Hugh Hewitt applauds Mitch McConnell's performance during the Dem's all-night stunt:
After Democratic leader Harry Reid’s MoveOn.org all-night session Tuesday night, a move that resulted only in helping unify the weak-kneed Republicans who were peeling away from continued support of the Petraeus surge in Iraq, McConnell, the Republican leader, served notice to anyone watching C-SPAN that he now runs the Senate.
Read it all as Hewitt goes on to invent the word "mitchslapped". Heh.
Conservative Jonah Goldberg writing in the liberal LA Times on the subject of the over-the-top poisonous rhetoric that dominates our political circus:
At Sunday's trial lawyer conference, for example, Barack Obama proclaimed that "people are tired of 'Scooter' Libby justice." Clinton's pardons for loyalist Susan McDougal, billionaire tax-evader Marc Rich and bomb-setting Puerto Rican nationalists apparently have slipped down the memory hole. For eight years, the right screamed bloody murder about Clinton's overreaching. He minted new executive privileges, "accidentally" rummaged through the FBI files of political opponents and sought electronic wiretapping powers — during peacetime — that today are denounced during the war on terror. Some on the right feared we were on a slippery slope to tyranny. Liberals often chortled about such right-wing paranoia.
Dems to Jump Left Again: Reid promises to tie timetable to next military appropriations bill before 4 July break:
Reid spoke Tuesday on the phone with a group of liberal bloggers he acknowledged helped drive the anti-war debate.
"I understand their disappointment," Reid said. "We raised the bar too high."
Tough to disappoint to barking base.
Earmark War Looming! Republicans want to hold Democrats to their earlier promises of making earmarked spending more transparent. Democrat chair of the House Appropriations Committee promises to kill all pet projects (Dem and Repub alike) if Republican leaders "demagogue" the issue.
Hmmm. I don't remember Republicans rushing out to make earmarks more transparent, or any fewer, when they were in charge. Too bad. If they had, maybe they'd still be in charge.
CAIR Membership Down 90% Since 2001:
The number of reported members spiraled down from more than 29,000 in 2000 to fewer than 1,700 in 2006. As a result, the Muslim rights group's annual income from dues dropped from $732,765 in 2000, when yearly dues cost $25, to $58,750 last year, when the group charged $35
Hopefully the downward spiral will continue.
"Hamastan" — Hamas has taken control of the northern part of the Gaza Strip as Palestine sinks into civil war. Isn't it a wonder that liberals are quick to blame the "neo-Cons" for pushing Iraq towards civil war, but won't own up to their own complicity in Palestinian troubles after celebrating terrorist victories in open elections?
"The streets of the Gaza Strip are full of hundreds of gunmen belonging to Fatah and Hamas," said Ayman Abu Sharkh, a lawyer from Gaza City. "People are afraid to leave their homes, because this is a real war and they are killing each other mercilessly. We never imagined that the day would come when we would see Palestinians slaughtering each other in the streets."
Hmmm. Doesn't come as a surprise to me.
Neo-Samurais? If we have neo-Cons, does Japan have neo-Samurais?
An ultranationalist, [Parliamentary candidate Yuko Tojo] seeks to restore Japan's honor by scrapping its pacifist constitution and enacting a full-fledged military, giving the country the clout she says it deserves. . . .
Her views are part of a resurgent right-wing fringe in Japan that espouses a hard line in territorial disputes with the country's neighbors and a rose-tinted view of its past militarism.
For lying and obstructing justice, Lewis "Scooter" Libby was fined $250,000 and sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison, with another two of probation following his release.
Giuliani's Firm Gave to Dems: Here's a shocker (not): Rudy Giuliani's law firm has a very generous PAC. It gave away nearly a quarter-million dollars to federal candidates in the 2006 mid-term election, 40% of which went to Democrats (including two under investigation for ethics violations).
MoveOn's Tea Party: Last week Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid capitulated to reality, withdrawing the timetable for surrender in Iraq from the war appropriations bill, but weakly tried to spin the move to his favor with verbiage for which I derided him. It has also raised the ire of the inappropriately-named MoveOn.org. Because Reid called the Iraq bill "weak tea" before he voted for it, the far-left group is asking members to send tea bags to Reid's office to register their displeasure with Reid for voting for the funding.
Why is it that references to Fred Thompson invariably call for him to either declare his candidacy or get out, while Gore is running a "stealth campaign"?
