Why my Guv endorsing HRC AT THIS TIME, pisses me off.

[cali]

I would have no problem with Governor Shumlin endorsing HRC, but his timing is tacky as all get out. He is endorsing HRC less than a week before Bernie's celebratory kickoff in Burlington. It's a slap not just to Bernie, but to Vermonters, who approve of Bernie in a big way (over 70% approval rating) and detest the guv. Pat Leahy will certainly endorse HRC and I have no problem with that, but I can't imagine him doing anything so tacky. I get that the guv is angling for a job in a HRC admin, but doing this to Bernie is just sucky. Without Bernie's help, it's doubtful he would have been re-elected. All he had to do was wait a week.

Shumlin is deeply unpopular here- with democrats and liberals as well as with the small minority of repubs. His unpopularity is rooted in his moves against Unions, his constant push to cut the social safety net. His disaster with the Health Exchange, his backing off single payer, his refusal to consider the legislature's repeated attempts to raise taxes on his fellow 1 percenters and a lot of personal and character issues- like his exploiting his disabled, poor neighbor in a land deal

Shumlin barely won reelection last year in the bluest of blue states. It went to legislature and even some dems even voted against him.

Here's more from a post of mine written in NOVEMBER of 2014:

In a state this small, you can't get away for too long with the shit Peter Shumlin has pulled. Yes, he's supposedly the most liberal governor in the country, but his incompetency, the ongoing disaster of the health exchange, his lack of virtually any good relationships with fellow lawmakers in his own party, and the nasty story about his cheating a poor neighbor out of his property, all caught up with him. In Vermont, all politics are super local.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025816030


Gov. Peter Shumlin had to sneak out the back door of his own inauguration.

That should tell you a thing or two about how politically weakened the East Montpelier Democrat finds himself as he settles in to a third two-year term.

Blocking Shumlin's path from the dais of the Vermont House to its front entrance Thursday afternoon was a group of Vermont Workers' Center activists irate over his decision three weeks ago to scrap his long-promised single-payer health care plan. After the governor concluded his inaugural remarks, the protesters sat down in the center aisle and would not leave the House for more than five hours, at which point the Vermont State Police arrested 29 of them.

Left-wing health care advocates weren't the only ones standing in Shumlin's path. Earlier in the day, 69 members of the Vermont legislature took the remarkable step of voting against returning him to office, despite the fact that he won a plurality in last November's election.

<snip>
http://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2015/01/09/analysis-peter-shumlins-no-good-very-bad-day

What the hell happened in VT

In an election cycle of shocking surprises—Larry Hogan’s win in Maryland, Mark Warner’s near-death experience—none are greater than the slap in the face Vermont voters gave Governor Peter Shumlin. Ten days after the election, Shumlin, who as Chairman of the Democratic Governor’s Association was tasked with helping elect other Democratic governors, still has not been declared winner in a race no one thought was a contest.

In 2014, few thought he would have a tough race. Republicans had a difficult time fielding a candidate, and only after the 2012 Marijuana Party candidate announced she’d run as a Republican did the party establishment, led by former governor Jim Douglas, unify around businessman Scott Milne. Though he had never held office before, he was the son of two prominent Republicans and had the sort of bio Vermonters love: raised on a farm, small businessman, an avid hiker who lived next to the Appalachian Trail.

He spent only $20,000 on television to win the August Republican primary, and no one seriously thought he had a chance to win the general. At least until around 9 pm on election night when the numbers showed him in a dead heat with Peter Shumlin. In the end, Shumlin led by a puny 2,434 votes, less than the 50 percent margin needed for victory under Vermont law. This throws the election into the Vermont state house, where Democrats have a sizeable advantage.

<snip>

Assuming he sticks it out, the election will be thrown into the Vermont state house, where Democrats have a sizeable advantage. It’s assumed the vote will go Shumlin’s way. But for a governor who was never very popular with fellow state legislators when he was a colleague and has often treated them dismissively as governor, it is most humbling that his fate now rests in their hands.

How did the Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association in the bluest of blue states not even make it to 50 while Vermont’s single Congressman, Democratic Peter Welch, won with 64 percent? This in a state that has a near record-low unemployment of 4.4 percent.

