Pollina to the Public (once again): Nevermind
July 22, 2008 | 4 Comments
The mood of the day in the Vermont media and blogosphere was one of shock, shock, shock over the announcement that the Progressive Party’s leader and co-founder, Anthony Pollina, decided to ditch his own political party and, instead, run as an independent for the position of Vermont’s governor. But none of us should have been shocked, especially if we’ve been following the whiplash-like switchbacks and flip-flops of Pollina’s rather miserable political career. If there’s anything Pollina does better than losing elections (o-for-whatever since the 1980s), it’s waffling, meandering and otherwise just floundering in the shallow end of his ideological pool.
Instead of being shocked, we all should have felt a little sheepish about watching the latest political wreckage of the latest Pollina campaign. I know, I know, you don’t really want to look at the wreck but you just can’t help it – especially with the Vermont media covering it as if it somehow matters.
Pollina’s bizarre yet predictable dissing of the political party he had only moments before anointed as “the answer” to Vermont’s political troubles is what we can only hope will be one of his last political acts. It reeks of desperation. You know, kind of like one of those “hey, look at me” antics of the ornery child in the corner – anything for just one more moment of attention.
If Pollina were to pull these kinds of stunts in most any other political climate besides the sleepy and incestuous political climes of Vermont, he would have been relegated to the laughing stockpile many elections cycles ago. Instead, in the comfy cocoon of the Vermont media and political elite, Pollina has been able to keep his name in play despite mountains of desperation, piles of losses, and a mere small valley of supporters. Hey, it sure beats Jersey, huh Tony?
For me, the worst part of the these all-too-frequent Pollina flip-flops is his apparent disregard and even disdain for his followers (few as they may be at this point) – all while parading in a charade of “caring for the little guys and gals.” Pollina, for example, is known for getting up on his high-horse and spewing his mostly borrowed rhetoric for causes such as campaign finance reform, fighting for farmers and building alternative political parties (yes, he said “parties”). But when it gets hot in Pollina’s political kitchen, he more often than not runs for the back door, leaving his guests with little but his stale rhetoric to pick over as they realize their “leader” has left the building.
Remember, Pollina loved campaign finance reform when he was rolling in $300,000 of the state’s money but suddenly found it objectionable when it didn’t fit his latest political goals. Similarly, Pollina loved to rail against the big, bad corporate dairies that were ripping off small farmers until, that is, he started his own dairy corporation and began ripping off small farmers. And now Pollina wants us to somehow ignore nearly a decade of his rhetoric about the essential importance of building his Progressive Party.
Pollina’s political career could be summarized as one, big “nevermind.” Emily Litella’s got nothing on Tony.
The most laughable spin of Pollina’s latest “nevermind” moment is his campaign’s assertion that his sudden adoption of the “independent” label will somehow amount to his reincarnation as what must be the immaculate conception of Bernie Sanders’ political son. Give me a break. Sure, in the shallowest of shallow interpretations, Pollina running as an “independent” is similar to Bernie’s many, many runs as an “independent.” But, other than the use of word “independent,” the similarities stop there.
First of all, Bernie won elections. And, more importantly, Bernie won LOCAL elections and built a formidable movement based on his political consistency (“people are suffering…”) and local election victories to vault him to where he is now.
Sorry, Tony, but you would have never seen Bernie Sanders touting a silly “credit card” as even the most remotest of “solutions” to Vermont’s economic woes. Earth to Tony: When the state wants a “certain percentage” of our purchases, we call that a “tax.” And, currently, the state is getting 6% off of every purchase. Besides, there is absolutely nothing “progressive” about promoting “credit” (read: debt) as a solution to our state’s economic woes. But I’ll bet those Republicans that the Pollina campaign claims to be targeting will love the idea of debt. Bush does.
While Pollina is aiming for the Sanders’ mantle, it would be more accurate to equate him with the Democratic fink known as Joe Lieberman. Yeah, you know, the guy who loved the Democratic Party’s warm glow when he was its vice-presidential candidate or getting its institutional support when fending off the liberal Ned Lamont, but just as quickly turning his back on it when he thought it would be best for him, and him alone.
The ugly truth in this latest Pollina “nevermind” is that he lied to his supporters and to the people of Vermont. He baited us with a decade of rhetoric about the importance of his “third party” and then switched when he thought it was best for him, and him alone. Worse, Pollina invoked the rhetoric of being against “party in-fighting” while, at the same time, managing to diss all parties – including his own. Go figure. Or, rather, nevermind.
