Political Capitol

… in Beacon Falls.

Here’s our story about a local inventor who has patented a device for removing snow and ice from tractor trailers before the debris goes careening toward other motorists.

Michael Riley, head of the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut, who for years has searched for some contraption to clean off rigs after storms and come up empty, thinks it’s legit.

And he hopes it’s legit, considering his members beginning Dec. 31, 2013 will get ticketed if they hit the road in a snow-covered vehicle.

The upcoming legislative session is supposed to focus in part on education reform, with Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy and new Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor leading the charge.

But obviously the General Assembly is a crucial player as well.

So it’s interesting to note the American Federation of Teachers today endorsed state House Speaker Christopher Donovan’s candidacy in the 5th Congressional District.

Donovan’s a union guy, so AFT’s backing comes as no surprise.

It does guarantee Donovan’s role in the reform process will be even more closely scrutinized in the coming weeks and months.

The other major teachers organization – the Connecticut Education Association – endorsed Donovan way back in October.

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MERIDEN, CT – AFT Connecticut announced their support for Democratic candidate for the Fifth Congressional District Chris Donovan today in Meriden. AFT Connecticut, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers, represents more than 28,000 members in more than 90 local unions across Connecticut. AFT Connecticut represents teachers and school related personnel, state and municipal employees, healthcare professionals, and higher education faculty.

“Chris has been one of the strongest supporters of teachers, students and public education in Connecticut, so this was an easy decision for our union to make. We are proud to offer our endorsement to Chris Donovan, and we pledge to work hard for his election to Congress.” said Sharon Palmer, President of AFT Connecticut. “We trust Chris to fight for the issues important to students, parents and teachers – to improve our public schools, for increased access to early childhood education, and to make higher education more affordable. ”

“I thank the members of AFT Connecticut for their support and endorsement, and I’m excited to be working with them. From my experience teaching at the University of Hartford, I know just how difficult the jobs of these hard working teachers are, and how important. We must commit to supporting our students, teachers, and schools, to making early childhood education a reality for all of our children, and to bring higher education within reach for every student,” said Donovan.

AFT Connecticut joins former 5th CD Congressman Jim Maloney, Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman, Connecticut Working Families Party, the Newtown DTC, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Blue America, AFSCME Council 15, the Connecticut Council of Police, the Connecticut Education Association, the Connecticut State Council of Machinists, the IAFF – Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, United Auto Workers Region 9A, the Connecticut Laborers District Council, and the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 777 in endorsing Chris Donovan as the best candidate to fight for the families of Connecticut’s fifth congressional district.

Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy just held a conference call with reporters about his experiences so far at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

He told us he’s had an “interesting and grueling” few days. One of the topics for discussion has been bioscience.

“I’m here. I’m working pretty hard,” Malloy said.

I asked the governor if he has any plans to meet with executives from Switzerland-based banking giant UBS.

UBS – a “strategic partner” in hosting the forum – is considered a cornerstone of lower Fairfield County’s financial services industry. The possiblity the company was planning on relocating to New York from its offices in Malloy’s hometown of Stamford resulted in the state ponying up $20 million last summer to convince them to stay at least five years.

“I’ll be speaking with folks from UBS tomorrow morning,” Malloy said. “Obviously maintaining a good working relationship with UBS is important to me personally in the sense I’m originally from Stamford (and) certainly important to me as governor. They’re a major employer in our state. There are no specific touch points accept I want them to know we appreciate their presence and hope for a speedy recovery in this economy.”

The Department of Economic and Community Development and UBS are still working out the final details of their $20 million agreement. The deal was initially anticipated to have been wrapped up in the fall.

Separate phone conferences held with reporters yesterday morning by former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz and state Rep. William Tong of Stamford provided a glimpse into the state of their campaigns for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination.

The two – along with, I guess, out-of-nowhere candidate Matthew John Oakes - are competing with U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, who has generally been acting like the frontrunner.

And Bysiewicz over the past few days has been treating Murphy as such. Her campaign has been working to portray Murphy as a stooge of Wall Street executives and other wealthy folks like Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney.

