The Everyday Republican

There is No Realty

2011-07-15T13:48:00.003-04:00

It's hard to keep one's balance or grip on what is going on in the halls of government these days. The more I go into the details of massive government layoffs and debt reduction brinkmanship, the less convinced I am any of it will really happen. In Hartford, the state union leaders, who have done more to destroy themselves than 100 Yankee Institutes, are now planning to move the goal posts to the 50-yard line to accept Gov. Dannel Malloy's original "concession" plan.

This plan, which the union rejected for fear of being dumped into a single-payer system called Sustinet, would guarantee jobs for all state workers for four years, put off some raises for two years and do little to address the $65 billion unfunded pension and health care benefit liabilities to taxpayers.

Gov. Malloy sets off to Utah to be with fellow Governors who understand the real problem and probably lecture them on why his way is the best way to grow the economy. Malloy always seems to have an opinion about every one's business. He scolded Congress for not agreeing to an increase in the debt ceiling by urging members to "grow up."

I mean, what's then big deal anyway? What's another $4 trillion in receivables when you come right down to it.

And while Malloy was away, his able staff were morbidly announcing cuts in spending and personnel. But those "cuts" are merely notices to some 6,500 employees, who can still "bump" other employees due to seniority. And if you add state workers who are retiring anyway and jobs that are still vacant and not filled, it's maybe 4,000. Who knows? Who cares? It doesn't matter because it won't happen. Yet, the Democrats continue to go through this exercise as if it will and that is unfair to everyone. The only good outcome of all of this is it will irreparably divide the union for years.

These massive layoffs won't happen because the Lords of Labor will figure out how to recount the votes, or lower the threshold for passage. They can do that by changing the union by-laws. Under the old rules, 80 percent of union members who voted on the "concession" package, had to approve it. Only 57 percent did while 21,000 members said knet. By the way, has anyone seen or heard from AFL-CIO President John Olsen? Is he okay?

Once the unions come around and bend over, Malloy can say he stood tall, did what he had to do and got the result he wanted - $1.6 billion in savings and no disruption in state services. He will shrug when Republicans and those who reside in this universe that Malloy did all of this by pushing through the largest tax increase in Connecticut history.

And while the executive and judicial branches have at least gone through the motions to cut their budgets, the Legislative branch - those charged with the public purse - have no cut a penny from its bottom line. There has been no shared sacrifice from the Legislature. No one has given up a day's mileage, or part-timers in the mail room or a subscription to Legislature Today.

Again, those in the reality challenged community known as Hartford, have little clue or appreciation for the state of the economy in Connecticut. Malloy's laughable $60 million corporate bribe to CIGNA puts the final candle on the cake.

Isn't CIGNA one of those evil corporations the Democrats spend most of their waking hours deriding and claiming are living well while the rest of us are drowning in a Middle Class quagmire of stagnant incomes and lost opportunities? Shouldn't David Cordani, the CEO of CIGNA, be paying more in income tax to cover the needs of those who are looking for their next meal in dumpster.

Guess not or why would the state give CIGNA, a great company by the way, give CIGNA an interest free $15 million, another $6 million for "job training" with the rest coming in the form of tax credits for the promise of 200 jobs?

That same day, across the state in Groton, Electric Boat announced it was shedding 100 jobs for lack of work.

In Washington, President Obama complains that he would rather be "talking about new programs" than haggling over raising the debt limit. For once, Republicans have a better argument on spending. The country by a large, is done with it, even those programs that they like. They know a fiscal diet is needed and it has to start yesterday.

And while liberals in Washington are deriding any potential cuts in federal spending as a one-way ticket to cat food sandwiches for the elderly, the left in Connecticut has been mute when it comes to what Malloy is doing to state versions of big government.

Most telling is the Malloy administration's attempt to strip down and consolidate all of the good government oversight agencies and place them under one department head. Those commissions include Ethics, Elections and the Freedom of Information panel. These are the crown jewels of the liberal crown and not a word has been spoken by this power play.

It all depends of course, of who's in charge. For years, Democrat decried all attempts by Republican Governors to run the government once the Legislature had passed a budget. Since the unions nixed the deal, House Speaker Chris Donovan, D-Meriden and Senate President Don Williams, D-Brooklyn,have freely surrendered their duties to Gov. Malloy - hoping he would make it all go away.

For now, the Democrats hope the union leadership - already divided and under siege from its rank and file members, will make their problems go away by waiving off the reality at hand with a new outcome based on the realities at hand.

Some day, we will get real about this.

CT Post Picks Rob Russo in 22nd Special Election

2008-03-03T17:29:00.000-05:00

With a week to go before the Special Election in the 22nd State Senate race in Bridgeport, Trumbull and Monroe, Republican Rob Russo picked up a big endorsement today by the Connecticut Post.

The Post wrote Sunday:

"The Connecticut Post endorses the candidacy of Robert D. Russo III for the seat. Russo possesses an energy and a modicum of "out-of-the-box" thinking that we believe is better suited to the district and its disparate communities and politics.

A former aide to U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-4, and regional office head for Gov. M. Jodi Rell, Russo possesses a firm and deep knowledge of the major issues in the district and at the state Capitol. He realizes the urgency of building bridges between the urban center and its neighboring suburbs.
We feel Russo is representative of a new breed of politicians that is willing to work across party lines to accomplish common goals and we particularly appreciated the recurring emphasis he's placed on state fiscal prudence during the campaign."

Remembering Bill Buckley

2008-02-28T13:45:00.000-05:00

It is difficult for many to grasp the impact William F. Buckley had on the modern conservative movement and the political discourse of this country for the last 50 years.

Bill Buckley was the intellectual driving force that propelled Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan and then, Newt Gingrich. He gave many young conservatives and Republicans, like my father and his generation, the ability to stand up in a crowded room and say "yes, we are proud of what this country is and can be," and then took that emotion into elective politics at every level.

When he began his magazine, The National Review, in the mid 1950's, there was little conservative discourse in the halls of power or academia. Much of the Establishment viewed conservatives as lunatics, incapable of understanding the issues of the day or offering coherent solutions to them. Buckley changed all of that through persistence and a true belief in the power of freedom and individual initiative.

He was a writer of letters up to the time of his death, and his use of the English language was without peer. Buckley took on postwar liberalism and in a very short time, brought Conservative thought into practical application. Others can comment better on how it changed the course of human events.

Conservative principles brought this country back from the big government management model to the unlimited potential of the free market and roll back of the New Deal and Great Society. His uncompromising stands against totalitarian regimes and their appeasement led to an end to Communism. He defended Joe McCarthy when no one would, supported giving the Panama Canal to the Panamanians when the right thought him daft and threatened to take Gore Vidal to the parking lot at the 1968 convention.

Bill Buckley also became a writer of great spy novels and a chronicler of sailing, which he did with courage and grace. There was nothing he didn't do well. His sense of humour and loyalty to friends of all political stripes endured throughout his life.

He was above all, a true American, comfortable in his own class and not afraid to challenge the high priests of established conventional thought. As his son, Christopher said, "he died with his boots on," working on another column.

Like Reagan and Goldwater, there was no one like him but he maintain through it all a sense of humility and style that propels others to answer the call to action for years to come.

Go to the New Website

2007-12-14T13:26:00.000-05:00

http://www.everydayrepublican.com/

Everyday Republican.com

2007-12-09T20:11:00.000-05:00

You can now find The Everyday Republican at its new home, www.everydayrepublican.com

Senator/Mayor Finch

2007-12-08T10:17:00.000-05:00

After Senator Bill Finch was elected to be the Mayor of Bridgeport, most observers anticipated that Mr. Finch would resign his 22nd District seat - made up of a portion of Bridgeport, Trumbull, and Monroe - in the Connecticut State Senate. But much to their surprise, the Senator/Mayor let it be known that he was considering keeping both offices. This revelation is meeting with decidely less-than-remarkable enthusiasm in the "scorned towns" of Monroe and Trumbull.

The good people of Monroe are rightly protesting the Senator/Mayor's action:

"The resolution is being considered with full respect for Finch and the fine job he has done as senator, said Councilman Patrick O'Hara, a Republican who introduced the proposal . . .

"I don't think he can serve the needs of the largest city in Connecticut and serve the needs of the senatorial district as well," O'Hara said Friday."

Senator/Mayor Finch's actions have also had the additional effect of placing his constituents in an untenable position of opposing his actions at their own peril:

"But at least one council member thinks the resolution may be a bad idea because it has the potential to alienate Finch, a Democrat.

"I don't want to see him in two jobs," said council Chairwoman Enid Lipeles, another Republican.

"I don't think he has the right to be in two jobs, but I know this will alienate him when he finds out about it. It's a brand-new government and I don't want to alienate him. I know we're waiting for the courts to have an opinion.""

Any time a public servant's actions force his constituents to choose between opposing his actions at the risk of offending him and standing for their principles, that public servant should resign his office. Mr. Finch - pick one.

Roraback Streak Continues

2007-12-08T10:12:00.001-05:00

From Capitol Watch:

"Republican Sen. Andrew Roraback has done it again.

He did not miss a single vote this year - marking the 13th straight year of never missing a vote.

That record covers six years in the House of Representatives and seven years in the Senate - something that no other current legislator has accomplished. The Senate clerk's office, which keeps the records, says that 628 votes were cast this year - and Roraback was present for each one.

"I feel fortunate that neither illness nor any other emergency has interfered with my ability to work'' on legislation, Roraback said.

The streak goes back to January 1995, covering nearly 6,400 votes."

Happy Friday Afternoon

2007-12-07T16:46:00.000-05:00

We are Moving!!

2007-12-07T15:42:00.000-05:00

After 7 months here at our Blogger-based home, The Everyday Republican will be moving our daily operations to our new address, www.everydayrepublican.com on Monday, December 10th, 2007.

Remember to update any bookmarks or RSS feeds that you may have.

Starting Monday, December 10th, we will be blogging at www.everydayrepublican.com. See you there.

A Date Which Will Live in Infamy

2007-12-07T14:53:00.000-05:00

Franklin D. Roosevelt's Infamy Speech
December 8, 1941

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya. Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island. This morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.

Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounded determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December seventh, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire."

Thank You to the Troops

2007-12-07T13:18:00.000-05:00

www.freedomwatch.org

Courant: Gaffey Should Be Censured

2007-12-07T09:17:00.001-05:00

Today, the Hartford Courant issued an articulate, astonishing editorial on the recent conduct of State Sen. Thomas Gaffey, D-Meriden, saying he should be censured by his peers in the State Senate for failing to disclose a personal relationship which affected $1 billion in education spending.

Republicans should no longer whine and complain about how the Courant is indifferent to the actions of Democrats. At least in this case, the Courant has been thorough in its reporting and now, in its judgment.

"A Compromising Affair" sums up what Sen. Gaffey failed to do during the entire closed door debate and scheme to add $1 billion in state bonding spending on the Connecticut State University System (CSUS) which manages the operations of the four branch colleges of UConn.

In addition, the Courant said Gaffey should be removed from his position as Vice Chairman of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee, which has oversight of spending on public colleges and universities.

"Mr. Gaffey's failure to disclose his relationship with Jill Ferraiolo, the assistant vice chancellor for governmental affairs, reflects poorly on his ethical judgment. It should also disqualify him from serving on the legislature's Committee on Higher Education and Employment Advancement, which oversees public and independent colleges and universities, including CSUS."

On Wednesday, Democrats in the Senate huddled in a closed-door meeting without staff at the State Capitol to discuss the Gaffey matter and to question the seven-term incumbent of the details. Sources said several Senators asked specific questions about the nature of Gaffey's role in negotiating the deal which moved $1 billion in spending onto the bonding package that passed the Senate, 24-12, along party lines.

