Well, actually, not true. But now that I have your attention, can we talk about this little thing that Democratic Governor Peter Shumlin seems to have going with Republican Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott? It was a nice bipartisan touch in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene last year, but isn’t it just a little bit Montague/Capulet this close to an election? Or, as Juliet puts it:

My only love spring from my only hate!

Too early seen unknown, and known too late!

Prodigious birth of love it is to me,

That I must love a loathed enemy.

Just in the last couple of weeks, we’ve had Shumlin saying that “Phil is rarely wrong,” and offhandedly saying “Phil Scott built a road” when discussing the dramatic rise in the value of his East Montpelier hideaway.

Then we had the announcement that Shumlin and Scott would jointly tour areas of Vermont devastated by Hurricane Sandy — a tour which was canceled due to lack of photogenic devastation.

Instead, we had a post-Sandy news conference in which Scott was wedged securely at Shumlin’s left hand, as depicted in this photo from Seven Days. (BTW, why are the ASL interpreters always female? And seemingly always the only female at the podium?)

And lastly, a nice bit of log-rolling from Scott, who was openly critical of fellow Republican Randy Brock’s latest TV ad, a 30-second anti-Shumlin hit piece straight outta the Karl Rove playbook.

It’s pretty obvious that Shumlin is spending a lot more time with Scott (and vice versa) than he is with any of his fellow ticketmates. That’s kind of understandable for Scott; who’d want to hang out with that bunch of losers? But Shummy’s chumminyess has got to be at least a bit galling to Cassandra Gekas, who, as you may recall, is kinda-sorta the Democratic challenger to the Republican Scott.

After the jump: A lesson from New Hampshire.

That would be the same Gekas who, assuming she loses to Scott, will take a job that will position her perfectly to be a thorn in Shumlin’s side: spokesperson for the state employees’ union. Hell hath no fury…

Anyway, this whole Shummy/Phil act is awfully heartwarming and helps burnish Shumlin’s bipartisan cred. But there’s a story that took place next door in New Hampshire that can serve as a warning about where this fraternization can lead.

Back in 2003, New Hampshire’s Republican Governor Craig Benson (a “run government like a business” type so incompetent that he was booted after one term in office) hired an ambitious young lawyer as his legal counsel. The lawyer’s name: Kelly Ayotte. The following year, Benson appointed her as the state’s Attorney General. (In New Hampshire, the AG is an appointed position with a five-year term.)

In the 2004 election, Benson was defeated by Democrat John Lynch, who is stepping down this year after four terms in office. Like Shumlin, Lynch has tried to govern from the center and work with Republicans whenever possible.

In 2009, in one of his bipartisan moves, Lynch renominated Ayotte for another five-year term as AG.

The following year, Ayotte quit and ran for U.S. Senate. She won the Republican primary and took office in the conservative landslide of 2010. This is the same Kelly Ayotte whose campaign appearance in Woodstock, Vermont this summer was slammed by the Vermont Democrats because she’s such an extremist.

Now, I can’t prove that we have John Lynch to blame for six years of Kelly Ayotte in the U.S. Senate. But she clearly would have had a much harder time winning if she hadn’t been reappointed by Lynch, collecting more than a bit of bipartisan credibility in the process.

I fear the “Shummy ‘n Scott” act may have the same result. Shumlin certainly seems to be doing his best to pave the way for Scott to succeed him as Governor.

And if or when that happens, we’ll find out whether Phil Scott is a real moderate or a fake one like Kelly Ayotte.  

Michael “Heck-of-a-job Brownie” Brown digs deeper today.

Apparently, in Brownie’s special world, the President should have, first & foremost, considered the political “mileage” he could have wrung out of delaying action on Hurricane Sandy, so governors would have to beg him to come to the rescue. In Brownie’s twisted calculus, thinking about the actual [bleeping] lives at stake and acting proactively was the wrong thing to do, because it wasn’t politically showy enough.

I am filled with unending gratitude that this weasel and his enablers are nowhere near the halls of power today:

“The President should have just-he could have just made a comment while he was in Florida that says, “you know my FEMA director is on top of this and we’re gonna do everything we can when the states ask us to come in and help.” Boom. …

   He would have been better served politically to let everybody else-Bloomberg, Christie, Cuomo, O’Donnell [sic] – all of them make whatever statements they were going to make. Call for their evacuations. And then he could have stepped up, very presidentially, and said “And by the way, I have instructed my FEMA director to give the states whatever they need as the storm approaches.” I think he would have gotten more mileage out of it. In other words, he peaked too soon.”

