I got this email yesterday:

Hi John,

I’ve decided to run for lieutenant governor of Vermont in 2010. I’ve included the text from my announcement below, which is followed by links to my campaign platforms, my campaign promises, and the Bungalow Benchly for Lieutenant Governor of Vermont Facebook page. The announcement is fun, but if you’re looking for substance, I recommend the platforms and promises. Remember, Yes Benchly Can!

I would like to take this opportunity to announce my candidacy for lieutenant governor of the fine state of Vermont. (I am not kidding.)

A very entertaining email followed (I’ll put the whole thing below the fold.

So, Bungalow is a long time Vermont blogger (not a political blogger, but a blogger-blogger). His original livejouranal site (“The Continuing Story of Bungalow Benchly”) can be found here. His current site “Benchly’s Sword” can be found here. His announcement is here.

His bio from the livejournal site simply says “I’m quirky. Period.” In his announcement, along with a list of leftist staple positions, he promises “jukeboxes in all school cafeterias!”

So… er… there ya go. After you read the letter, you’ll kinda want to vote for him. Sort of takes me back to my own announcement of a run for office.

Full email:

Hi John,

I’ve decided to run for lieutenant governor of Vermont in 2010. I’ve included the text from my announcement below, which is followed by links to my campaign platforms, my campaign promises, and the Bungalow Benchly for Lieutenant Governor of Vermont Facebook page. The announcement is fun, but if you’re looking for substance, I recommend the platforms and promises. Remember, Yes Benchly Can!

I would like to take this opportunity to announce my candidacy for lieutenant governor of the fine state of Vermont. (I am not kidding.)

After several years of Dubie at the helm (read: waste of money), I think it’s time that the Vermont people declared in a bold and unified voice (with a few calculated pauses for dramatic effect and breaths): “if we’re actually going to spend money on this position, we should at least vote for someone with an even better name than Dubie, even if it is just a nickname.”

The office of the lieutenant governor of Vermont is a very important job. The lieutenant governor is the president of the state senate. Of course, if there’s no lieutenant governor, the constitution simply states that the senate can just pick someone else to be president, but still, Very Big Responsibility! And if the governor should fall ill, the lieutenant governor will be right at his/her side to provide OJ, medicine, and a cold washcloth for the forehead. And should that not work and the governor dies, the lieutenant governor becomes the governor. Whoa!

And I’m sure the lieutenant governor does tons of other fun stuff too, but just because I can’t think of anything other than this primary responsibility of waiting, doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

And it’s because of that responsibility of waiting, which, incidentally, I think I’m pretty good at (e.g., I once waited outside of Best Buy for four hours for a laptop!), and the weight of that responsibility one feels knowing that the governor’s next cough could mean so much, that I have decided that it is absolutely imperative for the fine people of this fine state to pick someone with a lot of time on their hands to wait. And considering that I’m spending so much time on this announcement and my Facebook group, I think we can all agree that I’m the right person for the job.

I love this state. I’m not particularly fond of its slogan “I LoVermont” because, let’s face it, “LoVermont” is not a real word and I’m all about real words, and good grammar, and proper capitalization, but I love this state!

And speaking of proper capitalization, I think it’s worth mentioning that “lieutenant governor” need not be capitalized unless it precedes the person’s name who holds such a position. This bugs me. Same goes for the state senate and president and what not. They’re not proper nouns! OK, I’m done venting.

I love Vermont! And I want to serve Vermont! So please vote for me, Bungalow Benchly for lieutenant governor. I want to be your Lieutenant Governor Bungalow Benchly! (See how I capitalized there?) For those who believe in God, God bless you and God bless Vermont, and for those of you who don’t, have a nice day! And if you’re agnostic, well, that’s OK, too.

– Bungalow Benchly

Bungalow Benchly for Lieutenant Governor Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/group….

Campaign promises: http://bungalowbenchly.blogspo…

Platforms: http://bungalowbenchly.blogspo…

UPDATE 4: This from the Freeps today:

Burlington’s Fletcher Allen Health Care confirmed one case Tuesday

Confirming that part of the disclosure doesn’t hurt the whistle-blower’s credibility. I think there may end up being more on all of this.