Governor Rell vetoed the bonding proposal, citing excessive spending and a lack of fiscal controls on the CSUS proposal. State Sen. Joan Hartley, D-Waterbury, chairman of the Higher Education Committee, was never consulted on the proposal and vowed not to vote to override the veto until controls were implemented. Senate President Pro Tempore Don Williams, D-Brooklyn, then threatened Hartley with a loss of privileges, including her chairmanship. In the end, Hartley won out and Williams backed off. All the time, no one knew about Gaffey's relationship with the then married Ferraiolo.

State Sens. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk and Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, were both quoted in the Wednesday Stamford Advocate as supportive of some form of review of Gaffey actions, but they were subsequently mum after the closed door meeting on Thursday.

Gaffey must have given them a convincing story.

Lt. Governor Fedele Drops In

2007-12-07T09:15:00.000-05:00

Connecticut's Lt. Governor, Mike Fedele, has been featured in this space for his showing up in unlikely places before. But on Wednesday, rather than unsuspecting Democrats, Mr. Fedele dropped into the tiny town of Sprague to tell 8th grader Micala Smith that her drawing had been chosen as the LG's Holiday Card for Connecticut citizens in the Second Congressional District. Ms. Smith, of Baltic, submitted her drawing of a "Mystic holiday scene" for the Lt. Governor's Holiday Card Contest, which solicited art from schoolchildren across Connecticut for the Holiday Card.

According to the Norwich Bulletin article, Micala, 13, was quite surprised to learn that the Lt. Governor had arrived to see her, commenting, "Then my principal came in and said, 'The lieutenant governor is here,'" Smith said. "I said, 'Really?' It was a big shock. I had no idea".

Huckabee and Chuck Norris on Faith

2007-12-06T12:18:00.000-05:00

New! The Everyday Republican

2007-12-06T11:14:00.000-05:00

On Monday, December 10th, we will be moving our day-to-day operations to our new home, http://www.everydayrepublican.com/. The new site is now up and open to the public as we make some last minute tweaks to it. Feel free to check it out.

Again, we will be moving our daily operations to the new page on Monday, December 10th. Remember to change your bookmarks to the new address or grab the new RSS feed.

"Faith in America" by Gov. Mitt Romney

2007-12-06T11:03:00.000-05:00

"Faith In America"
Remarks As Prepared For Delivery
The George Bush Presidential Library
College Station, Texas
December 6, 2007

"Thank you, Mr. President, for your kind introduction.

"It is an honor to be here today. This is an inspiring place because of you and the First Lady and because of the film exhibited across the way in the Presidential library. For those who have not seen it, it shows the President as a young pilot, shot down during the Second World War, being rescued from his life-raft by the crew of an American submarine. It is a moving reminder that when America has faced challenge and peril, Americans rise to the occasion, willing to risk their very lives to defend freedom and preserve our nation. We are in your debt. Thank you, Mr. President.

"Mr. President, your generation rose to the occasion, first to defeat Fascism and then to vanquish the Soviet Union. You left us, your children, a free and strong America. It is why we call yours the greatest generation. It is now my generation's turn. How we respond to today's challenges will define our generation. And it will determine what kind of America we will leave our children, and theirs.

"America faces a new generation of challenges. Radical violent Islam seeks to destroy us. An emerging China endeavors to surpass our economic leadership. And we are troubled at home by government overspending, overuse of foreign oil, and the breakdown of the family.

"Over the last year, we have embarked on a national debate on how best to preserve American leadership. Today, I wish to address a topic which I believe is fundamental to America's greatness: our religious liberty. I will also offer perspectives on how my own faith would inform my Presidency, if I were elected.

"There are some who may feel that religion is not a matter to be seriously considered in the context of the weighty threats that face us. If so, they are at odds with the nation's founders, for they, when our nation faced its greatest peril, sought the blessings of the Creator. And further, they discovered the essential connection between the survival of a free land and the protection of religious freedom. In John Adams' words: 'We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion... Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people.'

"Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone.

"Given our grand tradition of religious tolerance and liberty, some wonder whether there are any questions regarding an aspiring candidate's religion that are appropriate. I believe there are. And I will answer them today.

"Almost 50 years ago another candidate from Massachusetts explained that he was an American running for President, not a Catholic running for President. Like him, I am an American running for President. I do not define my candidacy by my religion. A person should not be elected because of his faith nor should he be rejected because of his faith.

"Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions. Their authority is theirs, within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation begin.

"As Governor, I tried to do the right as best I knew it, serving the law and answering to the Constitution. I did not confuse the particular teachings of my church with the obligations of the office and of the Constitution – and of course, I would not do so as President. I will put no doctrine of any church above the plain duties of the office and the sovereign authority of the law.

"As a young man, Lincoln described what he called America's 'political religion' – the commitment to defend the rule of law and the Constitution. When I place my hand on the Bible and take the oath of office, that oath becomes my highest promise to God. If I am fortunate to become your President, I will serve no one religion, no one group, no one cause, and no one interest. A President must serve only the common cause of the people of the United States.

"There are some for whom these commitments are not enough. They would prefer it if I would simply distance myself from my religion, say that it is more a tradition than my personal conviction, or disavow one or another of its precepts. That I will not do. I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers – I will be true to them and to my beliefs.

"Some believe that such a confession of my faith will sink my candidacy. If they are right, so be it. But I think they underestimate the American people. Americans do not respect believers of convenience. Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world.

"There is one fundamental question about which I often am asked. What do I believe about Jesus Christ? I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. My church's beliefs about Christ may not all be the same as those of other faiths. Each religion has its own unique doctrines and history. These are not bases for criticism but rather a test of our tolerance. Religious tolerance would be a shallow principle indeed if it were reserved only for faiths with which we agree.

"There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the Constitution. No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes President he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths.

"I believe that every faith I have encountered draws its adherents closer to God. And in every faith I have come to know, there are features I wish were in my own: I love the profound ceremony of the Catholic Mass, the approachability of God in the prayers of the Evangelicals, the tenderness of spirit among the Pentecostals, the confident independence of the Lutherans, the ancient traditions of the Jews, unchanged through the ages, and the commitment to frequent prayer of the Muslims. As I travel across the country and see our towns and cities, I am always moved by the many houses of worship with their steeples, all pointing to heaven, reminding us of the source of life's blessings.

"It is important to recognize that while differences in theology exist between the churches in America, we share a common creed of moral convictions. And where the affairs of our nation are concerned, it's usually a sound rule to focus on the latter – on the great moral principles that urge us all on a common course. Whether it was the cause of abolition, or civil rights, or the right to life itself, no movement of conscience can succeed in America that cannot speak to the convictions of religious people.

"We separate church and state affairs in this country, and for good reason. No religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion. But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism. They are wrong.

"The founders proscribed the establishment of a state religion, but they did not countenance the elimination of religion from the public square. We are a nation 'Under God' and in God, we do indeed trust.

"We should acknowledge the Creator as did the Founders – in ceremony and word. He should remain on our currency, in our pledge, in the teaching of our history, and during the holiday season, nativity scenes and menorahs should be welcome in our public places. Our greatness would not long endure without judges who respect the foundation of faith upon which our constitution rests. I will take care to separate the affairs of government from any religion, but I will not separate us from 'the God who gave us liberty.'

"Nor would I separate us from our religious heritage. Perhaps the most important question to ask a person of faith who seeks a political office, is this: does he share these American values: the equality of human kind, the obligation to serve one another, and a steadfast commitment to liberty?

"They are not unique to any one denomination. They belong to the great moral inheritance we hold in common. They are the firm ground on which Americans of different faiths meet and stand as a nation, united.

"We believe that every single human being is a child of God – we are all part of the human family. The conviction of the inherent and inalienable worth of every life is still the most revolutionary political proposition ever advanced. John Adams put it that we are 'thrown into the world all equal and alike.'

"The consequence of our common humanity is our responsibility to one another, to our fellow Americans foremost, but also to every child of God. It is an obligation which is fulfilled by Americans every day, here and across the globe, without regard to creed or race or nationality.

"Americans acknowledge that liberty is a gift of God, not an indulgence of government. No people in the history of the world have sacrificed as much for liberty. The lives of hundreds of thousands of America's sons and daughters were laid down during the last century to preserve freedom, for us and for freedom loving people throughout the world. America took nothing from that Century's terrible wars – no land from Germany or Japan or Korea; no treasure; no oath of fealty. America's resolve in the defense of liberty has been tested time and again. It has not been found wanting, nor must it ever be. America must never falter in holding high the banner of freedom.

"These American values, this great moral heritage, is shared and lived in my religion as it is in yours. I was taught in my home to honor God and love my neighbor. I saw my father march with Martin Luther King. I saw my parents provide compassionate care to others, in personal ways to people nearby, and in just as consequential ways in leading national volunteer movements. I am moved by the Lord's words: 'For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me...'

"My faith is grounded on these truths. You can witness them in Ann and my marriage and in our family. We are a long way from perfect and we have surely stumbled along the way, but our aspirations, our values, are the self-same as those from the other faiths that stand upon this common foundation. And these convictions will indeed inform my presidency.

"Today's generations of Americans have always known religious liberty. Perhaps we forget the long and arduous path our nation's forbearers took to achieve it. They came here from England to seek freedom of religion. But upon finding it for themselves, they at first denied it to others. Because of their diverse beliefs, Ann Hutchinson was exiled from Massachusetts Bay, a banished Roger Williams founded Rhode Island, and two centuries later, Brigham Young set out for the West. Americans were unable to accommodate their commitment to their own faith with an appreciation for the convictions of others to different faiths. In this, they were very much like those of the European nations they had left.

"It was in Philadelphia that our founding fathers defined a revolutionary vision of liberty, grounded on self evident truths about the equality of all, and the inalienable rights with which each is endowed by his Creator.

"We cherish these sacred rights, and secure them in our Constitutional order. Foremost do we protect religious liberty, not as a matter of policy but as a matter of right. There will be no established church, and we are guaranteed the free exercise of our religion.

"I'm not sure that we fully appreciate the profound implications of our tradition of religious liberty. I have visited many of the magnificent cathedrals in Europe. They are so inspired ... so grand ... so empty. Raised up over generations, long ago, so many of the cathedrals now stand as the postcard backdrop to societies just too busy or too 'enlightened' to venture inside and kneel in prayer. The establishment of state religions in Europe did no favor to Europe's churches. And though you will find many people of strong faith there, the churches themselves seem to be withering away.

"Infinitely worse is the other extreme, the creed of conversion by conquest: violent Jihad, murder as martyrdom... killing Christians, Jews, and Muslims with equal indifference. These radical Islamists do their preaching not by reason or example, but in the coercion of minds and the shedding of blood. We face no greater danger today than theocratic tyranny, and the boundless suffering these states and groups could inflict if given the chance.

"The diversity of our cultural expression, and the vibrancy of our religious dialogue, has kept America in the forefront of civilized nations even as others regard religious freedom as something to be destroyed.

"In such a world, we can be deeply thankful that we live in a land where reason and religion are friends and allies in the cause of liberty, joined against the evils and dangers of the day. And you can be certain of this: Any believer in religious freedom, any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty, has a friend and ally in me. And so it is for hundreds of millions of our countrymen: we do not insist on a single strain of religion – rather, we welcome our nation's symphony of faith.

"Recall the early days of the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, during the fall of 1774. With Boston occupied by British troops, there were rumors of imminent hostilities and fears of an impending war. In this time of peril, someone suggested that they pray. But there were objections. 'They were too divided in religious sentiments', what with Episcopalians and Quakers, Anabaptists and Congregationalists, Presbyterians and Catholics.

