I’ve got the kind of job that requires talk radio. I’m a house painter, you see, and there’s nothing more boring than seeing your brush go back and forth 20,000 times a day and listening to that same voice in your head over and over. No thanks. I’ll take talk radio over that voice any day, and everyday I do.

WDEV’s my favorite station by far – at least in the morning. And Mark Johnson’s got the best show going – by far. Sure, he can get a bit bland more frequently than I’d like but he knows how to interview better than anyone else in the state. Johnson’s at his best, however, when he’s had a little too much of that Vermont Coffee Company coffee he flacks for. His hyper-silliness is strangely endearing in a very nerdy kind of way. You can imagine his offspring rolling their eyes and giving that youthful “Daaaaaaad,” when he gets rolling into his giddy zone.

You can always count on Johnson having a more than listenable show. He usually does his homework – with the exception of the other day when he had a man named “Robin” on the show and he introduced him as being a woman. Oops. But he rolled with the blunder and came out and admitted the obvious: “I obviously haven’t read your book.” Or the book jacket, I might have added.

The worst thing Johnson’s got going for him are his obnoxious regular callers. Good grief, where do these folks find the time – or gall – to call every single day? Worse, they say the same damn thing every time they call. Don’t they know that we know what they’re going to say before they say it? Hell, all I need to hear Mark say is “we’ve got Dick from St. Albans on the line” and I can hear Dick’s rant about the big, horrible government in my head. And the same goes for “Bill in Waterbury” and his angry rants about the Constitution. Or “John in Barre,” who has to begin every call with a bit of history about himself (where he worked, where he studied, how long he’s been retired). Ugh.

As these all-to-frequent-callers attest to, Johnson’s one-call-a-day policy is way too lax. He needs to figure out a way to shut the door on these same old, same old, same old callers, one after the other, day in and day out. Not only do they bring the show to a grinding halt, I think they prevent new callers from calling just because they don’t want to be lumped in with the caller drones. “Ew,” I can hear someone saying to themselves as they dial up WDEV, “am I going to sound like THEM?”

For the most part, however, Johnson just puts up with them. I guess that’s what makes Johnson such a nice guy. Until, of course, the nutcake named Brian Pearl calls him. But even Pearl gets through and gets his time to spread his hyper-right-wing paranoia. If anyone ever gets Johnson’s ire, it’s Pearl. Notice, for example, the little game the two of them have with the introductions they give themselves. Most everyone else is simply referred to by his or her first names, but Brian Pearl is introduced as “Brian Pearl.” To which, Pearl responds without fail: “Hello, Mark Johnson.” Oh boy, feel the tension.

Pearl doesn’t have the guts to bitch about Mark to Mark, though. He knows Johnson will cut him off at his knees. Instead, Pearl waits to bitch about Mark until True North Radio begins after Mark signs off at 11. On True North, Pearl gets to fall into the rightwing arms of host Paul Beaudry, a man who is trying like hell to be Rush Limbaugh but he’s missing one key ingredient: a brain.

Last week, Pearl called Beaudry to report that he was convinced a “terrorist cell” was formed in Central Vermont and they were calling Johnson’s show to foment the notion that Israel might be overreacting in its response to the kidnapping of two of its soldiers. And Beaudry latched onto it like Rush would latch onto a prescription medication, later declaring that these “terrorists sympathizers” wouldn’t be allowed on his show. Way to go, Paul! Score one for homeland security!

Other than the fact that Johnson’s listenable and Beaudry’s not, there’s another big difference between the two: Johnson’s paid to do his show and Beaudry pays for his hour of airtime. Trust me, WDEV’s Ken Squire is no dummy. If someone like Beaudry’s going to slobber on Squire’s microphone, he’s going to pay handsomely for it. I’ve heard that Beaudry and his rightwing supporters are paying close to $200 an hour for the chance to spew their hate on a daily basis on WDEV – the same Anthony Pollina pays for his “Equal Time” show.

And there’s a reason Johnson gets paid for his work. He’s damn good. And he helps me get through the morning. I just wish I wasn’t on a ladder so I could give him a call once in a while. What’s your excuse?

( – promoted by odum)

I’m waiting for a call back from Bernie’s office to see what his stance on H.R 551 might be. The bill would change the “No Child Left Behind Act” to allow students and their families to protect the release of their information to military recruiters by, in effect, requiring them to opt-into the database rather than opt-out of it.

Read all about it here: http://www.democracy…

A downloadable version of this petition can be found at www.StudentPeaceAction.org. I encourage all of you to print it out, but instead of just circulating it among parents, teachers and fellow adult activists, give it to a teenager. Put this petition in the hands of the people this legislation effects. Let them make their voices heard. This petition has no requirements of age or voting status and it is an excellent way to educate and empower students about how they are impacted by the decisions of the people we elected.

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I realize this is short, but I wanted to get this up.
Take a look at this ballot

and flow below the fold.

This also doesn’t say much, but Kos just posted this at the Big Orange. Could this be an attempt to steal thunder from one name I seem to recognize as a Green?
This piece from Boston.Com sheds a little light…….

Wow.

The presentation at the Bennington Free Library seemed, at first blush, to be about things like Vermont’s tax burden, education costs, business environment and the cost of health care.

