Freyne Land

I confess: I do not check the St. Johnsbury Caledonian-Record newspaper website on a daily basis.

Used to. The Cal-Record's editorial page is often good for a few laughs. It's just that it got to be so predictable. The voice of an angry, anti-Democrat, anti-Progressive, anti-equal rights, anti-Patrick Leahy, anti-Jim Jeffords and anti-Bernie Sanders Vermont.

Hey, it's still a free country, right?

But the times are a changing, even in Caledonia County, Vermont, the Green Mountain State's mythical "Northeast Kingdom" country. These days, Democrats get elected in Cal-Record Land. They even get reelected as Democratic State Sen. Jane Kitchell of Danville has shown.

Still, it was a surprise to read the Cal-Record's Saturday editorial that several folks forwarded our way:

Three weeks ago, on VPT's "Vermont Politics," Peter Freyne took onSpeaker of the House Gaye Symington, grilling her about her publicstatements blaming Gov. Jim Douglas for failing to get out theRepublican vote to support her weak-as-water education funding reformbill. Speaker Symington was understandably frustrated by thecrash-and-burn of the Democrats' centerpiece legislation. In the courseof Freyne's and her give and take, this startling exchange took place.

Speaker Symington [on Gov. Douglas's non-support]: "Well, I thinkthere's a certain amount of gamesmanship going on now in terms of just, 'Let's watch them fail.' That gets back to the point, are we playinggames here and playing politics? Or are we going to try to move forwardwith what's best for the state and if people just want to play gameswith it, that's one thing."

Freyne: "Isn't it always both, though?"

Speaker Symington: "Well, that's the constant rub in this position, andyou know, I have to tell you, there are so many other things I could bedoing with my life than this. So many other."

Freyne: "Name three."

Speaker Symington: "Being with my kids. Being with my husband. Traveling. ... the rest here.

I blush! Yes, indeed, the above exchange took place. The quotes are accurate.

What's of interest is the time and place the Caledonian-Record editorial page identifies as the "when" and "where" it occurred.

The  Right-Wing Record says it was "three weeks ago" and aired on "VPT's 'Vermont Politics.'"

I assume that's a reference to "Vermont Politics" on "Vermont Public Television?"

Only problem is, I've never heard of such a program and can find no record of its existence on the VPT website either. In fact, I don't recall a TV camera in the room that day when we grilled Speaker Gaye.

Hmmmm....

One thing's for sure, though. The exchange did not occur "three weeks ago" as the Cal-Record editorial states. You can bet the farm on that.

That's because it was posted right here in "Freyne Land" under the title Noblesse Oblige?  two weeks ago yesterday (March 31). It was up the morning after it took place, during Speaker Symington's Friday [bag-less] Brown-Bagger with the press.

Interesting, eh?

P.S. The Vermont editorial of the week (month? year?) was in Friday's Brattleboro Reformer.

Impeach Bush, or get out of the way 

There will be a time when future generations will look at us and wonderwhy President Bush and Vice President Cheney were not removed fromoffice.

They will look at us and question why, when confronted by the mostcorrupt and incompetent administration ever witnessed in the UnitedStates, nothing was done to stop Bush and Cheney.

The rest here.

*UPDATED 4:15 p.m.

"Where I live on the east coast, if I want to eat a head-of-lettuce today, to bring one calorie of that lettuce back east from California takes about 36 calories of fossil energy, to grow it and to transport it.

"I can eat close to home for a lot less energy, and in the book describe the winter my family and I spent eating out of the valley where we live in northern Vermont."

That was Ol' Bill McKibben from Ripton, Vermont being interviewed Friday evening on PBS by Ray Suarez. In case you didn't know, today, April 14, 2007, is the day a whole lot of Americans in every state in America have decided to STEP IT UP,  no more sitting on our hands watching Big Oil, Coal & Gas complertely destroy the atmosphere we depend on for survival.

Bill wrote the landmark book on the climate-change horror we've successfully been ignoring for decades - The End of Nature (1989). But Bill is a whole lot more than a brilliant author and writer. He's for real. A regular guy, too. One who is an inspiration to many of us.

