Our Senator Went To Iowa and We Got A Tie

So, Iowa speaks. Clinton by a hair, and Trump loses to Cruz with Rubio nipping at his heels.

Vermont’s own Bernie Sanders had a good night, coming within less than half a percentage point with Clinton. Basically, a tie. As one commenter somewhere on the Internet pointed out – Sanders was foiled again by the 1%.

Huckabee, O’Malley, and probably a few others soon, will be bowing out of consideration.

On to our neighbors in New Hampshire.


Brattleboro’s March 2016 Candidates

Here’s the complete list of people registered with the Town Clerk in Brattleboro that will be on the ballot this March.

Dick DeGray, Avery Schwenk and David Gartenstein each hope to be elected to the two available one-year seats for Selectboard, indicating that we have an actual competitive race this year.

Kate O’Connor will run unopposed for a 3 year seat.


Countdown to Primaries – Turn It Up To Eleven

The volume of presidential campaigns is currently set at maximum, as campaigns scramble to shore up support prior to the nation’s first primaries and the slow descent into summer conventions. Things remain lively for those who like this show:

– Trump says Sarah Palin can have a position in his administration, if elected.

 – Sanders is now besting Clinton in NH by 27 points according to a CNN/WMUR poll.

– NBC is reporting that some of Clinton emails on her private server were designated Top Secret/Special Access.


Bomb – Bomb – Bomb – Bomb!

Watch America’s last 4 presidents each announce that they’re bombing Iraq

Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and now Obama make their statements over
the span of two decades. 

I am appalled at the incalculable human costs of a demonstrably failed, bipartisan, interventionist foreign policy that has accomplished absolutely nothing for all of the 21st century.


Sanders Announces Winners of State of the Union Essay Contest

BURLINGTON, Vt., Jan. 15 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today announced the winners of his annual State of the Union essay contest for Vermont high school students. Nearly 800 students, a record number, from 39 high schools participated in the contest this year.

A panel of five Vermont teachers served as volunteer judges and selected Meredith Holbrook, a senior at Milton High School, as the winner of the contest. In her essay, Holbrook focused on the need to address domestic economic issues, such as hunger, homelessness and strengthening Social Security in the United States.


Sanders Announces Finalists of State of the Union Essay Contest

BURLINGTON, Vt., Jan. 11 – With President Barack Obama set to deliver his State of the Union address tomorrow evening, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today announced 20 finalists in his annual State of the Union essay contest for Vermont high school students. A record number of Vermont high schools and students participated in Sanders’ contest this year.

This year, 799 students from 39 Vermont high schools wrote essays of 250 words to 500 words detailing their own view of the state of the union. That is a substantial increase from last year when 454 students from 27 schools wrote essays for the senator’s contest.


Sanders – Clinton Race Tightens, Trump Favored in NH

New polling from a show Sanders within a margin of error with Clinton in Iowa (45% to her 48%), and show him leading her in New Hampshire (50% to her 46%).

Sanders beats or ties the top Republicans in those states. He beats Trump and Cruz by 19 points in New Hampshire.

Clinton would trail Cruz or Rubio in New Hampshire, but would beat Trump in either NH or Iowa. She does least well against Rubio, losing by 12 points.

Cruz beats Trump by a small margin in Iowa. Rubio and Carson are competing for third place there.

Trump beats Cruz in NH.


A Presidential Candidate – Gary Johnson

Gary Johnson has announced his intention of running for the office of President of the United States.

“I do believe that crony capitalism is alive and well. It’s Democrats and Republicans that contribute to that. I’d like to be that choice that is not going to succumb to that.”


Deadline Nears for Sanders’ State of the Union Essay Contest

BURLINGTON, Vt., Jan. 4 – The deadline for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) sixth annual State of the Union essay contest is noon on Friday. Sanders essay contest calls upon Vermont’s high school students to address what they view as the major issues facing the United States. President Barack Obama will deliver his final State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress on Jan. 12.

Sanders’ annual essay contest is an opportunity for Vermont high school students to articulate what issues they would prioritize if they were president. A panel of Vermont teachers will judge the essays and select a winner. The 20 finalists will have their essays entered into the Congressional Record — the official archive of the United States Senate and House of Representatives.


