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With Monday's expected announcement by former Vermont House Speaker Gaye Symington that she will launch a bid to unseat Republican Gov. Jim Douglas, the once bright gubernatorial candidacy of Peter Galbraith looks as though it will fade quickly as Symington seems poised to rally state Democrats around her.

This is especially true if Galbraith doesn't send out any positive political signals soon. In recent weeks, we had been hearing from Democratic insiders that Galbraith, a former ambassador and state Democratic Party chairman, would decide on a run for governor by May.

Yet it may be too late.

Ending months of speculation, Vermont House Speaker Gaye Symington, a Democrat, will announce that she's running for governor on Monday, The Associated Press reports.

Two Democratic Party sources tell the AP that they were asked to keep their schedules free Monday morning, where Symington's kick-off announcement is expected at 10 a.m. at the statehouse in Montpelier.

UPDATE, 5:42 p.m.: An advisory from the state Democratic Party confirms that Symington will be making an "announcement" on the statehouse steps at 10 a.m., Monday.

See U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy?Look to the right of the Joker and it looks as though Patrick Leahy is being stopped by some armed man? Did Vermont's senior U.S. senator get a part in the new "Batman" movie?

Yes he did.

That shows some real power.

Care to come up with a caption for this cartoon? Click more for the rules and prizes!

Gaye SymingtonThe state legislative session came to a close two weeks early on Saturday with state House Speaker Gaye Symington, who has been considering a run for governor, announcing that she would not be returning to the chamber. As the Burlington Free Press reported Sunday, Symington, a Democrat, did not clarify whether she plans to launch a bid to unseat Republican Gov. Jim Douglas. The Free Press quoted Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin, a Democrat, as saying: "I think Gaye Symington will be a candidate for governor."

Dubie, Shumlin announce re-election bids

Pollina readies launch of statewide tour

Clinton uses Sanders-supported idea in most recent campaign ad

Jericho town Dems anticipating Symington's House departure

Lt. Gov. Brian DubieThursday morning on Charlie and Ernie's WVMT-AM radio talk show, Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie announced that he will run for re-election. Dubie, a conservative Republican, is wildly popular throughout Vermont, despite his strong support for President Bush and his pro-life position. Dubie has been fortunate to have won three-way contests for the lieutenant governor's post. We will see how this year's race will unfold to see if a three-way race with a Progressive and a Democratic candidate develops that would help keep Dubie in office.

Anthony PollinaProgressive gubernatorial candidate Anthony Pollina is announcing the launch of his statewide "Building a Better Vermont" tour, which starts up on May 4 with a stop in Stowe and wraps up on May 22 in Windsor.

The Pollina campaign is billing the campaign stops as “meetings,” where attendees will have an opportunity to discuss their concerns about the state.

"This is about getting people talking and identifying the issues most important to them. Speaking up is the first step in changing policy for the better," said Pollina. "One of the big frustrations people have is feeling they are not being heard."

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders: Photo by Getty ImagesAs we suffer with rising gas prices and no relief insight, Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign is running ads in Indiana proposing suspension of the gas tax, a proposal Republican John McCain floated a week earlier. Yet, Clinton has a way to pay for it.

"The Windfall Profits Tax," often pushed by Vermont's very own Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, is Clinton's remedy to make up the revenue short-fall from the federal government giving us some relief. And with ExxonMobil this week releasing record profits -- again -- this proposal may pick up steam in the Rust Belt.

While economists consistently highlight that this new tax will make our problems worse by drive more crude to the developing markets of China and India, Democratic primary voters will surely rejoice "in sticking it to the man." And right now, there's no bigger "man" than Big Oil.