Tag Archives: norm mcallister

Cozy Committee Assignment Goes to Degree

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Well, isn’t this nice? The boys on the Committee of Committees, all three of them, had a huddle and decided to put Dustin Degree onto the Finance Committee. That’s gubernatorial candidate Phil Scott, resigning Senate Pro-Tem, John Campbell and reliable blue-dog, Dick Mazza.

Don’t ask to see a record of the deliberations. There isn’t one. Just three good ol’ boys making it work…for them.

Guess whose going out stumping for Phil Scott, other than Dick Mazza whose allegiance is already a matter of public record?

Look for a dutiful DD to hit the election trail with Scott…and maybe even a surprise appearance from good-buddy Campbell.

We, in Franklin County have some serious doubts about Dustin Degree’s judgment, following the Norm McAllister debacle; and they will no doubt be raised in the heat of the election campaign. McAllister and Degree campaigned in tandem in the last two election cycles, often appearing joined at the hip.

If we are to believe he had no idea of McAllister’s penchant for predatory sex, even after his teenaged ‘intern’ repeatedly accompanied McAllister on his overnights in Montpelier, it is difficult to understand how Degree’s powers of observation and simple judgment should not be suspect, too.

So when a vacancy opened on one of the most desirable committees in the statehouse, how is it that Degree sprang so quickly to mind for the gang of three?

Surely there is someone in the senate who has a more impressive record of good judgment than has McAllister’s sidekick.

How’s that ethics committee coming along, Boys?  Is it going to be seated in a similar manner?

GOP War on Women Comes to Vermont

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The latest bulletin from St. Albans City Representative Corey Parent makes no mention of an amendment which he and 32 other Republicans supported; one which, if widely known, is likely to reinforce the perception that the national Republican war on women has descended upon Vermont.

The amendment in question, attached to H.620, was introduced by Rep. Willhoit of St. Johnsbury, but failed 107-33. To wit:

“In Sec. 1, 8 V.S.A. § 4099c, by adding a subsection (h) to read as follows:
(h)(1) Upon request by a religious employer, as described in 26 U.S.C. § 6033(a)(3)(A)(i) and (iii) and as certified by the Commissioner of Financial Regulation, a health insurer shall make available a health insurance plan that does not provide coverage for contraceptive services.”

I think we can safely assume that there was no such measure afoot to defund Viagra supply for the gentlemen of our fair state.

Funny how that works.

You would think that, after the multiple violations against female constituents that Republican Senator Norm McAllister is alleged to have committed, Republicans in both chambers would be inclined to tread more softly on the matter of women’s reproductive rights.

That 33 Republican members of the House had the temerity to give employers dominion over the private consciences and reproductive rights of working women suggests that it is time to take the argument to a new level.

I am not aware of any other restrictions on employees’ purchase of goods or services that have been similarly ceded to the prerogative of their employers.

Put very plainly, support for legislation that would  effectively restrict access to contraception should be understood to be a vote in favor of abortion.

With Donald Trump as the national standard bearer, and the stench of rape, exploitation, and party indifference  lingering in Franklin County’s GOP  like limburger cheese on a  humid day, it’s going to be ugly for Republicans in this election cycle.

McAllister crashes FC Legislative Breakfast

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As the Senate grapples with its ethics bill, one man who is untroubled by that process is suspended senator Norm McAllister (R)who has apparently not gotten the memo that his ministrations are no longer wanted by Franklin County constituents.

Yesterday’s St. Albans Messenger carried a picture of McAllister seated, arms defiantly crossed, next to Rep. Dan Connor (D) of Fairfield at Monday’s legislative breakfast in Swanton.

I haven’t yet seen the Channel 16 coverage of the breakfast, but am told by a reliable source that Mr. McAllister actually tried to chair the meeting before Rep. Kathy Keenan (D) reminded him of his status.

There doesn’t appear to be any rule as to who gets to sit at the Big Boy table; I suppose even a constituent with chutzpah could take a seat.  Apart from Kathy Keenan’s intervention, I understand no one said anything about the elephant in the room, but photos in the Messenger show a bunch of distinctly unsmiling Republican representatives.

McAllister may be many things, but self-aware isn’t one of them.

