From the New York Post:

Caroline Kennedy last night withdrew her name from consideration to replace Hillary Clinton in the U.S. Senate after learning that Gov. David Paterson wasn't going to choose her, The Post has learned.

I think this is a good thing. It's not just the question of whether she's paid her dues. She's done some charitable work, and that's been valuable, but from my reading it doesn't appear that she's really done anything political, which is kind of important if you aspire to be a politician. I also think there are bound to be other Democrats in New York, including strong women, who would be just as good for the job, who wouldn't have to carry the weight of having been handed it, and who have actually gone out and scrambled for votes year after year.

[Actually not by Jack anymore, although he did me the great favor of posting the first draft for me. — NanuqFC]

Thanks to tickets provided by the Inaugural Committee by virtue of my having been a member of the Electoral College for Vermont, I was 100 yards from the podium in front of the Capitol.

From the nearest-to-DC Arlington stop on the Metro (we left at 6 a.m.), it took us 3.5 hours to get to our seats, then another two hours to wait for the festivities to begin (temperature: 19 degrees). It was crowded, Metro stations closed as trains emptied near the Capitol, then re-opened. Some people with tickets who had started earlier than we did ended up not getting in to the ticketed area (capacity: 240,000 people, sitting and standing).

It was a genial and sometimes joyful crowd. Streets from Metro stations were wall-to-wall people of all colors and from all states, all heading in the same direction.

As Inauguration time neared, on the Jumbotron screen ahead and to our right, the soon-to-be-President was shown walking down a hallway in the Capitol building, looking perhaps a bit daunted by the tasks ahead, by the gift and burden of a people’s belief in his abilities to bring about what he has promised: change. Not afraid, not at all, but serious and in full recognition of how difficult it will be and of all the hopes and tears riding on his shoulders.

Occasional chants of “O-bama! O-bama! O-bama!” and “Yes. We. Can!” filtered forward from the mass of millions occupying the National Mall toward the steps of the Capitol. We turned around and saw a sea of red, white and blue as they all waved their flags. The Reflecting Pool was frozen solid enough for handfuls of people to venture out on it.

More details on the flip.

Aretha Franklin put soul into “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.” YoYo Ma and Itszak Perlman plus others despite the cold made John Williams arrangement of “Simple Gifts” sound special.

When Rick Warren began giving the “invocation,” my spouse and I stood up, turned our backs, and I raised my rainbow scarf in silent, non-disruptive protest of the man’s publicly expressed bigoted beliefs about marriage equality. There was not much reaction from the people around us. A 30-something woman sitting arm-in arm with a man about the same age smiled and nodded at us. An older black man with a long-lensed camera in the row right behind us said, “Protest all you want, but could you move a little that way so I can get this shot?”

Warren’s words were fairly predictable and not especially offensive, unless you were not a Christian — he made no space for anyone of any other religion to be part of his invocation, ending with what some Christians call the “Our Father” and others call “The Lord’s Prayer.”

Cheers greeted former Vice President Al Gore and former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. The grassroots rabble on the Mall actually booed when soon-to-be-former Vice President Dick Cheney was wheeled onto the Capitol balcony in a wheel chair, and when George W. Bush finally showed up. Most people in our section did not boo and were willing to give at least the office its due and stood when the departing President was announced.

It was amazing to hear Barack Obama take the Oath. And in his inauguration speech he clearly repudiated the past 8 years of fear and fascism. It was being a witness, being part of the crowd, breathing the air, sharing the joy, smiling at strangers in hours-long lines, and having them smile back. Confessing to other first-time DC visitors and local residents alike that I had cried at my first close-up sight of the Capitol the day before. Best button: “I Was There! Barack Obama’s Inauguration” and variations on that theme.

One of my temporary flat-mates reported that the folks on the National Mall also booed Joe Lieberman (tough crowd!). Before she got out of the National Mall, the helicopter carrying FORMER President George Bush flew low overhead. The crowd sang to the departing W: “Na na nah na, Na na nah na, Hey, he-ey, goo-oodbye!”

It took 2 hours to get from our seats back to Arlington, and we were so cold, having stood and sat in the cold for 8-plus hours, that all we wanted was warmth, a bathroom, and some food, in that order. We watched the parade on TV.

Best close-up celebrity sighting: in the security line for over an hour a few people ahead of us stood actress Alfre Woodard. I went over to say how much I appreciated her work as a fan from Vermont. She asked where, and I gave the answer I give to anyone I assume hasn’t a clue about the state: “Up near the Canadian border.” “But where?” she asked again. “East of St. Albans, if you know where that is,” I said. “I know St. Albans,” she said. We wished each other the joy of the day and resumed our places in the slow ooze of the crowd toward the security gates. Also present (by report) in our section of seats: Actors Jamie Foxx and Haille Berry.

It was a most amazing day, and I am glad and proud to have been a part of it.

NanuqFC

The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood. – MLK, Jr.

