vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

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

9.15.2008

Let's talk

Recognizing that Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie has been called up to active military service to help out with the hurricane response, his Democratic challenger has nevertheless begun setting up some "conversations" to help voters choose between them.

Tom Costello wrote Dubie Friday, only to learn Saturday he had been deployed for a few days. Costello suggested the two appear in five conversations around the state, once each week leading up to the election. Costello didn't call them debates.

"I would like to work with you to develop a "Thursday Night Live" that is mutually convenient, insures process impartiality, and is likely to achieve a meaningful discussion about the future of Vermont."

Costello took the liberty of setting two of these meetings up already. One will be at Castleton State College on Oct. 2. Another would be at Southern Vermont College in Bennington on Oct. 9. Costello proposes the final three be held in Burlington, St. Johnsbury and Barre.

Susie Hudson, Dubie's campaign manager, said that while five debates seemed like a reasonable number, the Republican incumbent has already agreed to four other debates. She noted that the two Costello went ahead and arranged are for times and dates when Dubie isn't available.

Hudson noted that several of the debates Dubie has said he would attend would have larger audiences than the two events Costello has set up. One of the debates she's speaking about would be televised and the other two would be broadcast over radio.

My suggestion: mark your calendars in pencil when it comes to debates announced by one candidate. Use a pen only if a sponsor makes the announcement -- because there always is debate over political debates.

-- Nancy Remsen

posted by vt.Buzz | 1:08 PM |

Comments:

Seems like Dubie only gets "called up" for service when he's in the middle of an election.

This is getting to be a pattern.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:20 PM, September 15, 2008

Once again we have to remind the liberals that Republicans put service to their country ahead of cheap political gimmicks. I certainly hope the left is not TOO inconvenienced by Dubie helping out with another disaster. Poor little petulant babies. (Sort of like John McCain not being able to e-mail because of his broken bones suffered in North Vietnam. How inconsiderate!)

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:45 PM, September 15, 2008

Bubba -- you have got to be kidding me?

GWB lands on an aircraft carrier in flightsuit and "mission Accomplished" banner and you say it isn't a gimmick?

It was absolutely about politics!!!!!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:11 PM, September 15, 2008

Anonymous, does your logic apply to the Auditor of Accounts as well?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:21 PM, September 15, 2008

It helps when your brother is the Adjutant General of the VT National Guard!!!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:13 PM, September 15, 2008

The Auditor of Accounts does not get to do the week fly over deployment!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:50 PM, September 15, 2008

Go Tom Costello.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:52 PM, September 15, 2008

Yea, Auditor Salmon is actually fighting in the trenches. He isn't flying an airplane over Texas.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:09 PM, September 15, 2008

Don't ask questions of Dubie.

Just smile and salute.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:10 PM, September 15, 2008

bubba said...

"Once again we have to remind the liberals that Republicans put service to their country ahead of cheap political gimmicks."

Nice try, bubbakis. The next selfless act any gop commits with no thought of personal gain, will be the first.

Clueless McSame's qualifications to be President come down to him being a POW 40 years ago in a war he chose to fight in.

There were POWs in the Hanoi before McSame got there. They were there longer than him. They didn't all have Admiral Daddies and they didn't all dump the starter wife for a beer heiress and go shoppin' for a state to run for Congress from so he could get back to DC like clueless, Mcsame.

As for psycho sarah, there's plenty of fundamentalist whack-job counterfeit krishtins who've never had an abortion more qualified than her.

Take that psycho-polygamist Mormon splinter sect in Eldorado Texas, for example.

Chances are good that ya couldn't throw a rock there without hitting a woman who's a wife with a couple of kids who hasn't had an abortion yet as qualified to be Vice President or President from day one as psycho sarah is.

Granted, she may not be 18 yet, but, hey, so what if she's underage. McCain sure as hell wasn't picky about Palin, why make a big deal out of a year or three.

"I certainly hope the left is not TOO inconvenienced by Dubie helping out with another disaster."

Nah. Actually, it's probably one of the few decent things he's done in the better part of six years on the Vermont Taxpayer payroll.

Usually, he just goes job hunting everywhere but Vermont at our expense. It's nice to see him earn his keep for a change.

"Poor little petulant babies. (Sort of like John McCain not being able to e-mail because of his broken bones suffered in North Vietnam. How inconsiderate!"

Bubbakis, just when I think you can't be any shallower a simp, you somehow manage to drain just a wee bit more from the bottom of the psychotic cesspool that spawned ya.

Four words, little fraudulent fella: Doctor Steven Fookin' Hawking.

McSame may be the luckiest man on the face of the Earth, bubbakis, but that don't him a victim of Lou Gehrig's Disease, ya dolt.

There's paraplegics in wheelchairs who can e-mail, little fella. They've got voice-activated and mouth-activated things that work just fine for these folks.