"Then Sam Adams rose, and said he would hear a prayer from anyone of piety and good character, as long as they were a patriot.

"And so together they prayed, and together they fought, and together, by the grace of God ... they founded this great nation.

"In that spirit, let us give thanks to the divine 'author of liberty.' And together, let us pray that this land may always be blessed, 'with freedom's holy light.'

"God bless the United States of America."

"Faith in America" Thursday 10:30am

2007-12-05T16:33:00.000-05:00

With his poll numbers stagnant and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee on the rise in Iowa and national polls, the long anticipated Romney "religious issue" speech is finally going to happen. Apparently unfazed by the Kennedy parallels, Romney will be in Texas at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library tomorrow to give a speech the Romney campaign has (creatively) dubbed "Faith in America".

It appears as though the Romney folks have a great deal riding on tomorrow's speech, having done a full week worth of buildup and will even be live streaming the event on their website, (creatively dubbed) www.mittromney.com . With so much at stake at such a critical time, many are speculating what Mr. Romney will say in his personally-written speech.

The reality is despite Romney's well-financed efforts in Iowa and New Hampshire, the so-called "Huckaboom" has certainly spooked the high command of the Romney effort. Mr. Huckabee has, according to the tracking at Real Clear Politics, has climbed from fourth to first in the space of roughly six weeks in Iowa polling. The Speech, as they say, certainly has the hallmarks of a "do or die" gamble from Mr. Romney. After the widespread hype, anything less than JFK redux may put the former Massachusetts' Governor's campaign into freefall. And even then, with the expectations bar so high, it is difficult to fathom the benefits to meeting or (how is this even possible?) exceeding them.

Whatever the result, tune into www.mittromney.com tomorrow at 10:30am to see "Faith in America" as it happens.

Big Boy on the Hot Seat

2007-12-05T11:51:00.000-05:00

State Sens. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, and Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford have broken from their Democratic delegation, now calling for a review of Sen. Thomas Gaffey's action over a $1 billion bonding proposal.

In today's Stamford Adovcate, Duff said the following:

"If any of what has been published is true, then we do need to investigate. It just opens up a lot of questions."

And McDonald, who is fighting Gaffey for the a future shot at Majority Leader, also landed on the Gaff.

State Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, said he wants to hear more of Gaffey's side of the story.

"I think there are legitimate questions," McDonald said. He added, although he might still have voted for the CSU plan knowing of Gaffey's relationship with Ferraiolo,"it would have heightened everybody's scrutiny of the project.

Coming Soon: www.EverydayRepublican.com

2007-12-05T10:28:00.000-05:00

On Monday, December 10th, we will move to our new home on the blogosphere, http://www.everydayrepublican.com/. We'll be posting notices here periodically about the move and leave the site up for as long as Blogger lets us - which, as best we can tell, is forever. We will open up the new site tomorrow so that we can do some tests to make sure everything works properly and identify any final tweaks we want to make.

Remember to change your bookmarks and links to our site. We look forward to the new opportunities that the site presents - www.everydayrepublican.com , starting Monday, December 10th.

Rob Kane, Republican Nominee for the 32nd District

2007-12-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

Robert J. Kane, of Watertown, was nominated last night to be the Republican candidate for the 32nd Senate seat, now vacated after the resignation of Lou DeLuca. He won the nomination at the 32nd District Convention last night, winning a narrow 34-30 vote over State Representative Art O'Neill (R-69th).

Mr. Kane has been active in his hometown of Watertown for years now, having served on the Town Council for three terms and just elected to his fourth in at the beginning of November. He was the Chairman of the Town Council from 2005-2007. A graduate of Central Connecticut State University, Mr. Kane founded KarTele in 1994 at 511 Wolcott Street, Waterbury. He has been honored with the 1999 Malcolm Baldridge Award for Volunteerism and the Harold Webster Smith Small Business of the Year Award in 2004 by the Waterbury Regional Chamber. He is a former board member of the United Way - Waterbury Association for Retarded Citizens. His wife, Marcy Kane Ph.D., is the 2006 Board of Directors Vice President.

Mr. and Mrs. Kane have two children, Aidan and Deana.

Kane Posts Win at 32nd District Convention

2007-12-04T21:57:00.000-05:00

Watertown Town Councilor Robert J. Kane narrowly won the nomination to run in the 32nd District Special Election next January 15. In a vote of 34 votes to 30 votes, with one delegate from Seymour absent, Mr. Kane defeated State Representative Art O'Neill (R-69th) by just four votes. A special election has been called to fill the seat of resigned Senator Lou DeLuca.

The Convention, held this evening at the Woodbury Senior Center, was chaired by the Chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party, Christopher C. Healy.

We'll have more coverage of now candidate Rob Kane tomorrow.

Convention Results

2007-12-04T20:25:00.001-05:00

34 to 30 for Rob Kane of Watertown

32nd District Convention Tonight

2007-12-04T17:12:00.000-05:00

Tonight, Delegates to the 32nd Senate District Convention will descend upon the Woodbury Senior Center at 7pm to nominate a new Republican candidate to fill the vacant seat. The mechanics of the convention are fairly simple, but because they usually happen in bunches, they are never featured as a wonder of democracy in action, but rather generally viewed as pro forma exercises in ridiculousness as required by bureaucracy - and sometimes, they are. But during a special election, wherein the law provides for no primary, the Convention is where the action is at.

For this evening's convention, 65 Delegates will be seated from the ten towns, with the following breakdown:

Bethlehem - 4
Bridgewater - 3
Middlebury - 6
Oxford - 7
Roxbury -3
Seymour (Districts 1 & 3 are in the 32nd District) - 5
Southbury - 13
Thomaston - 4
Watertown - 13
Woodbury - 7

Per the Connecticut Republicans State Party Bylaws, these delegates to the convention were chosen back in March of 2006 to nominate a Republican for the 2006 general election - in this case, Senator DeLuca was renominated - and are called to reconvene to nominate a replacement candidate. In the case that a delegate is unable to attend, they are allowed to designate an alternate to attend.

Four people had expressed an interest in the seat at one time or another - State Representative Art O'Neill, Watertown Town Councilor Rob Kane, Seymour Republican Town Committee Chair Brian Koskelowski, and former Oxford First Selectman August Palmer III. Mr. Palmer withdrew his name from consideration.

Tonight's convention will be opened by the previous Permanent Convention Chairman, Rob Kane. Subsequent to him gavelling the convention to order, it is anticipated that Mr. Kane will ask for nominations for a Permanent Chairman, as no candidate for the Convention's nomination can be its Permanent Chairman. Whomever the Convention delegates nominate and then vote for shall hold the position. The new Chair will then call for a rules committee and a credentials committee to be formed for the purpose of establishing rules and verifying the credentials of the attending delegates. The generally accepted practice is to select Roberts Rules of Order as the rules, though the convention has a wide range of ability to make modifications to the rules if they so choose.

Once those two committees have met and performed their functions, the floor will be open for nominations. And then the rest will be up to the delegates.

We will post results from the 32nd District Convention as soon as we get them.

CTGOP NewsChannel: Senator Tom Gaffey

2007-12-04T14:58:00.000-05:00

The Meriden Record-Journal had a piece today about local Democrats defending the actions of Senator Tom Gaffey. The Hartford Courant had a piece about Chairman Healy and others calling for a probe into Sen. Gaffey's actions. Chairman Healy has spent the day on the telephone with a dozen different reporters from across the state. Keep checking back in with one of the few blogs in Connecticut covering this story - The Everyday Republican.

Update 6:15pm: The story on Senator Tom Gaffey was near the top of the newshour on WTNH, which is now talking about the story on their blog. NBC30 also had a piece on the story, which has yet to be posted to the web.

Gaffey Still Doesn't Get It

2007-12-04T10:00:00.001-05:00

"In our system of government, nothing is more vital than the personal integrity of public officials, and nothing more dangerous than conduct that encourages public cynicism...Offense independent of legal transgressions have serious implications on public confidence as well, and cannot be ignored," - Senators Martin Looney, D-New Haven, Donald DeFronzo, D-New Britain and Andrea Stillman, D-Waterford.

State Sen. Tom Gaffey, D-Meriden, gave a predictable response to allegations that he crossed the line between private behavior and public policy Monday, but the questions will linger about why he didn't step away from a $1 billion spending plan for his alma mater.

In today's Hartford Courant, Gaffey sidestepped some legitimate concerns over his relationship with Jill Ferraiolo, a vice chancellor at the Connecticut State University System (CSUS). Throughout his Senate career, Gaffey has often felt the ends justify the means. When we questioned whether Ferraiolo had spent over $100 on her boyfriend, who she playfully called "Big Boy," in their email messages, Gaffey stated, "I pay, maybe I am old fashioned." The new Ethics laws forbid anyone, a lobbyist, a private citizen, from offering gifts at that level. It doesn't cut it anymore if you trade dinners or drinks, it's a $100 and that's it.

But that fact that Gaffey is picking up the tab is encouraging because a few years ago, he made a habit of spending tax dollars without paying. In a report, it was disclosed that Gaffey spent $10,000 in expense money from his current employer, the Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority (CRRA)without making timely repayments. He also has made a practice of using leftover campaign funds for personal use without disclosing the details.

The bigger issue here is this is no way to conduct the business of the state nor to saddle future generations of taxpayers with a billion dollars when it had no chance of passing until late in the game. These type of late inserts are usually reserved for a small pet project or two. Still not kosher, but the legislation in question did not have broad based support until it became leveraged by Gaffey and the Democratic friends who voted for the bonding package, 24-12.

Governor Rell decided the bond package and was too high and she rightly vetoed it. Then the Democrats began to count votes for an override and ran into a problem wtih State Sen. Joan Hartley, D-Waterbury, chairman of the Higher Education and Employment Committee. It was her committee which should have had the last say, or any say, in the approval of the CSUS proposal. But she was cut out and threatened by her leader, Senate President Don Williams, D-Putnam, if she didn't vote to override.

Hartley rightly pointed out the CSUS proposal had no oversight or reasonable structure to its spending. It was a blank check and given the history of another blank check program - UConn 200 - Hartley was not satisfied.

No one told Sen. Hartley about Sen. Gaffey's role in this bill or his relationship with Ferraiolo. Gaffey claimed he was not capable of carrying the bill to fruition, but he did not in an email to Ferraiolo that when properly motivated, he can get it done."

"I move mountains for my friends," Gaffey said.

Englehart on Senator Dodd

2007-12-04T09:59:00.000-05:00

It Came from the 32nd District

2007-12-03T23:03:00.001-05:00

The Waterbury Republican-American has several bits of fresh news on the race to fill the State Senate vacancy in the 32nd District.On the Democratic side, it now appears that there will be at least two candidates vying for the seat: Kenny Curran of Bethlehem, the campaign manager for Hartford Mayor 'Fast' Eddie Perez's '07 campaign will square off against John T. McCarthy, who may or may not be this John T. McCarthy:

John T. McCarthy was ambassador to Tunisia 1991-94, during which time he carried on an official dialogue with Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat. He was ambassador to Lebanon 1988-90, at the end of that country's civil war. He recently retired after a long career in government service, which began when he joined the Foreign Service in 1962. He spent the next 35 years working at the State Department in Washington D.C. or at various American embassies and consulates overseas. He currently serves on the board of Save the Children USA and continues to travel widely.
Kenny Curran Pictured

On the Republican side, former Oxford First Selectman Augie Palmer will not seek the nomination. After initially showing interest, he has opted to support State Representative Art O'Neill. Palmer's departure leaves three Republican candidates tomorrow evening, including Rep. O'Neill, Watertown Councilor Rob Kane, and Brian Koskelowski of Seymour.

