Thanks to the recommendation of others I will do some explaining.
Kate O'Connor was one of Howard Dean's most trusted aides when he was Governor of Vermont. She was also his top advisor during his Presidential run. Now she is working for a Republican running for Senate in Vermont.
She will be working for Dick Tarrant, a wealthy Vermont businessman, who is running as a Republican for the senate seat in Vermont being vacated by Jim Jeffords (I).
The Democratic party is not fielding a candidate in this race because Congressman Bernie Sanders (I) is also running for the seat. Sanders, a self-proclaimed socialist, is perhaps the most liberal and progressive member of the house. He would be a valued addition to the Senate because, like Jeffords, he woudl caucus with the Democrats, which means we would be one member closer to a majority, one more vote to Harry Reid as majority leader, and one more roadblock to the Bush agenda.
The fact that Kate O'Connor would do this is a slap in the face to all who worked for Dean, voted for Dean, and to all who supported his bid for DNC chair. This is betrayal at the highest level. A link to the story is below:
http://www.benningtonbanner.com/localnews/ci_3490159