Yesterday’s phone conference was organized by the Bysiewicz camp in an attempt to get the press to pay more attention to her charges.

“I’m the only candidate in this race that has a plan to hold Wall Street accountable,” Bysiewicz said to around eight participants.

She also expressed frustration over Murphy’s endorsement from the Working Families Party, saying, “Quite frankly, it puzzles me … It shocked me.”

The Murphy campaign ignored Bysiewicz and did not issue any email rebuttal.

As for Tong, he has over the past several months been trying to focus solely on the issues and on fundraising. That approach continued yesterday morning, as Tong used his phone conference to focus on his economic plan.

Tong earned some coverage from the Associated Press.

What’s interesting is of the eight or so individuals who participated in the call, the reporter most interested in what the candidate had to say wasn’t from Connecticut but with Voice of America out of Hong Kong.

Tong, the first Asian American elected to the General Assembly, does not enjoy as high a profile as Murphy or Bysiewicz and has been relying on the Asian community for money and endorsements.

Earlier today immediate past-GOP Chairman Chris Healy posted a column on his blog, Make Blue Red.

Chris was a very quotable guy when he was running the state Republicans and, agree or disagree with him, he’s also a good writer.

This particular column took aim at former U.S. Rep. Chris Shays, who today launched a bid challenging Linda McMahon for the GOP U.S. Senate nomination.

Tom Dudchik over at CT Capitol Report posted a link to Healy’s blog. So did Hartford Courant columnist Rick Green.

I was in the midst of doing the same this afternoon when the column disappeared without explanation. Ironic, since it was entitled, “What Happened to Chris Shays?”

I did manage to salvage a copy for those who are interested, and I’ve put in a call to Chris to find out what happened.

Although he targeted Shays, Healy also wound up making some very candid critical comments about McMahon’s failed self-funded 2010 bid for U.S. Senate against Democrat Richard Blumenthal.

“McMahon, who I am supporting and whom my wife worked for in 2008, has learned a great deal since her $50 million run two years ago. McMahon cleared out her over-fed and self-dealing campaign team, brought in competent staff, worked the Republican audiences, wrote checks and welcomed criticism and suggestions,” Healy wrote.

Not sure about the 2008 date, since Healy’s wife worked for McMahon’s campaign beginning in 2009. That relationship had some claiming Chris had a conflict-of-interest as GOP head when ex-U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons challenged McMahon for the GOP nomination.

Jerry Labriola, current Republican chairman, said he read Healy’s column today and, whatever the reasons for its disappearance, no pressure was applied by the party.

Maybe it will turn out to be a simple technical issue and the column will soon resurface.

Healy’s currently working for Lisa Wilson-Foley’s campaign for Congress.

It’s fun to see ex-Republican Chairman Chris Healy get real now that he no longer has to play the role of honest broker among party candidates.

Today on his blog – Make Blue Red - Healy has some interesting thoughts on ex-U.S. Rep. Chris Shays’ candidacy for U.S. Senate. (UPDATE: For some reason the links to Healy’s blog aren’t working, so I’ve pasted his column below).

Shays, after announcing his intentions to run in August, formally entered the race for the nomination against Linda McMahon, who unsuccessfully took on Democrat Richard Blumenthal for U.S. Senate in 2010.

Blumenthal’s camp went after McMahon over the fact she spent $50 million of the fortune she and her family built from founding/running Stamford-based World Wrestling Entertainment on the race.

Shays has adopted a similar approach. It really does seem like 2010 all over again, and Healy, who has joined several other ex-Republican chairs in endorsing McMahon, doesn’t like it.

But there’s some criticism Healy levels at Shays that’s a bit unfair considering the facts.

Shays and McMahon are competing for the nomination to replace retiring U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman, the self-described “independent Democrat” from Stamford who lost the Democratic primary in 2006 and won the general election after creating his own party.

I covered that race.

Healy writes on his blog, “Chris Shays did many good things in Congress. But, at times, he went with the Democrats on numerous issues that are poison to Republican rank and file voters. Let us not forget his endorsement of Lieberman in 2006.”