Check in here tomorrow night as we cover the latest news from the 32nd District Republican Convention.

The Everyday Republican

2007-12-03T15:16:00.001-05:00

A New Platform for The Everyday Republican

Since we first started blogging on May 4, 2007, the official blog of the Connecticut Republican Party has been visited more than 20,000 times, to read any one of more than 600 posts. Our efforts have been noted by our supporters and our opposition alike - and we continue to grow in readership each week.

With this in mind, we are moving away from our Blogger setup and toward our very own www.everydayrepublican.com for all the latest news and notes about Connecticut politics from a Republican point of view. We will soon announce our moving date.

Billion Dollar Bedfellows

2007-12-03T09:18:00.000-05:00

It now turns out, that if you have the right boyfriend or engage in unprofessional behavior, you can get $1 billion in state tax dollars for a project that doesn't have broad based support.

Such is the case with State Sen. Thomas Gaffey, D-Meriden, who managed to resuscitate a proposal to pump that amount into the Connecticut State University System while having his leadership threaten another Senator who questioned the details. How did Tom Gaffey do it? With his the help of Vice Chancellor, Jill Ferraiolo of CSUS, where she runs the legislative liaison office.

It has been disclosed in Sunday's Hartford Courant by Kevin Rennie, that Gaffey and Ferraiolo have long been involved since the beginning of the year in an intimate relationship. The twice-divorced Gaffey is chairman of the Education Committee and Vice Chairman of the Higher Education and Employment Enhancement Committee, the latter of which has cognisance of the CSUS. Ferraiolo then married with three children, was divorced a few months ago.

Neither Gaffey or Ariolo had made any attempt to disclose their relationship to their peers. And it is no wonder. Between the two of them, they managed to move the $1 billion proposal onto the 2007 State Bonding proposal. The bill had a hearing, but the bill died in committee earlier this year. Then, it magically appeared in the Democratic proposal that was passed on party-line vote in September. Governor Rell rightly vetoed the bill and that is when the fun started.

State Sen. Joan Hartley, D-Waterbury and chairman of the Higher Education Committee, objected to the $1 billion package because it had no specifics or safeguards on spending. Quickly, Gaffey and Senate President Don Williams, D-Putnam, descended on Hartley, threatening her with loss of parking and chairmanship if she didn't jump to and vote to override the Governor's veto.

Hartley's issues were addressed, a new bond package was passed and no one was the wiser as to who were the real architects of this legislation - until Rennie's column.

There are many more questions that need to asked and answered, including:

When did Sen. Williams become aware of the Gaffey-Ferriolo relationship?

What did Sen. Williams do about it and did he ever tell Sen. Harley when he threatened her political livelihood?

Did Jill Ferriolo provide gifts in excess of $100 - in violation of state Ethics law?

Romney to Deliver Speech on "Religious Issue"

2007-12-02T19:58:00.000-05:00

With former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee running television ads like this one in Iowa, and with Iowa polling numbers starting to show Huckabee with a lead, the Mitt Romney for President campaign announced tonight that their man Mitt will take to the podium in Texas this Thursday to talk about his Mormon religion. The problem, of course, is that the expectations for this speech will be impossibly high for Romney, as the obvious comparison is made between Mr. Romney and then-candidate John F. Kennedy's speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association on September 12, 1960.

Reviewing President Kennedy's speech, the soaring oratory is striking not only for its quality, but also in stark contrast to modern oratory which so often demurs from the lofty nature that this speech exhibits. For Mr. Romney, there is much to borrow from in this speech - or rather, perhaps - to be compared against.

"For while this year it may be a Catholic against whom the finger of suspicion is pointed, in other years it has been, and may someday be again, a Jew--or a Quaker--or a Unitarian--or a Baptist. It was Virginia's harassment of Baptist preachers, for example, that helped lead to Jefferson's statute of religious freedom. Today I may be the victim- -but tomorrow it may be you--until the whole fabric of our harmonious society is ripped at a time of great national peril."

"But if the time should ever come--and I do not concede any conflict to be even remotely possible--when my office would require me to either violate my conscience or violate the national interest, then I would resign the office; and I hope any conscientious public servant would do the same."

-John F. Kennedy, 9/12/1960, Houston, Texas

How Mr. Romney will ever reach this standard is hard to imagine. Nonetheless, on Thursday, all American eyes should turn once again to Houston as a potential President takes to the podium in defense of his beliefs.

Happy Friday Afternoon

2007-11-30T16:33:00.000-05:00

Dodd Stealth Campaign Continues

2007-11-30T12:30:00.000-05:00

From Hitwise:

1. http://www.barackobama.com/ 26.95%
2. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/ 25.19%
3. http://www.johnedwards.com/ 19.67%
4. http://www.dennis4president.com/ 10.51%
5. http://www.joebiden.com/ 8.93%
6. http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/ 4.85%
7. http://www.chrisdodd.com/ 2.03%
8. http://www.gravel2008.us/ 1.86%

Senator Chris Dodd's apparent "stealth campaign" continues to go well. His website is polling behind Dennis Kucinich, not to mention Sen. Biden and Gov. Richardson. "Margin of Error" is beating him in his adopted state of Iowa. Things are even worse in New Hampshire. Even Dr. House would have a hard time fixing Dodd's numbers.

Rowland on O'Neill

2007-11-30T12:13:00.000-05:00

From Capitol Watch:

"Governor O'Neill was a good friend and a great governor,'' Rowland told Capitol Watch in an e-mail hours before attending O'Neill's funeral Mass. "He was a humble public servant who appreciated the responsibilities of office, took them seriously and did his job with a sense of fairness and decency. His leadership and hard work in the areas of education and transportation will stand for many generations. He will be missed by his many friends across Connecticut. Patty and I will keep him and Nikki in our prayers.'' - former Gov. John Rowland

Giuliani on Red Sox/Yankees

2007-11-30T12:11:00.001-05:00

Fred Thompson on Social Security

2007-11-30T12:03:00.001-05:00

Huckabee on the Death Penalty

2007-11-30T12:00:00.001-05:00

Debate Highlights from Wednesday Night

2007-11-30T11:53:00.000-05:00

The CNN-YouTube debate was held in St. Petersburg, Florida on Wednesday night, and it proved to be a very interesting evening. You can watch clips from the debate at YouTube.

We will post a few of the interesting clips here throughout the day.

Preview: This Week's The Republican Heard

2007-11-29T15:53:00.000-05:00

After a holiday hiatus, "The Republican Heard", the weekly e-newsletter from the Connecticut Republican Party, will be out this afternoon, with coverage on a wide range of topics. If you aren't already signed up to receive "The Republican Heard", then you won't be reading about:

The latest news from the 32nd Senate District as they prepare to nominate a new candidate to fill the vacancy
The new Citizens Election Program (CEP) and the ramifications of that new system
Internship opportunities available at CTGOP
and much more!

Cappiello Strong in Face of Mortgage Troubles

2007-11-28T14:45:00.000-05:00

With his political opponents attempting to stir up some dust over Senator Cappiello's work as a loan officer, the Republican challenging Democrat one-termer Chris Murphy announced his support recently for tough new regulations on mortgage officers in the wake of the continuing troubles in subprime lending. The Danbury News-Times covered the story today. Highlights from Cappiello:

"This is not going to solve all the mortgage woes, but it's definitely a piece of the puzzle," said Cappiello, who has also worked as a loan officer for the last decade. "Right now, someone could come off the street and work for a mortgage company or bank with little or no experience."

"It only makes sense that the loan officer they are dealing with has some training and education, so they can convey the right information to the customer," he said.

-Quotes from State Sen. David Cappiello, as reported in the Danbury News-Times, by Dirk Perrefort, 11/28/2007

Republican Presidential Candidates Debate Again

2007-11-28T11:29:00.000-05:00

CNN & YouTube will host a Presidential debate tonight for the candidates running for the Republican Presidential nomination. We've been running 'Debate Prep' clips over the last week and we'll continue to do that in the run up to the debate tonight. Here's one from Rudy Giuliani:

The Polling Report

2007-11-27T16:47:00.000-05:00

In the race for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination, a host of polling shows a predictably tightening race with several Republican candidates within striking distance of the front. While national polls continue to show strength for New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, it is important to remember that national polling data is completely irrelevant when it comes time to choose a Republican nominee, because the primaries are held state-by-state, not nationwide (though February 5th's Super Tuesday comes close).

Caucus-goers in Iowa will head to their local school, town hall, senior center, or sometimes even private residences to pick a nominee for President on an inevitably cold Iowa night to pick a Presidential nominee. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has held a firm lead in Iowa since the early summer, with RealClearPolitics showing a commanding lead for Governor Romney up until recently. The graph at RCP shows the story of the surging Arkansan Mike Huckabee, who has jumped up into second place as Giuliani, Thompson, and McCain have all either held or given up some of their support. Romney and Huckabee seem primed for a fight to the finish in Iowa. A clear victory for Romney in Iowa could well give him the Big Mo' necessary to power through the New Hampshire primary on January 8th, likely making Romney the Republican nominee. A narrow victory for Romney will make New Hampshire and South Carolina all the more important. A Huckabee victory in Iowa would give their effort a massive jolt of excitement while simultaneously making Gov. Romney's journey a much harder slog.

And just four days later, on January 8th, primary voters in New Hampshire will head to the polls to choose their favorite candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination. Equally chilly New Hampshire Republicans and independents who show up on Election Day are welcome to cast their ballots in the Granite State, which has set the scene for a unique political dynamism. They voted for John McCain in 2000, Pat Buchanan in 1996, and are still very much torn on their choice for 2008. RCP has Governor Romney well out in front in New Hampshire, with an average margin of more than 14% over the nearest rival, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Romney's numbers have been fairly stable in New Hampshire, with a mid-October lull seemingly in his rear view mirror and a coinciding Giuiliani rise apparently on the wane. Gov. Huckabee's numbers are creeping up in New Hampshire, though without the same yeast that is seen in the Iowa numbers. The much-anticipated candidacy of Fred Thompson seems to have boomed and busted through the past autumn, as his announcement was criticized for flaws, his candidacy pegged as haphazard, and his demeanor seemingly nonchalant about the whole thing.

The sum seems to be a strong position for Governor Romney in the early states, with Mayor Giuliani, and Governor Mike Huckabee poised to present formidible challenges to the Romney candidacy.

Masquerading as a Man with a Reason

2007-11-27T10:27:00.001-05:00

Connecticut's wayward son, senior U.S. Senator Chris Dodd, is spending his free time posing a question to Republican Presidential candidates. Some would argue its the closest he'll ever come to debating a Republican Presidential candidate. Click here to read Chairman Healy's post about Senator Dodd.

Connecticut's Missing Senator

2007-11-27T09:21:00.000-05:00

U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd's campaign for President has always been viewed with puzzlement from the start. It is clear he could raise enough money to keep him well stocked and fed as he plodded around the country, spreading a liberal message long past its import.

Connecticut Democrats rolled their eyes, wrote out their $2,300 personal checks and gamely attended his announcement at the old State House with the type of nervous smiles last seen when former Congressman Barbara Kennelly decided to take on Governor John Rowland.

You remember that one?, where the very nice Mrs. Kennelly stood next to a sign that had one word emblazoned with an exclamation mark - "Yes!"

