But Vermont IS one of the 50 states

In the chapter we read last week, Pika and Maltese claim that it took George W. Bush only three years and two months to visit all 50 states as President. I was reminded then of numerous press accounts from the last months of Bush’s presidency wondering if he would finally visit Vermont, and have since done some research. According to the CBS reporter Pika and Maltese actually cite, President Bush never did visit the Green Mountain State. But what makes this mistake strange is that the newspaper article Pika and Maltese reference explicitly highlights their mistake and explains that it took President Bush six years and six months to make it to his 49^th state, Rhode Island. Here’s the relevant section:

49 down, 1 to go

A speech by President Bush at the Naval War College last week marked the first visit to Rhode Island of his presidency. The trip left just one state that Bush has not visited as president: Vermont. Bush lost Vermont in both 2000 and 2004, so don't expect him to head there for Ben & Jerry's any time soon. According to Mark Knoller of CBS News, it took Bill Clinton until seven years and 11 months into his presidency to visit all 50 states, making it to Nebraska in December 2000. George H.W. Bush, on the other hand, hit all 50 states in three years and two months. Ronald Reagan never made it to all 50, according to Knoller – he visited 46.