( – promoted by odum)

Longtime Libertarian Party candidate (he was the Libertarian candidate for governor in 1990 and has run for other elected offices) David Atkinson, of Braintree, is considering another run for the office it appears. Economic development and agriculture are his top issues, and one of his chief initiatives would be to “force” the feds into allowing Vermont to grow hemp – an important cash crop.  

This week we received a press release from Atkinson, along with a bumper sticker-sized sign with his slogan “Time for Change” and a picture of Atkinson peeking out of a clockface.  What time was indicated on the clock?  

Yep, it was 4:20.  And no, I am not making this up. Apparently, Atkinson will run if he gets 500 people to pay $2 each for his bumperstickers.  

(Thanks for the heads-up Mike. – promoted by odum)

I’m sure I don’t have to tell anyone about the Westboro Baptist Church and their “God Hates Fags” (and just about everyone else) campaign.  

Well, the bad news is that they’re bringing their fear and hatred to Vermont. On Tuesday, September 1, they’re planning to protest at the Montpelier High School from 7:20 to 7:50 am, then go to the Vermont State House from 7:55 to 8:25 am, finishing up at the Montpelier City Clerk’s office from 8:30 to 9 am. Rather than paraphrase their hate-filled “press release,” I’ll post it after the fold.  

A warning, though, don’t go to the jump if you don’t want to see the hate.

WBC WILL PICKET THE FAG-INFESTED, PERVERT-RUN MONTPELIER HIGH SCHOOL

Montpelier High School, 5 High School Dr., Montpelier, VT

Tuesday September 1, 2009, from 7:20 to 7:50 am.  

We will give your children an opportunity to see what good looks like, to see the face of what they were entitled to have from every adult that has ever touched their lives!  You hate God’s standards, and He hates you!

God hates you, Doomed america, for what you have done to your children!  Here is the COMMANDMENT from your God:

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.  And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates” Deuteronomy 6:6-9

You did not obey; you corrupted them from the womb, so God gave you violent, freakish, worthless, brute-beast children!  You hate your children, and next, YOU WILL EAT YOUR CHILDREN.  YES! Your antichrist, seated in the White House as the result of your sins, will pass a decree saying you MUST eat your children!

Time for some Bitch Burgers, Obama Fries & Simple Slut Shakes!

Read the words: Deut. 28:53-58; Lev. 26-29

Fear God, and give the Glory to HIM, for the hour of HIS judgement is come.

GOD’S CURSE IS ON YOUR BRATS, DOOMED aMERICA

But wait, there’s also a special message for the Legislature:

GOD HATES VERMONT.

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, FAG-INFESTED WHOREMONGERS PIMPING FOR A SODOMITE BROTHEL MASQUERADING AS A LEGISLATURE.  WBC WILL PICKET THE STATE HOUSE AND THE CITY CLERK’S SAME SEX MARRIAGE LICENSE MILL.  THE STENCH OF VERMONT – AS WITH SODOM – HAS REACHED THE NOSTRILS OF AN ANGRY GOD.  Gen. 18:20,21.

Vermont State House

115 State St., Montpelier, Vermont

(Picket Tuesday, September 1, from 7:55 to 8:25 am)

City Clerk’s Office

39 Main St., Montpelier, Vermont

(Picket Tuesday, September 1, from 8:30 to 9:00 am)

And that’s not all.  Apparently God, or at least Rev. Fred Phelps and his followers, also hate Jews.  After they get done hating gays, children, legislators, and town officials in Montpelier, it looks like they’re going head up to Burlington to hate a few Jews:

THE FATEFUL FIG FIND

Burlington, VT Edition – Tues., Sept. 1

WBC TO LOOK FOR GOOD FIGS AMONG THE FILTHY, CHRIST-REJECTING JEWS

9:45 am – 10:15 am

University of Vermont Hillel

The Allen House, 461 Main St.

10:15 am – 10:45 am

Chabad of Vermont/Chabad JCC

57 S. Williams St.

10:45 am – 11:15 am

Ohavi Zedek Synagogue

188 N. Prospect St.

MEMO TO EVIL FIGS: YOU WILL EAT YOUR CHILDREN!

