Connecticut Local Politics

On Background reports that Rep.-elect Jim Himes has been appointed to the financial services committee, where his background in finance may come in handy.

He had also sought a seat on the transportation committee. Himes will be sworn in tomorrow today.

Update: The Courant has a lengthy piece on the new congressman in today’s edition. Papers in Fairfield County seem a little less enthusiastic.

“We can’t come up here and ask the state for more money and we can’t go back to our communities and ask our taxpayers for more money.”

Simsbury First Selectwoman Mary Glassman, on the plight municipalities are facing this year.

The article, over at CTNJ, is definitely worth reading, as it explores a lot of the problems cities and towns are staring at this budget season.

SOTS Susan Bysiewicz announced today that she had received Rep. Kevin DelGobbo’s letter of resignation as a member-elect of the House of Representatives, effective noon tomorrow.

The governor will have ten days to declare a special election in DelGobbo’s 70th district, which covers part of the borough of Naugatuck. The special election will take place not more than 46 days after the governor declares the special election. I believe that means the election would take place on March 3rd at the latest.

Here’s the resignation letter (PDF), if you’re interested in seeing it.

DelGobbo is resigning to become a DPUC commissioner.

Connecticut corrections officers have taken to the airwaves. A new television commercial called “Proud to Serve,” which features 20 front-line correction officers who are members of Council 4 Locals 387, 391 and 1565, which represent 5,000 employees of the state Department of Correction. Here’s the commercial:

The speaker at the end is John Thompson, who works at Webster Correctional Institution in Cheshire.

The timing is good, as the legislature is coming back into session on Wednesday, and both the Democratic leadership and the governor will be eying spending cuts. So what do you think? Is it effective? Do they make their case well?

The ad will run between now and January 16th.

Hey everyone, it’s Monday again.

Mayor Mike Peters, who was mayor of Hartford for a long time around the turn of the century and later ran a great restaurant downtown, died yesterday. He’d been in poor health for a while.

Midsize towns and cities, including Enfield, West Hartford, Bristol and others, are planning to introduce a legislative agenda designed to further their interests. I’ll be watching this one.

Will Don Williams and Chris Donovan get along? This article suggests they will. There was also a long article about Donovan in the Courant yesterday.

Check out this article in Governing magazine about Connecticut’s Capitol coverage, featuring local stars like Christine Stuart of CTNJ, Colin McEnroe, Chris Healy and others. There’s even a quote from me in there. It’s a good look at a problem that’s been growing for years.

The 2009 deficit is up to $343 million.

Jim Himes is getting tons of requests for inauguration tickets.

Gov. Rell wants to scale back the New Haven rail yard construction project. This blog about transportation issues finds fault with that, and more.

Lastly, the new legislative session starts Wednesday.

What else is going on?

For those of you interested in the long-delayed New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail project, the studies are still ongoing, and aren’t scheduled to be completed until 2010. Bah.

Interestingly, the Journal-Inquirer reports that DOT is considering partnering with Amtrak to provide a temporary solution:

The DOT is negotiating with Amtrak on introductory service that wouldn’t need an environmental assessment. It would require some double tracking, but otherwise could be operational for a far less cost.

“Our intention is to get some kind of introductory service up and running in the near term,” Nursick said.

He couldn’t specify how soon the service could be a reality, but that it would happen long before the commuter rail is built, and would offer service to residents along the Amtrak line. (Englehardt)

…So we could have a temporary service that doesn’t require a study? Why didn’t we know about this years ago? Interesting. What exactly is being studied, then, if this service would do some of the same things as commuter rail?

Well, it’ll be nice to have something instead of nothing, and if DOT can manage to put more trains on the tracks it’ll be a step in the right direction.

Waterbury Line Improvements Under Discussion

The Courant reports on discussions being held, and some, including Rep. David McCluskey, are pushing for passenger rail service from Waterbury to Hartford–which would be a partial replacement for the proposed New Britain-Hartford busway.

Source
Englehardt, Matthew. “Towns thinking big regarding rail service.” Journal-Inquirer 3 January, 2009.