They still haven't posted the script at pbs.org so here's a taste off the ol' "Freyne Land" tape recorder:

SUAREZ: "So do you want people to pay a different amount of money for biting into that Chilean plum in February or have them do without it all together?"

McKibben: "Well, I think in a sense the answer’s sort of the same. In the end, all of the work that you’ve been talking about all week with people figuring out how we’re going to deal with global warming, has something to do with changing the price of energy. We need very much to make the cost of coal and gas and oil reflect the incredible damage it’s now doing ecologically.

"And if we do that then things will start to change, in some ways, of their own accord. We won’t be flying in fresh fruits and vegetables from around the globe. We won’t be ordering take-out from 2000 miles away every night. Instead we’ll be rediscovering how much we can do closer to home.  Food’s just one example."

SUAREZ: "What are some of the others?"

McKIbben: "Well, you can make to same argument with almost any commodity you can think of.  Think about energy itself. We’re use to, like food to think about it as a very centralized thing., you know Exxon-Mobil and Peabody Coal provide our btu’s and our electrons.

"But it doesn’t need to work that way.

"The roof on my house in Vermont has solar panels on it. They’re tied into the grid. When the sun comes out, I’m a utility. I’m sending electrons down the line for other people to use. My neighbors fridge runs off the sunlight falling on my shingles. When the cloud goes over, I suck electricity up the grid myself.

"In the end, not only is that a lot better ecologically , but it allows a much more durable form of energy than the one we have at the moment."

SUAREZ: "But I’m wondering if you aren’t asking for something that’s just too big for people to do since we’ve spent so long building this other life? There are people watching you right now, sitting in a chair that was made in Asia, drinking a glass of orange juice  from an orange grown in Brazil, watching you on a TV that was made in Singapore. And you’re asking that person to now think locally?"

McKibben: "I should say first that I’m not the absolute biggest optimist that there ever was. I mean, I wrote a book called The End of Nature, the first book that there was about this crisis. I’m not certain it’s going to come out right. I know however that the physical forces we’re confronting are so large that we’re going to have to start changing some things if we have any hope of dealing with them."

SUAREZ: "So there’s one set of arguments that goes to Americans, the most intense users of fossil fuels on the globe. What do you say to aspirational Indians and Chinese who are seeing in this globalized economy, the possibility of climbing into the world middle class and living a lot better than their parents and grandparents did?"

McKibben: "A lot of the book takes place in China where I’ve done a lot of reporting in recent years. It’s the perfect question. They aren’t to blame yet for the global-warming crisis that we confront. We’ve been doing this for 100 years and getting rich in the process. We’re going to need to help them figure out some other path toward development. It can’t look exactly like ours because there simply isn’t enough atmosphere to make that possible.

"But unless we give them some real options. And unless we reengage in the international discussion that we’ve dropped out of for the last six years, then there’s very little chance of getting this right in the end."

SUAREZ: "In the reporting in your book, you point out that simply  stopping the increase in the amount of emissions put into the air, not only isn’t it enough it’s not even close to enough. How do we not just stop the increase, but turn it around and start decreasing in order to have any effect on the wider environment?"

McKibben: "And the problem’s even harder than you imagine because we just don’t have to do it, we have to do it darn fast - something like the next 10 years, according to the best science.

"Look, the only way it’s going to happen is if we have strong political movement in this country demanding that kind of change. So far, Congress has been embarked on a 20-year bipartisan effort to accomplish nothing and it’s been highly successful.

"That’s why Saturday [TODAY] we’re having 1350 demonstrations in every state in the union around the country - the biggest demonstrations on climate change that there yet have been. People are joining together to ask that Congress commit to cutting carbon by 80 percent by 2050 with the hope that we can send a really strong signal, a really strong signal to anyone anticipating any kind of investment in the next 40 years, any kind of economic planning, they better not count on carbon [being] the free good that it’s been for the last hundred."

Amen.

Thank you, Bill McKibben....for being you!

And yes, mon ami, you are making a difference.