Yesterday’s statement below the jump, for those who missed it.

Bush’s FEMA Director During Katrina Criticizes Obama For Responding To Sandy Too Quickly

“One thing he’s gonna be asked is, why did he jump on [the hurricane] so quickly and go back to D.C. so quickly when in…Benghazi, he went to Las Vegas?” Brown says. “Why was this so quick?… At some point, somebody’s going to ask that question…. This is like the inverse of Benghazi.”

This from the man who was more responsible than almost anyone else for the prolonged torture of the survivors of Katrina in New Orleans.  

The polls this morning are a ‘disaster’ in themselves.  Perhaps Obama should declare a Nationwide Stupidity Emergency.  Romney actually a point ahead in some polls?  Shame on America if this is true.  Here’s a guy who says SANDY is a call to Ohio to vote him in.  Hey, I lived in Ohio.  That’s tornado country.  No more disaster relief there, if Romney gets it.

What in the bloody fuck is the matter with this goddamn country?  The dumbing-down of America by the Corporate Reich now has us on the edge of a real national disaster–the endorsement by the American electorate of The Company Store, which is selling the notion that every American will get some kind of shit-wage job, to replace Medicare/Medicaid, Social Security, unemployment benefits, aid to the needy, education, and common human decency.  Americans are buying this?  The same tired Republican promise that they will be better off if the Rich are better off?  SHIT!

Let’s look at the Republican Party since 1960:

1960–Nixon, a moron, almost wins.  Then in the ’61-’63 period, we see the rise of the Conservative movement (John Birch Society, et al, telling Americans Jack Kennedy was a socialist and a traitor–no Muslims back then, only Commies), and the Conservative take-over of the Republican Party.  I know.  I was a Goldwater Boy–fifteen, still stupid.

1968–We get Nixon, the moron.  Here, perhaps the Lefties for McCarthy and Kennedy helped.  “I voted for Nixon in Protest.” was what a lot of my friends told me.  “You voted for whom in what?!” I replied.  Nixon.  Who gave us John Mitchell.  And Charlie Manson.

1976–Give us a break!  So we got Carter.  But only after the spectacle of Ronnie Reagan challenging Ford for control of the Republican Party.  Ford was not so bad.  Even Chevy Chase made us feel for him.  But he had to deal with the Conservatives by having Bob Dole as a running mate.

1980–Yes, the Great De-Regulator.  Kicking the door open for Corporate plunder, busting unions, cutting environmental programs, and otherwise acting like an addled old twit who still thought he was in a Bonzo movie–probably The Boys In The Boardroom told him he’d get that Academy Award.

1988–Old George Bush.  Hmmmm???  Well, at least he was dignified.  No hate shit.  But They brought in that asshole Ross Perot.  So we got another break with Clinton.  Golly–for eight years!

2000–Well, Part 2 of the Reagan Bullshit.  Only meaner.  And, of course, the Bail-Out.  Reminded me of those Lords during The Crusades.  

2008–And here we are with a Rich Fascist blubbering and lying with that tired “It’s the economy, stupid!” Republican line that seems to be the success story of the Rich and the Corporate Reich.  Are Americans that crass?  Sell out what’s left of American decency for a minimum wage job?  Have our kiddies mining coal for The Company Store?

Ugly, ghoulish.  War.  War on Blacks.  War.  War on Drugs (that was a good one).  War.  War on Gays.  War.  War on Women.  War.  War on the poor, the working class, education.  War on Democracy.

Come on, Americans.  Remember Hitler?  What he did after he finagled his way into power?  Look at Romney and look at what his Party comes out with–the HATE, the REGRESSIVENESS, the utter unabashed destruction through plunder of the soul of the nation.

1932-33.  Folks, it’s happening here.  The Republican Party has taken up the Swastika.  Don’t be good little Germans.

And don’t waste your vote–it’s too important.  Sorry, Roseanne, I changed my mind.  Maybe next time.  If there is a next time.

