I AM NOT A POTTED PLANT

During the Iran Contra hearings in Washington in the 1988 Oliver North was consulting his attorney Brendan Sullivan. Arthur Liman, the lead inquisitor for the committee, chided Mr. Sullivan for often conferring with his client and slowing down the line of questions. To which Mr. Sullivan replied, "I am not a potted plant."

Last year in Vermont the new Democrat House and its speaker, their sails full of wind from a perceived mandate, though most observers thought that they were full from their own hot air, drove through the weeds to produce legislation which Governor Douglas, who was elected with a mandate, vetoed. He too is not a potted plant. Hooray.

This year, the Democrats and the speaker took a more realistic path. More was accomplished in the minds of most. Interestingly, Douglas early on last year vetoed a minor bill on the composition of the pension governing boards; and the Democrats never tested his veto strength again. Looking forward, some observers fear that the fall elections will not produce enough GOP legislators to maintain the Governor's veto strength.

Though many praised this session, if you judge its efforts from the Democrats perspective of "what can we do for the people," versus a Republican perspective, "protect us from their doing things to us," clearly the Democrat perspective carried the day. We harken back to the words of Democrat environmentalist Henry David Thoreau, "He who governs least, governs best."

LIVING WELL IS THE BEST REVENGE

In all likelihood, Jim Douglas will retire after the 2008 election. If Senator Leahy decides not to run for reelection to extend his time in office to forty-two years, two generations, perhaps Douglas will run for the United States Senate.

Today it appears that Speaker Symington has the inside track to replace Douglas in 2009. The recent Catamount health care package does not take effect until July 1, 2007, and the insurance companies have the exclusive right to provide health insurance for two years after that. Should they fail to do so, then the state can offer health care starting July 1, 2009. Douglas will be long gone, living well. Symington will be stewing in her juices, discovering that there is no money in the till, taxpayers are broke, roads and bridges are falling down, and her maneuverability is zero. Just desserts.

GREG PARKE, THE CANDIDATE

If you listen to Greg Parke, he is on the move, on the move to beating Rich Tarrant in the GOP primary, and then handing Bernie Sanders his pink slip.

He told us, "I am working hard at raising money. It is very telling that Tarrant has spent $2,000,000 and he is lower in polls by two percent today than he was in January. It is very disturbing that Tarrant is calling for increase in Medicare as a solution to the health care crisis. Medicare is responsible for getting us into this mess. It created a limited supply and an unlimited demand. Its cost was perceived as free. When the cost is nothing, demand is infinity.

"For me to beat Tarrant, people need to understand that Bernie can only be beaten on two issues: protecting families and national security. Bernie has a very poor record on each. When people learn about his record, they are shocked. Bernie has obstructed our national security and consistently voted in favor of criminals and against families."

LOOK TO THE COLONEL

"People are looking for experience in national security and I have that. We have one of lowest levels of ex-military ever in Congress and it shows. Tarrant is pushing issue health care but Sanders owns that issue. Bernie is not weak on health care; people perceive that he is doing lots for us on health care. Tarrant is pushing the wrong issue.

"Defense is my ace in the hole. Though I lost to Bernie in 2004, the run for a senate seat is a very different race. Many people say that having Bernie in Congress where he is one out of 435 is fine; but it is a very different thing with his being senator.

"Having grown up in Vermont and now having returned, I see a very different state. I have seen the extreme damage Vermont caused by the liberal agenda. I am working in whatever capacity I can to turn this state around, to restore the values that made Vermont great."

PARKE THE CANDIDATE

There is probably not one Vermonter in a hundred who can recall the details of Greg Parke's political career. A quick review: he ran in 2002 eager to take on Bernie Sanders but he lost the Republican nomination for Congress to Bill Mueb, garnering only 22.3 percent of the primary vote.

In 2004, Parke ran once again for the Republican nomination for Congress. This time he won and had his chance to take the evil doer Bernie Sanders; but Parke was trounced winning only 24.4 percent of the vote, a slight improvement.

In 2006, Parke declared his intentions once again to run against Bernie Sanders in the race to replace Jim Jeffords in the Senate. This year he has to beat Rich Tarrant in the GOP primary first however. At the Republican Convention on May 20th Parke received only 23.2 percent of the vote in the straw poll. As former Douglas campaign manager Neale Lunderville said, in this case of Mark Shepard but it would apply even more so to Parke, "If he can't win here, he can't win anywhere."

Three times at the plate, and three times he cannot break the twenty-five percent. Not good. So why does he run?