Last Sunday, Pollina sat and watched as Peter Diamondstone of the state’s other major party, Liberty Union, got handcuffed and arrested for trying to participate in the first debate of gubernatorial candidates. Pollina said nothing. He refused to defend him. Instead, Pollina sat silently on his hands as he watched Diamondstone be forcefully removed and arrested for trying to bring his views forward, all the while knowing that the next morning he would be abandoning his own “major” party.
That, my friends, should tell us a lot about Anthony Pollina’s character. Please, oh please, let this be Pollina’s last campaign.
Don’t worry, Tony, we’ll remember you with your own favorite word: Nevermind.
Salad Days
July 18, 2008 | 2 Comments
Things have changed. I’m different now. But still the same. Nothing new there.
Oh yeah, I’m a lucky man. I shed skin like the seasons. I dream and I follow those dreams. I get hung up and I move on. It’s better that way.
But some things stay the same: Wife, daughter, farm, and the joy of saying good morning to the possible. Like I said, I’m a lucky man.
Lately, I’ve found myself deep in what Gary Snyder called the “real work.” It’s summer, you know. And that means getting ahead on the woodpile, getting the hay in for the horses (660 bales last week), dancing and romancing in a garden that sings soothingly to me that everything is going to be alright, and finding one swimming hole after another to leap into, float and wash away the grime of an honest day’s work and the ninny thoughts of this and that.
This, my friends, is how it should be.
I’m a lucky man. I don’t do anything special, really. I just dream. And I refuse to buy the company plan. It doesn’t make me rich. But it gives me freedom. And hope. Priceless.
You’ve got one time around. Use it. I am.
[About the photos below: That’s my niece, Laurel, and me on the tractor last night. She’s been visiting for the week with her mother, Jen, my wife’s sister. When I asked her if she wanted me to go hook up the horse to the cart for a ride she said she’d rather learn how to drive a tractor. And so it was. And there she goes. She’s from Berkeley, California. Not many tractors in that neighborhood. And I can still hear her screaming. Later, she asked if they (she and my daughter, Bel) could ride in the bucket. Why the hell not? Anything to terrify the mothers, right? Especially when I “dumped” them on top of the lumber pile.]
On Stupid Questions, Pie throwing, Waterboarding, Parading, and The Feelies
July 7, 2008 | 3 Comments
Oh boy, they weren’t kidding when they said the air quality was going to be bad today. Yikes. Let’s give a big “thanks” to the Ohio River Valley for all their coal burning, eh? One…two…three: Fuck you. There, I feel better.
Because, earlier, I was trying to continue my pursuit of being the firewood king of this little section of this little road in this little town in this little state (hey, you gotta start somewhere). But, after awhile, I felt like I was moving in air that was more akin to syrup than freshness. And then my hypochondriacal mind heard the weather forecast saying: bad air, bad air, bad air. Up went the pulse, out went the initiative, and in went I – straight to the hot office, the fan, the music and the yearning to play blogger boy.
So, let’s get some random stuff off the desk.
First up: Politics. Nancy Remson of the Burlington Free Press asked the most ridiculous question in the blogosphere late last week in her post, “Iraq War Cost.” Here’s the money quote from the short blog entry:
The war has been an important issue for some Vermonters. Candidates such as Congressman Peter Welch, D-VT, and perhaps those running for governor could be asked questions about the toll the war is taking on Vermont.
Ya think? Other than that, I just want to cry.
Speaking of politics, the Vermont media and blogosphere is abuzz about the pie that Governor Jim Douglas (R-VT) took to his face during Montpelier’s Fourth of July parade last week. Since I’m sure that anyone who cares about this issue has already read and commented about it, I’ll steer clear of the specifics.
Instead, I’d like to focus on the kindergarten-like partisan reaction that the incident has received from the good Democrats – mostly in blogland. In short, they thought it was great, funny, deserved or otherwise just a hoot (opinions that I can mostly agree with since I’m all in favor of good political theatre).
But wait. Aren’t these the same people who got their panties in a knot over the efforts of the anti-war crowd to hold Democratic Congressman Peter Welch’s feet to the fire by asking him –gasp – “yes or no” questions about his position on the War on Iraq? Yes, they were.
So, to these folks, pushing a pie in the face of the governor is “great” but asking a congressman who has been waffling on the war to answer “yes or no” about his positions on that war is “grandstanding,” “rude,” “cheap,” and “counter-productive.”
Got it.