Well, $7 or $8 million later, Dodd is still behind none of the above and the margin of error. He looks like Hell trying to pull off a task reserved for those a few years younger and a few pounds lighter. He is puffy and slit eyed in many pictures and no one really knows why he is still doing it - except to show Joe Lieberman that he can.

Now the missed in the U.S. Senate are catching up with him, according to today's Hartford Courant. Dodd has missed a third of the votes on the Senate floor, including many that are critical to the country's financial operation. Not that we mind that he isn't part of the Democratic ineptitude in Washington, but clearly the people of Connecticut elected him to do a job and that is U.S. Senator.

When Bob Dole began to evolve into a front runner in 1996, he realized he couldn't be a U.S. Senator for Kansas and Majority Leader. Dole stepped down and allowed the people of Kansas to have a full-time Senator working on the issues they care about.

Connecticut deserves no less. Dodd has been somewhat sketchy about whether he is running again in 2010. Sen. Dodd owes it to us, the people who voted for him or didn't vote for him, to choose - either give up the ghost and come home, or file for his pension. No hard feelings no matter what you do, Senator, just end this quixotic request before Englehardt really goes to town on you.

Down the Blogroll

2007-11-26T14:53:00.000-05:00

Good content abounds this Monday as we go, for the first time in quite some time, down the blogroll.

Don Pesci has an excellent post up, remembering the finer points of former Governor William A. O'Neill.

cttaxed.com is leading today with a thoughtful piece about the implications of a weaker U.S. dollar on Airbus and one of its prime suppliers, Pratt & Whitney.

Danbury Republican Mayor Mark Boughton explains why he is backing former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

Headless Horseman bids farewell to Gov. Bill O'Neill.

Our Milestone: 20,000 Visitors

2007-11-26T12:45:00.000-05:00

Since The Everyday Republican was founded back in May, 20,000 visitors have visited this page in search of the latest news and information about Connecticut politics. Though the official blog of the Connecticut Republican Party, this blog has come to stand on its own, not as a "press release dumping station", but rather as a source of original content and information about local, state, and national politics from the Republican point of view.

Thank you so much for helping us achieve this memorable accomplishment. In the coming days, we will announce exciting new developments here at The Everyday Republican which will provide new and innovative content for all of our readers.

Debate Prep: Choose '08

2007-11-26T10:16:00.001-05:00

Debate Prep: John McCain

2007-11-26T10:12:00.000-05:00

Bill O'Neill - A Regular Guy, A Great Leader

2007-11-24T19:48:00.000-05:00

Former Governor William A. O'Neill died today at age 77 after a long illness. He died at his home in East Hampton with his wife of 45 years at his side. Bill O'Neill, a conservative Democrat who rose through the ranks and became the longest serving Governor is modern history, brought a working man's perspective to politics.

He did it all and never put on any airs or thought much about the trappings of power. Bill O'Neill served his country in Korea with the Air Force, came home to Connecticut and operated a popular tavern in East Hampton. He ran and won a seat in the Legislature and made friends easily. They in turn made him their Majority Leader where he also won election as chairman of the state Democratic Party.

Bill O'Neill knew how to count votes and it was a talent that came in handy. It always does in politics and while liberals and Republicans would often decry his policies, Bill O'Neill often had the last laugh. He had the votes.

When he ran for State Party Chairman, he opposed Hartford lawyer and national big wig Peter Kelly, who was also the candidate of then Governor Ella Grasso. Many thought O'Neill had no shot, but he knew where the votes were, not in the Governor's office but with the State Central Committee and the town chairmen He won.

Within a few years, O'Neill was plucked by Grasso to be her running mate at Lt. Governor when the incumbent, Robert Killian, took on Grasso in a primary and lost badly.

In two years, terminal cancer forced Grasso to step down shortly before dying. O'Neill was suddenly Governor and he was immediately underestimated by friend and foe. But O'Neill knew to succeed, you needed smart, loyal people. He hired young, aggressive whiz kids like Tim Bannon and Dave McQuade and kept close counsel with his old pals, Jack Mahaney of Waterbury, George Hannon, Chad McCollum, his chief-of-staff and the sly fox, attorney Jim Wade.

O'Neill beat Lew Rome in 1982 and slaughtered Julie Belaga in 1986, sweeping the Democrats back into power in the Legislature two years after the 1984 Reagan landslide.

Bill O'Neill did many good things for the state - he rebuilt the roads and bridges, kept the income tax off the table and began to rebuild the state's higher education system. He was tight with the buck and was in no mood for the liberal social agenda.

He was tough but never cruel. He was always deferential to those who disagreed with him and he never forgot a face or name.

When Bill O'Neill left office in 1990, he left without fanfare. He fit effortlessly into private life along the banks of Lake Pocotopaug in East Hampton, offered his counsel when asked, kept his sense of humor and always had time for old friends or colleagues.

He was from the old school when old school was a good thing.

Republicans from across the state mourn the loss of a good and decent man who served his state and country with distinction. We send our love and prayers to Nikki O'Neill during this time of loss.

Manchester Road Race

2007-11-23T23:26:00.000-05:00

Chairman Chris Healy completed the Manchester Road Race on Thursday, finishing the race in 43:42:00.

Debate Prep: Ron Paul

2007-11-23T23:03:00.000-05:00

Week in Review - Winning a War - But Where Are The Democrats?

2007-11-23T10:38:00.000-05:00

By anyone's measurement, even the New York Times, allied forces in Iraq led by heroic American soldiers are winning the war on the ground. Acts of violence against civilians and among various tribal elements is down precipitously. Finally, political reconciliation can begin without the fear of bullets whizzing through the conference room or cars imploding from afar. It will take time but the potential benefits to long-term stability in the regime and defeating Islamic fascism and extremism cannot be diminished or ignored.

Except if you Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her boys Congressman John Larson, Joe Courtney and Chris Murphy. None of them acknowledge it even though all them were all too eager to fan public resentment of earlier defeats and setbacks. None of them will appear and even concede the surge strategy has worked and been sustained. Why is that? Why do you think these defeatists are nowhere to be found when the news is good and our troops are proven to be the true fearless professionals we know them to be?

This week, Courtney wrapped himself in the flag by taking a bow for another Virginia Class Submarine to be added to the fleet and built at Electric Boat. We are all thankful for that, but let's not get too dewy eyed for Courtney. He was handed this sub by Congressman John Murtha, D-PA, and Pelosi to give Courtney a trophy. The hard work was done by you know who and a whole crew of Republicans and Democrats who kept the base open and ready for this opportunity. Give the Democrats credit, they know how to use the power of the purse to buy seats, something the Republican Leaders couldn't grasp when Rob Simmons was making the same arguments a year ago.

Murphy was smug Wednesday when he dismissed a attack by the Connecticut Republican Party about money he allegedly took from Ray Termini, disgraced owner of Haven Health Care Nursing facilities around the country. We goofed by pointing out initially that Murphy had reported close to $12,000 in donations from various Haven Healthcare executives, including Termini when Murphy was a State Senator and Congressman.

Turns out Murphy's people filed an amendment report which erased those donations. Seems they didn't get the checks from those executive which they were all too eager to list on their Federal Election Report. In all our years of politics, we have never heard of anyone putting down a donor without the money in hand - never. It does beg the question - was the money promised? Certainly. And by whom? The Haven executives who parted with their personal information or Ray Termini? And what caused the names to be removed in the amended report? Murphy and his press aide were indignant.

We think Chris Murphy doth protest too much.

And Congressman Larson? Well, he told the Bristol Chamber of Commerce that we needed to "strategically" end the war in Iraq - whatever that means. It is sad and frightening to note, that John Larson was once a high school history teacher. He then told the business group that the war in Iraq was longer than World War II, while noting that the U.S. won the Cold War without firing a shot. It is nice to know that Larson has his idiotic talking points down.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-21T15:37:00.000-05:00

We often forget that it was Abraham Lincoln who began the tradition of Thanksgiving Day. It was during the famous Gettysburgh Address on November 19, 1863 that Lincoln said it all.

Here it is:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here qave their lives that the nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow, this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought so nobly advanced. It is for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us, that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God shall have a new birth of freedom; and that the government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth,

The Middlefield Experience

2007-11-21T13:36:00.001-05:00

The small town of Middlefield has been a story unnoticed recently as local politics, conflicting personalities, and poor decisions caused a muddled ending to their municipal election.

It started on Election Night, Nov. 6, 2007, when Republican incumbent Jon Brayshaw defeated Democrat Mary Beth Johnson by 14 votes after a hard fought campaign. The recanvass of the ballots was triggerd by state law.

On Monday, November 12, the interested parties assembled to recanvass the votes. The moderator, registrars, and observers agreed that the count had been righteous and fair - and at the end Mr. Brayshaw's margin narrowed by just two votes, from 14 to 12. This is when things got fun.

It came to pass that when Democrats added up the tallied number of votes for Brayshaw, Johnson, and blank ballots, the number fell nine short of the total number of names checked off as having voted. This struck some Democrats as odd, and there were inquiries made as to the nature of these 'missing ballots', to which no one could provide a good answer.

With this in mind, the Democrats called for a second recanvass of the ballots in hopes of 'finding the missing ballots'. A lengthy discussion ensued, at the end of which a call to the Secretary of the State's office led the moderator to schedule Recanvass Part 2 on Saturday, Nov. 17. Notices went out and plans were made to have a second recanvass.

We at the Connecticut Republican Party had been aware of the situation since Election Night, and watched with pleasure as the recanvass validated the results. We were chagrined to learn of the proposed 'second recanvass' as there was no basis in law for the recanvass, just the Democrat desire to have another one.

This issue of check off list numbers not matching up with ballots is nothing new in any town, as there are a variety of factors at play. Sometimes people enter the polling place, check in, and then don't vote as a political statement. Sometimes people come to vote and decide not to for some reason - a relative calls to tell about the just-born grandson, an official checker accidentally checks off a name that has not voted, or noticing that there is thick smoke rising from a house across the street - lots of different things things happen to people, and sometimes it happens while they are trying to vote.

The Secretary of the State's office is a busy one, no doubt, but their actions in this case left many exasperated. Different officials gave differing opinions on what was permissible and what was not, but none were willing to make a decision and say with authority what process should be followed. They communicated via telephone exclusively, leaving documentation, paper trails, and precedent murky at best, unrecognizable at worst. Having a government office appear so difficult to navigate re-affirms a sometimes preconceived Republican notion that government is full of hapless bureaucrats who hope only for the phone to stop ringing. And yet, we always hope to be pleasantly surprised - usually to our detriment.

On Saturday, Middlefield Republican officials arrived at the recanvass with several questions that had not been previously answered, like under what authority was the second recanvass allowed? Who approved the second recanvass? Were the results of the Monday recanvass certified? All these were asked, and none were answered. With that, the Republican officials departed the room until the Secretary of the State's office could be contacted for further guidance.

In lieu of this advice, the Republican First Selectman was administered the oath of office on Sunday. The next day, the Secretary of the State's office expressed appreciation to the Middlefield Republican officials for not participating in the 'recanvass' and told them that it would have been a bad idea.

So this was the Middlefield experience this year as the new machines, new recanvass procedures, and antiquated laws came together to produce a convoluted process for electing one local official. God save the Secretary of our State and the other responsible officials who made it possible.

Get Your Hillary Clinton Library Card and More

2007-11-20T16:52:00.000-05:00

It's been quite awhile since we featured the Republican National Committee's website here, but they are doing a lot of good work there - everything from a Hillary Clinton 'spend-o-meter' to the link for the official website of the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis. Take the time to check it out!

