In my last post, I noted that Scott Milne had loaned his own campaign $25,000. Well, a sharp-eyed correspondent has reminded me that, when Milne was launching his campaign, he said that he “would use zero dollars of my own money.” I guess we can enter that statement in the Ron Ziegler Memorial “Inoperative” File. 

Also, I can’t help but notice his… ahem… relaxed approach to scheduling. Last Saturday, the Milne campaign released his schedule for the coming week. It included:

Sat 8/30: Four hours at the Champlain Valley Fair

Sun 8/31: No events. 

Mon 9/1: Walking the Labor Day Parade in Northfield

Tue: 9/2: A full day of activities in Bennington County, from 9 am to 6 pm. 

Wed 9/3: An apparent joint event with former Gov. Jim Douglas at 2 pm in Burlington, and a live interview on WCAX-TV in the late afternoon. 

Thu 9/4: Nothing listed

Fri 9/5: “No Public Appearances – Meeting Policy Advisors”

It’s things like this that make me wonder if Scott Milne is actually running for Governor. Seriously. This is the last week before Governor Shumlin formally enters the race. It’s Milne’s last chance to have the stage to himself. And he’s doing nothing to draw media attention outside of the tiny Bennington market. 

I count two full-day equivalents of actual campaign activity in a seven-day period. Two stinkin’ days! If I were a Republican, looking at that kind of effort, I’d see no reason whatsoever to give this guy a dime. 

When Milne formally announced his candidacy — on the last possible day, the filing deadline for candidates — he promised “a spirited, but unconventional” campaign. Well, it’s certainly unconventional. But spirited? Only if you mean it in the sense of “ghostly,” “apparitional,” or “insubstantial.”