Freyne Land

Up and at 'em!

Don't you miss winter?

Got the Ol' Inside Track done yesterday. I swear, when I started the day, I had no idea what I'd find to fill the space. Amazing how that works.

Was thinking yesterday that since the first "Inside Track"  back in 1981 in the Ol' Vanguard Press, I've pumped out more than 1000 of them.  Never came up empty. Amazing.

No wonder I can't remember it all!

Had fun this week - got to interview Cheney!

No. Not his nibs, the big Dick, but State Rep. Margaret Cheney [right] of Norwich.

Never heard of her, right?

A freshman from outside the Burlington media-market glare, Margaret has a seat on the Natural Resources & Energy Committeee.

She is the Cheney with the rather well-written op-ed in defense of H. 520 that ran in the Rutland Herald and The Burlington Free Press recently. Here's a taste:

In his veto of the bill, Douglas claimed that Entergy was being singled out for unfair special treatment -- when in fact it has been receiving special treatment. Entergy may be the only entity in Vermont whose value has increased but whose taxes have declined dramatically.

Months ago, the governor trumpeted his intention to address the crisis of global warming. This May, he said he rarely hears Vermonters talking about climate change and doubts that it's on their minds. I think he's wrong. Through H.520, Vermonters can slow global warming while saving money and creating jobs. If ever a veto deserved an override, it is this one.

And she was born a Cheney. Has had the name her whole life.

In fact, would you believe, she once worked as a journalist in Washington?

More in today's "Inside Track."

For me, it's Chemo Day #7 up on Hospital Hill.  Every three weeks. Times flies.

Still here.

Meet Nick Morse.

Nick was the sextant, oops, sexton, at the First Congregational Church on South Winooski Avenue in downtown Burlington back in the early 1990s when he planted the peonies - 136 different varieties!

Wow!

They'll be in blossom for two to three weeks, said Nick.

The "First Congo" makes for quite the contrast to the First United Methodist Church across Buell Street where the church lot is completely flowerless.

Hey, it's a free country.

" Inside Track" day here at the ranch. Won't be able to make Gov. Jim Douglas' 1 p.m. presser where he'll pitch his last minute counter-proposal to H. 520, the big Global Warming/Climate Change Bill he vetoed.

The Guv "will announce the composition of a task force charged with launching his Energy Efficiency Investment Program—an innovative public-private partnership that will invest $20 million in energy efficiency efforts over the next 4 years, without raising new taxes or bureaucracies."

Amazing!

Where was any mention of such a Douglas Plan in January, February, March, April or May?

Recognize the location?

And as luck would have it, I was taking pictures of the flowers this evening just when the person who planted these peonies back "in the early 90s" was there to admire them as well.

More on that in the morning....

It's turned into Peony Education Evening for Pedro.

One of the most outstanding perennial flowers that is grown in the garden is the peony. Even though this plant seems to have been grown forever, it still remains very popular today. Of course, there are reasons for this and even though there are those gardeners who do not use this plant in their gardens, they certainly should. There are few perennials that can offer beautiful flowers in the spring and provide good foliage throughout the summer.

More here.

Trust me, it's a wee bit unusual for a member of a state's congressional delegation to publicly smack a state's governor in media land. But that's what happened over the weekend when Democratic U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy let it be known in no uncertain terms here in "Freyne Land" that he viewed Republican Gov. Jim Douglas as "a cheerleader for the war and the administration all the way through."

We weren't going to let it fly without getting a response from the alleged cheerleader.

Checked his online "Public Appearance Schedule" and saw our governor would be making a 9 a.m. appearance at a national Conference of State Medicaid Directors at the Sheraton Burlington.

Hopped in the jalopy. Turned on the radio.

"At least five Americans were killed in Iraq yesterday, three in a suicide-bombing at a checkpoint that also injured eight."

Inescapable.

Meanwhile there's the bold leader who made it all possible, President George W. Bush, smiling on the TV screen from Sofia this morning raising his glass in a toast with the Bulgarian President Paranov. Bulgaria?

Anywhere but Washington is the place to be when you just set the all-time record for lowest presidential approval rating - 29 percent.

I know, some wonder how he could even be that high.

