The White House just confirmed that President Barack Obama will be headlining a Sept. 16 fundraiser for U.S. Senate candidate/state Attorney General Dick Blumenthal at a still-to-be disclosed location in Stamford.
It has been reported that Obama was likely to visit Connecticut this month, news which stirred up a bit of controversy last week when a former state Democratic Party Chairman warned it could hurt candidates in the run-up to November’s general elections.
Blumenthal, who has served as attorney general for the past two decades, has been somewhat clumsily attempting to define himself as a political outsider in his battle against self-funded professional wrestling executive, Republican U.S. Senate nominee Linda McMahon.
Some pundits have been having a lot of fun with his claims.
But in a statement just a few minutes ago Blumenthal said: “I look forward to welcoming the President of the United States to Connecticut. It is an honor to have his support and his assistance. His visit will make a difference for us, energizing our supporters and helping us raise the resources we need against my opponent who is spending an unprecedented $50 million on her campaign.”
Blumenthal spokesman Marla Romash said “Dick has always said when he agrees with the President he’ll stand with him and when he doesn’t he won’t … The bottom line here is the most important thing for Dick has always been and always will be what’s best for Connecticut.”
Obama’s approval rating has dropped in Connecticut to 50 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University poll from July.
And Time Magazine this week delved into the national view of Obama and what that means for Democrats in the mid-term elections.
UPDATE: Here’s what the McMahon campaign had to say about the news of Obama’s stumping for Blumenthal in an e-mail. It’s what you’d expect.
Dick Blumenthal is just another politician. He hasn’t been honest about special interest money, and he supported a partisan assault on health care that was put together behind closed doors and now is costing us all. He supports the President’s national energy tax, and he supports higher taxes on Connecticut’s small businesses. We are not going to get our economy growing again by electing more politicians who don’t get it. More of the same is just not good enough.
Blumenthal did so much for this state suing a lot of business’s to force them move out of the state, this is only one the reasons why Conn.is running a massive DEFICIT, Blumey is going to be a rubber stamp for any and all of Obama’s programs just like Dodd was!! Want more of the same??? I don’t think so!!!!!
Comment by Fgs. — September 3rd, 2010 @ 7:42 pm
Having Obama support him shows Blumy will only support the failed policies of Pelosi and Obama. He thinks suing companies create jobs. Bluemy has done nothing for CT except chase companies out and overstep his authority. He’s a camera hog who is insecure and will never fight to get what CT deerves- decent representation.
Comment by jschmidt — September 3rd, 2010 @ 10:19 pm
Mr. Blumenthal, party loyalist to the end. Can anyone really believe Mr. Blumenthal will reject the failed Obama/Reid/Pelosi economic policies after the President comes to CT to stump for and fill his campaign coffers?
After watching a near insurmountable 40-plus point in the polls evaporate, Mr. Blumenthal is now ahead by only seven points – and hiding in a bunker, awaiting the next salvo from Mrs. McMahon.
Voters in CT, like those in nearby MA who just last January voted for Scott Brown, do not want another Big Government, big spending liberal in Washington.
Comment by George — September 4th, 2010 @ 7:26 am
Voting for Blumenthal is like voting for any other useless incumbent. Time for new blood!
Comment by Mike — September 4th, 2010 @ 7:28 am
Good for Dick. He and Obama are both intelligent, class acts, which is much more than I can say for the opposition. And for every unfounded claim that Blumenthal “ran businesses out of CT” I can probably supply hundreds of middle-class residents who were getting screwed by a bank, an insurance company, big pharma, or some other soulless multi-million dollar corporation that was intentionally hurting people and laughing all the way to the bank. Thank God for Dick Blumenthal — he will make a SUPERLATIVE U.S. senator.
Comment by Lawrence — September 4th, 2010 @ 12:42 pm
Are we all that er, yes, stupid? We have a candidate that dumps on the working man. Throws them away like used diapers and gets filthy filthy rich doing it. Taking big money from very little minds. Now with that money fuels egotisim for more more more. More money, more power. Than we have an opposing candidate that has served his country and had that service thrown back in his face. Did McMahon go to through our Marines boot camp? The MARINES, the finerst most disiplined respected force in the world and this is flipped into a negative? Go figure. Blementhal has served our state and continously checked in place enormus powerful entitys protecting and advocating for avergae joe and jane citizen consumer and this is flipped to leave an impression Blumethal closed factories because he checked huge congolmerates like the power and insurance indutries that rob us all and brought in historic record fines to the state, which in case anyone didnt notice we did end up with a surplus from last years budget. Surplus. Anyone remember we were 300 million short? Now we eneded up being 400 million ahead. Anyone notice the fines Blumethal has brought in to state coffers? And this is a negative also? Talk about stretching and twisting. This is beyond stretching. McMaons are getting desperate to just win. Like some kinda high for a severly ill bipolar person. Win. Win. Win at all costs. Something like competence education experince, ah those attribute arent of value for an elected officialrepresenting the State Of Connecticut in The United States Congress. Nah, give us tits and ass and pass the beer and chips. This is America and we have a god damn right to be comfortably ignorant and remain statically controlled. God Bless America, where if your mean and have no sense of morale values and responsibilty to future generations, you can get rich really really rich and buy yourself a congressional seat in the U.S. Comgress.