PARKE THE MONEY MACHINE

Greg Parke had set the record for spending on a primary election in Vermont. Of course Tarrant has caught up and is spending even more. Nonetheless the media ignores Parke. He barely receives a mention in the Sanders/Tarrant discussion. Amazing. He has raised over a $1,000,000 and nobody talks about him.

Parke says, "They do not think that we have traction because we do not have the $500,000 checks like Mr. Tarrant. Some in the media do not want me to get traction."

Yet for all of his fundraising prowess, after paying his fundraising costs, the Parke campaign had only $33,237 cash on hand after debts and loans on March 31, 2006. Maybe he has no media recognition because he has no money and he up against the very rich Rich Tarrant who has already spent over $2,500,000 in this election cycle.

HOW DOES HE DO IT?

"It is a lot of work for not much money that sticks. Building a donor base is expensive. It costs money to raise money. We are still doing mail, we are sending out a 600,000 person email Monday. We use lists, several conservative email lists, Eberly's GOPUSA list, Newsmax list, Conservative voice.com list, and so forth.

"It depends on the campaign Internet provider who takes care of the money. We receive a file of donors from the caging operation, they send us a check after they take their percentage for keeping things up and running and their credit card fees. We also have a direct mail house with caging operations, they send us money, a donor file and FEC record of the donation. All over the country people understand the true nature and threat of the so called independent Bernie Sanders."

THE MISREPRESENTATIONS

In the last sixty days, Greg Parke's money machine has asked for money more than ten times in emails alone, emailing to conservative donors around the country.

In the emails, Parke writes that Jim Jeffords quit his run for re-election because, "He saw the massive support I was getting from grassroots Republicans like you. He took a hard look at the rapid momentum my campaign was gaining and within just a couple of months he decided to call it quits."

And we thought that Jeffords decided to forgo re-election because of health issues.

Parke claims that Jeffords "handpicked the most far left, most radical, most liberal politician in America to run in his place, Bernie Sanders. Ultra liberal Bernie Sanders is a self-avowed 'socialist' who absolutely must be stopped from ever reaching the U.S. Senate."

Bernie declared his interest in Jeffords's senate seat a mere two days after Jeffords's retirement announcement. That was pretty quick work recruiting Bernie!

Parke urges the reader to send money quickly as we have "less then 6 months until Election Day." Parke's next Election Day is the second Tuesday of September, less than four months away. He fails to mention that he has a primary opponent.

His fund raising effort warns of the radical agenda of socialist Sanders, and his fellow traveler Hillary Clinton. "In fact, Hillary Clinton has just contributed $10,000 to Bernie Sanders," trumpets a recent fund raising email. "Do you want Hillary Clinton putting avowed socialist Bernie Sanders in the United States Senate?"

Parke extols his political organization in Vermont, which is all but invisible to the naked eye. "I have spent most of this past year putting the infrastructure in place to run a top notch campaign. I think we've done a great job building a team that can beat Sanders and get this Senate seat back in Republican hands."

There is no evidence that, other than his wife Sharon and treasurer Wayne Carlson of Rutland who does Parke's books for a cool $13,000, that there is any paid organization in Vermont. There is no evidence that he has county chairs, town chairs, state coordinators, etc. On the other hand, the Tarrant campaign has recently announced 470 local and county campaign chairs.

THE MONEY ROLLS IN

His March 31st FEC filing shows that he has received contributions of over $250 from donors in forty states, including three from Vermont.

Parke's expenditures are nearly all for mail and Internet expense. Hardly a dime has been spent for voter contact: radio television, phone banks, or persuasion mail. It is all about the money.

Like Mrs. Sanders, Mrs. Parke receives money from the campaign, a small salary instead of the mega commissions for Mrs. Sanders. A visit to the Parke for Senate website section "About Greg" states, "His wife Sharon of 32 years works for a non-profit organization." According to Parke, her only job is with the campaign, a non-profit no less!

POLITICAL SPEECH

The Constitution of the United States gives wide berth to political speech. Parke's misrepresentations, explicit and implied, probably slide into that constitutional "wide berth."

DRAFT LETTER FOR FRIENDS OF PARKE DONOR

Dear Friends,

"Stopped into a church as I passed along the way, I got down on my knees" and I began to pray. I heard the message: reveal your truth. Here it is folks.

Actually, in spite of thousands of words to the contrary, I am not running against Bernie Sanders. I am running against a very successful health care entrepreneur, Rich Tarrant, for the Republican nomination to have a chance to run against Bernie.

