Posted on 06/04/2002 7:18:53 PM PDT by RonDog
Leahy Dismisses Conservative Boycott Of Vermont
Burlington, Vermont - June 2, 2002
A radio talk show host is launching an attack against Senator Patrick Leahy reminiscent of the battle over civil unions. When Vermont adopted the landmark legislation giving homosexual couples the rights of marriage, an explosion of angry letters and emails flooded in from around the country. Some threatened to boycott Vermont entirely. Now comes another frenzy -- aimed at Leahy for blocking conservative judges from appointment to federal courts.
Leahy wins applause almost everywhere he goes here at home. After all, he's brought back a lot of federal money during his 28 years in Washington. The new City Market in Burlington never would have been built without the grant that Leahy secured. The crowd at the market's grand opening on Saturday was glad that he held up several Bush administration nominees to federal court -- including personal favorites of Attorney General John Ashcroft. Leahy joked, "I'll tell Attorney General Ashcroft I will speed up the process when he speeds up sending better people." the crowd cheered its approval.
But outside Vermont, among conservatives, Leahy has become a national lightning rod. The latest strike against him comes from syndicated radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt, who launched an email campaign to boycott Vermont tourism.
"It's targeted at Senator Leahy and it's all wrapped around the judicial nominations," Chris Barbieri of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce acknowledged. But he's not too worried. As a result of Leahy's block against the judicial nominations, the Chamber has received 250 emails threatening to cancel visits to Vermont.
"250 boycott emails is really nothing significant," he told Channel 3. "We get eight to eight-and-a-half million visitors every year. We get about five million in the summer and fall, and 250-300 is really a drop in the bucket. It's not really going to have any impact."
Leahy also dismissed the boycott: "As everybody has said, this happens about every year on one issue or another. And it ends up we just get publicity for Vermont and more people end up coming here."
"A rainy weekend in the summer costs us a lot more tourist business than this will ever cost us," Barbieri added.
Leahy says he'll move ahead with the majority of judge nominations, but don't expect him to budge on account of a boycott that appears to be a bust.
Andy Potter, Channel 3 news.
Just Say No to VermontMy WorldNetDaily column of (May 29, 2002) put out an argument for a vacation boycott of Vermont. The case for this boycott grew even more compelling on June 3, 2002 when Senator Leahy directed the staff of the Judiciary Committee to demand internal memos from the Office of the Solicitor General from the days when Miguel Estrada was a Deputy Solicitor General. This is a fishing expedition of the worst sort, and the Administration will of course reject this demand, giving Leahy an excuse --threadbare and repugnant, but an excuse nonetheless-- to delay Estrada and other nominees to the federal appeals bench for months into the future.
The answer of course is to elect a GOP majority and strip Leahy of his power to impose this one-man blockade. Help do that by contributing to the leading GOP candidates in races where a Democratic incumbent is on the ropes: www.JohnThune.com; www.ColemanforSenate.com; www.TalentforSenate.com; www.Saxby.org.
But the story of Leahy's outrageous tactics must make it to Vermont as well, and there is no better way to get a State to look up than by telling it you are not going there for vacation. Hundreds of you have already done so, as the spokesman for the Vermont Chamber of Commerce stated on Channel 3 news in Burlington this weekend. But he also professed to not be bothered by this as Vermont captures millions of tourists and their dollars.
So I guess the volume needs to be turned up if Leahy is going to hear anything from his constituents. E-mail the chamber at www.vtchamber.com. And let the editor of the Burlington Free Press know as well. But most important is your random selection of a travel destination --hotel, B&B, or ski resort-- that you might have visited but now won't. Make sure to let them know that their establishment is off your radar because Estrada and seven other nominees --sent to the Senate more than a year ago-- are off Leahy's scope.
Repetition matters. Many of you tell me that your contribution budget is tapped out and ask what else you can do. Well take up this cause, and let the media in Vermont and beyond know what you are doing and why. "Critical mass" is only a few weeks of activism away.
Hey VT... bite me!
Trajan88; TAMU Class of '88
With Leahy's arrogance, Vermont is now asking God to humble them. It could be a very wet summer in Vermont. He forgets God and one good man makes a majority. Hugh is that man.
"...The latest strike against him comes from syndicated radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt, who launched an email campaign to boycott Vermont tourism.."It's targeted at Senator Leahy and it's all wrapped around the judicial nominations," Chris Barbieri of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce acknowledged. But he's not too worried. As a result of Leahy's block against the judicial nominations, the Chamber has received 250 emails threatening to cancel visits to Vermont.
"250 boycott emails is really nothing significant," he told Channel 3. "We get eight to eight-and-a-half million visitors every year. We get about five million in the summer and fall, and 250-300 is really a drop in the bucket. It's not really going to have any impact."Leahy says he'll move ahead with the majority of judge nominations, but don't expect him to budge on account of a boycott that appears to be a bust..."Leahy also dismissed the boycott...
"A rainy weekend in the summer costs us a lot more tourist business than this will ever cost us," Barbieri added.
Them's FIGHTIN' words!
Let's show "Leaky Leahy" and the weasels at the Vermont Chamber of Commerce some REALLY "significant" FReeping!
.
If you listen to Hugh Hewitt, or read his WND commentaries,
this PING list is for YOU!
Please post your comments, and BUMP! (If you want OFF - or ON - my "Hugh Hewitt PING list" - please let me know)
From Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys to
a latter-day Benedict Arnold.
Keep your maple-syrup candy and sheep.
Americans will ski the other states.
I quit buying Ben & Jerry's a long time ago...That's a start!
But we we need NOW is e-mails sent to the Vermont Chamber of Commerce and the Burlington Free Press:
Hugh asks that we:We need a TARGETED attack on:
"E-mail the chamber at www.vtchamber.com [online "contact us" page].And let the mtownsend@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com [editor of the Burlington Free Press] know as well."
- one ONE point of weakness: businesspeople in the TOURISM industry in Vermont.O.K., that's TWO sources. :)- with ONE message: if Senator Patrick Leahy (RAT, Vermont) will not even allow a VOTE on President Bush's judicial nominees, we will not allow our vacation DOLLARS to go to Vermont.
- to ONE source: the Vermont Chamber of Commerce (and the Burlington Free Press)
But please blast off two quick e-mails NOW!!
Tell them that you and your family WOULD HAVE gone to Vermont - be specific, tell them exactly where and when.
But if Leahy wants to boycott our JUDGES, we will boycott his TOURISM industry!
I now have yet another reason not to go to Vermont.TELL THEM!!!
"No JUDGES, No SKIS!!!"Please send a few e-mails NOW, and spread the word! Thanks. ;o)
"With Leahy's arrogance, Vermont is now asking God to humble them. It could be a very wet summer in Vermont. He forgets God and one good man makes a majority. Hugh is that man." - Russell ScottFrom:
HUGH HEWITT and Free Republic: How should we help him help us?
[Who **IS** this guy?]
Hugh Hewitt confirms his NEW radio station list: NEW times, cities, call letters | 10/20/2001 | RonDog
Posted on 10/20/01 5:27 PM Pacific by RonDog
No more skiing in Vermont and praying for rain all summer! Fingers crossed.Prayer is good! Thank you!
(A few E-MAILS would be nice, too!)Would you be so kind as to ping a few D.C. Chapter regulars to this cause?
Keep your maple-syrup candy and sheep.From http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/30/irvingberlin3.html:
Americans will ski the other states.
Done--by a citizen of Vermont.Thank you!
It must be LONELY to be a FReeper in the "Green Mountain State," eh?Can you call in some of the locals to help us here?
Not much action on the Vermont state page. :(
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