THE WAY WE WERE 

Back when Jerry Brown, then governor of California, was running for president, the press would point out the inconsistencies of his views as a candidate for governor compared to his views as candidate for president. His response was, "then was then, now is now." Perhaps there was even some rational for a change of heart, certainly issues and constituencies for a president are somewhat different that for a governor.

Now comes Lieutenant Governor Douglas Racine who does not just purport inconsistencies but has had a make over which would astound even those done on the Jenny Jones Show. Clang, clang, clang. It was then that he opposed the Circ, now, clang, he supports it. It was then that he supported universal health care, and now, clang, he does not.

Astonishingly, now his support of gay marriage evaporates. Racine was one of the most outspoken supporters for gay marriage. Early in the debate, there was Racine, standing tall, boldly saying, "I would oppose a law to ban same-sex marriages." Early this year, he adorned the front page of Out In The Mountains, the newspaper of the gay community. He said, I "made it clear that I don't have a problem with gay marriage."

THEN WAS THEN, NOW IS NOW

This week on the Mark Johnson Show on WKDR, Racine was asked by a caller, "If a bill landed on your desk allowing gay marriage, would you or would you not sign it?" Racine responded, "No."

This is amazing. Why run if your strategy is to run from who you are? Why run if you cannot support your past positions. Even more, why run if you cannot support your own values. This from Out In The Mountains; "Racine drew the discussion (on gay marriage) to a close saying, 'I have a value system that I believe is in synch with values that you represent.'" 

RACINE'S WILLIE JEEP ISUZU INC 

Lieutenant Governor Douglas Racine says that he owns and manages Racine's Willie Jeep Isuzu Inc with his two brothers. We do not know what the ownership percentage actually is that Doug Racine owns. We do know that he claims his percentage is worth only $400,000. Just a bit more value would make Racine a millionaire. Wouldn't want to be a millionaire if you were the candidate of the people.

Assuming that he does own a third, do you think that if you went to 1650 Shelburne Road in South Burlington, the Racine's would accept your check for $1,200,000 or anything close to that for their business? Recall that the Jeep Cherokee is the number one registered model in Vermont and Shelburne Road is prime real estate in Vermont. Right, sure they would. 

IF ONLY WE COULD ALL GET ALONG 

'Mazing Mets to be replaced with 'mazing Doug. New man of the year Racine approaches "new ideas" uniquely. In a recent Stowe Reporter, he is quoted as saying, "Verizon has not been making the investment in Vermont. We have to sit down with them and find out what the barriers are." Duh? For eons and counting, he puts up barriers, he does not inquire as to why our per capita income plummets, and now can't we all just sit down and get along? Maybe, if it's to discuss with Doug, car salesman, our new Jeep next January. 

NOT IN MY BACK YARD 

More of the same here. What a refreshing experience to go away. In the Baltics they were building the new and repairing the old. Cell phones exceeded hard-line phones in Villnus, more than fifty percent used cell phones in Estonia. Here, communications towers were rejected in Bethel and Lyndonville, Vermont Pure expansion plans filled the town hall to overflowing with the largest meeting of its kind in memory, and "twelve units of badly needed affordable housing" were denied permits in Randolph under the Act 250 criteria that the impact would "increase service calls to the police department" according to a report in the Herald. Depressing.  

WHERE'S WALDO? 

Well, by God, seems 'bout everywhere. Once upon a time, finding Waldo was like finding a needle in a haystack. But not today. Gracing many of America's most prestigious magazines and newspapers, Waldo recently appeared on the pages of the New York Times, The Washington Post, and The New Republic. And then came the invitation from America's talk show Hulk Hogan, Tim Russert for an appearance on Meet The Press.

There was our beloved Governor Howard Dean using facts and fabrication to make his points. On Civil Unions, he said that "it now has the support of a majority of Vermonters." Not in any poll we have seen, not even close. Maybe he is funding polls for Racine and the Democrats and has different information. He misspoke about how we kill each other, mostly domestic disputes not involving guns he said. Not true according to the Burlington Free Press.

Through the years, Dean has so often made up facts and figures to suit his needs that the press corps stopped calling him on them. Lying to the national press will not be remembered fondly in the years to come when voters actually have their first chance to vote. 

AND THE WINNER IS? 