ABC to Air Counter-Gore Documentary: ABC has finally announced that it will run The Great Global Warming Swindle, a British documentary that refutes Gore's convenient lie. If you don't want to wait until it runs on ABC in July, you can watch it in full on Google Video.
A nice article by John Podhoretz says, in part:
Maybe that's because the case against Scooter Libby is so astoundingly petty that arguing over it is like arguing over scraps.
Having begun his investigation with the possibility of bringing down the Bush administration due to the possible commission of a national-security felony, Fitzgerald has wound up trying to argue that the incomprehensible notes and Swiss-cheese recollections of reporters are indisputable facts.
Marketing Stunt Terrorizes Boston. Chaos Ensues! Mayor Furious!
Boston authorities shut down a highway and turned out the bomb squads on fears of terrorism after spotting a "slew of blinking electronic signs" on bridges and other high-profile spots across the city.
Yep, that dangerous looking milkshake in LED looks like a terrorist to me!
Of course, the signs turned out to be nothing more than a creative advertising campaign for "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," a cartoon about a group of mystery-solving fast food items to be shown on Cartoon Network TV. Still, the mayor is threatening to sue Turner Broadcasting.
BTW, which Aqua Teen Hunger Force character are you? (I'm Master Shake)
Al Franken to run for Senate
Speaking of terror, rumor has it that failed radio mogul Al Franken is going to run for the US Senate in Minnesota, taking on incumbent Norm Coleman.
The news was not unexpected. Franken has been calling members of the Minnesota congressional delegation for their input on a run and he announced this week he would be leaving his show on Air America Radio on Feb. 14. He told listeners he would be making a decision on a race soon.
The only stunning news in all this is that Franken still has listeners.
BTW, Franken's political action committee is the "Midwest Values PAC", which (according to OpenSecrets.org) seems to rake in the most money from NY, CA, OR, WA, and in general every but the Midwest!
Look at the size of that tumor. It's huge!*
A woman kept telling the doctors that her weight gain wasn't due to her eating habits. Diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, Taquela Hilton finally got a doctor to listen after at least 12 years.
The result was an operation that removed a 93 pound benign tumor - an ovarian cyst.
* Said in your best "Tiny Elvis" voice
Idiotic Headline of the Day
Bush, Dems Have Different Economic Views
Hey Planet Earth, Put a Cork In IT!
Volcanic pressure in Indonesia has been pushing out mud since May of last year, displacing 10,000 people and closing 20 factories. And it doesn't show any signs of slowing.
To stop it, geophysicists are going to drop 4,000 concrete balls that have been chained together in sets of four into the volcano's mouth. Even they don't think they can stop the flaming-hot mud's progress all together, but hope to create enough "friction" as the mud has to navigate through the barrier to significantly slow the flow. Says one "scientist":
It will make the mud tired. We're killing the mud softly.
Uh-huh. Sounds more like using BB's to stop a fire hose to me. This is the volcanic force of the planet Earth we're talking about here — the same forces that move tectonic plates around.
Milk Beer
When the United States gets a surplus of milk, our government turns to subsidies to prop up the dairy farmers. In Japan, an innovative liquor store owner turned his region's excess milk inventory into beer, soon to be marketed under the brand name "Bilk".
I wonder how it'll taste on cereal?
I'm beginning to question some fundamentals:
I actually agree with AlphaMoonbat James Carville; he says that Howard "the Scream" Dean is incompetent and should be fired as chairman of the Democratic Party.
I disagree with conservative brainiac Ben Stein: he says that Iraq was better off with Saddam Hussein in charge (men fed to plastic shredders feet first, over 300,000 in mass graves in the desert, whole villages gassed, men shot in front of wives and children — I don't think so).
U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney is headed to a runoff against a relatively unknown challenger in a Democratic primary she was expected to win with ease.HT to Vodkapundit, who reports "a very quiet, low turnout election, particularly compared to 2004.".
That won't be the situation here in Memphis, where we have more races and more candidates on the ballot than at any time in the history of the county. This primary is critical to conservatives because we could lose control of the county.
Technorati Tags: Moonbat Cynthia McKinney, Extremist Moonbats, People that give Moonbats a Bad Name, Georgia Politics.
Do you give money to the Sierra Club? If you do, you're putting Democrats in office! The Sierra Club is planning on putting between five and ten million dollars into competitive state races this year.
What makes a liberal a liberal? Mark Goldblatt weighs in and he's right on the money. [I know, I was one!]
