Ken Dixon's Blog-O-Rama

Unlike at least three of the five other gubernatorial hopefuls, Chester First Selectman Tom Marsh, an Independent, will soon have his name assured on the November ballot. He needs 7,500 signatures by early August.

“We’re at 8,500 now,” he told the Blogster this afternoon. “We’re going to start turning the signatures in for validation this week.” He expects about 10,000 and figures that local registrars will have them confirmed and sent to the secretary of the state  by as early at the week of the 19th. “Now we’re just working on the cushion.”

Organizers of the June 29th gubernatorial forum in Stamford might have neglected to invite Marsh, but with Democratic and Republican primaries on August 10 set to eliminate three of the five, Marsh will be able to laugh for a few hours late on the night of the primary, then continue his long-shot campaign to become the next governor.

John G. Rowland, the disgraced former governor who spent 10 months in prison on a federal corruption sentence, is working on the air on WTIC as a vacation fill in. The Blogster didn’t catch his weak act today, but only hopes that amid the chatty interviews about what the state of Connecticut should be doing, he gets into the details of what made him plead guilty in December 2004. Maybe he can talk about who else was on the luxury charter trips to Florida and Las Vegas, courtesy of Key Air of Oxford, which enjoyed annual million-dollar tax breaks during Rowland’s, crooked regime. By the way, Johnny Johnola’s other nickname was Johnny Gee

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…

That’s what Connecticut needs: more hedge funders, who along with investment bankers and their exotic financial instruments, inflated the housing bubble, then got us to bail them out. Rell today, noting that the New York Assembly is considering taxing hedge fund pros who work in New York and live elsewhere, sent a letter to something called the New York Hedge Fund Roundtable asking them to relocate in beautiful Connecticut.

“As Governor, I stand ready to do anything possible to assist you. Our economic development professionals stand ready to help you find convenient, modern and prime office space,” she wrote. ” Our relocation specialists stand ready to aid your families in locating great homes and good schools. Our quality of life is second to none – one need only ask a colleague who already makes Connecticut his or her home about the many pleasures of living in our state. And I can assure you that Connecticut has been pursuing and will continue to pursue a much more enlightened approach to job creation and retention and economic development.Packing up and moving is never an easy decision – I understand that. However, I also understand that short-sighted decisions have long-term consequences. That understanding is a hallmark of good decision-making in any business. I encourage you to consider the attractive options Connecticut can offer, and invite you to contact my office directly to explore the matter further.”

The Blogster looks askance at today’s announced resignation of state Transportation Commissioner Joseph Marie, since it’s practically on the heels of this month’s embarrassing scene at Bradley International Airport, in which an actual international flight was diverted and the passengers were kept under virtual lock and key, without food or air conditioning, for hours because there was no personnel from US Customs to process them. The airport, and with it the Rell administration, was a laughing stock. But why should there have been someone with passport control powers there? The airport doesn’t have any regular international flights. Last week, during an unrelated news conference at the airport, Marie appeared quit testy when reporters probed about the long delay.

So today’s release from Rell, who announced Marie’s resignation ”in order to pursue long-term employment opportunities and spend more time with his family. The Governor has appointed Deputy Commissioner Jeffrey Parker to be commissioner.” Marie was there for a heartbeat in state-government time: two years. “I have full confidence that Jeff Parker will continue moving the DOT in the dynamic new direction that I have set,” Rell said, failing to mention whether that course includes being able to actually handle international flights at Bradley International Airport.

Auditors of Public Accounts Kevin Johnston of Pomfret and Bob Jaekle of Stratford were scheduled to retire at the end of the month. But leaders of the General Assembly have asked them to stay on for six more months as the public faces of the often-pesky review of state agencies.