Even as I continue to get emails scoffing at the oddsmaker… From Vermont View:
Washington County Sen. Anthony Pollina, the biennial Progressive candidate who took more than 20 percent of the vote in the 2008 governor’s race, said Monday that, in light of Shumlin’s stance against the workers’ grievance, Progs may have to rethink their partnership with the Democratic governor.
“At this point, I’m not contemplating (a third-party gubernatorial candidacy),” Pollina said. “But I know that conversation is beginning to percolate around.”
A modicum of effort (and humility) on the part of the administration, and this all gets straightened out. Seriously. Step one is to stop the self-inflicted wounding.
Just what we need; the spoiler to throw the governorship back to the GOP. Go away, Anthony.
God, ya gotta love ’em. Just when you think Vermont is turning into a ‘Red’ state (Welch’s atrocity, Shumlin’s union bashing), A Major VT. Party comes out in support of workers, unions, and OWS. The most ‘elitist’ Party in the state is now in the position of becoming the ‘People’s Party’ in Vermont. An issue (labor) is an issue, and if the Vermont Progressive Party can make it a bigger issue, good for them. It’s past time everybody quit apologizing for Dems from Obama to Shumlin in terms of: “Oh my, goodness-me, the Republicans are so much worse.” Bullshit. I voted for Racine in the primary cause I knew Shumlin’s record as a long-time sleeze. I don’t think Racine would be bashing the VSEA now. Shumlin is doing the work of the Republican/Rich/Corporate Party. We are being fed the line of shit (from the Republican/Rich/Corporate cartel) that any Dem is better than a Republican because Republicans can count on Dems like Welch and Shumlin when push comes to shove. In other words, like it or not, the Democratic Party has been co-opted by the Republican Party from the National to State level.
Shit, now I’ve got to vote for Pollina. (As you may recall from past posts and comments, I ain’t exactly a fan of his or the Prog Party.) BUT, I sure as HELL ain’t voting for Pinocchio. Here’s an interesting 3-way: Shumlin, Illuzzi and Pollina. Wonder what Vince has to say about the VSEA issue? Hello, Vince? AND, let’s have a big issue on what Shumlin really is–a Rich Guy who protects the Rich from the Tax Collector by robbing from working people.
Perhaps next year should have more ‘spoilers’ in elections all over the country. Dems might learn something. Yeah, maybe to switch Parties and become Republicans.
How much more selling-out can the Dems do in the name of “It’s Them, not US?” WHO is it that makes people vote for Republicans? I’ll bet there’s a check in the mail from Wall St. to the DNC. Nah. First it’s gotta be laundered.
Go Proggies! (Ya Sonsabitches!)
It pretty clear with Welch fondling the Stupor Committee and Shumlin dissing labor and refusing to tax the upper brackets while dealing out lots of pain to the working class, poor and those with disabilities, that even our “exceptional” VT Democratic party is just half of the one party of Wall St. political party. While I’d prefer an overhaul of the whole system, it’s clear that more than ever we need a third party that does stick with labor and understands that the people in this country were absolutely screwed by criminal banksters. The Dims are right there with the repugs in trying to force those least able to pay the gambling debts of the criminal class that tossed millions out of their homes, destroyed pensions, and stuck students with huge debt in an era of no jobs and kept them from even having the possibility of bankruptcy. All the while trillions were given to the banks and only Bernie Sanders ever bothered to look into that.
Every slogan of OWS is an understatement: banks got bailed out, we got sold out. Shout it out. without a doubt banks got trillions to throw folks out.
I watched Shummy’s inaugural speech and it looked good til he got to the part where the rubber meets the road, deciding no raising taxes on the rich. Yeah well he is one of them and the whole political and financial class does not understand the fury they have unleashed in those who do get what is happening to we the people, but they soon will.
“Spoiler”? Really? Anyone that wants to vilify Senator Pollina and the Progs for taking a stand in defense of what used to be Democratic ideals is, in my opinion, just wrong headed and short sighted. If our party allows a politician, any politician, to attack workers rights we have given up the moral high road of which we have been the primary defenders since the 60’s. Governor Shumlin chose to vilify the VSEA and the state workforce very publicly and very aggressively for doing nothing more than enforcing the State employment contract. The Administration and Labor are bound to have disputes from time to time. It’s just the nature of the relationship. Those disputes should be allowed to be resolved respectfully and cordially governed by mutually agreed upon terms rather than the scorched earth approach that Governor Shumlin has chosen to take. If anyone should be deemed to be a “spoiler” in this situation, it should be Governor Shumlin. Senator Pollina and the Progs are heroes in my book, they are standing up for Democratic ideals when our leadership is too cowardly to do so.