Oh for god’s sake. From Totten:

One key appointment hasn’t been announced publicly, though: chairman of the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors. This person assembles the 18-member advisory panel that, in turn, shapes the governor’s economic policies.

Since the reign of Gov. Madeleine Kunin, one man has chaired this council – Harlan Sylvester, the political kingmaker and consummate insider I wrote about last October in a story titled “The Man Behind the Throne.”

Sylvester backed Republican Brian Dubie for governor, raising questions about whether Shumlin would keep Sylvester around. Question no more: Despite Sylvester’s support for his rival, Shumlin has decided to keep the 77-year-old on as the council’s chairman.

This is appalling. Sylvester is a paper tiger: a self-appointed kingmaker who has made himself legendary in Burlington political circles. His only real power has come from the perception of his power, and his consistent talent at presenting himself as a big shot.

Economically, he espouses just the kind of big corporate, trickle-down, discredited supply side nonsense which has crippled the US economy, limited real prosperity (except among those with the highest incomes) and threatened much of our safety net. He is the failed past – and a Dubie/Douglas supporter to boot. Further empowering him in this way does we, Shumlin’s allies – particularly in Burlington – no favors whatsoever. On the contrary, Sylvester should be politically marginalized.

It was one thing when Shumlin acknowledged political opponent Bill Stenger of Jay Peak fame – the same one who was instrumental in the legally questionable (at best) RNC television ad against him – during his inaugural speech. That looked kinda noble.

By re-promoting Sylvester to his appointed lordship (and squandering an opportunity to get some new blood and new ideas where they are desperately needed), Shumlin doesn’t look noble. He looks like an eager-to-please puppy dog. And in retrospect, it makes the Stenger acknowledgment look a little less rosy. Stenger, after all, apparently stood him up in the actual inauguration, as it sounded as though Shumlin couldn’t find him on the floor.

I don’t know about you, but I’d be more interested to see the big-shot moneybag Republican supporters looking eager to please the new Governor, rather than have him looking quite so eager to play the role of corporate old boy network groupie.