That is true. Here’s an account from the New York Times about Shays’ decision

What Healy does not mention is after Lieberman won the nomination but lost the primary to the liberal Ned Lamont, Republicans quickly bailed on flawed GOP nominee Alan Schlesinger and adopted Lieberman as their informal candidate to dodge the Lamont bullet.

And it wasn’t just Connecticut Republicans. Rather than endorse Schlesinger, then-President George W. Bush, his top adviser Karl Rove and Vice President Dick Cheney all lamented Lieberman’s primary loss and used it to portray Democrats as weak on defense.

And let’s not ignore the fact McMahon donated $2,000 to Lieberman’s 2006 campaign. When I asked her about the expenditure during her 2010 race, McMahon said, “I think Joe Lieberman at that particular time seemed more aligned with my thoughts at that particular time. It’s really ideology at that particular time.”

So some Republicans think Shays crossed a line by backing Lieberman too early. Let’s not pretend the GOP as a whole – McMahon included – didn’t help carry the “independent Democrat” over the finish line.

UPDATE: Here’s Healy’s column…

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

What Happened to Chris Shays?

“If McDonald’s spent all it’s time telling you why you shouldn’t buy Burger King, and Burger King spent all its time telling you why you shouldn’t buy McDonald’s, you wouldn’t buy either, and that’s what happens in the political environment,” Shays said. “So much time is spent saying why you shouldn’t support the other person, you basically agree, and then you want to support nobody.” - 
                                                                                                                Christopher Shays, 2003

This week, former Republican Congressman Christopher Shays will formally announce his candidacy for the U.S. Senate. Shays should be viewed seriously having served in Congress for his 21 years representing a wealthy district.  But since indicating he wanted to run for the open seat held by Democrat-Independent  Joseph I. Lieberman (who he endorsed in 2006), Shays has shown little of the “love” that he used to demonstrate to fellow Republicans.

Shays is a “hugger” but he has been more like the Boston Strangler since accusing fellow Republican Linda McMahon of being a concentration camp guard. Shays has said McMahon is unfit for the Senate, claiming in interviews that McMahon is responsible for the pre-mature deaths of 50 professional wrestlers and that her World Wrestling Enterprises engages in “soft porn.” This was the standard rhetoric used by Democrat Richard Blumenthal during his successful run against McMahon in 2010. Shays has merely dusted off the video and the Senate Democrat Campaign Committee’s talking points.

WWE headquarters, which employs over 500 law-abiding, taxpaying citizens, is located in Stamford, Shay’s old district. A WWE spokesman pointed out Tuesday that Shays had once toured the WWE facility and praised a voter registration program for young people. He must have missed the nude posters.

Now, Shays is Hulk Hogan, trash-talking the same nonsense about McMahon and WWE. It didn’t work for Rob Simmons in 2010 and is unlikely to resonate now. Shays is free to do that, but if he did win a primary, how could he expect any McMahon loyalists to work for him in the general Election? How do you think those WWE paying customers, many of whom are Middle Class working families, are told they are subjecting their children to “soft porn” will sell?

McMahon, who I am supporting and whom my wife worked for in 2008, has learned a great deal since her $50 million run two years ago. McMahon cleared out her over-fed and self-dealing campaign team, brought in competent staff, worked the Republican audiences, wrote checks and welcomed criticism and suggestions. Rank and file Republicans  like Linda McMahon after they meet her and like her more because of her work ethic. I have never heard a word of complaint from McMahon about any Republican or even the people who took her money and delivered little in 2010.

Shays’ conduct is an abject lesson in denial. He decided to blame everyone but himself for his defeat or for allowing his campaign manager Michael Sohn steal over $250,000 from his campaign coffers. And while vendors got stiffed,  Shays has complained that it is up to Sohn, currently in prison, to make good on those bills.

Shays withdrew from political life after losing to Goldman Sachs executive Jim Himes. He moved to Maryland, bought a home and began to work on the Wartime Contracting Commission investigating vendor fraud in Iraq. Shays did an admirable job on the panel. He was well-suited to this kind of investigation, but showed little to no interest in his home state until the U.S. Senate race beckoned.