Petitions for March 2016 Brattleboro Elections, Election Schedule, Open Seats

Petitions for Brattleboro Town and Town School District Officers and Town Meeting Members are now available at the Town Clerk’s office. Town elections and the Presidential Primary will be Tuesday, March 1, and the Annual Representatives Town Meeting, Saturday, March 19.

Petitions for Town Officers must contain at least 30 valid signatures of registered Brattleboro voters and be filed in the clerk’s office no later than 5:00 P.M. on Monday, January 25 in order to have their name placed on the ballot.


Forbidding Entry

So the Donald wants to forbid entry to the US by Muslims? So much for the First Amendment.

Hardly an original proposal.

Did you know that Jews are forbidden entry to Saudi Arabia by the laws of the Kingdom? Foreigners wishing to work in the kingdom have to sign an affidavit stating that they are not Jewish. I was required to furnish a letter from a clergyman corroborating that fact.


Green Party Caucuses

Dear Friends,

With the Paris Climate conference finally setting the stage for concerted action on behalf of the Earth and Nature, it may very well be time for our local politics to reflect this sea change.   Neil Johnson has written an urgent appeal to help get the Green party registered as a statewide party in Vermont.  Its time has come.  He needs four more town to caucus.  It needs to be done by tomorrow (Monday, 12/14).  Emily Peyton will be organizing the caucus in Putney.

Who said life can’t be exciting, if you wait until the last minute!


158 Families

158 families are trying to buy our government.. . .

A handful of super-wealthy Americans is in the process of buying our government.

If you want to know how, and how to stop them, let explain:


Vermont Delegation Calls for More Public Scrutiny, Meetings in Vermont on Decommissioning Regulations

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 – The Vermont congressional delegation – Sen. Patrick Leahy (D), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) and Rep. Peter Welch (D) – announced Tuesday that they have called upon the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to improve public input on proposed changes to nuclear plant decommissioning regulations.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, who serves on the Senate energy and environment committees, led the effort which urged the NRC to hold public meetings in each state where a nuclear power plant is currently being decommissioned and to extend the deadline for public comments.


Ted Cruz, Immigrant

Ted Cruz has taken a hard line on immigration. Cruz was born on December 22, 1970, in Calgary, Alberta. Therefore, Cruz is himself an immigrant. Huh?


House Honors Cheney

On December 3rd, the House of Representatives unveiled a marble bust of former Vice President Cheney, which will reside in Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol. At the unveiling ceremony, Cheney was, in the playful words of NPR, “lightly roasted” — as though he’s some sort of grumpy though beloved avuncular stand-up comic. Courtesy, Glenn Greenwald.


Sanders Announces $1.1 Billion For Vermont in Transportation Bill

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced today that a five-year, $305 billion transportation bill agreement reached Tuesday by House and Senate negotiators will deliver nearly $1.1 billion to Vermont to improve the state’s roadways.

“While this legislation does not have everything I would have hoped for, I am pleased it includes more than $1 billion for Vermont’s roads and bridges in the coming years,” Sanders said.

As a member of the committee with primary jurisdiction over federal road and bridge programs, Sanders successfully fought for a funding formula that helps Vermont. The final agreement includes a 5 percent increase in funding for Vermont in the first year and a total increase of 15 percent over five years.


A Story For Bill Hicks

Those of you who like the comedy of Bill Hicks will like this one.

Hicks had a routine about how wide-eyed, good-meaning presidents get elected with all sorts of great plans, then they get led to a little room by a small group of powerful people and shown a film of the Kennedy assassination from another angle . They ask the new president “Any questions? and the new president falls right into line.


Sanders Announces Annual State of the Union Essay Contest

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has launched his sixth annual State of the Union essay contest, calling upon Vermont’s high school students to address what they view as the major issues facing the United States.

The U.S. Constitution calls for the president to “give to the Congress information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” As President Barack Obama prepares to deliver his State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress in January, Sanders is again asking Vermont’s high school students to consider writing an essay of 250 to 500 words detailing their own view of the state of the union.