From yesterday’s Courant:

Connecticut’s Democratic congressional delegation stood shoulder to shoulder with its Republican governor Wednesday to show solidarity regarding the massive federal stimulus package proposed by President-elect Barack Obama.
…
“Wish-list projects” won’t be considered, Rell said during a brief press conference Wednesday at the governor’s mansion after her meeting with the state’s congressional delegation. To be eligible for funding, projects must have acquired all of their necessary permits and approvals and be ready to go, she said.
…
All the politicians gathered on a snowy morning in the entryway of the mansion — a crowd that included Reps. Chris Murphy, D-5th District, Jim Himes, D-4th District, Sen. Joseph Lieberman and Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele — agreed that party politics have no role in the debate.

I’m glad that they are all on the same page - presenting a united front to the federal government when the fed comes looking for stimulus projects can only help Connecticut’s odds of getting necessary projects done. That said, I wish they are all on the same page on the issue of what to do about necessary projects that are not yet shovel ready.

When the federal government says, “We will fully fund projects that are ready to go right now,” there are two routes that state government can go. They can collect a list of shovel ready projects and dutifully hand them in, or they can make a list of necessary projects and work like dogs to get them shovel ready in time. Unfortunately, they all seem to be in agreement on the former, rather than the latter.

For example, in the case of the commuter rail between New Haven, Hartford, and Springfield, I wish we had seen the Governor put pressure on her administration to come up with the environmental studies in time and put pressure on the delegation to put pressure on local officials, and seen the delegation put pressure on the Governor to get the project ready, and seen everyone basically put pressure on everyone else so they are all accountable if it doesn’t get done. Instead, six to eight months from now, when the fed is no longer paying for everything, the project will become shovel ready, and the state is going to have to figure out how to pay for it. Or not. Meanwhile, when I finish this post, I’m going to get back in my car and commute to Hartford. First 2010 candidate to get the dead possum off the shoulder of 91N by exit 20, gets my vote.

Two other points about the article:

1. Not just infrastructure projects - the article points out that the state will be asking for help with Medicaid “and other social programs.” Here’s hoping that those other social programs include funding for schools. In Hamden, a multi-million dollar negative difference in ECS funding from last year means either a massive property tax increase (while Governor Rell and state legislators congratulate themselves on not raising taxes and Mayors across the state fall down laughing) or the closing of the popular, successful Wintergreen Magnet School.

2. Is there a mechanism for spreading good ideas throughout the state, rather than just approving them for the towns that asked? For example, the article notes, “Rell cited as an example one Connecticut community that wants to install solar panels on all of its schools.” Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that all agree this is a good project (it sounds good to me). Why just the one town and not all of them? Or LED traffic lights. Shouldn’t all towns get these (the main con to these lights is the up-front cost of replacing existing lights all at once) and reap the long-term energy benefits?

Rep. Kevin DelGobbo (R-Naugatuck) is being appointed to the DPUC, and will leave his seat vacant when the new legislature is sworn in. That means a special election will be held soon for the seat DelGobbo has held for twelve years. Two candidates have already emerged, according to the Republican-American: Former borough (Naugatuck refers to itself as a “borough” instead of a town, just to be different) attorney Kevin McSherry (D), and Board of Finance member Rosa Rebimbas (R).

Look for the special election to happen sometime in late February. It must be held within 45 days of the seat becoming vacant, meaning that it probably won’t coincide with any town primaries Naugatuck may be holding this year.

2009

From the staff at CTLP!

Okay, so I’m not all that great with predictions. But hey, they’re fun, so here we go again! In 2009, here’s what I think we’ll see:

1. The governor’s race: Richard Blumenthal decides not to run, and just about every other Democrat who is considering running will jump in. An all-out fracas will begin to determine who the front-runner will be. Susan Bysiewicz will end the year ahead of others in the one Q-poll that’s done on the race.

Of course, now that I’ve said that, watch Blumenthal announce his intention to run for governor tomorrow.

2. Jodi Rell formally decides to run for re-election–in June.

3. Rob Simmons runs for the senate against Chris Dodd. The initial polling shows a surprisingly tight race. Dodd’s popularity never really recovers, and he finds himself in trouble–with a decision to make.

4. The Obama administration makes the usual number of early missteps, but recovers. Obama ends the year with approval ratings above 60%.

