Well, well, well, it sure didn’t take old “me-too” Philip Baruth over at Vermont Daily Briefing very long to jump on the “Welch is larger than life and who cares about the issues” bandwagon. Taking the lead from the mainstream media, blogger Baruth enters the Welch ass-kissing fest with a big smooch today. No, he didn’t go jogging with Welch – Baruth likes donuts more than jogging anyway. Instead, he took the easy way out by reprinting a “Roll Call” article on the new staff members of Welch’s congressional team.
While I understand the point of Baruth is to align himself with anything that looks and feels politically safe (read: irrelevant), I have to wonder where he thinks the news is here. The Vermont media has saturated us with stories about all the local lads who are drying off the wetness behind their ears and now beginning their power elite climb as congressional staff members.
There is no news in this piece – especially for Vermonters. This just fills Baruth’s apparent never-ending need to feel like a “player” and to crawl into Welch’s lap and purr like a good little propaganda soldier should. Poor Phil, he’s on so many bandwagons he probably can’t even hear the music anymore. Because when he’s not checking in his better judgment to pretend Obama is the next coming of – ahem – Bill Clinton, he’s wetting himself with insider glee that he played fucking frisbee with Saint Peter’s new staff. Then, of course, Baruth will always let his pen meander in opining pander for Sanders and Leahy when his political Viagra begins to wear down. Whatever.
But notice, just like with the mainstream media, this “liberal” blogger won’t say a word about Welch and the issues. Baruth could have, for example, told us about the attempts by MoveOn.org to pin Welch down on his Iraq war position. Green Mountain Daily, another Dem cheerleading site, rose to the occasion and waded in those waters. But not Baruth, who’s apparently more concerned with a lunch invite and yet another photo opportunity than to actually press Welch on the important ISSUES of the day.
And so it goes. But we shouldn’t be surprised. I mean, come on, if you qualify to do Vermont Public Radio commentaries, you can be certain that all of your sharp edges have been safely sanded to a somnambulant softness. Yawn.
