Jim Douglas reads the polls.  He must realize that as long as the opposition puts up a single competent, and even mildly likeable, opponent there is no way he is going to win another term.  He also has woken up to the fact that he has no chance of winning any Congressional seat from Vermont in the next 20 years.

Kissing up to Obama didn’t get him much.  So, his political career in Vermont (his entire career) is over.  

The guy who always avoided taking any strong leadership positions, making tough decisions, or providing direction is now playing the conservative Republican: take on the state employees’ union, the gay marriage issue, and be the defender of “no new taxes” and coporate welfare . . . and hope it gets you a gig with the RNC or another Republican outfit in DC.  He needs a job.  

So long, Jim.