I blogged this yesterday, and I expected some negative reaction, but not this soon.  The story and reactions have come from around the world, thanks to the power of the internet.  Of note is the Tehran Times in Iran which parroted the original article.

Hmm, what kind of message about unity in America is Brattleboro giving, and what impact could that have on foreign policy?

The Boston Globe has also noticed the story.

The blowback on the story involves something I personally find distasteful: Harassment and threats.

In my original post I chose not to treat the matter in such fashion, I went with scorn, ridicule and derision.  Harassment makes martyrs of the people whose hatred drives them to such ideological foolishness, ridicule and exposure merely shows it as the foolishness it is.

LSU condemns any threats against the officials.  A lot of them are only doing their jobs.

I will post some highlights from several articles

WCAX TV:

Officials in Brattleboro say they have been inundated with threats after word broke about a controversial item that will appear on the Town Meeting Day ballot. It calls for President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney to be arrested for war crimes if either of them steps foot in Brattleboro.

Workers at the town offices had to stop answering their phones Monday due to numerous threats. Local and federal authorities say they will prosecute anyone whose messages cross the line and harass town officials.

WPTZ:

Town officials in Brattleboro are being inundated with complaints from across the country about a decision to let voters decide whether arrest warrants should be issued for President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

Town Clerk Annette Cappy said the "nastiness" of the calls prompted the town office to stop answering its phones Monday.

One message from a Minnesota man said he'd like to see terrorists cut off the heads of some Brattleboro officials.

The Times Argus:

Brattleboro gets Internet buzz over Bush/Cheney petition

Kurt Daims was a little taken aback Monday at the fierce response outside Brattleboro and Vermont to the successful petition drive that will let the town vote at Town Meeting on whether President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should be charged with war crimes.

The Brattleboro town office was swamped with calls, e-mails and faxes on Monday, according to town officials; practically all of it negative, according to Town Clerk Annette Cappy, who fielded some of calls.

Cappy said most of the calls went to Town Manager Barbara Sondag, and that the sheer "nastiness" of the calls prompted the town office to stop answering the telephone Monday afternoon, and let the calls go to voice mail instead.

"We're getting e-mails and phone calls, nasty, nasty e-mails, I've only a gotten a few," said the town clerk. "You couldn't repeat most of those calls, they are nasty and nasty."

Daims, who has an unlisted telephone number, was immune to most of the outpouring of political vitriol, which was largely prompted by a posting on the Drudge Report Internet site (www.drudgereport.com) – a conservative leaning Web site based in Washington, D.C., which is most famous for breaking the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

"I know most people out there are tired of Mr. Bush. The people who are scared are more noisy about it," said Daims, who described himself as an independent, and not affiliated with any political party.

The RNC responds:

The Brattleboro story prompted the Republican National Committee press office to issue a statement in defense of Bush, despite the symbolic nature of the vote.

"Any time there's an attack on the president, we send a response," said spokeswoman Blair Latoff.

"It appears that the left-wing knows no bounds in their willingness to waste taxpayer dollars to make a futile counterproductive partisan political point. Townspeople would be much better served by elected officials who sought to solve problems rather than create them," she added.

Some of the complaints however, were not personal attacks, they were threats of Boycott.

And many promised they would never step foot on Vermont soil again, canceling vacations or deciding not to buy Vermont maple syrup, Vermont cheddar cheese or Vermont ice cream ever again.

And the epithets: jackasses, moonbeams, looney tunes, stupid and "moonbats."

"I'll make note not to visit Vermont … too many moonbats!" wrote Bob Bogart of Chattanooga, Tenn.

So make of it what you will.   It is a vote that has no realistic purpose other then a symbolic gesture against Bush.  The supporters repeatedly point to that.

But as the responses clearly show, symbols matter, and people are not too happy with Brattleboro. 

Time will tell how big this becomes.  Just remember, you read it here first.

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