Phil Scott’s drive by crisis

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Crisis managers are in almost universal agreement that the first days of a crisis are the most important. The quality of response can have a sizable impact, and may even set the tone, as events move forward.

Phil Scott has been Lt Gov. for five years and spent 10 as state senator. He currently has 70% name recognition among Vermont voters and has good chance to become the next governor.

His political personality is described as notably low key and non-aggressive. And given the constitutionally small role a Vermont Lt. Gov. plays in governing, specific examples of Scott showing actual leadership or governing skills are by nature kind of slim anyway. Here’s a rundown of the Scott style from last year [he] knows the knock: that he doesn’t take strong positions, sometimes changes his mind and doesn’t have a signature issue that defines him politically.

As he starts his race for the big office, it is worth noting how Lt. Gov. Phil Scott behaved last May when confronted by the crisis brought on by the arrest at the statehouse of fellow Republican Senator Norm McAllister on charges of felony sexual misconduct.

The unprecedented crisis began with McAllister’s dramatic arrest at the statehouse on a Thursday, and he was formally charged on Friday. The next Monday for a moment it seemed Lt. Gov. Scott was getting a grip on parts of the situation in the senate.

Early Monday he announced: “I received word earlier today that Sen. McAllister will be submitting his resignation to me within 24 hours,” Scott said,adding that he had yet to speak directly with the senator. Senator Peg Flory had spoken to McAllister and passed this news on early Monday to Lt.Gov. Scott.

The situation changed, rapidly skidding away from Scott as reporters took the time to actually call McAllister at home. McAllister told them he hadn’t made up his mind what he would do …and [he had] no time line for making up his mind on whether to resign.The reporting isn’t too clear about why (or if) Sen. Flory was mistaken or misinformed when she passed on the information.

So except for some comments on the wisdom of resigning, by Wednesday Scott had basically surrendered himself to McAllister’s timeline.

Scott said he hoped that his media statements would have given the state senator the impetus he needed to make an announcement. The onus, Scott said, is on McAllister to call him.

“He has my number, and I have not heard from him since this came to light,” Scott said in an interview Wednesday.

Scott said he’s not sure that calling McAllister directly will change the outcome. Beyond waiting for the state senator to make a decision, he said, there is very little he can do. “I don’t think any amount of talk will change his mind,” Scott said. [added emphasis]

The Lt. Gov.  did, in one way take an uncharacteristically firm position. “He has my number,” said Scott, refusing to even to call the disgraced Senator to urge or pressure him — for the good of the state and senate — to resign.

So very quickly back in May Phil Scott made the decision: “There is very little we can do,” and in effect he [Scott] resigned himself … to Norm McAllister hanging-on for months forcing his fellow Republicans and senators to vote to suspend him.

The issue dragged on until this week when the senate voted 20 to 10 to suspend Norm McAllister. It was reportedly an ugly decision in the state senate but it seems mostly behind them now.

About the vote, Lt. Gov. Scott says:

“It is unfortunate the Senate was forced to take such action in this unprecedented situation, as it is my belief Senator McAllister should have resigned before now.”

It’s kind of surprising to look back at how quickly Scott slammed on his brakes and stopped urging McAllister to resign way back in May. But it’s not surprising how fast Scott sped away — his fans say he knows the knock .car jump

Give me a break.

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My mother used to tell me, “When you’re mad as hell, hold your breath and count to ten before you say anything.”

I did better than that; I waited overnight before expressing my thoughts about the comments by disgraced senator Norm McAllister on the preliminary vote to suspend him from office.

My first reaction was, “Weak tea.  Too little, too late.”

I was profoundly disappointed that only three of the five committee members voted to suspend; a status that still allows Mr. McAllister to collect his salary and represent himself as a senator.

That was before I read Mr. McAllister’s braying response to the charges, in which he represents himself as the victim and threatens lawsuits:

In a short, emotional speech before the committee, McAllister said the charges had “sullied everything that I have ever done in my adult life”
No, Mr. McAllister, it is you and you alone who have sullied everything you’ve done.

It is ironic that he has chosen the language of abuse to characterize his own situation:

”I see it as, when you got somebody down on their knees, go kick ‘em in the head,” McAllister said. “And that’s the way I look at this proceeding.”

