Governor wades into legislative races early

MONTPELIER, Vt. --From gasoline taxes to college scholarships, Gov. Jim Douglas and legislative Democrats had plenty of feuds this winter and spring. And this election season, the governor plans to hold the opposition party accountable.

That's not unusual for a popular incumbent, but Douglas has started out earlier than he has before and his message has been particularly pointed. He appeared in a handful of legislative districts last week with Republicans seeking to oust incumbent Democrats.

His message was focused on two of the stronger disagreements he had with the Democrats at the Statehouse earlier this year: whether to establish a $175 million, 15-year college scholarship program and whether to boost the gasoline and diesel fuel taxes by 5 cents a gallon.

His targets ranged from the powerful -- seven-term incumbent Sen. Susan Bartlett of Lamoille County, who heads the Appropriations Committee -- to the newcomers: Rep. Lucy Leriche, a first-term Democrat in the relatively conservative town of Hardwick.

"Lamoille County needs a state senator who recognizes that it's critical to put a college education within reach of every Vermonter, one who will fight until the very end to make that happen," Douglas said a week ago in Johnson, taking on Bartlett, who led the opposition to how he wanted to pay for the scholarships.

"Vermonters want a governor and legislators who recognize that the price of gas, diesel and home heating fuel are too high," he said the next day in Hardwick, pointing out that Leriche had voted for the tax increase.

"It's an important opportunity for the governor to join with legislative candidates who share his vision for a more affordable Vermont and to highlight the issues that are going to be coming up in the next legislative session," said state Republican Party Chairman Jim Barnett. "In many of these cases, there are incumbent Democrats who voted against the interests of their constituents and this is a way to convey that message and inform the voters about what their representatives have done in Montpelier."

Douglas has had a prickly relationship with lawmakers, especially after Democrats swept back to power in the House in 2004 and added to their majority in the Senate. Bartlett took the lead in some of the higher-profile disputes, especially over scholarships.

Democrats rejected Douglas' plan to use money from the settlement of a national tobacco lawsuit to pay for the program, instead investing just $10 million and appointing a commission to find a way to pay for it long-term. Bartlett in particular drew Douglas' ire when she said the funding plan was "dead on arrival" and she continues to make no apologies for her characterization.

"The future of Vermont is a significant issue and it deserves more than temporary funding for scholarships for certain people," she said.

House Speaker Gaye Symington, D-Jericho, who said she was unsuccessfully targeted for defeat by top Republicans in 2004, said Douglas' rhetoric rang hollow because he was not offering any new solutions.

"I think in the long run Vermonters will see this as sound-bite electioneering," she said. "I think they should legitimately expect more from the governor.

Democrats say they have answers to every charge of the governor's. On the fuels taxes, for example, they point out that no increase was enacted. The House proposal was dropped when a compromise was developed in the Senate.

But that doesn't mean the issues won't be powerful in the rhetorical volleys to come. "The governor's affordability agenda really seems to be catching on with people, so the governor wants to get out there as much as he can and spread the word about different aspects of the affordability agenda," said his campaign manager, Dennise Casey.

Democrats argue that there's little proof governors of either party generally have much sway over legislative races. Former Gov. Howard Dean, a Democrat, often campaigned with legislative candidates, with mixed success. State Democratic Party Executive Director Jon Copans pointed out that Douglas was active in legislative races two years ago, but still the Republicans lost control of the House to the Democrats.

"Our experience is these local legislative races are not going to be decided on these big, statewide issues," Copans said. "It's much more about local, on-the-ground issues."