5. At least one Connecticut newspaper will close permanently.

6. At least one other Connecticut paper will consider going entirely online.

7. The economy, jobs and the huge budget deficit are the focus of the new General Assembly. Unemployment in Connecticut reaches levels not seen since the early 1990s. By the end of the year, however, the national economy will be showing signs of revival.

8. Joe Lieberman, to avoid becoming even more of an afterthought, makes news by actually reaching out to both Republicans and Democrats in support of the plans of his new pal, President Obama.

So that’s my feeling. What do you think will happen next year?

Today is a sad day for Connecticut media. At 10:00, Diane Smith will be signing off WTIC for the last time; at 6:00, Colin McEnroe will do the same (who knows - by the time you read this we may be short several more dailies and scores more weeklies as well). Both shows are as much a part of my daily routine as getting in the car and driving to and from work every day. I want to take a moment, before getting into the nuts and bolts of these moves by WTIC (more nuts than bolts, believe me), to pay tribute to Diane and Colin. There will be plenty of time to analyze this from a business perspective tomorrow.

Ray is a pro and I’m sure his show will still be good as a (briefer) solo show. But it won’t be as good. Diane is smart and funny, and was a perfect foil to Ray. Neither one of them was in danger of being elected to the sports broadcaster’s hall of fame, but listening to them interview UCONN’s Randy Edsall was always fun. The show, being in the morning, wasn’t overtly political, but politics clearly was present - something will be lost when it comes up on Monday and Diane isn’t there to counter Ray’s “don’t tax me ever, but I still want good schools and services” sensibility. I also don’t know if there is truth to the rumor that the show will be renamed, “Die, polar bear, die.” Diane will be missed.

Speaking of people who won’t be inducted in to the sports broadcaster’s hall of fame, Connecticut will lose a gem at 6:00 when Colin goes off the air. Yes, I agreed with him far more than I disagreed with him, and yes, he had me on the show a couple or three times; this isn’t about that. The show was good. You didn’t have to agree with him or be a guest to think that. But while we are on the topic, one thing that I loved was his willingness to support bloggers. He had many of us on his show multiple times, he credits us when he cites our work (it sounds like a small thing, but its not, it is very rare), he pretends to not notice the Cheetos-stains when we venture out of our moms’ basements. And more than that, he supports all kinds of local - if a local poetry festival fails, he’ll start his own! And he used his show to do it - many people will miss Colin’s show for reasons not political - from the Mark Twain House, to bloggers with and without nose hair issues, to me, who picked up a new favorite mystery author when Colin interviewed George Pelecanos last summer.

What was best about the show, contrary to a lot of talk radio hosts on both sides of the political spectrum, was his willingness to take on callers who disagreed with him. Their views got an airing, Colin listened, and then often took them apart. Others have written about his chops as a gadfly - pressuring the Rowland administration, falling asleep on the air after making Senator Lieberman’s head explode, being a tempering voice in the days after 9-11 when seemed as if anyone’s blood would do, and pushing back publicly against the case for the Iraq War. I won’t repeat that here except to say that, agree or disagree, someone like that is needed for a healthy political discourse. Something fundamental to our Connecticut democracy is lost without a person on a (digital or analog) soapbox shouting at power.

For me, two other examples of excellence in broadcasting stand out. First, transportation - months ago, before any budget issues, I heard Colin take Governor Press Release to task for not using her inflated approval ratings (political capitol) for something bold. He challenged her to create a Manhattan Project for transportation in Connecticut, both to alleviate the job-stifling traffic conditions across the state and to deal with skyrocketing gas prices. A few weeks ago, he returned to the subject again after the Governor was unable to name the few projects (think like 6) that actually were shovel ready on an NPR interview about shovel ready infrastructure projects. And he made a great point, one that we are sure to return to at CTLP - that the federal government saying, “give us your projects and we will pay for them” is a once in a lifetime opportunity, that she needed to show some actual leadership and pressure everyone possible to get projects like the NewHaven-Hartford-Springfield train (and dare I dream, SUPERTRAIN?) ready, that it will be on the Governor if projects like that do not get built. I don’t know if I will ever be able to commute to Hartford, but I know it is less likely without Colin there to provide pressure.