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently uno thy children.” Deut 6:6-7.

“But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all of his commandments… thou shalt eat the fruit of then own body, the flesh of they  sons and of they daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee… in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee.” Deut. 28:15, 53.

You Jews have taught your children that God is a liar, and that they can commit abomination with impunity because they are of the children of Israel.  Now, the hearts of your young people are hardened against God, even as they’re shot and killed in your centers of idolatry.  Because you refuse to repent and return to the God of your covenant, He’ll cause the nations to march on Jerusalem, to afflict Jewry as never before, & you will eat your children.

This little gem was accompanied by a photo of children, apparently creating some sort of temporary memorial.  WBC’s caption:

Young Jews mourn fags slain by God in Tel Aviv.

Sorry for all the hate, folks.  I know how angry this makes me feel, and I’m not a particularly sensitive person.  So I know some people will find this extremely distressing to read.  But I do think it’s important not only to know that these folks are headed for our fair state, but also to know exactly what kind of hate they’re capable of.

(Many thanks to one of our li’l community’s representatives from the fourth estate (Mike), here… ooo, I’m getting media vertigo… – promoted by odum)

Updated on Friday, May 8:

It appears that Maine’s same sex marriage law, signed by Governor Baldacci on May 6, will be challenged through a “people’s veto,” essentially a referendum on the bill.  

Accordng to the Maine Secretary of State’s Web site, any Maine voter can circulate a petition for a “people’s veto” by submitting a written application to the secretary of state with the names of five co-petitioners.

As required by law, the Maine Secretary of State has received notice and has provided an “approved petition form” to be circulated.

It appears likely that the petitioners will find enough signatures to get a statewide referendum.  The signature requirement is 10% of the number of votes cast for governor in 2006, or 55,087 signatures, to be exact.  If they can’t find 55,000 registered voters to sign their petition by the deadline in September, I would be surprised.

The next question, of course, is how much support is there to overturn the law?  My experience, living in Maine for many years, is that there may be a conservative, religious groundswell of support. Worse, it could bring in a lot of well-funded, out-of-state opposition. But things have changed in Maine, and I could be surprised.  

Fingers crossed.

http://www.google.com/hostedne…

http://lezgetreal.com/?p=12344

I didn’t comment on these, but they’re worth a read for the laughs, particularly the pro-polygamy page.

http://www.pro-polygamy.com/ar…

http://worldnetdaily.com/index…

http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Te…

**Update** The New Hampshire House just passed H.B. 436, 178-167! Now goes to Governor John Lynch’s desk!!! – Christian

Gov. John Baldacci signed a same-sex marriage bill into law at about 12:30 today.  Maine will be the fifth state to recognize same-sex marriage, and apparently Gov. Baldacci is the first governor in the nation to sign a same-sex marriage bill into law that was not the result of litigation.  

This is from an MPBN story:

“I did not come to this decision lightly or in haste.”  Baldacci said his views on the issue have evolved over time.  “In the past, I opposed gay marriage while supporting the idea of civil unions,” he said. “I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law, and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage.”

http://www.mpbn.net/News/Maine…

Another thing largely ignored by the media:

A U.S. military jury has handed a series of stinging rebukes to the Bush administration in the trial of Salim Hamdin, Osama Bin Laden’s driver.  First, the jury acquitted him of conspiracy to commit war crimes – essentially the terrorism charge for which he was imprisoned at Guantanamo and denied rights any other prisoner – either a prisoner of war or a prisoner in the U.S. justice system – would have.  

Secondly, for his conviction of “providing material support for terrorism” (driving Bin Laden around) the military jury sentenced Hamdin to 5 ½ years.  It was not only less than the 30 years prosecutors demanded, it was practically a middle finger pointed at the administration – the jury gave the sentence knowing full well that Hamdin would get credit for the five years and one month he has already spent in custody – he’ll be eligible for release in four months, 22 days.  