And to any and all Good Republicans left out there–YOU have a responsibility too.  History does not forgive collaboration.

Peter Buknatski

Montpelier, Vt.

(But now I have seen the light, folks.  The latest FOX News poll has Romney ahead in Vermont by 2 points.  Yeah…Bullshit, right?  Even as a joke.  Which leads me to believe that all these establishment polls are BULLSHIT.  After all, who owns the establishment media?  Yes, the Corporate Reich, the Romney people.  So, I’ve decided that all these close polls are, in fact, an attempt by the Corporate Media to manipulate the vote, and, perhaps, also cover for any ‘questionable’ returns where Romney’s computer/touch screen voting friends have their systems in place (like Ohio).  These bastards will do anything.

Close polls serve the purpose of encouraging bigger voter turnout (I would think–correct me if I’m wrong).  The bigger the vote, the more the computer Nazis have to fuck with.  And undecided voters like to vote for a winner, and believe their votes swing elections.  What I mean is, these national poll figures may be an attempt to encourage voters to jump on the ‘Romney Upset’ bandwagon.  I would hope they also encourage folks to come out for Obama.  Then there’s the Purist Lefties (Green Party, etc.) who have been aiming their message at the Democratic Party since 1968–“Unless you do it our way, you’re no different than the Republicans, so Take That!”

I think Simplify has it right about National verses State polls.  We shall see Tuesday night.  I hope Vermont gets the first call for Obama at 7:01 pm.  I meant in my above piece to Blow My Horn about the importance of this election.  There is a difference.  Even if, as the Purist Lefties suspect, Obama is a shill and a ringer, that’s no reason to endorse the agenda of the RICH and The Corporate Reich.  The message should be:  “Okay, Bamster, you got your second turn.  You’re a lame duck.  Go For It!  Pull this country back from the edge of the Fascist Abyss. ANYTHING!  Just Do It!”  

I have been hearing for decades that a totally Fascist America will bring about the much touted Great Revolution Against Capitalism.  Ain’t gonna happen.  They’ll use the Nuke Card if they have to.  Think of the dead, Lefties.  The Planet itself.  And all those who will suffer in the next 8 years of a Romney administration.  The only way to deal with the Capitalist Monster is to feed it the notion that there is more money to be made in the long term investment in good works, science, education, renewable energy, and a healthy and empowered population that will buy into a new and imaginative future that works on solving the problems of war, disease, and pollution so that our Planet will be rich with resources and some day be able to Come Out Of The Closet Of Its Galaxy. (Whew!-Long fucking sentence there.)  Plunder, war, stupidity, and waste will NOT leave us a profitable future; short term greed will leave nothing left on the plate, except ashes and the unburied dead.

But, hell, as George C. Scott said in Patton:  “Nobody listens to me.”  Are you Aliens up there listening?  HELP!  But don’t try to land in Arizona.  I know a nice spot in Walden and a guy who lives there who’d be happy to have you.

So…We Shall See.)  

Found this video via a link in the Maddow Blog (thanks to Steve Benen). It’s by Michael Moore for MoveOn.org, and as you can imagine, given the source, it’s both Not Safe For Work and pretty funny.

And, they have a point: Since the Rombots have shown how willing they are to lie and how frequently they’ll do it, it’s not much of a leap to consider that they might literally steal this election (see the story on the Romney stake in voting machines in Ohio, although Snopes disagrees, while finding sufficient Romney-connected ownership data to “raise some eyebrows”).

At this point, going after Jack “Six Teats” McMullen is kind of like shooting a gnat with an elephant gun. But what he said about politicization of the Attorney General’s office should not go without pushback. Because it’s a great example of a larger trend among Republicans: Pot/Kettle Syndrome. Also known as raging hypocrisy.

Late last week, the VT Democratic Party put out a news release pointing out multiple election-law violations by Republicans, and claiming that the Attorney General’s office had begun investigating them. Which, turns out, was a bit of an overstatement; the AG is looking into the charges to see if an investigation is warranted.

No matter. McMullen, the Republican candidate for AG, pounced.

“They’re bloodhounds when they’re asked to go after Republicans but they’re lap dogs when it concerns the Democrats,” McMullen said in an interview.

Okay, just stop right there.