I have really no chance to beat Mr. Tarrant. He has just sold his business, IDX and has over $100,000,000 in his pocket, and he is a longtime generous supporter of the Republican Party and its candidates in Vermont. He has put together a statewide organization, is very committed, and is well liked in the Party. At the recent Vermont GOP convention, he beat me in a straw poll, 76 percent to just 24 percent for me.

I did run against Bernie in 2004 and received only 24 percent of the vote. I also ran in 2002 for the GOP nomination for Congress and received only 23 percent of the vote.

Did I mention that my dear wife Sharon works for a non-profit? Well, that non-profit is actually my campaign committee, Friends of Parke.

Unfortunately though, I must continue to ask you for money. Fundraising is expensive, the Internet consultants I employ are paid tens of thousands of dollars. Though you have generously given my campaign over $1,000,000, virtually all of that money has gone to the consultants, the printers, and towards raising more money. I only have $33,000 available to begin my campaign. This is hardly enough to take on Mr. Tarrant.

Because Mr. Tarrant is a millionaire and I am not, I am now able to accept $12,000 from you. So please be generous, and maybe a bit Quixotic, and support Friends of Parke so that I can once again take on that dangerous liberal socialist Bernie Sanders in the unlikely event that I first beat Mr. Tarrant.

Thanks.

Respectfully,
Your friend, Greg

P.S. I really had nothing to do with Senator Jeffords stepping down. He has health issues. And Bernie has been aching to become a Senator for a long time; Jeffords had nothing to do with Bernie's decision. I hope now that I have cleared my conscience, that you will reach deeper into your pockets. Thanks.

P.P.S. I promise that 3 percent of your contribution will continue to be spent on voter contact. Sorry, but 97 percent has to go to my fundraising consultants Steve Castleton in West Islip, NY, Demetrius Robinson in Palm Beach, and assorted printing, envelop, data, list, and caging operations.

THE NATURAL RETURNS, HOPES TO ASCEND

Former Senate Pro tem Peter Shumlin had hoped to ascend to higher office. First, it was Congressman Shumlin (2000), then it was Governor Shumlin (2001), but before you could snap your fingers it was Lieutenant Governor Shumlin at the ready (2001), then once again Congressman Shumlin (2005). Now it will hopefully be back to State Senator Shumlin (2006). The circle will be complete.

He is running now because, "our government has shown a lack of courage in tackling the different issues Vermont is facing." Having blinked three out of four times above, Shumlin knows something about a "lack of courage."

TIMES THEY ARE A'CHANGING

If Shumlin thinks that he will be welcomed back with open arms and elected senate pro-tem, he best change his expectation and become used to being a back bencher. In his finest hour back in 1996, he persuaded lots of moderates to back his plan for a Democrat senate that would be a moderating force against the liberal Democrat house, breaking the deadlock with the GOP in the senate. He lied; once elected they went on their natural liberal path.

Since 1996 the GOP is but a shadow of its former self. As one insider told DPR, "There is no GOP hope for the senate; they have failed to bring together any organization." The Democrats are organized; they do not need Shumlin.

THE DRIVE TO SERVE

Shumlin was recently interviewed in Vermont Business Magazine. Why run for the senate again? "If I became a congressman, I would be one of many and it would be tough to get much done. Bernie has been at it for fourteen years. If I asked Bernie how he has done with his primary goals of national health care, a balanced Supreme Court, or a foreign policy that makes sense, he would say that he has been an utter failure."

BIG CORPORATIONS ARE RUINING AMERICA

Congressman Sanders is a constant critic of international trade. That Vermont leads the nation in exports is lost on him.

Fellow traveler CNN's Lou Dobbs took on Dartmouth Professor and President Bush's economic advisor, Matt Slaughter. According to Tuck Today, Slaughter said that "outsourcing does not always mean a loss of jobs and less prosperity for us. Outsourcing often yields an increase in higher-paying jobs. My research indicates that we enjoy big gains when we have more trade, more foreign direct investment, and more immigration.

"Dobbs, gracious in defeat said, 'It turns out that you and I agree far more than I was led to believe.'"

ON THE BACKS OF THE POOR

Bernie harps on how the low and middle income folks carry the tax burden. But, according to the Economist, the twenty percent of Americans who are the poorest do not pay any income taxes; in fact, their average income tax rate is negative six percent. For poor households with children, the income tax rate is negative ten percent. Thirty-two percent of Americans have either zero or negative income tax liabilities.