Will he actually ever be released?  There is speculation that he’ll continue to be held at Guantanamo even after his sentence is served:

The U.S. will still hold Hamdan as an “enemy combatant,” and it will then be up to a Pentagon review board to determine if Hamdan is no longer a threat and can be freed.

According to one Pentagon official, “He (Hamdan) won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.”

-Jim Miklaszewski, NBC News Chief Pentagon Correspondent

So that’s the new game – after fighting for the “military tribunals,” the administration has found they don’t actually work the way they wanted them to.  Their solution is to just do whatever they want to do anyway.

The Bush administration and their Pentagon lackeys aside, the military judge and the jury in this case have restored a little bit of faith in the military for me.  The military is a lot of things, not all of them good, but the people I knew during my 11 years in the military were practically obsessed with doing the right thing – with fairness.  

From the very beginning of this trial, the judge and the jury made it clear that they were interested in serving justice, and not interested in serving the system that had stacked the odds so heavily against a man.  With the sentence they handed down in this case, I think they’ve sent a message that enough is enough.  You can make the military to do your bidding in an illegal war, but you can’t force the people who serve to sacrifice their personal values.

( – promoted by JulieWaters)

WAITSFIELD- Police arrested Peter Diamondstone, of Brattleboro, after he refused to leave the stage at a gubernatorial debate held at American Flatbread in Waitsfield on Sunday, July 20.

   Diamondstone has run for a number of state and federal offices since he helped found Vermont’s Liberty Union Party in 1970.  This year Diamondstone is running for governor on the Liberty Union ticket, but he wasn’t on the slate of candidates for Sunday’s debate, although organizers have said that Diamondstone would have been included had he contacted them and told them he wished to participate.  

   According to police reports, event organizers asked Diamondstone to leave the stage before the debate began.  When he refused to move, state police troopers escorted him from the stage, and off the property.  When Diamondstone refused to leave, he was taken into custody for disorderly conduct and unlawful trespass.  He was processed at the state police barracks in Middlesex, and released with a citation to appear in Washington County District Court on September 11, 2008.

Diamondstone made headlines during his 2006 bid for the Senate when he was “disinvited” from a Vermont Public Radio debate, and again when he was forcibly removed from a debate at Vermont Law School in Royalton.  In that incident, Diamondstone was escorted out of the room when he refused to stop talking after his allotted time.  When he continued to protest that organizers and police had violated his rights in a hallway outside the debate, a scuffle ensued.  Diamondstone was pinned face down on the floor and handcuffed.

Cross-posted at iBrattleboro.com

Sorry for the cut & paste press release, folks, but I’m not sure what to make of this yet, if anything.  Anyone else?  (I’ve edited some of the self-congratulatory bits out for the sake of objectivity and space.

Welch supports and House passes anti-speculation bill;

Welch amends transit bill to help green bus fleets

Washington, D.C. – In an ongoing effort to address skyrocketing energy prices, the House of Representatives approved two measures today that aim to lower energy prices for consumers.

The Energy Markets Act, H.R. 6377, would direct the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to use its existing emergency authority to investigate excessive speculation on energy prices and take steps necessary to remove speculation in the market.  The bill passed by a vote of 402-19.

“With the stroke of his pen, President Bush could use his executive authority right now to target speculators who are driving the price of oil higher and higher. Consumers need a cop on the beat protecting them against bad actors in the energy marketplace.  The action we take today will force the President’s agency to do its job and stand up for consumers,” said Welch, who helped to draft the bill and is an original cosponsor.

“Right now, oil companies are sitting on 68 million acres of untapped federal leases, an area twice the size of Pennsylvania, while demanding to drill in some of the most environmentally sensitive areas of our country,” said Welch.  “This bill calls their bluff.  They should use their current leases or turn them over to companies that will bring the oil to the marketplace.  In a period of rising oil prices, the strategy of oil companies on these leases seems to be ‘The longer we wait, the more we make.'”

The 68 million acres of leased lands have the potential to produce an additional 4.8 million barrels of oil and 44.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas each day.  This would nearly double U.S. oil production and cut oil imports by one-third.

