(Haven’t bumped up a diary of vtpeace’s for a while, and we don’t have near enough Scudder coverage, so… – promoted by odum)
http://www.benningtonbanner.com/headlines/ci_3970699
Front page in the Bennington Banner: NO MORE MR. NICE GUY
Friday, June 23
BENNINGTON — Being governor requires more than being a nice guy. It also requires action and results, says Democratic gubernatorial candidate Scudder Parker. And that is why he is challenging Republican Gov. James Douglas this November.
Parker, a former Caledonia County state senator, said Douglas has been on cruise control in the governor’s office, counting on Vermonters to re-elect him because he is likeable.
“The conclusion when I press people is that Jim Douglas is a nice guy. If that’s what the race is about, I’m in it. I’ll take him on. We can have a nice-guy race for governor. This will be very exciting. We’ll show them all how nice we are. It will be very charming. And I think I can win that race, too,” Parker said.
But Parker is counting on the voters to look beyond the two nice guys and focus on the issues.
“If you really want a race about who can govern the state of Vermont; who will actually address the crisis in health care; who will actually address the crisis that we face in energy affordability and availability; who will actually make housing affordable … then I think it’s going to be a very interesting race. And if that’s what people focus on, then I will be the next governor of this state,” he said.
Parker is in Bennington County for three days as part of his “candidate in residence” program. After spending Wednesday in the Manchester area, Parker arrived in Bennington Thursday for two days. He has spent three to four days in each county to give Vermonters a chance to get to know him and to listen to what Vermonters are concerned about.
As part of his visit, Parker hosted a community forum at the Bennington Free Library Thursday evening. Parker, who attended Williams College in nearby Williamstown, Mass., told the crowd that Bennington “feels very much a part of home.”
He also took advantage of an opportunity to speak candidly with voters. His message was that the state is at a crossroads. It can continue to elect a governor who is in line with the White House, or it can go in a new direction.
“What I want to say to all of you is that this is a critical time in the state of Vermont. We have, at the national level, an administration that is systematically trying to dismantle all of the good things that have been put in place … in the last 100 years,” said Parker.
Parker is hoping voters understand that what is happening in Vermont is not separate from what is happening in Washington, D.C., and throughout the country.
“The real issue in this race is whether Mr. Douglas provides the kind of leadership the state needs. I believe that people will begin to move away from this kind of mindset that says, ‘Well, It’s not as bad as the national level’ to realizing that … what’s happening here is kind of an echo of the national level,” Parker said in an interview.
Parker believes that voters are beginning to take notice of the Douglas administration’s lack of results.
“They have had kind of a mental exception to Jim. I think that’s going to evaporate,” he said. “And I think, although his popularity may be relatively high now … I think it’s breaking through. Where is the substance? Where is this administration really delivering something that will protect Vermonters and make their lives better?” he said.
Parker said he will work more effectively with the Legislature than Douglas has been able to do in his two terms. He said Douglas has a habit of passing the blame when things don’t go his way.
“He challenges (the Legislature) … and then blames them for doing something when they do proceed with something that he doesn’t like. He vetoes their health care bill; vetoes the GMO legislation; the first governor to veto a piece of civil rights legislation in Vermont and then tries to draw the Human Rights Commission in to cover for him. This is a governor who is not standing up for the principles of Vermont, and I will,” he said.
During the forum, Parker called for the governor to act on behalf of the state’s farmers and ask President Bush to support a $4 billion emergency farm aid package that he threatened to veto.
“On agriculture has (Douglas) really come through for the farmers of Vermont? Will he in fact pick up the phone and call his president, the man he was bragging about who would be an ally to Vermont and benefit Vermont because they were of the same party?” said Parker. “The president is tying up the legislation that would provide money for that emergency funding, and Jim Douglas will not call the president and say, ‘Get off the dime. Get the money here and help the state of Vermont.'”
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E-mail Neal Goswami at ngoswami@benningtonbanner.com
Remember how proud Douglas was to be part of the Bush Team? Why isn’t he using the ‘collateral’ he earned from the 2000/2004 campaigns to stop Vermonters from being decimated from all the Federal budget cuts? What’s he saving it for?
Notice not much is ‘trickling down’ from the Federal Government — could it be the same (gasp) voodoo economics Bush 41 accused Reagan of endorsing? Is Douglas afraid to pick up the phone? Come November: Let’s see Douglas retired, and put Scudder Parker, Leahy, Sanders and Peter Welch (the grownups)in charge.
Barbara
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