On Thursday Vermonters heard from the group I called “the gang of four,” the Democrats who ran for the chance to lead Vermont.

BURLINGTON–Susan Bartlett, Matt Dunne, Deb Markowitz and Doug Racine took Brian Dubie to task for his despicable campaign of lies. The former Shumlin rivals said Dubie had to run a campaign of distortion and cover up to hide his plans to decimate health care, education funding, seniors services and reproductive rights. The following are the highlights of the transcript from today’s press conference in Montpelier.

[press release from the VDP]

Good. More like this please, exposing the slick, twisty rhetoric (alternating with his slack-jawed, creepy stare) Dubie’s been mouthing.

Not to mention his wife’s  shrill insistence, ‘my husband is not a bully!’ Maybe not in person, but politically, he’s already said he’s targeting the most vulnerable for cuts in services. That’s definitely what a bully does.

And playing the ‘victim’ card is what bullies do when confronted. QED.

Presenting a united front against the Rovian campaign Dubie signed on to is a terrific use of these four credible, popular, experienced Vermont candidates who roused Vermonters in a non-presidential year to turn out for what are usually sleepy – if not pro forma – primaries.

Rally ’round, folks. Fire up the base and their families and friends by straight talk – and it would be especially effective for the Go4 to rally up in the regions where they did best.

More quotes from the press conference (via VDP press release) below the fold. Video of the press conference is available here.

Doug Racine:

If you check out the video, you’ll see Racine also take the press to task for promulgating the idea that ‘all politicians lie to get elected.’ He reminds them that it’s their job to find the truth.

This is a guy who, a couple of weeks ago, said that he was going to stop the negative advertising. And if you look at his latest ad it’s like a compilation of the worst charges that he’s been making against Peter Shumlin throughout this campaign. It’s about character assassination.  …

Who are the most vulnerable, in your mind, Brian? And who are those who are receiving services who you do not think are vulnerable? Tell us what human services programs you are going to cut and who is going to be affected. … [H]ow much pain and suffering are you willing to inflict on those Vermonters who are relying on a little bit of assistance to pay for your tax cuts for the wealthiest Vermonters who, by the way, are not asking for those tax cuts?

Deb Markowitz:

They don’t care if they destroy Peter Shumlin’s character and his reputation. They just want to win. And that’s not the Vermont way. 

Brian Dubie has had the chance to answer this question at least five times: So Brian, would you restrict a woman’s right to choose if you become governor? Yes or No. What about family planning or abstinence only sex education?

Matt Dunne:

I am disappointed to see Brian running the kinds of ads, again, that aren’t about the issues at hand. The tenor has gotten increasingly nasty …  And I am hoping he will see the anger that it’s causing voters.

My son goes to the same small school I went to: Hartland Elementary. … Brian, why do you want to eliminate local control from our education system?

Susan Bartlett:

It’s obvious that the Republicans’ approach to campaigning is to instill fear and to, even when corrected, to continue to say ‘this is the truth, this is the truth, this is the truth.’

In 2009, 50% of the households in the State of Vermont at some point during the year were called by collection agencies over their health care bills. Don’t tell me, Brian Dubie and Republicans, that the system we have is OK, and that we just need to nibble around the edges to make it better.                                                    

You can control the outside money and what they say if you choose to do it. And Brian is not choosing to do it. Brian is choosing to be negative. He is choosing to avoid issues. Vermonters deserve better. 

Brian Dubie can’t campaign on issues because he has no plan. Therefore, he’s campaigning with fear and smear. Don’t let him win.

We need more straight talk like this from a united Democratic front. Now is the time: 10 days to the election.