Windham County man throws hat into the ring
by Guy Page
Sen. Patrick Leahy will not run for re-election, he told a packed house of media, staff, lawmakers, family and well-wishers in Room 11 of the Vermont State House this morning.
The longest serving senator in U.S. history, accompanied by wife Marcelle, opened his speech by describing how he grew up across the street from the State House and as a child rode his tricycle down the halls. Most of the speech was dedicated to recounting his legacy in the U.S. Senate, which began with his election in 1974:
- Casting the tie-breaking vote refusing to continue the war in Vietnam;
- As Agriculture Committee chair, starting the Farms for the Future and Forest Legacy programs, conserving vast acreage of farmland and forestland;
- Starting a program to clean up Lake Champlain and add 140,000 acres to Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest;
- Setting federal standards for organic farming;
- Enhancing the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program;
- Defending civil liberties as Senate Judiciary Chair;
- “My approach (as Appropriations Chair) was simple: help all states in alphabetical order. Starting with the letter V, Vermont.”
“I am proud to be Vermont’s longest serving Senator because I know my time in the Senate has made a difference for Vermonters and often well beyond. I know I have been there for my state when I was needed most. I know I have taken our best ideas and helped them grow,” Leahy said.
Leahy will hold a Zoom press conference tomorrow at 2:30 pm. Many other elected officials and Vermonters from all walks of life today made public statements praising Leahy and his accomplishments. These comments are readily available on social media and online news outlets. Vermont Daily Chronicle asked about 20 different readers who are active in Vermont politics and/or civic affairs to comment. Several responses appear below:
The opening of this seat will provide an opportunity for Vermonters to discuss future leadership of our state and nation. Entrenched, unchallenged incumbents quell competing views, which is why some 84% of Americans favor term limits. 2022 is a vital opportunity to tackle long-standing problems aggravated by the bureaucratic free-for-all witnessed during the COVID-19 crisis. Fiscal integrity and better schools are the brand of conservatism — Vermonters are wise to install a Republican as U.S. Senator. – John Klar, Brookfield, former GOP candidate for governor
It is my sincere hope that Senator Leahy has seen enough of the demise of our Constitution that he is finally sick of playing cover-up for immoralities. – Martha Hafner, citizen advocate, Randolph
Hooray! Leahy is one of the most partisan senators and ignored the obvious when pursuing President Trump during the Russian collusion fraud. As a former prosecutor he could have brought some informed perspective to the lack of confirmed evidence in that scam and saved the country from the real damage his equally partisan cohorts inflicted on all of us. – Bob Frenier, former member Vermont House, Chelsea
I hope we have a Republican or Independent ready to run, who can continue the momentum that we are seeing right now. The people recognize what a mess we are in, and we need someone in Vermont who can unite the people, who are near that center line, and a candidate who doesn’t give into the woke mob. This is the chance to reverse the direction of our state, especially as the democrats are pushing forth candidates who are loud members of the woke mob. – Liz Cady, Essex Junction, school board member
It has been extremely disappointing over the past several years to watch Senator Leahy walk along with the leftist agenda while we, as citizens, witness the moral and economic decay of our country, our state, our schools, and our communities. My hope and my prayer is that people of courage will rise up, run for office, and take back our state, starting at the top, with our federal and state leadership positions, in November 2022. – Maggie Kerrin, Waterbury, VT GOP activist
Senator Patrick Leahy was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1974, serving 8 consecutive terms representing Vermont. I, Mark Coester, Candidate for US Senate, have stepped up to run for election and represent the people of Vermont in Washington. I wish Mr. Senator Leahy the best In his future. – Mark Coester, Windham County Republican and organizer of recent Election Integrity forum
This is the best news I’ve heard since Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election. It gives me hope for the future of Vermont and the country. – Jonathan Lynch, Colchester, 2020 Vermont House candidate
Support Vermont DailY Chronicle TODAY for $9/MONTH
Categories: politics
Halleluiah!
Darn, I thought for sure the Dem’s would embalm him, coat him with honey and wrap him in bandages all whilst gluing him to his Senate seat…The Senate after-all, has more or less, become a mausoleum for these crony socialist/capitalistic…Even Elon Musk wasn’t aware Bernie Saunders was still alive…If in fact he still is???
‘Say goodnight, Gracie.’
One down – two to go!
Only one ????
This is the best news I’ve heard since Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election. It gives me hope for the future of Vermont and the country.
Good riddance!
It’s about time. Don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.
Ah….he has personally profited long enough as a D.C. insider to pass the torch to yet another extremist sell-out alt-left moron in VT?
Ask Democrats in VT if they will even ever CONSIDER voting for ANY Independent or Republican or Libertarian who comes forward to run for elective office and the answer will assuredly be: “no”. VT democrats party line vote the way widgets and gadgets mechanically & methodically move to complete a task in rote fashion along an assembly line.
Whomever the Democrat party nominates for VT will be who is elected – and it will almost certainly be a radicalized female “person of color” so the party can show how ragingly “woke” they are and how they all ought to be hailed as heroes. Meanwhile, if you recall, these same “woke” bots chose NOT to elect a very capable & intelligent African-American candidate a decade ago for Governor of VT simply because he ran as a Republican. Remember, wokesters?
Poster boy for term limits. There were better ideas that never got a chance. Leahy should have been gone by the mid 80s. Good riddance.
Time to remove Dominion voting from Vermont.