Gov. Douglas was his usual charming and witty self this morning as he welcomed the state Medicaid officials from across the nation to Vermont. Learned a few things from Gentleman Jim:

* There are 19 cities in the United States that are bigger than Vermont
* Vermont first adopted the name "New Connecticut"
* Vermont's the second healthiest state
* The second oldest state, and
* Has the second-lowest number of uninsured

Also learned from a National Association of State Medicaid Directors official that since the NASMD's last meeting in November, 26 out of 50 state Medicaid Directors have left their posts. That's a staggering 52 percent turnover rate!

Vermont's Medicaid Director, Josh Slen, however, has been in his post since 2003. A seasoned veteran, eh?

Anyway, Pedro, get to the point, dammit! What did Jim Douglas say about Pat Leahy calling him a "cheerleader" for the Bush-Cheney War in Iraq?

Well, I caught him in the hall after his speech. Just the two of us and the state trooper. Told Jim what Patrick had said - and what we had published in Freyne Land.

DOUGLAS: Does that make it so?

FREYNE: I don’t know.

DOUGLAS: I think we’ve covered this ground a lot.

FREYNE: I just want to get it from the horse’s mouth.

DOUGLAS: Well, I expect that the protesters are interested in the congressional offices because they [the congressional delegation] have something to say about it, whereas I don’t. They’re the ones who authorize military action, authorize the expenditures for that action. I think their concern is directed appropriately.

FREYNE: As far as I’m aware, your only criticism  of the war policy was a few months ago when you called for an exit strategy. But I have never heard you criticize the policy or say it was wrong, a mistake. As you know, many people are saying that it was a lie about the ‘weapons of mass destruction’ and all that stuff. You’re a man [who is] very careful with your words, which we appreciate, but are you critical of the policy? Have I missed something?

DOUGLAS: Well, your question was about the protesters and I have nothing to do with the decision to authorize the use of force or fund it. Members of Congress do.

FREYNE: So you're drawing the line there? I’m not going to get past that?

End of interview. Douglas did a very smooth Pontius Pilate, washed his hands of the matter and off he went.

I've learned from years of experience that one is not going to get Jim Douglas to address a subject he does not wish to address, unless you've got a few other reporters, preferably with TV cameras, who are also interested in an answer to the same question.

Incidentally, here's the response we received last night from the Guv's spokesman Jason Gibbs to this question: "Given what we all now know regarding no Iraq WMDs, no link to 9/11 etc, does the governor have any criticism of the White House war policy or for leading us into this mess?"

Mr. Gibbs via email: The Governor has been crystal clear on this issue.  He expects the Congress and the administration to stop pointing fingers at one another and get to work finding a real, responsible exit strategy that will bring our troops home as soon as possible.

Vermonters, and all Americans, are frustrated by the lack of progress in Washington and expect both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to get their act together and find a way to bring this war to a conclusion.

You may have noticed neither gent was the least bit critical of the disastrous, dishonest Iraq War policy or of its architects.

By this time next year, I predict,  there won't be many Republican pols left standing out there who won't be publicly critical of the Bush-Cheney War policy.

What do you think?
 

U.S. Sen. Patrick J. Leahy told "Freyne Land" in an exclusive interview following his remarks to the state VFW Convention Saturday that his Senate Judiciary Committee is "about to subpoena a key person from the White House."

"Male or female?" I asked.

"A person from the White House," answered Chairman Leahy.

"Is that this week?" I asked.

"Don’t know," he answered.  "Depends. And I’ve also got an agreement to turn over more emails. We’ll see what’s in them."

Yes we will. 

"We’re going through thousands upon thousands of pages of depositions, interviews, emails," said St. Patrick. "This is not Perry Mason where you send somebody in and get an answer."

Fasten your seat belts, folks.

The investigation into the Bush administration's removal of U.S. attorneys for political reasons     "will continue for months and months," Leahy told us. "The President said the other day that we seem to have ‘drug’ it out, to use his words.

"My response to the President," said Leahy of Vermont, "and I delivered it again yesterday, is:
answer the questions, stop hiding material and we’ll go a lot faster."

It was clear to this reporter who has covered Leahy since 1980 that his patience with the Bush-Cheney stonewalling has run out.

