| Interesting times at the Statehouse today, eh? Another session where something BIG happens. I could get used to this. Here are some quick post-game thoughts:
Creepiest moment: Newly appointed Senator Peg Flory (who droned on endlessly - possibly more than all her colleagues combined - in a quixotic quest to derail the Senate's decision) was, of course, a member of the House until recently. As such, she kept mistakenly referring to Senate President Brian Dubie as "Speaker." At one point, she apologized referring to her time "in the other body," to which Dubie responded (and if this isn't the exact quote, it's pretty close) that "we're glad to have you in our body." Yeeg.
Biggest WTF moment: When the amendment that exemplified Senator Bartlett's much-maligned attempt earlier in the week to scuttle this week's vote was voted on, Bartlett voted against it. She also gave the most effective speech in support of a "no" vote on the final roll call.
It was an odd end to far and away the oddest political choice I've ever seen a candidate for high office make. Will it be enough to put her back into the game, or is the campaign damage already done?
What is it with Bobby Starr? That guy is the Ben Nelson of Vermont politics. |
Best moment besides the vote: This definitely belonged to Chittenden Senator Tim Ashe, even if it did drag things out a bit needlessly. After Senator Flory introduced her "amendment" that would would have called for a second reactor to by built (dropping the name "Obama" every other word), Ashe noted in response that after being repeatedly lectured by Flory that (in her view) the vote on the bill represented a "rush to judgment," how on Earth could her then asking the Senate to - out of the blue and with no hearings or discussion - call for a whole freaking new nuclear power plant pass the straight face test?
Well! No more Mister Nice Guy, I guess: Right out of the gate, Widely regarded nice guy Senator Phil Scott of Washington not only dismissed any questions about his stance, he took on a brand new identy as nasty partisan firebrand. He wasted no time getting on the record insulting President Pro Tem Shumlin by nakedly accusing him of playing politics and reaching for a particularly lame vehicle for his condemnation in an accusation that Shumlin had short circuited the normal rules committee process by polling members, rather than convening a formal vote. Shumlin countered that this was part of the way it works, giving back better than he got in the dig department.
The whole thing simply ended up reflecting badly on committeeman Mullin (R-Rutland) who ended the discussion by feebly promising Scott he would never allow himself to be so polled again. One had the sense he didn't want Scott to ground him.
But Scott persisted in angry partisan warrior mode throughout, even tongue-lashing the body after the vote for trying "score political points." Scott is, of course, running for Lieutenant Governor and was obviously all about scoring some political points himself to get through the GOP primary. Who knows, maybe he'll go the full tea-bag before this is done.
Interesting sidenote: the Senate pages were bringing pink slips with the constituent phone calls regarding the vote to the various senators. Scott had an exceptionally large pile - probably dozens. From what I saw, every time he received one he just tossed it, still folded closed, into the pile with the others. I don't think he bothered to read a single one. Real man o' the people, there.
Bonus prize: Nobody was talking about Jim Douglas today. In the past his presence has drifted over important legislative decision-making moments like really nasty flatulence. Today, he was the lamest of ducks. He didn't matter a whit, or perhaps a whiff. |
