The Scoreboard: This Week's Winners and Losers
Who won and lost the week in Vermont news and politics?
MILF-lovers, pot-smokers, hair-dyers, plane-haters, nudists and, well, Vermont's congressional delegation.
Here's the Scoreboard for the week of Friday, Sept. 6:
Winners:
Bud smokers — After Attorney General Eric Holder said last week he wouldn't crack down on states that legalize pot, Gov. Peter Shumlin told reporters Tuesday he's "open to further discussion" about letting the green grow freely here in the Green Mountains. But don't light up just yet. Shumlin clarified to Seven Days Thursday he's "in no hurry" to legalize it — and would prefer to see how it works in Washington and Oregon first. "I personally favor legalization for Vermont at the right time," he said.
Democratic F-35 DIS-unity — Until Wednesday, nearly every major Democratic politician in the state had either endorsed the F-35's proposed basing in South Burlington or dodged the question. But now, Senate Democratic Majority Leader Phil Baruth (D-Chittenden) is getting involved. On Wednesday, he joined two other Dem reps and a slew of local Progressives in calling for the city of Burlington to just say no. [Ed.'s note: The Scoreboard spaced out Friday and put "Democratic F-35 unity" in the winner's column. That, obviously, makes no sense. It's been edited to reflect that the real winner was "Democratic F-35 disunity."]
Perseverence — Dylan Gingues really wants to let it all hang out. After the dude got busted for violating Bellows Falls' nudity ordinance last week, he showed up in court the next day wearing nothing but a (presumably borrowed) police coat. By Wednesday, he was back in action — this time allegedly exposing himself in White River Junction. "Awww! He's cute," said one witness to Gingues' loin-clothed handcuffing, according to the Rutland Herald's Eric Francis.
Tie Score:
MILF-seeking jokers — They didn't get "a meal and some play time," but they sure got the attention they were seeking. Runner-up losers: Media outlets such as the Burlington Free Press, WCAX and Fox44 that either didn't get the joke or felt the need to play it straight. Double-that to the Freeps, which, instead of spelling out the meaning of "MILF," referred to the dreaded acronym as "a derogatory term."
Losers:
Vermont's congressional delegation — Sens. Patrick Leahy, Bernie Sanders and Congressman Peter Welch are stuck between Iraq and a hard place. Popular sentiment in war-weary Vermont will likely (pundit speculation alert!) trend against intervening in Syria, while Leahy and Welch will feel intense pressure from President Obama and Democratic leadership to vote in favor of it. Our reading of the tea leaves (pundit speculation alert #2)? Sanders votes no, Leahy and Welch vote yes. But if the resolution looks doomed to defeat in either the House or Senate, look for the latter two to join the masses and vote 'nay.'
Weapons workers — General Dynamics axed 35 Vermont jobs Thursday. Perhaps the state's congressional delegation can help by getting us into more wars?
Forbes — For talking smack about Vermont, getting its facts wrong and riling up Seven Days' Ken Picard.
Howard Dean's roots — And we're not talking 'bout his ones on Park Avenue! It's the biggest scandal since John McCain got busted playing poker: That's right, the Daily Mail had the scoop on Ho-Ho's new Grecian Formula do. And the New York Post wasn't far behind.