Finally, Welch today successfully amended H.R. 6052, Saving Energy through Public Transportation Act of 2008.  The Welch amendment will allow regional transportation agencies to improve public transportation fuel efficiency and reduce costs for passengers by retrofitting existing vehicles to run on clean-burning natural gas.  

“This common-sense amendment will allow existing buses in Chittenden County to convert to natural gas, which will save Vermonters money and emit fewer greenhouse gases,” said Welch.

The House passed H.R. 6052 by a vote of 322-98.

Just got this press release from the Brattleboro Police:

20 June, 2008

Responsible officer: Gene Wrinn, Acting Police Chief

The Brattleboro Police Department has been working with law enforcement agencies in the Windham County area, including the Windham County Sheriff’s Department, the Vernon Police Department, and the Vermont State Police in response to persons in the area representing themselves as a hate-motivated anti-black group.  Law enforcement agencies have been active in responding to the needs of the community and proactively investigating all leads.

On 18 June, 2008, police investigated a hate-motivated act of disorderly conduct on Elliot Street in Brattleboro which was reported to police in a timeley fashion.

“Timely fashion” must mean it was still going on when it was reported.   For those not so familiar with Brattleboro, Elliot Street is in Brattleboro’s downtown – close to the “Harmony Lot” parking area (where there have been reports of problems with [unrelated] illegal activities in the past).  Elliot Street is also home to at least four bars or pubs, including McNeill’s.

Within hours, the suspect was identified, located, and issued a citation to appear in Windham District Court to answer the charges at a later date.

Officers of the Brattleboro Police Department received further information that revealed that the person cited into Windham District Court for the Hate Motivated Disorderly Conduct had, in fact, committed other crimes.

Officers from the Brattleboro Police Department and the Windham County Sheriff’s Department obtained two court-ordered search warrants, which were served in Guilford on 19 June, 2008, around midnight.  As a result of the ongoing investigation, the male was arrested and lodged at the Brattleboro Police Department and held on $5,000 bail.

The Brattleboro Police Department reminds all citizens that we will vigorously investigate all reported acts of racism or crimes of hate.  Vermont statutes indicates that: any crime motivated by the victim’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, ancestery, age, service in the armed forces of teh United States, handicap, sexual orientation, or gender identity shall be subject to enhanced penalties for the underlying crime.

I guess the lesson for anyone who thinks it doesn’t happen here is that it is happening here.

(Promoting this diary is my answer to the poll question at the end… – promoted by odum)

Future of the EU in question

This won’t make any of the U.S. papers, but hopefully GMD wonks will find it somewhat interesting

On Thursday, Irish voters rejected the Lisbon Treaty, which would have redefined the European Union government.  Essentially, the treaty would have shifted more power from European states to the central government in Brussels.  Institutions such as the courts, banks, and military would have been centralized.

Proponents of the referendum said the new agreement would strengthen the central government; create greater efficiency (fewer state governments doing the same thing); standardize laws regarding human rights, labor, security; and provide greater economic security.  Supporters of the measure, including political parties Fianna Fail, Finn Gael, and the Labour Party, among others, cited the European Union’s beneficial effect on Ireland and exhorted Irish voters not to “throw it all away.”  

Short sidestory: My brother-in-law almost got fired from the Dublin County Council for “defacing” one of Mary Harney’s pro-treaty “don’t throw it all away” signs – he added a small sign at the bottom that said “… I’ll take half.” (Harney is derided for being the overweight minister for health) http://ocaoimh.ie/wp-content/u… (the photo just shows the signs, no my brother-in-law’s handiwork)

Opponents, including Sinn Fein, the Socialist Party, the democratic socialist Workers’ Party and Libertas, an non-partisan organization formed by a Galway businessman to oppose the treaty, argued that the current EU agreement was indeed beneficial to Ireland, and there was no reason to change it.  They warned that it would rob Ireland of its sovereignty.  Ireland’s famed neutrality would be forfeited, Irish men and women could be required to serve in a central army, and it would open the back door to European laws on marriage and abortion.  (Abortion is illegal in Ireland.  They prefer to go to GB or NI for abortions.)

