Interesting times at the Statehouse today, eh? Another session where something BIG happens. I could get used to this. Here are some quick post-game thoughts:
Creepiest moment: Newly appointed Senator Peg Flory (who droned on endlessly – possibly more than all her colleagues combined – in a quixotic quest to derail the Senate’s decision) was, of course, a member of the House until recently. As such, she kept mistakenly referring to Senate President Brian Dubie as “Speaker.” At one point, she apologized referring to her time “in the other body,” to which Dubie responded (and if this isn’t the exact quote, it’s pretty close) that “we’re glad to have you in our body.” Yeeg.
Biggest WTF moment: When the amendment that exemplified Senator Bartlett’s much-maligned attempt earlier in the week to scuttle this week’s vote was voted on, Bartlett voted against it. She also gave the most effective speech in support of a “no” vote on the final roll call.
It was an odd end to far and away the oddest political choice I’ve ever seen a candidate for high office make. Will it be enough to put her back into the game, or is the campaign damage already done?
What is it with Bobby Starr? That guy is the Ben Nelson of Vermont politics.
Best moment besides the vote: This definitely belonged to Chittenden Senator Tim Ashe, even if it did drag things out a bit needlessly. After Senator Flory introduced her “amendment” that would would have called for a second reactor to by built (dropping the name “Obama” every other word), Ashe noted in response that after being repeatedly lectured by Flory that (in her view) the vote on the bill represented a “rush to judgment,” how on Earth could her then asking the Senate to – out of the blue and with no hearings or discussion – call for a whole freaking new nuclear power plant pass the straight face test?
Well! No more Mister Nice Guy, I guess: Right out of the gate, Widely regarded nice guy Senator Phil Scott of Washington not only dismissed any questions about his stance, he took on a brand new identy as nasty partisan firebrand. He wasted no time getting on the record insulting President Pro Tem Shumlin by nakedly accusing him of playing politics and reaching for a particularly lame vehicle for his condemnation in an accusation that Shumlin had short circuited the normal rules committee process by polling members, rather than convening a formal vote. Shumlin countered that this was part of the way it works, giving back better than he got in the dig department.
The whole thing simply ended up reflecting badly on committeeman Mullin (R-Rutland) who ended the discussion by feebly promising Scott he would never allow himself to be so polled again. One had the sense he didn’t want Scott to ground him.
But Scott persisted in angry partisan warrior mode throughout, even tongue-lashing the body after the vote for trying “score political points.” Scott is, of course, running for Lieutenant Governor and was obviously all about scoring some political points himself to get through the GOP primary. Who knows, maybe he’ll go the full tea-bag before this is done.
Interesting sidenote: the Senate pages were bringing pink slips with the constituent phone calls regarding the vote to the various senators. Scott had an exceptionally large pile – probably dozens. From what I saw, every time he received one he just tossed it, still folded closed, into the pile with the others. I don’t think he bothered to read a single one. Real man o’ the people, there.
Bonus prize: Nobody was talking about Jim Douglas today. In the past his presence has drifted over important legislative decision-making moments like really nasty flatulence. Today, he was the lamest of ducks. He didn’t matter a whit, or perhaps a whiff.
I thought Sen. Cummings, who was managing the bill, did a good job going right at the various criticisms that have been leveled at the process and the Dem leadership. Late in her floor time, she also made the point I’d been hoping she would make in response to the crocodile tears being shed by the R’s (always staunch allies of Working Vermonters, especially union members, you know) over lost jobs.
First, she corrected their relentless assertion about 600 lost jobs, noting first that only about 200 Vermonters are employed at the plant and that many of them will retain their jobs for years during the decommissioning.
Second, and most devastatingly, I thought, she got fed up and stood to ask, where was all the concern for lost jobs and the economic impact of same when the Douglas administration was scything the ranks of state employees?
Nary a word about the poor workers after that.
Yeah, Cummings really stood her ground well against Flory. Flory mounted her attack well too. A week or so ago I had seen her in the cafeteria surrounded by Entergy and Vt. Yankee people. Cummings was quick on the call about no one shedding a tear for all the state jobs lost, taking the wind out of Flory. Scott was the “man of the people.” I did not see him throw away the piles of phone call notices, but he really had only one person in mind: himself and his kind. Mullins really made a pathetic hash of it, though I was surprised that he voted no in the second round.
I wondered how he and Flory could hold a straight face later on.
It was well worth the slog through the snow to the State House.
My observations mostly echo what has been said here.
Lt.Gov.Brian Dubie struck me as amazingly ill suited and awkward in the job he has had for how many years? Eight?
In what should have been a good forum to quietly show his prowess he appeared for all the world like someone dropped into a situation totally alien.
It was as if it was his first day with totally new surroundings,language and rituals. Dropped from another planet or from another time,Life on Mars.
He seemed ill at ease in his own legislative body.
Shumlin certainly ruled the proceedings.He never acted like he expected anything but a win.
Senator Cummings really was sharp with the historic VY summary and facts.
“…not the final word on Yankee” which the media have already picked up is the new catch phrase, meme thing for Entergy and its supporters.
I read Douglas’ comment on the vote was that it was “largely symbolic”.
Ann Cummings did a great job managing this bill, and going right after all the specious arguments raised by the VY supporters.
As for Dubie–I was listening to the VPR feed, but it sounded to me that he had to be constantly reminded of what he was doing, what the proper procedure was at different points. He definitely didn’t instill confidence in his ability to work with any legislative body.
We should also give the thumbs-up to Bill Doyle, Vince Illuzzi, and Diane Snelling, the three Republicans who never supported any of the pro-Yankee shenanigans and voted to shut it down.
Is Bartlett even really in the game?
As someone who has been represented in both the House and now the Senate by Flory, let me just say that I hope everyone here will support (and I mean really support with volunteer hours and money) the Dems running for Senate in Rutland County this year! I would just really love not to be represented by her (in any body!) anymore!
“n really support with volunteer hours and money) the Dems running for Senate in Rutland County this year”
Amen jjem. Amen. It would be a great thing for some dems from Rutland County to evict Flory and Mullin from the statehouse.
“Ann Cummings did a great job managing this bill, and going right after all the specious arguments raised by the VY supporters.”
Right on, Jack. She did. I have talked with Ann several times and never thought she had the personality or magnetism to handle the assault of Flory who was charging ahead, but I was wrong. Ann blunted Flory well. She knew her stuff.