Connecticut Politics and Elections: Coverage, Analysis, Maps and Commentary
Friday, June 10, 2005
Open Forum
Whatever's on your mind.
16 comments:
Anonymous
said...
If Rell runs, who would she want for her Lt. Gov? No Republican in the legislature seems eager to get behind her at this point. This could pose a serious problem for Rell later on.
Maybe a Republican Mayor like um... (who is the Mayor in Enfield?), or the Mayor of Danbury (too close to Rell's hometown), or New London, is it? - uh, OK, there aren't many big towns with Republicans in charge I guess...
How about Sen. Kissel from Enfield? He'd only have to move over a couple of chairs in the Senate, and he's from a different part of the State than Gov. Rell. And it has to kinda suck being stuck in the minority, ya know?
Or one of the other Republican Senators? McKinney is an attractive fellow, a moderate, young, and he's from lower Fairfield County, so he'll raise good $$.
Rohraback? Now that would be interesting. Just the history of it. He'd probably carry Litchfield County. A big environmental kinda guy.
Not DeLuca. Not Cappiello. Not Herlihy.
Senator Cook, from way the other side of the state from Rell? A two-woman ticket?
I say Kissel or McKinney. Rohraback the dark horse.
Kissel would be interesting. As I've noted before, his margin of victory in 2004 (under 2%) was the smallest of any state senator, Republican or Democrat, but that's because the 7th district is one of the most evenly split in the state. Enfield usually leans Democratic, but every other town in the district (Suffield, East Windsor, East Granby, Somers) trends sharply Republican. The population of Enfield is so large, however, that if a Democrat can win Enfield by, say, 10%, he or she has essentially won the district. It's only Kissel's personal popularity here (and the fact that he's an incumbent who has been around forever) that saved him in 2004, when Enfield Democrats turned out heavily to vote for Kerry.
So Kissel might help carry Enfield for Rell, which is nothing to sneeze at. As I'm fond of mentioning, Enfield is the largest town north of Hartford (pop. 44,600) and the largest town in the 2nd Congressional District. He's also been drifting towards the center lately, away from the rest of the Republicans in the Senate. He was, for example, the only Republican in that body to vote for the budget. This may endear him to Rell.
Our mayor, by the way, is currently Democrat Pat Tallarita, who is with Joe Courtney's campaign.
The mayor of Danbury? After that weird thing with the Ecuadorian volleyball? Nah.
And, though I shouldn't have to say it, Republicans are more than welcome here.
Kissel would be a good choice for Lt. Gov, but without him the district would probably switch hands and go to the Democrats. With so few Republicans in the Senate they need all the members they can get. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Rell picked another woman (although I doubt it would be Cathy Cook, she is far too conservative for Rell). I'd say McKinney is the best candidate overall. A young, moderate Republican that could get the Fairfield county people excited about a Governor who has given them little to be excited about. If Shays were to ever lose, McKinney would also make a great candidate for Congress.
I heard a news report on 960 WELI the other day that said Sullivan was thinking about running, but thought Blumenthal would make the best candidate. Former Democratic Party Chair George Jepsen has already made an exploratory committee to raise funds should he decide to run for Attorney General. I don't think Jepsen would do this unless Blumenthal was seriously looking at the Governor’s office. If Blumenthal entered the race it would probably clear the field pretty quickly.
Sullivan has been dropping hints about running for quite some time, now. He isn't, to say the least, a particularly attractive candidate and probably wouldn't be successful. He was in the spotlight as one of Rell's earliest critics, but disappeared once the legislative session got underway.
Blumenthal, Blumenthal... everybody is waiting for him, but how much longer will they wait? He's cautious to a fault, so he may decide not to run after all if Rell's poll numbers stay in the 60s through the summer.
There was a rumor about Blumenthal taking on Lieberman, but I don't think there's any truth to it.
Blumenthal wants Lieberman's seat for sure, but he won't go after him, he'll wait. That's the thing- the guy doesn't want to be governor, so why do it? And why does everyone want him to come in and take a job that's his second choice?
Yes, I agree that Sullivan would be a bad candidate. He was an awful Senate leader and would make a worse Governor. However angry I am at Williams & Amann for blocking campaign finance reform, we have a far more progressive, accountable, and open state legislature than we did under Sullivan & Moira Lyons. I saw Sullivan on a TV talking heads show and he seemed to say that he would like to run if Blumenthal did not. I find it hard to believe he'd gather much support in the party.