REVENGE OF THE NERDS

It was all so close; the gender expression bill. The gay folks led the charge in the house to make Vermont even more gay friendly; the gender expression bill. An interesting idea but not well crafted said the governor. The bill was so wide open that almost any gender bender activity would be legal.

For example, suppose that you are a male school teacher. Monday, you could come to work dressed as a heterosexual, Tuesday, you could be dressed as a transgendered person, Wednesday, you could be a transvestite, Thursday, you could be a cross dresser, and Friday, as a questioning youth. No problem, you have the freedom without discrimination to be just about anything you like as you teach our children.

Recall the movie the Revenge of the Nerds. Seeking revenge against the cool dudes and dudesses, the Nerds placed small cameras in the girl's locker room at college for broadcast around the campus. According to the governor's office with the passage of the gender expression bill, there would be no need for the electronics; you could cross-dress for a day and walk into the girl's locker room and taken a gander for yourself. Or vice versa. Is Vermont a great state or what?

Even the New Yorker magazine got into the act with two cartoons in last week's issue. One had a drawing of a defendant in court carrying a ladies suit and wig saying, "If it please the court, I would like to act as my own plucky young female attorney." The other showed a drawing of two male office workers, one wearing a bra and panties on the outside of his pants and tie saying, "It all started with casual Fridays."

For his reasonableness, Douglas has been pilloried in the letters section of our newspapers as a homophobe. He has been insulted at Saint Michaels College when speaking. Perhaps these folks would like to decamp for liberal tolerant European capitals where coalition members of the Polish government said that gay and lesbian marchers should be "bludgeoned" and President Kaczynski when mayor of Warsaw banned a gay pride march.

The European Parliament is concerned about homophobic statements in Spain, Latvia and Russia and homophobic attacks in France and the Netherlands according to Reuters. Maybe Vermont is not such a bad place and its governor is not such a bad person after all. Maybe they should go back to the drawing board and return with something that a reasonable governor might sign.

BALI HIGH

Congresswoman Susan Bartlett, D-Lamoille, is very interested in the plight of Third World women; so much so that she blew off her responsibilities as Chair of the Appropriations Committee to jet to Bali for the last ten days of the legislative session. Perhaps she has not been around Lamoille County lately to check on the plight of women in her district. When the sirens of a bigger constituency call, Bartlett is ready.

Jim Barnett, VTGOP chair, said, "It is incredible that Sen. Bartlett would abdicate her duties in the Vermont legislature and leave her constituents voiceless at a time when all the most important decisions in Montpelier are being made."

On the other hand, insiders were thrilled. "The Democrats, and particularly Susan Bartlett, are fighting a hugely popular Governor. He is patient, experienced and ready to fight the battles at the end of the session. The Democrats and Peter Welch in particular could not leave Montpelier empty handed. They had to bend and be more moderate. Bartlett is not the bending or moderate type. Having her jet to Bali blasted a hole in her Chinese wall. Thanks to Dick Sears, the Governor got almost all he wanted. Now the media can no longer talk health care, and we can talk taxes."

In her column in the Stowe Reporter, she wrote, "It is always a pleasure to be home from Montpelier, but I am here to help with any concerns that you have." We thought that she had just returned from Bali.

WHILE WE WERE SLEEPING

We miss Libby Sternberg, our former partner here at what was previously known as the Dwinell-Sternberg Political Report. While we were toiling in the vineyards, she was not only producing Vermonters for Better Education's newsletter, she was writing three novels that have since been published. Two were for the youth market, the third we predict will make the silver screen. One book was nominated for the Edgar Prize named for Edgar Allen Poe. Not too shabby.

Elegant in prose and person, articulate and fair in writing, her crisp reports kept us informed on education issues in Vermont plus comments from around the country.

Vermonters for Better Education will soon become associated with/merged into Freedom Works according to its executive director Rob Roper. It will publish the newsletter in the near future.

RAISE THE GAS TAX A BUCK

Ah, the good old days, when Al Gore was urging us all to raise the gas tax a buck to incent less consumption. So why are the Washington Democrats, friends of everything green, screaming about high gas prices instead of cheering?

The goal is to be like Europeans. Parisians now pay over ten bucks a gallon. Try that on for size.

BROCK 2006

You would think that this would be the Internet address for Auditor of Accounts Randy Brock's reelection campaign. Amazingly, "journalist" Adam Quinn, the man who demands a place at the table, has purchased Brock 2006. An honest media guy finally freely shows his preference. About time.