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UPDATE 3: It took some work, but I did finally receive a definitive answer from FAHC’s communications person to the specific question “Did facilities people at FAHC tell medical personnel they had to reuse N95 masks?”

His answer via email was “no.” Specifically (and a bit ambiguously), the answer was “the short answer is no.”

Perhaps ironically followed by the phrase “which i thought i made very clear.”

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UPDATE 2: Carrese has forwarded me a few things. Here is an image provided of the masks in question (N95). Here is an image of the masks that can be sterilized and re-used. And here is a word document describing FAHC’s official procedures on the use of the masks in this situation (and yes, sharp-eyed viewers may notice that this document is tagged as being created just this afternoon, but I am confident, either from cutting-and-pasting or whatever, that it is from September).

Of course, none of this contradicts what the whistle-blower reported. The story was not that standard written procedures deviated from appropriate protocols (such as those linked to in the original diary below), or that there were issues with training – the complaint (and the whole point of the diary) was that FAHC facilities administrators had directed them to deviate from standard procedure in a way that was unsafe, and that riled up the actual health care workers who know better. Someone from the facilities department was to be made available to speak with me, but that never actually materialized, unfortunately.

So questions still hang out there. Perhaps some folks on the ground at FAHC will materialize to set the record straight one way or the other. In any event, with this dustup, its probably safe to say that – if the report is accurate – any problem has probably been nipped in the bud.

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UPDATE: Michael Carrese, Communications Strategist at Fletcher Allen Health Care strongly disputes this (obviously) whistle-blower driven post, making two points – a) the directive was to reuse and sterilize plastic masks, not the cloth N95 ones, because b) of a national shortage, rather than a specifically Fletcher Allen one. He would not affirmatively say for certain that no such directive was given on the N95 ones. He also took issue with the dual characterizations of sloppiness and the associated concern expressed in this diary – characterizations which, of course, would not be fair if the disclosure turns out to be inaccurate.

I am told that there will be affirmative documentation on the “real” story forthcoming. If the reports about N95 masks are not true, there is still a problem, albeit a rather less dramatic one – specifically communications; that health care workers are not receiving and/or understanding these directives (hence the blown whistle), which could clearly create problems as well.

The quote from the source was that workers were specifically told in regards to the N95 masks “you get one a day.” That makes for a pretty serious misunderstanding, if indeed it turns out to be one.

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(Original diary text begins here) As of today, FAHC is currently treating at least one confirmed case of H1N1 flu in critical isolation. For anyone who just returned from Mars, the U.S. is suffering from an H1N1 pandemic or as FAHC refers to deadly pandemics: “the expected outbreak of flu this fall.”

With months to prepare, you would think that FAHC would be ready for its H1N1 patients. Let’s just say they are off to a really bad start.

 

One of the most basic precautions – as basic to H1N1 as, say, fill up the tank and put the key in the ignition is to driving a car – is to stock up on masks. Even the hospital’s website says people entering rooms of H1N1 patients need to wear masks, gowns and gloves.  The mask required for an infectious disease such as H1N1 is the N95 mask.

All healthcare personnel who enter the rooms of patients in isolation with confirmed, suspected, or probable novel H1N1 influenza should wear a fit-tested disposable N95 respirator or better. Respiratory protection should be donned when entering a patient’s room.

True to this basic requirement, FAHC does require that health care workers and those dealing with the H1N1 virus must don an N95 mask. Problem is, FAHC is not so concerned about whether its health care workers are wearing a fresh and uncontaminated N95 face mask before entering or after leaving isolation areas with H1N1 flu patients are kept.

FAHC isn’t prepared, as of October 5, 2009, to supply its workers with sufficient N95 masks. Health care workers who are treating H1N1 flu in an isolation area of the hospital are specifically being told by the FAHC administration to “reuse” disposable masks, in direct contradiction of public safety protocols.

Is FAHC experiencing a Katrina moment? With months of predictions about the scope of the H1N1 pandemic, is FAHC prepared? Melinda Estes, CEO and her prescient infectious disease administrators seem to be blissfully unaware of what is hitting FAHC right now.

