I'm not sure whether I should be saying he's started early or what took him so long, but Brian Dubie has jumped into the demagogue business with both feet.

His campaign has largely been following an under-the-radar rose garden strategy. He hasn't exactly been holed up, but unless you're a member of the Elks or Odd Fellows in some small town you probably haven't had much chance to see him lately.

Today, though, he signs up for that old reliable among right-wing Republicans: the No New Taxes pledge. You'd almost think he was running on the other side of the river.

Meanwhile, just Friday, what did he say in the Caledonian-Record? Let's shovel $8.6 million of taxpayer dollars into the coffers of Vermont businesses. But let's just think for a moment. Where are those millions of dollars coming from?

If you guessed taxpayers, you're right.

So where's the demagoguery? Pretty simple, really. The fake populism of the Republicans is the formula: pretend you support the little guy, while dishing out the goodies to the fat cats.