Debate Prep: Mitt Romney

2007-11-20T12:53:00.000-05:00

The YouTube Debate

2007-11-20T09:57:00.001-05:00

The Everyday Republican is the place to visit over the next week as we prepare you for next Wednesday night's Republican CNN - YouTube debate. We'll be posting YouTube videos from the Republican campaigns, and adding commentary where appropriate. The first one is from the Presidential campaign of Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.

YouTube Debate

2007-11-20T09:50:00.000-05:00

CNN and YouTube will be hosting a Republican Presidential debate tomorrow, Wednesday Nov. 28. Learn more here.

The Names, Please...

2007-11-20T09:29:00.000-05:00

There will be names on your Presidential Preference Primary ballot this February 5th, so sayeth the Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz. Republicans will have their pick of the follow crop of candidates:

former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani
former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney
Senator John McCain of Arizona, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee
former Senator Fred Thompson from Tennessee
CA Congressman Duncan Hunter
the intrepid Alan Keyes
Congressman Ron Paul of Texas
Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado

You can learn more about each of these candidates by visiting their websites, which you can find - now updated with the website for Alan Keyes for President - by finding the links section to the right of this post.

Several Republicans Announce Intentions in 32nd Senate District

2007-11-17T18:57:00.000-05:00

From the Republican-American, there are a number of announced candidates for the 32nd District State Senate seat. They are State Representative Art O'Neil, Oxford First Selectman August Palmer III, Watertown Councilor Robert Kane, and Seymour Republican Town Committee Chairman Brian Koskelowski.

The Connecticut Republican Party is neutral in this contest and do not support any candidate.

Canadian Invasion

2007-11-17T18:35:00.000-05:00

Upon a visit to New Hampshire to visit friends, I was minding my own business this afternoon on a brisk afternoon stroll when I ran into two gentleman going door-to-door for the Barack Obama campaign.

Interestingly, these two - introducing themselves as a Brit and a Canadian - were distributing literature for Obama. I suppose that American Presidential campaigns turn away no one who is interested, but to have foreigners doing doors in something new.

Happy Saturday Evening Video

2007-11-17T18:26:00.000-05:00

Republicans Rule in Enfield - Win Recount

2007-11-16T08:53:00.000-05:00

After a laborious three-day recount, Enfield Republicans emerged with a super majority on the Town Council by a five-vote margin. For the first time in three decades, Republicans will also have simultaneous control of the council and Board of Education.

Mayor-Elect Scott Kaupin will lead a 7-4 majority Monday, November 19 after the GOP is sworn in at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers. The Board of Education will be sworn in on Tuesday, November 20th at 6:30 p.m. at John F. Kennedy School.

O'Connor Named No. 3 at Justice Department

2007-11-15T16:43:00.000-05:00

The White House and Justice Deparment announced today that U.S. Attorney for Connecticut Kevin O'Connor will be nominated by President Bush as Associate Attorney General, the number three job at the department.

According to the Associated Press report:

In his new job, O'Connor would be third in line at the department and would oversee hundreds of attorneys working on civil rights, tax, antitrust and environmental cases.

"I am deeply honored to be nominated by the president to serve as associate attorney general, and grateful to the president and the attorney general for the confidence they have placed in me," O'Connor said in a statement. "The past five years during which I have served as Connecticut's U.S. Attorney have been the most challenging and rewarding of my professional career. If confirmed by the United States Senate, I look forward to serving in another important capacity within the Department of Justice."

O'Connor was one of five nominations announced Thursday by the White House to begin filling more than a dozen vacant leadership posts across the department as newly sworn-in Attorney General Michael Mukasey begins his job.

With only a little over a year left in the Bush administration, officials may opt to have an interim U.S. attorney for Connecticut as they have done in the past.

During his tenure in Connecticut, prosecutors successfully convicted a wave of public officials, including former Gov. John G. Rowland, a state lawmaker and the mayors of two of the largest cities. They also have won numerous convictions in a probe of the mob's influence of the trash industry and won record environmental fines against companies.

"I think Kevin is a terrific U.S. attorney," said Hugh Keefe, a defense attorney who has represented many high profile defendants in federal cases. "He's had a good run."

O'Connor, who ran a competitive but unsuccessful campaign for Congress in 1998, has been mentioned as a potential Republican candidate in the future.

"He's the golden boy of the Connecticut Republican Party without question," Keefe said.

Whitewash in Hartford

2007-11-15T10:07:00.000-05:00

The state Elections Enforcement Office has decided to slap Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez on the wrist for illegally spending $20,000 in city money to pay for mailings and other materials promoting his stewardship of the capital city.

In May, the Connecticut Republican Party filed a complaint with Elections noting that Fast Eddie has published 50,000 copies of a faux newspaper titled "Hartford Educator," which was distributed to thousands of Hartford residents, prominently featuring the photo and quotes for Mayor Eddie on the state of an education system which boasts a 50 percent drop out rate.

The law strictly forbids this use of taxpayer's funds one year before the election of the office holder that is featured. The old law had a five-month restriction. Perez claimed they thought the old law was still on the books. Hartford does have a full-time legislative liaison to track such things and City Hall is approximately a half mile from the State Capitol, but apparently Eddie didn't get the memo. That is their excuse - they didn't know the law changed.

So, the Elections "Enforcement" Commission has proposed that Eddie pay $839.00 to settle the matter. That's right - $839.00.

No matter. It seems ignorance of the law is acceptable to the Elections "Enforcement" Commission, which has handed out much more severe punishment to Democrats and Republicans for matters more technical that this gross violation of the law.

And since, the ruling came conveniently after the November 6 Election, it makes you wonder about the how impartial the Elections Enforcement would have been if a Republican office holder had crossed the line like Eddie Perez.

Interesting to note this issue has come up before.

According to today's Hartford Courant,

This is not the first time the commission has found a politician to be in violation of the same law for the same reason. In 2004, then-Mayor Lucian Pawlak of New Britain paid $615 to reimburse that city for the cost of a newsletter called "The New Britain Educator," which ran in local newspapers and included Pawlak's picture, stories lauding the school system's accomplishments and a column by Pawlak. Like Perez, Pawlak did not have to pay the $18,000 production costs for New Britain's advertisement.

Some of Pawlak's key staffers at the time now work for Perez.

Creeping Back to Normal

2007-11-14T22:21:00.000-05:00

As the municipal election cycle ends and the long haul toward Election Day 2008 begins, The Everyday Republican is changing back to its normal design and regular content sections that you've always enjoyed. We have been posting here since May 4, 2007 - and we've had a terrific run in the short time we've been blogging. For example:

The first blog to break the news that Republican Bruno Simonetti had won the Bolton race for First Selectman back on May 8th, 2007 - even before we started counting visitors to the site! Simonetti won by only 4 votes.

The 2007 Prescott Bush Awards Dinner Live Blog on May 24, 2007 - We had more than 400 visitors from all over the world reading along as CTGOP hosted former Tennessee Senator and (now) Presidential candidate Fred Thompson at our annual awards dinner.

We broke the news that State Senator David Cappiello had raised an astounding $200k during the first quarter of fundraising in 2007 (July 12, 2007)

September 5th Live Blog of the Republican Presidential Debate from inside the Whittemore Center at the University of New Hampshire

The first to announce that Jason Perillo of Shelton had won the race for the 113th Legislative District on October 9th

The first ever (near as we can tell) Live Blog from inside a polling place in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, on October 16th during the MA-05 Special Election

After a hiatus, "Who Will Be 44th?", our continued coverage of the race for the Republican and Democratic Presidential nominations, is back in full force starting tonight, with the below coverage of Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani's first television advertisement in New Hampshire. And soon, the popular "Down the Blogroll" section will return, as we feature some of the best 'right-minded' content from across the Connecticut blogosphere.

We will be adding several sections over the coming weeks, as the Connecticut General Assembly returns for its 2008 session and the races for the General Assembly and the State Senate begin to heat up.

These and other big changes will be coming to The Everyday Republican over the course of the next several weeks, especially as we approach two benchmarks: first, we will soon post our 600th post at this site; and second, the milestone 20,000th visitor at the #1 blog for Republicans in Connecticut will arrive probably late next week. Get your news and information first every day - at The Everyday Republican.

Giuliani Starts TV Ads in NH

2007-11-14T22:12:00.000-05:00

East Haven Recanvass Location

2007-11-14T21:19:00.000-05:00

East Haven: The Fiasco Continues

2007-11-14T16:24:00.000-05:00

Chairman Healy and I were on the ground in East Haven this morning as the East Haven recanvass fiasco continued. For the first time that we've seen or heard about, the Secretary of State had staff on the ground, mostly because they were able to catch a ride down with the boss herself. Susan B. mugged in front of the television cameras and generally attempted to appear in control of the situation enough so that people will vote for her when she runs for Attorney General in three years. Regardless of the Secretary's efforts, the problems with the recanvass are three-fold: the hand count, the antiquated law, and the lazy logic that created this process.

The Hand Count
People stopped running foot races against cars a long time ago, and with good reason. The machine has better stamina than the man, it has the capacity to go faster than the man, and it takes less to care for a machine than it does a man. The same is true for counting ballots. Though the counters are good people, working hard at a difficult task, it is quite certain that hidden amongst hours of counting ballots are human errors. You can eliminate the human error by setting up a common sense process for a human review of every ballot by several people, and then feeding the machine. Its not rocket science, but it does make sense.

The Law Left Behind
State law says that two party observers are allowed to observe the recount. In the good old days of lever machines, this meant going to the back of the machine, looking at the dials, and then going home. In a Florida-style hand recount situation, it means two people wandering amongst multiple counting stations, hoping that they catch mistakes. It is a foolish arrangement that should have been fixed when the machines were changed. The Secretary of the State dropped the ball on this.

The result is a completely ridiculous situation that played out this morning in East Haven - with a second recanvass and a third attempt at figuring out who won the race for Mayor of East Haven. Until this story gets out and more people realize what is going on, recounts will continue to return inaccurate results, the candidates involved will continue to struggle against the painstaking system, and the taxpayers of Connecticut will continue to get hosed.

Dodd to Visit Roswell

2007-11-14T07:04:00.000-05:00

What more can you say? By three-to-one margins in a new Quinnipiac Poll, Connecticut residents say it's time for Chris Dodd to leave the wind-swept fields of Iowa and call it a day. His approval rating is getting near that danger level of below 50 percent and even Joe Biden is beginning to get the joke.

But, nothing like those Englehart cartoons in color!

Jeff Wright Becomes Newington's Mayor

2007-11-13T21:26:00.000-05:00

Avid readers of The Everyday Republican know that we were the first ones to take note of longtime friend of CTGOP Jeff Wright when he announced his bid to become Mayor of Newington. And you saw the pictures here.

Less than six months later, here is the bookend to those previous photos, as Connecticut Republican State Central Committee Member Jeff Wright was sworn in as Mayor of Newington.

Healy, Genghis Conn Talk Local Politics

2007-11-13T21:06:00.000-05:00

In a nod to the boss and a hat tip to Genghis Conn over at CTLP, here is the interview with Chairman Chris Healy and CTLP's Genghis Conn on WSHU.

Mayor-elect Jeff Wright Swearing In

2007-11-13T18:50:00.000-05:00

Newington went to the polls last Tuesday and elected Republican Jeff Wright, a 35 year old financial advisor and former United States Marine. A member of the Connecticut Republican State Central Committee, Mayor-elect Wright posted a decisive win over his Democrat opponent Maureen Klett, winning 3979 to 3275.

Chairman Healy looks forward to attending Mayor-elect Wright's swearing in tonight and supporting a terrific friend.

