: If this man is going to switch parties, he should resign and
: run again in a special election. He was elected as a
: Republican, not as an Independent, even though his ideas
: maybe the same.

He was elected for what he believes in, not because he wore one "hat" or another. Just because you wear a sailor's hat on a windy day on Lake Champlain doesn't make you a sailor, even if the Coast Guard bought it for you. The wind and waves do that. Sailors come in safely when the weather starts out there. Jeffords will weather this one.

COURAGE: SAYS LEAHY

Many of the some 70 percent of voters who voted for Republican Jeffords last fall are not Republican. Look at the poll results for the question:

"How would you rate the performance of Jim Jeffords as Vermont's U.S. senator?

[From: Burlington Free Press/WPTZ poll on Jeffords, May 24, 2001. Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. of Washington, D.C.]

39% in the State rate his performance as excellent.

65 % of those voters are DEMOCRATS, 33% are INDEPENDENT and 15% of those voters are REPUBLICAN.

31% in the State rate his performance as good.
25% of those voters are DEMOCRATS, 40% are INDEPENDENT, and 26% of those voters are REPUBLICAN.

The message is quite clear here. Jeffords, (once) the Republican candidate, has enormous support beyond his party. Some politicians believe that this is a good thing, a way to combine the two (opposing) programs. If you omit those efforts that COMBINE ideology, then you create two extremes and divide people. Divide and what...?

We could have another vote, or contest it in court (like Florida?), but the outcome would be the same as it was in the first place: there is not enough "Republican partyism" in Vermont to change it. Besides, even very old Republicans from very staunch farm families respect Jeffords immensely for his work with the Dairy Compact. Most small farmers would like some protection from big farm business and those devastating milk prices. It's hard to understand unless you get up at 4:00 in the morning to milk 75 cows every day for 20 years, and then do it all over again, every day, at 3:00 pm.

Jeffords was not elected for a Party line. Those are for telephones. Most voters here VOTE for the person they believe will do the best job in Congress, contrary to what the two party system has devised as the "rule" or norm. Most of the Independents I know voted for Jeffords in the last election, even though the Republican party offered their financial and campaign support to that political candidate.

The PEOPLE also offered something to that political candidate, each gave their ONE vote. To me THAT is more important, or at least it should be, in a true Democracy. Non-republicans also contributed money and time to Jeffords campaign, simply because they agree with the man.

Jeffords has historically voted as a moderate. If you want to talk about "should" things, then the Republican party SHOULD have realized the edges to his commitment, and made policy to include them. Shoulda, coulda, woulda...are useless in a storm.

Senator Pat Leahy, from VT, made a statement yesterday at a farm in Middlesex:

"Some who have suggested this was just a political move have totally missed the point. This was a real profile in courage."

A REAL PROFILE IN COURAGE! Courage is a kind of bravery that comes from the heart, note the latin root, 'cor'.

Maybe what's being challenged here is beyond George W. Bush, and more a rebuttal against that thing which drives his party line. Not sure what you would call that "force." It sure does roll over the little guys, except for some with spines, like hedgehogs, and Vermonters.

Leahy also made a very promising statement about heading the Judiciary committee:

"Leahy said he looks forward to once again chairing the Judiciary Committee. He said he thinks the Democratic control of the Senate will result in a far different judiciary than if the Republicans had retained control.
'It will be a more moderate judiciary,' he said. 'It will still be largely Republican, largely on the conservative side, but it will be a judiciary where people will feel they can get an honest hearing whether they are liberal, conservative, Democrat, Republican, rich, poor, white, black, whatever.' "

The full text of the article can be read at:

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/          

Vt. Senator Sends Message; Reflects on Jeffords' Move

By Christopher Graff
The Associated Press

MIDDLESEX -- U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy's message is simple: The green and white bumper sticker printed up by the senator following James Jeffords' decision to leave the GOP reads "Don't Mess With Vermont."

The message has dual meanings: The first is aimed at people, especially those at the White House, who want to punish the state in the wake of Jeffords' move; the second is a celebration of the fact that little Vermont is about to become one of the most powerful states in the U.S. Senate.
"Every time I go down to the White House you see all these cars with 'Don't Mess With Texas' bumper stickers," said Leahy on Tuesday. "It is a gentle jibe back.

"I think there are many who will sit there and say, 'Boy, we have to nail Vermont,'" he said. Such thoughts would be a big mistake, he said.

Leahy's comments came as Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., announced he will chair the Foreign Relations Committee, a move that ensures Leahy will chair the Senate Judiciary Committee. Jeffords is likely to chair the committee on the Environment and Public Works.

"Vermont, for the first time in our history, will have two chairmen of the so-called 'A' committees," Leahy said.
In addition, Leahy is the fourth-ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Committee and Jeffords is expected to retain a seat on the Finance Committee.
"It's awfully hard to mess with us," Leahy said.

[snip]