The second example is one that all the statewide and national radio and television hosts of all the ideologies in the world can’t do and we will find it near impossible to replace. He held the Hartford Police Department’s feet to the fire, both in the Krayeske arrest and in the murder of the two Hartford/West Hartford teenagers. I won’t go into all the details here (this is getting long - use the google), but this is the thing that we will miss the most about his particular soapbox, and the thing that Colin should be proudest about - speaking for people who didn’t have the means, the guts, or even the breath to stand up to government when it is wrong. I have no doubt that I will be listening to Colin again soon on some station - a part of me hopes it is local, but the unselfish part is pulling for national, because he deserves it.

So, you know where I will be this morning, and again from 3-6; excuse me in advance for not answering my phone.

What’s this?

Peter Schiff of Darien has a campaign website up, though it isn’t clear if he’s behind the site, or if it’s just a group trying to get him to run (I suspect the latter–who would announce presidential aspirations for 2012 on a 2010 senate site?).

Schiff was an economic adviser to Ron Paul’s presidential campaign, so Dr. Paul’s fans in Connecticut might welcome his candidacy.

(h/t Everyday Republican)

This has been a bad year for Connecticut’s local media. Newspapers laid off reporters, two have threatened to shut down completely, the state’s flagship paper has been dramatically downsized, and now this. My favorite radio show is going off the air.

I often listened to Colin McEnroe’s show on my way home from work during the early years of this decade. It became something of a lifeline during the run-up to the Iraq War, when my own opposition to the invasion was called “naive” by my co-workers. However, I really started tuning in religiously during the Rowland scandal. He and his partner Bruce Stevens (who was let go in 2006–another dumb personnel decision by WTIC) never let the story die, and never let the governor off the hook. I’ve tried to listen whenever I could ever since.

Colin’s show was always interesting. It didn’t matter whether I agreed with him all the time or not, he always had something to say that was worth thinking about. As the new media-focused blog The Laurel notes:

Whether or not you love or hate his politics, he’s brilliant, informed and intellectually curious. And unlike most broadcasters, he’s not afraid to criticize those in power.

His show was about much more than just politics. It was about culture, movies, the internet, and both the insanity and elegance of the world. I’d often learn something when I tuned in, or I’d hear about something I’d never heard of before. When he talked about the day’s events, Colin McEnroe’s analysis often cut right to the heart of things.

Colin, perhaps more than any other media personality in Connecticut, also understands what the revolution in new, online media means. He was an early supporter of blogs, and often plugged this site and others on the air. I follow his own blog at the Courant regularly.

It matters to Connecticut to have a local call-in radio show, hosted by someone like Colin McEnroe. Whatever other arguments can be made against the cancellation of his show, like the fact that the afternoon lineup will be much more boring (Rush followed by three hours of people reading the news? Really?) and the sudden lack of any sort of ideological balance at the station, the loss of his voice from the airwaves is really a loss for the culture of Greater Hartford, and for Connecticut’s public discourse in general.

I know he’ll land on his feet somewhere else. I hope it happens sooner rather than later, and that it’s in Connecticut.

…I’ve had the pleasure of being on his show several times. Each time, it was all I could do not to gush about how I was a longtime listener, loved the show, etc. It was incredibly cool, I told my friends, to be able to go on my favorite radio show and talk to the host about politics. Thanks for that opportunity, Colin. I’ll never forget it.

And thanks for doing such an awesome show for so long. I’m going to miss it.

Colin McEnroe and Diane Smith have been laid off by WTIC-AM. Report from the Courant:

A new programming lineup beginning Monday replaces McEnroe’s show with a 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. “news block” that will be anchored by Aaron Kupec and Bill Pearse. It will focus on the day’s top stories both local and national.

“Sound Off Connecticut,” a call-in talk show hosted by Jim Vicevich will be expanded from 9 a.m. until noon, lopping an hour off of the Smith and Dunaway show. Dunaway will continue as host of the morning show, which begins at 5:30 a.m.

I don’t get it. This seems like a really bad move.

Radio in Connecticut will not be the same.

Apart from the year in review post and my predictions (and yours) for the upcoming year, due tomorrow, this is a very light posting week. Regular posting will resume next week, but here’s what’s going on.