In other words, it depends on your party affiliation. And that, my friends, is why I detest party affiliations and the dumbed-down rationale that accompanies them.
I can’t imagine, for example, the “outrage” these folks would have expressed if anyone – from the left or the right – had done the same thing to one of their darlings, Leahy, Sanders or Welch. Or, worse, image the indignation if their hero-of-the-moment, Obama, got a pie?
Get real, folks. Or, better yet, trade those cheerleading outfits in for some thinking caps. And soon.
Speaking of ninnies, did you see the video of Christopher Hitchens of Vanity Fair undergoing some waterboarding treatment? Priceless. Click here and see it. Now. Besides kinda-sorta-maybe enjoying seeing this bloated bastard getting the waterboarding treatment, I was left asking this question: Why, Christopher Hitchens, are you so goddamn stupid?
For those who didn’t click on the link, let me explain. Hitchens, you see, was pro-waterboarding until he actually subjected himself to it. But, for those amongst us with some brains, a semi-working conscience, and some imagination, we didn’t need to actually go through a waterboarding demonstration to realize that, yes, it IS both terrifying and torturous to go through. Duh.
What’s next, Hitch? You gonna check and see if a lethal injection is, indeed, lethal? You go, boy.
–
Oh yeah, the parade. Yes, we made it through the Montpelier parade last Thursday without a hitch. Well, actually, we did have a hitch: two mighty draft horses that did us proud and pulled a wagon-full of wavers. The horses belonged to horse-logger Paul Ruta, and yours truly got to sit in the co-pilot’s seat “just in case.” Well, there was no “just in case,” so I got to wave just like Miss Vermont. Take that, Boots.
And for those wondering what the hell I was doing on a float that carried a “Pollina for Governor” poster on it, let me explain: I’m just a damn nice guy. It turns out that the other “helper/teamster” invited, Duffy Gardener, is married to a Pollina devotee and former employee, Krista Harness. We had one of those moments that John Stewart would describe as “aaawwwkkkwwwaaarrrddd” when she arrived with her Pollina sign. And when Paul asked her where she wanted to put it, she glanced at me and responded that “some people here aren’t Pollina supporters.”
“That would be me,” I interjected.
But then she tucked the sign inside the wagon and declared that she’d be happy to just hold it if necessary.
Not wanting to rain on the parade mood (image that), I told her she could do whatever she wanted with her sign. And Paul had the great suggestion that since I was going to ride on the left side of the driver’s bench, she could put it on the right side of the wagon. Perfect, I’m to the left of Pollina – even on a horse hitch. But those plans changed when, shortly before the parade started (and after the sign was affixed), teamster Paul asked me to switch sides with him.
‘Nuf said on that.
The parade was a hoot. Paul and his horses did great. The only real drama came while we hitched and drove them from the Two Rivers Center out near Agway into town on our “practice” night and the night of the parade. Let’s just say that drivers on Route 2 at rush hour aren’t two considerate of horses and horse speed. Bastards. But we survived. And better yet, we got ‘dem horses through the parade without incident and with many a cheer.
But, I’m convinced, the cheers would have been louder from the right side without that goddamn Pollina poster.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t send out one, big, jealous “fuck you” to my brother, Todd, who recently posted this little missive on his blog regarding his trip to the Sonic Youth/The Feelies concert in Brooklyn last weekend. Ah, two of my all-time favorite bands. Check out his Feelies links in a previous post. They’re fantastic.
Now, please, let me get back to the bad air. I’ve got peas to pick.
Carry on.
Let’s Go Parading…
July 3, 2008 | 2 Comments
It’s a go: My friend, Paul Ruta, and I will be trotting and walking his team of logging horses through the Montpelier parade tonight (July 3rd). We made a test run last night, hooking the trusty old pair out at the Two Rivers Center and then taking them for a spin into – and through – downtown Montpelier. For those planning to be amongst the 20,000 people expected, give us a shout out. We won’t be hard to miss. But, just in case, here’s what you’ll be looking for: Doc & Magnum, a Belgian and Percheron, a big green wagon, signs that declare, “Horse Loggers for Peace,” a smiling and very happy ten-year old girl and two stiff and sore horse-logging fellas trying not to get testy with one another. Like the horses, we do better in the woods. Should be interesting.