Let’s be clear; the problem is not a lack of resources, or of technical skill. Is this a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is up to? Does someone really need to tell the CEO and her crackerjack staff what happens when the airborne H1N1 virus starts floating around the family members, patients, staff, patients, health care providers and anyone else unlucky enough to be standing around when the Doctor McSwine says “hey, hold this mask for me until I get back from lunch, I’ll need it again for this afternoon’s rounds.”?

FAHC does have a few of these N95 masks.  

FAHC administrators were apparently on the ball enough to realize they needed to order the masks, which physicians, nurses and other health care officials warned them were critical. Unfortunately, no one responsible for patient, staff and community safety bothered to read the directions and make provisions so that enough masks would be available to the health care workers treating H1N1.

Because of this shortage, health care workers are being told by the FAHC administration that they can’t throw their disposable masks away because “there may not be another one to replace it” and they need to “reuse” the contaminated masks that they have already worn (and, as you might expect, the workers on the pandemic front lines are not happy about this directive from the FAHC facilities department).

You read that correctly.

So to recap, the U.S. is in the midst of the most widely publicized pandemic in U.S. history.  Luckily for Vermont, our State is late in the game receiving confirmed cases of the deadly H1N1 disease, and luckily for Vermonters, its hospitals had MONTHS to prepare. So why does FAHC not even have basic masks needed to treat H1N1 patients and to protect the public and its medical care staff? Anyone? Anyone? Mindy? Bueller? Anyone…?

Is this type of “Flu, what flu?” awareness an indication of what is in store for H1N1 patients at FAHC as Vermont moves from the outskirts of the pandemic into the mainstream? Let’s hope not.

Sitting here with my wife looking at two papers and listening to NPR. Here are the things getting us animated.

• Entertaining visual from Louis Porter with pics of “all” the announced or “rumored” names for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, with lines connecting them on sometimes random points (relationship line connects Markowitz and Dubie because they “both supported the Abandoned Babies Bill”… as opposed to someone on the chart that didn’t?) Not quite “all” though – a couple names are missing; former Vermont CARES Director Tim Palmer and Barre Mayor Thom Lauzon, both of whom have had rumored interest in Lieutenant Governor, although Lauzon seems to have dropped off the rumor circuit of late.
• The Argus/Herald is all about how we shouldn’t underestimate Brian Dubie today (here and here). Fair enough. My question now is whether or not this is all a warm up for a Dubie-media lovefest that glosses over the significant problems he presents for Republicans as a candidate.

  I imagine we all have a bad feeling about the answer to that question.

• From one Montpelier Resident to Gesine Bullock-Prado. I am not a chimp, and you are certainly not Jane Goodall, thank you very much.
• I will not eat ground beef from the supermarket anymore. And neither will you, after you read this from the NYT. Gruesome, scary stuff: “unwritten agreements between some companies appear to stand in the way of ingredient testing,” meaning that what you buy in the store as “ground beef” is actually ground up parts from all over the place that may or may not have been tested for e coli (which comes from cow shit), which can kill or paralyze you. Unless you’re lucky, and your meat’s been treated with ammonia. Lovely.
• It’s the 50th anniversary of the Twilight Zone. Yeah, they dont all hold up to repeated viewings – but lots of them do, and what a piece of television.
• Finally, Hirschfeld reports on the rich-folks whine fest this week. Yes, yes. They’re all being taxed so much that they’re having to get by on being less rich than they’d like to be. A great quote:
  

  “How is it we have a culture in state politics that seems to see successful entrepreneurs and risk-takers as selfish and evil?” (Winooski marketing firm owner Kevin) Owens asked.

  Not all, Mr. Owens. Only those of you who sound off in selfish ways because you’d rather see the burden thrust on those who can’t afford it. It’s really quite simple. I’m torn between Jesus’ quotes about seeing the speck in your neighbor’s eye instead of the log in your own, and the line about how difficult it is for rich men (eye of a needle, and all) to enter heaven. Heck, I’ll take both.

