While the uptight and incumbent-protecting media in Vermont continues to whimper and opine about the “incivility” of the antiwar meeting with Peter Welch, the real Joe & Jane Vermonters are beginning to be heard on the subject. Take, for example, the letters section in Saturday’s Times Argus. In case you missed it, you can read the letters about the meeting here, here, here and here.
And, no, I didn’t cherry pick the letters that were favorable. I didn’t have the choice because there were no letters supporting the TA’s uptight editorial about “protecting Vermont civility.” Have these people ever read a drunken rant by Ethan Allen? Or, if you’d like to get more recent, can they remember a red-faced diatribe by Ralph Wright? Howard Dean could let it rip once in a while too. And, let’s be honest, those young Republican guns running the Douglas show can be pretty damn ruthless. It’s called politics, you ninnies. Get over it.
But the incestuous little Vermont media circle will always rush to defend the state’s incumbent politicians. They have to because they have to maintain some access. When there are only four big-time politicians and about seven reporters, well, it becomes a bit too close for what it’s supposed to be. Sadly, the fourth estate in Vermont has for the most part morphed into a cuddly little lap dog for incumbents of either party to pat and scratch. And the result? Lifetime political jobs. Quick, name the last time one of Vermont’s top four politicians – either party — was bounced from office. Hint: It was almost twenty years ago.
Speaking of lap dogs, I saw the blogger Philip Baruth’s appearance on Vermont Public Television’s “Vermont This Week” on Sunday. My goodness, the guy has his head so far up Welch’s ass I think he’s chewing the guy’s food. Or something like that. But, on the show, Baruth regurgitated the stale “civility” arguments and then went one step further in protecting the incumbent that he endorsed (earth to VPT: ever heard of a conflict of interest?).
Baruth acted like he had some kind of inside information regarding the meeting model that was used with Welch. It was, as the group openly publicized, the “Accountability Session” model that came from the Saul Alinsky-inspired Midwest Academy. Baruth reported that he went to the Midwest Academy’s website and found out that the group advocates – gasp – “empowering” the group that is holding the meeting. Oh-my-god, say it isn’t so. And if that’s not bad enough, Baruth continued, they also talk about “controlling” the agenda of their meetings! Off with their heads!
Baruth, however, was serious about condemning the group for these apparent etiquette infractions. But I guess we have to cut the guy some slack because he’s obviously more than a bit dizzy from playing the insider game. Remember, this is a guy who plunked down hundreds of dollars to be a part of the super-secret Vermont fundraiser for Obama last summer that netted the Illinois senator more than a quarter of a million dollars. Baruth even brought his camera, got Senator Leahy to take a fawning picture of him with Obama and then drooled all over himself as he told Obama that he was going to be using his books in his UVM English classes. Civil? For sure. But also kind of gross.
Sorry, Philip, but we don’t all bend over like that when we’ve got a few moments with the seemingly powerful. Some of us, for example, would ask some tough questions. But most of us can’t plunk down that kind of money to run in those kinds of circles. So while you’re inside clinking glasses with the politicians you’ve given money to for access, just remember that some of us donned handcuffs (twice) for the same opportunity to have that kind of dialogue. In other words, we did it the old fashioned way: We earned it. You, my friend, bought it. Hook, line and sinker.
Besides, Philip, what’s so bad about a group trying to empower themselves? Isn’t that what all groups do when they hold such a public meeting? And that’s the problem with the insider-disease that infects so many of Vermont’s media and political elite. They begin to think that everyone has the access that they do. And remember, Baruth represents a most virulent strain of this disease because he’s both a member of the media AND a political contributor/endorser. (Shhh, don’t mention this in public, it’s not polite.)
The Vermont Press Bureau’s Louis Porter wasn’t going to go where Baruth was going on VPT, however. But, then again, Porter probably doesn’t have money invested in the Democrats like Baruth does either. Porter declared that he “understood” the antiwar group’s frustration over not getting straight answers from politicians. And he also admitted something that all the other pontificators on this issue have been slow to admit: He wasn’t there. Good for you, Louis.
But, like I said at the beginning, there’s a big gulf between what the elite media folks are saying and feeling about last week’s meeting and what the regular Joe & Jane Vermonters are thinking. Just look at the letters in your newspapers. Listen to the people on the streets. As Bob Dylan said, “you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.” Perhaps Baruth should step outside once in awhile to see for himself.
–
Speaking of getting outside, congrats to Vermont’s real poet laureate, Peter Buknatski, for landing his poem about meeting civility on the webpages of CounterPunch. [Disclosure: I’m hoping the aforementioned poem and vaunted title will gain me a free cup of coffee from the cheap bastard.]
–
What’s on your minds? Yeah, even you, Boots.
Coffee? Wait a minute…yeah, I have a full Langdon St. Cafe card here…nope, that’s the one for beer.
Anyway, on the subject: The PROBLEM with these little (as in very very small person) insider fuckers is they all want POWER–whether through connections, or future candidacies, and/or CONTROL of the process. They are not for empowering people. They are for exclusion, for elitism, for a RULING CLASS. They want so much to have the same king of power Dick Cheney has, you can almost see them drooling when you see or hear them speak, or read their bullshit newspaper or blog comments. They are not just PART of the Problem, they ARE the PROBLEM. Dirty rotten lowlife classist yuppie pig-fucking fascists! We’re going to hear more from them as the Pig Pollina campaign gets underway. That’s why, Michael (here I go AGAIN), I think we should confront Douglas on the War and make the War a goober-natorial election issue. A VERMONT ISSUE! Cut through the shit and cut to the chase. Oh how I love to see weasels squirm!
Coffee? I hear Pollina hangs out at Capital Grounds? Oh, I forgot. That coffee will cost you a $100,000.
Mike,
You say a lot of great things… but people would take you more seriously if you weren’t so caustic. You’re damage your credibility when you engage in ad hominem attacks.
Come on, you’re smarter than that!
I don’t understand the prohibition on ad hominen attacks. Am I to understand that we should not hold the individual responsible for her or his words and /or actions?
And besides, they’re more entertaining.
Seriously boots, do you really think Michael’s been effective with his name-calling and put downs? The unfortunate thing is it’s perpetuating negative karma and it does nothing useful for all parties involved. Kinda like priding oneself in your own marginalization!
‘Priding oneself in your own marginalization”? Hmm, that actually sounds like Boots to me. Are you sure you’re not confusing us?
Caustic? Karma? Shit, Michael, do you have your wife writing stuff under a blog-handle to punch-up your site? Nah. CC Rider–I knew a crazy woman in the late sixties with that handle. Your wife’s a lady.
So, I must come to the conclusion that the yuppie progs are offering you free therapy. Now you don’t have to pay that guy you said you pay every 2 weeks.
Marginalization? CC–Are you Joe? Are you Anthony? Are you …oh my God! Odum? Nah. Probably CC stands for Correctly Correct. I’m glad to see this blog has finally gone mainstream–felt like I was talking to myself.
Maybe…maybe it’s Peter Freyne. Or Peter Welch. Or…shit! Me?
Karma is karma. There is no good or bad karma.
“Priding oneself in your own marginalization”? That IS Boots all the way. But people should be taken to task for their coziness and nearsighted alliances with people in power and this is what snarky boys are for : incivility and direct provocation. Otherwise we tolerantly roll merrily along…
Were any of the wise men on the VT Government TV show last friday at any of the events about which they so wisely comment ?
I doubt it.
They’re worse than bloggers regurgitating the news. They have audiences.
Bud
Whew…Thought I’d find 37 new comments this morn–then you’d have to change the name to GREEN Broadsides.org., or DAILY Broadsides. Can’t wait to see how you ATTACK Thanksgiving.
Jeezus, Pete,. why don’t you just put your dick in Mike’s ear and be done with it?
Well said JD.
HR-1955 will get you all.
Wait a second, C.C., I thought you were opposed to ad hominem attacks? I’ve been playing the nice — and silent! — role to make you happy. And now this?! Looks like I’ll have to be sharpening that pencil soon…
Pete,
I had a friend who got a case of that HR-1955 you warned us about. He was pissing blood for weeks, not pretty.
HR–1955 (‘Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007′–love that HOMEGROWN adj.; Cheech & Chong write this bill?) was passed (404 to 6) by our illustrious US House on Oct. 23, one day after Welch had protesters arrested at his office. And yes, Welcher voted for it. Only 3 Dems voted nay. One of them was Kucinich, who now has MY vote. As a onetime defender of Welch, I hereby retract anything good I ever had to say about the little establishment SOB. Fuck him, and all the Dems who sponsored and voted for this new assault on our Constitution and basic civil liberties.
HR–1955 was a Dem sponsored bill–Rep.Jane Harman (D-Ca) and others. Welch and the Dems have repeatedly attacked Bush for his unConstitutional conduct, yet here they are coming up with something aimed at protesters, bloggers, Third Parties, Minority and Civil Liberty groups, and THE VERY PEOPLE WHO VOTED DEM in the hopes that we could put the brakes on this outsized SUV of Fascism our nation is becoming.
Read the Act–scary stuff: A Commission of 10 assholes appointed for LIFE to hold hearings and present findings on what may be a domestic threat to our nation’s insecurity complex; establishing a university-based ‘Center of Excellence’ to study all aspects– psychological. social, etc.–of behavior or action in individuals and groups that might ‘lead’ to, or ‘encourage’ domestic acts of violence (does not include spouse abuse, folks); and ‘contracting’ (Blackwater?) out for any purpose the Commission deems necessary to enforce its rather vague and somewhat surreptitious authority. The Internet is specifically mentioned in HR–1955 as a vehicle that is spreading the terrorist message.
This will be a law, once our illustrious Senate passes it, aimed at silencing and controlling all political and critical thought, if the ‘vague’ powers this Commission will have turn into ‘sweeping’ powers. (of course they will, Peter–no more political poems, dude)
Michael, we need to put the question to Bernie and Pat now–what’s up with this shit coming from the Dems? And demand a ‘nay’ vote from both of them. Otherwise, goodbye COUNTERPUNCH, BROADSIDES, FIVE BEFORE CHAOS, and, you too, GMD. Goodbye LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. Don’t Talk, Don’t Ask, Don’t Think–just TELL.
Dems. What a bunch of covert Fuckos. They make Pollina look like a Domestic Radical. (Is there a fashion trend here we can make money on, before they get us?) AND, we should ask Douglas (DOUGLAS, Michael!) what he thinks of this act–he’d probably criticize the Dems for “not going far enough.” Then we could nail him as the Dickhead he is. Before he nails us, that is.
Hope this comment has enhanced your blog, Michael. Consider your ear drilled. Now you owe me coffee.
Mike, J.D. gave me the impression he was joking. Fine. I take that back.
I still think you say the right things about Vermont politics. I just think the profanity and shallow below the belt put downs are vitrolic and not necessary.