Bonus celebrity sighting: Waiting to meet a friend outside Union Station on Wednesday afternoon, I saw Jesse Jackson headed into the station followed by a red cap pushing a luggage trolley.

I don't usually get to listen to the Mark Johnson Show, but I'm home today for the holiday so I'm listening to it online. Mark has great coverage of Vermont issues, so it's pretty much always worthwhile to catch his show, but today I'm writing about a spot I hear on the show.

It's the Vermont chapter of the American Cancer Society challenging the Douglas plan to cut funding and enrollment for Catamount Health. Leora Dowling, whose voice and story are heard on the radio spot, has also been on Vermont Public Radio, telling her story of needing cancer treatment, and yet running into insurance limits that left her over $20,000 in debt.

Most of us probably think of the Cancer Society, like the other disease organizations, as simply a charitable group. I think it's great that they're taking a stand to fight the cuts to Catamount and a stand for health care coverage for all Vermonters.

One footnote: every day one of Mark's features is a conversation with Ellen Ratner of the Talk News Service. It's not always Ratner, sometimes it's another of their correspondents (remember, I don't get to hear him every day). Still, I was pretty shocked this morning to hear that Mark's interlocutor was Bob Ney, former Congressman, Abramoff crony and convicted bribe taker. WTF?

I refused to watch Bush's speech last night, but I just heard the NPR story about it. According to NPR, Bush delivered his speech to “200 friends and supporters”.

If you're like me I'm sure you had the same reaction I did: “Bush has 200 friends and supporters?”

The hack attack on Soapblox last week, that was a minor, but could have been a major disaster, has really made the news. It's covered in this week's New Yorker:

Late last Tuesday night, Pam Spaulding tried to post an entry on her blog, Pam’s House Blend, from her home in Durham, North Carolina. There was a technical glitch, and she couldn’t publish her post. To find the source of the problem, Spaulding decided to go to the Web site for SoapBlox, a small company in Denver that administers the sites for more than a hundred liberal blogs around the country, including Pam’s House Blend, which focusses on gay and lesbian issues.

Follow the link to read the rest.

People have been speculating about whether Eric Holder would try to equivocate, keep his options open, or otherwise do something to duck the question when he was asked the inevitable, but he did not.

Watch the rest of it here: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdAt1GcIs6E

Two sources today have revelations about Douglas's job cuts. You remember that late last year Douglas pushed to save money? Well, they didn't necessarily save money.

First, Dan Barlow reports in the Rutland Herald that Doug Racine has been able to squeeze information out of the Health Department and found out that at least six of the jobs that were cut were 100% funded by federal dollars. That's right: we didn't save a dime in General Fund money by cutting the positions.

Racine said the cuts were made because the department was told to cut a certain number of positions from its budget, but not a specific amount of money.

This morning in the Senate Economic Development Committee, Racine noted that these workers are probably now receiving unemployment benefits through the state.

“This is actually costing us more,” he said.

This follows on a story from Seven Days. Shay Totten has been able to dig up a very similar story.

The Body Count — Few people noticed that about a third of the 150 jobs Douglas cut from state government this summer were funded by the feds.

According to a tally by “Fair Game,” 22 of those jobs were fully funded by the feds; another 15 were at least half-funded (50 to 95 percent); and another 22 were less than half-funded by Uncle Sam.

Another 35 state-funded positions were on the books — some since 2006 — but never filled.

Like I say, the same story: Douglas wanted to be able to show job cuts, no matter whether they saved us any money, or no matter what services were lost.

We've heard the same story around here. Green Mountain Daily has learned that the Department of Education got its target from the Fifth Floor, and was able to cut enough money to meet its target without any job cuts. Guess what: the list came back from the Fifth Floor, rejected. Why? They didn't want to cut money, but bodies. Without the staff cuts, Douglas and his people weren't interested.

I guess you could chalk this up to the Scissorhands Phenomenon: he's not interested in governing, he has no interest in what the government actually does, but he definitely wants to be seen doing something. Regardless of whether it does anything for the people of Vermont.

In my job I deal with the Department of Mental Health every day. I dealt with them when they were the Department of Mental Health, I dealt with them when they were the Department of Developmental and Mental Health Services, I dealt with them when they were the Division of Mental Health of the Department of Health, and I deal with them now that they're the Department of Mental Health again.

I had cases with them when all their offices and staff were in Waterbury, and I could walk across the parking lot to talk to them, and I have cases with them now that they're in Burlington, and they have to drive down to Waterbury to try cases, do witness interviews, and go to meetings on the Vermont State Hospital.

Now, apparently they may be moving again. According to a story in today's Free Press, the state's considering another move, back to Waterbury.

It's fine with me. I'm sure there will be some advantages in having DMH staff in the same place as the State Hospital (motto: “We'll be closing sometime”) and other departments who deal with the same clientele. It makes you wonder, though: are the same people who thought it was such a great idea three years ago making the decision that it's a great idea to move back?

