It’s the little things…

Dissed! Today marks Shay Totten’s debut as Peter Freyne’s replacement in Seven Days. In his first segment, Totten does a great job fleshing out more details in the still-developing Compostgate story, providing background in what looks more and more like a political jihad from the Douglas administration to shut down the Intervale composting operation (something we’ll discuss in detail soon). It woulda been nice to have received a tip of the hat, as it was GMD that lit the fuse on the story, which was then picked up by John Dillon at VPR, but no biggie. What was more of a biggie was Totten’s second segment, in which he announces (with prominent pull quote) that “Seven Days has learned” Shumlin plans to run for Lite Guv. Scroll down a bit to remember where you’ve heard that before. On Monday. Before 7 Days’ Tuesday print deadline. In fact, the day after we posted that, the St. Albans Messenger referred to Shummy’s plans in their editorial column, which Vermont Tiger reprinted. Tacky, tacky, tacky Shay, Pamela and Paula – and an unfortunate introduction of Mr. Totten’s column to the blogosphere (smack ’em for us, Cathy).

Curtis Awards! I called last elections Democratic Lt Governor primary point spread on the nose, as I called Vermont’s Presidential primary point spread (if not the actual vote count), but I was only 1 for 3 on my call for the Curtis Awards recipients (the CAs being the big annual VT Dem awards and associated fundraising event). This year, there are only two awardees; Dottie Deans and Senator (and former Lieutenant Governor) Doug Racine. Congratulations to both! Wish I could say I’ll see you there, but at $60 a pop, this year, I’m officially priced out. Bummer.

Legislative retirement update. Here’s the list of retirements I’ve heard about thusfar in the legislature: Rep. Gervais (D-Fra 4), Rep. Valliere (R-Was 3-1), Rep. Pillsbury (I-Windham 3-2), Rep. Larrabee (R-Cal-Was 1), Rep. Howrigan (D-Fra 2), Rep. Fitzgerald (D-Fra 3), Rep. LaVoie (R-Fra 5), Rep. Branagan (R-Fra 1) (I stand corrected), Rep. Perry (D Fra 6), Sen. Coppenrath (R- Caledonia). Anybody got anymore, add ’em in the comments.

Philip’s already mentioned it, but the 3rd Annual VDB/GMD BBQ is slated for Sunday Saturday June 28th, again at North Beach in Burlington. Stay tuned for details. Needless to say, it’s a perennial big scene, so mark yer calendars.

Speaking of being “slated,” William Saletan likes GMD.

There’s a rumor out there that the Republicans in Lamoille County have offered to fund a Progressive to run against Democratic Representative Linda Martin (Lam-2), in the hopes of splitting the vote to allow for a GOP pickup. Just a rumor? Seems a little far-fetched, doesn’t it? (Apparently it’s not – check the comments…) On the other hand, GOP head Rob Roper – a Lamoille County resident – does feel strongly that the County should be Republican territory (which also inevitably means yet another quixotic, resource-heavy run against Sen. Susan Bartlett, no doubt).

Speaking of quixotic, Barlow reports at his blog that supporters of perennial “legalize marijuana” gubernatorial candidate Cris Ericson are sabotaging Senator Bill Doyle’s (R-Washington) Wikipedia entry. Apparently they’re angry because Ron Paul was left off the Doyle poll. I guess their strategy is to take the long way to marijuana legalization.

Crossposted @ www.vermontbloggernaut.blogspot.com

This letter was in response to a previous post/letter to editor by yours truly about the Grand Isle Drawbridge.  It was put into the local Islander paper.  Must’ve struck a nerve if I elicited a response from Neale Lunderville, Douglas’s Campaign Manager, I mean The Secretary of Transportation.  Even more interesting that Senator Mazza a democrat also put his name on the letter.  Don’t worry boy’s, you’ll have my response coming your way soon enough!  

“To the Editor,

Work to rehabilitate the North Hero/Grand Isle Draw bridge is now complete.  On behalf of everyone involved, we want to thank Islanders for their patience and cooperation during the past several months as crews worked on this important project.

We also want to thank Jason Brisson for his kind words in a recent letter to the editor regarding the men and women who worked on the bridge.  Their efforts were indeed exemplary.  Unfortunately the letter distorted the process by which the Agency of Transportation will plan future bridge work, and we would like to take a moment to set the record straight.

Throughout the process that led to the recent emergency repair, the local Select Boards and town managers were kept in the loop.  Agency of Transportation engineers offered to travel to the islands to meet with selectmen during public meetings, but the boards instead elected to be kept abreast through phone calls, letters and e-mails.  There was always a standing offer to attend a public meeting if selectmen believed that necessary.

Mr. Brisson’s letter asked what’s next?  He then questioned why he has yet to hear about future bridge repairs, and why there have been no public meetings to inform Islanders about the Agency’s plans.

