Pure Leadership RV Tour: Behind the Scenes

Current Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas came to the aid of gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie this past weekend on a two-day tour across Vermont. It consisted of eight rallies in seven counties. Together they promoted Dubie’s vision as outlined by his 26 page ,ten-point plan for growing jobs and building Vermont’s economy.

Take a look now behind the scenes at the Dubie/Douglas Pure Leadership RV Tour and inside Governor Jim Douglas’ imagined thought bubble.

"I believe strongly in Brian's candidacy," Douglas said of Dubie. "I believe he's the best person to lead our state for the next few years."

Right .I believe strongly he wins only if a miracle happens and that’s the only reason I let them haul me out here on this Pure Leadership RV Tour. What’s with all this creepy ‘pure’ stuff anyway? Suppose that language must bring in the fringe money. That Texas money guy Brian had dinner with, Crow was his name, the one with all the statues of dictators he must like that. Why did the Dubster get hooked-up with this out of state campaign crew? They don’t know Vermont from Texas or Virginia anyway.
Next few years’ .Oh hell if Brian tanks young Gibbs will be all set to glide in after his grooming tour as Vt. Secretary of State.
Note to self: remember to tell Jason to watch that late night driving. Can’t afford to lose anyone our line-up is pretty thin now.

Douglas noted. "What we need is balance in Montpelier,"

Man that’s Brian, pure Brian all right, a great big counterweight, door stop, or anchor.
That’s balance.

Douglas said, citing Shumlin's proposals for government-run health care and universal preschool. "I think we know what happens when politicians make promises."

Heh,promises,promises yeah I’ve been there, Jim=Jobs, E-State up and running by 2010, man, the stuff that I pulled off in this office.

Asked whether Dubie ever lobbied him on issues, Douglas couldn't provide an example, but he said, "Brian is not at all reluctant to tell me how he feels about things in a respectful and cordial way.”

Provide an example! Ah, the remaining Vermont press. They want an example! I should give it to them. Lord, I don’t think I had a serious conversation with Brian in eight years. He always drones on about how he’s an airline pilot and then I zone out and almost doze off. How long is this RV tour for eight stops?
Ugh,paid my dues, the stuff I do for this party… going to owe me big-time after this Pure Leadership RV Tour.

Unimagined quotes from Burlington Free Press

Dubie Emission Standards or “The General turned to me and said, ‘Brian…’ ”

Jobs tour completed, Vermont gubernatorial candidate Brian Dubie recently opted out of a televised union-sponsored debate in Barre that might have proved a useful venue to discuss his insights on the state job situation. His absence and low key campaign style gives added significance to all the appearances he does make and utterances he does utter.

Years ago, Vermont joined thirteen other states in court to tighten standards for new car fuel emissions. Now those standards have been adapted by the Obama administration.
Certainly there were generous cheers and credit was shared liberally at the ceremony in Montpelier. At the event, gubernatorial hopeful Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie readily weighed in, happily recalling a special evening on a rooftop in Baghdad and also declaring that “Green really is green,” while brandishing a dollar bill.

Dubie reflected on a conversation he had with a U.S. military general on a Baghdad roof in Iraq last year. That general, looking over an evening skyline in the war-torn country, pressed for the need to move off of foreign oil coming from "dangerous parts of the world."

He said clean energy and reducing car emissions are essential to the country's environmental and economic health and safety.

"Green really is green," Dubie said, holding up a dollar bill he took from his pocket.Times Argus

Last year in Iraq?
Unless this is a regular occurrence in the life of Brian, he seems confused about when he shared a memorable evening on a rooftop in Baghdad with a U.S. military general.

From an article Dubie wrote for Aerospace States Association October, 2007

On a mid-September evening in 2006, I stood on a rooftop overlooking the city of Baghdad with a U.S. Air Force Commanding General. I was deployed to Iraq as an Air Force reservist and member of an Air Force field assessment team. The city was beautiful at night, but it was not peaceful.
The General turned to me and said, “Brian, America has to find ways to use less oil — especially oil that comes from dangerous parts of the world.”

The Eye of the Dubie Campaign

Vermont Lt.Gov.Brian Dubie has been out touring Vermont. As his campaign takes shape he is more often seen standing alongside the Governor at photo ops and his press releases seem to be a regular feature on the Vermont.gov webpage. All this perhaps is trying to alleviate the image from past campaigns where he has campaigned lightly, and ducked debates.
He is also just wrapping up a lengthy statewide“jobs” tour in Chittenden County but from the Burlington Free Press reports it might more accurately be named the look-‘em-in-the-eye tour.

Dubie listened respectfully, accepted the position and added: "I vowed to look you in the eye."
It was like this between the lieutenant governor and the chorus of outspoken doubters. Dubie did look everyone in the eye.

It is unclear what magic this vow to look-‘em-in-the-eye may accomplish but it appears the Lt. Gov. is convinced it may work some magic on the self described “grumpy” titans of Vermont business he encountered. The “grumpy” yet “sage” manager of political relations for IBM gave Brian an earful.

“The business community has been talking about the same issues for two decades." To come to business at this time to ask about our perspective, O'Kane said "seems ingenuous ... it is too costly to do business in Vermont ... it is too hard to do business,"

Sounds like more whine than grump but you’d have to look ‘em in eye to know.
Perhaps taken aback by what were described as the business people’s “edgy” comments and questions, the Lt. Governor did raise the specter of revolt in classic Tea Party rhetoric

In response to increasing taxes and controlling expenses, Dubie offered this prediction, "We're looking at a taxpayer revolt."