On a recent VPR radio commentary former Governor Jim Douglas laments the fate of Brian Dubie and worries over the future. Dubie, some may recall, is defending his 2010 gubernatorial campaign against alleged illicit coordination with the Republican Governors Association (RGA) on a campaign commercial. The complaint accuses the Dubie campaign of violating campaign regulations by sharing poll data and directly aiding in the production of an advertisement sponsored by the RGA. Douglas doesn’t say if, with his own years of experience, he personally reassured Dubie, but claims the RGA’s experienced, battle-hardened staff did.
The RGA lawyers had assured Brian that furnishing the information was perfectly legal; having been burned by Vermont’s campaign finance laws in the past, the Association had every reason not to run afoul of them, and Brian had every reason to rely on their advice.
He worries the cost of this ongoing legal tangle will have a chilling effect on those who want to run for office:
I've spoken with potential candidates who would have been great leaders, but are discouraged by the costs – both personally and of the campaign.
Maybe he didn’t have the time on radio or was just too modest to mention his significant role in the Dubie campaign events under question. When Douglas has these conversations with would-be candidates one has to hope he passes on details and some firsthand knowledge of the events he fails to make clear in his heartrending VPR piece.
Among other things he omitted was the problem his own 2004 campaign for governor had when the RGA ran afoul of Vermont’s campaign finance laws with $300,000 worth of ads in his support. Douglas should by all means not be so shy – he should give himself credit for expertly narrating the RGA Dubie ad now under a legal shadow. And he could further enlighten us with the information from the 2010 Dubie case charging that Douglas acted as an agent of both the Republican Governors Association and Friends of Brian Dubie (the Dubie campaign organization). More recently, he along with other influential Republicans formed Friends of Brian Dubie Legal Defense Fund to pay Dubie’s legal costs. Jim Douglas might consider a follow-up VPR piece that mentions he was much more than bystander.
Lamentations? Yes, the implicated often cry when caught.
Not surprising that Douglas should have convenient amnesia about his central role in that embarrassing incident.
But pretty nervy of him to imply that the violations may have had something to do with “great leaders” being “discouraged by the costs!” As the perpetual beneficiary of the deepest pockets during his reign, he risks hysterical laughter at the picture of Republican “needy” that he paints.
The sad state of the Republican party in Vermont is directly the result of a national leap by that party straight into the crapper. It’s left the state party in a condition of confused irrelevance.
They can no longer look at themselves in the mirror while practicing speeches laced with the word “conservative.” If there is one thing the Republican party ain’t right now…from practically any definition of the word…it is “conservative.”
Was there any thought on VPR’s part to mentioning Douglas’ role in “Friends of Brian Dubie Legal Defense Fund”? That would seem a pretty obvious conflict in need of disclosure. Especially here:
Poor Brian. Alone and penniless. Kids begging in the gutter. Wife taking in laundry. The entire Dubie clan, persecuted to the limits of human endurance by Bill Sorrell, the indefatigable Inspector Javert of Vermont’s legal system.
Mmm, not so much.
But hey, VPR isn’t in the business of alienating the well-connected.
One short year ago, VT GOP was hard at work busying themselves with “burdening” Governor Shumlin. I guess it’s ok when these “great leaders” who would be “burdened” by campaign rules are Dem candidates:
http://www.vermontpressbureau….
Soliciting contributions from – gasp – lobbyists? No! What politician would ever do that after certainly learning from the sage wisdom of “those who have run afoul”, namely the poor & unfortunate RGA, which Douglas now claims was “burned”. Um, wouldn’t “caught” be a better description?
Apparently Shumlin campaign PAC was also “burned”:
http://vtdigger.org/2011/12/02…
One good burn deserves another!
And Fuck ’em Both!!! It’s like Bush lamenting Iraq.