Freyne Land

Apparently one slightly paranoid Gov. Jim Douglas defender who hides here in the Freyne Land comments section behind the nom de plume "vermonter," rushed to misread the context of the Q & A in the "Temperature Rising" post below with Democratic Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin. Kinda like a New York Republican would, thought I (who grew up surrounded by them).

The questions, you see,  were not all mine. It wasn't an "interview." In fact, after Al Gore said good-bye and signed off in Interactive TV Land,  there was an impromptu 10-minute Q & A. in the small, packed classroom-style theater. Mostly, but not all, from press types. Standing-room only, as they say, with the partisans from both sides filling the place.

Representatives/lobbyists from VPIRG and VNRC were there as well as Entergy Vermont Yankee's talented Statehouse lobbying team, plus their dapper, bow-tied PR Chief Brian Cosgrove (up against the blackboard), former PR Guy for the Vermont Republican Party. An "Irish Republican" on the Atlantic's left shore, god bless him. Plus other press, including Kristin Carlson from WCAX-TV, Terri Hallenbeck from the Freeps, Ross Sneyd from A.P. and Bob Kinzel from VPR.

As I indicated, Shummy was really "on" Thursday. "In the zone." Focused on the center. No beating around the bush. More than any other Vermont politician in a position of leadership, Peter Shumlin has accepted the reality of global warming and risen to take the challenge. Unlike Gov. Jim Douglas, he has seen the movie An Inconvenient Truth.

I've got to tell you, I was stunned when the Governor of the State of Vermont, James Douglas, candidly admitted at his Thursday presser that he had neither seen the movie An Inconvenient Truth, nor read the book. Stunned!

I've written earlier - last summer - about my own fears of seeing the movie. Of confronting that fear and then discovering how I had shared it with so many others, including died-in-the-wool environmental-types, who I also confronted.

But it's June 8, 2007 and the Governor of the State of Vermont still hasn't seen most important environmental flick of our time? Or even read the book? [Wouldn't be surprised if cowardly, in the GOP-closet, "vermonter" hasn't either, would ya?]

Busy people. How "inconvenient" the truth can truly be, eh?

For their convenience here's a little more from Shumlin's remarks to the packed room: