P r i s o n e r o f t h e H o u s e

B
ernie's career has hit a dangerous snag remarks UVM'
star political pundit Professor Garrlso~ Nelson. "It's on:
he c:an't .get out of. !Ie's a prisoner of the House."
?arrison 18 Vermont s resident expert on the U.S. Congress.
He s been studying the playing field for 25 years and is the
author of the IOI5-page ~litical bible, Committees In the U.S.
Congress 1947-1992, published by The Congressional Quarterly
Nelson is an. amazing walking data bank on the U.S. House of
Representatives.
According to Nelson, the Capitol Hill scene has changed since
Bernie Sanders first. went to Washington. There's been a
power shift, or as Garrtson calls it, a "muscle-tussle" between
the floor leadership - as in Speaker Thomas Foley and crew-
and the committee chairs. The committee chairs have won.
"The committee chairsdon't like Sanders," reports Nelson.
"He's ~c~allenge to the e;<isting power structure. They don't
want hun illthe [Democratic] caucus." Despite the badvibes our
independent gave it his beet shot. As weall know 01' Bernardo
our champion of poor people, working people and the elderly:
wears the crown of the Congressional Champion of Toxic Car-
peting. "It's not apressing issue, observes Nelson wryly. As the
pundit sees it, "Bernie's not quite marginalized, but there is a
cap on his career."
I~'s a dismal forecast. The name of the game is power, and
don t expect our hero to become aplayer no matter how passion-
ate he gets at his weekly press conferences back home.
Of course in the Senate, Bernie wouldn't have to worry about
committee chairs blocking his way. The rules are different. The
crowd is smaller. And Bernie Sanders would be somebody.
"This has got tobe the most personally agonizing moment in
Bernie's career," says Nelson. "He wants this race, but his people
don't." They feel The Bern's got alock onhis House seat (Hello, J im
Douglas?), and a race against J im J effords isjust too risky,
"What's sad," remarks Garrison, "is that Bernie will beina
seat that won't get any better." He'll be "locked in the House, a
diminished Bernie."
Nelson isn't alone when he suggests Bernie could beat J imbo
and he cautions adecision to retreat from the battle doesn't bode
well for Sanders' future. Bernie's career has been built on
"vaulting to higher precipices," observes Nelson. "Bernie should
run, but he won't."
One of the factors discouraging Sanders' U.S. Senate hopes is
money. or rather the lack there of. Nelson predicts J effords will
have socked away a million bucks by the J uly reporting period.
The thought of having Bernie to deal with on aregular basis has
some Republican stalwarts reaching for the Excedrin bottles.
J eezum J inI has been using "the fear of Bernie Sanders to great
advantage, " notes Garrison, who points out Texas Senator Phil
Gramm has been rallying to J effords' side.
There was an acknowledgement of Sanders pauperism at his
Monday preu conference. When asked how his fundrsising was
going, he replied, "Not as well as J inI J effords .... IfI invited
people toa$500 [aplate] fundraiser, it'd bea very lonely party."
Raising big bucks, Sanders conceded, is one of the problems he
faces. "We do not hoIdcocktailhours with important and famous
people for $500," quips Sanders bitterly.
Listening to The Bern, you couldn't help but get the feeling
that in his heart he wants very much to go for it. When asked
whether or not tinIe was running out, he dug in his heels trying
to keep hope alive.
"I've run in statewide elections already. It's not aquestion of
having tointroduce myse1fto people in the southern part of the
state," said 01' Bernardo. "They know me. I'm well known."
And inother DeWIIo
Despite its tempestuous nature, this Legislature willlikely
go home with a record ofaccomplishment far above the norm.
Ralph Wri.t's property taxreform packageisvery much alive
and promises to make Cor a historic House-Senate conference
committee with the statewide teachers' contract anything but
dead.
J udga Matthew Kats has rejected amotion from Vermont's
largest dailynewspaper to reconsider his earlier refusal to grant
The Burlington Free Press agsg order in the lawsuit brought by
former reporter Paul Teetor who was fired a year ago this
Thursday. The paper must cough up the personnel reco~ of
former Editor RoD Thornburg, about-to-be-former ManagIng
Editor J udith Diebolt, Assistant Managing Editor J ull
Metzger and Capital Bureau Chief Cudace Page.
Noting Madeleine KUDiD's new book, Sanders talked
Monday of writing hisown book someday. It's ~eme? Tryi~gto
determine which group is "more out of touch Withthe American
people": CongreBB or the mass media?
What's that saying about going so far left you end up on the
right?That was the feelingaroused when Burlington Progressives
J ane hodeR and Michael MODte announced to the press
they'd like tohelp balance the city budget byget~g Po~ce Chief
KeviD ScuIIy's troops towrite a lot more speeding tickets ..
Welcome toThe People's Republic of Burlington. In our City,
proposals toraisethe property taxcan be fatal. M83 I see your
license and registration please?