I don’t have the exact quote, as the podcast isn’t up yet, but during the discussion of Brian Dubie’s announcement, Mark Johnson casually asked his guest (Kristin Carlson of WCAX) why he would choose to dribble such big news out over email, as opposed to a press conference – wondering aloud if he was afraid to face a roomful of reporters. It’s a good question. At Blurt, Shay Totten seemed to accept Dubie’s explanation that it was simply an “unorthodox” approach “not confin(ing) interviews to a single press conference” and “trying (not) to play up the announcement more than it needed to be.” (UPDATE: Totten has since responded with an entire post on this. It’s a good read. -OT)

But that’s weak, weak tea – at best. More likely they heard Johnson’s comments and tried to head off further criticism.

Because Johnson was right on. There is no good reason to make such a major announcement in such a lame manner – except to avoid the scene. He could’ve met with all the same reporters at exactly the same times he did (and will) after all. Dubie does well in one-on-ones where he can turn on the charm. He does not do well in a press conference setting, with its increased pressure and where he has to be quicker on his feet – and he knows he’s in serious danger of Democrats using the same kind of “blathering press conference” ads against him that his buddy Douglas used to sink Peter Clavelle in ’04. Remember – this is also the same Dubie who ducked debates as long as possible for the same reasons. This is not a You Tube era candidate.

Dubie was not being mavericky with his email announcement, he was reminding us all of just what a problematic candidate he is for the Republicans.

So, the challenger has announced. Given the history of Democratic candidate messaging in recent years (y'know – being milquetoast when they should be bold, mushy when they should be firm, nasty when they should be gracious, vague when the should be detailed, detailed when they should be vague, etc.) it seems worth checking in with how our Dem pretenders to the throne respond, if for no other reason than to start hammering out those bad habits early.

Here, then, are the report cards (candidates, as usual, in alpha order). Mr. Totten was kind enough to collect responses from the two announced candidates who did not send us a press release. No 'F's handed out, but some serious improvement required on a couple of these… next time we'll hopefully get straight 'A's on the basics from everyone, so we can start moving into more nuanced, “advanced” critiques. Heh.

Susan Bartlett	Response: “You have a bunch of people running for governor right now who have been in the same chamber, if not the same building, for an extended period of time and we've all had to work together… I would hope that adds to the civility of it.”…”I think for Brian it really is an interesting challenge—he's been the governor's wing guy for almost eight years, so if Brian is saying something needs to be repaired, he sure knows what it is,” said Bartlett. “It's a difficult positions that he finds himself in.”	Grade: D What's with the analytical? This is time to make a statement – distinguish yourself from your ultimate opposition. Points for tying him to the Governor (enough to keep it out of “F” territory), but then it sounds as though you cast that as a positive?  We'll assume that's just poor wording and not an endorsement, but geez…
Deb Markowitz	Response: “I think it'll be good to have so many competing visions is good for the state. As I go around the state, I hear from people that they like my track record as a leader and as someone who brings people together and gets results.” Markowitz said she's not sure that Dubie's socially conservative views will be a hindrance during the campaign, or much of an issue with voters.	Grade: D- Okay, points for starting to talk yourself up, although the lack of transition is a bit jarring…but WTF?!?! Did she actually tell Totten that Dubie's number one liability – especially insofar as it intersects with gender issues – would not be an “issue with voters?!?!?” Holy crap!!! Why on EARTH would she want to give him a free pass on social issues of all things?!?! Where the hell's that whizbang new campaign manager?? Here's a few phrase ideas for next time: “out of step,” “out of the mainstream,” “extreme views” – something, for pity's sake. But not an issue? Ye gods, we've got some work to do.
Doug Racine	Response: “…I look forward to running against Brian again. I am hearing from Vermonters that they want a change in direction, with a focus on Vermont's strengths – small businesses, hard working people, and a high quality of life – so that we can all do better, and not just those who are lucky enough to be doing well already. I want all Vermonters to have real opportunities to get ahead, and this is why I am running for Governor. It's ironic that Lt. Governor Dubie's focus will be on restoring economic opportunity and jobs for Vermont, when he has been part of the Administration that has failed for seven years to deliver on the promise of new jobs. Brian Dubie will bring more of the same. Vermonters are looking for something new. “	Grade: A Bases covered. Mentions key groups. Contrasts himself. Characterizes the Douglas administration and ties Dubie to it. Hits new vs. old theme. Extra points for reminding folks that he's beaten Dubie before. That wasn't so hard, right? This aint brain surgery. C'mon Susan, Deb… no reason we can't give A's all around next time. First and foremost it's about just not shooting yourself in the foot.