<snip>

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/11/13/what-the-hell-happened-in-vermont.html

the land deal:

http://vtdigger.org/2013/05/24/digging-deep-into-the-shumlin-dodge-deal/

http://thevpo.org/2015/02/12/peter-shumlin-tough-guy/

http://www.vermontpressbureau.com/vsea-pushes-back-on-cuts-shumlin-unfazed/

Guess Which Ultra Liberal State Is About to Become a Hellish Place for People to Work in?

<snip>

The governor also announced that he plans to hack away at state jobs by consolidating emergency call centers and closing a school that serves state prisoners. In addition, he said that Vermont parents should “expect better outcomes for our students at lower costs.” He’s called for education cuts and higher student-teacher ratios, moves that will probably result in layoffs. This past fall, he announced he wants to outlaw teacher strikes in the state.

<snip>


http://www.alternet.org/labor/whats-matter-vermont

[SheilaT]

1. More to the point,

it's far too early for any sitting governor to be endorsing any candidate.

It's one thing for us little folks here at DU to declare ourselves solidly behind one particular candidate, even though actual primary season hasn't begun. But a governor? This early? When it's pretty obvious to the most casual observer that there will be more than one Democrat running? Nope should not be done.

[brooklynite]

10. Why is it "too early"?

Plenty of people here have already decided whom to vote for; why shouldn't politicians?

Hillary racks up endorsements for 2016
Hillary Clinton has already secured endorsements from 104 Democratic lawmakers for her 2016 presidential run, locking down 44 percent of all Democrats in Congress, according to a survey by The Hill.

Seventy-six House lawmakers, over 40 percent of the 188 Democrats in the chamber, as well as 28 senators, more than 60 percent of the upper chamber’s 46 Democrats, are in the former secretary of State’s camp.

Fourteen of the 23 current Democratic senators who served alongside Clinton during her tenure in the upper chamber are also backing her bid.

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/238912-2016-hillary-endorsement-list

[SheilaT]

39. When we are almost a year out from the actual primaries and caucuses,

it's my opinion that more people should be keeping an open mind about any candidates. Period. By endorsing this early, the endorsers are putting themselves in a box. Not a good place to be.

It's bad enough that by the evening of election day there's lots of speculation and prognostication about the next election. At this rate, in early 2023, the election of 2024 will be assumed to be sewn up and everyone will be arguing about the candidates for the 2028 election.

[TheNutcracker]

51. By the time it matters, people will have forgotton his endorsement!

[Hiraeth]

52. indeed. I can understand cali's frustration but, a year from now things are going to look

so much different. The Guv will have egg on his face.

[brooklynite]

74. ...and you are entitled to your opinion...

...but some people feel they are appropriately informed about the announced or likely candidates. I don't recall anyone complaining that the "draft Warren" or "draft Bernie" folks weren't keeping an open mind.

[hfojvt]

67. in the last primary

that seemed to be one of the whole themes of Hillary's campaign - collecting endorsements from current and former elected Democrats.

First, the donors decide, then the big shots decide and we the people are just supposed to follow along.

[SheilaT]

68. I'd forgotten that.

And see how well it turned out? Clearly a winning strategy.

[hfojvt]

69. well it was a rather big deal

when Oprah and Ted Kennedy endorsed Obama.

But it just seemed to me like if you visited Hillary's website, which I did, she would have lists of press releases. And the press releases would not be about issues, like perhaps reducing poverty, or a health care plan, but it would just be a long list of "X endorses Hillary Clinton"

For people, like me, who opposed her, having a list of party bigshots lining up, was not very convincing.

[SheilaT]

71. I never did visit her website back then,

so this is very interesting. I suspect it's not a lot different now.

[eloydude]

2. In a way, he turned himself into a neoliberal

and that is exactly what HRC is.

[cali]

3. I don't know that you could classify him as a neoliberal, he's just a really

sleazy creep of a human being.

[Fawke Em]

40. Well, if he's that sleazy, we should be glad he's not in Bernie's camp.

[quickesst]

62. I suspect....

...that this is might be your opinion of anyone who supports HRC, politician or otherwise. Your "zeal" for your candidate seems like mine for automobiles. MOPAR OR NO CAR!!! And everything else is a piece of shit.

[cali]

63. another with reading comprehension difficulties

Go back and read the op, dear. I have no problem with my other Senator, Pat Leahy having expressed support for HRC. I madebitclear: my problem with the guv is that he is stepping on bernie's celebratory vt kickoff. All he had to do is wait a f
Ew days.