*UPDATE:

Hey, Billy-Boy was also on Democracy Now Friday - available here to listen to or watch. He was in the zone. Focused:

"If you poll Americans as people have done since the end of World WarII, asking them are they happy with their lives, the number who saythat they are very happy peaks in 1956 and goes downhill ever since.Now, that was before I was born so I missed what was ever going on in1956. But the tragedy of it is that that downward curve coincides withan upward curve of about – we’re about three times as rich as we werein the late 50s. We have three times as much stuff. If what we think weknow about economy was true, those two curves, satisfaction andprosperity should move in somewhat the same direction. That they aremoving in opposite directions, really should lead us to ask some prettystiff questions, and should lead us also not to fear the kind of worldthat we are going to need to create to deal with the environmentalproblems that are at hand, a world with much more localized economies,and much stronger communities, and much more emphasis on belonging andmuch less on belongings."

"Very happy" peaks in 1956, eh?

Well, that may be before Mr. McKibben's arrival, but not mine.

In fact, 1956 was the year when I first set foot in Burlington, Vermont. A six-year-old back seat passenger in the Freyne Family Mercury that summer with big brother and big sister. Mom drove. Dad sat in the front seat with the road map, the newspaper and an endless supply of Pall Malls to puff on.

You couldn't buckle up even if you wanted to.

Very happy?

Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy
On The Passing Of Liz Daley Jeffords
April 13, 2007

“Marcelle and I join all Vermonters in offering our condolences to Jim and the Jeffords and Daley families on this sad occasion.  Liz Daley Jeffords was a dear friend to both of us.  She was an energy-giver who exemplified New England stamina and Green Mountain gumption.  She worked courageously to help other Vermonters struggling against cancer.  Working side by side with Jim, she has helped make Vermont a better place.

“We have known Jim and Liz for most of our lives -- Marcelle and Liz have known each other since high school in Burlington -- and we will always admire the love and support they have given each other.  They complemented each other, they counseled each other, and they deeply cared for each other.  We know how much they looked forward after Jim’s retirement to spending more time together at their Shrewsbury home, and we wish that time had been much, much longer.

“Marcelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Jim, to Leonard and Laura, and to Liz’s entire family.”

# # # # #

Senator Bernie Sanders issued the following statement regarding Liz  Jeffords:

BURLINGTON,Vt., April 13 - Senator Bernie Sanders mourned the passing today ofElizabeth "Liz" Daley Jeffords, the wife of Vermont's formerindependent senator.

"Liz Jeffords was a remarkable woman whoserved our state with great distinction for many, many years. She hadan incredible amount of energy, a great sense of humor and a verystrong sense of independence. She was able to light up a room when sheentered it," Sanders said.

"Liz not only worked with SenatorJeffords on issues of importance to Vermont and America, but she was aleader in her own right," Sanders added. "Her courage and determinationin struggling with cancer over the years has served as an inspirationto many Vermonters. Jane and I send our condolences to Senator Jeffordsand their entire family."

# # #

On the passing of a dear friend

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Peter Welch conveyed the following thoughts from the Middle East on the passing of his friend Liz Jeffords:

"Liz Jeffords was a dear friend of mine and I am deeply saddened by her passing.  She was so full of life and it was a true joy to be in her presence.  Her devotion to Jim and their family was unwavering.  She was a tireless advocate for her community, her state and the many passions she pursued in her rich, full life. And the dignity with which she faced life's many challenges was remarkable.  I was blessed to have known Liz Jeffords and will miss her."

# # # #

Official Statement of the Governor Jim Douglas
on the Death of Liz Jeffords

Dorothy and I count Jim and Liz Jeffords among our most dear friends and we are deeply saddened to learn this morning of Liz’s passing.   I spoke with Jim this morning to offer our condolences and assure him that he, his family and former staff are all in our thoughts and prayers.

Liz was a tremendous source of inspiration for Jim and helped to shape the work that together they pursued.  She was always a strong, courageous voice for commonsense and independence in the Vermont tradition.

Liz also worked diligently to draw attention to issues important to her including conservation, historic preservation and cancer research and treatment.

I will always remember Liz for her passion, courage and intense love of Vermont and all that our state represents.