But we're expecting another couple hats in the Democratic primary ring, no? I dropped emails to likely candidates Peter Shumlin and Matt Dunne to give them the opportunity to be criticized as well… of course I didn't mention I was giving out grades, but I had to be fair to the previous three after all…

Matt Dunne	Response: “Vermonters will certainly have a real choice in November and I would welcome the opportunity to run against Brian. He is a nice person and committed to his family, but his views are more aligned with the national Republicans than with most Vermonters and he has been unwilling to be transparent with the voters. Brian will not be able to avoid these issues in a run for Governor. Vermonters are hungry for a new vision for the state of Vermont and the next Governor has the opportunity to bring the state into a new era. This election will determine if we have an administration that merely pays lip service to important issues, or one that brings together Vermonters with the experience and energy to deliver fiber to every home, create new economy jobs, move us into a leadership role in renewable energy, and tackle comprehensive healthcare reform. 2010 will be a very exciting year.“	Grade: C  A UPDATE: The first response was apparently meant as conversational chat, while the real one went into my spam folder. Sorry, Matt. I should've known better. Another good one, touching the right themes broadly – and extra points for tying him to the national 'R's – something that Dubie will be more vulnerable to than Douglas was because of his views on abortion and gay rights.Here's hoping somebody starts trying to pin him down on issues such as prayer in school and the like.
Peter Shumlin	Response: “Brian is a friend and I welcome him to the race. Should I run, I intend to wage a positive issue oriented campaign that articulates a new vision for Vermont after 8 years of plodding along with the Douglas/Dubie team. Brian has opossed my efforts to protect a Women's right to choose, pass marriage equality, a balanced and fair state budget, my Senate resolution urging congress to hold impeachment hearing against his friends Bush/Cheney, my climate change bill that Douglas vetoed even after Al Gore called it the best bill passed by any Legislature to date and much more. I look forward to articulating the clear differences between Shumlin's Vermont and his should I win the Democratic Nomination”	Grade: A I kinda wanted to give this an A+ but I just hate it when politicians refer to themselves in the third person. New vs old, check. Self-promotion, check. And quite a laundry list – again characterizing the Douglas administration negatively (and with a range of hot button issues not only going back a few years, but with an eye to the fact that he was responding to an email from GMD no less) – and tying it all right back to his opponent. A different flavored 'A' than Racine's, but an 'A' nonetheless.

The Republicans may – just may – be about to be hoisted on their own petard on health care – courtesy of none other than the conservative Blue Dog Democrats in the US Senate.

Even though yesterday’s defeat in the Senate Finance Committee of a public insurance option (which would conceivably provide the cost containment and management necessary to make the expected personal insurance mandate workable) was entirely expected, it was still a blow to reformers’ morale – which is no insignificant thing. With Rahm Emanuel now working organized labor to whittle away the most significant of the remaining institutional resistance to a watered-down bill, it’s hard to imagine that the Obama White House will use its own political muscle to be sure such an option is in the final bill – and right now, its likely its inclusion rises and falls on their commitment.

So what’s left? The nebulous notion of co-ops has been roundly trashed as meaningless or even unworkable. The idea of “triggers” is, of course, ludicrous on its face. Obviously the reason this whole debate was “triggered” is because of a whole sale systemic crisis in the American health care system. What meaningful “trigger” could possibly be created, unless it were one that could fire retroactively… say, 30 years?

But the new “compromise” hubbub emerging from one beseiged Senate Blue Dog Finance Committeeperson – Tom Carper – and similar ideas from Sen. Maria Cantwell, (also on the Finance Committee) could not only be game changers, they could represent an apocalyptic scenario for the Republican Party, depending on how they develop.

Carper’s idea is to give states the option of creating their own competitive option to the private insurance market. Now, tiny states like Vermont with only half a million people could never generate enough of a pool to meaningfully impact costs by negotiating with pharamaceutical companies and the like. This is the same problem that dooms the much ballyhooed co-ops. But if states could be allowed such a buy-in option collectively, that would potentially be a very different story.

