“Dorothy has a divorce lawyer on speed dial if I ever utter that crazy idea.” — Vermont governor Jim Douglas, a Republican, announcing his retirement and spelling out the consequences if he ever contemplated running for president.
Douglas has been governor of Vermont for four terms. On paper, the heavily liberal state of Howard Dean, Patrick Leahy, and Bernie Sanders would seem to be prime territory for a Democratic pickup. But the state’s lieutenant governor, Brian Dubie, is also a Republican who has managed to be reelected every two years since 2002; he has issued a statement that he isn’t sure what office he will run for in 2010.