Malloy: Obama can be my wingman anytime

Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy could use a set of coattails.

But does President Barack Obama — not on the ballot in the midterm elections and flirting with the label of lame duck — have any left to ride on in Connecticut?

Down 9 points in a recent New York Times and CBS News poll to Republican Tom Foley, whom he defeated by less than 1 percentage point in 2010, Malloy thinks so.

The first-term governor, in an appearance Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” said he would welcome a visit from the 44th president.

“He may not be as popular as he once was, but I’m certainly happy to have him come to Connecticut” Malloy said of Obama.

Obama’s approval rating was a pedestrian 48 percent in Connecticut the last time pollsters from Quinnipiac University were out in the field, which was in May. Two months prior, Obama’s favorability sank to 45 percent, the lowest of his presidency in the Constitution State.

Having Obama campaign for him in the state, Malloy said, could draw positive attention to Connecticut’s roll-out of its health insurance exchange under the Affordable Care Act. Malloy said Connecticut has been a leader on Obamacare, enrolling 230,000 people in medical plans and is being looked to by other states to help them with the transition.

“He can certainly come to my state and talk about that issue any day until the cows come home quite frankly because it is appreciated the difference that that’s making in our state,” Malloy said.

Malloy’s “Morning Joe” interview was his first major television appearance since this week’s release of the New York Times/CBS News poll, which was a departure from previous snapshots by Quinnipiac University that showed him tied with Foley.

“I think it is a dead heat and it has been, quite frankly, since we ran against each other the last time,” Malloy said. “I don’t think it’s changed at all. That’s where it ended. That’s where it will begin after the Republicans have their primary.”

Neil Vigdor