"You remember," noted Leahy, "they did this with the 9/11 Commission. They held back, as long as they could, the information that showed that the Bush Administration could have stopped 9/11 before it happened and didn’t."

We noted the Bush approval rating is in the toilet.

You may have noticed that last week the Pew Research Center found Bush's approval rating at an all-time low of 29 percent. Pew reported:

For the first time in Pew Research Center polling, disapproval of President Bush's job performance outnumbers approval by more than two-to-one (61% disapprove, 29% approve). Bush's job approval is down six points from April, and is three points below the previous low measured in November and December of 2006.

The decline in Bush's support is most notable among Republicans. Just under two-thirds (65%) of Republicans approve of the President's performance today, down from 77% in April. This drop is apparent among both the conservative and moderate wings of the party. The proportion of conservative Republicans giving a positive rating declined 12 points to an all-time low of 74%. The proportion of moderate and liberal Republicans giving a positive rating fell 11 points (to 52%), also an all-time low.

St. Patrick noted the poll that made the real difference was held last November when the American voter ended Republican control of House and Senate - effective one-party rule.

"They’ve had a rubber stamp Congress for six years and nobody did any investigations," Leahy pointed out. "Nobody asked any questions, No one had a voice to speak out, because it was controlled by the Republicans in the House and the Senate and they would not allow any investigations.

"Now, interestingly enough, as I go into these investigations, some of the same Republicans who were muzzled by the White House are beginning to speak out. And nobody tries to stop me from getting the subpoenas on the Republican side. This is a lot different than it was just a year ago," said Leahy.

To tell you the truth, I think I was a horse in a previous life.

Now my horse-wagering chapter appears in the 20th Century past. Loved Saratoga in the 1980s & 90s.

Sure I liked the betting, but the best part was riding the bicycle around the backstretch, the stables, the Oklahoma Track, around 6-7 a.m. when there'd be dozens and dozens of big, frisky, young, four-legged, tail-wagging thoroughbreds going through their workouts under their exercise riders, jockeys and trainers.

Now, in the post-9/11 Age, as they say, some things have changed. We're more security conscious. Never know when the next band of Muslim terrorists will launch a suicide mission to blow up a prime American target, right?

That's why I can't ride my bike around the backstretch at Saratoga anymore. I could be a terrorist. The security guards started stopping me a few years ago.

Anyway, I want to go on record before the big bad Belmont Stakes today. I like the filly, i.e. the only girl in the race: Rags to Riches. And that's where I'm placing my bet - Rags to Riches to win.

I don't know, maybe it's a Hillary Clinton thing?

Post-time is 6:33 p.m. and it's live on ABC.

***UPDATE***
7 p.m.

What a horse race and the filly won!

First filly to win the Belmont Stakes since 1905.

Repeat: First filly to win the Belmont Stakes since 19-fucking-05!

Yours truly picked the winner [above], but unfortunately had no money on her over at NY's OTB.

Hey, who cares?

For the times, they are a changin'.

First filly to win the Belmont since 1905...since 1905...since 1905.

Walking down State Street in Montpeculiar yesterday around noon was I.

Bump into old-timer. Reminds me the Vermont ACLU is having a drug conference across the street at the Capitol Plaza.

Bingo!

Had seen a blurb on it. And the one and only "tell it like it is" Vermont prosecutor, Robert "Bobby" Sand, was one of the featured speakers. Been needing a decent picture of Bobby Sand for quite some time and I don't spend much time in White River Junction.

I was too late for the official remarks by Windsor County State's Attorney Sand, a courageous man, but caught him afterward for a little one-on-one:

SAND: I don’t blame the young police for enforcing the law. It’s a bad law. They’re taught to do that. 51 percent of high-school seniors in Vermont have used marijuana, so we have created criminal behavior for a substantial population of high school kids.

The current War on Drugs is not working and we owe it to ourselves to look for an intelligent alternative and an intelligent option. That’s not going to happen unless policy-makers and others are willing to have the discussion.

FREYNE: Are you seeing any signs that door is opening?

SAND: I think it’s opening a little. There were a number of legislators who were present here today.

FREYNE: How many? A dozen?