Granted, they can be expensive, but he's got a pretty good health plan, but if they and the US Taxpayers don't pick up the tab for the whole shootin' match and he and Cindy can't swing it financially, they can swing it somehow.

Hey, if nothin' else, he can always ask the starter wife he dumped in the hospital who stood by him as a drunk and a POW for a loan.

McSame's state of mind and mental capacity may be somewhere south of Schiavo, but he can still get around, OK. Compared to Hawking, he's downright spry.

Like you and psycho sarah, he's scum. Rich scum, but scum, nevertheless.

Say goodnight, greasy.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 10:18 PM, September 15, 2008

Nobody reads your posts, weirdo. We scroll right past.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:03 AM, September 16, 2008

Anonymous said...

"Nobody reads your posts, weirdo. We scroll right past."

Well, little weirdo fella, it's mighty sweet of your ignorant anonymous ass to take time outta your busy, busy day to read my post and take the time to tell me that.

Clearly, the absence of any and all ignorant anonymous trash posts critical of me illustrates your point.

Go cheney yourself, chump.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 7:27 AM, September 16, 2008

"Anonymous said...
Yea, Auditor Salmon is actually fighting in the trenches. He isn't flying an airplane over Texas."

Here is the difference. Salmon will not be available for most of his term if elected. He will be unabale to execute his responsibility of the office while in Iraq. He should pass on this election for the good of the State and run again when he returns.

Dubie on the otherhand is missing a debate but will be available to serve the State when he wins.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:08 AM, September 16, 2008

For those of you who scrolled by Coopy’s 10:18PM and 7:27AM postings, here are the highlights:
…psycho sarah… fundamentalist whack-job counterfeit kristians… psycho-polygamist Mormon splinter sect ….just when I think you can't be any shallower… a simp… drain just a wee bit more from the bottom of the psychotic cesspool… little fraudulent fella… Fooking…ya dolt…. he's scum… Rich scum… but scum… Say goodnight, greasy….little weirdo fella… your ignorant anonymous ass… ignorant anonymous trash posts… Go cheney yourself… chump.

And you all thought liberal weren’t tolerant and accepting of all…

One more reason to question again why you want to vote for any candidate Coopy supports.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:01 AM, September 16, 2008

Dubie is hardly ever available.

His office is closed 7 months per year.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:47 AM, September 16, 2008

Palin still supports a $600,000,000 bridge that would be paid for with federal earmarks.

The bridge would be for a community of 7,000 residents.

A cost off $85,700 per resident.

This is how Palin uses taxpayer money --

Then she lies and says that she doesn't support it ...

but she'll keep the money anyway ...

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:58 AM, September 16, 2008

Palin rocks!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:48 PM, September 16, 2008

Coopy, where have you spent your life that you would have developed such a gutter mouth? It's tragic that is the only way you are able to communicate. Apparently no one has told you that is not how adults speak to each other.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:51 PM, September 16, 2008

"Palin still supports a $600,000,000 bridge that would be paid for with federal earmarks."
The original earmarks were for $398 mill- not for $600 mil-the entire project. It did not get built and Palin was against the project in the end. She was for it before she was against it!
Have you heard that before?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:41 PM, September 16, 2008

Get your facts straight, NEK!

The bridge is called "Don Young's Way"

It costs $600,000,000.

It is being built now.

Palin still supports it ... and she is still telling lie that she is against earmark spending.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:28 PM, September 16, 2008

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5heg2jO4nPglP4mOITAxxpW3u3rjQD937P4AG0

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:36 PM, September 16, 2008

Gee, bubbakis, nekwit and all the "all ignorant-anonymous-slime, all the time" swine society.

So much for anonymous weirdo's continuing claims that "nobody pays any attention to my posts or gives a damn what I say" psychotic slop.

Clearly, given your woeful lack of relevant subject matter knowledge you lunatic-fringe failures consistently demonstrate in any area at any time, you morons have made a continuing clueless-cretin custom of dolin' out dimwitted delusional dreck for my ongoing amazement and amusement your whole raison d'etre.

Well, given the fact that no real, legitimate Vermonter would feel an ongoing need to post anonymously and continue to be utterly mystified by the intricacies of spellcheck and the English Language at this stage of the game, thank God you've revealed that your in no way shape or form products of Vermont and/or the Vermont Educational System at any level at any time.

Having ongoing embarrassments like yourselves pretending to represent Vermont and Vermonters in any way shape or form would really suck, by Jesus.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 5:20 PM, September 16, 2008

NEK has left a new comment on the post "Let's talk":

"Palin still supports a $600,000,000 bridge that would be paid for with federal earmarks."
The original earmarks were for $398 mill- not for $600 mil-the entire project. It did not get built and Palin was against the project in the end. She was for it before she was against it!
Have you heard that before?"

