Saturday, July 15, 2006

Campaign News - 7/15/06

Lots of stories out there worth talking about. Here are just a few:

  • Nancy Johnson's support for the weakening of language provisions in the Voting Rights Act is taking criticism from Chris Murphy and others.
  • To Nancy Johnson, the debate over a federal law requiring Election Day help for people who speak English as a second language is overblown.

    "I've never had a minority person say, `I can't read Nancy Johnson,'" she says with a smile.
    ...
    "Connecticut has historically been a leader in civil rights. This shows how out of step Nancy Johnson is," said Democratic foe Chris Murphy. "It's hard to understand her motivation."
    ...
    Johnson, the only state lawmaker to vote against the language provision, said it is unnecessary and burdensome.

    "Our citizenship laws are very clear," Johnson said. "People are required to read and write English." And, she said, the bilingual ballot provisions can be costly for state and local governments. (Lightman. "Johnson")

    Perhaps Nancy Johnson should check to see whether a "minority person" has ever actually voted for her.

  • A funding mishap involving reimbursements from Mary Glassman's campaign to Dan Malloy's is drawing fire from the DeStefano camp:
  • Supporters of the Democratic gubernatorial campaigns of Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy and New Haven Mayor John DeStefano are disputing the significance of an error in recent financial filings by Malloy's running mate.

    The disclosure statements submitted July 17 by the campaign committees for Malloy and Mary Glassman, his running mate for lieutenant governor, failed to explain almost $109,000 in reimbursements from Glassman's committee to Malloy's.
    ...
    DeStefano's campaign said the lapse raises "very serious questions," but Malloy's campaign said it was an unintentional, quickly corrected oversight. (AP. "Democratic")

    Perhaps the DeStefano campaign should remember its own fundraising troubles before throwing stones.

  • Joe Lieberman comments on the crisis in Israel and Lebanon:
  • "I will raise the question of whether Iran ... is not provoking this crisis for the purpose of not quite distracting us, but flexing their terrorist muscles as the world begins to pressure them to stop their nuclear weapons development," Lieberman told The Associated Press.

    He said Syria, which also has ties to Hezbollah, may also be involved. (AP "Lieberman")

    I wouldn't doubt it one bit. Keep a close eye on this conflict, because in between Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Iran is a country containing 130,000 U.S. troops.

  • Lastly, the Connecticut Post slams the Lieberman campaign for making stuff up in its attack ads:
  • Thumbs down to the campaign of U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, D-Conn., whose latest campaign ad blurs the line between political semantics and an attempt to downright mislead people. Lieberman, who is currently in the middle of a hotly-contested primary challenge for the Democratic Party nomination by Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont, approved the ad that aired across the state last week. The ad shows bumper stickers, supposedly distributed by the Lamont campaign, reading "No More Joe" and "NoMoreJoe.com," accusing Lamont of merely running against Lieberman and not on his own merits. The problem is that the bumper stickers and Web site are completely fake, dummied up entirely by the Lieberman campaign. The tactic is an unfortunate one from the Lieberman camp, especially given the campaign's assertions that the senator is a "principled" leader. If Lieberman wants to attack his challenger in the future, he would be best suited to keep his criticisms based in reality. (Best)

    It would be nice.

    Sources

    "Democratic rivals differ on significance of filing error." Associated Press 15 July, 2006.

    "AP Interview: Lieberman suspects Iran is behind Hezbollah." Associated Press 15 July, 2006.

    "Best and the rest for the past week." Connecticut Post 15 July, 2006.

    Lightman, David. "Johnson Takes Heat On Language Issue." Hartford Courant 15 July, 2006.

    14 comments:

    Anonymous said...

    Ugh... the DeStefano camp is doing exactly what Jodi Rell wants them to. Dragging their own party member through the mud over what looks like a filing error.

    And you're right Genghis. This after DeStefano had his own problems back in December, which so far look MUCH worse than what I've read about the Glassman thing.

    This is bush league, and it is only serving Rell.

    GMR said...

    I don't know the exact borders of Nancy Johnson's district, but Litchfield County is 95.77% white, 2.14% Hispanic, 1.10% black and 1.17% Asian. So I don't think there are going to be that many minorities voting.

    Anonymous said...

    Draft Jack Draft Jack Draft Jack Draft Jack

    Anonymous said...

