Graff Gone as AP Bureau Chief

Darren Allen of the Vermont Press Bureau reports that Chris Graff, the AP Bureau Chief in Montpelier, has been fired by the Associated Press.

Although a shocking turn of events on the Vermont press scene, which apparently even took Graff by surprise, the mere fact that Darren Allen, the bureau chief of a competitor news organization got the exclusive, may be one of the reasons Graff was let go. As so often is the case, the VPB beat both the AP and the BFP to the punch on a major story. Because Graff was caught unaware of his own impending demise, it appears Allen beat the AP on its own story...Yikes!

And given that Graff has written few hard news stories in recent years focusing his efforts writing commentary on Vermont's political battles, like the recent Cashman affair where Graff wrote a piece defending Judge Cashman, and hosting "Vermont This Week" on VPT, Graff seemed to have other priorities. The AP Bureau in Montpelier struggles as a credible news source and we openly wonder if the powers at the AP finally recognized this as well.

Go to Darren's article at:

http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060321/NEWS/603210346/1002

Justice Department Handed Over Blog Documents

After 178 years "out of the game" so to speak, I have to say how interesting things are getting here in Vermont. Former reporters now work as press spokesman, former press aides work as column writers, journalists mask their "objectivity" by writing opinion columns, and "yellow" journalism has now gone anonymous.

How I long for the days of John Jay and James Madison when anonymity served a noble purpose.

But here, in modern-day Vermont, anonymity has afforded some to mask their identity while attempting to destroy lives...that's unfortunate.

Justice Department sources confirm today that documents pertaining to "BlierWatch", an anonymous blog that has surfaced in recent months here in Vermont, have been turned over to the Criminal Investigation Division for possible Telecommunications Act violations by the Federal Communications Commission.

The FCC would not say how long they've been monitoring the site and would not confirm who had filed the complaint.

Sources say it is a violation of federal law to use telephone lines in order to "harass, mislead, or conspire to commit fraud". Since cyberspace travels through the nation's telephone lines, any violation would fall under federal jurisdiction.

Google, the parent company of eBlogger, is said to be cooperating with the investigation. Sources at the Justice Department would not comment directly on the details of the investigation or where they are in the process. It also could not be confirmed whether or not the Vermont Attorney General's office has received any notification or referral by the Justice Department recommending an investigation to see if any Vermont's laws have been violated. The Vermont AG's office would not confirm our request for information.

Welch: "Dubai Ports Deal Bad...And Pay No Attention to My FEC Report

In a recent press release, Democratic Congressional hopeful Peter Welch recently used the Dubai Port deal issue to politicize homeland security.

In a February 23rd press release Welch said, “Congress must do everything in its power to ensure our ports are secure. I share the concerns of many in Congress that this deal should not go through unless it fully supports guaranteeing the best port security possible. The unfortunate reality is that the Republican led Congress has consistently opposed measures to fund needed improvements in post security, despite 9-11 Commission recommendations to do so.”

But according to the federal law enforcement and FEC sources, Welch has taken campaign contributions from a foreign agent representing the United Arab Emirates at the federal level.

Welch has made several pronouncements recently concerning the profits of some of the world's largest energy companies, including Exxon-Mobil, a company's holdings he held until recently. Recent news reports reveal Welch filed financial reports for his run for the U.S. House, a report he filed seven months late, which disclosed an income almost ten times what he made just the year before, including the lucrative Exxon-Mobil stock just before his run for the U.S. House.

Following the disclosure of the financial reports, Welch dismissed his stock holdings in Exxon-Mobil as a "distraction" but has not disclosed the capital gains from those stock sales.

According to the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Patton Boggs LLP is a registered agent pursuant to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), and represents the government of the United Arab Emirates.

Department of Justice documents reveal that Patton Boggs LLP is an active agent of the UAE, having first registered to represent the country on May 10, 2005.

Federal Elections Commission records indicate that Patton Boggs LLP has organized a Political Action Committee named "Patton Boggs PAC".

According to FEC reports filed by the Welch campaign reveal that his campaign committee took $1,000 from Patton Boggs PAC on Dec.14, 2005, while Patton Boggs LLP was registered as actively representing the interests of the government of the United Arab Emirates.

While Welch has been openly critical of the Dubai ports deal, Welch has not been openly critical of the UAE government for their role in the deal. Foreign agents often act as "buffers" to try and quell open criticism in the United States for their clients.

Chink in the Armor: Fair Haven Moves to Decertify NEA

Ah, the days when parents were the primary educators of their own children. Those days are long gone, which means strangers typically get first crack at moulding and shaping the human beings your children will become...strangers who have an agenda and a set of values you may not share. What have we become?