Yeah. Kerry just wanted Bush to pay for the war.

Palin kept the money, nekwit. She's a fraud and a phony.

She lied about going to Iraq. You swine raked Hillary over the coals when she landed in Bosnia under sniper fire, but even the lard-butted, lunatic-fringe, oxy-moron himself doesn't dispute the fact that she landed in Bosnia, bonehead.

Palin can't even reach that standard of "truthiness".

Like you, nekwit, she's ignorant trash with bupkis. She's just got stones enough to sign her name to it.

Unfortunately, that leaves her as just another crooked Alaska gop politician in a skirt who "looked forward to" and was for cooperating with the "Troopergate" Investigation before the McCain Campaign told her she was against it because it's a "partisan witch hunt."

The investigating body has five members. Three of them are gops. One of them is from Wasilla.

Just how does three gops on a five member investigating body constitute "a partisan Dem Witch Hunt", nekkie boy?

Then, of course, there's McSame mouthpiece, Clueless Carli Fiorina who had the "good sense" to say that McSame and Palin weren't qualified to run HP or any other multi-national corporation, but they're qualified to be President of the United States of America.

Clearly, HP is much bigger, much more important and far more difficult to run than the United States of America.

After all, as a regular passenger on the straight talk express, Clueless Carli wouldn't have said so if it wasn't true.

Of course, the HP Board didn't think clueless carli was qualified to run HP, either.

Clueless carli is about to be reclassified as freight and will be riding with Enron Phil Gram in the hold for the rest of the campaign.

Nice try, nekwit. Psycho sarah is slime.

Say goodnight, greasy.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 10:16 PM, September 16, 2008

yawn. ...never a new thought to offer...just trite and hackneyed playbook material.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:17 AM, September 17, 2008

Anonymous...

"yawn. ...never a new thought to offer...just trite and hackneyed playbook material."

Yeah, but that's all your ignorant anonymous asses have ever had to "offer", little fella.

Of course, if ya had anything to say and the stones to say it, ya wouldn't be ignorant anonymous trash in the first place.

Stay cold, phony boy. Stay cold.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 7:23 AM, September 17, 2008

yawn.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:27 AM, September 17, 2008

People should focus on Gaye Symingtons record.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:17 PM, September 17, 2008

Yes they should.

Her record has been terrible in effectively working across the aisle to pass legislation with bi-partisan support. She has failed to appreciate the magnitude of the financial crisis facing the State or propose programs to strengthen the State's financial well being. She has routinely allowed herself to be manipulated by P Shumlin.

Nice lady...undoubtedly a good neighbor but an out of touch ineffective legislator. That is why her poll numbers are where they are.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:52 AM, September 18, 2008

Anonymous

"Yes they should.

Her record has been terrible in effectively working across the aisle to pass legislation with bi-partisan support."

In other words, if the Dems are in the minority, they should do what doogie tells them to do and if they're in the majority, they should do what doogie tells them to do.

Interesting take on bipartisanship ya got there, schmuck.

"She has failed to appreciate the magnitude of the financial crisis facing the State or propose programs to strengthen the State's financial well being."

Actually, like Leahy, Sanders and Welch in DC, Symington and her Caucus have seen the folly of doogie's dimwitted policies and the impending economic apocalypse for for quite some time, little fella.

Unfortunately, every time Symington and Shumlin endeavor to spare Vermont from the ravages of the clueless, incompetent-trash train wreck that is the disastrous dubie/doogie debacle, doogie, with the help of the gop-slime minority, keep vetoing their efforts.

Granted, she's lousy on the stump, but that don't make her wrong.

Then again, any time you've got Mark Johnson and doogie on the same stage, I immediately get a hankerin' for some Double-mint Gum and start hearin' the theme song to the old Patty Duke Show.

It's like one of those "Schmucks Separated at Birth" deals.

Add boy blunderville to the mix and it's "Schmucks Separated at Birth - The Next Generation."

Now that's entertainment.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 10:53 AM, September 18, 2008

"In other words, if the Dems are in the minority, they should do what doogie tells them to do and if they're in the majority, they should do what doogie tells them to do. "

That's not what I said. Please don't twist it to meet your needs.

She is the leading person in the House. It is her responsibility to work with the Gov to arrive at something acceptable. The Gov does not write legislation; the House and Senate do. Therefore, its her job to know if what she serves up can/will be signed. Writing unacceptable bills only wastes our tax dollars.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:16 AM, September 18, 2008

Anonymous has left a new comment on the post "Let's talk":

"In other words, if the Dems are in the minority, they should do what doogie tells them to do and if they're in the majority, they should do what doogie tells them to do. "

"That's not what I said. Please don't twist it to meet your needs."