# # # #

Official Statement of Lt. Governor Brian Dubie
on the Death of Liz Jeffords

Today, we mourn the passing of Liz Jeffords, a woman whose quiet hand helped to weave the fabric of our state and our nation in both the 20th and 21st centuries.

Liz Jeffords will be remembered for her spirit, her warmth, her wit and her common sense. She was a true Vermonter.

We extend our most heartfelt sympathy to Senator Jim Jeffords and his family, who can take comfort in knowing that Liz will always be remembered with affection and admiration by the people of her state.

# # #

Executive Code of Ethics
September 20, 2003

STATE OF VERMONT Executive Department

EXECUTIVE ORDER [Executive Code of Ethics]

WHEREAS, it is essential to the proper operation of government that public officers be independent and impartial; that governmental decisions and policy be made fairly and impartially, on the merits of the matter at issue; that public office not be used for private gain other than the remuneration provided by law; and that there be public confidence in the integrity of government;

Douglas Administration Transportation Secretary Neale Lunderville (right) is suddenly sitting in a seat that's getting increasingly warm.

The Boy Wonder, as we've called him, who has twice been Gov. Scissorhands campaign manager, and also served on the Fifth Floor as a key political strategist, readily admits to having no transportation experience other than driving a car prior to taking his current post.

His experience is on the political side of things and he currently stands accused of violating the code of ethics his boss, Gentleman Jim Douglas, instituted back in 2003. It's a code of ethics, incidentally, that no member of the Douglas administration has ever been found guilty of violating. In fact, it's a code, the Guv confirmed at his Thursday presser, no one's ever even been accused of violating.

What's most interesting here is that the accusation has been made by the anti-political policy-wonk herself - Democratic Speaker of the House Gaye Symington!

The accusation is that last Thursday, prior to the House attempt to override the Guv's veto of the budget adjustment act because it didn't include his "Promise Scholarship" money, Lunderville lobbied Democratic State Rep. Jim Fitzgerald from St. Albans (left). In their two brief conversations, Fitzgerald charges, The Boy Wonder lobbied him to split with his party, vote "No" on the veto override and "suggested that if I would support the governor and his veto, the state would help" with $50,000 to fund the improvement of an intersection in Fitzgerald's district.

Fitzgerald voted "Yes," but two other Democrats and one Independent voted with the Guv and the House Republicans, handing Speaker Symington and her Democratic majority a stinging defeat.

“The Secretary of Transportation is in a position to be able to cut a check for taxpayer dollars,” Speaker Gaye told VPR’s John Dillon, “and I think that’s totally inappropriate to do that in return for a vote in a particular way that has absolutely nothing to do with transportation.”

Symington has written Lunderville requesting he appear before the House Rules Committee next week to explain what really happened. She says Lunderville has called into question Rep. Fitzgerald’s honesty and integrity by denying the offer was made.

Interesting.

Here’s some of the back-and-forth Thursday between Vermont’s chief executive and the Fourth Estate:

PRESS: “The largest paper in the state is editorially questioning your ethics. ‘Political Poison.’ The ‘poison’ word was used over the situation with Transportation Secretary Neale Lunderville and Rep. Fitzgerald... What do you say? That’s pretty heavy-duty charges."

DOUGLAS: "Well, I’m not sure how to respond to that. It has been a matter of some discussion over the last week or so. I take very seriously the code of ethics that I’ve adopted for members of my administration. I expect everybody who works for me to adhere to that, conduct his or her responsibilities in the public interest. That’s why we’re here - to do the people’s business. To do it in a fair, transparent and impartial manner and I believe everyone who works for me is adhering to that code."

PRESS: The argument in the hallways is that people think something wrong was done and that the ethical violation was that Lunderville was making a deal with two unrelated issues, one being funding for a transportation project in [Fitzgerald’s] district, and the other being a vote to override the veto [of the Budget Adjustment Act], that that kind of deal-making is unethical?

DOUGLAS: "It would be, but that’s not what happened. There’s no deal. Members of my administration were certainly talking to legislators about support for the veto override vote that was being held last week. I certainly wanted everyone to encourage legislators to support me on that.