From the EU’s beginning, Ireland has wielded unprecedented power and recieved unprecedented benefit – the treaty would have blunted Ireland’s influence in the EU government.

Perhaps the most significant argument against the treaty for many Irish voters was that it would give too much power to the central government to control taxation.  Ireland’s stunning economic growth over the last decade-and-a-half has been fueled not only by massive investment by the EU, but by the thousands of businesses that have moved to Ireland to take advantage of their low business tax rate (12%).  Few European countries offer low business taxes, superior technological and civil infrastructure, and a highly-educated population in one neat package.

Although proponents debunked many of the opponent’s claims, the “no” vote appears to have prevailed.

In order to pass, the treaty had to be ratified by all 27 EU member nations.  In 26 of those countries, the treaty could be ratified by the representative government; Ireland was required by its constitution to put the question to the electorate.  It has already been ratified by 15 members, and is expected to pass in the rest.

The consequences of the “no” vote are still unclear.  While some say it will force the EU to continue under the current treaty, others warn that it may mean Ireland is squeezed out of the EU – which could be devastating to the country.  When the Irish rejected an earlier EU treaty, it was brought up for a vote again two years later, after a substantial PR campaign.  Many have complained that the treaty is too complex, and independent information on what would change has been sorely lacking.  So it could come around again.

The no vote is a blow to German Chancellor Angele Merkel, who worked hard during her six-month term as EU President to broker a deal on the treaty.  French President Nicolas Sarkozy was said to have been making plans to solidify the new EU government under the treaty during his upcoming term as EU President.

It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

The poll is mostly for my own edification

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(Hmm…. very interesting, eh? – promoted by Christian Avard)

Of course, we're all familiar with the ins and outs of the Doyle poll but, still, it's always interesting. 

 Interesting that people are generally pessimistic (44%) about the economy, but are happy with Douglas (42% vs 39%, anyway). 

Also interesting that Vermonters support hemp production, the decriminalization of marijuana under one ounce, taking the lead on global warming AND the relicensing of VY.  (Not that they're necessarily related, just that you wouldn't think it would shake out that way.

( – promoted by Brattlerouser)

I started writing this as a reply to another diary, but decided post it on its own

I could be persuaded that calls for Clinton to drop out of the race are just as divisive as the campaign infighting.  I could be convinced that letting the selection process play out has a better chance of ending in party unity than bullying Clinton out of the race.

But I’m not too impressed with arguments that these primaries are “elections,” or with calls for “democracy” or “one man, one vote,” or complaints about “disenfranchisement.”  There seems to be a general and accpeted ignorance of the process in which we’re currently embroiled.

This is not an election, it’s the parties’ process of selecting a nominee to run in the election.  The parties are not required to be “democratic” in their process – in some states, one must be a registered party member to vote in that party’s primary.  That’s not democratic, it’s exclusive.

Neither party observes a “one man, one vote” philosophy in choosing their nominee.  For the party selection process to follow the “one man, one vote” principle, delegates would have to be awarded proportionately – neither party does that.  In the Republican party the contests are “winner take all;” if the first-place candidate wins by one vote, all of the state’s delegates and, therefore, all of the state’s votes go to that candidate.

The Dems make an effort toward “one man, one vote” by awarding delegates proportionately.  But then they go and nullify the proportional representatation with a somewhat insane and elitist “superdelegate” wildcard.  

The process in both parties disenfranchises voters, but this year Democratic voters have had more “enfranchisement” than they’ve had in years.   In the last few elections, the race has essentially been over after the first two primaries – never past super Tuesday.

And, dropping out of the race does not “disenfranchise” voters, it disappoints your supporters.  Dropping out of the race doesn’t take the candidate’s name off the ballot.  Voters can still vote.  But, yes, they’ll have to cast their ballot it with the full knowledge that the candidate has acknowledged the impossibility of their bid.

But I agree that these undemocratic primaries are an important part of the democratic process.  On to the election.