The scent of revolution is in the air.
History will record that in October 1995, after four years of extraordinarily high approval ratings, Democratic Governor Howard Brush Dean peaked on top of Mt. Ho-Ho.
With Contract with America funding cuts looming over the state like the shadow of a wolf on the chicken coop door, Democratic Speaker of the House Michael Obuchowski formally parted company with the good doctor: “There’s a lack of leadership and a lack of vision at the highest levels of the state of Vermont,” declared Obie, “and I mean Howard Dean.”
The split between Obie and Ho-Ho — the woodchuck and the flatlander — has been building for quite some time. Last April as the legislature was shutting down, Obie was publicly calling on Ho-Ho to take a “leadership role” on property tax reform. Obie said it was the duty of a speaker to “worry the governor the way a wolf worries a sheep.” Now it appears Obie has designated the governor as a menu item and the sit-down leg of lamb dinner will be next September in the Democratic Primary. The speaker says he is so ticked off at Ho-Ho, he’s thinking about backing a Democratic challenger to Dean in the Democratic primary. That’s open rebellion in the ranks and it was a shot heard round the state.
What’s going on is, the liberals are finally coming out from under their rocks in an attempt to steer the Democratic Party to the left, i.e., the land of Bernie Sanders. For the past four years Ho-Ho has shunned the liberals. From here on in, they’ll be in his face.
Dr. Dean, after all, defines himself as a “moderate Democrat.” Playing smartly to the broad middle of the electorate has been the key to his sparkling success. Republicans love “moderate Democrats,” and so far they’ve loved Howard Dean.
“The Democratic caucus is going through a very difficult time,” Dr. Dean told Inside Track Monday night in a telephone interview from the Palmer House in Chicago. The swath of Newt’s blade is descending upon Vermont with funding cuts in heating assistance, Medicare and Medicaid. Obie wants to fill in the gaps with state funds raised through tax increases. Ho-Ho won’t hear of it. “We don’t need to raise taxes,” he said, “certainly not the income tax.”
That’s been Ho-Ho’s mantra — no income-tax hike, no way, no how. That’s what the business community loves to hear. It’s also what Vermonters with big bucks love to hear. But Michael Obuchowski does not believe the way to build a better Vermont is to protect the haves while the have-nots are being gored. The other day, Obie told Inside Track, he recently got a telephone call from an 82-year-old constituent in his Bellows Falls district who was worried sick about being able to pay her heating bills this winter. “I just couldn’t take it anymore,” said Obuchowski, who added he’s decided to take things “to the Vermont side of the aisle.”
One big card he’s playing is called Steve Howard. L’il Stevie Wonder is a 24-year-old state
rep from Rutland who’s made his mark as Obie’s lieutenant and gopher. He’s also the only
declared candidate for chair of the state Democratic Party. The vote will be November 11.
In his announcement speech last week, Li’l Stevie Wonder (known in G.O.P. circles as “Li’l Stevie Blunder”), set the tone for the new re-energized Vermont Democratic Party as he took out his sword and slashed away at the Republicans’ “politics of hate and rhetoric of fear.” Li’l Stevie said it’s time to take the Dems back to “the moral center.” It’s time, he said, “to take the gloves off.”
Four days later after Gen. Obuchowski had unloaded on Ho Ho, Li’l Stevie Wonder, the
soon-to-be-chair of the Democratic Party, was in the awkward position of defending Howard Dean. “I think there is a vision there,” insisted Steve Howard countering Obie’s charges. “His heart is in the right place.” Li’l Stevie said “we have to give Howard some chances to connect with the left. I’ll help him do it.”
Rep. Howard agrees with Obie that the way to go is to fill in the gaps in Newt’s cuts “with
state funds” and, he said, “the governor will come around on that.”
Don’t hold your breath.
The rebellion is underway. Howard Dean’s star has reached its zenith. A civil war in the Vermont Democratic Party is now out in the open. It’s not completely out of character. Even Li’l Stevie Wonder acknowledged, “We have a tendency to eat our own.”
Althea Later — Eric Benson, executive director of the Vermont Association of County Judges, told Inside Track this week it was his idea to give Assistant Judges Althea Kroger and Elizabeth Gretkowski that ridiculous “homework assignment” in the middle of last week’s investigative hearings. Needless to say, they didn’t do their homework. There’s been too much water over the dam.
On the final day of hearings Probate Judge Sue Fowler was on the stand and was shown a transcript of a March meeting she’d had with Kroger in Kroger’s office. Althea was signing “under protest” the voucher for a $3000 computer system for the Probate Court. She was also secretly taping the meeting. Way to go, Althea!
Ice Patrol — Yes, those are new uniforms on the UVM hockey players with a new logo of a catamount leaping out from between a big “V.” Makes ’em look classier, meaner. Coaches’
idea. Also this year, Adelphia cable’s public access channel is running home games on tape
delay at 11:30 p.m. on game night, though this Saturday’s showdown with B.U. won’t be on since it’s on NESN live.
This article appears in The Music Issue • 1995.
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