Life Blogging (and a wee-bit of politics)
June 30, 2008 | 1 Comment
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m still around. Just busy. And parenting. But, lucky you, my daughter’s sick with strep-throat on the sofa so it’s an “inside” day for me and I’ve got a few minutes for words. Speaking of the child, I got one of those great rites of parenting again today while taking her to the doctor’s office. Yeah, you know the story: “Dad, I think I’m going to throw up.” And before I could empty the change jar and give it to her – whoosh – the front-seat of the truck was – well – watered. This too shall pass.
On other matters, the barn-straightening project led to the sawmill project – getting my logs milled into some fine rough timbers for the next phase of Operation Save-the-Barn. So far, so good.
Another fine local fella, Wayne Richardson, and his trusty partner in the portable sawmill business, Roy Richardson, arrived last week to get the process going. Wayne’s 81 years-old and still working daily with the not-so-small sawmill he tows behind his truck to various sites around the region to make lumber out of logs. It’s quite impressive.
I’ve been sitting on a large pile of saw logs for a couple of years, a nice mix of hemlock, spruce, fir and some very wide pine. All of it was drawn out with my trusty horse, Big Jim, with the occasional help from his former partner, Big John (R.I.P.). And, oh yeah, my “mentor,” Boots, was kicking around the woods with me from time to time, too. [The previous sentence was inserted so as to prevent a snarky response to this post. Trust me, it won’t work – but I tried.]
I love the smell, look and feel of fresh-milled wood. I especially like the big timbers, the 6×6’s and 8×8’s – and most of what’s being cut for me now are 6×6’s that will be used for posts for the barn and, I hope, the frame for a sauna. And most of these are being milled out of the big and heavy hemlock logs. Rot resistant, for sure. But heavy as all hell, too. For now, though, they’re just nicely stacked, drying, and teasing me with all the possibilities: have wood, will build.
–
If I had the time for politics, I’d say this: Anthony Pollina has a lot of guts to venture into the realm of accusing Jim Douglas of making “false claims” about what he has and has not done. I’m speaking, of course, of the much-publicized Pollina press conference last week in which Vermont’s favorite loser cried foul over Douglas’ assertion that he helped create the local food movement. While I have no problem with the specific accusation, I’m going to – once again – fly the flag of hypocrisy over Camp Pollina.
If Pollina would like to make “false claims” a campaign issue, I’d suggest he duck and cover. There is, of course, that not-so-little issue of Pollina claiming to have “run” the Vermont Milk Company until, that is, the company stopped paying its farmers and the red ink out-massed the milk. At this point, Pollina conveniently changed his official campaign biography from “running” the company to merely “helping” some farmers get it going.
Yes, Anthony, let’s talk about “false claims,” and we could start with yours.
Lucky for Pollina that the Vermont media has decided to ignore his little biography-gate – for now. The word on the street is that some journalists are finally starting to poke around into the dismal financial story of the Vermont Milk Company. It shouldn’t be hard for them to figure out that Pollina’s wealthy donor friends are propping up this non-organic milk company so that it doesn’t completely shut its doors during the campaign. It also shouldn’t be hard for them to find out that the more viable food ventures in the Vermont Milk Company’s neighborhood – Hardwick – have been eying the failing milk company’s facility with the understanding that it will most certainly be available – oh – after November.
You heard it here first.
–
Finally, to those who’ve inquired about why I didn’t attend last weekend’s Burlington Blogger BBQ, I only have this say: Because they make blogging look very unhealthy. ‘Nuf said.
Thanks Be to Friends
June 23, 2008 | 9 Comments
We interrupt the regularly scheduled snarkiness of this blog to bring you a tale of hope, talent, and accomplishment. Okay, okay, I’ll let that settle in for a moment.
It’s really quite “straight” forward. You see, we owned a leaning barn that desperately needed to be straightened, one that used to stand tall and proud just outside of the Worcester village. And, thanks to the neighborliness and friendliness of my immensely talented pal, Chris Eaton, we got it done. But let’s also be honest, the use of the “we” pronoun is quite presumptuous of me. Because, of course, I was mostly a “gofer” – and marveler – as Chris took on the Herculean task of running chains, cables and synthetic straps to various come-alongs and –viola! – torque that old heifer barn of ours right back to the upright and straight position. Amazing. All in a one good, long day’s worth of work.
This old heifer barn of ours was once the “little” addition to the monster barn that once graced the Ladd Farm, Worcester’s one-time pride of a farm that sits across the North Branch from the village itself. But, as we all know, the farm economy bit the dust and the farm began its decades-long decline into neglect. About ten years ago, thanks to previous owners, the neglected main barn was dismantled and – mostly – buried in what is now the back yard. What remained was the 20 x 50 heifer barn, a one-time “add-on” that now stood - or leaned — with the kind of tenacity that defied the logic of the engineering wisdom that certainly said: You will fall soon.
