US Senate

Vermont's U.S. Senate delegation today joined several prominent colleagues in introducing legislation aimed at boosting Americans' access to primary healthcare, as well as expanding existing federal healthcare programs.  

The bill, called Access for All Americans Act, is co-sponsored by U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.). The legislation seeks to provide all citizens with primary healthcare, tackle a shortage of primary care physicians by encouraging students to enter the healthcare field, and expand a Federally Qualified Health Centers program, which would boost services to low-income and uninsured citizens.  

Fresh fundraising numbers put both Gov. Jim Douglas and Anthony Pollina on our Winners & Losers list for the week. We're not usually this superficial, but U.S. Rep. Peter Welch's communications director Andrew Savage is a winner for being so good-looking. Find out who else made the list. | CLICK HERE

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Burlington)U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Burlington) today released a new video criticizing President Bush following the recent announcement that the nation's deficit will reach $482 billion this year.

The Green Mountain State's junior U.S. senator called the news of the ballooning deficit "extremely disconcerting" and called for reform of the Bush tax cuts as well as spending for the War in Iraq.  

Not that the current congressional delegation is in any serious risk of being defeated any time soon, but just how powerful is the advantage of incumbency? In Vermont -- very.

The last time an incumbent U.S. Representative from Vermont lost an election to a challenger was in 1990 when Peter Smith (R) was defeated by Bernie Sanders (I-Burlington).

On the other hand, since the state held its first direct election for U.S. Senator in 1914, no incumbent who ran for re-election has been defeated by a challenger.

We would have to go back to the era before direct elections to find an example of an incumbent senator losing re-election. That distinction goes to Nathaniel Chipman, a Federalist who served only one term from 1797 until 1803

U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Middlesex) expressed his grave concern today after a report from the Office of the Inspector General revealing that certain Justice Department officials relied on illegal hiring practices that routinely benefited conservative or Republican candidates over other applicants, particularly in regard to career prosecutors and immigration judges. 

Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a former attorney, said in a statement today: "The report reveals decisions to reject qualified, experienced applicants to work on counterterrorism issues in favor of a less experienced attorney on the basis of political ideology. Rather than strengthening our national security, the Department of Justice appears to have bent to the political will of the administration."

The man who calls himself the "only candidate for federal office whose campaign exposes visual evidence disproving the official conspiracy theory of 9/11" is challenging U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Windsor) in the Democratic primary for the state's At-Large Congressional District seat.

And if history is any indication, Welch can expect to face Montpelier resident Craig Hill again in the general election even after defeating him in the primary.

Hill ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in 2004 and lost to U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Middlesex) who received 94.3 percent of the vote. After losing the primary, Hill then challenged Leahy as a Green party candidate in the general election and finished fourth with 1.3 percent.

In 2006, he again ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and drew just 1.3 percent against then-U.S. Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-Burlington), who received over 94 percent as a write-in candidate. Hill then ran as a Green in the general election and drew just 0.5 percent of the vote, finishing fourth.

For Bernie Sanders, persistence has paid off. With every statewide run since 1972, he was able to increase his percentage of the vote, until ultimately winning a seat in the House in 1990 and later a U.S. Senate seat in 2006.

The Batman sequel The Dark Knight made it's midnight debut last night, and if it's release is as successful as some expect, Vermont's senior U.S. Senator can take some of the credit.

That's because U.S. Sen. Pat Leahy (D-Middlesex) -- a lifelong Batman comic book fan -- has a cameo appearance in a scene with the Joker, played by Heath Ledger.

Leahy may be a veteran legislator, but he's no newbie when it comes to Batman movies, either. He also had a non-speaking cameo in Batman and Robin (1997).

Look for Leahy's appearance in the clip below around 0:39.

Robby Mook, a political operative who got his start in Green Mountain State politics has been named campaign manager of former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen’s (D-N.H.) U.S. Senate campaign, PolitickerNH.com reports.

Earlier this cycle, Mook delivered critical victories to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign as state director in Nevada, Ohio and Indiana.

Mook first entered the national political scene in 2004 as deputy field director for Howard Dean’s New Hampshire primary effort. He later joined the DNC’s field and training team before capping off the cycle in Wisconsin as John Kerry’s GOTV director.

Prior to his political whirlwind, Mook earned his battle stripes working for the Vermont Democratic Party.

State Auditor Tom SalmonVermont Republican Party Chairman Rob Roper's remarks regarding the military deployment of State Auditor Tom Salmon to the Middle East have sparked wide controversy among politicians across the state.

An Associated Press article cited the state GOP leader as saying that "the voters in Vermont should have the option of having someone in the office who will be on the job on day one. Salmon won't even be here when the Legislature gets back."