 bigot boy". This means you can have it both ways- bigot against blacks or bigot against whites!"

Thanks, as always, for your factually-challenged/fundamentally-dishonest/ignorant-trash perspective, little fella.

First of all, bubbles is the little bigot boy. Rarely, if ever, is that distinction applied to anyone else by me.

If ya knew your ignorant, ill-informed ass from your elbow, you'd know that.

Then again, if ya knew your ignorant, ill-informed ass from your elbow, you wouldn't be you.

Oh, BTW, given the fact that you've made it abundantly clear that you're dumb, you're scum and ya got bupkis with no capacity for reason or rational thought on your best day, that's to be expected.

Always a pleasure.

Dismissed
 
How is Doobie doing with the Green Car he's building?
 
He's still searching for the green paint.
 
“…Even Republican state Rep. Rick Hube of Londonderry locked arms with Welch at a recent local event and praised him so much to make one do a double-take…”

And that’s a problem. Rick Hube and Peter Welch have probably never voted the same way on any issue. Mr. Hube is gleefully latching onto the way Congressman Welch so successfully crosses party lines, and is using that as a smokescreen in his own reelection ploy.

Take a look at the way Rick Hube is introduced in the original blog post. Representative Hube is seen as an easy mark for any reporter looking to get an anti-Democratic quote, or for an opposition view point. It’s a shock when he appears to offers even the faintest of praise for anybody on the other side of the isle.

Representative Hube doesn’t, won’t, can’t, cross party lines to build coalitions, and that has terribly limited his effectiveness. It’s a shame that the general press is willing to take his sudden embracing of Peter Welch at face value, and not call attention to the obvious disconnect.

A “double-take” is definitely in order here.
 
Hube and Welch standing together? Is that Vermont's version of Laurel and Hardy?
 
"Representative Hube doesn’t, won’t, can’t, cross party lines to build coalitions..."

So, Mr. Cross (or Scrapwood, or whatever your name is today), would you care to provide an example where Symington or Partridge crossed party lines? Better yet, how about an example where you crossed party lines?
 
Symington crossed party lines in their pick for Chair of the Transportation Committee.

She crossed party lines to work with Douglas on the creation of Catamount Health.

She crossed party lines to work with Douglas on passing an economic stimulus package.

If anything Symington has been too willing to cross party lines instead of standing up to Jim Douglas.
 
Symington crossed the line alright!
 
Senator Leahy at his best:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9ciCdGC0sE
 
Senator Leahy at his best:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9ciCdGC0sE
 
Yeah, and he's subpoenaed rove's sorry butt, too.

I want the bush administration's heads on pikes no later than yesterday morning, but as long as they're finally facing justice, I can wait a day or two longer.

They're lucky I'm in a good mood.
 
Karen Kerin crossed the line too - he/she/it went across the aisle to give little Scoopy a big bear hug.

Has Bleaudry had K.K. on as a guest? That would be worth a listen.
 
Does the Bush administration know that jw wants their heads RIGHT NOW? Does the Bush administration, or for that matter, even the lowest form of amoeba of this planet KNOW THIS OR EVEN CARE?

Somewhere in his furnished room, jw is DEMANDING action! ANOTHER RICHARDS! NOW!
 
JW-don't hold you breath waiting for any indictments to Rove or anyone else from the Whitehouse. (or maybe you should)
The only thing Leahy has done since leaking top secret info in the 70's is typing out subpoenas. He seems to have found his niche and nothing else matters to him- except photo ops went a defense contract comes to VT to produce something for the war he is opposed to! Hypocrite?
 
Oh- I forgot, he built the Leahy Center- which is a nice place- he did a good job on that project.
 
Looks like McCain has his own preacher problems now. Waiting for Blubba to start railing on him like he did about Obama and Wright. C'mon Blubba, we all know how bipartisan you are.
 
I'm pretty sure Anthony Pollina has lots to talk about in terms of "building" things!
 
I see Symington was in Bennington yesterday (playing to a sparse crowd again). Not surprising she chose to completely ignore the way the governor f'ed around with those employees inside that building. I say not surprising because she ignored it while she was a legislator too. Guess it wasn't sexy enough to merit her attention. Douglas treated it the same way. Maybe Pollina can raise awareness, but I think he was just down here too. New motto-Bennington. We mine as well be in New York.
 
Yeah - like building bankruptcies.
 
NEK said...

"JW-don't hold you breath waiting for any indictments to Rove or anyone else from the Whitehouse. (or maybe you should)"

Yeah, AG Gonzo will be sure to put Leahy in his place.

Oh, yeah.

Sorry to disappoint ya, redd, but I'm sure rovesputin and the White House will continue to obstruct justice in hopes of running out the clock when Shrub pardons the gop world for everything on the way out the door.

That doesn't make Leahy wrong or the subpoenas he's issued illegitimate any more than it makes the lunatic-fringe likes of you and bubbles legitimate.

