The small state of big politics

Since the 2004 presidential election, Vermont has been making its slender presence known on the national political map. First it was plans to consider secession, then a statewide effort to bring the troops home. Now, as the hysteria over Terri Schiavo rages on, there's a movement afoot in the Green Mountain State to follow in Oregon's footsteps and legalize physician-assisted suicide. In the prolonged era of George W. Bush, it's not just about maple syrup and organic dairy products anymore.