"And, of course, as the transportation budget is considered during the legislative process, there are lots of conversations  about individual projects all across the state...but there’s certainly no linkage. And if there’s a misinterpretation on the part of a legislator, then I regret that."

PRESS: "Is that what it was? Or is someone not telling the truth here?"

DOUGLAS: "Well, I’ve had a lot of conversations with people through the years - I’m sure you have, as well - where you have different views of what happened.

"Two individuals had a conversation. I believe that the Secretary, and his conversation with me reflected accurately what he discussed and the topics that came up. If the other member to that conversation misinterpreted it, that’s unfortunate.”

PRESS: “Do you find it odd at all, though, that these two conversations, it sounds like, were fairly short conversations, a brief conversation in the cafeteria, a brief conversation after summoning a member off the floor. It just seems odd, in a brief conversation each time, those two topics came up. To suggest that they’re not linked either time - it’s hard to imagine?”

DOUGLAS: "Well, I can tell you I’ve talked with Neale about, ah, these issues after they were raised last week. He’s assured me that they’re not, that he understands the code of ethics, has continued to adhere to it as all of my appointees had. And again if it was misinterpreted by the legislator, then I’m sorry."

PRESS: "Fitzgerald, is he lying about it?"

DOUGLAS: "It’s certainly been my experience that when I have a conversation with someone it’s not unusual to have a different analysis or summary of what was discussed in that conversation later on. I’m sure you’ve had the same experience. In fact, I might have had that experience with some of you!” {chuckle, chuckle].

P.S. Fitzgerald has crossed yours truly's path before as the head of the Burlington-Charlotte Commuter Rail Project that former Gov. Howard Dean championed.

What a beautiful environmentally-friendly idea!

Only problem was, Ho-Ho couldn't get many people to actually ride it.

Douglas was an outspoken opponent of the commuter rail project since it was a big money-loser. Lunderville, we're told, is the gubernatorial staffer who delivered the bad news to Fitzgerald, about a month after Gov. Scissorhands was sworn in, that the project was being shut down and his services would no longer be needed.

Small world, eh?

CORRECTION:

According to a "Freyne Land" reader and Statehouse business lobbyist who grew up there, "The intersection that was discussed is actually in an adjacent district to Rep. Fitzgerald's district and is not in his district."

Thanks for that!

Recognize that face?

Of course you do!

It's the face of the Democrat who lost the 2006 lieutenant governor's race to Republican incumbent Brian Dubie (51-45). The face of a man who was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives at the age of 22 - fresh out of college - just like incumbent Gov. Jim Douglas was!

Matt Dunne lives today on the family farm he grew up on in Hartland with his lovely wife and young son.

Matt had a chat with yours truly over coffee at Speeder & Earl's on Pine Street early Wednesday - (He'd stayed overnight at the Sheraton and was 10 minutes late  - surprised, was he, by the rush-hour traffic jam that's become common in Vermont's largest city.)

Dunne is currently making a buck as  a "strategic planner/consultant," and his clients include Google and groSolar.

Nice.

Is he thinking about stepping up to challenge Gov. Scissorhands and running for governor in 2008? The Dems, after all, are lacking at the moment candidate-wise since none of the likely choices such as a Sen. Peter Shumlin, think GOP Jimmy Boy is beatable. At least, not in 2008.

"Way too early to be thinking about that election cycle," said Dunne.

Sure.

After seven years in the Vermont House in the 1990s, then being tapped by President Bill Clinton to head Americorps/Vista - and being reappointed by George W. Bush, Young Dunne returned to his home state to settle down and win a seat in the Vermont Senate.

Dunne told us he's developed "a whole new appreciation for the power of the governor's bully pulpit and an understanding of why some issues that feel critically important inside the Statehouse do not resonate outside the Statehouse walls."

And vice versa, eh?

That appears to be the case with J.R.H. 15 - the non-binding impeachment of George "WMD" Bush that Montpeculiar's Democrat leadership under the golden dome does not want to take up. (See entire resolution posted below.)

Are they wrong? Should the legislature take it up, we asked Dunne?