Think Hillary can win? John Hawkins doesn't, and lists The Top 8 Reasons Why Hillary Clinton Is a Weaker Candidate Than People Think.
Meanwhile, Condoleezza Rice is more popular than you'd think:
When Esquire asked American men who they would invite from a list of 14 notable women to a dinner party, they chose Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice - over such stars as Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Simpson.Dinner with Condi? Sign me up!
Technorati Tags: Sierra Club, Looney Left Wing Organizations, Charity, Liberals, Progressives, Moonbats, Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice.
John Stossel reports that these tributes never really happen, even though they appear in the Congressional Record.
But wait, there's more! Verbiage is not only invented, it is actually changed:
A congressman once got angry with a colleague and exclaimed, "You're trying to shut me off? You better not do that, ma'am. . . . Who do you think you are?"And I thought that it was just the MSM that lied to us.You didn't read that in the Congressional Record. The Congressman or his staff had the Record print his comments this way: "I will say to the gentle lady for whom I have the greatest respect . . ."
The law says the Record must be "substantially a verbatim report." Congressmen use the word "substantially" to print their lies. ...
Of course, it would be embarrassing to actually stand in front of my colleagues and talk about Ted Nugent's archery, so I'll just make it seem as if I did. To make it extra convincing, I'll use phrases like, "Mr. Speaker, I rise today . . . " The additions cost taxpayers millions, but so what? They don't cost me anything.
The waste calculates out to almost $675 a page.
I guess that I should quit being shocked at findings like this, but then again I hope that I never get so cynical that I come to expect this of our elected servants. Because deep down, I am still a bit of an idealist.
Technorati Tags: Congressional Record, Politics.
District Attorney Ronnie Earle said his office would review the ruling before deciding whether to continue the fabricated witch hunt appeal to yet a higher court.
I was going to comment on this ruling but can't beat what LDotter JLoophole said:
Let me get this straight.Ah yes, things that make you go "Hmmm".White male republican. Commits no crime, but was accused of one, so is basically forced to leave.
Black female democrat. Assaults a police officer, punching him when he does his job. Dozens of witnesses. Continues to keep her political position.
Rhymes with Right predicts:
I've no doubt that the rest of the charges will be easily refuted in court - and that the misconduct that has plagued this prosecution will lead to professional sanctions against the rogue prosecutor.While I believe that Prosecutor Ronnie Earle is doing the legal version of a Mary Mapes, I have little hope of him ever being held accountable for it. As Rob at Say Anything points out:
When all's said and done it will come out that the Democrat Prosecutor was using his office to smear his political foes. He tried and failed to remove Texas Senator Kay Baily Hutchinson. In fact when it finally came to trial he had to admit that he did not have a case.
But Election Law points to a Houston Chronicle article that suggests that DeLay may be involved in, or at least connected to, a phone-jamming scandal in New Hampshire.
What Election Law does not point out is that the H.Chron. is a liberal rag that has it in for DeLay — a fact made clear when reading how the article is written. [Come on, it starts out with, "Tom DeLay isn't involved in every Republican scandal, although it's easy to see how you could get that idea." Sheesh!]
Yet journalists continue to wonder why people are turning to alternative sources for news and punditry.
Technorati Tags: DeLay, Tom DeLay, Ronnie Earle.
I’m planning to surprise him on his birthday and instead of him looking at the headlines in the Washington Post that morning, he’ll be reading his “Birthday Album,” filled with birthday wishes from friends in Tennessee and from all across the countryGo here to add your birthday wish, although one wonders how secret this will be seeing as the collection site is on Frist's own PAC website. Still, how often does a Senate Majority Leader spend on the internet?
I would like to apologize to you for assuming that your private assurances to me regarding your desire to cooperate in our efforts to negotiate bipartisan lobbying reform legislation were sincere.HT to Donald Sensing
California is increasingly politically divided between an inland "red" state and a coastal "blue" state, according to a Field Institute study analyzing 15 years of election trends. ...Maybe it's something in the water.Coastal voters - in 20 counties from San Diego to Del Norte - favor Democratic candidates by sweeping margins while California's 38 in-land counties overwhelmingly favor Republicans.
Technorati Tags: Red Blue, California, California Politics.
This morning's poll asked:
What do you think should be the number one priority for the next congress?What is missing from this list? What domestic issue has fallen so far off the radar that it doesn't even merit consideration?
