Snake Oil, Vermont Secesher Style

Some of you may remember the imbecile who ran as the failed Vermont secession gubernatorial candidate of the Second Vermont Republic back in 2010, Dennis Steele (more than 99% of Vermonters voted for someone other than Steele). Being the sharp political strategist (not) that he was, he used imagery in his campaign honoring the admitted murderer Che Guevara.

Well, he's back as a distributor of an addictive product, nicotine laced e-cigarettes whose marketing has been roundly condemned by the Vermont Health Department . And he wants a state subsidy for his nicotine peddling. Here's what he had to say to WCAX:

"In my opinion they (the state) should subsidize what we are doing or just leave us alone (by not taxing e-cigarettes like tobacco products) and let us help people get off the analog or combustible cigarettes (emphasis mine).

Yet at his NEK Vapor website Steele emphatically states in his FAQs:

Will I be able to quit smoking using the e-cig?

"The electronic cigarette is an alternative to smoking and is not a smoking cessation device. Some people have quit smoking using the electronic cigarette but we make no such claims as to effectiveness for that purpose and e-cigs are not sold for that purpose."

Really? Which is it, Dennis? Talking out of both sides of your mouth is a common failing of most secessionists. If it's bad for Vermonters - secession, imagery of an admitted murderer (which he continued to distribute after his campaign said he was dropping the Che crap), or an addictive nicotine product - Steele's right there to peddle it to you.

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