Political Capitol

Visitors to the capitol tomorrow (Tuesday) will find a pair of hand sanitizers flanking the front entrance.

They are mounted on waist-high stands.

According to maintenance staff they were installed tonight to help combat the H1N1 Flu.

The H1N1 elves also spent the evening leaving bottles of Purell and pamphlets describing the virus and how to combat it around the building.

As reporters busied themselves cranking out stories about Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s decision not to run again in 2010, outgoing Stamford Mayor and potential Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dannel Malloy popped into the capitol press room unannounced.

Malloy said he was on his way home from a conference in Boston on regional cooperation and economic development when the news about Rell broke. And he clearly knew reporters would want to talk to him.

“It’s a little strange but sometimes things happen in a fortutious way,” said Malloy, who lost his party’s nomination in 2006 to New Haven Mayor John DeStefano and for months has been exploring whether to take another shot at the governor’s office.

Malloy, whose job running Stamford ends November 30, was pressed by myself and others on when he plans to announce his candidacy.

“I probably haven’t hidden a candle under a basket here,” Malloy said when it was noted he has been acting more and more like a candidate but continues to say he is in exploratory mode.

But he said there are discussions he needs to have with his family and other unspecified “hurdles.”

How about at least giving a timeline?

“Sometime after the New Year,” Malloy said.

Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s announcement tonight that she is not going to seek re-election in 2010 means at least two local Republican leaders – Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele of Stamford and House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero of Norwalk – could be vying for the job in the coming months.

Following Rell’s 5 p.m. press conference to reporters Fedele faced the press in the hall outside her office and made it clear that he does plan to run for Governor now that she is out.

Fedele said unlike some other potential Democratic gubernatorial candidates he is not going to first form an exploratory committee.

“I think I know where I’m going with it. I don’t think there’s much to explore,” Fedele said. “Those who supposedly know about this job, they really shouldn’t be exploring, either.”

A handful of Democrats, including outgoing Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy and former U.S. Senate candidate and Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont are all exploring potential runs.

And so is Cafero, who earlier this year formed an exploratory committee for an unspecified statewide office but has said he has his eyes on Rell’s job if she retired.

Cafero, who called Fedele a dear friend who would make a great Governor, said “he’s further along in that thought process (of running) than I am … I take my hat off to him for that.”

“But that does not change the fact after 17 years in the legislature and as hard as I’ve worked for the state of Connecticut and my party in particular and my caucus I think I’m entitled to reflect upon (running) as well,” Cafero said. “And by the way so are others. I think we’re a ways away from making a decision as to who’s going to be the nominee.”

Some have speculated that since the role of Lt. Gov. is a low-profile one, that Fedele does not off the bat have the name recognition to be the GOP’s front runner.

But he may have something else. Fedele told reporters Rell told him she would back him for the job, even if other Republicans came forward.

Rell declined to endorse anyone when asked by reporters.

“There will be a lot of talented people I’m sure that will step up to the plate,” she said.

Cafero said even if Rell endorsed Fedele privately that would not discourage him from considering running for the state’s top spot.

“With all due respect, now that she has declared she is not running that is of no moment to me,” Cafero said. “Everyone loves support from any source you get but if the Governor chose to endorse Lt. Governor Fedele, so be it.”

UPDATE: State Sen. John McKinney, R-Fairfield, who earlier this year turned down a chance to run for U.S. Congress in 2010 to spend more time with his kids, said if called upon by the GOP to run for Rell’s seat, he might be up to it.

But McKinney said he has no immediate plans to form an exploratory committee.

“I’m going to work with all Republican leaders to find out who can win in November, 2010,” he said. “If people in the party think that may be me I’m certainly willing to consider.”

But McKinney added his children will continue to be a deciding factor.

“The decision going down to Washington was easy for me. I just didn’t want to be down in Washington with my kids in Connecticut,” he said. “Obviously being governor allows you to stay in Connecticut.”

State House Speaker Christopher Donovan, D-Meriden, last week announced he wants to address domestic violence in Connecticut during the 2010 legislative session.

