Ken Dixon's Blog-O-Rama

Wednesday November 19, 2008

The Blogster, at this point, thinks Rep. Chris Caruso, D-Bridgeport, has an even chance in keeping the co-chairmanship of the joint Government Administration & Elections Committee. But he just finished testifying in a public hearing before the State Elections Enforcement Commission on how the new public financing worked in this month’s elections.
He just suggested that leadership PACs, which were not affected in the state’s landmark campaign finance-reform egislation, should be regulated, especially in cases where they created uneven playing fields in competitive House and Senate races.
“We need to wean that off the system and close them down,” said Caruso, who last week had a closed-door meeting with Speaker-to-Be Chris Donovan, D-Meriden, about his future in the majority caucus.”If not, we should provide additional funding for the challenging candidate.”
I guess Caruso’s future could be determined on how Donovan sees his PAC and reacts to Caruso’s not-so-veiled threat.

Tuesday Nov. 17, 2008

Now that gays have the right to be unhappily married like nearly half of Connecticut’s heterosexual couples, the regional advocacy organization called GLAD this morning announced a new “6 x 12″ campaign to push for same-sex marriage in all six New England States by 2012.
Today’s the fifth anniversary that the Massachusetts Supreme Court issued its marriage-equality decision.
“We can make New England a marriage equality zone by strategically combining existing legal, electoral, and on-the-ground know-how to fast-track marriage in every New England state,” said Lee Swislow, executive director of the Boston-based Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders. “By 2012 we not only can have marriage equality throughout New England, we can have a road map for the rest of the country.”
That map may attract California gays back to the Right Coast, after the success of Prop 8.
GLAD wants to pursue more court cases and foster grasssroots pressure on state legislatures.
“The route to marriage equality looks different in each state-not everystate is ripe for a marriage lawsuit like Massachusetts and Connecticut,” said Swislow.

Friday November 13, 2008

Jodi Rell’s too busy worrying about the state’s economic meltdown, but her felonious predecessor John “Why Should I Resign If I’ve Done Nothing Wrong” Rowland, is down in Miami at the Republican Governors Association meeting.
How bizarre is that?
Well, Johnny Gee, who served 10 months in federal prison after that corruption plea bargain, always liked to schmooze.
The Boston Globe reports that while Rell joined two other New England governor’s in missing the confab, Rowland “cut a prominent figure around the conference.” After the recent trouble on November 4, hanging out with crooks probably isn’t the best way to rebuild the Republican party, but what does the Blogster know?

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/11/im_miami_new_en.html

Thursday Nov. 14, 2008

What could be a better destination than Miami in November?
Apparently Connecticut, where Gov. M. Jodi Rell is staying this week rather than hanging with her GOP homeboys at the Republican Governors Association meeting down there in the sun and amid the palm trees.
Donna Tommelleo, Rell’s Capitol spokeswoman, just told the Blogster that it’s no time for the governor to lose focus on the state’s potential financial nightmare.
“The Governor could not justify the time nor the expense of attending the convention and feels her time is better spent here addressing to the pressing economic needs of Connecticut,” Tommelleo said in an e-mail response.
The Blogtser thinks that Rell is staying home to avoid an angry confrontation with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who so obviously dragged down the GOP presidential ticket during the recent troubles of November 4.

Wednesday November 121, 2008

State auditors today ripped the facade off the vaunted state Department of Consumer Protection. First, the auditors found that receipts, both mailed-in and so-called walk-ins, have not been deposited within 24 hours, as required by law.
Next, the auditors found that civil penalties totaling $538,000, were not put into the department’s accounts-receivable records.because of “internal control weaknesses” in the DCP legal department.
“The department agrees with the auditors’ findings in this regard and has taken steps to implement this recommendation,” the DCP responded.
The Blogster’s favorite, though, was the finding that a probe into timesheets indicated “numerous” occasions when supervisors did not sign off work records until “well” after a pay period.
“The timeframe in which both the employee and the supervisor signed the official timesheet ranged from eight to 80 days after the completion of the biweekly pay period,” the audit report says, adding that they couldn’t determine why.
The DCP plans to implement a new centralized time and attendance system.

