New Haven Independent

Now it’s Vermont politicians who better watch their step.

The reporter, Andy Bromage (at center in photo), is leaving the New Haven Advocate July 10 to take a staff writer position with another altweekly, Burlington, Vermont-based Seven Days.

Bromage, one of the area’s most respected newshounds, left a stint as city government reporter for the New Haven Register in 2006 to become the Advocate’s editor. In 2008 he created a new state government beat for the company’s three Connecticut weeklies.

In that role, he exposed Gov. Rell’s work ethic (show up a little bit each day, and duck reporters), and plumbed the mystery of her stratospheric popularity ratings while state government collapses under her stewardship.

In explaining his latest career move, Bromage, who’s 31, reached for language out of the Advocate lexicon.

“I wouldn’t say I’m leaving the Advocate because the grass is greener in Vermont,” he said, “but in this case it actually is — thanks to all the cow shit.”

Check out Bromage’s banjo-picking finesse at the beginning and end of this video.