THE AMAZING GRAFF

After weeks of who did it and why, Chris Graff created a website to reproduce his termination letter reprinted below. The letter is written by Graff's immediate supervisor, Larry Laughlin, AP chief of bureau for Northern New England. See the original here: http://www.chrisgraff.com
 

THE COST OF DEMOCRACY

»» State Representative Judy Livingston, Manchester: You are right about salaries in the New Hampshire Legislature except for one additional factor -- they get carte blanche credit cards to be used for expenses at home and on trips and conferences. I don't mean that as a negative, but simply a necessary benefit to counter their low incomes. Some of them have graciously treated some of us (Vermont Legislators) to our unreimbursed meals when we are on our own at some of these NCSL,CSG, etc. out of state conferences.

Everyone who serves in the Vermont Legislature knows that it can cost personal $$ to serve if you're doing the job right. Gas, travel, time away from other jobs, food, long distance calls and the aforementioned conferences we pay for out our own pockets can mount up. These conferences and seminars are of great value to legislators - they are educational and create opportunities to network with other states. We get perspective and ideas from them. Good stuff.

*** THE GOP CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY ***

»» State Senator Hull Maynard, Shrewsbury: Your comments on Mark Shepard are right on. But some of your comments make me conclude that they Shepard/Rainville primary will not result in such acrimony that people such as Bruce Shields will vote for Welch. Mark is truly a class act.

I am astounded that two such candidates as Tarrant and Shepard are running at the same moment in Vermont's history.

CORRECTION

»» Andrew Shaw, Manchester Center: The GOP primary for Governor that Bruce Shields remembered was in 1972. Deane Davis was retiring. Attorney General Jeffords lost to Fred Hackett, insurance man from Burlington, who was thought to be more conservative. Tom Salmon, State Rep. from Rockingham carried the Democrat banner and defeated Hackett in the General Election. How this happened in the 1972 Nixon landslide I don't know -- but it seems some of Jeffords supporters either sat on their hands or voted for Salmon.

Two years later in 1974 Sen Aiken retired. Nixon's Watergate scandal was in full bloom and it was not a great time for the GOP. Dick Mallary, the Congressman, went for the Senate seat (challenged by Pat Leahy, State's Attorney from Burlington). With his political life on the line, Jeffords won 40% of the vote in the GOP primary for the House seat -- besting State Sen. Madeline Harwood R-Bennington County and Lt. Governor Jack Burgess from Brattleboro. Just think -- three candidates and all from south of Route 4! In November, Jeffords beat Frank Cain -- Burlington insurance man and former mayor -- and Leahy squeaked by Mallary for the U.S. Senate seat.

»» Robert Maynard, Williston: In the 04-23-06 Report, Bruce Shields of Eden makes a good point about the ill will that some of Martha's supporters are creating among conservatives by personally attacking Mark Shepard. Between those attacks and the high handed way that a handful of GOP "leaders" ignored the opinion of the rest of the party and lobbied the national GOP to start early funding of her campaign, they are burning a lot of bridges.

The resources that the GOP is funneling into her campaign could be used to go after the Democrats and make a generic case for Republican policies and principles. Such an approach would free up both Martha's and Mark's campaigns to focus on presenting their own positive vision and would benefit whichever candidate won the primary. Instead of putting the Welch campaign and the Democrats on the defensive, their approach has put Martha's campaign on the defensive and stepped on the toes of a lot of party faithful who would like to make the decision of which candidate to support themselves. Isn't that what primaries are for? Is this an election or a royal coronation?

THOUGHTS ON GRAFF

»» Dick Drysdale, Herald of Randolph: I was going to congratulate you for a brilliant column this month until I came to the trashing of Chris Graff. The comments about being close to the power centers is an interesting and legitimate argument, though AP has never been an outside-the-inner-circle media scourge. The snide quote from one unnamed lobbyist, however, does a lot of damage to your piece as a whole.

One may agree that "AP does not report to Vermont's hand wringing political sector" but the very real question here is whether AP is reporting to the paranoid pillars of the right. And of course the Washington Post gal gets a Pulitzer. What else are they for?

Finally, I was pretty amazed that you would hold Darren Allen up as a model. Have you ever been able to read one of his columns from beginning to end? The man is a disgrace as the leading statehouse reporter/commentator for the Press Bureau, in my humble opinion.