Friday November 7, 2008

The Blogtser yesterday journeyed to Amherst to speak with an upper-level class on political psychology.
He was slightly disappointed that no one among the 20 students was sure the amount of marijuana people will now be allowed to have under the state’s initiative question that decriminalized small amounts of weed. (It’s less than an ounce, by the way)
But maybe they’re so wasted on student loans they don’t have indiscretionary funds.
It seemed like the perfect venue to launch a not-so-hare-brained theory that Ned Lamont, the Greenwich millionaire who won the Democratic Senate primary against Joe Lieberman in 2006, is responsible for Barack Obama’s presidential victory. Sure, Lamont dropped off the face of the earth after Lieberman went his own way and won the 2006 general election under the banner of Connecticut for Lieberman.
But here’s the theory:
If there had been no primary challenge, Lieberman would have gone back to the Senate majority caucus and continue life as a mostly Democratic lawmaker.
Instead, Lieberman, miffed that Connecticut Ds didn’t love him anymore, moved farther to the right and even started campaigning for his buddy John McCain. It clearly got to the point where McCain wanted to anoint Lieberman (who lost the vice presidency as Al Gore’s 2000 running mate) as his running mate heading into the GOP National Convention. Party insiders told McCain he’d have an embarrassing walkout of delegates if he did that.
So McCain, channeling his famous temper, said OK, fine, you want someone to energize the fundamentalist base? Let’s run Gov. Palin against Joe Biden. After all, she knows where Russia is.
The rest of the story is rock ‘n’ roll.Thanks Ned!

Wednesday November 5

This morning in the state Capitol many top state Democrats gathered to bask in their national and state victories of last night.
What’s the only thing worse that 107 House Democrats? How about 114. That’s how many we’re going to have for the next two years.
One of the notable GOP House members bounced out of office was Rep. Al Adinolfi, R-Cheshire, who made the “three strikes” issue such a big deal following the horrific triple murder in Cheshire back in 2007.
Many Democrats thought he used the tragedy to push for a tougher law on repeat offenders that wsn’t needed. Indeed, both of the alleged murderers wouldn’t have been in prison, prior to the murders, for their previous offenses even if the state DID have life in prison for third-time violent offenders.
The Blogster’s trying to decide whether it was three strikes and Adinolfi was out, or if he couldn’t hit the high hard one thrown by his district’s voters.
Anyway, so the Ds were not quite gloating in the Capitol’s Old Judiciary Room this morning when a reporter asked U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd what’s on HIS agenda. Dodd, he of the 4.23-percent “Friend of Angelo” mortgage deal from Countrywide, couldn’t help but waffle. On one hand, in an Obama administration, he really feels like he should stay as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. But you know, Joe Biden’s leaving to assume the vice presidency creates such a tempting vacancy on the Foreign Relations Committee.
“Until last evening I wasn’t sure if there would be choices,” Dodd said. “My intention, probably and I want to wait a couple days to decide, is to stay with the Banking Committee…The financial issues here at home and across the country are paramount… I haven’t made my mind up yet. I’m going to take a couple days to make a further evaluation.”
Sounds like a guy who’s eager to get out of the Banking Committee and jump into the international sandbox.
So like a good pol, Dodd was quick to get out of the room before the follow-up questions got too personal. He started walking away for an alleged plane flight, when a reporter reminded Jim Himes, 4th District congressman-elect, that during a recent debate he called for Dodd to present “full disclosure” on his mortgage deals. Would Himes like, the reporter asked, to reaffirm his call for Dodd’s disclosure?
Himes was brief.
“I think it’s important that things be as transparent as possible and I trust Sen. Dodd to do the right thing,” Himes replied.

Monday November 3, 2008

Well, all the months and miles, smiles and frowns, blather and blither, charges and counter charges are finally winding down.
All we’re left with is Democrat Jim Himes spending most of Election Day in Bridgeport trying to finally put the stake through U.S. Rep. Chris Shays’s heart. He’s voting in Greenwich, partying in Norwalk (boo!) but he’ll be outside polling places in Bridgeport throughout the day.
If you can’t get enough of him, or if you think he’ll drop off the face of the earth like Ned Lamont if he loses tomorrow, here’s where Himes is going to be, courtesy of his campaign .

6:10am – 6:30am Jim votes with his family
Location: Central Middle School
9 Indian Rock Lane
Greenwich, CT

7:00am – 8:00am
Jim greets voters at the Blackham School
Location: Blackham School
425 Thorme Street
Bridgeport, CT

8:00am – 9:00am
Jim campaigns with Attorney General Blumenthal
Location: Blackham School
425 Thorme Street Bridgeport, CT

9:00am – 11:00am Jim campaigns at the Blackham School
Location: Blackham School
425 Thorme Street
Bridgeport, CT
11:00am – 12:30pm
Jim campaigns with Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro
Location: Blackham School 425 Thorme Street
Bridgeport, CT

12:45pm – 1:30pm
Jim eats lunch and greets diners at the New Colony Diner
Location: 2321 Main Street
Bridgeport, CT

1:45pm – 4:45pm
Jim greets voters at the polls
Location: Dunbar School
445 Union AvenueBridgeport, CT

5:00pm – 8:00pm Jim greets voters at the polls
Location: Wilbur Cross School
1775 Reservoir Avenue
Bridgeport, CT

8:00pm on:Victory Celebration
Location: The Brewhouse13 Marshall Street Norwalk,