"The people of Vermont have spoken loud and clear," answered Young Matt, the future something-or other on Vermont's political stage, referring to the Town Meeting Day votes in almost 40 towns.

But should the legislature take it up?

One word answer: "Yes," he replied.

Oooooooh! Disagrees with Shumlin and Symington, eh?

"I don't know if he can win," said a seasoned insider, "but Matt Dunne will be aggressive,  well-funded and will give Jim Douglas fits."

After all, as a campaigner, Dunne, he said, is "indefatigable," He's "never in neutral. There's no off-button. This will be the opposite of Scudder Parker."

Ladies and gentleman - start your engines!

Here's the complete text of the non-binding resolution that the Democratic Party bosses of the Vermont Legislature - House & Senate - insist they have "no time" to take up:

Joint House Resolution

J.R.H. 15

Joint resolution requesting Congress to commence impeachmentproceedings against the President of the United States

Offered by:  Representatives Pillsbury of Brattleboro, Zuckerman ofBurlington, Aswad of Burlington, Davis of Washington, Donovan of Burlington,Edwards of Brattleboro, French of Randolph, Haas of Rochester, Hutchinson ofRandolph, Leriche of Hardwick, Marek of Newfane, Masland of Thetford, McCulloughof Williston, Mitchell of Barnard, Mrowicki of Putney, Nuovo of Middlebury,Pearson of Burlington, Randall of Troy, Rodgers of Glover and Sharpe of Bristol

Whereas, George W. Bush, in violation of hisconstitutional oath and duty to execute faithfully the office of President,and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the UnitedStates Constitution, has violated federal law and subverted the United StatesConstitution by undermining the rights and protections of our citizens and byimpairing the administration of justice by:

(1) Repeatedly and intentionally violating the Constitution and laws of theUnited States, particularly the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA),the 1949 Geneva Conventions, the Convention Against Torture (CAT), and theInternational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), all of which areparts of the supreme law of the land under Article VI of the Constitution, and

(2) Appending "signing statements" to legislation asserting hispurported right to ignore laws as he alone sees fit, and

Whereas, George W. Bush has acted to stripAmericans of their constitutional rights by ordering indefinite detentionwithout access to legal counsel, without charge, or opportunity to appearbefore a judge to challenge their detention based solely on a discretionarydesignation by the President as "enemy combatants," all in derogationand subversion of the law, and

Whereas, on numerous occasions, George W.Bush has:

(1)  Ordered the National Security Agency (NSA) tointercept and record telephone and other communications without warrantsrequired by FISA and the Constitution, and

(2)  Designated American citizens as "enemycombatants" in violation of due process guarantees and Presidentialauthority, and

Whereas, George W. Bush has abused his powerby allowing, encouraging, and condoning crimes of torture, failing to prosecutesenior officials responsible for torture, and refusing to accept and obeystatutory bans on cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, and

Whereas, George W. Bush has violated hisoath of office by invading Iraq illegally without just cause or reason, incontravention of his constitutional obligation that the laws be executedfaithfully, and

Whereas, by making war on Iraq, based onintentionally misleading or recklessly false information, George W. Bush hascommitted criminal fraud against the United States and has subverted theConstitution and its guarantee of republican government and the separation ofpowers by undercutting the rightful authority of Congress to declare war,oversee foreign affairs, and make appropriations, and

Whereas, in all of this, George W. Bush hasacted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive ofconstitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law andjustice and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States, and

Whereas, George W. Bush, by such misconduct,warrants impeachment and trial and removal from office, now therefore be it

Resolved by the Senate and House ofRepresentatives:

That the General Assembly finds the existence ofgood cause for the submission of these impeachment charges to the United StatesHouse of Representatives under Section 603 of the Manual of the Rules of theUnited States House of Representatives as grounds for the impeachment, trial,and removal of George W. Bush as President of the United States, and be itfurther

Resolved:  That the secretary of state bedirected to send a copy of this resolution to the Clerk of the United StatesHouse of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary, to Representatives JohnConyers and Lamar Smith, the chair and ranking member, respectively, of theCommittee and to the members of the Vermont Congressional Delegation.