I first heard of Barney Frank when I was a relatively new Legal Services lawyer back in 1981. It was the first year of Reagan's presidency, and also the first year Reagan tried to implement his war on the poor by killing off the Legal Services Corporation. We heard that the appropriation for Legal Services was going to be taken up, so a few of us went to watch the debate on the floor of the house on C-SPAN, which was also brand new at the time.

Although Frank was a new congressman (it was his first term), he was the floor manager for the Legal Services appropriation. I was completely impressed. He was pretty much everything you see when you see him today: smart, prepared, funny, and completely unwilling to back down from a fight.

We won the funding debate, and even in a year when Reagan was getting Congress, under Tip O'Neill, to give him just about everything he wanted, he never succeeded in destroying legal services for the poor.

Last week's New Yorker had a profile of Frank, much older (aren't we all) but otherwise unchanged. In a 2006 poll of Capitol Hill staffers by Washingtonian, published shortly before the elections that gave Democrats control of the House for the first time in twelve years, Frank was voted the brainiest, funniest, and most eloquent congressman—a notable achievement, since he often speaks in a barely comprehensible mumble. With the Democratic victory he is now a powerful committee chair, he's an expert on affordable housing, and I think the profile is definitely worth reading. The article suggests that because of his committee chair he isn't likely to be interested in a Senate seat, but I can't think of anyone who would be a better successor to Ted Kennedy when he leaves office.

If you're a regular reader of GMD you might have more than the usual interest in politics and what happens in the Legislature, but you might not know how to get information about what's happening in the Legislature, how to get in touch with your representatives, and how to influence the process. This diary is a brief overview of how to get information about the happenings in the State House.

The Legislative web page. The Legislature maintains a web page. This is the front door to most of the information I'm talking about here. It's organized logically, so even if you don't remember anything else, getting to their home page should enable you to find what you're looking for.

The Legislative directory.  All the legislators, Senators and Representatives, are listed in the legislative directory pages. You can find their home addresses and phone numbers, and there is a separate listing of e-mail addresses. Every legislator has a legislative e-mail address assigned to him/her, and many have their own individual e-mail addresses. Because they get so much mail, I've had at least one legislator tell me that she can't keep up with her legislative e-mail and that it's better to use her private (but still published) address. They get a lot of e-mail, and a lot of regular mail, and most of them read everything they get.They're also generally open to phone calls, especially on the weekend when they're home. There is also a link to the biographical directory of the Legislature, in which you can read a short bio of every member and see their pictures, which can help if you're looking for someone you don't know.

The Committees.  In both the House and Senate, this is where most of the real work gets done, so it's important to know what's happening in the committees. There are hundreds of bills introduced each session, but most of them never receive any real consideration; they just stay “on the wall”, which literally means that an index card with the name of the bill on it is posted on the wall of the committee room and never taken down. The committees post their schedule every week, including the bills they're taking up and the witnesses who are testifying.

You also want to know who is on what committee. House members each serve on one committee, Senators each serve on two, and the committees are smaller. If you're interested in a bill that's in committee you'll want to be in touch with the members of the committee, so you'll need to know the membership. Speaker Shap Smith surprised everyone by naming all the committees on the first day of the session, but by now the Senate committees are also established and the memberships are on line.

 The Bills. Every bill that is introduced is assigned a number, assigned to a committee, and posted on the web. Generally the full text of the bill is posted, but if you see a bill that is listed as being introduced in “short form”, that generally means that the bill has been introduced at the request of a constituent but has not been drafted by the staff at Legislative Council and is not expected to receive consideration. As the session goes on you can find the current status of bills, including what committee they're in, whether they've moved from one body to the other, and stuff like that.

One thing you can't find out is what's happening to a bill in committee. Once a bill is in committee the committee may spend hours, days, or weeks taking testimony, and it may go through several iterations. These changes are not posted on the web until the committee reports the bill out for floor consideration, in which case the proposed amendments will appear in the calendar of the House or Senate. If you want to know what is really happening with a bill in committee you need to talk to a committee member and get a copy of the latest version of the bill. You can also generally get a copy from the Legislative Council staff person assigned to the committee.

The current law.  TheLegislature's web page is one easy place to find what is in Vermont statutes right now. You can browse by title, and there is also a full-text search engine. I use this all the time because it's free, it's on my desktop, and it's easy to use. It's current, except for the delay between the end of a legislative sessionand the time that all the new bills get incorporated into the database.

The Lobbyists.  To many people “lobbyist” is a dirty word, but it shouldn't be. It simply refers to people who spend some or all of their work time trying to influence legislation. In Vermont, lobbyists are required to be registered, and the registration lists their names, employers, and the subject of their lobbying activities; the registration includes a picture, so you can find them in the building. 

There is more to know about doing legislative work than this, but this is a start to let you know how to find some basic information.