»» Anonymous: I cringed a bit when I read the lobbyist's quote but...it was a quote. Not your words. Someone else's words.

ACTUALITY

»» State Senator Jim Condos, South Burlington: In your follow-up on Capital City Press, you infer that the legislature provided the $10,000 to look into the buyout. In actuality, Governor Douglas Administration via either the Dept of Labor or Agency of Commerce and Community Development are the ones who really provided the money!

THEY LIKE US

»» Wally Farr, Hanover: Beware. Those left wingers can be dangerous. Good work!!

»» Betty Bingham, Essex Jct: Keep up the good work.

»» State Senator Hull Maynard, Shrewsbury: I always look forward to your publication.

»» Martin Harris: Kudos to a particularly good newsletter, particularly the more generalized observations in the first half, followed up by some more detailed offerings in the second.

The ultimate vote on Vermont's governance policies of the last four decades, accelerating in intensity in the more recent two, is that young adults and families are voting with their feet and leaving. All the usual suspects are the reason; taxes, regulations, anti-business attitudes, poor job and career opportunities (except for slots in government) mediocre education, and so on.

Policy question: can a State which has chosen to set up the above system and therefore to depend, demographically, on continued in-migration of upper-middle class retirees from New Jersey, prosper, or even survive?

OUR INHERITANCE

"I was recently asked about the difference between the Democratic and Republican parties. When it comes right down to it, the essential difference is that the Democrats fundamentally believe it is important to make sure that American Jews feel comfortable being American Jews."-- Howard Dean, BOTW, May 4, 2006

THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING, ON ONE HAND

Dean told Christian Broadcasting Network News, "The Democratic Party platform from 2004 says that marriage is between a man and a woman. That's what it says."

AND ON THE OTHER HAND

Dean acknowledged: "I misstated the Democratic Party's platform, which does not say marriage should be limited to a man and a woman."

--Calvin Woodward, Associated Press May 11, 2006

LOOK FOR THE UNION LABEL, RIGHT OR WRONG

"Former presidential candidate Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, backed out of [Saturday's] commencement address for Boalt Hall law graduates after a handful of campus custodians and other service workers began picketing graduation ceremonies.

"'He will never cross a picket line,' Dean spokesman Luis Miranda said Thursday.

"Liberals like to claim that dissent is patriotic, that only a simpleton would say 'my country, right or wrong.' Why do they take this position? Not, it seems clear, out of a general opposition to unquestioning deference."

-- Opinion Journal, 5/15/06

HOWARD DEAN'S CAMPAIGN STRATEGY

Democrat Strategist Paul Begala: "[Dean's] in trouble in that campaign managers, candidates, are really angry with him. [Dean] has raised $74 million and spent $64 million. [Dean] says it's a long-term strategy. But what [Dean] has spent it on, apparently, is just hiring a bunch of staff people to wander around Utah and Mississippi and pick their nose. That's not how you build a party. You win elections. That's how you build a party." --CNN's "Situation Room," 5/11/06

HILLARY'S SCORE

"That's 'score' as in 20 --the number of people who showed up in Nashville for 'the national kickoff for Hillarynow.com, a grass-roots group pushing to draft the New York senator and former first lady to run for president in 2008,' according to the Tennessean.

"The paper reports that the rally 'drew critics of President Bush, nonpartisan voters looking for a strong leader, and people who want to elect a female president.' The motives of the other 14 attendees are unknown." --Opinion Journal, 5/24/06

WHY DO THE DEMOCRATS HATE ME?

"'I am a 44-year-old woman who grew up in Berkeley who has never once voted for a Republican, or crossed a picket line, or failed to send in a small check when the Doctors Without Borders envelope showed up. I believe that we should not have invaded Iraq, that we should have signed the Kyoto treaty, that the Starr Report was, in part, the result of a vast right-wing conspiracy.

"'I have made a lifestyle choice that Democrats can't stand, and I'm not cowering in the closet because of it. I'm out, and I'm proud. I am a happy member of an exceedingly "traditional" family. I'm in charge of the house and the kids, my husband is in charge of the finances and the car maintenance, and we all go to church every Sunday.'

"She has just published a book called To Hell with All That: Loving and Loathing Our Inner Housewife, and she's encountered vitriolic responses from her fellow Democrats. She says, 'I have no intention of leaving the party, but sometimes I wonder: When did I sign up to be the beaten wife of the Democratic Party?'"

--Catlin Flanagan, author of To Hell with All That: Loving and Loathing Our Inner Housewife, Time Magazine

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