During the day, I'm basically a grunt worker for an advocacy group, and I don't diary about what they advocate. Seems disrespectful both to GMD readers and my employer. Frankly, as a hobbyist (at both this blog and through my involvement in my County Democratic Committee), policy matters aren't so much my bailiwick anyway – electoral stuff is. It makes for a nice personal symmetry that way, as my employer doesn't do the electoral thing at all.

So, wearing my electoral-observer hat, I can't help but look at the Climate Commission report, and the Governor's decision to ignore 90% of it, and wonder if the partisan electoral interests in the legislature and the Democratic Party structure aren't seeing what I'm seeing:

That is: George Bush's 9-11 Commission report. 

Bush was somewhat forced into creating the 9-11 Commission from public and Congressional outcry, and likewise chose to ignore 90% of it. In doing so, he created one of the most potent weapons to use against him – and that use came to a head when the Democratic Congress put him in a corner by working to pass legislation to enact all of the Commission's recommendations, leaving Bush caught between a rhetorical rock and a hard place. Now it's hard to believe that the Vermont legislative Democrats could muster the focus, leadership, teamwork and follow-through to create that sort of legislation around this commission.

But man, would it have the potential to turn the election year on its head if they did. I know I'd be breaking out the popcorn for a good show…