Getting Sexy in Springfield

It was a long weekend for the folks at WW, and an equally long weekend for ole Welchie. As noted here, Welch was back home in Vermont Thursday, testifying before the State legislature on proposed new federal standards for state identification cards. We're sure it was a great time for Welch, being back in Montpelier and all. No word on whether he was seen running with smuckers, or whatever that dog's name is, on the state house lawn, just like in his campaign ads.

Oh, that's right: isn't that the state house lawn upon which, the very weekend before, there was a massive war protest aimed at getting the VT delegation to pull funding? Didn't see Welchie at that one, did you? Probably had a meeting or something. No worries; he was probably at the antiwar rally in DC this past weekend. No? Well, where was he?

Turns out he was at the pool. Literally. As this article points out, this past Friday, on the eve of the biggest anti-war protest in the nation, Welch was touring a pool facility in Springfield. As the article says, he "played around on some of the equipment...posing for photographers." Here is one of the machines he was seen "playing around on." Cool, right? Welch must be pretty "pumped" about this new facility, what with his missing the big rally to get a tour and all. Hey, grant us some poetic license, ok?

The article goes on to document Welchie's other activities of the day, from touring an engineering firm to meeting with reps from a door and window manufacturer, it sure seemed like a big day for Welchie down in Springfield. So big, it seems, that it makes up for his lack of an office in Southern VT. Anybody from Brattleboro catch that? No office in Southern VT. Why? Check at the bottom of the article: "Welch...said that his personal commitment to travel around the state meeting people was more important than a physical office in Southern Vermont." What what what?!

Needless to say, the newshounds at WW found a number of interesting aspects to this article. First, in order for there to be photographers at Welchie's little pool tour, there had to be a call made to the press that Welch would be touring the facility. Why would Welchie's peeps make such a call? To put it bluntly, it looked like a campaign stop to us. Smile for the cameras, shake a few hands, get your face out there...in Windsor County.

From what we remember, Welchie did pretty well in Windsor County. Wait, isn't he from Windsor County? Well, not really. He's from Massachusetts, but you know what we mean. So why is he campaigning so hard in a County he won easily, no less than three months after doing so?

This brings us back to the beginning, to what everyone knows was the defining issue of the last campaign, and what will be the defining issue of the next campaign as well: it's the war, stupid. What about it, they all say. What are you doing about the war, Mr. Welch, besides seeking out the commander in chief for a back-slap and an autograph? What's that you say? You're playing around on some exercise equipment? Ok, well, thanks. We guess.

The fact is that Welchie was as far away from the protests in DC as he could possibly be. And the choice of Windsor County for his first campaign stop of the 2008 election is, ahem, not an accident.

The people of Windsor and Windham Counties are the ones who put Welch in Washington, but in an ironic twist, are the people most likely to kick him right back out again if he doesn't do something about living up to his campaign promises. No, not the ones about the minimum wage and all. The ones about standing up to Bush, not framing his John Hancock for your office wall. Your home office wall, of course. Remember those? Yes?

Well, you're not alone. And the fact that Welchie isn't even opening an office in his home county ain't gonna help much neither. So, go by the pool, play around with the stationary bikes...and they'll forget about the war. That's the operational theory, it seems, and yes, we're slapping our foreheads too.

Maybe you can stop by his state office and have chat with ole' Welchie about it. That is, if there is anything anti-war going down in Washington. And, you live in Chittenden County. Otherwise have a good time talking to his staff.

Or just swing by the pool, take a dip, and forget all about it.

As always, the choice is yours.