Amann’s Competitors Polite, For Now

Thursday February 12, 2009

Prior to Jim Amann’s announcement last night that he’s available for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, the Blogster called his most-likely competitors: Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy and Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz of Middletown.
Reaction was polite.
“Jim Amann has been a dedicated public servant and a friend over the years,” Malloy said in a statement. “I wish him well. Almost two years in advance of Election Day, the conversation among Democrats about who is best-positioned to win the general election in 2010 is just beginning and it’s a conversation I’m eager to have.”
Bysiewicz, in a phone interview, said she appreciated her 44-percent support total from Democrats in the new Quinnipiac Poll and fondly recalled sitting near Amann for years when they were rank-and-file members of the House. “We have a lot of talented Democrats: constitutional officers, mayors, legislators,” she said. “We’ll have to see if any others are coming into the race.”
Chris Healy, chairman of the Republican State Central Committee, said Wednesday he anticipates Rell will seek re-election and use her 75-percent approval rating to her advantage.
“Everyone should be allowed to pursue his dreams in life,” Healy said, with a trace of sarcasm, of Amann’s announcement. “He’s just another career politician who’s helped put the state into the mess it’s in. I hope he offers some ideas on how Democrats can reduce the size of government.”
Just wondering: does that make Gov. Jodi Rell, with more time in state government than Amann “a career politician who’s helped put the state into the mess it’s in”? And does the question mark go inside the quotes or outside the quotes?
Nancy DiNardo of Trumbull, Democratic State Central Committee chairwoman, said Wednesday that her role doesn’t allow her to root for any particular candidate until after the 2010 primary.
“Right now we have three very-qualified people who would make great governors and have an understanding of what it is to govern and not just give some popular sound bites and think that’s the way to run a state,” she said.