When Power Corrupts - Dean's Champion Legacy Howard Dean may, for all intent and purpose, be the yardstick by which governors in Vermont will be judged in the future. To some he represents the ideal politician, slippery when necessary, cautious when appropriate and ruthless in advancing his agenda through the accumulation of more than a decade of political power. In this small state, he has achieved remarkable success for an unremarkable man. But success measured in merely political terms begs the question of when does power corrupt and leave empty the place where great statesmen occupy legacies of more than passing remembrance. In short order, Dean’s legacy will be inextricably linked with some of Vermont’s darkest moments.....his legacy will always be viewed as shortsighted and transient, benefiting himself at the expense of the state. - Sean McKeon, executive director of The Northeast Regional Forest Foundation in Brattleboro, Vermont