Tag Archives: Matt Birong

Not the Best Moment for a Trip to Israel

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So, five Vermont state representatives visited Israel last week as part of a massive push to show American support for that country. The five, pictured above with a Vermont state flag, from lower right: Matt Birong (D-Vergennes), Will Greer (D-Bennington), Gina Galfetti (R-Barre Town), Sarita Austin (D-Colchester), and James Gregoire (R-Fairfield). The photo, along with similar images of lawmakers from other New England states, was posted on a social media account named “israelinboston.”

The occasion was a nationwide initiative called “50 States, One Israel,” which brought lawmakers from all 50 states to Israel to, among other things, plant trees in the southern city of Ofakim, which was attacked as part of the infamous Hamas offensive of October 7, 2023.

Planting a tree is a nice, anodyne thing to do. The rest of the trip? Not so much.

And before we get to that, I must point out that the trip happened the same week that Vermont’s Congressional delegation unanimously used the word “genocide” for the first time regarding Israel’s attacks on Gaza. Seems a little bit discordant, does it not, for three Democratic elected officials to visit Israel at the same time our members of Congress, two Democrats plus Bernie Sanders, accuse Israel of committing genocide?

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Stealth Conservatives: Who’s the Stealthiest One of All?

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Ohh, there he is again, Smilin’ Phil just having a grand old time with another stealth conservative. Starting to be a pattern.

Except in this case, not only did the governor pose for a photo, he met with the candidate “to discuss campaign strategies.”

The gentleman on the right, photographically and ideologically, is Rob North, Republican candidate for House in the Addison-3 district currently represented by Democrats Matt Birong and DIane Lanpher.

North is thought to be the VTGOP’s best hope of avoiding a complete shutout in Addison County, and you can tell he listened to the governor because his campaign is swaddled in a thick protective coating of performative moderation. Also, for some reason, North has virtually no online footprint. He’s got a completely anodyne campaign Facebook page, but no personal social media accounts at all.

Unfortunately, there are cracks in the façade. He went and opened his yap at a candidates’ forum and showed himself to be an opponent of climate action, a free-market absolutist, and possessor of some rather… unique… views on water pollution. Also, North sent Birong and Lanpher a couple of rabidly anti-abortion emails last winter, before he became a candidate. Also also, North is an active member of a far-right evangelical denomination that bars women from church leadership, prohibits divorce, and believes the Earth is 6,000 years old.

But first, his campaign website. You know how Republicans like to run on “restoring balance” to the Statehouse? Well, North’s website is “balancedvermont.com”. He’s all about the balance. In an odd way it makes sense; he’s far right enough to cancel out a couple dozen Democrats.

This is where we’re at. Phil Scott would rather have a misogynistic Young Earth climate denier in the House than deal with a Democratic supermajority.

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