And the point is?

Democratic House Speaker Gaye Symington's Friday "brown-bagger" with the Statehouse press is now being dubbed her "weekly press discussion."

I was the only one who ever brought a sandwich in a brown bag - to the first one, a few years back. One cannot, however, take notes with food in between one's paws. Gaye kept calling it a "brown-bagger," but no one ever brought food again. After all, it's her chance to counter the Guv's weekly presser, usually held on Thursdays.

Today's gathering in Speaker Gaye's office (a gathering Ch. 3, Ch. 5 and The Associated Press blew off), started 10 minutes late. In fact, with both Gov. Scissorhands and Lite-Gov Doobie-Doo out of state, Ol' Gaye was acting-governor!

When it was over, we were left wondering why she had bothered to call it in the first place. What was the Democratic Speaker of House's message?

Politics, mes amis, is a battle of messages. He/she who has the winning message ends up in power.

Despite his Republican jersey, Jim Douglas has had the winning message in Montpelier since taking office in 2003.

And despite their currently significantly superior numbers under the Golden Dome, Democrats have still been unable to deliver on the core issues they told Vermont voters were their priorities: major healthcare policy reform, serious climate-change legislation and major campaign-finance reform.

If the Democratic Speaker had a message today that she wanted to get out to the Vermont public through the Statehouse press, quite frankly it escaped us. So as the press ran out of questions and the Speaker ran out of anything she wanted to say,  yours truly tossed up the old softball, asking Madame Speaker if there, in fact,  was a particular message she wanted to get out to Vermont voters through today's press gathering?

Symington replied:

"The message that I began with was we’re beginning to write the budget and our priorities in the budget are not to put additional pressure on property taxes, not to put additional, shifting cost onto healthcare premiums for Vermonters, and to focus on the barriers and challenges that both our employers are facing and that Vermonters are facing in terms of being able to get to work and hold work and, you know, be reliable employees and that’s housing and transportation and child care and that we have tough budget choices ahead of us, but those are our priorities."

Wouldn't you agree that until Vermont Democrats can articulate a "message" more clearly and crisply and concisely, [i.e. get to the point!], Republican Gov. Jim Douglas' hold on power is quite secure?

P.S. Anybody see/hear Tony the Prog this week?

Comments

[linguini]

i hope that someone runs against Symington in her home district and she is defeated!! she is so ineffective, does exactly what shumlin tells her to do and it is a losing agenda all the way. guv. jimmy always gets what he wants even with a huge disadvantage in the legislature.. Shumlin will have his hands full this fall because rep. daryl pillsbury is running against him and sen. jeanette white.. shummy is vulnerble and can be beaten down here in windham county!! how sweet would that be?? the man who wants to be gov. but doesnt have the balls to go up against the all powerful Jimmy D!! Shummy has been searching all over the state trying to find a sacraficial lamb to run against Douglas, so far with no luck!! hopefully the people of windham county will send putney pete back to putney and outta the senate!!!

[El Guapo's Ghost]

I think "ineffective" is an understatement. Calling for a veto override and not being able to get all of your Reps in the house is a joke. I believe a reason was that one was on vacation out of the country. Not being able to count votes or schedule a time when you know you will have enough is incompetence for a Speaker.

[vermonter]

"And despite their currently significantly superior numbers under the Golden Dome, Democrats have still been unable to deliver on the core issues they told Vermont voters were their priorities: major healthcare policy reform, serious climate-change legislation and major campaign-finance reform."

Um, just a suggestion . . . howabout they focus exclusively on local stuff, like, oh, I dunno, maybe fixing roads and bridges and school finance reform and regulatory reform so that local businesses can continue to do business here (or even expand!)?

Nah, what was I thinking.

[JPC]

El Guapo, what's even worse then that is she spent the 50K+ knowing that they couldn't override the veto, but did it "to exercise" the legislative process. Thanks Gaye...next time you want to exercise something pay for it yourself.

[linguin]

is anyone in speaker gayes home district reading this blog?? is there any hope that ms. gaye will have competition in the nov election??

[bob]

Symington will be re-elected by a landslide.

[El Guapo's Ghost]

I don't think she should be contested for her seat, but rather her gavel.