Vermont

[palmspringsbum]

Tarrant faces tough questions from local voters during cookout

By DARRY MADDEN, Reformer Staff
The Brattleboro Reformer
Thursday, August 17

BRATTLEBORO -- Janice Martin wanted to know if, as senator, Republican candidate Richard Tarrant could help deliver some good news from Iraq, "Because I know it's there," said the Brattleboro resident.

"Candidly, I think it's getting worse. It's beyond civil war. It's chaos and anarchy," said Tarrant.

His answer was one of many given during Wednesday evening cookout at the Mountain Home Park that, in Tarrant's words, would not please his Republican friends and supporters.

Tarrant, a political newcomer, is running against Rep. Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by independent James Jeffords.

Tarrant said he won't be spending a lot of his time stumping in Windham County, traditionally a Democratic stronghold. As he sees it, he needs only 8 percent of the vote in Windham County, so he will spend precisely 8 percent of his time here, "and no more," said Tim Lennon, Tarrant's campaign manager.

"But every vote counts," said Lennon.

His appearance at the Mountain Home Park was organized by Brattleboro resident Lynn Corum. Tarrant's day in the area also included a visit to the Brattleboro Senior Center, a meeting with the local AARP chapter and a tour of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon.

The Colchester businessman is facing long odds in his race against Sanders. In his last race for Congress in 2004, Sanders received nearly 70 percent of the vote statewide over Republican Greg Parke and won by nearly 130,000 votes.

Tarrart hopes his personal success story can have an impact on the Senate race.

"Richie's doing his 'poor boy made good' act in the trailer park, and Richie can play this card with a little credibility," said Garrison Nelson, a political scientist at the University of Vermont. "He can say, 'I made my money in the private sector, and Bernie's been living off taxpayer money for the last quarter century.'"

"It's a powerful message," added Nelson. "Socialism never took off here because of the belief of the American people that they can get rich. Richie embodies that. And more power to him."

The message Tarrant brought to the approximately 25 residents from the park who came to Wednesday's event was a simple one. Skyrocketing health costs need to be reined in dramatically. The federal government cannot continue to spend money it doesn't have. Vermont needs to become more attractive to business, which will relieve the burden on property owners -- as a U.S. Senator, he would work to attract business to this state.

The questions he took from the audience were tough.

"Your radio ads say that you are a 'true independent in the Vermont tradition,'" said a Brattleboro woman who declined to give her name. "But there isn't anything about you being a Republican. What does that mean?"

Tarrant said he was not taking Republican money, he didn't need the job and he thought independently, pointing to his idea to wean Americans from foreign oil by switching over to sugar cane-based ethanol fuels, and for expanding Medicare to insure all Americans.

"But how are you going to get anything done in Washington where you're either for us or against us?" she continued. "If we do send you to Washington, how do you think you're going to do it?"

"You have to start somewhere," said Tarrant.

As an independent herself, the woman said that she often votes Republican, but did not want to support continued Republican control of the Senate.

"I don't know if I can give Bush power anymore," she said. "I probably will not vote Republican for that reason. You have a good candidate (Tarrant), but it's not a good party."

Tarrant fielded questions about alternative medicines, including medical marijuana, both of which he supported.

"My inclination is that with a doctor's prescription (medical marijuana) is probably alright," he said.

On nuclear power, Tarrant said he was looking at nuclear power in terms of greenhouse gases, and that he was in the process of interviewing experts to advise him on energy policy. He was considering nuclear as part of the mix.

Tarrant ended the evening with a promise.

"I will put Vermonters and Americans before self and party," he said. "I will not be partisan."

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Darry Madden can be reached at dmadden@reformer.com, or (802) 254-2311, ext. 273.