[quickesst]

70. I didn't come up

...with that based solely on your op. Your all caps and bold lettering in all of your posts suggest to me an underlying vehemence toward HRC's supporters as well as HRC herself. If I could hear what you write, I'd have to use earplugs. My opinion.

[cali]

73. so you're being deliberately obtuse. OK. I don't like Clinton

I don't trust her due to her record on military interventions and use of force, as well as her "evolution" on issues like marriage equality and immigration and her long history of corporatism. I actually like and respect a great many of her supporters. My vehemence here is solely directed at my governor- which couldn't be more obvious. And I think my reasons for such sentiments are well documented in the op. I admit that of all the politicians I've ever supported, none has disgusted me more than Shumlin.

I yelled in the OP in order to stave off the silly and inevitable charges that I'm just pissed off because Shumlin endorsed HRC. I wanted to make clear that that simply is not the case. If it were, I'd logically be pissed at Pat Leahy
and I'm not in the slightest.

But read into it whatever you wish to see. That's obviously what you're doing.

[NCTraveler]

4. This one must really sting with all of the effort to tear him down.

I think it is great that someone with such progressive credentials is supporting Hillary. Would love it if he would have supported Sanders. It is an excellent pick-up. Both are going to get great endorsements. Hillary is lining them up. Sanders is as well.

Everyone, please go read this governors great progressive accomplishments before taking the word of someone who loathes Hillary. Is he perfect? no. Does he have a great progressive record, socially and fiscally? Absolutely. Yesterday this op attempted to claim Hillary wants to privatize social security. They know better. They thought they found that one quote. We all know where she stands on that issue and it is in direct contrast to what the op attempted to spread. This purity party is getting pathetic.

[cali]

6. No. It pisses me off. It would sting if I liked and admired Scummy, but as

is crystal clear from my November 2014 post, I detest him. Now if Pat Leahy endorsed HRC just prior to Bernie's kickoff, that would sting.

Vermonters, including me, liked our Repub governor who preceded Shumlin, much better than we like him. That should tell you something about how much Vermonters detest the guy

[MoonRiver]

42. How did he get elected then?

[cali]

45. What part did you miss? In the bluest of states, running against a repub who

had never run for office before, he couldn't get enough votes to win outright. It was thrown into the legislature which has a dem super-majority in both houses- and even there, in an unprecedented move, there were 69 votes against him, some from dems.

He was narrowly elected in 2010 when he first ran, largely on his promises about single payer health care. In 2012 he was re-elected handily as he had no real opposition- a pretty marginal repub who had been auditor of accounts. By 2014, in part due to the business about his exploiting his neighbor and his cutting social services and refusing to raise taxes on the wealthy which was what the legislature was trying to do, he was so unpopular that he came within a hair of being defeated by a neophyte.

[sabrina 1]

7. Makes Hillary look bad too. Such a slimy character isn't someone you want endorsing you at this

stage. Make Bernie look even better. I doubt he would want the endorsement of someone like that endorsing him. I'm glad he came out for Hillary. Not someone with much of a following and lots of baggage it seems.

[NCTraveler]

9. I disagree.

He has signed and supported some great progressive legislation. He has an excellent progressive record as one would expect from the governor of Vermont. How many times has he been elected and re-elected by the good people of Vermont in municipalities and at the governors level?

Either candidate would love to have his endorsement. It's nice he had to great candidates to choose from.

[cali]

46. You're right. It's not hard to put lipstick on that pig, but please stop being dishonest

about the good people of Vermont. I have thoroughly documented how we good people detest the Scumster.

It's a flatly untrue to pretend he's anything but despised here. Why do you think, in the bluest state in the country against a completely newcomer to politics, a sitting dem governor couldn't win outright, and the legislature had to decide?

stop making shit up. I don't get why people do that. But man, lots of Hillary supporters here sure do seem to have a predilection for doing just that.

[NCTraveler]

50. You are wandering off the reservation with your posts.

You call this question dishonest.

How many times hashe been elected and re-elected by the good people of Vermont in municipalities and at the governors level?

There is nothing dishonest there or in my other posts as you claim. There actually can't be anything dishonest in what you just called dishonest. The language doesn't work that way. Kind of strange you claim it to be dishonest.

Dishonest would be claiming Hillary supports the privatization of social security when one knows that is not the truth before making the claim. I have made nothing up. Not one thing. You think you can repeat it and it will become true. It might in your world but not in reality.


"It's a flatly untrue to pretend he's anything but despised here."

