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


8.05.2009

 

The Flanagan debate

As you read in today's Free Press, Sen. Ed Flanagan is no longer sure if he's running for lieutenant governor. He says he realized it was too early and he'll make a decision after the next legislative session, which ends in May.

Flanagan, of course, has reasons to reconsider. He has been accused of inappropriate behavior in the men's fitness center of the Burlington YMCA. He denies the allegations, though he says that as a result of the brain injury he suffered in a near-fatal 2005 car accident he has found his "discretionary capabilities" are off-kilter.

I spoke to many of his Senate colleagues yesterday to see whether they thought he could continue as a senator or as a lt. gov. candidate _ several of them in person at a legislative conference in Burlington and others on the phone. No question, the topic was the buzz among members, but speaking publicly about it was not so easy. Every one of them winced when I mentioned the topic. Understandably so. The thing is complicated, sensitive, and who wants to have their name attached to it in print?

Give credit then to those who were willing to speak and help put an important question into perspective. Not all were. Sen. Tim Ashe, D/P-Burlington, asked if he could think about it and call me back. I'm still waiting. Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, who presides over the Senate, wanted to check first with legal counsel to see what the presiding officer's role might be. Not a bad thing to know, but does that preclude making any comment?

- Terri Hallenbeck

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Comments:
I doubt Ashe would have had to "think about it" before making a comment if this were a Republican.
 
His political career is obviously finished. There's no question that he can't run for office again (unless the Dems want to hand Douglas another 2 years).
 
What happened to the adage 'live and let live' or 'to err is human but to forgive is divine'.

Give the guy a break. You all liked him 4 weeks ago but now you are turning your back on him in his time of need.

Shame on all you D's and P's. I thought you were the tolerant ones. Stand by your man.
 
post 3:38 is right on the money!
 
Shame on those Progressives!
 
This is a non-issue.
 
"What happened to the adage 'live and let live' or 'to err is human but to forgive is divine'.
Give the guy a break. You all liked him 4 weeks ago but now you are turning your back on him in his time of need.
Shame on all you D's and P's. I thought you were the tolerant ones. Stand by your man."

I'm sure you said the exact same thing about Larry Craig and Mark Sanford, right?

I'm waiting . . .
 
The manner in which Ed Flanagan has been covered in the Free Press and other papers has been unprofessional. This man has suffered a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and as a result his abilities have changed. I think Ed has a case where he could go after the Free Press as he is an individual with a identified disability.
 
"This man has suffered a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and as a result his abilities have changed."

...and still he wants to be Lt. Gov. In it's own twisted way from the Dem's point of view it probably all makes sense.
 
"I think Ed has a case where he could go after the Free Press as he is an individual with a identified disability."

Wrong. Oh, so wrong.

First, he denies that he is disabled. You can't deny that you are disabled and then complain that people aren't accommodating your disability, jughead.

Second, yes, he is clearly troubled, but his colleagues in the Legislature have been pretending not to notice. It's the press's fault for no longer going along with the Dems' refusal to say that the emperor had no clothes on?

So all this is now the media's fault for reporting that a State Senator and candidate for Lt. Gov. is behaving in an extremely bizarre and obscene manner?

Get a grip, hun. The press is doing its job -- finally. Just like they did their job when they reported Larry Craig's scandal and Mark Sanford's scandal, which I'm sure you didn't complain about.
 
Yeah, now if they would only do their job with Jim Douglas!

It appears that teh VT press corps is afraid of Jim Douglas, Dennise Casey, and Jason Gibbs.
 
First in Fitness. There is more to this story . . .
 
"Yeah, now if they would only do their job with Jim Douglas!"

What job are they not doing? We all know that he's an absentee Governor who cuts ribbons.

That's not the issue. Duh.

The issue is that the alternatives -- irresponsible, tax-and-spend, business-hating Democrats like Pete Shumlin, are worse.

What is it about running a state that exists on tax money produced by private sector employment that you don't get, nimrod?
 
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