Ah, but Chris came to the rescue – just in time. And it’s not like “barn straightening” is on his resume, either. Nope. Sure, he’s a master carpenter and welder to boot, with more than a short stop caretaking – with his wife, Neha — for the Scott and Helen Nearing homestead in Maine. But barn-straightening? Nope. And that’s what’s fascinating to me: watching someone take on such an immense task with the kind of patience, perseverance and skill that would make you bet a whole hell of a lot of money on the fact that it was not his first time doing it. I guess that’s what they call “skill.”
To give you an idea of the task at hand, we started by attaching a nail to the top of the barn and then running a weighted-string down the side to determine just how much this old barn was leaning. According to the trusty tape measure, the barn was nearly 12 inches out of whack. Yep, the little weighted string dangled nearly a foot out of plumb. In other words, just a good storm – or draft horse scratch – away from becoming yet another giant pile of barn refuse.
But “we” attached the cables, hooked up the come-alongs, and gently ratcheted up the pressure as we heard the cracking and moaning of the barn. Disclaimer: This is the point in the project whereby I decided that my job should be to make sure the doors were open (a la “escape routes”), to “monitor” the dangling string (outside), and to otherwise pace with a palpable sense of nervousness that was otherwise no use to the “team.” Chris – being Chris – remained calm, convinced, of course, that a little forethought and a belief in a plan made more sense than my nervous ninniness.
The barn’s sway slowly began to abate – 10 inches, then 8, then 6, and then 4. Then the hardware gave way to the immense pressure of it all (Ha! Before me!). Specifically, one of the giant eyebolts attached to the top plate of the barn’s second story completely opened up and released the mighty pressure in one, big moment of “I quit.”
I thought we’d call it quits, too. Silly me. But Chris being Chris didn’t blink at the new challenge in front of us. “I know,” he said, “ I will…” I wish I could be more specific here. But, for all I know, he was speaking in the equivalent of carpenter-tongue, with words and phrases that I could almost make sense out of. You know something like: “We (oh-no, I thought, there goes that “we” thing again) need to weld plates…reattach the bolts…set the glue…correct the angle…and try it again.” Yeah, sure.
And that’s when Chris disappeared back to his shop and I took a nap, only to be awoken with his knock and his happy news that he’d welded the new pieces, already attached one of them, and – lo and behold – it looked like it was going to work.
“Great,” I replied, “want some coffee?” Nervousness and incompetence is always more tiring than accomplishment, you know.
But off we went with the new welded pieces, the new plan and the renewed creaking and torquing of the barn that seemed hell-bent on kissing the ground.
It all worked, of course. The barn’s lean was ultimately reduced to a mere couple of inches, cabled and secured into place. “We” did it! A barn was saved. An ever-so-small but yet important piece of Worcester’s heritage was given a new lease on life. As one of the few remaining old pieces of Worcester’s rural and farm heritage, it gets to stand – straight! – with the pride and reminder of perseverance. And, better yet (for me, at least), it gets to be filled with a thousand bales of hay to feed the horses that now call it home so that they can also call this farm their home.
Indeed, it was a good day. And I feel blessed. Thanks, Chris. One day, one barn straightened: You ‘da man.
The Dems Own the Wars (again)
June 19, 2008 | 1 Comment
This morning’s headline says it all: “Bipartisan Accord on War Funding Bill.” Did you get that? Yeah, the “bipartisan accord” thing. For those who haven’t had enough coffee yet today, that means that – once again – BOTH the Dems and the Republicans in Congress are agreeing to give the Bush-led military another $165 billion to continue to wage wars in Afghanistan and Iraq well into next year. Yes, next year, past the much-anticipated and hyped date of 1.20.09 when all the good Dems were “hoping” everything would be magically “Obamafied.” Good luck with that.
But there’s really nothing new here. The Dems have been going along with Bush and the Republicans on these wars from the beginning. They overwhelmingly voted to authorize the original force and they’ve fully funded them every single time the big, bad Bush has asked them to. Oh sure, they’ve whined, and squirmed, and begged, and stomped their feet from time to time but, in the end, they’ve always blinked in this little game of funding chicken with Bush.
What’s truly amazing is that even though the Dems keep funding these wars, they keep spewing the anti-war rhetoric. Worse, no matter how high these contradictions continue to pile up, the Dem cheerleaders keep drinking the almighty Kool-Aid and dreamily shaking their “change” and “hope” signs. Go team, go! Right. Over. The. Cliff. Well, when you act like fools, you’ll often be taken as one.