Quite the opposite they’re likely putting in more of it.
Check with your town clerk and then ask who Vermont’s vender is.
Along with the buffoon Condos you mean.
In the words of Howard Dean “YAAAAAHH”.
Can we finally get term limits!
Sen. Leahy once commented, “Would I call myself a Deadhead? With pride.” We often wondered how he slept at night, knowing that his buddies at Planned Parenthood were trafficking humans. Maybe Vermont’s next Senator will stop lying to us that the spending bills he supports will be fully paid for, as we go to fill our heating oil & gas tanks – something Leahy, Welch and Sanders never think of.
Possibly our next Senator won’t block immigration reform measures that would have put a stake in the heart of lawless Sanctuary Cities, or try to block Supreme Court nominations as Leahy did with justices Barrett, Gorsuch and Kavanaugh.
Maybe we’ll acquire a Senator a little less fixated with Hollywood self-aggrandizement and really work with New York state and Canada to tackle the West Coast of New England’s 127 mile toilet which despite the millions is simply getting nastier.
Lastly, Sen. Leahy will be remembered for his doubling down on removing Pres. Trump from office by taking his cues from the “RUSSIA/tRUMP/Orange-Man-Bad” Twitter ResistanceLOL. Yet another self-inflicted wound which will go without consequence, in light of the defamed Steele Dossier.
This is Great news, ” babbling ” Pat should have retired years ago, the only one more pathetic
then him is the senile clown in the WH…………I bet Peter Welch is jumping for joy !!
As “appropriations chair” to “help ALL states in alphabetical order starting w/the letter “V”…OK then! Somewhere across this state are MANY “Grant-Sucking-Chair-Warmers” of “Non-Profits” who’ve been riding Leahy’s gravy train of cash now crying into their craft beers. Perhaps they’ll begin looking for REAL “work” or return to the “hipster enclaves” in NYC from whence they came. Hope springs eternal..
Remember the song “Rainy Days and Mondays Always Bring Me Down”? Well, not today. This is the best Monday news I’ve had in years!
Thank GOD! The only trouble is – can we get a normal person in who knows how to do math well enough to know that you don’t outspend what you are taking in 20 times over? You know – run the state/country like we run our household finances? Vote Republican – At least they know how to do math! Your children/grand children – their children – will thank you!
Thank you Senator Leahy for all you have done for the people of Vermont and for this great country. We owe you a debt of gratitude. As Teddy Roosevelt once stated so well, it is very easy for others to criticize and carp from the sidelines; you have been his “Man in the Arena” for decades and for that I will always admire you, as do so many others.
One down, one to go!!!!!!
Just one ?
It’s about freakin time ! Term Limits !!!!
Now, do you think he’ll remember where Vermont is ?
I hope not!
Pat is the poster boy for TERM LIMITS! He’s been living in DC for over 45 years.
50 years too long. Glad to see others feel the same as I do. I will be you dollars to donuts he did not get reelected
honestly.
Calm down Vermonters! Nothing will change for the good. Peter Welch will run and continue to carry the Progressive Liberal Demoncratic Torch!
it’s time for the other two stooges to be voted out next election cycle. Leahy has been feathering his nest for WAY TOO LONG. Term limits are a must and secure voting and no dominion voting machines!
Term Limits, Term Limits, Term Limits……and NO special perks or pay upon leaving office. Go do the “service” (which it is NOT now); go home to your business, farm, family, previous income stream. No lifetime pay or benefits; live like the people supposedly represented……
He’s done enough to us.
The only way we are going to get Vermont back is to get rid of the rest of the Marxist Regime. All of them must go, the whole Scott Administration, Welch, Sanders, AG, Secretary of State, Judges, Lawyers, even down to our local governments, town clerks, school boards, teachers. It can be done by God’s Grace, Nothing is impossible for God! I pray a HUGE LIGHT is shown so bright on this CORRUPT STATE that it’s so impossible to cover up the LIES anymore! Voting has been Rigged and now even more entrenched than ever. Everyone knows they cheat, even the Marxists know they cheat. They’ve been swindling us for decades, taking our money left and right and hoarding it all amongst themselves, selling out to China and whoever they can. All must go! It is a Uni-Party, don’t be fooled by the party names of Democrat, Republican, Independent, Libertarian. Justice Must Be Served!
I gave up on Leahy back in 1974 or 78. He was running for office, and I told him how the public did not have accurate info on the Vietnam MIAs and I knew because I have been in the USAF and saw the classified DIAOPS, many of which would report things like 4 F4’s shot down, no chutes sighted or no attempt for rescue made due to the heavy ground fire… etc. Meanwhile the news would report 4 F4’s shot down, all crew members rescued… Leahy’s response was “that’s a good point. You keep on it.” I felt like saying you jackass. Your the one with the power to look into it. Got the same response from sanders, and both of these idiots have voted to keep the DIAOPS classified to this day, and exempt from the FOIA, just like the commies in other nations do… Those documents would tell us who knew what and when they knew it.
Yaaaa! Long over-due
How will I remember the democrat tool, Leahy? I will never forget Leahy tearing up the rules of his judiciary committee when the democraps didn’t get their way ( Aug 2019). That was followed by democrapper Pelosi ripping up President Trump’s State of the Union speech in front of the assembled House and Senate in Feb 2020. Leahy has always been a disgrace.
Thanks be to God…..