To accomplish that mission, Donovan has created a 16-person task force to focus on the issue, which includes Rep. Gerald Fox, D-Stamford.

“Most people don’t realize that about 30 percent of criminal court dockets involve domestic violence, and many more of these crimes go unreported,” Fox, an attorney and vice-chairman of the General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. “This is an issue with many complicating factors including a desperate need to improve the level of available victim services.”

Freshman Rep. Terrie Wood, R-Darien, is also a participant on the task force.

Fox recently co-chaired a group created by Donovan’s predecessor, retired Speaker James Amann, D-Milford, to study and address domestic violence in the immigrant community.

Although lawmakers failed to enact related legislation by the end of the regular 2009 session at midnight on June 3, the language was tacked onto one of the bills passed by the General Assembly Oct. 2 to implement the new two-year state budget.

If you want the details, click here and scroll down to section 64.

Somehow when state officials lauded luring NBC Universal to Stamford with the state’s film and television tax credits, I doubt they considered whether any positive economic impact would be negated by an increase in crime.

If this becomes a regular problem – and frankly, judging from the typical Jerry Springer guests, why wouldn’t it? – critics of the tax incentive might have a bit more ammunition in their ongoing battle to limit/eliminate the program.

Although I guess you could argue the credits are creating jobs – specifically there might be a need for more cops, emergency medical technicians and lawyers.

I was reviewing the most recent campaign finance filings for Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s re-election exploratory committee, when something caught my eye.

Stamford resident Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele’s three children – two of them students and one an employee at Stamford Hospital – all donated $100 to Rell between late August and early September.

Now I may be making a leap here, but it seems if anyone should have insight into Rell’s plans, it’s Fedele, who has said he would run for Governor in 2010 should his boss choose to retire.

I can’t imagine at some point before cutting those $100 checks at least one if not all three of those kids called dad Fedele and asked: “Is she in?”

Rell has said she will announce her intentions by the end of the month.

George Jepsen, a former state Senator from Stamford and one-time head of the Connecticut Democratic Party, helped run Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont’s upstart bid for U.S. Senate in 2006.

But when in comes to the 2010 gubernatorial race, Jepsen is firmly behind outgoing Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy, who has been exploring a run for several months.

Lamont yesterday announced he is exploring running for governor next year as well.

“I’ve been with Dan since the night he lost the (gubernatorial) primary three years ago,” Jepsen said.

Malloy was the Democratic nominee in 2006 but lost the primary to New Haven Mayor John DeStefano.

“I spoke to him and said I thought he should run again and want to help him,” Jepsen said. “I really think he’d be a great governor.”

Jepsen said he remains friends with Lamont and the two have had lunch a handful of times over the past year or so.

“He understands where I’m coming from,” Jepsen said.

Asked if Lamont’s entering the race makes things tougher for Malloy, who was considered a front-runner for the nomination along with Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, Jepsen said “it’s more complicated all the way around, I think.”

Around 7:30 this evening I got a phone call from Mark Ellis, a 57-year-old substitute teacher from Long Beach, California.

Let me be clear that I’ve never heard of Mr. Ellis and this call was totally unsolicited.

What I got out of our conversation was that Mr. Ellis is a registered Democrat frustrated with Stamford’s own self-described “independent” Democratic U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s position on healthcare reform.

(Ellis also isn’t a big fan of Democratic President Barack Obama. He doesn’t think Obama is aggressive enough in pursuing his policies, like healthcare reform.)

Ellis was curious if someone on the West Coast feels that way, how is Lieberman’s own state taking it and can any of his constituents explain their Senator’s behavior? He began searching for newspapers and other political sites based in Connecticut thinking “they surely could give me a heads up on what in the world’s Joe Lieberman thinking.”

Knowing Stamford is Lieberman’s home, Ellis picked up the phone and dialed my number at The Advocate.

So Senator Lieberman – or anyone on his staff – feel free to call Mark. I’m not going to print his number here, but he’s not hard to find in the Long Beach directory and he’s looking for answers.

And YOU’RE welcome, Senator, for fielding your angry phonecalls.