When I saw that Democracy for America was launching an ad criticizing Gov. Jim Douglas over Vermont Yankee, I thought, OK, we’re going to see the famous photo of the collapsed tower, we’re going to hear talk about the VY inspection about which he was less than enthusiastic, we’re going to hear about how he vetoed the bill that would have required VY to fully fund decommissioning.
You do hear all those things in the ad, which DFA’s Adam Quinn says will start airing on Vermont TV on Wednesday.
What you might not expect is the ending. It goes like this: "Why isn’t Jim Douglas keeping you and your family from becoming the victims of the next nuclear accident?" Douglas’ photo sits between photos of Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.
Does it go too far? Quinn suggested that that was the intention. Sort of cause a nuclear fusion inside people’s heads.
The state doesn’t have purview over safety of the nuclear power plant – only the reliability of the power it produces. Regardless, Quinn said, Douglas could do something to better ensure the safety if he showed leadership in interjecting himself on the issue. DFA has endorsed Democrat Gaye Symington for governor.
"I think it’s clear with all the problems at Vermont Yankee, Vermonters are at danger of something," Quinn said. "We don’t really know."
Douglas campaign manager Dennise Casey said it’s the sort of ad that Democrats would call Rovian, as in in-the-style-of-Karl Rove and that Democratic Committee Chairman Ian Carleton and Symington should be calling on DFA to pull the ad.
You can see the ad yourselves
HERE. You decide: Is it fear-mongering?
- Terri Hallenbeck
