Ken Dixon's Blog-O-Rama

Tom Foley, the Greenwich GOP millionaire/gubernatorial candidiate, just told the Blogster that he and wife Leslie, an attorney for Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., got an ultrasound today and it’s going to be a boy.

Lt. Governor Michael Fedele, today announced he’s raised the $250,000 in contributions of $100 or less and has filed for the Citizens’ Elections Fund.  He also formed a joint committee with Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, candidate for Lt. Governor today, who formed his committee just one month ago. It means that Fedele may have about $2 million to compete with Tom Foley of Greenwich, who is not participating in the voluntary public-financing program.

Here’s the rest of his news release:

“Fedele is the first statewide Republican candidate to reach the goal since the program was enacted.  The CEP has strict donation and expenditure limits excluding lobbyists, state contractors and donations exceeding $100. The CEP requires gubernatorial candidates to raise $250,000 in small dollar contributions, in order to demonstrate widespread individual support and to eliminate the influence of wealthy special interests.

“The people of Connecticut have stated repeatedly they want special interest influence out of politics,” said Fedele. “This tremendous outpouring of support in such a short period of time shows our campaign has a real grassroots, not just a personal checkbook or a few friends in high places.”

 ”Qualifying for the clean elections program means our campaign will have the resources to compete with our wealthy self-funding opponents in the primary and against whoever emerges as the Democrat standard-bearer in August,” Fedele said. “We look forward to taking our message of fiscal conservatism and accountable and transparent government to the electorate,” Fedele Added.

“I am excited and honored to be part of the first statewide Republican team to qualify for clean elections funding,” said Boughton.  With our fundraising behind us, Mike and I will now focus our efforts entirely on connecting with the voters we seek to serve, and sharing our vision for moving our state forward.”

The Fedele-Boughton team received qualifying small dollar contributions from nearly 3,000 individuals, averaging just over $80 per contribution. Under the CEP a candidate who qualifies is eligible for up to $8.5 million in funding. The campaign reached this landmark in just over 6 months, compared to more than 16 months of fund-raising for Democrat Dan Malloy.”

If you don’t think Republicans are begging the questions about Linda McMahon’s U.S. Senate candidacy, consider this transcript of taped remarks made by Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, and GOP State Chairman Chris Healy, to reporters in the party’s state headquarters in New Britain this afternoon. Some of it’s slightly garbled, but the Blogster’s transcript is true to what was heard on the tape.

Reporter A: Mr. Steele, regarding the Senate race, you have made it sound like it’s more politics as usual, the criticism of the WWE, but is there any concern on the national Republican party to be associated with some of these scandals. I mean, you’re talking about steroid scandals…

Steele: why do you…?

Reporter A: Wrestlers have died…

Steele: Why do you have to do that?

Reporter A: She could be your candidate.

Steele: Did she authorize the use of steroids in the WWE?

Reporter A: Well, the allegation is she was encouraging them…

Healy: Those are only allegations. These have all been aired out several times over and I think anyone that’ll look at the record that McMahon put forward in terms of job creation and the product they put out, has shown to be that. It’s entertainment. Always has been. The issues around the steroids have been fully vetted. They’re out there for people to see and make their judgments. Let’s not all forget that when this steroid issue came out steroids were freely used in a lot of places, a lot of times they weren’t illegal and we used lessons and they learned lessons from them and started drug-testing programs. So I think that’s an old story that keeps getting recycled because Dick Blumenthal is scared about losing to Linda McMahon.

Reporter A: I was wondering what Mr. Steele thinks, does he really want to be….

Healy: I forgot myself, sorry.

Steele: I agree with him.

Reporter A: Seriously….

(At that moment, a GOP staffer cackled loudly…)

Steele: I’m being serious, I agree with him.

Reporter A: You think that…

Steele: I agree with him. I think you are going down a rabbit hole. I agree with him. I’m not chasing you there. It just amazes me how, you know, if you put that kind of scrutiny to the people who are part of this administration, who are part of informing and advising the president of the United States, some of whom themselves are running for office this year, then I’m willing to have that conversation. But don’t take me down that rabbit hole about this candidate who, as far as I know and everything I’ve seen, had nothing to do, the way you posited this question, with those decisions at that time and say that as national chairman I am somehow now going to be responsible for decisions made by the WWE?

Reporter A: I don’t think I asked it that way..

Steele: So, I agree with the chairman.

Reporter B: Do you feel the same way about Mr. Blumenthal’s self-admitted misspeaking years ago about the Vietnam War era?

Steele: Yes, as the chairman has said, those things get vetted… I think that you know you talk about your war record, you talk about your experience in service to the nation, you’ve got to be forthright with the people. If you’re not, you get caught. When you get caught, you’ve got to explain it. If you can’t explain it that’s…

Reporter B: Are you still the party of family values and do you believe that the WWE represents family values?

Steele, laughing: You want to WWE-bash? There are a lot of families there.

Reporter B: Well, I realize that but I mean the programming, on television.

Healy: The issue here is which senator is going to be representing Connecticut.

Steele: Exactly.

Healy: How we’re going to get our economy going. Who’s the candidate who is going to speak to those issues. I think Dick Blumenthal with his 20 years of making Connecticut the most business-unfriendly state in the union is an issue. Linda McMahon’s building her WWF, then WWE, is also an issue and that’s fair game. I think Linda McMahon is going to handle it if she’s the nominee after August 10. Unlike Dick Blumenthal she’s actually built a business here, she’s created wealth, she’s hired 500 well-paid people. She’s created an international product that’s watched by billions of people worldwide. She’s learned from some of the issues you’ve outlined. They’ve taken corrective steps. No one’s gone out in handcuffs. So I think all these things are fair…  Sure they’re fair game, they’re whatever, but they don’t preclude her from running, or being a good candidate against Dick Blumenthal anymore than Dick Blumenthal’s lying about his Vietnam War record necessarily precludes him from running. He just has to explain it…Our economy’s in the tank and the Democrats put it there…