It is also getting late for Blumenthal, though he might pull it off. There were rumors that Lieberman is in line for Secy of Defense when Rumsfeld leaves (though I am skeptical), and that Blumenthal would run for Senate when Lieberman leaves. I think Jepsen said he would only run if Blumenthal left (and I'm sure that is true).
Agreed about Sullivan and Lyons. I'm amazed at how silent Sullivan has been, though.
Blumenthal could raise a lot of money very quickly, I imagine. Everyone takes it for granted that he's the candidate most likely to win against Rell, and the early, early polling seems to bear that out somewhat. People want to back a winner.
Of course, his high name recognition probably means he won't need as much money for the primary, where DeStefano, Malloy and even Bysiewicz will. National Democrats would come in to back him.
Jepsen wouldn't be running if he didn't think there was a good chance Blumenthal was going somewhere. I'll still believe it only when I see it.
I think Blumenthal should be are next Senator for the State of Connecticut, the DumpJoe movement has been out, for many mouths and everyone at least that I talk to is sick and tired of Joe Liebermen and his ties to George W. Bush. Lieberman just doesn't know when to get out. He should have never ran for both president and senator at the same time, he could have bowed out gracfully. I can name many reason for him to go: The Kiss, his support for school vochers, his support for the war, the patriot act, condi rice, alberto gongzalous, etc. Flip flop on social security. we need a more progressive democrat that supports democratic interests or we are just going to keep getting things like the Campaign finance mess that the General Assembly didn't pass. Boo to the Democratic Leadership for being crust old do nothings. What about the other Democrats in the General Assembly that don't have Hugh PAC's to raise money for them and can't compete with republican in raising money...
I read something Interesting the other day as I was reading my google searches, Democratic Candidate Bob Landino, who has thrown his hat in the ring for Secretary of the State, consulted with his lawyer on if it would be a conflict of interest for him to be Secretary of the State and still have an active roll in his business. Mind you he runs the largest Artitectual Firm in the State of Connecticut. He does a lot of business for the state of Connecticut and gets a lot of State contracts. Can you believe this guy that he serious thought that he want to run his business and be Connecticut's next secretary of the state. If that isn't Rowlandness, I don't know what is? I think if Bob considers himself a viable candidate for Secretary of the State, he would have the common sense to know that there is a conflict of interests with his business.This has the makings of ethics violation all over it. Speaking of ethics what ever to the bill in the General Assembly, I guess the Democratic leadership is showing it the same attention as campaign finance.
I think that 'Anonymous' underestimates both the moderate nature of major statewide elected positions and the staying power of Senate incumbency in regards to Lieberman. Republicans, after all, have won greater control of the Senate almost entirely from those who retired.
Could Lieberman be defeated in a primary by a more liberal candidate? Perhaps, but not likely. But that would give state Republicans an opportunity to field a moderate candidate that [i]might[/i] strike state voters as preferable. It's possible, but again also unlikely. We do elect Republican governers after all. And if Connecticut gives up a seat to Republicans, you know the Dems are screwed.
Good points. I've said a lot about the possibility of a primary against Lieberman and the fact that Democrats take Connecticut for granted as a "safe" blue state. Democrats, it should be recalled, haven't managed to win the governor's office since 1986, partly thanks to the financial crisis of Bill O'Neill's administration and the fact that Democratic candidates have been uniformly bad. However, it does say that Connecticut voters are comfortable with electing Republicans and independents when it suits them. The large Democratic majority in the General Assembly may have more to do with incumbency, powerful Democratic bosses, dislike of national Republicans and the collapse of the state Republican party than with the political leanings of the voters.
I Yahooed for info about “Cathy Cook and CFR” and this came up and I got to reading. Just a few comments.
Blummy - I knew he would not run for Gov. Who thought he would? He likes people to talk about it but he always puts himself before his party. Very vain! He might want to be senator. That’s a do-nothing job like the one he has so that’s a possibility. Both jobs are problem makers rather than problem solving. Blummy can’t handle the tough jobs. That would require making smart but unpopular decisions and taking heat for making tough calls.
Likewise Lieberman is not qualified to be in any sort ex position and certainly not Sec of the Dept of Defense above all. And speaking as a Real Republican (unlike many RINOs that have posted here) Lieberman is not much of a conservative. TRUST ME. I wish he were. He is all talk. When the Dems need his vote, they have it. He would have voted against Rice and all the other things mentioned if his votes would have made a dif. He votes based on calculation, not principal. Simmons on the other hand would be a good DOD pick. But I hope he stays where he is. He is the best congressman this district, or state for that matter, we have ever had. He looks unbeatable for 06 unless the Dems find someone bigger than that uninspiring lawyer that lost to him in ’00 by 8 points.
