Authored by: mr.mike on Tuesday, February 07 2012 @ 10:05 PM GMT+4

Why wouldn't he? It's a perfect model of how he could ruin the other 49 states.

He doesn't even need to waste his time here. This Socialist state is shoe in for him.

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Misery Loves Company like Vermont Loves Socialism.

Authored by: Floyd on Wednesday, February 08 2012 @ 01:06 AM GMT+4

He apparently loves this Socialist's Paradise so much
that he is just coming for a quick fundraiser and has
scheduled no public events. It's not like a third of the
state didn't get nailed by a hurricane or a certain
downtown didn't take more than its share of knocks and
could use a little moral support. I'm sure he's busy, uh,
raising money somewhere else.

Authored by: cgrotke on Wednesday, February 08 2012 @ 03:10 AM GMT+4

If it makes you feel any better, mike, I doubt he'll have my
vote. I think he'll win, regardless.

Authored by: Maus Anon E on Wednesday, February 08 2012 @ 12:31 PM GMT+4

I see even mr. mike can't muster the political hyperbole to call Obama
a socialist anymore. Not when he's governing slightly to the right of
Reagan - the father of all evil.

Unfortunately, I'm afraid you're quite correct about how Vermonters
will vote.

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"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." - Mark Twain

Authored by: H on Wednesday, February 08 2012 @ 02:12 PM GMT+4

I read this in the paper yesterday, and said to myself, "He is going to Burlington, not Vermont".

Authored by: Maus Anon E on Wednesday, February 08 2012 @ 04:34 PM GMT+4

Yes, and he isn't even visiting, apparently. He's just "stopping."


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"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." - Mark Twain

Authored by: KAlden on Wednesday, February 08 2012 @ 07:02 PM GMT+4

Wow. From the tone of these remarks you would think that when Bush was President he was in Brattleboro hanging out all the time. Maybe walking in the Strolling of the Heifers..he and Laura. Chowing down on some ham and eggs at the Chelsea; sampling some cider at Dutton's. Have Republican presidents (or other Democratic presidents , for that matter) gone out of their way to visit this state? Obama is not doing anything different than any other president has done or will do.

Authored by: mr.mike on Wednesday, February 08 2012 @ 11:19 PM GMT+4

You know you're right KAlden. I would think that most
presidents would want to see how the country's money is
getting spent here. Since it's got it's welfare hand out to
the feds at any given moment. Especially with the 3
pork barrel brothers in Congress.

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Misery Loves Company like Vermont Loves Socialism.

Authored by: Maus Anon E on Thursday, February 09 2012 @ 12:28 AM GMT+4

***Obama is not doing anything different than any other president
has done or will do.***
Yep, that's for sure. Change you can believe in.

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"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." - Mark Twain

Authored by: H on Thursday, February 09 2012 @ 01:42 AM GMT+4

Good point, that is what I get for a one line "drive by" comment.
The point I was making had more to do with the fact that all pols like this fly into Burlington, go to town, raise money and leave....and that is called "visiting Vermont."
They come to Burlington because that is where they can score some dough and have it be a cost effective event. I get that. It is another example of the disparity in the state.

Authored by: SK-B on Thursday, February 09 2012 @ 12:01 AM GMT+4

I was tricked by that "socialist" crap one time, but I know
better now. In 2008 I voted for Obama because I was dumb
enough to believe it when John McCain claimed Obama is a
socialist.

Fool me once, shame on you...

Sorry, Mr. Mike. I know better now and won't get tricked
again.

Authored by: Mr. Buddy Love on Thursday, February 09 2012 @ 12:53 AM GMT+4

Obama has the Firebaggers threatening to do a Strom
Thurmond and bolt from supporting him (if they already
haven't), and Romney has the Tea Party who doesn't want
to support his candidacy, even though Romney is far more
to the right than Obama is to the left, if you measure
fairly.

The gist of it all is, the Firebaggers probably won't take
Obama down in 2012, whereas the Teabaggers probably
will make it nearly impossible for Romney to gain any
kind of momentum after he presumably wins nomination.

I wonder how long it's gonna take for Brattleboro to
secede from the USA. They've been wanting to do so for
some time.

Authored by: cgrotke on Thursday, February 09 2012 @ 04:30 PM GMT+4

Mock Brattleboro for yawning over another non-visit by a
campaigning politician? Bold!

I was unaware Obama will visit because Burlington is
content to stay in the union. : )

You can have Barack up there. I hereby invite Michelle to
Brattleboro. For a full day! The Gingrich wives, too. We'll
all have some fun. You can raise corporate cash, and we'll
exercise to Beyonce songs and eat well.

Authored by: Mr. Buddy Love on Thursday, February 09 2012 @ 07:55 PM GMT+4

Somebody sounds pretty sensitive!

What do they serve at Firebagger parties? Irish whisky?