Washington: Republican Takes Recount

2007-11-13T18:39:00.000-05:00

In a bit of news from the "News We Neglected to Report Earlier" file, in scenic Washington, Connecticut, the Republican challenger to Democrat First Selectman Richard Sears won by nine votes. Mark E. Lyons defeated Sears by seven votes on Election Night. The close tally caused the legally mandated recanvass of the 1316 ballots cast. The recanvass, held this morning at the Bryan Memorial Town Hall in Washington Depot, showed that Lyons won the election by the nine vote spread.

Accountability was the campaign issue de jour as several town projects had run significantly over-budget in recent years. Mr Lyons is scheduled to take office next week.

The Chairman's Statement on Lou DeLuca

2007-11-13T15:03:00.000-05:00

The resignation of State Senator Louis C. DeLuca of Woodbury was the best decision for his family, the people of the 32nd District, the state and the Republican Party. His resignation does not obscure or dillute the quality of his 17 years of outstanding service to his community and the Legislature where he served as leader and advocate for the Republican principles of freedom and compassionate government.

Sen. DeLuca showed tremendous courage in stepping down from his office and to pledge a renewed commitment to advocating for victims of domestic abuse and violence. He has been an outstanding legislator, local leader and friend to all who know him.

All Republicans wish Sen. Deluca, his wife Alice, and his entire family our prayers and support as he retires from public life, support him in the challenges that lie ahead and thank him for his years of service to Connecticut.

Chairman Healy Quote of the Day

2007-11-13T14:49:00.001-05:00

"Maybe if the Secretary of State spent more time focusing on elections instead of politics, we wouldn't have so many recounts."
-Chairman Healy (paraphrase)

Jason Thornhill - Marine, Patriot, Republican - Key Club Member

2007-11-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

With Veteran’s Day reminding us about the service and sacrifices made by our armed forces, we were pleased to hear from Jason Thornhill of Stamford, the newest member of our Key Club.

The 27-year-old Thornhill is Maine Corporal Thornhill, a member of the Inactive Ready Reserves and a veteran of the Iraq war, someone who was with the “tip of the spear” forces, which saw front line action in Baghdad, Tikrit, and along the Iranian, Kuwait and Syrian borders.

Thornhill was a Rifleman/Scout with Delta Company, 3rd Light Armor Reconnaissance Battalion, assessing the battlefield before allied troops were deployed. They often engaged the enemy in limited exchanges but were clearly in charge of paving the way for the many military successes of the conflict.

Like most veterans, Thornhill talks little of his combat service and doesn’t think what he did was anything more than his duty and a calling.

“It’s about pride in the mission, in knowing what were doing was good and serving with brace men and women in uniform,” Thornhill said. “It shapes you. It was a great experience.”

Thornhill grew up in Stamford, graduated from Stamford High School in 1998 and enlisted in the Marine Corps in May 2000. He was send to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Paris Island for the Corps 13 week intense boot camp. Thornhill then reported to Camp Geiger for 6 weeks of Infantry School for basic infantry training. Thornhill then reported to the Marine Corps Air Combat Center for assignment with the 3rd Light Armor Reconnaissance Battalion as a rifleman/scout.

He was deployed to Camp Schwab Okinawa, Japan serving on the camp guard force. Thornhill returned from deployment and later that same year Delta Company, 3rd Light Armor Reconnaissance Battalion prepared for the invasion of Iraq. The battalion was attached to the 1st Marine Division for combat operations. While on duty in Iraq, Thornhill was promoted to the rank of Corporal.

His awards are as follows; the Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (2)

Thornhill is currently working in private security while attending Norwalk Community College with the goal of entering a career in law enforcement. And he intends to stay active in veteran’s affairs, supporting programs that provide job training to veterans and promoting health care services to soldiers who return from active duty.

He also intends to support the Republican Party and stay active, and that is why he became a member of the party’s Key Club.

“As one of our most famous Republicans the late former President Ronald Regan said, “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem." Thornhill said.

Middlefield: Brayshaw Hangs On

2007-11-12T20:02:00.000-05:00

Republican First Selectman John Brayshaw held on in Middlefield, winning by 12 votes. Not much in the way of backstory here. Will try to find out more.

Manchester: The Suffering Ends

2007-11-12T19:56:00.000-05:00

The recanvass of the ballots in Manchester is over, and the Republicans have held the majority. After two grueling days of Florida-style hand recounting, the margin dwindled from 22 votes between candidate Jeff Beckman, a Republican, and candidate Jason Doucette, a Democrat.

The hand recount process is terribly flawed, with SO many opportunities for human error. And yet, strangely, the law of statistical probabilities kicked in somewhere and delivered a vote tally with minimal differences between Election Day and the end of the recanvass.

The ball now is in the court of Mr. Doucette and the Manchester Democratic Town Committee to see if they will let the result of two ballot counts stand or if they will go to court.

The swearing in for the first Republican majority in Manchester in 16 years is scheduled for Monday, November 19.

The Company That Dick Blumenthal Keeps

2007-11-11T09:25:00.000-05:00

This week, Attorney General Dick Blumenthal made this whirlwind appearances at numerous victory celebrations around the state by big-city Democrats who presided over poverty, mayhem and generally corrupt administrations. Dick has perfected muscling into the camera angle like the fictional movie character "Zelig" defying time and space as the man who would rather spend a night at the Hampton Democratic Town Committee bean supper than spend an hour reading bedtime stories to his children.

But Tuesday's performance at Arch Street Tavern took the cake. There he was, all slicked down with that snake charmer's smile, applauding Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez for spending close to a $100 a vote to beat four challengers. Even Bill Curry understands what a joke Perez is and how he is the poster child for what is wrong with one-party rule in our cities.

But Dick Blumenthal has been making excuses for Democrats throughout his career as long as they give him some face time and share a photo or two. Perez allowed a contractor spend around $30,000 to fix his bathroom and only copped to it when caught. He gave thousands of dollars in free contract value to North End street hustler Abe Giles and thought nothing of it. Dick Blumenthal, when asked, told us to look at the big picture. What if Perez is prosecuted for taking from someone who wanted something in return? Does this sound familiar?

But John Rowland didn't get a break. He took freebies from friends and contractors. His fishing shack in Bantam got a free makeover, but at least he took out building permits to do it. Dick Blumenthal was one of the first to jump on Rowland's case. John Rowland was run out of town and ruined.

But Eddie Perez? Well, you have to look at the big picture according to Dick Blumenthal and the hypocrtes of Broad Street- the Hartford Courant. The Courant]s ability to dissemble is almost as breathtaking as Blumenthal. In one edition the Courant lauds Perez and in the next, ponders what will happen when he is indicted. But it is Blumenthal's duplicity which is truly breathtaking.

When House Speaker Jim Amann used his office to shake down lobbyists for a charity that paid the Milford Democrat to raise money, Dick Blumenthal couldn't be found, nor was an obligatory inquiry made into the charity, an organization his office has jurisdiction over. When State Rep. Don Clemons, D-Bridgeport, admitted in federal court that he witnessed a bribe and failed to report it to anyone, not a Democrat said a word, including Dick Blumenthal.

So now, Dick has put the word out that he will finally take the plunge in 2010 that he will run for Governor no matter what Jodi Rell's numbers. Democrats are frozen in place again, and again, they are too afraid to call him out. Blumenthal will never run for Governor. He doesn't want to be Governor because he doesn't like to be criticized by anyone. Criticism comes only from leadership and decision making and Blumenthal has not stomach for that. Sue easy targets, overpower the weak, humiliate the defenseless and be invisible when you lose, those are the tactics of Dick Blumenthal and he falsely hopes voters will not put the pieces together and see how psychotic and dangerous he really is.

But Tuesday's little lovefest with Fast Eddie Perez should leave little doubt that Dick Blumenthal will keep anyone's company as long as it lands him somewhere in the photo gallery. That is where we found the photo at the top. Thanks Dick.

Recanvass Madness

2007-11-09T18:56:00.000-05:00

So that ballots have been cast, the votes are in, the celebrations and the disappointments come and gone... then comes the recanvass. With at least a dozen towns still counting ballots, there is a curious absence of information about this process as it continues in the mainstream media.

New Machines
Before the enactment of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-252), each state in the Union had implemented their own method of balloting. Some states have been using optical scan balloting for years, with the State of Oklahoma adopting the technology in 1991. Some states, most famously Florida, used a punch card system. Other states, like Connecticut, used the lever voting machines that had been in use for decades.
The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) mandated that states swap out their punch card and lever voting machines for shiny new optical scan systems and then gave states the money to make the switch happen. The Secretary of the State's office rolled out the machines slowly, placing 25 around the state in 2006 for the federal elections. Of those, 13 got caught in the 2nd District Recanvass last year.

The Second District Experience
In that recount, the process was fairly straightforward. The election officials took the ballots out of the machine, got a new machine, and then fed them back into the new machine - that was it. They treated the absentee ballots the same way they always had. The results generally found to be very good - optical scan towns generally had some swing; +1 for Simmons here, -1 for Courtney there, on it went. The biggest discrepancy found was actually on a lever machine in Lebanon, where an election official mistook a 2 for a 3. When it was taken away, it reduced Joe Courtney's total by 100 votes. On Election Night, the Simmons campaign was down by 171 votes. At the end of the recanvass, Rob Simmons was down 83 votes, meaning that the other changes across 64 towns and 242,000 ballots amounted to a swing of 12 votes.

The Dream and the Nightmare
It was thus that Susan Bysiewicz was out in Bushnell Park earlier this week, smashing away at an old lever machine like it had offended her. Connecticut voters went to the polls to cast ballots for everything from Mayor to Constable, bond questions, and more. In most towns, people voted, the votes were counted, one side cheered, the other cried, and everyone went home. But in a handful of towns - Enfield, Manchester, Middlefield, East Haven, Bethlehem, Orange, Farmington, Southington, Brookfield, and others - the close nature of the votes triggered automatic recount, as the difference between the winner and loser was less than 0.5% in difference between the two.

Most of the veterans of the 2006 campaign assumed that the recanvass procedure would proceed as the counts in 2006 did, with the re-feeding of ballots into the machines, a re-checking of the numbers, and a doublecheck of the math. But upon opening up the SotS Recanvass Procedure Manual, which became available on the SotS website literally Thursday morning, just hours before the first recanvass was to occur in Bethlehem, many readers were surprised to find that the guidelines now call for a Florida-style hand recount of every ballot cast. When inquiries were made to the Election Division, they indicated that the law gives the SotS the discretion to choose the manner in which the recanvass occurs, and in this case they have chosen to order the hand recounting (they didn't at all like it when you called it a "Florida-style hand recount" either, for the record).

The implications of this decision are far-reaching and, to this point, under-reported. Elections Officials, which typically is code for "little old ladies" will now be counting literally thousands of ballots by hand - nearly 10,000 ballots in Manchester with five columns under consideration, 6500 in Enfield with three columns, 3500 in Orange with a whopping seven columns - and trying to divine "voter intent" on every ballot. The process is, and will be incredibly tedious, and many aged eyes & weary hands will be entrusted with the fate of democracy. This is not a lazy smear of committed and honest public servants - it's a recognition of the inherent fallibility of human beings, regardless of their intentions.

Narrow Perspectives in a Wide Open World
The machines are "new" to Connecticut, but they aren't new to a lot of other places, and they work. Instead of introducing a whole host of potential for human error, why not have the machines do it? It isn't like the technology itself is unproven. Anyone that has sat for the SAT, LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, or other standardized test in the last decade (if not longer) knows that they work. It's the same technology that we entrust with our bank accounts, our grocery bills, and our overnight packages. It seems clear that the Secretary of the State's office is proving their investment was worthwhile by conceding to the lazy notion that a hand recount is "the only way to be sure" that the technology works. A little circumspection seems to logically arrive at a different answer.

