Ken Dixon's Blog-O-Rama

The respected Quinnipiac University Poll on the US Senate race is scheduled to come out tomorrow. The Blogster anticipates that Attorney General Dick Blumenthal will begin reaping 20 years of lawsuits, news conferences and personal appearances around the state and show  popularity numbers that will challenge both Rob Simmons’ carefully crafted attacks and Linda McMahon’s McZillion$ in campaign ca$h.

Even as Bysiewicz was pulling up her tent and switching to a run for attorney general and its promise of possible U.S. Senate riches in 2012 when Joe Lieberman’s legislative career presumably ends, Dan Malloy, the former Mayor of Stamford who failed in his attempt to win the Democratic gubernatorial nomination back in 2006, today said he’s still exploring a bid for this year’s nomination.

“In recent weeks, Connecticut has had its share of interesting political surprises,” he said in a statement.  “It’s been fun to watch.  But, it changes nothing for me personally.  I remain focused on just one thing: a potential run for Governor. ” I have spent the past 14 years doing that in Stamford, and if I choose to run for Governor, I’m confident the people of Connecticut will stand with me as we work to fix what’s broken in Connecticut.”

Meanwhile, Jim Amann of Milford, the former speaker of the House whose campaign over the last year seems to have been speechless and is nearly pennless, remains the only declared Democratic candidate for governor.

Let the games continue. As detailed in this space on Monday, Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz has shifted her future aspirations from governor to attorney general.

 “As we face our greatest challenges in more than a generation, Connecticut needs strong leadership from its Attorney General,” Bysiewicz said a little while ago as she made her announcement in Middletown City Hall.  “It is with great hope for the future and a commitment to fighting for the people of Connecticut that I announce my candidacy for Attorney General.”

George Jepsen, the former Senate majority leader and Democratic state chairman, suggested that Bysiewicz would use the AG job as a means to running for U.S. Senate when Joe Lieberman’s term is up in 2012. “The people of Connecticut deserve nothing less than an Attorney General who is fully qualified and 100% committed to the job,” he sai, adding that he asks Bysiewicz to pledge that she’s committed to the full four-year term.

Meanwhile, Ned Lamont the Greenwich million who has never held elective office but wants to seek the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, said “Susan is a dedicated public servant who I know will bring her passion and experience to the race for Attorney General. I wish her the best in her campaign.”

“I continue to actively explore a run for Governor of Connecticut, and intend to make an official announcement in the coming weeks.”

Attorney General Dick Blumenthal has scheduled a 1 p.m. news conference in his office today to publicize a lawsuit against Shelton-based Health Net, for “a massive security breach involving confidential medical records on hundreds of thousands of patients.”

Palpable sighs of relief aside, Lt. Gov. Mike Fedele and Greenwich millionaire Tom Foley – the big national Republican fund-raiser and former Bush-era ambassador – who are looking for the GOP nomination to run for governor, both had nice things to say yesterday, in written statements from their campaign bunkers, after John McKinney told reporters in the Capitol that he isn’t going to run for governor.

Fedele: “Senator McKinney has done a great job as Senate Republican leader and he continues to be an effective and reasoned voice in the ongoing legislative debate over taxes and state spending.  He knows that Connecticut cannot continue to protect an unaffordable status quo as the Democrat majority has done for over a year.  He knows that now more than ever, we must demand that government be accountable and fiscally responsible.  Senator McKinney has been, and will continue to be, on the right side of these issues and he will continue to serve our state and its taxpayers very well.  I consider Senator McKinney a valuable partner and ally as we work together to lead Connecticut to economic recovery.”

Foley : “John McKinney is a gifted and experienced public servant who would have been a strong candidate for Governor.  But I am glad that he has decided to run for re-election to the State Senate where Connecticut needs his leadership.  I look forward to working with him this year to elect more Republicans to the General Assembly.”

Senate Minority Leader John McKinney just left the Capitol Press Room after confirming he would not seek the governor’s office. He praised foremr independent Gov. Lowell P. Weicker Jr., the former Republican who brought Connecticut its personal income tax. “I may not have agreed with how former Gov. Weicker solved our economic troubles, but he was at least able to stand up and say “this is the way I think we should go and I’m not going to say yes to a budget until we get there.’ The leadership that he showed, I think, is necessary. The next governor of this state cannot be looking at running for re-election in 2014. He has to be looking at being a governor for one term and one term only, because the decisions we are confronted with are so difficult and will be so tough and this Legislature is so difficult to deal with that popularity cannot be a concern for the next governor. I think it’s someone who’s willing to use their veto pen as often as possible until they get what that person believes, what that governor believes is the right direction for the state of Connecticut.”

The Blogster: “Would that somebody have $2 million in his exploratory committee and has not won elective office before?”

McKinney: “I’m going to talk with both Tom Foley, who I think you’re talking about and Mike Fedele. I have left them both messages today.”

Okay it only seems as if everyone is running for governor, or U.S. Senator, or attorney general. But the Blogster expects Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Fairfield, to appear in the Capitol Press Room within the next half hour and declare that he won’t run for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.

Money can’t buy Tom Foley love, but the Greenwich millionaire, the former ambassador to Ireland who wants the state’s GOP nomination for governor, filed a campaign-finance document with the State Elections Enforcement Commission that’s more than $2 million. It easily eclipses all other candidates and buys him instant clout, if not legitimacy. About $64,000 was in outside contributions. But Foley wrote checks for $100,000 on December 15, then another $1.9 million for an early Christmas present to his campaign on December 23.

Compare that to another filing that was finally posted overnight by the SEEC, that of Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, who may be ahead in the last Q Poll, but who has about $240,000 on hand.