Now that is actually a provably dishonest statement.

"stop making shit up."

I have not made one thing up. Not one.

It is becoming shocking how we have to keep standing up for excellent progressives like "Scummy" on du. It's a shame is what it is.

[cali]

59. no. you're misrepresenting it.

what don't you get?

An incumbent dem governor in the bluest state in the country nearly lost his re-election despite running against a political newcomer who was, to put it kindly, inept.

How do you think that came about? Because he was so popular? You realize, I'm sure, because you know so much about VT politics, that the repub party here is barely functional. so it wasn't only repubs that nearly led to his near defeat- and having to have the legislature vote for governor. It was liberals, Progs and dems.

Regarding HIllary, I did not know it was untrue when I made the claim; I misread the article. It was careless. I've apologized. So very gracious of you to accept my apology.

You are repeatedly less than honest in this thread. You make arrogant claims about knowing more than I do about the politics of my state and my guv. You ignore the extensive litany of facts and evidence supporting them, embodied in the OP.

Shumlin is scummy and he is not a good progressive. I decidedly know more than YOU about this.

You, down there in liberal North Carolina, are the one off the reservation. What's remarkable is your gall.

bye bye

[cali]

15. Bernie actually worked to get Shumlin elected

largely because Bernie is such a big supporter of single payer, so this is just another instance of Shumlin backstabbing. As I said, I wouldn't have had a problem with it if he'd just waited until after Bernie's kickoff. And Pat Leahy, in April, before Bernie announced, made a comment that though not a full endorsement, certainly indicates that he'll endorse her. I don't have a problem with that at all.

Alas, Shumlin may very well end up in an HRC admin if she's elected. He's deeply unpopular here, but he's got some clout in the party as a former head of the DGA.

[sabrina 1]

18. I would expect Sen. Leahy to endorse the party's candidate, I like him a lot, but that is to be

expected. But the rush to endorse the party's choice makes them look worried.

Thanks for the info on Shumlin, imo, it doesn't make Hillary look too great to have such a back stabber on her team. People are not fools.

Big Money is going to be one of the most important issues in this campaign, and no matter what the established parties try to do, the public wants their government free of that corrosive influence.

In a way, it's good to get these endorsements out of the way before Bernie kicks off his campaign, they will have little impact now having come so early.

Very bad strategy imo.

[questionseverything]

54. give us some examples of his progressive accomplishments

[NCTraveler]

57. Sure

Supported and helped make Vermont citizens universally covered for health care. Believes it is a right.

Signed a bill banning hydraulic fracturing. Signed it with a group of students who pushed for it. First of its kind in the country. Mainly symbolic but the message was clear. Sander supporters understand the importance of symbolism.

Signed and supported a bill making physician assisted suicide legal.

Supported and signed a bill to decriminalize mj.

The list goes on.

[OKNancy]

5. He joins ...

Burlington Vermont Mayor Miro Weinberger
Vermont's other Senator - Patrick Leahy

[sabrina 1]

8. Party must be worried about Bernie. The Establishment coming out early to back their candidate.

Not a good strategy, it only emphasizes the Big Money issue, who Wall St wants.

[boston bean]

12. Are you meaning Pat Leahy is a big money wall street senator

and his supporting Hillary is to help big money and wall street.

My head is spinning.

[sabrina 1]

16. Leahy is a loyal Dem and when the Party calls, he will respond, I'm sure Bernie expected that.

It's the rush to say 'we support the Establishment candidate' that makes this look a bit desperate.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

24. Of course members of a party...

Of course members of a party are going to support the person who has been a loyal member for nearly fifty years as opposed to the person who has been a member for a month.

It's the same reason I can't go to some random church and say I want to be a deacon or join some random club and say I want to be one of their elders.

[sabrina 1]

27. Well, as a NYer when Hillary came to NY to run for the Senate, she ran as a Dem so most of us

here didn't worry about where she was before. We supported her. Republicans of course called her a 'carpetbagger' as their own candidate was a long time NYer. Do you think they had a point? I knew him, he was inept, wrong on most of the issues, corporate funded so his longtime residency as a NYer meant little to me.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

33. I do think those who accused her of being a carpetbagger had a point.

The fact she was able to overcome it is pretty audacious.

[sabrina 1]

36. It wasn't audacious at all. The Repub was so bad that just about anyone could have beaten him. Even

Repubs didn't support him. And after Giuliani, whose polls were around 23% at the time, any Dem was likely to win that seat.