Your ignorant anonymous ass is twisted enough as it is, little nameless-nitwit fella. You and your little friends don't need any help from me in that department.

So, that's not what ya said, eh?

How so, schmuck?

The Dems control the Legislature. They're a few votes short of a veto-proof majority. That situation will be remedied in November in one way or the other or both.

There's nothin' forcin' doogie to veto those bills, bonehead.

"She is the leading person in the House. It is her responsibility to work with the Gov to arrive at something acceptable."

In other words, you want the Democratic Speaker of the House with a large majority to roll over and rubber-stamp whatever delusional dreck doogie doles out to her.

Is Shumlin supposed to tell his 23-7 Senate Majority to roll over for doogie and the seven dimwitted dwarfs, too, little fella?

Nice try, nitwit. No sale.

Doogie is the problem.

Symington tried to work with doogie. If anything, she was far too accommodating and trusting of an untrustworthy, incompetent-trash Gov whose supposed widespread support is clearly slipping and rightfully so.

It's not her job to rubber-stamp doogie's delusional dreck.

"The Gov does not write legislation; the House and Senate do. Therefore, its her job to know if what she serves up can/will be signed."

Your ignorant anonymous ass can try to spin this any way ya want, little fraudulent fella, but at the end of the day, you're askin' an overwhelming Democratic Majority controlling both bodies of the Vermont Legislature to roll over and rubber-stamp whatever delusional dreck doogie sends them because they're a couple of votes shy of a veto-proof majority in the House.

It's not her job to be a rubber-stamp. That's not what Vermont elected her and her Caucus to do.

Where is it written that doogie has to veto these bills, little fella.

He's incompetent trash who refuses to bargain in good faith who - after six years at the helm - has left Vermont in far worse shape than he found it.

Vermonters aren't better off than they were six years ago because of Doogie. It's not even close.

Jim equals joblessness. Give him two more and he'll have ya homeless, too.

If Vermont wanted a Democratically-Controlled Vermont Legislature to serve as a mindless rubber-stamp for an incompetent gop-scum Gov who refuses to bargain in good faith, he'd have an incompetent-trash gop-scum legislative majority.

He doesn't. We don't.

Walt Freed was Speaker of the House when Doogie took office. That means the gops had a majority in the House. They lost it. Freed's not Speaker anymore. Neither is any other gop. had an incompetent gop-slime

Doogie is the problem. Doogie's gotta go.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 12:19 PM, September 18, 2008

All I hear hear is a victim....oh woe is Gaye.... mean ol' Jim.

Gaye is an adult for cripes sake. In your words...man up and learn how to do the job or get out of the way for someone that can.

Even you could pass bills with a veto-proof majority. Her job is to build consensus among those with differing opinions (a foreign concept to you so I understand why you struggle with it). By definition that is what a politician's job is.

Don't cast your loser, victim mentality on the rest of the State. It has challenges enough.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:37 PM, September 18, 2008

No wonder Vermont is now considered the crackpot capitol of the U.S! Bad enough we have Crazy Howard and his demented scream and nutsy Jim Jeffords switching parties to finally get noticed, not to mention the only commie Senator in Bernie. Now we have Pat "Superman" Leahy blubbering about some evil conspiracy to poison him (probably the same guy that REALLY shot Kennedy)and if that wasn't enough we now have a certifiable nut case that wants to be Attorney General of Vermont so she can bring murder charges against Bush! No wonder the state is a magnet for flatlander nut jobs like jw!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:31 PM, September 18, 2008

Once again, Bubba you are right on target!

When I travel on business and tell people I am from VT, they roll their eyes, smile, ask if the folks in Brattleboro have put their clothes back on yet and then give the 'Dean Scream'.

It makes me sooo proud.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:40 PM, September 18, 2008

This comment has been removed by the author.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:05 PM, September 18, 2008

Anonymous

Once again, Bubba you are right on target!

"When I travel on business and tell people I am from VT, they roll their eyes, smile, ask if the folks in Brattleboro have put their clothes back on yet and then give the 'Dean Scream'.

It makes me sooo proud."

Gee, imagine how us Vermonters feel, little fraudulent fella.

Always nice to hear from our ignorant anonymous trash friends representing the timothy mcveigh/gun show garbage wing of the republican party, little fraudulent fella.

Move to Ruby Ridge, Idaho and take a wide stance if you'll feel more comfortable. It's too bad they closed down the aryan nations - ignorant white trash compound in Hayden Lake.

Clearly, you'd have been with your jack-booted homeboys, little fella.

Don't let the door hit ya in the ignorant anonymous ass on the way out, little fella.

Take it where the climate suits your sheet, schmuck.

Disappear.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:15 PM, September 18, 2008

Yawn.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:19 AM, September 19, 2008

Symington and Pollina deserve each other!!!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:58 AM, September 19, 2008