Mr. McAllister says he thinks his constituents will sue the senate on his behalf, for being deprived of representation.

Is he kidding us? Any and all of his constituents with whom I am familiar (of every political stripe) wanted him gone as soon as the content of his confessional conversations with the victims became known.

A more likely scenario is that some of those same constituents, fed up with Mr. McAllister’s refusal to accept responsibility for his appetites and voluntarily step down from the senate, will be motivated to sue Mr. McAllister for depriving them of legitimate representation in the face of conclusive evidence that he, at the very least, has grossly violated community standards.

Mr. McAllister’s remarkable selfishness, both before and after the fact, cannot be disputed.

Perhaps he is hoping to mount an insanity defense in his trial, and all of his pompous bloviating is a deliberate effort to reinforce the argument that his aberrant behaviors stem from delusional issues.

Somehow, I doubt that defense will prove effective.  Everyone accepts that these are not the sexual practices associated with a healthy mind; but to allow that as a mitigating argument would leave the community undefended.

I sincerely hope the trial will be held right here in St. Albans so that his constituents can freely attend, as should be their right.

It will no doubt be most instructive to learn what else the State’s Attorney has learned about Mr. McAllister’s habits.

Cultural Mysogyny and the Defense of Norm McAllister

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Well it appears that Norm McAllister may soon face his fellow Senators in an expulsion hearing initiated by fellow Republican Senator Joe Benning, who makes a very effective case for expulsion in this editorial.

It’s fairly clear from Senator Benning’s words that he appreciates the over-arching issue that too many still seem to ignore: Mr. McAllister admits to having sex with his teenaged employee.

That is just plain wrong.

The wrong is amplified by the fact that Mr. McAllister has sworn an oath to serve and protect his constituents, one of whom is that child.

Others, including his fellow Franklin County Republican senator, Dustin Degree, say they will support the expulsion, but only because Mr. McAllister, having earlier been stripped of his committee assignments, has lost his ability to effectively represent the interests of his constituents at the Statehouse.

Beyond that, Sen. Degree and others say that Mr. McAllister is “innocent” until proven guilty of the charges in a court of law.

That position ignores his own admission of having violated someone whom most of us would readily regard as a child.

Mr. McAllister apparently debates the exact age at which he began forcing himself on her, insisting that she was “at least sixteen;” but does that make it any less an act of abuse?

This reluctance to judge Mr. McAllister in the court of public opinion is very puzzling to me, since it is routinely done to less influential individuals under far less damning circumstances.

As a woman, I cannot help but wonder whether or not, if the young victim were male rather than female, outrage concerning the magnitude of Mr. McAllister’s admitted violation would be greater.

If Mr. McAllister had violated a sixteen year old boy who worked on his farm, I suspect he would have been publicly shunned as soon as the news became public.

As things now stand, Mr. McAllister feels free to stroll around the county fair as if nothing had happened, insisting on his innocence.  According to online comments, some people apparently wish to see him completely exonerated; they’re talking about ‘poor Norm McAllister’ and the injustice of it all.

Because his victim was a female there seems to be a question in some people’s minds as to whether or not what this 70-year old man did could technically be regarded as rape.

Something in the culture suggests to them that sixteen-year-old girls can give their consent to violation by employers who are old enough to be their grandfathers.

What that says about some of my neighbors I find truly disturbing.

Will McAllister Get the Heave-Ho?

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Finally, someone within the Republican Party is stepping up to demand expulsion of their disgraced Franklin County Senator, Norm McAllister.

Citing disappointment that McAllister does not appear willing to live up to his promise to resign voluntarily by November 1, Sen. Joe Benning (R-Caledonia) says he will file a motion seeking McAllister’s expulsion on this coming Monday, November 2.

My first question is: why has it taken so long for anyone to show true leadership on the McAllister situation, when shockingly straightforward evidence that he violated community standards as well as his oath of office has been a matter of public record for months?

Almost equally pressing is the question of why it was left to a Republican from Caledonia county to administer the coup de gras.

Since McAllister’s indecencies were committed against Franklin County constituents and his refusal to resign made collateral victims of all Franklin County citizens, most especially Franklin County women, it was up to the Franklin County GOP to force McAllister out of the Senate without delay.