So this weekend, as you unwind after a busy week, think of the men and women stuck in high school gyms, town halls, and senior centers, doing their best to preserve democracy; One. Vote. At. A. Time.

Happy Friday Afternoon

2007-11-09T13:07:00.000-05:00

Hamel Wins Recount in Bethlehem

2007-11-09T09:42:00.001-05:00

Republican Jeffrey Hamel is the new first selectman of Bethlehem. A ballot recount Thursday night confirmed Hamel defeated incumbent Democratic First Selectman Leo S. Bulvanoski 575-571 in Tuesday's election.

A Unique First: Choose CTGOP's New Logo

2007-11-08T20:09:00.000-05:00

This evening, Republicans and other recipients of CTGOP's "The Republican Heard" weekly e-newsletter are sitting down to their e-mail and finding in this week's edition a very unique feature: the ability to vote for the new official logo of the Connecticut Republican Party. There are three designs to choose from, and the winning design will become the new official logo of the Party.

If you aren't already a subscriber to "The Republican Heard", you've missed out. Sign up for the newsletter by clicking on "Volunteer" on the big site (www.ctgop.org) and get with the program.

Q Poll - Chris Dodd Phone Home!

2007-11-08T14:54:00.000-05:00

The voters of Connecticut believe what we all know to be true, that Chris Dodd is not doing his job as our U.S. Senator and should quit his quixotic quest for the Presidency, according to Republican State Party Chairman Chris Healy.

Thursday’s result of a Quinnipiac University poll showed that voters by a 55-29 margin believe Sen. Dodd is spending “too much time on the presidential campaign trail and not enough time serving as our Senator.”

Voters also say by a 70-21 percent margin that Dodd should drop out of the presidential race.

“It’s time for Chris Dodd to strike his tent in Iowa, and go back to Washington, D.C. where the people of Connecticut expect him to be working on what we care about – the war of terror, lowering taxes and keeping our economy growing,” said Healy. “Chris Dodd will be President when Tony Soprano is elected the Pope.”

Healy said Dodd should also explain why he has used his position as the chairman of the Senate Banks Committee to elicit campaign contributions from financial and securities firms which he has jurisdiction. According to Open Secrets, Dodd has reaped close to $5.1 million from financial, insurance and real estate interests with another $1.1 coming for lawyers.

“Chris Dodd has had a lot of fun on the campaign trail – at the expense of Connecticut’s families,” said Healy. “He has had his turn, missed votes and placed Connecticut in the rear view mirror. Now it is time for Chris Dodd to decide whether he wants to be our Senator full-time or a Presidential candidate full time. Senator Dodd should choose a gig.”

Healy said there are many Republicans candidates who could serve our state in the Senate if Sen. Dodd decides to step down and devote his energies to the Presidency.

The Republican Heard Survey: Immigration

2007-11-08T13:44:00.000-05:00

Last week in the 11/1/2007 edition of the weekly e-newsletter, The Republican Heard, we asked about immigration in the wake of Sen. Hillary Clinton's answer/non-answer on drivers licenses for illegal immigrants.

As always, this survey was conducted via e-mail on 11/1/2007 to Republicans in Connecticut that have signed up for The Republican Heard, the weekly e-newsletter of the Connecticut Republican Party. The results of the survey are not scientific nor are they statistically valid. They should not be considered the platform of the Republican Party in Connecticut nor the official views of the Party. They are for informational purposes only.

What is your opinion of New Haven's program of giving Identification cards to illegal immigrants?
Support 23 9.7%
Oppose 195 82.3%
Undecided/Don't Know 11 4.6%

Do you believe that the children of illegal immigrants should pay in-state tuition to attend state universities in Connecticut?
Yes 77 32.5%
No 139 58.6%
Undecided/Don't Know 10 4.2%

In New York, Governor Elliott Spitzer has proposed giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. How do you feel about this proposal?
Support 12 5.1%
Oppose 210 88.6%
Undecided/Don't Know 6 2.5%

What do you believe that we need to do to fix our current problems with illegal immigration? Check all that apply.
Build a wall between Mexico and the U.S. 122 51.5%
Place National Guard troops on the U.S.-Mexico border 141 59.5%
Deport all illegal immigrants in the U.S. 123 51.9%
Provide a "path to citizenship" for illegal immigrants, which would include fines and payment of taxes 111 46.8%
Provide amnesty for all illegal immigrants currently in the U.S. 5 2.1%
Other 33 13.9%
Don't Know/Undecided 4 1.7%

How important is illegal immigration to you?
It's my #1 issue 48 20.3%
It is important but not my top priority 171 72.2%
I am neutral 4 1.7%
It is not important to me 3 1.3%
I could not care less 0 0.0%
Other 2 0.8%

The Governor is Quite Popular in this State

2007-11-07T11:57:00.000-05:00

Quinnipiac has a poll out this morning indicating that Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell is quite popular in the State of Connecticut. 77% of Connecticut's residents approve of the job being done by Gov. Rell. Only a dyspeptic 14% disapprove of the Governor's work.

Also in the poll - because well, why not? - Connecticut approves of the death penalty, 63% - 27%, 72% believe that the parole system is too lenient, and 73% favor the death penalty for the Cheshire killers.

Election 2007 - A Great Night - A New Day for GOP

2007-11-07T09:45:00.000-05:00

If 2006 was our Dunkirk, then 2007 was our Battle of Britain. Municipal elections are a special class of political combat.The candidates are from the fabric of the communities they seek to lead. They are fought street by street, and the game is tough, personal at times, devastating in defeat and exhilarating in victory.

But the Republican successes last night were based on a simple premise - when you set a strong agenda, show the voters you are willing to fight for their votes and throw a punch when needed - victory is certain.

Republicans throughout Connecticut should be proud in their accomplishments both in triumph and loss. Our Republicans Mayors in the major cities came away with historic wins - Mark Boughton in Danbury, Dick Moccia in Norwalk, Tim Stewart in New Britain, Seb Giuliano in Middletown, Jim Richetelli in Milford, Marc Lauretti in Shelton, Ryan Bingham in Torrington, Peter Tesei in Greenwich and William Dickinson, Jr. in Wallingford. Tuesday's win by Dickinson was his 13th in a row.

And our new Mayors - Jason McCoy in Vernon, Mayor Lou Spadaccini in Manchester and Mayor Scott Kaupin in Enfield are a reflection of stellar candidates and hard work which defied the long odds in towns long held by Democrats. It was the first time in 16 years the Republicans have won control of the Board of Directors in Manchester and first time in 35 years that the Manchester Republicans have won the Board of Education at the same time. Republicans took control of the Town Council in East Hampton (home of former Gov. William O'Neill) and East Haddam (home of U.S. Senator Chris Dodd.)

Republicans defeated Democrats across the state with message driven campaigns of lower taxes, quality education and open government. After losing a race for the legislature in 2006, businessman Paul Formica, swept the Republicans to power in East Lyme, State Central Committeeman Jeff Wright in Newington won the Mayor's race based on capping taxes, and Town Clerk Laura Francis pledged accessible governance by taking the Selectman's race in Durham.

And for those who didn't win Tuesday night, there should be no tears but respect for what they did. Ken Johnson in Bristol, Ken Wilson in Guilford, John Nelson in Fairfield, John Opie in Branford, Candy Pacholski-Jones in Harwinton, J. Stan McCauley in Hartford, Ric Elser in New Haven and Mike Garrett in Bridgeport are just some of our team who tirelessly took the fight to the Democrats and acquitted themselves with honor. We know and hope they will be back for future battles and victory nights.

To those who were defeated, their losses didn't diminish what they accomplished or how they ran. Defeat in politics is the most personal of all setbacks. But no one who came up short lost their conviction or respect from this party in the process. Tom Scarpati in Madison, Tom Vincent in Simsbury, Bill Brown in Stonington, Kevin Kopentz in North Haven, Judith Kramptiz in Plymouth and Ann Hatfield in Griswold are all exemplary public servants and have improved the lives of their towns by their service. No defeat will take away what they and their families have given to our party and their towns.

We won and lost as a team - led by Governor Rell, Lt. Governor Fedele and Congressman Chris Shays - who lent their time, prestige and reputations to all our campaigns whenever and where ever they were needed.

Operation Main Street has concluded successfully. New activists have joined our ranks, donors have responded to our call and the people will be well served by our Republican leaders.

We are now ready to engage in the Mother of All Battle's - Campaign 2008 - to win back the State House and State Senate, to reelect Chris Shays, to elect a Republican President and Republicans in the First, Second, Third and Fifth Congressional Districts.

The battle for the future of Connecticut has begun.

Election Day Wrap Up

2007-11-07T09:31:00.000-05:00

I'll be wrapping up yesterday's results throughout the day as we sort through the returns from a mixed bag Election Day. Connecticut Republicans did very well in a number of towns while suffering tough defeats in other towns. Genghis Conn has his maps up. Check them out. We'll do our analysis and post it as we complete it.

In The Everyday Republican news, we smashed all previous records for page views and visitors yesterday, with 527 visitors viewing the official blog of the Connecticut Republican Party a whopping 2307 times. It was our biggest day on record, surpassing the '07 Prescott Bush Awards Dinner Liveblog by about 100 visitors.

And it is humbling to be recognized by our peers in the blogosphere for our hard work last night covering the election returns. CTLP recognized us a couple of times for the work and even our ideological nemesis MyLeftNutmeg had a backhanded compliment, in the form of raised eyebrows toward their own State Central Committee. Some of the comments seem to indicate that MLNers were tracking the results here, as well. Thank you to all for your kind words.

We've got more results trickling in this morning, and lots of legislative/council data that we just couldn't get published in flurry. Stay tuned...

Middlefield

2007-11-06T22:59:00.000-05:00

Republican John Brayshaw wins reelection

Barkhamsted

2007-11-06T22:51:00.000-05:00

Democrat - Don Stein - 654
Republican- Rich Winns - 485
Petitioning Candidate - George Washington (we are not kidding) 72

Democrats control Board of Selectmen

Its 1030

2007-11-06T22:26:00.000-05:00

and there are celebrations to attend for Republicans tonight. There are some tough defeats, but some terrific victories. We are going out to visit with our candidates and volunteers that have worked so hard this election campaign.

We will wrap up the elections tomorrow morning.

Harwinton

2007-11-06T22:21:00.000-05:00

(D) Chiaramonte - 57%
(R) Jones - Pacholski - 42.7%

Chester

2007-11-06T22:19:00.001-05:00

Tom Marsh won 2-1 in Chester. GOP hold.

Old Lyme

2007-11-06T22:18:00.001-05:00

First Selectman
Tim Griswold (R) = 1608
Bonnie Reemsynder (D) = 1343

Newtown

2007-11-06T22:14:00.001-05:00

Joe Borst - 2855
Rosenthal (D) - 2771

Manchester!!!

2007-11-06T22:09:00.000-05:00

Board of Directors GOP takes control 5-4
Board of Ed, GOP did very well!

New Hartford

2007-11-06T22:04:00.001-05:00

Sweep in New Hartford. All contested races won by the Republicans.

Old Lyme

2007-11-06T22:03:00.001-05:00

Win for Griswold. Numbers coming.

Bozrah

2007-11-06T22:02:00.002-05:00

William Ballinger (D) won the First Selectman race over GOP Herb Burt.

Danbury

2007-11-06T22:02:00.001-05:00

Mayor
Boughton - 8140
Abrantes - 4241
GOP hold common council.