Meanwhile Dean has won the battle for credibility, for acceptance as a serious candidate by the press. In 1992, the press for its own reasons decided that Pat Buchanan was a serious challenger to President Bush even though he had no elective or governing experience. At the same time they refused to give California Mayor of Irvine Larry Agran any credibility. He was not allowed in the debates. Agran was a very successful and experienced mayor, a Phi Beta Kappa Berkley graduate as well as an honors graduate from Harvard Law School. He finished the primary with 331 votes. 

QUIT MOANING AND GROANING 

Dean's solution to our economic problems in Vermont is different than his lieutenant governor's. In an interview in the Times Argus, he says, "The biggest problem we have in the business climate in Vermont has always been that the business community complains so much that they poison the well." In spite of his O'Neal Report's conclusion that there were few rational reasons for business investment in Vermont, Dean went on to say that "we've repeatedly done well in studies showing that small businesses do very well here."

Maybe he had Simon Pearce in mind. Or Tom's of Maine, or Mad River Canoe, or C & S Wholesale Grocers, or Jogbra or many of the other companies which have decamped for other states.

Full article here: http://rutlandherald.nybor.com/Business/Story/49610.html

THAT WAS A REAL DOOZY 

He continued, "We're in much better financial shape than almost everybody else in the country." We love being 35th in per capita income. Yup, poor but proud. The Economist did a recent survey of tax revenue drops for all fifty states. Some states' revenues were neutral, some were off between five and ten percent, some off between ten and fifteen percent and only four were off more than fifteen percent. And you guessed it: Vermont was one of them. But because Dean says so, we are in better financial shape than almost anyone else. His legacy he says. 

GREEDY IS AS GREEDY DOES 

Many of those in Washington are assailing the "greed" of America's businesses. Right, but then look at the greed that the Democrats are experiencing, contemplating moving into the majority in both houses next fall.

Our own greedy Pat Leahy ranked fifth in soliciting and accepting donations from the dearly departed WorldCom. Though reported on June 26th in the Wall Street Journal, it seemed to take ages before the Vermont press built up its courage to report it. 

HE WOULD BE KING 

Former employer Gary Hart was the subject of the Proust Questionnaire in the August, 2002 Vanity Fair. His greatest regret? Failure to suppress the Dionysian spirit. Being not up on our Greek Mythology, we searched Webster's: Of an ecstatic, frenzied, or irrational nature: orgiastic. Better late than never.  

THOSE GREEDY DRUG CORPORATIONS 

Merck is one of those disagreeable drug companies that makes its profits on the backs of the tired, the old, and the sick. But when they restated their earnings a few weeks back saying "that it had recorded $12,400,000,000 that it had never actually received," it appeared that their "profits" were made on the backs of its shareholders instead.  

BACK ON THE FARM 

While we were away, we lost more jobs at Hemming Motor News in Bennington, Goodrich Fuel and Utility Systems in Vergennes, and further cuts at Blodgetts in Burlington. Congressman Bernie Sanders contributed to the discussion by falsely but predictably contending that trade policy created all this. While it seems that globalization has not been good for parts of Africa and South America, here in the United States most every study reports that NAFTA has created many net jobs.

Senator Pat Leahy sent around a flyer promoting a $2,300 four day trade mission to Milan led by Leahy himself. Another $1,500 was required for the matchmaking package. Even Senator Ann Cummings, D-Washington, jumped on the pro jobs bandwagon despite being part of the Democrat controlled obstacle to reform. Growth, hope, and opportunity. She missed the mark somewhat. "During these difficult times it is not enough to develop new jobs and support existing industries. We must also protect workers." From what exactly? Advancement, new opportunities, investment, or the rapid decline in per capita income?

While visiting Poland in recent days, we came across a German real estate developer. We asked how long it took on average to obtain all the necessary permits to build. Knowing the highly regulated German economy and personality, we assumed the answer would be twelve to eighteen months. "Six weeks is average. For a very large and controversial project it might be a year at most." Can we import a few German bureaucrats here?

For more information on the trade mission: Denise@ThinkVermont.com  

ALL THE NEWS THAT FITS THE TINT 

How fortunate we were here in Vermont to be visited on Wednesday by Institute for Justice senior attorney Richard Komer, fresh from defending the Cleveland voucher case in the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Komer thoroughly engaged his audience with insights into that landmark case. For nearly an hour he displayed encyclopedic knowledge of church and state and school choice issues and litigation from colonial times to the present day. Attending the event, co-sponsored by the Ethan Allen Institute and Vermonters for Better Education, were congressional candidate Bill Meub, gubernatorial candidate Jim Douglas, and lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Brian Dubie, all of whom spoke during the dinner. Also present were notables Jeff Wennberg, Barbara Snelling, numerous past and present state senators and representatives. Not present? The Vermont media. 