What could follow then, is health care reform for some, not all. If Blue States can collectivize their efforts to negotiate prices and impact the market, it won’t take long for enough of a critical mass to form that they have a comparable effect to a full-on public option. Lowly states like Vermont will be very much in the game if their efforts pool with those of New York and California.

Projecting forward, its easy to see what would happen quickly.

This blue-state pool would not simply reap the social and financial benefits of an improved health care system, they would do so at the expense of the red states, as insurance companies could see opportunities to recoup lost profits in those states without a seat at the table. Business, suffering under the burden of health care costs escalating with no end in sight, will find blue states with their cost controlling regimes far more appealing than the red states languishing under the slightly tweaked old system.

And of course, red state voters will start wondering why they don’t deserve the same health care options that the blue staters receive.

All of this could well trigger electoral catastrophe in Republican-dominant states in short order.

And the irony is, of course, that such a scenario is even a possibility because Republicans could not be bothered to come to the policy negotiating table in good faith.

There are a lot of ifs here, and its very early to tell, but should a Carper plan with all these elements emerge, it could be unstoppable. Carper emerged as a key impediment to a robust public option, and his involvement could not only insure majority support, it could take the filibuster talk off the table, as even if there are remaining Dems inclined to join Republicans to prevent an up or down vote, they’ll have very little cover left within their caucus to do so.

Ideas can die in Washington as quickly as their born, but this one – if it does survive, and if it can accommodate the idea of allowing states to pool their efforts – may not only bring actual reform to the health care system, it could become an electoral clusterbomb dropped into the very heart of the Republican Party.

Hard to imagine how many Democrats would want to filibuster that.

From Open Left:

…a source on the Hill confirms to me the Senate HELP and Senate Finance committees will be merged by an informal, behind the scenes process involving the four major players in the Senate: Tom Harkin (Chair of HELP), Max Baucus (Chair of Finance), Harry Reid (Majority Leader), and the White House. Together, these four will meet and decide what sort of bill to send to the Senate floor for debate and amendments.

During this process, we can guarantee that Harkin will push for a HELP or Schumer-like public option to be sent the floor, while Baucus will push for no public option to be in the bill at all. Given his recent statements, the best bet is that Reid will probably push against a public option too, and instead favor either triggers (which he has called a good idea) or co-ops (which seems to be the sort of public option he likes best). With two against and one in favor, this means that the only way a public option ends up in the bill that is sent to the Senate floor will be if the fourth major player, the White House, demands it.[…] if [the White House] allows a health care bill to go to the floor without a public option, it is pretty unlikely that a public option will pass as part of health care reform. Here is why:

• Amendments won’t work. There simply is not any good chance of adding a public option to the Senate bill through floor amendments, because the 60-vote process will be in effect for floor amendments. While we might have 60 votes for cloture on a health care bill that includes a public option, we do not have 60 votes for a public option all by itself.
• Conference committee (almost certainly) won’t work. Even if the House passes a public option, which they are highly likely to do, do not expect them to overpower the Senate in conference committee. This is because the Senate will already have voted down adding a public option via amendment, and the White House will have already demonstrated that it isn’t going to demand the public option in the final bill. It wil be difficult to convince them to change their mind by the conference committee.

The Obama-is-always-blameless crowd will no longer be able to hang the blame for disappointment completely on Congress. Real reform is on the edge of failure, but has not yet failed. If Obama wants the public option in a final bill, it will happen. If he doesn’t, it won’t.

It’s now that simple.

(Note: Tim Wolfe already delivered this message in the comments in a much more concise fashion.)

We stomp off and take our toys home now, we own this defeat.

There are still good guys and bad guys in the health care battle (and I’m just talking about the Ds here – the Rs no longer matter – they are a given), and this is no time to back off. We always knew we would lose this round.

Nothing has changed – unless we let it. Here’s Harkin stating unequivocally that there will be a public option. Sure he’s just one guy, and its not like he’s magic – but he’s got the right attitude.

Let’s back him up, not leave him hanging out to dry.

Oh lord, there is just so much silliness in the op-ed columns of late – what’s a poor, humble li’l liberal blogger to do?