But when he decided to re-emerge, Shays came back with an angry act which has confused and turned off many Connecticut Republicans, who simply like Linda McMahon and her story.

So what if Linda McMahon or any other serious candidates was in the race? What if the field was wide open and Republicans had gone on bended knew to Shays and made the nomination a formality? Shays has not knocked the cover off the ball when it comes to fundraising, a task that he has never enjoyed or understood as essential to winning an Election. Shays raised $444,000, which sounds like a lot, but even if Linda McMahon wasn’t in the race, is a poor showing when you compare it to the Democrats running. Congressman Chris Murphy, the leading Democrat raised almost twice that last quarter for a total of $3.7 million.

A U.S. Senate race costs at least $5 million no matter what the situation. The best quarter for fundraising is usually the first quarter because that is where the “low hanging fruit” lies – past supporters, friends and family or business associates. Shays does not like to make phone calls for money which means he believes people should freely give it without being asked. 

And Shays has not been as active on the ground as Linda McMahon. Despite her riches, McMahon gets out there to every event she can, no matter the size of the crowd or the cost of the ticket. 

Chris Shays did many good things in Congress. But, at times, he went with the Democrats on numerous issues that are poison to Republican rank and file voters. Let us not forget his endorsement of Lieberman in 2006. Starting out what is sure to be a final campaign resorting to the very rhetoric that he longed denounced (see 2003 quote above) cuts to his credibility. 

This is the year of the “outsider,” and McMahon is poised to strike the contrast needed with lifetime politician Murphy, Susan Bysiewicz or State Rep.William Tong. Shays has been a politician his entire life. Shay’s time has come and gone. It is sad that in the twilight of his career, he has grown fangs and is attacking the one person with a shot to win a Republican Senate seat. 

Matthew John Oakes of East Hartford says he has entered the three-way race for the Democratic Party’s U.S. Senate nomination.

Oakes announced on January 14 but just got around today to sending our Hearst newspaper empire an email. I can’t be insulted because it doesn’t appear – at least after a Google search – that anyone else in the media was notified, either.

Oakes is entering what’s been a three-person race to replace retiring Senator Joseph Lieberman between well-known to somewhat-known politicians – U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, ex-Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz and state Rep. William Tong.

Some could argue that Oakes is a bit too late to the game. Then again ex-U.S. Rep. Chris Shays just formally entered the GOP race for the Senate nomination today after he announced his intentions last August.

Oakes certainly knows how to introduce himself in an interesting fashion and appeal to a broad range of voters. Here’s a key paragraph from his email:

“I am pleased to announce my candidacy for United States Senate, a position that was previously occupied by Joseph Lieberman. Being poor, disabled, gay and a victim of crime, I am uniquely qualified to serve. I have seen it all, and in a time where both the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street think they know what is best for America, I am willing to stand up and say let’s meet in the middle. I have seen it all, I have nearly done it all, and for these reasons I have the experience and qualifications to serve the citizens of the great state of Connecticut.”

UPDATE: A few folks contacted me today wondering whether this guy is legit. For example, there are no records of his candidacy popping up with the Federal Election Commission. 

Reached by phone, Oakes swore he’s a real candidate, his paperwork has been filed and he’s out knocking on doors and trying to schedule appearances with various Democratic organizations.

He said he’s been turned down by a few who don’t consider him to be a seriously recognized candidate because he has not received any coverage in the press.

“Some of them are like, ’I'll be honest, you should just give up’,” he said.

But he’s going to keep trying to garner attention.

“Hey, why not? At least get a message out there,” he said.

Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy’s administration today released a list of $78.6 million mid-year budget cuts to address a sharp decline in revenue.

Although the state is investing $22 million in a tourism marketing campaign, arts and tourist attractions are not spared. Among those groups is the Greater Hartford Arts Council, run by First Lady Cathy Malloy, which faces a loss of $4,733.

Here’s the full list of budget cuts across state government. Arts and tourism organizations are listed under the Department of Economic and Community Development.

Mrs. Malloy doesn’t have as much to complain about as some of her colleagues whose groups are losing even more in state funds.