Vermont's Jim Douglas: Zelig on the national stage

Vermont Governor Jim Douglas has been paraded and is parading himself on a National stage. As co-chair of the RNG Conference he has been seen with his fellow Republican governors and heavy hitting Democratic governors like Ed Rendell .He sat like Zelig in balcony at Obama's invitation to hear the presidential budget address .Yet even with all this flagrant photo-op bipartisanship he seems unwilling or unable to speak out aggressively against the growing isolation of the Republican Party. Governor Jon Huntsman of Utah is making noises about the damage that the dead-enders will do to the Republican Party as the country's voters leave them behind .Huntsman claims a good re-think is in order. "The party needs to be more intellectually rigorous, and to compete for the votes of the young, the elites and minorities," he said in an interview with Politico. A Utah governor's ability to do this may be a little bit of the 'only Nixon could go to china thing '.

Douglas would have no trouble being heard should he decide to speak ,the microphone and headlines would be his .It would be a courageous thing for one of the last standing Republicans in New England to take a stand and bring his party back from the conservative brink as Gov. Huntsman is attempting in Utah. For someone that may have national ambitions a clear effort at reality therapy for the party wouldn't be a bad way to start .It could be just a question of timing ,he can stay low and continue to glide through without getting his head bitten off by the right wing .However anybody who is observing his approach to this current budget situation here in Vermont would realize is that Douglas is not a moderate keeping his head down ,but a conservative keeping his mouth shut .National observers seeing him for the first time may not realize that Douglas,in the words of a Vermont paper ( belatedly observed after the election) is "the kind of radical conservative that voters rejected at the ballot box in November."

RNC chairman Steele and Rush Limbaugh got into a pushing contest yesterday over who is the true voice of the Republican party .Steele promptly backed down and begged to be forgiven .Chairman Steele's mettle leaves something to be desired and commenting on the Rush /Steele flap Gov.Bobby Jindal says "Well, I didn't follow the day's events. I'm glad he[Steele] apologized.".The head of the RNC and Gov.Jindal who was chosen to rebut President Obama's budget speech are both in alignment with Rush. Maybe its time governor Douglas is given a chance to get above the radar on this .Limbaugh has expressed in no uncertain terms that he wants Obama to fail .White house spokesman Robert Gibbs suggests reporters ask Republican Congressmen if they support Rush .A fair question for Douglas................Do you support Limbaugh's views ? It is his party .