9/11 was used to turn one of the worst mayors, Giuliani, into a fake hero. It certainly was a shock to us in NY who knew he had ignored all the warnings of a terror attack on the WTC, arrogantly I might add, especially since it had already happened. I expected him to be called before Congress to explain WHY he had ignored all those warnings, instead I was in shock when I saw how the media turned an arrogant coward into a hero over night.

Even the fact that he was found wandering the streets that day, we knew was due to his refusal to put the command center somewhere OTHER than right in what many terror experts viewed as a likely target. And as predicted, the command center was destroyed which is why he was on the streets, looking dazed.

It shows what the media is capable of when they were able to turn that moron into a hero overnight, except to NYers, who knew him well.

[cali]

17. I have no problem with Pat supporting HRC. And he sure isn't a

big money Senator- but he actually hasn't formally endorsed her the way Shumlin did. And I can't imagine him being so tacky as to stop on Bernie's kickoff day. He'll endorse HRC, and I'm fine with that.

[NCTraveler]

13. The establishment supports the labeling of GMO's?

The establishment supports the end to fractured drilling?
The establishment supports single payer?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/17/vermont-fracking-ban-first_n_1522098.html

http://governor.vermont.gov/newsroom-gmo-bill-signing-release

[cali]

19. The VT establisment sure does. And Scummy bailed on single payer

undercut unions,cut the social safety net, and much more- as detailed in the op.

YOU have no idea what you're talking about. It would be like me pretending I know more than you about NC politics.

By the way, Vermont has no deposits of gas at all, so that was just a stunt.

but hey keep loving on a guy that exploited his poor, disabled neighbor and is trying to make it illegal for teachers to strike.

[NCTraveler]

22. You are far out there.

From you claiming that Hillary wants to privatize ss to this. Way out there. I have a very good idea what I am talking about. That is priceless coming from someone who has made claims that have not stood up to scrutiny. I like how you keep going to Scummy. Grade school comment. I'm sure you reserve it for all good progressives.

[Long Drive]

28. Talking about grade school

Shouldn't that be you'll not your? Just asking.

[NCTraveler]

30. Neither. It was suppose to be "you".

Thanks for the heads up. I appreciate it.

[Long Drive]

34. I'm sure you do

Cheers!

[NCTraveler]

37. And cheers back to you. I like that. nt.

[cali]

53. I was wrong about that and I apologize again for it

but that is the sole time I've posted something incorrect about her. I have never used right wing sources.


And no, it's just arrogant to act like you know as much as I do about the politics of my state or my governor. Ridiculous. And sorry, he is detested here as I thoroughly documented in the OP. No, I don't bash good progressives. I've never bashed Pat Leahy, for example though just as Bernie I don't agree with him on everything. Shumlin is not a good progressive. Good progressives don't cut the social safety net. Good progressives don't refuse to raise taxes on the wealthy to avoid those cuts which is what or dem legislature wanted to do. And good progressives don't exploit a poor disabled neighbor in order to get their hands on land they want at a cut rate price.

Faux progressives? I have no problem slamming them, whether it's Peter Shumlin or Alan Grayson, but a purist I am not. I'd rather see a centrist like Murphy run if FL and win FL having the chance to win back the Senate than not.

My problem is with corruption and who seem to have no problem adapting their positions to whatever they think will win an election.

So no, you don't understand the politics of Vermont or my view on politics.

What's ironic is that I haven't changed, but DU sure has. 10 years ago, I got a fair amount of pushback for being "too moderate"

[NCTraveler]

55. So no, you don't understand the politics of Vermont or my view on politics.

Classic. "it's just arrogant "

"he is detested here "

Provably dishonest.

" I don't bash good progressives"

You do and you are.

"but a purist I am not"

The words you type disagree with the personal statements you make.

[Long Drive]

25. Kick It Cali

Keep keeping it real. Thank you.

[cali]

11. I have no problem with that- though I'm not sure that

what he said qualifies as an endorsement- in fact, a lot of those endorsements aren't really endorsements- signing a letter encouraging her to run is not necessarily an endorsement- as Warren made clear. In any case, I completely expect dem lawmakers to endorse her and don't have a problem with it. This is a different deal. I trust you can see that.

I thought my op was clear: It's Shumlin purposely stepping on Bernie's celebratory kickoff in Vermont, that's so scummy.

