Political Capitol

I was speaking to a colleague yesterday who noted how odd it seems for politicians and pundits and reporters to focus on Stamford native U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s fate in Congress in the midst of wars and financial crises.

Then I read this today.

I think Lieberman’s rabbi, Daniel Cohen of Stamford, summed it up best when I interviewed him last week on the topic.

“He always seems to be in the middle of things,” Cohen said. “God likes him to be engaged.”

The Hartford Courant’s Jon Lender continues to delve into the arrest of Jessie Stratton, a former legislator from Canton and Avon who in 2002 tried to challenge fellow Democrat Moira Lyons of Stamford for the position of House Speaker.

It’s interesting reading.

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) today issued a six-point plan they want lawmakers to adapt to help cities and towns weather the state and federal economic crisis.

Chief among the group’s recommendations is lawmakers use the $1.4 billion rainy day fund to avoid cuts in municipal aid.

“Connecticut’s towns and cities are reeling from the body blows unleashed by the economic crisis that besets our state and nation,” James Finley, CCM’s executive director, said.

CCM for months has been warning Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell and the legislature’s Democrat majority that less state aid equals higher local property taxes.

In a statement issued later in the day, Sen. President Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, agreed.

Williams’ own six point plan, which includes proposals to audit state agencies, better-manage large transportation projects and also embraces recommendations made by Rell, concludes with: “Don’t pass the buck. We should avoid making reckless cuts that just shift the burden to ‘other’ taxpayers; gutting municipal aid would simply cause property taxes to increase.”

During a press conference this afternoon to discuss the state’s gloomy financial and budgetary outlook, Ken Dixon, the Connecticut Post’s capitol reporter, asked Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell if she would veto any budget put forth by the legislature that raised the income tax.

The General Assembly is controlled by Democrats who in 2007 sought to boost income taxes on the state’s wealthiest residents and lower them for everyone else. The bill passed and Rell vetoed it. An effort to override her veto was thwarted by Stamford’s Democrats and Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, who feared the tax hikes would hurt constituents.

Responding to Dixon, Rell said: “Raising taxes in this economy is the worst thing we can do at any level.”

As the press conference adjourned, I spoke to Rell and pointed out she did not specifically answer whether she would veto a tax hike.

She smiled and said: “No I didn’t.”

State Rep. Denise Merrill, D-Storrs, who last week was chosen as Majority Leader of the House of Representatives by her peers, is only the second woman to hold the position.

The first? Stamford’s Moira Lyons, a former state representative who was also the first female Speaker of the House.

Lyons retired in 2005 from the state legislature after 22 years in office.

Here’s the latest on “independent Democrat” U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s fate after backing Republican John McCain in the presidential race.

Some political observers, including state House Speaker James Amann, D-Milford, last week suggested President-elect Barack Obama might discourage Senate Democrats from punishing Stamford native Lieberman.

Amann, a longtime supporter and friend of Lieberman’s, said it would look bad for the new administration to condone punishing Lieberman after Obama promised during the presidential race to unite the country.

… here.

And also here.

Annnnnd finally, here.

So the state legislature’s Democratic majorities in the Senate and House and the Republican minorities met over the past few days to choose their leaders for the coming, 2009 legislative session.

Most of the faces will remain the same. Senator Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, returns as Senate president with Sen. Martin Looney, D-New Haven, as Senate majority leader.

Sen. John McKinney, R-Fairfield, will continue to lead the Repubicans in his caucus while Rep. Lawrence Cafero, R-Norwalk, remains in charge of the House GOP.

Rep. Christopher Donovan, D-Meriden, was promoted from the post of House majority leader to speaker, since Rep. James Amann, D-Milford, is retiring from the legislature to pursue a gubernatorial bid.

The only really new face is Rep. Denise Merrill, D-Mansfield, who was promoted to House majority leader.