    I don't know if the Molloy thing is such small potatos. (Or as Dan Quayle said, 'such small potatoes.') I started looking through Glassman's donations, and the vast majority of the contributors who maxed out to her, already maxed out to Malloy. If this was a pass through to avoid the 2500 limit, it starts to look like he was trying to launder money through her campaign. They'd better have the i's dotted and t's crossed.

    Anonymous said...

    "Perhaps Nancy Johnson should check to see whether a "minority person" has ever actually voted for her" is a racist comment in and of itself, GC.

    Stereotyping all minorities as liberals? I'd expect better from you.

    Anonymous said...

    to Anonymous, re Quayle:

    If you're gonna make fun of someone's idiotic spelling mistakes, you should probably try not to make them yourself...

    The correct spellings are potato (sing.) and potatoes (plural). Quayle's mistake was using potatoe as singular.

    But nice try, though.

    Anonymous said...

    Maybe the conspicuous absence of DeStefano bloggers means that they're out volunteering and working the campaigns to get their candidate elected - rather than sitting on the internet talking trash.

    And even though they had their own problems with campaign financing reports, I don't think it was anywhere near the level of this. If anyone knows anything about campaign finance law - what Malloy/Glassman was doing amounts to having a slush fund. And thats 109,000 dollars. Buys a weeks worth of ads. I don't think its small potatoes.

    Anonymous said...

    Chris Murphy will defeat that old tired Nancy Johnson who is supported by Big Oil and Insurance Lobbyists She is a big part of the problem why we pay high gas prices and high insurance.

    Why Cant Jodi Rell just get a brain and cut the gasoline tax I think everyone needs to get on the legislature and put on the pressure to do something. We pay the 3rd highest behind Hawaii and either New Jersey or New York.

    If Jodi cut the gas tax she wouldnt need her 80% rating she would have a 90% one But like all the other politicos she is going to make all of us suffer and bust everyone's budget when she could give us some temporary relief.

    GMR said...

    NJ has low gas taxes, but they have no self-service.

    How is Nancy Johnson in any remote way responsible for the price of gasoline?

    Anonymous said...

    Slifka did it to the tune of about $8k, which is a heck of a lot more believable than $109K in shared expenses.

    BTW, I'm not even going to try and spell that starchy tuber.

    Anonymous said...

    The DeStefano Campaign has been on life support since the convention where they never got motivated and energized like the Malloy Campaign did,DeStefano lied to the 5th CD about his Lt Governor Choice which is why If somehow DeStefano were to win the primary I will not vote for him or the weasel from West Hartford and to let Audrey Blondin believe she was his choice for LG and left her to twist in the wind when he had decided on Slifka probably a month in advance was a really sleazy and unforgivable thing to do to the delegates and The Democratic Party.

    RIGD I know you are going to whine Because I brought up Audrey's name I just have a question why don't you like Audrey's name being mentioned.

    Well DeStefano can have Scott Slifka, Maureen Magnan,The 1/2 of the West Hartford DTC that supports him,Derek Slap(the press rumor inaccurate spreader) and the DeStefano Sorority Squad Because on August 8th The DeStefano train will come to the end of the line

    Anonymous said...

    Dan Malloy is the only Democrat who can beat Jodi Rell in November.

    The Time will come very soon that Jodi Rell's popularity will hit its peak and then it is all down hill from there and Malloy will rise to the top and will close in by election day to win the Governorship 52% to Rell's 48% I believe it will be that close and it will go in Malloy's favor.

    Anonymous said...

    Its Chris MC who's facts are wrong - Derek Slap is the communications director at the DeStefano campaign. The manager is Henry Fernandez. Don't you read the newspapers Chris?

    Anonymous said...

    Derek Slap is nothing but John DeStefano's mouthpiece and lackey.

    The DeStefano Campaign is disorganized and has been from its inception.

    Henry Fernandez never heard of him you might of well said Sid Fernandez or Tony Fernandez they could run a better political campaign than this guy.

    The SS DeStefano is run about as good as an episode of Gilligan's Island.

    DeStefano is the Skipper and Scott Slifka could be Gilligan Derek Slap could be the Professor A couple of The Sorority Gals could be Ginger and Mary Ann.The Rich people you could find someone.

    Anyway Bottom Line DeStefano loses on August 8th and Malloy moves on to defeat Jodi Rell.