Cook to conservative to be a running mate for RINO-Rell? Really? How liberal is this lady anyway? I am wondering if she might have trouble on the way to the nomination with her supporting public financing and nominating liberal judges like John Boland. She certainly has not earned an uncontested race so far. Frankly, I don't know why the Democrats don't just nominate her. She is giving them everything they ever wanted except pride of authorship. She is winning on the politics and the Dems are winning on the policy --Just like Slick Willy back in the day. Slick got the glory for “ending welfare as we know it” and ballanceing the budget while the GOP got the policy they wanted.
Rell would be a fool to pick another woman for LT Gov. That would be dumb politics. I think every ticket ideally should be boy-girl or girl-boy. Granted if there is a Cheeney (alright I can't spell; sue me) available than that rule should be broken but as a general rule I think its smart politics. (Condi just might be in line for a promotion in ’08.) Nor should she pick a senator unless HE is not running again anyway. The GOP needs every seat it has. Anything less than what they have now would be truly embarrassing. I agree it should be someone from Fairfield County for the reasons stated.
I really hate her politics but I have to grudgingly admire Rell’s political skills. Rell does not lose the game of dueling press conferences. Poor Williams can't slime her the way he did RINO-Rowland all the time. She beats him like a redheaded stepchild each and every single time he takes her on. I just wish she were a real Republican. And unfortunately for all the good press Rell gets, what she wins is cotton candy. No substance to it. She is winning a game not worth playing in the first place. At the end of the day she has nothing concrete to offer the Republicans that elected her predecessor.
As for Williams (my senator), for whatever reason he blocked Rell's Incumbent Protection Plan, I am extraordinarily grateful. Three Cheers for Donny! Yahoo! I am against welfare for politicians. Sunday my LTE was in the New London Day (Nov 6) about that subject. Give it a read. Its pretty punchy if I do say so myself....
Who is McKinney? Any relation to the dead congressman? When a Dem (OR RINO) says "nice young moderate Republican" that screams LIBERAL to me. Shays needs a primary challenge under the new rules. He has avoided long enough. Its time for someone new.
16 comments:
If Rell runs, who would she want for her Lt. Gov? No Republican in the legislature seems eager to get behind her at this point. This could pose a serious problem for Rell later on.
Hmm...
Someone she trusts. Her chief of staff, M. Lisa Moody? Or, more likely, some Republican state representative we've never, ever heard of.
Maybe a Republican Mayor like um... (who is the Mayor in Enfield?), or the Mayor of Danbury (too close to Rell's hometown), or New London, is it? - uh, OK, there aren't many big towns with Republicans in charge I guess...
How about Sen. Kissel from Enfield? He'd only have to move over a couple of chairs in the Senate, and he's from a different part of the State than Gov. Rell. And it has to kinda suck being stuck in the minority, ya know?
Or one of the other Republican Senators? McKinney is an attractive fellow, a moderate, young, and he's from lower Fairfield County, so he'll raise good $$.
Rohraback? Now that would be interesting. Just the history of it. He'd probably carry Litchfield County. A big environmental kinda guy.
Not DeLuca. Not Cappiello. Not Herlihy.
Senator Cook, from way the other side of the state from Rell? A two-woman ticket?
I say Kissel or McKinney. Rohraback the dark horse.
Ah! A chance to talk about Enfield politics!
Kissel would be interesting. As I've noted before, his margin of victory in 2004 (under 2%) was the smallest of any state senator, Republican or Democrat, but that's because the 7th district is one of the most evenly split in the state. Enfield usually leans Democratic, but every other town in the district (Suffield, East Windsor, East Granby, Somers) trends sharply Republican. The population of Enfield is so large, however, that if a Democrat can win Enfield by, say, 10%, he or she has essentially won the district. It's only Kissel's personal popularity here (and the fact that he's an incumbent who has been around forever) that saved him in 2004, when Enfield Democrats turned out heavily to vote for Kerry.
So Kissel might help carry Enfield for Rell, which is nothing to sneeze at. As I'm fond of mentioning, Enfield is the largest town north of Hartford (pop. 44,600) and the largest town in the 2nd Congressional District. He's also been drifting towards the center lately, away from the rest of the Republicans in the Senate. He was, for example, the only Republican in that body to vote for the budget. This may endear him to Rell.
Our mayor, by the way, is currently Democrat Pat Tallarita, who is with Joe Courtney's campaign.
The mayor of Danbury? After that weird thing with the Ecuadorian volleyball? Nah.
