PUTNEY — Karl Rove Is Back,” the New York Times headline reads - and, he's directing campaign strategy all over the country, the story goes on to report.
Here in Vermont, we see gubernatorial candidate Dubie hobnobbing with former President Bush. Then, he comes home to these green hills with a campaign strategy of dirt and deception, the likes of which we haven't seen before in this state.
Could Karl Rove's fingerprints be all over this campaign?
“Mutton dressed as lamb” is an old country adage that seems to ring true as I see what the Dubie campaign tries to foist off on us for policy.
The Dubie campaign espouses a return to the Bush-era policies of tax giveaways to the most wealthy, slamming the middle class with property tax increases and deregulation to let the markets run amok.
Yes, the same old tired policies that got us in this mess in the first place. Mutton dressed as lamb, indeed.
Candidate Bush portrayed himself as a moderate until he got elected, when his true colors were revealed. Candidate Dubie seems likewise portraying himself as a moderate.
Clues to what we can expect are showing clearly in the Karl Rove–kind of campaign he's running. Look no farther than Dubie's Freudian slip about targeting the vulnerable in budget cuts, and we see what to expect.
In true Karl Rove spin-speak, he now dismisses this as “mis-speaking.” How many times did we hear that phrase during the Bush era?
I look around Vermont and finally see some positive action. I see our roads and bridges finally being attended to with Obama infrastructure investments, after eight years of neglect, a sensible plan to restore our infrastructure necessary for safety and economic growth.
Candidate Dubie, though, calls this “reckless spending.” Sounds more and more like Karl Rove–speak to me.
With our actions, we are now creating the legacy we will leave our children. While candidate Dubie wants to take us back to the Bush-league policies that got us into this economic mess, Democrats are ready to move forward toward a brighter future for all.
That's why I'll be voting for Peter Shumlin for governor. He has a record of working together to get things done. He has shown the courage to face the tough issues in tough times and balance social and economic justice to provide a vision for the kind of Vermont he sees ahead.
I share that vision for Vermont: a vision that respects the environment and meets our responsibilities to our elders and children - and creates an economic engine fueled by conservation, efficiency, and non-toxic renewables.
I'm voting for that vision for Vermont, which will move us forward into a brighter future, toward a legacy to be proud of - for our children and for generations to come.