One can be forgiven a feeling of schadenfreude, given the history of the Democratic Legislature being, shall we say, less than supportive of its party’s candidates for higher office. This Legislature may end up better, of course, but it did fail its first test (moving the primary date to something more reasonable).

Still, sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, and past sins notwithstanding, the fact is that caucus leaders need support in this budget showdown with the Governor – not grandstanding – particularly not from other high profile Democrats, lest their grandstanding be used as a rhetorical billy club against us all by Republicans. This budget standoff is both a delicate and incalculably important political affair, and it behooves fellow Democrats in higher office already not to be too opportunistic and upset the apple cart. Case in point, Auditor Tom Salmon:

State Auditor Thomas M. Salmon has offered to lend his services as a mediator during the budget negotiations between the governor’s administration and the Legislature.

“Yes, the auditor has offered,” said Salmon in an e-mail to the Reformer Tuesday morning.

Salmon, first elected in 2006, said this is a sensitive and serious issue in Montpelier, and he could bring an independent and impartial voice to the discussions.

“I think most Vermonters would like to see a solution from the servants of the people,” Salmon said.

Salmon is not a professional mediator, he’s had nothing to do with this process, he’s not in any way qualified to play the role of parent-from-on-high he’s casting himself as – and yet he’s doing so at the worst possible time. We do expect a certain amount of showboating from politicians, but this one fails the right-place-at-the-right-time test rather spectacularly.