Friday Fredoblogging plus VT Politics

Jenni and I went to a dinner in Barre with Bernie Sanders last night, ate lots of pasta. Bernie's speech was great, although a bit less fiery than when I saw him a few years ago. He's gonna whip Republican Rich Tarrant's ass. I get a piece of mail from that putz at least 2 or three times a week, and almost right after I do, there's a piece somewhere talking about his latest factual inaccuracy(not like that's not to be expected from a Repub.. yes, Dems lie too, but the GOP has made it a high art).
Fredo seems to be okay with Bernie, although he's not one of those 'Yellow Dog Democrats' you hear about.
I'm not too worried about the VT Senate race, Sanders is way ahead. I am a bit concerned about our House race though. It's Dem Peter Welch against former Adjuntant General Martha Rainville form the GOP. Now, it's quite the tossup. Rainville's made quite a few blunders in her campaign, flip-flopping on Iraq, doing favors for a donor,etc. Welch's big problem, as I see it is that he's no Bernie. He's a middle-of-the-road center-left former state legislator. Although he's more than likely a decent guy and will make a fine congressman, he doesn't exactly light a fire in your pants. It's kind of disturbing when in casual conversation with friends, I mention him and people have no idea who he is.
So far the race is a toss-up, with Rainville and Welch in a statistical dead heat. Vermonters are known for being all over the map politically... right now we have a Repub governor with huge Dem majorities in the Statehouse. Rainville, who has always seemed to have a lot of publicity over the last few years, might make it on the positive military image thing. However, Vermonters overwhemingly dislike Bush, and I hope for this election that they do vote the party. Because, now more that ever, with the one-party rule we have, and all the damage it's brought to America, party does matter. Now, I'm not being a Dem cheerleader here. But I hope that most Vermonters realize when they go into the voting booth, that no matter how 'independent' or 'moderate' Rainville insists she is, she is still adding to GOP power. And that is not good. Let's hope for the best here, and if you get a chance, stop by Welch's site and kick him some dough.