MARK HITS THE MARK 

Mark Johnson is only getting better. Too bad his program is not aired statewide. It is web streamed live if you want to listen at home or work. It is not only that his guests seem like bigger fish in our small pond, it is that his questioning skills are improving, his research in preparation is more thorough, and his use of live online Internet digging while he is interviewing guests which makes him more dangerous. And more interesting.

The ah shucks nature of our being just a backwater has been replaced with a toe to toe readiness regardless of the guest, with the exception of Governor Dean. Our junior senator still will not even deign to call in. When our senior senator does, Johnson is ready to not just ask the hard questions, but to ask them again if Leahy just tries to dance away. His new website, http://www.markjohnsonshow.com is full of good stuff too. 

DIFFERENT STROKES 

»» Jack McMullen, Burlington: Your report [from Latvia] captures so well the yearning of the formerly oppressed to realize opportunities long denied them by their "all-knowing" governments. The way you bring to life what is happening in the Baltics is poetic and, at the same time, sobering to those of us in Vermont who see all too well where the actions of our present government are leading: to the swamp of over-regulation and suppression of hope from which the Baltics have only so recently emerged. Well done.

»» Raymond Schneider, Dover: Your "travelogue" reminded me of John Belushi's character -Ernie Suchak- in the movie Continental Divide, when he wrote an article in his newspaper entitled, "How I spent my summer vacation." I can't use the term his editor used in describing the article, but the term refers to a product of male bovines. And that's exactly how I would describe your meandering ramblings about the Baltics. Lay off the vodka.

»» Pete Chagnon, Burlington: It is interesting to read that former members of the "Evil Empire" have and are adopting a free market mentality, along the lines of the "Great Communicator" Reagan. It is even more interesting to note that family, good morals, Christian idealism are strong there even with all the problems besetting these new nations as they come out of the darkness that was Communism. Sadly, our own "leaders" in the West are regressing into a Economic Fascism that is reminiscent more of the Dark Ages than Hitler's Germany. Vermont is on the cutting edge of that Brave New World and this state is facing economic meltdown. I wonder how many reports will have to be sent back to the mindless masses before even they come to realize that maybe the Good 'Ol Boys in Guv'ment are really establishing their own little fiefdoms with all their programs and cliches, and not looking out for them? 

ON THE NEWS 

»» Paul Chandler, Newport: Funny how indignant these congressmen are with Representative Traficant. Where were they around impeachment time?

»» L.A. Leonard, Rutland: We've got winkin, blinkin and nod all running for governor this year. Isn't there someone the party can find who does not parrot the same left wing agenda? At a recent forum, Democrat Racine, Republican Douglas and Independent Hogan voiced what they stood for. They all opposed efforts to overturn civil unions, supported abortions and the recent 75-cent tax increase on cigarettes and were opposed to casino gambling. Are these guys clones or what? If only we had a spunky Ruth Dwyer type in the race. What a boring campaign season. 

THEY LIKE US 

»» Alex Reynal, Buenos Aires: We were lost in the world last week without your beacon light!

»» Gloria Randall, Bradford: Thanks for your great and informative newsletter.

»» Ken Smith, Burlington: Thanks so much for the "DPR." I enjoy reading it and appreciate your insight. Keep up the good work! 

SEE NO EVIL 

"It takes a certain amount of gall — which Mr. Gore has in excess — to pretend that corporate misbehavior began on Jan. 20, 2001, and to forget who was in charge of the regulatory agencies from 1993-2000." --Washington Times, 7/22/02

Full editorial: http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20020722-18178135.htm 

Do you enjoy the Dwinell Political Report? Think of a voluntary subscription. For $25, you can receive the newsletter for a year and help offset the costs of production. Make checks payable to JDLS Publishing, LLC and mail to 453 S. Willard St., Burlington, VT 05401.

The Dwinell Political Report is published weekly by JDLS Publishing, LLC.
Portions of the Dwinell Political Report may be reprinted with attribution.

Contact the Editor with news & comments at: Dwinell@adelphia.net or 802.862.5031.

The mission of the Dwinell Political Report is to give readers another view of the news that is refreshing, provocative and sometimes irreverent. 

Subscribe here!