Read the article from the Rutland Herald and notice the "long knives" of the State NEA. Could there be a crack in the foundation? How many other districts have teachers that feel the same way? How long will it take for the union to crack down on this dissent?

Here's a report from Vermonters for Better Education:

FAIR HAVEN TEACHERS WANT OUT OF NEA

Some teachers at Fair Haven Union High School have started to organize -- to pull out of the Vermont NEA, the state's teachers union. According to a Rutland Herald article by Brendan McKenna, a group led by social studies teacher Curt Hier wants to break with local and state NEA affiliates and form another union.

Hier needed 20 percent of the bargaining unit (about 60 people, according to the story) to sign a petition to force a referendum to "decertify" the union. He managed to get 17 signers - about five more than necessary.

Hier has issues with the local Addison-Rutland union component as well as with the national organization which, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article, gives "millions of dollars to liberal causes.'

"A lot of us don't want our money going to those causes," Hier said in the Rutland Herald article. "Even if they were giving to my favorite causes, I still wouldn't like it. That should be up to the individual."

For the full story, go to: http://www.RutlandHerald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006603030374

Vote...Unless You're Too Stupid

This morning's Rutland Herald editorial, entitled "Vote, or don't", takes an unusual swipe at the Rutland County electorate. That's unfortunate for a paper struggling to maintain its paid readership. Insulting its readers probably isn't the way to woo subscribers.

Click on the link and decide whether or not the Rutland Herald really wants you to exercise your right to the franchise. It also takes the unusual position that the voters should not have a say when deciding on school budgets, one of only two municipalities that do not allow its voters to vote on school budgets (South Burlington is the other). Seems the electorate can't be trusted to decide how to spend its own money.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060306/NEWS/603060321/1038

CO Teacher: "America Should Be Bombed"

How strange the modern world is. I have heard and read of the geography teacher in Aurora, Colorado, who was bashing the current President of the United States in a lengthy diatribe. Here's more on the story from Moonbattery.com.

http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/2006/03/moonbat_teacher.html

It seems the geography teacher, Jay Bennish could use a lesson on geography, seemingly due to his lack of actually speaking on the topic he is suppose to have sufficient expertise, which is geography. Curiously, this story is yet to reach the print press of our beloved state.

I wonder why a teacher from Colorado, who dismissed the existence of the Holocaust, claiming that Israel was founded solely by the support of the U.S. and the "Zionist Movement", hasn't found its way to Vermont. Could Vermont have its own crew of the anti-American "blame America first" crowd having its way with our children in the classroom? Mr. Bennish even goes so far as to encourage the bombing of America by Iran and other prominent American enemies.

Listen to Mr. Bennishs' "thoughts" on history, current affairs, and politics. You'll be hard-pressed to find any geography being discussed. Click on link and then on the audio.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3562969

Welcome to Will Chamberlain's Vermont

Hello Vermont,

I am William Chamberlain, famous Revolutionary War hero, Green Mountain Boy, former Lt. Governor and Congressman from Vermont. I guess you could say I was one of Vermont's "founding fathers".

As strange as it may seem to some, I have awoken from my long slumber (178 years to be exact) as wormbait, awoken by a long and terrible rumbling, causing me great disturbance.

I have awoken to find Vermont a strange, almost foreign place unworthy of its former self and unrecognizable to those of us who establised it.

In my day, your scribe would have had to write on parchment with a quill pen in hopes his message could arrive to its destination in six weeks. I have awoken to find that people punch keys on these funny looking boxes they call "computers" to communicate messages.

My, my, the things that I have missed. The last day of my life, before I came back of course, people were still riding horseback great distances. The modern world has technology the people of my day could not have imagined or fathomed, but we would have never guessed that such advancement would have produced such modern oddity.

So, since I'm here, I'm going to learn how to use this modern technology and have decided to create my own "blog" to comment on the state of affairs here in Vermont. I am slowly discovering what the disturbances were that had me so restless in the grave.

I will post these commentaries, and may even have something they call "features" like comments on the media or on politicians that purport to call themselves "Statesman". I hope Vermonters will come to appreciate Vermont from one of those who can tell you what we founders intended her to be...and how far it seems to have gone away from what we envisioned.

Here's my profile from the Political Graveyard:

Chamberlain, William (1755-1828) — of Vermont. Born in Hopkinton, Middlesex County, Mass., April 27, 1755. Served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War; member of Vermont state house of representatives, 1785, 1787-96, 1805, 1808; delegate to Vermont state constitutional convention, 1791, 1814; member of Vermont Governor's Council, 1796-1803; Presidential Elector for Vermont, 1800; U.S. Representative from Vermont 3rd District, 1803-05, 1809-11; Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, 1813-15. Died in Peacham, Caledonia County, Vt., September 27, 1828. Interment at Peacham Cemetery, Peacham, Vt.