This new war funding bill will keep both wars financially greased until at least May of next year, thus handing Bush one hell of a stick to turn around and poke the Dems, the nation and the world right square in the eye. Impeach him? No, say the Dems, let’s just keeping feeding the beast and his beastly ideas even while he’ll be lounging in Crawford planning his silly little library (sorry, Mr. President, but My Pet Goat is already checked-out).
The Obama campaign was clearly a major player in ironing out this compromise, knowing that it would certainly be a campaign issue. Thus, it should give the antiwar/Obama crowd a reason to stop and reflect what they’re cheering for. Why, for example, would Obama and the Dems punt on the war issue? Worse, why would they agree to fund these wars through what they hope to be the first four months of an Obama administration? Looks like that “change” will be coming later than we thought – if at all.
But I’ll answer my own questions. There shouldn’t be any surprise about the Dems punting on the war issue (again) because that’s all they’ve been doing from the beginning. It’s apparently all they know how to do: huff and puff and then roll over for a belly scratch.
As for agreeing to fund the wars well into what they hope will be an Obama administration, it’s just the first of what will be many, many cave-ins and cop-outs. Wait, it’s not even the first, because this morning Obama announced that he was opting out of public financing for his presidential campaign. But, he noted, he really likes the idea of public financing. Hmm, I’m beginning to see a pattern: Hate the war but fund it, like public financing but reject its funding. And yes means no, right? Got it. Go team, go.
By agreeing to fund the wars for another year, the Obama camp will be able to continue to dodge any specifics on the war issue throughout the campaign. And even if he wins, he’ll have four months to claim that his hands are tied by the yearlong war-funding bill that this Dem-led Congress is about to pass. What a shame, because it also effectively kills any real grassroots potential that could have been harnessed by the stadiums full of screaming Obamacons that will certainly surface in the fall. But they can’t let the issues get in the way of the campaign. It might interrupt the cheering, the check signing and the hope. Oh, the hope!
Vermonters will be interested to know that Welch, Sanders and Leahy will most likely be voting against the war-funding compromise. They’ve clearly got visions of the riff-raff dancing in their offices again if they do anything but vote against it. Yes, indeed, direct action has an impact from time to time. But, before too many Vermonters pat themselves on the back for being oh-so-different, consider that none of the three will take any political risks to kill the bill. You know, things like filibusters, lobbying the leadership to stop the games, and/or the introduction of an alternative bill that would stop the funding now. It’s their party – and they’re staying for the dance.
Make no mistake, the Dems own the war. And forget 1.20.09. The best we can hope for now is 5.20.09.
Some Intimate Truths (or something like that…)
June 18, 2008 | 5 Comments
Oh hell, where were we? Oh yeah, now I remember: Nowhere. And fast. Welcome.
First, some personal news – only because I know you love the personal news. This little blog of mine is on pace to break the 15,000 visitor mark for the month. Yes, month. Not bad considering how lame I’ve been. Thanks to all those folks clicking in and not being too shy to ship me an email with one of those butt-kicking attachments that usually say something like: Give us words. So, words you shall have, mostly because my goddamn back is feeling tight from the use of my not-so-trusty carbon-neutral wood splitter (spare me the comments, Boots).
Speaking of carbon neutral, did you see that the campaigns of both Gaye Symington and Anthony Pollina have sponsored racecars? Give me a break. And Symington actually announced that she’s going to be donating money to those carbon-neutral hucksters out there who’ve convinced the moneyed ninnies that giving them money will somehow absolve them from their energy sins. Priceless. Hey, there’s a load of money in liberal guilt. You’ve just got to market yourself accordingly.
Here, I’ll try: Yo Gaye, you can send your next check to me and I promise to put your name on my carbon-neutral wood splitter. And, in return, you’ll get loads of “satisfaction,” a photo of me and the horse looking very, very appreciative (although the horse may be taking a dump) and a bumper sticker that you can add to your collection that says: “Sucker.” You know where to contact me.
Speaking of visitors (we were, weren’t we?), thanks to the fine folks at CounterPunch for sending loads of traffic. My friend. Jeffrey St. Clair, the co-editor there along with the equally amazing Alexander Cockburn, has always been gracious in their encouragement and willingness to feature my rants over the years. And, with each one, the traffic goes through the roof here – as do the personal comments, which range from “thanks” to “die, you asshole.” Ah, Joseph Pulitzer was right: journalists should have no friends.