And, though I shouldn't have to say it, Republicans are more than welcome here.
Kissel would be a good choice for Lt. Gov, but without him the district would probably switch hands and go to the Democrats. With so few Republicans in the Senate they need all the members they can get. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Rell picked another woman (although I doubt it would be Cathy Cook, she is far too conservative for Rell). I'd say McKinney is the best candidate overall. A young, moderate Republican that could get the Fairfield county people excited about a Governor who has given them little to be excited about. If Shays were to ever lose, McKinney would also make a great candidate for Congress.
P.S. I am a Republican
What will Blumenthal & Kevin Sullivan do?
I heard a news report on 960 WELI the other day that said Sullivan was thinking about running, but thought Blumenthal would make the best candidate. Former Democratic Party Chair George Jepsen has already made an exploratory committee to raise funds should he decide to run for Attorney General. I don't think Jepsen would do this unless Blumenthal was seriously looking at the Governor’s office. If Blumenthal entered the race it would probably clear the field pretty quickly.
Sullivan has been dropping hints about running for quite some time, now. He isn't, to say the least, a particularly attractive candidate and probably wouldn't be successful. He was in the spotlight as one of Rell's earliest critics, but disappeared once the legislative session got underway.
Blumenthal, Blumenthal... everybody is waiting for him, but how much longer will they wait? He's cautious to a fault, so he may decide not to run after all if Rell's poll numbers stay in the 60s through the summer.
There was a rumor about Blumenthal taking on Lieberman, but I don't think there's any truth to it.
Blumenthal wants Lieberman's seat for sure, but he won't go after him, he'll wait. That's the thing- the guy doesn't want to be governor, so why do it? And why does everyone want him to come in and take a job that's his second choice?
Yes, I agree that Sullivan would be a bad candidate. He was an awful Senate leader and would make a worse Governor. However angry I am at Williams & Amann for blocking campaign finance reform, we have a far more progressive, accountable, and open state legislature than we did under Sullivan & Moira Lyons. I saw Sullivan on a TV talking heads show and he seemed to say that he would like to run if Blumenthal did not. I find it hard to believe he'd gather much support in the party.
It is also getting late for Blumenthal, though he might pull it off. There were rumors that Lieberman is in line for Secy of Defense when Rumsfeld leaves (though I am skeptical), and that Blumenthal would run for Senate when Lieberman leaves. I think Jepsen said he would only run if Blumenthal left (and I'm sure that is true).
Mike,
Agreed about Sullivan and Lyons. I'm amazed at how silent Sullivan has been, though.
Blumenthal could raise a lot of money very quickly, I imagine. Everyone takes it for granted that he's the candidate most likely to win against Rell, and the early, early polling seems to bear that out somewhat. People want to back a winner.
Of course, his high name recognition probably means he won't need as much money for the primary, where DeStefano, Malloy and even Bysiewicz will. National Democrats would come in to back him.
Jepsen wouldn't be running if he didn't think there was a good chance Blumenthal was going somewhere. I'll still believe it only when I see it.
I think Blumenthal should be are next Senator for the State of Connecticut, the DumpJoe movement has been out, for many mouths and everyone at least that I talk to is sick and tired of Joe Liebermen and his ties to George W. Bush. Lieberman just doesn't know when to get out. He should have never ran for both president and senator at the same time, he could have bowed out gracfully. I can name many reason for him to go: The Kiss, his support for school vochers, his support for the war, the patriot act, condi rice, alberto gongzalous, etc. Flip flop on social security. we need a more progressive democrat that supports democratic interests or we are just going to keep getting things like the Campaign finance mess that the General Assembly didn't pass. Boo to the Democratic Leadership for being crust old do nothings. What about the other Democrats in the General Assembly that don't have Hugh PAC's to raise money for them and can't compete with republican in raising money...
I read something Interesting the other day as I was reading my google searches, Democratic Candidate Bob Landino, who has thrown his hat in the ring for Secretary of the State, consulted with his lawyer on if it would be a conflict of interest for him to be Secretary of the State and still have an active roll in his business. Mind you he runs the largest Artitectual Firm in the State of Connecticut. He does a lot of business for the state of Connecticut and gets a lot of State contracts. Can you believe this guy that he serious thought that he want to run his business and be Connecticut's next secretary of the state. If that isn't Rowlandness, I don't know what is? I think if Bob considers himself a viable candidate for Secretary of the State, he would have the common sense to know that there is a conflict of interests with his business.This has the makings of ethics violation all over it. Speaking of ethics what ever to the bill in the General Assembly, I guess the Democratic leadership is showing it the same attention as campaign finance.