Jim Himes is setting up his staff, including Jason Cole, who used to work for Kansas Rep. Dennis Moore, as chief of staff. Not mentioned in the article is that Cole has been, according to this, a lobbyist for UBS for the past two years or so. Hm.

Buyers for the Herald and Bristol Press may have been found. Maybe.

The CRRA landfill in Hartford officially closes tomorrow.

No special session on Friday. Take a look, however, at legislation going into effect on January 1.

What else is going on?

The second part of two reviewing the year in Connecticut politics. Part one is here.

July

7/1 - Chris Dodd starts slipping a little in polls. A lot of people want to know more about his mortgage dealings. We’re still waiting for the paperwork to be released.

7/1 - Republicans call for another special session on fuel prices. At issue is the gross receipts tax, which goes up as fuel prices rise.

7/9 - The League of Women Voters twists itself into a knot trying not to hold a debate between Lee Whitnum and Jim Himes.

7/11 - Richard Blumenthal floats the idea of Chris Dodd as Obama’s running mate, as visions of senate seats opening up danced in his head.

7/15 - Republicans, hoping for a breakthrough, focus on energy issues, including expanding nuclear power.

7/16 - House Republicans propose that their staff be allowed to telecommute once a week, to sneers from Democrats.

7/21 - The WSJ pans Chris Dodd for, among many other things, deriding critics of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as alarmists. I’d laugh if it weren’t for the tragedy of the thing.

7/22 - CT-02, the closest race in the country in 2006, is rated safe for Democrats.

7/24 - Lee Whitnum misses a filing deadline. Geez!

7/25 - Democratic ranks swell with new voters.

7/25 - The Greenwich Time decides to be idiots.

7/29 - Lee Whitnum, at a debate with Jim Himes, says: “I say we give the Taliban back their country.” Everyone takes a moment to marvel at the statement.

7/30 - Laura Bush stops by to raise money for David Cappiello. …Washington outsider!

7/31 - Rumors swirl about Joe Lieberman being John McCain’s running mate. And how would things have changed if he had been?

August

8/4 - Republican Al Adinolfi uses a suspiciously familiar logo:

8/6 - Lee Whitnum makes a campaign commercial. It’s not good.

8/12 - Primary Day. Results thread here. Whitnum, to her surprise, is annihilated by 60%. At least she sold some books, right? In general, endorsed candidates and incumbents tended to win.

8/14 - The budget surplus is said to be over $80 million. Ah, those were the days.

8/14 - Allegations of voter registration fraud in Bridgeport surface. Whatever happened to that story?

8/20 - The campaign on both sides of the question of whether to hold a constitutional convention draws financial support.

8/20 - It’s learned that Joe Lieberman will speak at the GOP convention. Everyone pretends to be surprised by this.

8/21 - Chris Shays speaks well of Obama in an ad.

8/22 - Special session on energy. Home heating aid passes both houses.

8/25 - Chris Shays shows up at a Himes press conference, and stands around looking angry. No, he really did.

8/26 - Rep. Rosa DeLauro reports from the Democratic convention in Denver.

8/30 - The political world explodes as John McCain picks Sarah Palin as his running mate. Jodi Rell initially likes the choice.

September

9/1 - The Connecticut delegation is attacked by protesters at the RNC.

9/2 - Joe Lieberman speaks at the RNC, sparking calls for retribution from Democrats. That retribution eventually boils down to losing a minor committee chair and a stern letter.

9/6 - John Larson delivers the Democratic radio address on energy issues.

9/8 - As the deficit for 2009 grows, Gov. Rell wants to focus on spending cuts to fix it, rather than tax increases.

9/9 - In a move that leaves a lot of people scratching their heads, longtime campaign manager Maura Keaney hires Dana Houle to replace her. Keaney remains with the Himes campaign.

9/12 - Gov. Rell steps into the judicial process as the GPS unit tracking the only criminal ever to be released from prison into a swanky suburb says he stepped outside his yard for fifteen minutes. It’s later determined that the unit malfunctioned, but not before Rell wrote a letter to the chief state’s attorney demanding his re-incarceration.

9/14 - Chris Shays suggests bringing home most troops from Iraq by the end of 2009. [checks date on post] Yup, September in an election year.

9/15 - Financial collapse. The campaign shifts from energy to economy as Wall Street collapses.

