Wowee, great news from the southeast today, where The Most Hated Man in the Senate has decided that two terms are enough. VTDigger:

Maverick Windham County Sen. Peter Galbraith said Monday that he won’t seek a third term in November.

Yahoo! Whoopee! Good riddance to annoying, egotistical rubbish.

Y’know, we could have a substantially improved State Senate after the November elections. At least some of the Democratic deadwood is thankfully departing, and Franklin County could significantly upgrade its delegation.

Of course, Galbraith has a typically self-aggrandizing rationale for his departure.

The Townshend Democrat said his growing involvement in an informal effort to find a political solution to the Syrian civil war won’t allow him to continue serving as a state senator.

Ah yes, The Great Diplomat hasn’t got time for the petty problems of us Vermonters, because The World Awaits His Genius. Well, I’m sure he’ll do a bang-up job with his next peace mission. Or possibly a “boom rat-a-tat-a-tat bang ka-pow blammo” job. Personally, I wouldn’t want Peter Galbraith diplomatizing a recess dispute at an elementary school.

I’m extra relieved at his departure because I saw a developing scenario that might have eased his way to a third term. Windham County’s other Senator, Jeanette White, is presumably safe. Two other candidates, Becca Balint and Joan Bowman, had already announced bids for the Senate, which could have led to the distressing scenario of the two newcomers splitting the anti-Galbraith vote and inadvertently ensuring his victory in a Democratic primary.

But that’s all academic now.

My only regret is that I won’t get the chance to post excerpts from “The Operators,” the late great Vermont journalist Michael Hastings’ book about American involvement in Afghanistan. He supposedly had some very caustic things to say about Mr. Galbraith, and I was looking forward to sharing. Oh well.

The Slummin’ Solon couldn’t exit the stage without some additional self-aggrandizement, of course:

“I think I did many things that antagonized the powers that be,” he said. “But I think they realized that I was not going to be subject to pressure.”

What a frickin’ hero. What a gasbag, making himself sound like some kind of political Steven Seagal. (Hmm. Actually, that’s about right; Seagal’s a phony tough guy, and Galbraith is a phony politico.) The only reason he wasn’t “subject to pressure” is that he was an entirely self-funded politician, who bought his way into the Senate with $50,000 of his oil millions.

But wait, there’s more:

Galbraith thanked the voters of Windham County for their support and wrote in an email that, “I intend to remain engaged in the affairs of the community and state that has always been my home, but, for the time being, I will do so under the title of citizen.”

Oh, just shut up.

In reality, Galbraith will continue to “remain engaged” under the same title as ever.

Bozo.