First of all, as the AG’s office rightly pointed out, there is no investigation. They’re looking into the Dems’ charges, just as they do whenever they receive a complaint.

And second, good God almighty, the last time we had a Republican president, his Justice Department spent eight solid years chasing the chimera of voter fraud while ignoring real cases of vote suppression or voter intimidation. Remember that little scandal over the Bush Administration’s firing of eight U.S. attorneys because they weren’t partisan enough? Remember the completely false outrage over ACORN?

(And we need to remember, because the Republicans are still hammering away on this issue.)

Talk about politicizing justice. The Republican Party wrote the book on it. Compared to Alberto Gonzales and John Ashcroft, Bill Sorrell is a saint. And Jack McMullen should keep his mouth shut.

Update: I had another thought about this, which is appended below.

Earlier today, I posted a light-hearted little piece about two mailers I’d received today. One was from Pearce for Treasurer; the other was from Vermonter (Lenore Broughton) First, on behalf of State Senate candidate Buddy Barnett. And included photos of both mailers.

Well, we just got a fascinating comment from Jeremy Hansen, Independent candidate for State Senate in Washington County. The tag line:

That’s not Buddy Barnett

Oh dear. Jeremy provided a link to a photo of the real Buddy. Here it is:

Compare that with Flyer Buddy… after the jump.  

Okay, here once again is the family photo on the Buddy Barnett flyer.

Well, both guys have mustaches, and they look vaguely similar. But definitely not the same person. If you need any further proof, the Washington County voter’s guide lists Barnett as being 68 years old; the guy on the flyer looks to be in his 40s. Jeremy’s theory is that VF just found a stock photo of some guy who looked a little Buddyesque and slapped it on the mailer.

Weird. I don’t know if this violates state election law, but Christ on a cracker, is it ever embarrassing.

Addendum. I have another idea about this mailer, which is no more flattering to Vermonter First and its resident Super Genius Tayt Brooks (I.M.O.M.).

(There was a mini-scandal a few years ago on the west coast, in which a candidate put out a mailer picturing him with a woman and a couple of kids. Turned out, he and his wife didn’t have any children; they just borrowed some from a neighbor or relative. This Barnett mailer is kind of in the same ballpark.)

Just like every other voter in Vermont (even the ones who live in rental housing), I’m getting my share of political mailers. Today there were two, and they were a nice little study in contrasts.

The good: a piece from Pearce for Treasurer, featuring a hearty endorsement from Governor Shumlin. Effective and positive.

The bad: a Vermonter* First mailer urging a vote for Buddy Barnett for State Senate. The piece was full of the usual lies — VERMONT DEMOCRATS WILL RAISE YOUR TAXES, etc. But the capper was a rather odd photo of the candidate.

*I’m dropping the “s” in “Vermonters First” because it’s entirely the creation of one Vermonter’s inherited wealth. From now on, “Vermonter First” it is.

Which made me consider voting for Buddy.

But only if he’s the dog.

More on the mailers — with pictures! — after the jump.

The Pearce piece.  Nice big picture of Shumlin and Pearce on one side with a good positive message about Pearce’s experience and track record as Treasurer. Here it is, artfully photographed by Yours Truly with our woodpile as a backdrop:

The other side has a bigger picture of Shumlin with a full-throated endorsement: “A vote for Beth Pearce is not just a vote; it’s a smart investment.” All in all, a solid piece with just the right message.

The Broughton/Barnett billet. Lies, lies, lies. Odd spacing in the upper right, where “Buddy Barnett for Styate Senator” floats in an ocean of empty space. Plus weird photo putting a dog front and center, with the candidate (I think) lurking at the rear:

Oddest political photo since Vince Illuzzi’s rictus sardonicus in the short-lived Vermonter First online ad. (The one illegally depicting the state seal.) I guess the candidate is the shiny-domed, soul-patch-foreheaded guy lurking behind the happy family. Looks a bit skeevy to me. Or Photoshopped.

But hey, I love the dog! Noble beast, gazing confidently into the distance, bravely facing the future as if determined to make his/her mark on it.

The dog is obviously the central figure in this pose. And while I wouldn’t vote for Uncle Touchy there if Lenore Broughton paid me to, well, if the dog is actually the candidate, then I’m definitely voting for him. (Sorry, Tony.)