9/16 - Sean Sullivan steps in the same cow pie as John McCain by insisting that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. It turns out that they aren’t.

9/17 - Chris Dodd was apparently for the sale of Bear Sterns before he was against it.

9/21 - The Himes campaign releases an internal poll showing the race even.

9/23 - As the economic crisis continues, the state’s budget deficit grows.

9/24 - State Democrats table a motion to kick Joe Lieberman out of the party.

9/26 - A poll shows both Dodd and Lieberman with high unfavorable ratings.

9/26 - Gov. Rell endorses a constitutional convention.

9/28 - John Rowland supports Chris Murphy’s re-election bid.

9/29 - The bailout bill fails in the House. Joe Courtney is the lone member of the delegation to vote against it, citing the lack of any sort of useful plan for the money. He draws criticism for his vote, but it turns out he was right.

October

10/1 - New voter registrations continue to surge.

10/1 - Jim Himes continues to raise record sums.

10/3 - The bailout passes. Joe Courtney still votes no. He’s still right. David Cappiello releases an ad hitting Chris Murphy for supporting the bailout.

10/6 - John Larson and Joe Visconti hold a very enlightening debate. Chris Dodd takes some hits, as is the case in many debates which don’t directly involve him.

10/7 - Lesson to campaign spokesmen: Never post unflattering things about your candidate or the state you’re running in on a publicly-available Twitter feed.

10/10 - Connecticut’s Supreme Court rules that gay couples be allowed to marry. For a brief moment, there are three states that allow same-sex marriage. The reaction to the decision is a resounding “we have bigger fish to fry.”

10/12 - Jim Amann doesn’t see the need for a special session to deal with the deficit. He changes his tune later.

10/14 - 53% support the decision to allow same-sex marriage.

10/14 - Chris Shays gets testy at his debates with Jim Himes. It’s clear he doesn’t really like his opponent.

10/16 - SUSA shows Himes pulling ahead of Shays.

10/16 - When asked if he was planning to make his mortgage documents public any time soon, Chris Dodd says no.

10/17 - Sean Sullivan releases a TV ad. It has a nautical theme and is awful.

10/18 - Someone leaves documents with the Torrington Register-Citizen showing that Rep. George Wilber (D) settled a sex abuse lawsuit. A furor erupts, as do calls for Wilber to resign.

10/20 - Wilber resigns.

10/21 - Sullivan and Courtney (and a Green Party candidate) debate in Enfield. Sullivan does all right at the debates, but can’t save his sinking campaign.

10/22 - Chris Dodd says he isn’t hiding anything by keeping his mortgage documents under wraps, but is only waiting for the Senate ethics committee to finish its investigation.

10/22 - Sullivan releases a radio ad with a foghorn sound in it!

10/23 - Larry Sabato changes CT-04 to “leans Dem.”

10/29 - Gov. Rell asks for help from the public to solve the budget crisis. Whatever happened to this? It was a great idea. Did she ever use any of the suggestions people gave her?

10/29 - Lieberman and Dodd continue to sink in polls.

10/29 - Himes loans money to his campaign.

10/30 - A poll finds strong support for a constitutional convention. …Yeah.

November

11/1 - Rep. Wilber is replaced by a write-in candidate on the ballot, and that candidate is endorsed by the Torrington paper.

11/3 - Record numbers of new voters.

11/4 - ELECTION DAY! At last. Turnout is heavy, though it never gets to the 90% the SOTS predicts.

Barack Obama wins Connecticut, and the presidency.

Chris Shays loses a narrow race to Jim Himes.

Chris Murphy and Joe Courtney both win big (Courtney wins every town in his district).

The constitutional convention is soundly defeated.

Democrats increase their majority in the House and Senate. The supermajority returns.

11/5 - Chris Shays says he’s done with politics. We’ll see.

11/7 - Chris Donovan will be the next speaker.

11/8 - John Larson moves up in the House leadership. He’ll become the highest-ranked House member from Connecticut since the 1930s.

11/10 - Barack Obama helps save Joe Lieberman from losing his committee chairmanship.

11/11 - It’s learned that the Bristol Press and New Britain Herald could shut down in January if a buyer is not found.

11/12 - Same-sex couples in Connecticut may start to marry.