I used to have a blast stopping by the Caledonian (Broken) Record site. Partly because their bizarre right-wing rants are so unhinged, they are strangely mesmerizing. I realize after a few moments that I like them so much precisely because I could often have written them myself, if I were trying to make fun of the more deranged wing of the Republican Party.

Case in point the latest, entitled “Greenpeace Arrives.” Oh trust me, dear readers, you do not want to miss this one – and those of you outside the circulation range of the CR will think I’m making this up.

I dunno who writes these things, but I picture him obsessively cutting out magazine pictures of Obama, drawing Hitler mustaches on all of them and pasting them all over his bedroom walls and ceiling. Op-ed follows, presented in the style of Mystery Science Theater 3000…

As if Vermont didn’t have enough problems with home-grown, wild-eyed liberals,

Hence our Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

we have now been invaded by Greenpeace,

Invasion! AAAAAAA!

‘Cause, of course, there were no Greenpeace members that already lived here, or were (gasp) born here.

Poor fellas in pretty serious denial about many of his fellow Vermonters…

one of the most radical environmentalist groups in America. If there is one radical group that we don’t need,

Wonder what “radical group(s)” he thinks Vermont does need.

in addition to all of the others that we have, it’s Greenpeace. How is it that it has decided to come here?

Just for you, Mr. Caledonian Record.

That’s easy. Vermont, Maine, and Oregon are the most liberal states in the union. Nowhere is there a more congenial place for far-left fringe liberals. Greenpeace’s arrival is a benchmark of Vermont’s progress into the radical left pantheon.

Does this mean you’re leaving?

Greenpeace moved into Burlington in June. In contrast with their usual stridency and theatrics when they squat somewhere, this time they are pretending to be staid, quiet workers from within the mainstream.

They could be your neighbors, your co-workers, your friends…

Hide the children, grab yer gun…

Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Holy Grail for Greenpeace, here, is their coming campaign to close Vermont Yankee. Their anti whaling and anti global warming zeal pales in comparison with their opposition to nuclear power.

(To say nothing of their anti-global-whale-warming zeal, or baby zeal, or something)

They will stop at nothing. Nothing.

We’re all going to die.

That which makes sense to half the world as the cleanest, cheapest power pushes Greenpeace into paroxysms of out-of-control fury.

Trust him, he’s an expert on paroxysms of out-of-control fury.

We are in for a fight if we are to succeed in defeating the far left in its holy mission to close Vermont Yankee, our only nuclear power plant and the source of nearly 40 percent of Vermont’s power, sold to us at prices that no other source of power or combination, thereof, can match.

We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender!

The fact that there hasn’t been a nuclear accident since Three Mile Island,

Leaks, breakdowns, structural collapses don’t count.

and even that did not cause any deaths or damages to America or Americans,

And the kids loved it!

doesn’t mean anything to Greenpeace or to their radical supporters on the left. Atomic power is their bogeyman,

It was given by the mighty hand of God.

and everybody knows that bogeymen are pure evil and should be erased from the earth for everybody’s good.

Actually, most everybody knows there’s no such thing.

So, now we have them. Hunker down. This clash is going to get very rough.

…and oh how they like it rough at the Broken Record.

Markowitz has a campaign video up. I can’t watch it, unfortunately – I can’t even see the player – because I’m on a public wifi signal that blocks YouTube. So you all will have to tell me what you think (I’ve cut and pasted the embed code from Markowitz’s campaign site… hope it works).

————

[UPDATE by Caoimhin]

Here is the video that DebForVermont released on YouTube on Thursday.  Unlike the last video (Coldplay), this one uses a Beatles instrumental to far better effect. Even if I were a Coldplay fan, and I’m not, I’d still think the Beatles are way cooler than Coldplay.

I moved the ka-ching (cash register) video below the break. That video was released last summer in response to the press reports concerning the candidates’ fund raising. The release date of last summer’s video explains the references to Jim Douglas that are now stale.

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Markowitz releases this vid the same time Racine announces a new tech hire: Brendan Bush of Burlington’s Original Gravity Media, who will be handling webstuff. Bush is a veteran of efforts from the Kerry Presidential campaign to United Food and Commercial Workers’ national anti-WalMart campaigns.

This is the video from the original post and which DebForVermont released last summer.

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