But what it was really about was a chart.

The chart brought by [Sen. Wendy] Wilton [R-Rutland] and [Sen. Kevin] Mullin [R-Rutland] – in so many words – said Republicans are good because they vote to keep Vermont affordable, and that Democrats are bad because they want Vermonters to lose their shirts.

This concocted event was the biggest bunch of election year bootsquash to roll through Bennington since the last horse trailer pulled through town on its way to the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset.

The real issue is this: Instead of spinning a misleading list of legislative votes, the state GOP should be working with Democrats to make Vermont a truly affordable place to live.

Sadly, as the “Affordable Vermont Tour” clearly demonstrates, the only thing the GOP is interested in is an agenda of re-election in November.

‘Nuff Said. Check out the whole thing. It only gets better – especially in the account of the Bennington County Democratic Legislators showing up at this farce and calling it for what it is – a crass, cynical attempt by the GOP and the VT Chamber of Commerce to smear Democrats and weasel in their agenda through misrepresentation of legislators’ records.

The national GOP playbook is obviously in broad circulation in Vermont these days.

( – promoted by Jack McCullough)

Scudder Parker’s Statement to the Brattleboro Peace Rally – July 30, 2006:

My political consciousness was shaped in large part by my opposition to the Vietnam War.  I opposed the deepening involvement of our nation in that war when I was a student at Williams College, and when I studied at Union Theological Seminary.  As a new pastor in the communities of East St. Johnsbury and Lower Waterford, Vermont, I spoke and organized against the war.  I learned that it is possible to oppose a war while caring deeply for the soldiers and their families who are most directly affected by our nation’s conduct in war.

It is due to this experience of ministering to families who have experienced sacrifice and loss at the hands of war, that I feel a special empathy and compassion for Cindy Sheehan. I recognize her pain, and her anger. I also applaud her actions. By exercising her civil rights – and I would argue that is her duty as an American to exercise those rights – she has become a leader and an example for us all. I understand that she can’t be with us today as intended, because she is traveling to the Middle-east to speak for much-needed peace in that region.

I have been opposed to the war in Iraq since George Bush first began building the propaganda toward the war. I used my first press conference as a candidate to speak out against the war and the Bush administration’s attempts to silence critics. Throughout my opposition to this war, however, I have continued to reiterate my commitment to supporting our military personnel and their families.

Little question remains that the Bush administration deceived us into going to war.  They systematically manipulated the American people and Congress.  George Bush, Dick Cheney, and their subordinates continue to repeat the falsehoods and distortions that led us into a conflict that has cost thousands of lives, immense suffering, billions of dollars, and a steady decline of America’s moral standing in the world.

I believe this administration has done severe damage to our nation’s standing as a beacon of justice for other peoples.  It is not just the rush to war and the continued deception; it is also the claim to be a presidency above the law and above the constitution. George Bush continues to show himself as a world leader with a profound disregard for international law.

The founders of this nation and this state trusted the people with freedom and created a government to protect that freedom.  We are free because we have a voice, and we have a voice because we are free.  In this spirit, we can step forward when our own leaders falter. This is true patriotism.

Vermonters have an innate sense of what is right.  It’s why we aren’t afraid to stand up and speak. Though we are a small state, we can have a loud voice.  Over the past several months, Vermonters have raised their voices in a movement supporting an impeachment resolution – and the nation took notice.  I am excited and inspired by the grassroots energy that rose to stand up for what is right – and as governor I want to harness that energy.

There is no question in my mind that impeachment proceedings against this president are warranted, and might be the best way to restore our democracy.  I will, as Governor, continue to speak out against this war, against torture, and against the disregard shown for our civil liberties shown by the Bush administration.  I will work with Vermonters to get their voices heard.

It has never been more clear why it’s just as important who we elect as governor as who we elect as president.  Jim Douglas has failed repeatedly to stand up for Vermonters in the face of George Bush and the radical Republican agenda in Washington.  He’s said YES to the Iraq war.  He’s said YES to No Child Left Behind.  He’s said YES to the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy that are eviscerating essential social service and job programs for those who need our help the most.  Jim Douglas has failed to do all he can do for our farmers during the current crisis.

I have faith in Vermonters’ sense of what is right. When I am elected Governor of Vermont, I will listen to the voice of Vermonters. I will listen to Vermonters and I will lead.

I will lead on investing in clean, reliable and secure energy for our state.  I will lead on making sure every Vermonter has healthcare.  I will lead in bringing accessible and effective education and childcare to Vermont.  I will stand up for working people and the middle class.  I will stand up for our dairy farmers – crisis or no crisis.

As Governor, I will continue to speak out against this war, against torture, and against the disregard shown for our civil liberties shown by the Bush administration.  If Vermonters speak clearly for Impeachment proceedings against George Bush, I will take action and I will make sure their voices are heard and their position is represented.

I will close by invoking the words of John F. Kennedy: “For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.”

These are times that call for our state and our nation to embrace the voice and leadership of its people, not to turn a deaf ear. Vermont – I am listening. I will continue to listen, and I will not falter on leadership. Elect me governor and I will provide leadership of which you can be proud.

Submitted by vtpeace