Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Inauguration 2007

Gov. Jodi Rell will be inaugurated for her first full term today. The Courant has more details about the festivities (PDF), including the parade route and more. The governor will also forego the traditional speech to a joint session of the General Assembly, preferring to give a single speech (her inaugural address) instead:
From John Dempsey to Ella Grasso to John Rowland, all governors have spoken to a joint session of the legislature in the Hall of the House at the state Capitol in a tradition that covers Democrats and Republicans.
[...]
Rell, however, decided that she wants to make "one speech that is very general - mostly tone, direction," said Christopher Cooper, Rell's spokesman. "She wanted to wait until the budget address [in February] to lay out more details. This opening day speech is much more thematic than specific." (Keating)

So why not give two general speeches? This is either very sneaky and clever or sort of lazy.

Colin McEnroe reports that Rell is promising some "surprise guests." I'm hoping for Gary Coleman.

Also, don't forget the very expensive inaugural ball, to be held at the CT Expo Center. ...Wait, the Expo Center? Don't we have the John G. Rowland Memorial Convention Center for this sort of thing? I suppose the theme for the evening will be Drafty Concrete Wonderland, or perhaps Magical Night in a Storage Shed.

You can watch all the festivities on CT-N today. That's what I'm going to do.

Source
Keating, Christopher. "One Speech Only." Hartford Courant 3 January, 2007.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's Classic Rell: all style, absolutely no substance.

Anonymous said...

I don't think that anyone in Connecticut politics really knows how to give a speech anymore. I mean a real speech, with a beginning, a middle and an end, with drama, humor, passion, a sense of time and place, and something that stirs the listeners to reaction--or better yet, action. I can't imagine Jodi Rell giving a speech like that. She's probably embarrassed by the whole concept. With the possible exception of Chris Dodd, I don't see anyone in the congressional delegation who's capable of moving people through words. I doubt any of them, especially Rell, even employs someone who can write a decent speech. A good speech is a form of leadership that is simply not used anymore in Connecticut. Too bad.

ken krayeske said...

I got ahold of a copy of the invitation and embargoed press instructions telling reporters they can't "roam" (i.e. report).
If you're interested:
Rell's Inauguration

Do we really need an A-10 Warthog to celebrate her landslide?

Anonymous said...

It;ll be interesting after the ball is done to examine how closely the Ethics gov followed her own rules. I mean it is a official state function.

How did Boston Culinary secure the catering gig, didn't see any bids or proposals?

Dennis House MC'ing , WFSB is believe it or not a contractor to the state, are his services considered a gift?

How was the Expo Center chosen and were other venues outside of Harftord given an opportunity to submit proposals?

Seems like a lot of sole sourcing going on....

Anonymous said...

Can we find nothing better to whine about than stuff like this?

Genghis Conn said...

The session has hardly begun, A12:05! Don't worry, we'll whine about more substantive issues later.

Anonymous said...

Rell is the one that decided to have the pomp and circumstnce. How dare anybody quuestion the queen mother.

Anonymous said...

Boston Catering or whatever its called has a contract with the Expo Center. It was in the Courant Sunday I think? In that big article about the ball...

Anonymous said...

Gee Ken, maybe the savings from the flyover could make all state colleges tuition free.

Anonymous said...

I've yet to hear why the Connecticut Convention Center was NOT selected as the venue. All that $ - and BOTH D's (union issues) and R's are not using the "house that Johnny built". Shame on both parties for that beautiful slightly used facility. Sooo let's move on to a new hockey rink and let the HCC rot. Oye!

Anonymous said...

I beleive Rell headed up the task force for Rowland that defined the need for the Convention Center.

Anonymous said...

A couple of things: The convention center was not chosen because of a fear that the unions would picket. The Expo Center is a non-union site, and Rell's minions could set up their wiring, etc., without fear that the unions would raise a fuss at the event, which they likely would do if it were held at the Convention Center. The Expo Center then had several contracts in place that Rell's people were forced to honor, among them the caterer (Boston Cullinary) and the florist (Adam's Garden of Eden). None of this excuses the crummy site choice for an inaugural ball.