But that’s all just a clumsy introduction to say: Buy Jeffrey’s new book, “Born Under a Bad Sky.” It’s St. Clair at his best: articulate, entertaining, illuminating and eye-opening. Or, if you’d rather, here’s what yours truly said about Jeffrey’s work on the back of this very book:
Who else can combine Rachel Carson’s wisdom, I.F. Stone’s erudition and Edward Abbey’s sass?
And I meant it, damn it. Read it.
And while we’re dispensing with the personal news here, let’s take a gander at the news Shay Totten of 7 Daze reported last week about my decision to abandon a campaign for governor. Well, not so fast, my friend. I made the decision based on the news that Gaye Symington was in the race, hoping that that would put an end to the nonsense that Anthony Pollina was going to mount a silly and hypocritical write-in campaign in the Democratic Party’s primary. But then the Pollina campaign dragged two Morrisville sycophants out of the woodwork to announce a few weeks ago that, indeed, they planned to continue the write-in campaign even though Dem/Gaye was in the race. It was clearly a non-story, except, of course, for the fact that the non-story members of the Vermont media made it a story, especially the giggling Kristin Carlson of WCAX, who made it her “top story” even though the “rally” she proclaimed it to be was little more than a few sycophants, Pollina, and his wife. Wow! With rallies like that, we could almost fill a hybrid.
My position as of this writing, which may change as soon as I find myself back in the woodlot in a few minutes, is that if Pollina keeps messing around with trying to despise the Democrats AND mount a write-in campaign in their primary, I will keep my campaign to challenge him in his own Progressive Party primary alive.
As for Shay’s prediction that there’s a run for Congress in my future, well, let’s just say that Shay must be connected with the Bush crowd who like to tap personal phone calls because I’ve been taking more than a few of those calls of late that encourage such a run. And they all go like this: “Welch is a phony. Run against him. Now.” We shall see….
Speaking of the media, I’m wondering when the Vermont media will come to life over the fact that Tony-the-Phony (Pollina, that is) changed his official website’s biography to delete the reference to his proclamation that he “ran” the Vermont Milk Company “until 2008.” For those of us keeping score at home, we know that this company has been tanking of late, has been behind on its payments to its farmers, and has been adrift in a sea of management incompetence. The Pollina response? Deny that he ever ran it. Yep, it’s true, Pollina actually changed his campaign biography after the company’s troubles became public, going from “running it” to just being “on the board.” And the Vermont media’s response: Nothing. Not a peep. On the positive side, I think I’ll take that as a sign for how seriously they’re taking his campaign. But on the negative side, I’ll say this: Shame on you.
Finally, on a sports note, congrats to the little-brat Celtics’ fans for a well-purchased championship. I hope you’re all happy with your high-priced product. Oh wait, I’m a New York Knicks fan. Skip that “high-priced” comment. And, instead, let’s try this: Paul Pierce is a drama-queen underachiever. What? One championship? Big deal, especially since he couldn’t get it done until the big brass brought in his mighty helpers known as Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Wimp.
The sports world has been making me feel young of late. First, there was the 45-year old Rocco Mediate’s 19-hole overtime challenge to Tiger Woods in the U.S. Open and then the news that the equally 45-year old Jamie Moyer’s great season pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies. Ha! The way I look at it is, you’re not really old until there are no sports heroes around who are older than you are. Thanks, Rocco and Jamie.
Speaking of age and sports, Jimmy Kimmel asked the best question of the political season to John McCain last night in his pre-game show. It was a question about the Rocco Mediate/Tiger Woods battle, with a not-so-veiled reference to McCain’s own battle with Obama. Said Kimmel:
So, who were you rooting for, the old white guy or the young black guy?
Priceless. Or, in the case of McCain’s response: wordless.
I’ve got more. But you’re not worthy. And I’ve got work to do.
Firewood Photoblogging
June 17, 2008 | 4 Comments
Busy days. Tired body. Empty mind. So, drink from this cup of photos, featuring the homemade wood wagon, my partners — Buddy and Jim, and my carbon-neutral splitter.
The Pollina Paradox: Opposing Symington/Endorsing Obama
June 12, 2008 | 3 Comments
Did you hear the one about Pollina endorsing Obama? Oh wait, that wasn’t a joke. Pollina was serious. Or should I say: calculating. And, once again, he’s hoping no one will notice his latest “do as I say, not as I do” moment.
