WESTMINSTER — We have five good Democratic candidates for governor, all with experience in state government and similar positions on major issues. Each would make a far better governor than Republican Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, and the winner will receive my enthusiastic support.
But since we get to choose, let me make the case for Sen. Peter Shumlin.
I've been in many political fights with Peter, sometimes on the same side, sometimes not. I have a profound respect for his political abilities. News flash: The governorship is a political job. We should hire first-class talent.
I prefer having Peter on my side, but you learn something about a person when you fight against them. I actually treasure a memory of yelling at the Senate President over the phone, and having him yell right back, and then go out on the floor and vote my way. We got mad, we got over it, he saw my point, and we've worked together many times since. After eight years of right-wing conservatism disguised as vanilla pudding, I look forward to a governor I can work with.
Pete's a leader. I don't just mean someone who seeks leadership positions, though you don't get them without seeking them. I mean that Peter Shumlin has used his position to actually lead the Senate to take votes it might otherwise have avoided. A year and a half ago, freedom to marry had many sympathizers in the Legislature, but few wanted to take action. Peter Shumlin brought it to a vote, and today all Vermonters have the right to marry the person of their choice.
On Vermont Yankee, the 26-4 result showed that the Senate supports shutdown in 2012. Without Peter's leadership, all we'd have is their word for that. Many who voted yes would rather not have voted at all, and said so. Nonetheless the vote took place, and now rather than a vague sentiment, we have a clear vote with legal consequences. We owe that to Peter Shumlin.
Peter has pushed hard for energy efficiency and renewables. He's run a business, created jobs in Vermont, done the hard work year after year of producing a budget for the state, and always taken on the big issues. I believe he'd make a first-class governor - and Windham County hasn't had anyone in the governor's office since Tom Salmon Sr. Isn't it about time?