Burlington actually *has* organic farms too. It's not as if only
Brattleboro has them in Vermont. We get our organic milk
and eggs just a few miles down the road!

www.politicususa.com/en/lawrence-odonnell-firebaggers

Authored by: cgrotke on Thursday, February 09 2012 @ 08:29 PM GMT+4

What is a firebagger? You've used it twice now.

The site you sent me to seems to use it as a word to
denigrate the middle to far left, saying they don't matter,
and Obama doesn't need them anyway. It's being used as a
word to dismiss people outside of the center-right.

If saying Obama won't get my vote but will probably win is
extremist, discourse is in danger.

Authored by: Mr. Buddy Love on Friday, February 10 2012 @ 12:31 AM GMT+4

A 'firebagger' is a 'teabagger' from the left wing of the
Democratic Party, or progressive left who may have voted
for Obama in 2008 but won't vote for him now, and
actively opposes his reelection drive this year. Much like
the teabaggers, the firebaggers are very ideals-driven, and
not wont to compromise or cross party lines to get deals
made or legislation passed. Just as the Teabaggers under
Eric Cantor have refused to even deal with Obama and
have worked to bend the GOP to their will (from the even
farther right), the Firebaggers want their wing of
progressive-left of center legislators to refuse to
compromise or deal with Obama if they can't have their
way. Both baggers are purists who KNOW that their side is
"correct" and anyone who doesn't see their point of view
and agree with it is seen as being completely unreasonable
and not to be trusted.

The term is in Wikipedia, urbandictionary.com, and is now
thrown about on many blogs, MSNBC, and even in the New
Yorker. Here's a good wiki explanation of it:

Firedoglake, whose administrators often refer to their
most frequent commentators as Firepups, has run into
controversy within progressive or pro-Democratic Party
circles, particularly in its criticism of President Obama's
administrative shortcomings on progressive campaign
promises. As a result, the derogatory term Firebaggers (a
portmonteau of Firepups and Teabaggers, the latter of
which is a derogatory term used by critics of the Tea Party
movement) has been applied to members of FDL to
accompany allegations of seeking ideological purity within
the Democratic Party.

Authored by: spinoza on Thursday, February 09 2012 @ 06:35 PM GMT+4

On a practical and legal level, what are the limits of
incorporation, organization,
or municipality that can secede? Can a city, or county claim
autonomy of any
sort?

Let's leave the question of whether individuals or corporations
can(legally)secede
aside for now.

Authored by: Maus Anon E on Thursday, February 09 2012 @ 06:56 PM GMT+4

Oh, Jesus. Please don't give Daims any ideas.

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"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." - Mark Twain

Authored by: spinoza on Thursday, February 09 2012 @ 07:34 PM GMT+4

Nice...

But the topic got me thinking. Being statistically insignificant, but central to your
own existence, can bring on an interesting situation.

If certain theocratic or corporfascist entities were to seize power and exercise
abusive control, the day may have come when Daims' methods are not such
madness. Heaven forbid!

Authored by: Maus Anon E on Thursday, February 09 2012 @ 09:04 PM GMT+4

On the legal level, Vermont towns only have the authority that is explicitly granted by the Legislature through state statute (or charter, which is technically a state statute, too). I don't know everything about the Vermont Statutes and Brattleboro Charter, but I've had my nose stuck in them enough that I probably would have noticed any statute that looked like it might allow towns to secede.
Nonetheless, there is a precedent, sort of. Killington voted to secede from Vermont and join New Hampshire at two consecutive annual Town Meetings. To legally enact the demand, the Legislature of Vermont would have had to vote to accept the change in the state boundary line, the New Hampshire Legislature would have had to accept a change in their boundary line, and the US Congress would have had to approve the change as well. That's all as I understand it, anyway.

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"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." - Mark Twain

Authored by: spinoza on Thursday, February 09 2012 @ 09:32 PM GMT+4

I knew the Killington story, and that was stoking my
ruminations. Thanks for laying out the course.

I know this is a recurring theme/meme for the
region...Hopefully, I'm only indulging a speculative exercise,
but one never knows.

Authored by: cgrotke on Thursday, February 09 2012 @ 08:11 PM GMT+4

How about we pick a one square yard area, fence it off, and
declare it to be it's own country.

Or one square foot. Or inch. Or a blade of grass.

Would the US send troops to take it back? : )

Authored by: Mr. Buddy Love on Thursday, February 09 2012 @ 08:14 PM GMT+4

You mean like declare the Whetstone Brook flood zone free
of federal relief funds?

Authored by: mr.mike on Friday, February 10 2012 @ 01:20 AM GMT+4

That pretty much sums it up right there Buddy. There
isn't a town in this state or the entire state for that
matter that could survive a week after it unlatched from
the mammary gland of the federal government. Years
ago maybe. The new Vermont? Never.

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Misery Loves Company like Vermont Loves Socialism.