There talk on the morning airwaves of world financial markets crashing.

At 2 PM, Gov. Jim Douglas will deliver what’s expected to be a rather austere “tough times” budget address at the Statehouse.

And veteran Rep. Cola Hudson (R-Lyndon) won’t be there to catch it.

Cola, 81, who’s been there every winter since 1973, died Sunday. He came down sick on Friday.  At least he got one last January in the House he loved so well before passing.

Ah, but the man sure had a heart!

Vermont heart.

Save me a spot, would ya’, Cola?

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Peter Freyne, 1949-2009, wrote the weekly political column "Inside Track," which originated in the Vanguard Press in the mid 1980s; he brought it to Seven Days in 1995. He retired it shortly before his death in January, 2009. We all miss him.