It’s clear Martha Rainville is a woman who can’t make a decision.  First, she couldn’t decide
what political party she belonged to.  Next, she couldn’t decide if she was a candidate or not,
all the while using the VT National Guard for her photo ops.  Now she can’t decide whether
she should return the two thousand dollars her campaign received from House Republican
Whip Roy Blunt’s “Rely On Your Beliefs” Political Action Committee.  What are her beliefs? 
She seems to have a lot of difficulty with that question.  If she doesn’t know what her own
beliefs are, how can we trust her to make important decisions for us?

Vermonters can’t afford to exchange the leadership of Bernie Sanders for a Bush/Douglas
clone. The last thing we need in Washington right now is more Republican incompetence. Bush talks about draining the swamp of terrorists.  It’s clear we need to drain the swamp in Congress, not send more of the same.

My vote will go to Peter Welch.  He can make decisions.  He knows who he is and what he
believes.  He will represent Vermonters. 

Yosarian –
“Save the bombardier, save the bombardier!  Wait, I am the bombardier.”

Inside sources say that, in an extraordinary last-minute compromise during the waning weeks of Vermont’s Legislative session, Party leaders have joined together on both Parties’ biggest priorities; a bill expanding affordable Health Care coverage, and the long-stalled Civil Commitment bill. In fact, in a stunning turnaround, Civil Commitment (allowing for offenders to be kept under house arrest, or similar restriction for an indefinite period after their term has been served) will apply not only to sexual-based, but to all incarcerated felons.

The combined Health Care and Civil Commitment bill would create the Catamount Health Commitment Plan, and it actually combines the elements of both partisan priorities.

After their release, participating felons will be held under “house arrest” indefinitely at a series of group homes, which will also serve as free public clinics. Lawmakers are thrilled about the potential for savings to the system on paperwork — which will now be performed by the former felons, with the savings passed on to taxpayers.

And it won’t just be paperwork the felons will be performing. Appropriately skilled former inmates will participate in the medical practice as well. For example, a former drug offender may be qualified under the new evaluation to be trained as a pharmacist.

The program was the quiet brainchild of political consutant April Sciocco, who is particularly excited about the rehabilitative element to the bill:

“Offenders will be paying back society in a real, tangible way, and making Vermont better for everyone while improving themselves. The bill allows us to evaluate our “civil practitioner” participants with an eye towards an offender’s potential, not just their current skillset. While doing surveys of the prison population, I encountered an inmate due for parole for the murder of two people with a kitchen knife who is excited about the prospect of starting a new career as a surgeon! It’s quite inspiring!”

Asked how long the “civil practitioners” may be kept in service, Sciorro replied “that depends on how long people keep getting sick.”