- War in Iraq
- Economy
- Social security reform
- Scandals/ethics
- Environment
- US foreign policy
- Homeland security
- Tax reform
- Federal budget deficit
- Off-shoring of jobs
- Poverty
- Racial divide in the US
- Health care
- Illegal immigration
- Nothing/not sure
- Other-Specify
Education.
Poverty is on the list, but if all our children were educated then poverty would be massively reduced, if not virtually eliminated.
Off-shoring of jobs is on the list, but if all our children were educated then we would be off-shoring our talent to help the developing world.
Racism is on the list, but if all our children were educated then a great deal of the causes of racism would be eliminated. Education is the key to true equal opportunity. And as the economic, political and academic segments of our society become integrated, racism melts away. The culture of victimization could not survive. There would be no more resentment from taxpayers for supporting a growing welfare state. Most importantly, you do not hate those who work work with, who help you be successful in your career, who live next to you and whose children play with yours.
If all our children were educated then the black family could grow strong again. Educated fathers tend to stay married, regardless of race. Educated girls have ambition, not babies, regardless of race.
If all our children were educated then crime would plummet. Tax revenues would be raised hand over fist. Everyone would have health care that they choose, not that the government tries to provide.
Some may say I'm being racist by stating things in a stereotypical manner. Some may say I'm oversimplifying. But none can sway me from the position that we are cheating our children and weakening our country's future because we are failing to address this problem.
If Republicans were one-tenth as rough with the congressman who wants to withdraw troops in the middle of a war as they are on a congresswoman who calls it cowardly to withdraw troops in the middle of a war, we might have a functioning Republican Party.
And you can take that to the bank.
You know things have gotten bad in New Jersey when the Star Ledger endorses Republican Doug Forrester for governor, however "reluctantly".
US News tells us how internet activists are taking control of the Democrat Party in a McGovern-like revolution:
In a lecture at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, Peter Beinart said the mostly young Internet activists are clearly taking over the party. If so, this would be the first ray of sunshine for conservatives and Republicans in almost a year. The McGovern movement severely damaged the party, pushing it toward four presidential defeats in five tries, until Bill Clinton won by dragging the party back to the center in 1992. If the Internet people had prevailed in 2004, Howard Dean would have won the nomination and then been buried in an enormous landslide, just like George McGovern.
The FBI has conducted clandestine surveillance on some U.S. residents for as long as 18 months at a time without proper paperwork or oversight, according to previously classified documents to be released today.
A PoliSci professor once told me that the original wording for the famous "unalienable rights" phrase was "life, liberty and property", but Rousseau's influence resulted in the change to "pursuit of happiness". So once again we were screwed by the French.
A freeper proposed this constitutional amendment for discussion:
RIGHT TO REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTYA damn fine idea. Personally, I would much rather have personal property protected by the constitution than the rights of same-sex couples limited by that document.
- Whereas the power to tax is the power to destroy; Tax on all property, real and personal, except as income or on sale or transfer, above one-tenth of one percent per annum shall be prohibited.
- The taking of property by eminent domain shall only be by just compensation for the purpose of the erection of public infrastructure.
- Public property that is sold or otherwise converted to private use within 20 years shall first be offered to its original owner(s) or their heirs in substantially its original condition at its original price of acquisition.
- Property that is seized for non-payment of taxes must be speedily sold at auction. Any amount above the tax owed and costs must be returned to the owner.
- This article shall have no time limit on its ratification.
"Her brain was profoundly atrophied," Jon Thogmartin, medical examiner for Florida's Pinellas-Pasco County, told a press conference. "There was massive neuronal loss, or death. This was irreversible and no amount of therapy or treatment would have regenerated the massive loss of neurons."A bit of Schiavo trivia from the article:“The brain weighed 615 grams, roughly half of the expected weight of a human brain," he added.
About 40 judges in six courts were involved in the Schiavo case at one point or another . . .
Dear Mr. [insert real name of AlphaPatriot here],I have never received a blowoff like this from any politician before. Not one word addressing my concerns. Even when they disagree, they take the time to try and explain why.Thank you for contacting me. It is an honor to serve as Majority Leader of the United States Senate and a privilege to respond to your concerns.
As a Senator, I regard communication with citizens like yourself as one of my highest priorities. A representative body that is out of touch with its constituents cannot function effectively. Your comments are always welcome, and with your help, we can ensure that Congress remains well-informed and accountable for its actions.
Again, I appreciate you taking time to contact me.