The answer is simple: there are no plans at this time so there is nothing as of yet to report.  The rehabilitation that was just completed will keep traffic moving safely over this important bridge for the next decade or two.

VTran’s staff put significant time and resources into the bridge rehabilitation that was just completed.  The work was done during one of the most difficult winters in memory and completed in time for the upcoming nautical season.  The paint is barely dry.  As engineers concept what might be next for this bridge, Islanders and their local government officials will certainly be involved.

Neale Lunderville,

Secretary Agency of Transportation

Dick Mazza,

Senator Grand Isle”

 ….a small thing a big shadow.

McCain girls are back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…

A few days ago, I wrote the following on MyDD:

She’s not going to win the nomination, not without doing serious harm to herself and the party.  But in the meantime, I don’t see a need for her to drop out before Pennsylvania or North Carolina, just as I don’t see a need for her to be shut down by Superdelegate edict.  She will lose after North Carolina, but it’s much better if it happens in a way which causes the least harm to the party.  Either her dropping out, or enough Superdelegates pledging to get Obama over the total delegate mark (even if MI and FL are included in the math).

This has to be done in such a fashion as to promote the (true) idea that Clinton had a fair shot at it but just didn’t pull it off: that this was a battle between giants where only one could win and the other lost it fair and square.  If Superdelegates jump in right now and virtually say “Clinton’s already lost, so don’t bother voting in Pennsylvania ’cause it won’t matter” it won’t be perceived as a fair contest.  I think it’s fine to wait for PA and NC to vote and then for them to start making real pledges towards one candidate or the other.

They should, however, be talking to Clinton privately and telling her that they will announce their support for Obama if she continues to make personal attacks on him, that the scorched earth approach will cost her considerably.

Per politico, today:

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said Tuesday it was “probably a mistake” when he said last month that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) should drop out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

I just don’t get why Senators don’t talk to me before they say things in public.

A few months ago, two incidents involving the inappropriate use of tasers by law enforcement came home to Vermont, when police tasered two non-violent protesters in Brattleboro and a teenager at Brattleboro Retreat. These incidents prompted an outcry that prompted A.G. Bill Sorrell to conduct an investigation into the incidents. He released a statement today, as reported in today's Times Argus:

“I'm sorry to report that the Brattleboro police blew it in both cases,” Sorrell said during a press conference in Montpelier Monday.

Sorrell said the protesters, Jonathan Crowell and Samantha Kilmurray, posed no threat to either the officers or the public and that police failed to exhaust alternate options for de-escalating the situation.

“They should not have Tased the two protesters even one time, let alone multiple times,” Sorrel said.

He went on to also say that tasers are still a valuable tool for law enforcement, and refused to comment on the medical/health risk elements of tasering, and also suggested that law enforcement agencies should have written policies in regards to taser use. This does not go far enough, according to the VT ACLU:

The executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont, Alan Gilbert, applauded Sorrell's call for use-of-force policies governing the use of Tasers but said the attorney general should have been more forceful in his recommendations. “The report says law-enforcement agencies are advised to have written protocols governing Taser use. We feel really strongly that the protocols should be required,” Gilbert said.

Gilbert also advocated for a statewide Taser-use policy to be used by all police departments. That very idea was in fact put forward by Sorrell at the outset of his investigation. However Sorrell said that upon review, Taser policies are best left to the communities in which they are used.

Regardless of Sorrell's reluctance to make policies compulsory, the silver lining in all of this is that due to the heavy-handed inappropriate actions of the Brattleboro police, and the ensuing negative publicity, hopefully these kinds of actions will not be so prevalent in the future. Or one can hope, at least.

What goes around truly comes around, I suppose, as after months of frustration, hand-wringing and head-scratching, we seem to be coming right back around to where many would have expected we would’ve started at this time last year, as Senate President Pro Tem Pete Shumlin is reportedly close to a decision to run for Lieutenant Governor (guess we know now why Sen Jim Condos, who had been actively considering a run behind the scenes himself, had been holding back, eh?).

Now I should say I usually like to wait until I hear a rumor from three sources before going up with it (assuming I don’t hear it straight from the source, which I haven’t). In this case, it’s from one source (and only one back up) – but it’s an exceptionally solid source, so I’m throwing caution to the wind and putting it out there for public consumption.

What this will mean is a few things. Getting going this late in the game, we’ll have a media-heavy campaign for the 1 & 2 spots, although the state party with help from the DNC has invested prodigious time and resources into building a field and information infrastructure. It also means – obviously – that the Dem candidates will most certainly not be running against the legislature, as some had hoped a candidate might do (in addition to running against the Governor, duh). They will be running as the legislature – a legislature sick of not being able to get things accomplished in the face of “Governor No.”

