My previous post called on Lt. Gov. Phil Scott to show some leadership on the issue of Planned Parenthood, and noted that neither he nor the VTGOP had responded to my Tweet inquiring about their stance. Well, I missed something.
Unfortunately, it’s not good.
Jay Shepard is one of Vermont’s two members of the Republican National Committee. (The other, Susie Hudson, is known in these parts for drawing paychecks from the VTGOP as a “fundraising consultant” while the party’s fundraising continues to suck, and also for accepting a free trip to the Holy Land chaperoned by leaders of the American Family Association, the notoriously anti-gay, anti-choice ultraconservative Christian organization.) He is, in short, one of Vermont’s two representatives to the national party.
And he revealed his position on Planned Parenthood in an August Facebook post:
Well, hooray for leadership. Too bad it’s the wrong kind. Wrong for Vermont, certainly.
I’ll also mention a comment Shepard made in January to the Wall Street Journal, concerning then-fringe candidate Ben Carson. Yes, the guy who doesn’t believe a Muslim should be President.
“I think he was fantastic. A breath of fresh air,” said Jay Shepard, GOP national committeeman from Vermont.
Oh, goodie.
Now, I realize that Phil Scott isn’t directly responsible for the views of his fellow Vermont Republican. But this guy holds one of the most important, influential posts in the VTGOP. And the other RNC representative thinks it’s perfectly okay to travel on a hate group’s dime. If these are the two people chosen to represent Vermont on the national stage, then tell me again: exactly how is the VTGOP different than the national version?
The Vermont Political Observer. 
Other than having some resource$, it appears that the VT republicans have very little intellectual insight into how to fix all of the problems they say exist.
I do think that the other party has misused its grip on power a bit (Shumlin) and that there should be some public checks on over-reaching policies and cronyism.
However, parroting prepared positions against Planned Parenthood (PPPPP) does not serve to elevate GOP to the realm of mid-level IQ. Adding Rand Paul as a prop is like carnival photo-op – fake and carnival barker fraud. Oh, wait.,,,
As if they don’t already have a difficult enough time attracting women and youth.