I think that 'Anonymous' underestimates both the moderate nature of major statewide elected positions and the staying power of Senate incumbency in regards to Lieberman. Republicans, after all, have won greater control of the Senate almost entirely from those who retired.
Could Lieberman be defeated in a primary by a more liberal candidate? Perhaps, but not likely. But that would give state Republicans an opportunity to field a moderate candidate that [i]might[/i] strike state voters as preferable. It's possible, but again also unlikely. We do elect Republican governers after all. And if Connecticut gives up a seat to Republicans, you know the Dems are screwed.
I am, incidentally, a Republican. Good blog.
Quinn,
Good points. I've said a lot about the possibility of a primary against Lieberman and the fact that Democrats take Connecticut for granted as a "safe" blue state. Democrats, it should be recalled, haven't managed to win the governor's office since 1986, partly thanks to the financial crisis of Bill O'Neill's administration and the fact that Democratic candidates have been uniformly bad. However, it does say that Connecticut voters are comfortable with electing Republicans and independents when it suits them. The large Democratic majority in the General Assembly may have more to do with incumbency, powerful Democratic bosses, dislike of national Republicans and the collapse of the state Republican party than with the political leanings of the voters.
I Yahooed for info about “Cathy Cook and CFR” and this came up and I got to reading. Just a few comments.
Blummy - I knew he would not run for Gov. Who thought he would? He likes people to talk about it but he always puts himself before his party. Very vain! He might want to be senator. That’s a do-nothing job like the one he has so that’s a possibility. Both jobs are problem makers rather than problem solving. Blummy can’t handle the tough jobs. That would require making smart but unpopular decisions and taking heat for making tough calls.
Likewise Lieberman is not qualified to be in any sort ex position and certainly not Sec of the Dept of Defense above all. And speaking as a Real Republican (unlike many RINOs that have posted here) Lieberman is not much of a conservative. TRUST ME. I wish he were. He is all talk. When the Dems need his vote, they have it. He would have voted against Rice and all the other things mentioned if his votes would have made a dif. He votes based on calculation, not principal. Simmons on the other hand would be a good DOD pick. But I hope he stays where he is. He is the best congressman this district, or state for that matter, we have ever had. He looks unbeatable for 06 unless the Dems find someone bigger than that uninspiring lawyer that lost to him in ’00 by 8 points.
Cook to conservative to be a running mate for RINO-Rell? Really? How liberal is this lady anyway? I am wondering if she might have trouble on the way to the nomination with her supporting public financing and nominating liberal judges like John Boland. She certainly has not earned an uncontested race so far. Frankly, I don't know why the Democrats don't just nominate her. She is giving them everything they ever wanted except pride of authorship. She is winning on the politics and the Dems are winning on the policy --Just like Slick Willy back in the day. Slick got the glory for “ending welfare as we know it” and ballanceing the budget while the GOP got the policy they wanted.
Rell would be a fool to pick another woman for LT Gov. That would be dumb politics. I think every ticket ideally should be boy-girl or girl-boy. Granted if there is a Cheeney (alright I can't spell; sue me) available than that rule should be broken but as a general rule I think its smart politics. (Condi just might be in line for a promotion in ’08.) Nor should she pick a senator unless HE is not running again anyway. The GOP needs every seat it has. Anything less than what they have now would be truly embarrassing. I agree it should be someone from Fairfield County for the reasons stated.
I really hate her politics but I have to grudgingly admire Rell’s political skills. Rell does not lose the game of dueling press conferences. Poor Williams can't slime her the way he did RINO-Rowland all the time. She beats him like a redheaded stepchild each and every single time he takes her on. I just wish she were a real Republican. And unfortunately for all the good press Rell gets, what she wins is cotton candy. No substance to it. She is winning a game not worth playing in the first place. At the end of the day she has nothing concrete to offer the Republicans that elected her predecessor.
As for Williams (my senator), for whatever reason he blocked Rell's Incumbent Protection Plan, I am extraordinarily grateful. Three Cheers for Donny! Yahoo! I am against welfare for politicians. Sunday my LTE was in the New London Day (Nov 6) about that subject. Give it a read. Its pretty punchy if I do say so myself....
Who is McKinney? Any relation to the dead congressman? When a Dem (OR RINO) says "nice young moderate Republican" that screams LIBERAL to me. Shays needs a primary challenge under the new rules. He has avoided long enough. Its time for someone new.
Speaking of, I have to go vote!
John R. McCommas
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