"The only thing Leahy has done since leaking top secret info in the 70's is typing out subpoenas..."

Well, if that's true, then I'm sure Vermont will dump him just as soon as the Ronald Reagan and a Gop Senate take charge in the 1980s, little factually-challenged fella.

Then again, don't hold "you" breath.

Always a pleasure.

Dismissed.
 
Anonymous said...

"... New motto-Bennington. We mine as well be in New York."

Yeah, your ignorant, anonymous ass "mine" as well, little factually-challenged fella. Ya could move to Staten Island and vote for Vito family-values Fossella.

Yeah, I know he said he wouldn't run again. Then again, Larry Craig said he'd resign. How's that workin' out, little fella?

That's what I thought.

Maybe you can convince him to run against Hillary.

Always a pleasure.

Dismissed.
 
Anonymous said...

"... New motto-Bennington. We mine as well be in New York."

Yeah, your ignorant, anonymous ass "mine" as well, little factually-challenged fella. Ya could move to Staten Island and vote for Vito family-values Fossella.

Yeah, I know he said he wouldn't run again. Then again, Larry Craig said he'd resign. How's that workin' out, little fella?

That's what I thought.

Maybe you can convince him to run against Hillary.

Always a pleasure.

Dismissed.
 
anon of 9:13 shouldn't use "sexy" and "Gaye" in the same sentence.
 
It's true. Jim Douglas is much sexier.
 
Yeah. His flood pants, beady eyes and sweaty forehead make me swoon.
 
NEK said...

"Oh- I forgot, he built the Leahy Center- which is a nice place- he did a good job on that project."

Yeah, I didn't think even the likes of your ignorant, ill-informed, factually-challenged ass would come out against the preservation of Lake Champlain, redd.

The little bigot boy, on the other hand, will be along soon enough with a different take.

Always a pleasure.

Dismissed.

7:51 AM, May 23, 2008
 
Yeah, and Anthony Pollina is such a "hottie"????????????????????????
 
Do we have any attractive politicians?
 
I only vote for hotties.
 
There are no attractive Vermont politicos. It's like the island of misfit legislators in Montpelier. All the kids who weren't popular in their schools and are now looking to get even. Kind of like cops.
 
The Democrats have to keep attractive women out of the legislature or Shumlin's wife would never let him serve.
 
There ARE no attractive dimocrat women. Their idea of fashion is a new flannel shirt and some wool socks under their birkenstocks.
 
To Anonymous 2:07

That's uncalled for - Shumlin admitted he made a mistake in his life - he reconciled with his wife, daughters, and his family.

Yours is the kind of politics that we really do not need!

Are ou sure you aren't Rob Roper or Jason Gibbs? That's what I would expect from them!
 
This comment has been removed by the author.
 
To get back to the substance of the post, namely the Lt. Gov.'s race, has anyone followed the drama at Green Mountain Daily on Deb Richter's withdrawal?

In sum, several small-p progressive Democrats have accused various elements of the Progressive Party of pressuring Richter out of the race because her announced intention to run as a Democrat when she had so visibly associated herself with the Progressives would reflect poorly on Anthony Pollina as a gubernatorial candidate.

The name-calling and angst there has revolved largely around the lack of evidence to support the allegations. Anybody buying the story? And should "front page" bloggers associated with GMD have to produce more than anonymous sources before touching off that kind of firestorm?
 
IndependentVter said....

To get back to the substance of the post, namely the Lt. Gov.'s race, has anyone followed the drama at Green Mountain Daily on Deb Richter's withdrawal?

"In sum, several small-p progressive Democrats have accused various elements of the Progressive Party of pressuring Richter out of the race because her announced intention to run as a Democrat when she had so visibly associated herself with the Progressives would reflect poorly on Anthony Pollina as a gubernatorial candidate..."

Speaking of which, little factually-challenged fella, and your evidence of this is...?

That's what I thought.

I'm not buyin' your bogus characterization of the story, either.

If Progs were Democrats, Dubie wouldn't be Lite Gov, Pollina wouldn't be running and Doogie the Dim would have had a couple of vetoes overridden.

Alas, they're not, he is, he is and they weren't.

Six ain't nine, either, schmuck.

Once again, indy, your ignorant, ill-informed, factually-challenged and fundamentally-dishonest opinions ain't evidence. They're merely your ignorant, ill-informed, factually-challenged/fundamentally-dishonest opinions.

Nice try.

In sum, you're dumb, you're scum and ya got bupkis.

Always a pleasure.

Dismissed.
 
The Progs are a sad little group.
Pity is what they need not explanation.
 
Ain't that the truth!
 
Go Pollina
 
I heard the Democrats will throw
John Campbell under the bus for Lt. Gov!
 
This comment has been removed by the author.
 
Good luck with that.
 
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