Sincerly yours,
William H. Frist, M.D.
Majority Leader
United States SenateP.S. Please visit http://frist.senate.gov to register for my e-mail newsletter.
By Zues, I wish I could remember what I wrote to him about! Damn email submission forms — in the old days I'd have a copy of my letter on my hard drive.
A report released yesterday by Third Way says support for Republicans begins at much lower income levels than researchers had expected: Among white voters, President Bush got a majority of support beginning at an income threshold of $23,300 -- about $5,000 above the poverty level for a family of four.This, of course, comes as no surprise to the informed. It has long been apparent that the Democrat Party has become the party of extremes — the very poor and the very rich. It is no more the party of the middle class then it is the party of "progressives", no matter how much the "party of no" pretends otherwise.The report says the economic gains of Hispanics have translated into strong Republican gains, as have economic strides across every category, save for black voters.
"As Americans become even modestly wealthier their affinity for Democrats apparently falls off. With middle income voters, it is Democrats -- the self-described party of the middle class -- who are running far behind Republicans, the oft-described party of the rich," the report says. ...
This month's issue of Blueprint, a magazine published by the centrist Democratic Leadership Council, has several articles looking at statistics similar to Third Way's income data, such as Mr. Kerry's losing married parents of young children by 19 percentage points, taking 40 percent of the group compared with Mr. Bush's 59 percent. Those parents made up 28 percent of the electorate.
QandO defines a Neolibertarian as "Pragmatic domestic libertarian; Hawk on defense". There's much more, but in the updates this set of general policies is proposed:
When given a set of policy choices,In foreign policy, neolibertartianism would be characterized by,
- The choice that maximizes personal liberty is the best choice.
- The policy choice that offers the least amount of necessary government intervention or regulation is the best choice.
- The policy choice that provides rational, market-based incentives is the best choice.
- A policy of diplomacy that promotes consensual government and human rights and opposes dictatorship.
- A policy of using US military force solely at the discretion of the US, but only in circumstances where American interests are directly affected.
Although I "Blog for Bush" and strongly supported him in the last two elections (and would do so again) I did so because he was the candidate closest to my ideals. His foriegn policy is nothing short of brilliant which will reshape the world for decades.As I have said several times in the past, however, I find his domestic policy to be nothing short of disastrous.
I left the Libertarian Party in 2004 when presidential candidate Michael Badnarik asked supporters to wear black on the anniversary of 9/11 "to mourn the deaths of the thousands of people who have died as a result of U.S. government policies".
Libertarians are often idealistic and myopic, ignoring the real world in pursuit of their goals, unable to compromise their principles. A little pragmatism is called for in the real world.
So drop by the Neolibertarian Network Blog and see what's happening.
(HT to Instapundit)
Update: Welcome Instapundit readers!
A Minnesota appeals court has ruled that the presence of encryption software on a computer may be viewed as evidence of criminal intent.I shred my mail and personal documents. Does that mean I am doing something illegal?
Now, I find myself in a swirling metamorphosis. Think Kafka, without the bug. Think Kuhnian paradigm shift, without the buzz. Every anomaly that didn't fit my perceptual set is suddenly back, all the more glaring for so long ignored. The insistent inner voice I learned to suppress now has my rapt attention. "Something strange -- something approaching pathological -- something entirely of its own making -- has the left in its grip," the voice whispers. "How did this happen?" The Iraqi election is my tipping point. The time has come to walk in a different direction -- just as I did many years before.Read it all. Lucianne.com called this the best that the weekend had to offer. I think it is the best that I've read in quite some time.
Lawmakers, including some Democrats who voted against his appointment, are praising his openness and mild-mannered demeanor. U.S. attorneys and career Justice Department employees say they welcome his open-door management style. And outside critics say they are merely grateful that Gonzales has agreed to hear them out.
BTW, before the DeLay matter comes up before the ethics committee, the committee must first deal with Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA). McDermott gave a tape of a phone conversation between Rep. John A. Boehner (R-OH) and GOP leaders to the press. Boehner sued and the court ordered McDermott to pay $60,000 in punitive damages. A DC Court of Appeals upheld the ruling last month so it's looking pretty grim for McDermott.
