MAY 24 was like Independence Day around here. For the first time in YEARS, it felt like somebody said something in Congress that really mattered. What did Jim Jeffords say that made so much sense? He said simply:

"... I was not elected to this office to be something that I am not. This comes as no surprise to Vermonters, because independence is the Vermont way."

[The full text of his speech can be read at: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/
see the transcript.]

Some 66% of his constituents supported his decision. Of course we would. Vermont has a long history of truly independent thinking. The land itself was shared among Indian nations, parts of it a neutral hunting ground, others for gathering together of nations at large.

[ Poll results from: Burlington Free Press/WPTZ poll on Jeffords. Poll was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. of Washington, D.C. on the evening of May 24. A total of 552 registered Vermont voters were interviewed statewide by telephone. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.3 percentage points]

Jeffords has contributed to the legacy of leveling the playing field. In today's Time magazine, the following report reveals some of the impact on the Republican machine:

excerpted from: "A One Man Earthquake"
http://www.canoe.ca/TimeCanada0106/04_time12.html

1) "There was White House Counsel Alberto Gonzalez cooling his heels outside the Senate chamber until Democrat Patrick Leahy [VT], now the presumptive chairman of the Judiciary Committee, could spare a moment to meet with him."

2) "There was the business lobbying group known as Arctic Power, quietly canceling a 10-state, $500,000 radio ad blitz designed to sell Memorial Day motorists on President Bush's plan to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska."

3) "There were the two dozen tripods set up a full hour before Tom Daschle made his first march down the Capitol steps as Senate majority leader--a striking change from the single c-span camera that used to cover his news conferences."

4) " And finally, there was Senator Don Nickles gazing at the sign saying assistant majority leader that will no longer greet him when he enters his office each day. "I like that sign," he said ruefully."

Well, I like the sign that one supporter carried at the Radisson Hotel last Thursday. It said

"WOW, a Senator with a conscience."

The aftershocks might be enough to jar the lawmakers into closer examination of their own consciences. A little soul searching couldn't be bad for rational men who make laws. We certainly KNOW NOW that it is not impossible!