So… what’s in your mailbox today?

(The whole thing is worth a read: very forthright and thorough in its denunciation of Wilton’s campaign. Also published today in the Times Argus.   – promoted by jvwalt)

I was a little surprised the Herald would come out so strongly for Pearce & against Wilton. Being legacy news, thought perhaps they wouldn’t want to irk the local readers or golfing buddies. Apparently Windy is well known in Rutland – perhaps too well. From Times Argus-Herald site is buggy today:

Pearce for treasurer

October 30,2012

Beth Pearce, the incumbent state treasurer, has demonstrated a high level of professionalism and skill owing to long experience in public finance. She deserves election next week.

By contrast, her Republican challenger, Wendy Wilton, has turned the treasurer’s race into a spectacle of partisan belligerence and bogus attacks. Unlike any other candidate running for state office this year, Wilton has dragged politics into the gutter.

http://www.timesargus.com/arti…

First of all, WHEW! Very glad to wake up this morning and see that Superstorm Sandy didn’t hit Vermont very hard. Hope all readers are intact, with power, and without fallen trees. Dunno if the lack for significant damage will force cancellation of the big Shumlin/Scott “Hands Across Sandy” tour; I sure hope so.

And with a week left before the election, Super PAC activity continued apace in Vermont, with more activity from Vermonters First and a counter-attack by state house Democrats.

Late last week, Lenore Broughton’s conservative Vermonters First filed a brace of mass-media-buy reports. Some were for relatively small amounts, but there was another $43,000 for a mass mailing on behalf of 41 Republican candidates for the Legislature. And, surprise, surprise, another $36,000 for Treasurer candidate Wendy Wilton.

Which brings total VF spending for WIlton to $145,000. Since October 11. As I’ve said before, we have no idea how many Broughton Bucks were spent on Wilton before that date, because regular campaign finance reports don’t provide a breakdown of funds spent for specific candidates.

As of October 15, Lenore Broughton had donated almost $700,000 to Vermonters First, and VF had spent the lion’s share of that money. Since its spending spree has continued since October 15, we can assume that Broughton’s generosity has continued as well. It seems likely that she’ll crack the $1 million mark by Election Day. (We won’t find out until November 15, the next deadline for campaign finance filings.)

And as VPIRG pointed out in a Monday news release, Broughton’s pre-October 15 total of $683,000 was

…equal to 60.7 percent of all of the individual contributions made to all of the Democratic and Republican statewide candidates in Vermont (not including candidate contributions) as of October 15.

Which is another way of saying that Lenore Broughton is single-handedly trying to buy our election.

Meanwhile, a Democratic group with a whole lot less money is trying to fight back.  

As reported by the Vermont Press Bureau’s Peter Hirschfeld:

In a series of radio advertisements and mailings, the Vermont Democratic House Campaign and Vermont House Solidarity PAC chides “Vermonters First” for contaminating local politics with outside money.

Of course, the Democratic groups have only $10,000 to spend — chump change by Broughton standards. Their mailers are designed to resemble those of Vermonters First, but with a very different message: don’t let big money take over our politics. Their radio ad features House Speaker Shap Smith:

“This election season we have seen some misleading ads that claim to represent everyday Vermonters,” Smith says in the spot. “Since our first town meeting, Vermont has been a state where everyone’s voice is heard. Your vote is your voice – don’t let it be drowned out by big money this Election Day.”

It was the first-ever radio ad for Smith, who says claims being made by Vermonters First “aren’t something you want to leave unrebutted.”

Amen, brah.  

If you look at the down ticket races this year attention has varied. For most of the summer it was the AG's race that grabbed everybody's attention, and for the last few weeks it's been the Beth Pearce/Wendy Wilton race for Treasurer. 

 Another important contest, though, is the race for Auditor of Accounts. Vermont voters have a choice between a lifelong politician and a policy professional. Doug Hoffer may not know every skeleton in every closet in the State House, or the names of every Republican and Democratic Town Chair, but he knows how to do the work of the Auditor's office, and to do it professionally and without any political bias.

Doug has a new campaign video out, and it's worth a look: 

Hoffer for Auditor “Whiteboard” from Hoffer for Aditor on Vimeo.