But perhaps most exciting for political geeks like us is that it means leadership of both the House and the Senate will be wide open next year… and that means fun! Expect Campbell to be first in line for the Senate top spot, but I’d be surprised if he gets it unopposed. On the House side… Nease? Klein? Obviously it’s ungodly early – and neither potential candidate has announced yet, but – c’mon – how can you not start thinking about this stuff??

UPDATED APRIL 8

Slate has also picked up this story. They definitely got the “Dairy Council got what they paid for” angle:

 Nowhere does the release compare the garbage intake from a glass of plain milk to the garbage intake from a glass of chocolate milk. That's because the release was issued by the National Dairy Council. Next I'll be getting alleged research reports about the benefits of drinking ethanol.

The universities are probably the most important centers for scientific research in the United States, and people are naturally inclined to trust what comes from them. They come with a built-in credibility as institutions.

Still, it's important to look a little bit behind the institution and see who's paying.  We're certainly familiar with this phenomenon in drug-company financed researched, but a story on VPR today exemplifies a similar situation using our home-grown version of the drug companies: BIG DAIRY.

Study says flavored milk doesn’t increase risk of obesity

Monday April 7, 2008
Ross Sneyd

<!– /id=white_pad –>

(Host) A University of Vermont researcher has some advice for parents and school administrators: Encourage kids to drink milk, even if it requires a spoonful of sugar to make it go down.

As VPR's Ross Sneyd reports, a new study has concluded that the small amount of sugar in flavored milk doesn't contribute to childhood obesity.

And guess who paid for the study: the National Dairy Council.

The research may not be compromised by the payer, but it may be worth noting that the VPR story, at least, makes no mention of the significant questions about whether cow's milk is actually good for people.

Props to VPR for including the funding source in the story!

Raw Story has a big McCain headline that’s sure to shock some people … or make them spit their morning coffee out.

According to Nick Juliano, “a new book on the presumptive Republican nominee will air perhaps the most shocking angry exchange to date.”

“‘The Real McCain’ by Cliff Schecter, which will arrive in bookstores next month, reports an angry exchange between McCain and his wife that happened in full view of aides and reporters during a 1992 campaign stop.”

Three reporters from Arizona, on the condition of anonymity, also let me in on another incident involving McCain’s intemperateness. In his 1992 Senate bid, McCain was joined on the campaign trail by his wife, Cindy, as well as campaign aide Doug Cole and consultant Wes Gullett. At one point, Cindy playfully twirled McCain’s hair and said, “You’re getting a little thin up there.” McCain’s face reddened, and he responded, “At least I don’t plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you …

To read more click here.

There are three reasons that Madeleine Kunin’s continuing insistence in the news media and in her new book that opposition to Hillary Clinton’s candidacy equates to sexism does a dreadful disservice to any who give it audience. First it’s just doofy. Kunin’s willful blindness to the possibility that any might oppose Clinton on ideological grounds flies in the face of her own opposition to the candidacy of General Martha Rainville against Peter Welch. When Kunin supported Welch, she drew an implicit line of ideology that ultimately trumped gender. In Clinton’s case, Kunin now refuses to allow for others’ own similar, subjective, ideological lines (or is she somehow pretending she hasn’t done that herself?).

Second, it’s just insulting. Never mind the war vote. Never mind historical pandering to the right on issues like school prayer and flag burning. Never mind her association with the insider class and the anti-union likes of Mark Penn – you’re just some sort of misogynist if you oppose her candidacy – even if you’re a woman, apparently.

But the third reason is, if not the most infuriating, certainly the most damaging. Engaging in the kind of name-calling that Kunin is doing through every medium available to her makes it difficult to engage in a meaningful conversation about the very real knee-jerk sexism and misogyny that does come flowing out when a woman seeks elected office. It’s a conversation that needs to be held, but Kunin has provided another potential shorthand way for sexism deniers to dismiss any such discussions by tarring them all with her ridiculous charges and rejecting them outright in the process. And if you think crude sexist drivel isn’t alive and well, here’s a sample of the comments over at the Freeps blog here and here in response to a potential gubernatorial run by House Speaker Gaye Symington:

How much of a dowery[sic] did Gayes old man have to put up to get her a husband…or is Chuck visually impaired?

Will she break down and cry and throw one of her typical [hissy]-fits the first time that things don’t her way?

Gargoyle for Governor!!! Hoo-rah.

Now sure, the comments at vtbuzz are consistently the least pleasant reading in the entire Vermont blogosphere, bar none – but these comments didn’t arise from a vacuum. As her plans develop, expect to hear more criticism of Symington targeting her appearance and, what amounts to her “girliness.” The kind of crap that has nothing to do with her qualifications for office, that you’d never hear lobbed at men, and that is no different than schoolyard taunts from the worst kind of bullies.

We must confront this knuckle-dragging hate-talk head-on in the coming months. Kunin will do all of us a favor by not making the fight more difficult with frivolous, reckless charges. Her hyperbole may keep her book in the headlines, but it doesn’t help her cause.