But, first, it’s true: Anthony Pollina, the rather dusty stalwart of Vermont’s Progressive Party, put out a press statement a couple of weeks ago announcing his endorsement of Barack Obama for president. Hmm, let’s see, besides everything, what could be strange about Pollina, the “I’m no Democrat,” endorsing Obama, the Democrat?
Good grief, Pollina apparently has no shame. Because, as you may recall, Pollina is running for governor of Vermont as a decidedly non-Democrat against – yep – a Democrat, Gaye Symington, and a Republican, Jim Douglas. And it’s the same Pollina who also ran against Vermont’s last Democratic governor, Howard Dean, who now, interestingly enough, is Obama’s choice to continue running the entire national Democratic Party.
This is getting weird.
For those of us with a memory – or at least access to Google – we remember when Pollina was calling Dean and the Democrats a mere extension of the Republicans. And, I have to admit, it was the kind of rhetoric that made my heart go pitter-patter. But, because I was familiar with Pollina’s nonsense, I knew he didn’t mean it. And, of course, he doesn’t – and didn’t. Why else would he now be endorsing the Dean-led Democratic Party’s candidate for president?
Wait. Don’t answer that. Because I know the answer: Self-serving desperation. And therein lies the difference between truly inspiring third – and fourth and fifth – party challengers and the self-serving, ideologically-adrift retreads like Pollina.
But let’s back up. For non-comatose Vermonters, we know that Pollina is running for governor (again) under the banner of the Progressive Party, the folks who have sometimes, kind of, maybe (depending on the day and the circumstances) tried to make the case that Vermont needs a viable third party because the Democrats and Republicans are hopelessly and ruthlessly protecting a political status quo that isn’t serving the rest of us very well. Can you say “Iraq War,” “health care,” “global warming,” “alternative energy,” “economic justice,” “corporate oligarchy”? I knew you could.
But the problem with Pollina and the Progs is that they only spew that rhetoric – or even pretend to believe in it – when it appears to be politically convenient. And they’ll just as soon say that there’s no hope in getting anything substantive done within the Democratic Party before announcing that they’re either cutting a deal with Dems over which electoral races to sit out or, in the case of Pollina, endorsing a Dem for the highest of political offices: president. Go figure.
So, when it comes to their ever-changing opinions/relations with the Dems, Pollina and the Progs either don’t believe their own rhetoric, don’t understand that they’ve created a paper trail of opinions (and campaigns) that we can see, or they think their supporters are fools. Or, I guess, it could be all of the above.
How, for example, can Pollina run for governor against Democrat Gaye Symington, claiming “major differences” with her, and yet also endorse Obama for president? What, exactly, are the “major” policy differences between Symington and Obama? I don’t see any, as a matter of fact. Both, quite frankly, are liberal Democrats. Neither supports universal health care. Neither supported an immediate de-funding of the Iraq War. Neither supports a complete and total roll back of the trade policies that have so dramatically damaged working families. Neither supported impeachment of Bush. And both enjoy a ringside seat to the power elite game of inside politics, footsie with corporate lobbyists, and an absolute allegiance to “the party” with little regard for what that means for the people.
But yet Pollina – and other Progs like David Zuckerman – have now made it a point to cast Symington as the mortal enemy and Obama as the savior. It makes no sense. Unless, of course, you consider political expediency.
Pollina & Co. are hoping that voters and the Vermont media will forget all that rhetoric he spewed about Dean when he ran against him in 2000. Just as they’re hoping that people will forget about their on again/off again charges that the Dems are too snuggled with power to really get anything done. But they can’t have it both ways – blasting them one second and endorsing them the next.
The reason Pollina is constantly pulling the Obama card is obvious: he’s desperate. He’s willing to say “never mind” to his rhetoric of the last ten years in hopes that he’ll be able to get onto the Obama coattails in November. But someone needs to remind Pollina that he’s a member of the Progressive Party and Obama (and his opponent, Symington) are Democrats. Hey Anthony, may I introduce you to Ralph Nader? He’s great. He believes what you says. Fights for it, too. Try it sometime. That’s the point of “third parties,” you know.
Pollina knows that he probably won’t be made to feel embarrassed by his Obama endorsement. First, the sleepy Vermont media probably won’t figure out the oh-so obvious contradictions and, secondly, he knows that Obama won’t be bothered by a visit to Vermont – a visit that would certainly feature him with other Democrats like (ahem) Symington.
Poor Pollina. He’s seems really, really confused.
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