With so much at stake it becomes a major national issue when a US Senator is to be appointed to replace one stepping down in any state. That one person will, after all, themselves comprise 1% of the entire Senate, and that’s a big deal. Still, there’s been a dearth of commentary at this site about the process underway in our neighboring state of New York.

Former Vermont Governor Madeleine Kunin, however, has shared her own opinion at the often-interesting blog of the Vermont publishing house Chelsea Green. She says:

Yet, there is a good argument to be made that she would be the best person to fill that Senate seat. There are now 17 women in the United States Senate. With Hillary’s resignation, there will be 16, the same number that existed before November 4. A further argument would be that she could afford to campaign again for the seat in two years. But what interests me most is that the Kennedy legacy has been almost totally male, except for Kathleen Kennedy Townshend, a daughter of Bobby Kennedy, who served as Maryland’s Lt. Governor and lost her race for Governor in 2002.

So Kunin’s “good argument” is threefold:

1. Kennedy’s a woman (which apparently isn’t enough for Kunin to argue on the behalf of Carolyn Maloney or Kirsten Gillibrand, to whom she offers only a perfunctory collective reference).

2. Kennedy is rich.

3. Kunin’s perceived public need to enforce affirmative action among the Kennedy family itself.

I hope somebody has got a more sapient argument on Kennedy’s behalf than this.

Note: I am not a part of this project anymore.

Prominent mention in Leahy letter to Obama:

For instance, a $100 million fiber-to-the-home project in Vermont that could create hundreds of construction jobs, more than 100 immediate operations center jobs, and thousands of new business opportunities for Vermonters could start connecting customers this summer through the use of a $50 million USDA Rural Development broadband loan guarantee – an authorized program that has yet to be implemented.

(source: Leahy’s website)

That is definitely ECFiberNet

May day can be summarized quite well by this photo:

Our forecast for tonight reads:

Moderate to heavy snow will continue to fall across… southern Vermont…before tapering off from west to east between 7 and 8 PM. Snowfall rates of one inch per hour will be likely…with additional snow accumulation up to two inches in some spots through 8 PM. The snow will also reduce the visibility to less than one quarter mile at times.

I went out briefly this afternoon to take photos of birds.  All our Pine Siskins apparently decided to come back today, as there were once again huge numbers at the feeders.  Here’s one that was waiting as part of the queue:

I had to drive home in Friday’s snow storm (at least it was still light out) and my car hasn’t left the garage since.

What’s up with everyone else on this cold, quiet, day?