This is why we sacrificed all those boys laying in repose forever at Arlington and Normandy?
When did we forget?
Comment by Mom — September 4th, 2010 @ 3:54 pm
And voting for Linda McMahon is having the wool pulled over ones eyes. Enjoy being the next political laughingstock, right next to idiot Minnesotans who elected Stuart Smalley…
Comment by Former WWE employee — September 4th, 2010 @ 10:25 pm
Very glad to have Obama visit Connecticut. Almost all of the candidates who have received “help” from Obama during the last 18 months wind up losing. This is a great sign for McMahon. Thanks Barack! Oh, and please keep coming back, Barack!
Comment by Barry Haines — September 5th, 2010 @ 9:38 am
AG Blumenthal is simply all PR Bluster . . . Just like Obama and its sad that too many people believe it and do NOT check the records . . . MOM !?! wake up. We pay the Highest Electric rates in the continental US . . . AGB spin on Utilty case loss sucker . . . we have the HIGHEST Debt to income of any state in the country . . . SURPLUS ? . . . we are 1/2 Billion in Debt we are right behind Calif Mich & NY on whom we’ll go bankrupt first after AG B tripled his budget every year of this recession . . . where have you been hiding . . . I haven’t seen a more blind person since Jim Jones told his followers to drink the punch. Should I get into the state of Maine wants to talk to him on a “potentially criminal” ex parte taken of a business. . . or hows about the $20 MILLION emminent domain case loss
Heres my one amusing Q? to Mom can you give me THE ONE PERSONS NAME THAT AG BLUMENTHAL Created a job for in CT. and in return I will give you 100′s of business losses. do you know he sued the Black Chamber of Commerce outta the state. More women business owners have suffered on his watch than in any other state
Comment by Richard GE — September 5th, 2010 @ 5:38 pm
And must I always remind you he WAS VOTED WORST ATTORNEY GENERAL
or please go http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtLE4Z1kMdA
The Bumbling & fumbling You Tube video where AG Blumenthal could not even defend Legislative Law . . . . where you will see THE REAL AGB and why he NEVER EVER does 2 sided discussions . . . only the one sided pathetic PR that only his own his people “still” beleive do be true
Comment by Richard GE — September 6th, 2010 @ 6:34 pm
What is wrong with you people? The Republicans are the ones that got us into the mess that we are in! Not Obama. And it is the Republicans that are hurting the people. They are trying to destroy Obama and we are suffering. If they were so great why are we in a recession? Obama found us here we didnot get here after he became president. I hope you do vote for the Republicans in November and see what you will eat, sleep, go to the doctors then! Also where you will work.It is not Obama policies that are hurting us it is what the Republicans
has done to us for the last eight years.(What have the Republicans done for you lately).
Attorney General Blumenthal is the greatest. He has always been for Connecticut. I know he is going to win in November.
Comment by Rev. Lee — September 6th, 2010 @ 9:35 pm
Blumey sued big tobacco and the state lawmakers INHALED all the money (BILLIONS)!!!! Why didn’t ol’e blumey have some of that money directed for some programs to help smokers quit the nasty habit!! Since he did so much good for the state why are we still in the deficit zone?? The voters need to clean up the mess that the incumbents have done and vote them all out of office!!!THE STATE IS BROKE!!!!!!!
Comment by Fgs. — September 9th, 2010 @ 4:37 pm
FGS: So you would have rathered that those CORRUPT companies stay in Ct leaching money out of the people? It’s pathetic how people like you just condemn this man that has proven himself over the years by defending Ct residents against corrupt corporations.And you want to put a nobody whom no one even knew beforehand outside of that false world of idiotic wrestling? Yea, sure, I would vote for someone that has NO experience and has not shown herself to do anything for this state except make money for herself.Give me a break.
Comment by Lydia — September 15th, 2010 @ 7:48 pm
Your way of thinking is totally off the wall , your friend O’ Blumey has chased more business, (THE BIGGEST TAXPAYERS) out of Conn. with his lawsuits!! and new regulations. This guy is so anti business, this is one of the reasons why this state is in a (DEFICIT SITUATION)and the cost of doing business is off the charts!! I wish there was a way to SUE HIM for all the damage he has done to many businesses, and in turn has made all of the state taxes to increase on everyone!!!
Comment by Fgs. — September 17th, 2010 @ 10:44 pm