For Franklin County Republicans to just stand by for six months, wringing their hands ineffectually, speaks volumes about the leadership void the County suffers under Republican domination.

Franklin County’s only other state senator, Republican Dustin Degree was quoted in last Wednesday’s Messenger as saying he would vote to expel McAllister if it came to a vote.

The reason he gave had nothing to do with the fact that McAllister had sexually victimized at least two vulnerable women, nor that he had admitted to having sex with his teenaged ‘intern.’

“For me, it’s really about insuring the folks up our way have the representation they deserve, that they are constitutionally entitled to.”

The very next day, to Vermont Digger, Degree seemed to be singing a slightly different tune.

Degree revealed that he had opposed stripping McAllister of his committee assignments last spring in the wake of the freshly laid charges.

As for his constituents? Degree seemed largely ignorant of the disgust and outrage that I personally have witnessed percolating through the community among Democrats, Republicans and those who would bring a pox on both their houses.

“It’s a topic of conversation for some people, and there are certainly folks who are vehement on both sides,” Degree said. “I think a majority of folks are reserving judgement and seeing how the process plays out.”      

                                                                                                                                                                                
I have heard a lot of sound and fury about how he should be regarded as innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and lacking conclusive public evidence of his violations in the form of recorded admissions of guilt, I would have certainly agreed.

However, we have that conclusive evidence from the telephone conversations recorded by States Attorney Jim Hughes in which McAllister discusses the acts and circumstances with two of the victims.

McAllister’s trial isn’t expected to take place before spring, and could very well be delayed even longer. That is no reason to hold the population of Franklin County hostage to diminished representation in Montpelier for an indeterminate length of time.

It is a complete misunderstanding of the difference between Mr. McAllister’s right to a fair trial on criminal charges, and his service as a State Senator under the rules of the Legislature. The two are completely separate matters.

As I have said over and over again, McAllister has no ‘right’ to his senate seat. He has had the privilege of occupying that seat at the behest of Franklin County voters who retain all of the rights associated with elected officeholders.

Once Mr. McAllister has been duly ejected, it will be time to look a little deeper into the matter of who knew what and when about the teenaged ‘intern.’

With two other legislators sharing McAllister’s living accommodations, where other legislators probably dropped by on occasions, it defies belief that no one ever remarked on the extreme youth of Mr. McAllister’s companion and the fact that she disappeared into the same room with the 70-year old legislator to sleep at night.

Anyone who is so uncurious or unobservant is arguably unsuited to representing the people’s interests at the State House.

Interlude

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We interrupt this brief sabbatical to say a word or two about today’s announcement that perennial GMD amusement, Bruce Lisman will enter the governor’s race as a…(drum-roll please)…REPUBLICAN!

Yes, Mr. Non-Partisan has finally traded his dog-whistle for a bright red soapbox; surprising no one.

We all knew what his tepid speechifying was leading to; ‘when’ was the only question.

Phil Scott’s presumed lock on the Republican nomination not withstanding, 2016 is really the best opportunity that Mr. Lisman will have to enter the arena, in the foreseeable future.

And what about that lock by the Lieutenant Governor? Could Lisman sense that Franklin County bad-boy Senator Norm McAllister’s refusal to go gracefully has party regulars up for a bruising in 2016?

As a political newcomer, Lisman can present himself as the clean-slate Republicans should flock to in the wake of Phil Scott’s demonstrated lack of leadership over the McAllister affair.  (No pun intended.)

In a year when Trump-fueled crazy has taken a decidedly anti-Wall Street turn in the Republican Party, it would not seem beneficial to have as one’s primary credentials, executive service at Bear Stearns and JP Morgan Global Equities; but I never could understand how the Republican denial factory works, anyway.

Republicans should have an interesting 2016, as Lisman squares off with Scott and the Franklin County GOP is forced to face their own inaction with regard to McAllister and all of the social hypocrisy that is involved.

Make no mistake about it, even though the citizen-led effort to unseat McAllister has so far been deliberately non-partisan in tone; come campaign time, the gloves are off!

Republicans have had ample time since the end of April to put their house in order.