Here's what Leahy said over a month ago (before Bernie announced:


talked to her about this some time ago and said if she’d like my support, she’s welcome to it,” Leahy said on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” on Wednesday.

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/238912-2016-hillary-endorsement-list

[Autumn]

14. Anyone who endorses any candidate this early is a fool.

In my opinion. Not everyone who is talking about running as announced.

[cali]

20. It's his deliberately stepping on Bernie's kickoff that I find so nasty

that's it- and that I can't stand the guy.

[Autumn]

21. A petty fool at that.

[FSogol]

23. I wish DU was as good at attacking Republicans as it is at attacking Democrats.

[SoapBox]

26. Exactly.

[sabrina 1]

31. So do I.

[jtuck004]

38. I've yet to see them attack a Democrat. n/t

[Cali_Democrat]

41. Hillary has never been attacked on DU? nt

[Nuclear Unicorn]

29. Did Shumlin win on a, "Well, it's him or the GOP'er" vote?

If s

[cali]

32. He barely won in a state that doesn't even have a functional repub party

It was thrown to the dem super-majority legislature. He ran against a guy who had never run for office before and talked about such things as bunnies fucking in press conferences. Milne was drafted after the repub party couldn't find a repub pol to run.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

35. In other words: Ossification, insularity and a lack of a competititve field

It portends of the hazards we face on a national scale, ifyouknowwhatimeanandithinkyoudo.

[cali]

43. no, not really accurate

Shumlin won originally on his promise of single payer. And Vermont really has a deep bench of liberal dems and VT Progressive Party members. But no one really understood how deep the antipathy to Shumlin was, so he didn't get a primary opponent.

Vermont state politics are pretty good. Shumlin's just been a horrible disappointment. I'd heard a lot about how he was a real backstabbing creep from people with experience with him before 2010, but I voted for him with enthusiasm that year. By 2012, I was far less enthusiastic. Last year, I was so disgusted that I didn't vote for him.

At least there's no chance of his being elected to Congress.

[Angry Dragon]

44. I do not understand the Hillary love??

[MyNameGoesHere]

47. The nerve of someone having an opinion!!!!

Stupid guv, don't you know you aren't supposed to have a favorite candidate?

[cali]

61. you either didn't read my op or you have serious reading comprehension problems

I made it as fucking clear as it could possibly be made that I have no problem with his endorsing HRC. My problem has to do with his doing days before Bernie's celebratory kickoff in Vermont. It was a deliberate fuck you to Bernie and Vermonters. All he had to do was wait a few days.

Do try and improve your reading skills.

[MyNameGoesHere]

75. Oh hurt pain whaaaaaa

You need to grow up.

[democrank]

48. Shumlin`s giant SCREW YOU to Bernie

probably won`t sit well with Vermonters since Bernie is way, way more popular here than Shumlin....and understandably so.

[stonecutter357]

49. .

[MineralMan]

56. You should write and tell him.

Really.

[cali]

64. I'm sure he's getting quite and earful from Vermonters for not

having the good grace to just wait a few days.

[gregcrawford]

58. Did you listen to Shumlin on "Vermont Edition" this afternoon?

I wanted to call in and ask why he announced his support of Clinton instead of just keeping has damned mouth shut, but I couldn't get through. I'm afraid I don't hold "The Schnozz" in very high regard anymore. Sadly, Shumlin's just another self-serving politician.

[cali]

60. no, I forgot. Man, the posts in this thread denying the info in the OP are something else

I remember when he was first running and I was at a dinner with a former legislator and two VT journalists and I said I was excited about the prospect of his running and they all had very negative things to say about him. I blew it off, but that conversation has come to mind a few times since.

Any interesting questions for him today?

[AtomicKitten]

65. The timing of this endorsement is no coincidence; it's all coordinated by the Clinton campaign.

While Hillary is only participating in small group discussions with handpicked Clinton supporters (barely lifting a finger to campaign and compete), the campaign apparently figures name recognition + corporate cash is the ticket to the White House.

[hrmjustin]

66. I can see why it upset you.

As a Vermonter you certaily have every right to feel this way.

[HappyMe]

72. That is irritating.

But from what you have said here, this guy's endorsement is probably the very last thing Sanders needs.

[Thinkingabout]

76. If he supports and votes for Hillary I will thank him for his support and vote.

If he endorsed Bernie would you have posted this post?