____________________________              Attestedto:

Gaye R. Symington

Speaker of the House

____________________________              ____________________________

Brian E. Dubie                                             DonaldG. Milne

President of the Senate                               Clerk,House of Representatives

Spent the day at the Mary Fanny on Hospital Hill for my fourth R-CHOP chemotherapy session. So far so good. Lots of reading and chit-chat. More familiar faces, too. Does everybody get cancer nowadays or is it just starting to seem that way?

And, by the way, good veins make it all go in smoother and they all say there are great veins in Freyne Land!

The shot at right is of Brent the Nurse taking a little blood sample at the start. That's the site the oncology nurse used to inject the wonder drugs via IV over a five hour period.

When I got home to watch the news, I learned actor and former U.S. Senator (they go together, don't  they?), Fred Thompson of Tennessee came out of the closet today as having cancer for the past three years - a slow growing form of lymphoma (mine is fast-growing....fast shrinking, too, if you get the right chemo). Freddie Boy, 64, let the word out via the Redstate Blog.

Facts About My Cancer

By Fred Thompson

Wehave all seen the courageous battle that Elizabeth and John Edwards arefighting, and there are so many others. Fortunately, there are anincreasing number of good stories because of the medical advances thathave been made. I have friends in politics, some in Congress, somerunning for President, and others who have successfully dealt withcancer. It is certainly no respecter of persons and totallynon-partisan. That point was driven home to me about 2 1/2 years agowhen, shortly after a routine physical, I was diagnosed with what thedoctors call an indolent lymphoma. Of the 30-plus kinds of lymphomathis is a "good" kind, if there is such a thing.

I have had no illness from it, or even any symptoms. My lifeexpectancy should not be affected. I am in remission, and it is verytreatable with drugs if treatment is needed in the future--and with nodebilitating side effects.

I am one of the lucky ones....

P.S. Before hitting FAHC for chemo this morn' I hit Speeder & Earl's on Pine Street for a little coffee-chemo with a certain Democrat who just might be the only guy with a chance of making the 2008 governor's race truly interesting AND close!

I'll have something posted in the a.m. so do check back.

Do you think they'll ever make coffee illegal?

"I agree with what she said in her statement there. It is a highly divisive issue. Vermonters have problems that they want to have solved that are closer to home, and I commend her for the stand she has taken on this!"

Whoa: "Commend her for the stand she has taken!"

Words of praise for Democratic House Speaker Gaye Symington of Jericho last night on VPR's "Switchboard," hosted by veteran Vermont journalist Bob Kinzel.

Words of praise from a unusual source - Rob Roper, partisan chairman of the Vermont Republican Party and a staunch George W. Bush supporter and defender.

And what Symington, the Democratic Speaker, said in her somewhat convoluted statement to Kinzel earlier in the day was back up her decision to keep J.R.H. 15 - the resolution calling on Congress to investigate President George W. Liar to find if he has committed impeachable offenses - out of play in the people's House under Montpeculiar's golden dome.

SYMINGTON: "I feel that the job of the Vermont state legislature is tofocus on issues that we directly have an influence on: property taxes,health care, our energy future as a state, the state hospital, roadsand bridges, broadband, economic development. We have huge and complex issues that face the state and we really need to work together to solvethem."

And they've made such progress, eh?

At 11:30 this morning, Symington and Senate Leader Peter Shumlin, a fellow Democrat, are scheduled to meet for all of "five minutes" with Vermont citizen leaders of the grassroots movement to impeach George WMD Bush. (Lord knows the high crimes and misdemeanors are countless, eh?)

In addition to making the case the legislature simply "does not have the time" to deal with the Bush Impeachment Resolution that passed almost 40 Vermont towns on Town Meeting Day, Speaker Gaye also argued on VPR that if Vermont's legislature passed the resolution and Congress actually addressed it, the nation's legislative branch would grind to a halt, focusing on just one issue.

SYMINGTON: "If instead Congress focuses on impeachment, that becomes the issue in and of itself and all of the others get lost. That’s not where I think the priority should be for our Congress."