Speaking of ethics, WaPo points out that the ethics rules for Congress are anything but:
Congress allows its members to fly on corporate planes for the price of a first-class ticket, which is a small fraction of the real cost of using a private aircraft. After the initial DeLay stories, the Wall Street Journal reported that corporations and industry groups spent $3 million last year to sponsor almost 2,000 trips for members of Congress and their staffs. The Post reported that members of the House and Senate leadership, Democrat and Republican, have flown on corporate jets at least 360 times from 2001 through 2004. DeLay was No. 3 in the number of trips, and former Senate minority leader Tom Daschle was just behind him. The Chicago Tribune found 835 trips by Illinois lawmakers and their staffs since 2000, with two Democrats filing no disclosure forms.The New York Times ran a front-page story on DeLay's wife and daughter being paid more than $500,000 since 2001 by the Texas Republican's political committees. But local papers soon found dozens of lawmakers paying their relatives, from the $357,000 paid to California Rep. Richard Pombo's wife and daughter (Los Angeles Times) to the more than $150,000 paid to the wife and stepdaughter of Vermont Rep. Bernard Sanders (Brattleboro Reformer) to the $107,000 paid to the wife of Arizona Rep. J.D. Hayworth (Arizona Republic).
These working-class folk like the G.O.P.'s social and foreign policies, but the big difference between poor Republicans and poor Democrats is that the former believe that individuals can make it on their own with hard work and good character.For more on this subject I recommend Patrick Ruffini.According to the Pew study, 76 percent of poor Republicans believe most people can get ahead with hard work. Only 14 percent of poor Democrats believe that. Poor Republicans haven't made it yet, but they embrace what they take to be the Republican economic vision - that it is in their power to do so. Poor Democrats are more likely to believe they are in the grip of forces beyond their control.
The G.O.P. succeeds because it is seen as the party of optimistic individualism.
The administration argued that such disclosure was unprecedented, would damage the quality of information gained from conversations with individuals in private industry, and eroded the power of the presidency.
The case rocketed up to the Supreme Court, which sent it back down again. Today, the Court of Appeals reached an 8-0 ruling in favor of the administration:
A federal appeals court said on Tuesday that Vice President Dick Cheney did not have to divulge details about how the White House's energy policies were shaped, ruling in a case that touched on the constitutional separation of powers. ...The suit was brought by an unlikely coalition of the Sierra Club (of which I am not a member) and Judicial Watch (of which I am a member). Right Thinking from the Left Coast makes this comment about a Reuters report on the subject:The ruling, by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, upheld the administration argument that it was not obligated to disclose whom it consulted on energy matters early in President Bush's first term and what was said.
It is worth noting, gentle reader, that in this article Judicial Watch is referred to as “the watchdog group.” This is because they were going after a Republican. If they were going after a Democrat they would be back to “conservative watchdog group.” Also note that the Sierra Club is not listed as the “left-wing environmental group.” Doing so would actually require a shred of integrity and intellectual honesty on the part of the reporter.In fairness, and most surprisingly, the New York Times article that I sourced above refers to Judicial Watch as "a conservative legal organization".
Once there, it is expected that he will be quickly confirmed. Assuming, that is, that no one decides to fillibuster the nomination, though that threat hasn't yet been issued.
Stygus has a very good and even-handed summary of the Democrat's case against Bolton.
Killington citizens claim they are being bled dry by Vermont taxes. Last year they claim to have sent $10 million to the state and only received a tenth of it back — not even enough to run the schools.
They've gotten so fed up that they are initiating procedures to seceed from Vermont and become part of New Hampshire.
A bill has already passed the New Hampshire House that will set up a commission to work out an interstate agreement, allowing Killington to become part of New Hampshire. The NH Senate will vote on the measure as early as next week.
Of course, even if New Hampshire sets up a commission, Killington will have to get a similar commission set up in Vermont, reach an agreement, get the agreement ratified by the legislators in both states and then in the U.S. Congress.
Feeling is that it will be a hard sell in Vermont:
Young said in March that Killington's efforts were a bad joke taken too far and Gov. James Douglas said in December that he thought the Legislature would have a hard time carving a hole in the center of the state.On the other hand, there's this:
Killington town manager David Lewis said yesterday that a Vermont legislator has introduced a bill requiring the town to pay an exit fee before it can leave the state. Lewis said he sees that in two ways.Don't you just love politics?"Our feeling is that the state may owe us. We haven't exactly been living off the dole in Vermont for the past 50 years," he said.
Another angle he sees is that the bill is essentially an admission that the town can leave Vermont, and now it's just a matter of setting the price.
"It's an endorsement that our effort to secede is legitimate," Lewis said.