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http://youtu.be/Emi3zzGUMgg

Sen. Rob Kane, a Republican who represents the 32nd District that includes Bridgewater, Middlebury, Oxford, Seymour and Southbury, was on Fox News’ Fox and Friends early Tuesday morning to talk about the ghoulish proposal by a fellow state lawmaker to move Halloween to Saturday, permanently.

Kane, who said he’s a fan of Snickers, isn’t necessarily against the move, but said it’s not the right time to bring up the topic.

State Rep. Tim Larson (D-East Hartford) proposed making the holiday the last Saturday of October each year in Connecticut, citing the fact Thanksgiving is celebrated on the third Thursday of November every year as an example.

This year, Halloween falls on a Monday and Larson said parents he’s talked to say weeknight trick or treating is difficult because kids have to get up for school the next day.

“Halloween is fun night for the whole family, but not so much when you have to race home from work, get the kids ready for trick or treating, welcome the neighborhood children, and then try to get everyone to bed for an early school and work morning,” Larson said. “Halloween has also become one of the top holidays for retailers selling candy, decorations, costumes and general party supplies. Jobs are created by this holiday, so let’s make it a little more fun and safe for everyone, and create some jobs too.”

The proposal comes as state legislators return to Hartford to tackle the issue of creating jobs. On Fox News, Kane said Larson and those supporting the proposal need to realize what is really important.

“It’s not about the idea, it’s about government overreach,” Kane said. “In Connecticut we have 9 percent unemployment, the highest tax burden in the country, the highest energy costs in the country and we’re talking about moving Halloween?”

Kane said “we should be talking about getting people back to work, getting the economy going, creating jobs, or at least an atmosphere to create jobs, not discussing what day we are handing out trick or treat candy.”

Larson said he doesn’t expect the proposal to come up during the special session, but hopes it will be considered in 2012.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said Tuesday, after laughing, that he thinks a decision on Halloween should be made by the U.S. Congress, not on a state-by-state basis.

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Chris Murphy

U.S. Rep. Christopher Murphy (D-5) was in Illinois this weekend at a town hall meeting, promoting an effort for Democrats and Republicans to come together to fix the economy.

“In Washington, nothing can get done without the two parties working together,” said Murphy, according to the Champaign/Urbana The Daily-Gazette. “This economy, with the misery that comes with it, affects everybody, whether you are registered as a Republican or registered as a Democrat.”

According to the Daily-Gazette article, Murphy joined Republican colleague Tim Johnson at the I Hotel in Champaign, speaking in front of about 100 people Sunday afternoon.

Murphy, who is running for U.S. Senate in 2012, and Johnson, who represents Illinois’ 15th district, are members of the Center Aisle Caucus, a group working to bring the two political sides together.

“Washington would work together better if the two parties just talked to each other. Tim and I are trying to set an example for our colleagues,” Murphy said, according to the Daily-Gazette. “We need to think creatively about how to break the culture of dysfunction in Washington. If you are serious about Washington, you have to be serious about reaching out across the aisle.”

Johnson was a founder of the caucus, and Murphy is one of its leaders.

“More than ever, there is a tremendous belief that government at all levels is out of control,” Johnson told the Daily-Gazette. “The dysfunctionality, the anger, the bickering and the unwillingness to work together have reached monumental proportions, and we need to do something about it.”

Murphy told the Associated Press that he thinks some Democrats are hesitant to join the movement, because they don’t want to be accused of being centrists.

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Tom Foley has a new focus group — not the political kind.

The Republican nominee for governor in 2010 and wife Leslie Fahrenkopf Foley welcomed twins, Grace Quinlan and William Reed, on Sept. 26.

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Connecticut GOP Chairman Jerry Labriola Jr. and Democratic Congressman Jim Himes are dueling for Twitter supremacy.

In a Hearst Connecticut Newspapers article about the growing field of would-be challengers to Himes in the 4th Congressional District, which was controlled by the GOP for 40 years before the seat went Democratic during the last two elections, Labriola vowed that there would be a Republican renaissance.

“It’s a Republican seat and we aim to take it back,” Labriola said.

Himes took a dig at Labriola’s comment via Twitter Wednesday.

“Head of CT Repubs called the seat I hold ’a Republican seat.’ Sorry, Jerry, belongs to all my many constituents, not me or you,” Himes wrote.

Determined to get the last word, here’s the latest salvo from Labriola.

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TRUMBULL – Candidates rarely make their opponents look flattering when they send out campaign mailers, and Tim Herbst joked about the especially unflattering photo his opponent’s campaign used in a mailer sent out this week.

His head is superimposed on another body, he said.

“I don’t own a tie like that,” Herbst said. “I would never wear a tie that ugly. And that isn’t my hand. I would never use a club that archaic.”

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Former State Sen. Emil “Bennie” Benvenuto, an anchor of the Greenwich GOP who was blackballed by his party for his support of Lowell Weicker Jr., died early Tuesday morning.

Benvenuto had been suffering from prostate cancer, according to friends.

He was 80.

Check back at greenwichtime.com for a look back at Benvenuto’s life and legacy.

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More than six years after his death, and as his successor prepares to leave office, former mayor Frederick L. Lisman was the topic of conservation at the Board of Aldermen meeting on Monday night.

Two members of Lisman’s own party offered contrasting views of the city’s longest-serving chief elected official. The tone, at times, sounded like the famous rebuke to Vice President Dan Quayle in a campaign debate: “I knew John Kennedy. I served with John Kennedy. You sir are no John Kennedy.”

Tom Beirne Sr., one of Lisman’s closest friends and the one-time Board of Aldermen chairman, said Lisman was careful with the city’s purse strings and taxpayers’ money.

Current mayor Jim Richetelli “couldn’t be more different than Fred. Fred could be mean when he had to,” Beirne told the aldermen.

“Jim doesn’t like confrontation and he doesn’t like saying no. As a result taxes and bonded indebtedness have doubled in the past 10 years.”

Alderman Pamela Staneski, R-5, took the rare step of going to the podium herself to rebut Beirne. “I was on the Board of Ed while Fred was mayor and his saying no is what got our schools in such a shape that we’ve had to sell bonds to pay for the work,” Staneski said.

Beirne, who was booted off the Republican Town Commitee several years ago, endorsed Democrat Ben Blake for mayor.

“The Republicans have been in for 22 years and we haven’t done that good a job lately,” Beirne said. “I think it’s time we let the other party run things.”

To Alderman Bob Joy, R-2 and the GOP candidate to succeed Richetelli, Beirne said, “I think you’ll make a fine mayor someday. But you need to stay where you are for a few more years.”