Having lived through "Watergate" and the impeachment of President Richard M. Nixon, I assure you, the rest of Congress, outside of the Judiciary Committees continued to function just fine and produce some landmark legislation.

Someone else who lived through Watergate is Pulitzer-Prize-winning cartoonist Garry Trudeau. And would you believe this week's Doonesbury series, Monday-thru-Saturday, is all about the Vermont impeachment battle!

At some point, the Vermont Legislature's Democratic leadership might want to consider removing their heads from the sand, eh?

Thanks, Garry!

So it was a "pinch me, is it real?" kind of morning.

Did Republican Kurt Wright really get elected president of the city council of what has to be one of the most left-wing cities in the United States of America?

The smallest largest city of any state in America. And the hometown for Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean, the famous Howard Dean, and the only socialist in the U.S. Senate - Bernie Sanders!

Went online to the websites of our two local TV stations that actually cover local news. Figured, heck, it's 2007, I can watch the reports they broadcast last night at 11 o'clock, right? (Fell asleep a little after 10.)

Well, here's what I got when I clicked for the story on WPTZ - the Plattsburgh, New York station (with a Colchester bureau). Reporter Mia Moran's report was available to one-and-all online.

It is the online age, folks. I've accepted it, how about you?

My heart may be back in the 19th Century, but the Freyne Brain has accepted life in  this online 21st Century. It's called communication.

Once upon a time the printing press had an enormous impact, too. And there once was a world without TV and cell phones, as well..

So it was a bit of a surprise to get this screen when we clicked for Reporter Kate Duffy's story on the WCAX - "Vermont's Own" - website. No QuickTime and no Real Player available at the station that claims to be #1?
 

After all, this is Ch. 3 - the station with the fleet of color-coordinated vans and longtime ties to the Republican Party, as evidenced by the generosity of its late, great owner Stuart "Red" Martin (and some would argue its political slant in news coverage).

C'mon guys. This Internet thing has been around awhile. Trust me, Macintosh is a whole lot more than fruit one picks from a tree each fall. And I'm not the only one who has one of these Mac computers, either. It's not just Democrats and Progressives and Independents.

Rumor has it, Republicans actually own Macs, too!

A whole lot of media outlets from TV and radio to print are "struggling" with the new Internet Age. How to make money off that online audience?

Certainly having your "award-winning" news reports available to Vermont Apple Computer users wouldn't hurt, eh, Marsillyiss?

It is, after all, 2007.

Here's a picture showing four of the Burlington City Council's five Democrats, plus one Independent, raising their hands to vote for Republican City Councilor Kurt Wright (Ward 4), over Progressive Tim Ashe (Ward 3), in Monday night's election of a new city council president.

From left to right with hands raised are: Democrats Ed Adrian (Ward 1), Joan Shannon (Ward 5), Bill Keogh (Ward 5), Independent Barbara Perry (Ward 6), and Democrat Andy Montroll (Ward 6).

Democrat Russ Ellis (Ward 4), seated second from the left, broke ranks with fellow Ds and voted for the Prog candidate.

Add to those five the three Republican city councilor votes (including his own), and you get eight votes and an 8-6 victory for Kurt Wright. You also get the first GOP city council president in Beautiful Burlap in 20 fricken' years!

There's President Wright (on the right) being congratulated by the only non-Sanderista to hold the mayor's office since Bernie Sanders' upset victory way back in 1981 - Peter Brownell. Ol' Pedro the sailboat skipper upset Prog Peter Clavelle in 1993.

In his second term, Mayor Clavelle, you may recall, had approved health insurance benefits for same-sex partners of city employees - a very "radical" idea at that time. After his '93 defeat, Mayor Moonie went to Grenada for awhile, but came back and won his old job back in 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2003.

In fact, who do we bump into before the big city council meeting?

You got it - Ol' Mayor Moonie (at right caught on Main Street), who was fresh home from a little international development consulting work in Uganda, he told me.

He did not attend Kwik Stop Kurt's ascension to city council president.

More on this historic happening in the political history of the People's Republic in "Inside Track" on Wednesday.

Hey, if you live long enough, you'll see it all, eh?