11/12 - Huge budget problems loom for 2010-11.

11/17 - Dan Malloy will run for governor, unless Richard Blumenthal does. And maybe even then.

11/18 - Lieberman keeps his chairmanship as many Democrats fume.

11/23 - Ned Lamont for governor? You never know.

11/23 - Special session. Bottle deposits are an issue, but the bill dies. The General Assembly cut a little teeny bit from the budget, and went home satisfied.

Not cut: Rob Simmons. But only just.

11/25 - Now Joe Lieberman thinks Barack Obama is great.

11/30 - Malloy announces he’ll run for mayor again in Stamford.

December

12/2 - Chris Dodd lags behind other Senate Democrats in fundraising.

12/3 - Gov. Rell has a bad press day as one story alleges that she’s an absentee governor, while another exposes a rift between the governor and the state GOP.

12/8 - John DeStefano thinks about 2010. Maybe he should think again.

12/10 - Chris Shays’ campaign manager is suspected of fraud. Hey, did he ever come back from Bhutan?

12/13 - Following the Blagojevich scandal, John Rowland gives Blago some advice on pal Mike Huckabee’s TV show.

12/17 - Gov. Rell wants a special session for January 2nd.

12/17 - Democrats send Joe Lieberman a stern letter as punishment for his crimes.

12/18 - Jim Himes pushes Chris Shays for head of the Peace Corps.

12/18 - Rosa DeLauro’s name is floated for Secretary of Labor. She doesn’t get it.

12/20 - Rob Simmons leaves state government. Is he getting ready for something else?

12/29 - Nope, no special session in January!

And that’s just about it. It’s been a great year for political junkies. Up soon: predictions for the new year!

It was never a great idea. The Stamford Advocate reports that Democrats have decided not to hold a special session just a week before the regular session begins, as Gov. Rell had requested.

For those who are interested, you can find previous years in review by following these links:

2005: 2005 Political Year in Review
2006: 2006 Year in Review Part One, and 2006 Year in Review, Part Two
2007: 2007: The Year in Connecticut Politics, Part One, and 2007: The Year in Connecticut Politics, Part Two

It’s time once again to go back and review the year that was.

January

1/3 - Iowa caucuses. Chris Dodd’s presidential campaign expresses hope that he’ll do well. Dodd does say that if he doesn’t finish higher than fourth, he’s done.

He doesn’t, and drops out. I take a look back at why his campaign failed.

In retrospect, this was Chris Dodd’s high water mark. It’s been all downhill for him since.

1/4 - TONG ENDORSES OBAMA and becomes an instant superstar.

1/7 - Criminal justice reform is high on everyone’s to-do list, as Democrats and the governor try to work out a package of reforms as a response to the Cheshire home invasion. The majority leadership submits a letter to Rell outlining their reforms.

1/8 - The governor unveils her own reform package the next day, and a special session at the end of the month to pass something seems likely.

1/15 - Gov. Rell says: “My goal this year is very simple - to preserve Connecticut’s character. …We’re in stable shape here in Connecticut, and I want to protect that stability.” A year later, we’re a little less stable.

As part of her tax package, the governor proposes no tax increases, and a 3% cap on property tax increases. Municipal leaders aren’t amused.

1/15 - Special election in the 32nd senate district, called to replace outgoing Sen. Lou DeLuca. Republican Rob Kane defeats Democrat Ken Curran by a wide margin.

1/16 - Chris Shays apparently doesn’t know baseball.

1/18 - Connecticut starts to realize that it may actually matter in the presidential primaries, as the Obama campaign announces its intention to put ads on the air here. The Clinton campaign follows a week later.

1/18 - Tony Nania dips a toe in the 5th district race.

1/19 - Hillary Clinton leads the field in Connecticut by a wide margin, according to a Courant poll.

1/22 - Special session. A criminal justice reform package, which doesn’t include GOP-backed three-strikes proposals, passes.

1/22 - He’s back! John Rowland is hired on as an economic development adviser to the city of Waterbury.

1/23 - Presidential campaigns in Connecticut start to heat up.

1/25 - Connecticut Republicans hold a straw poll. Romney wins.

1/27 - The Courant goes 0-2 by endorsing Clinton and Romney.

1/28 - To my great surprise, Hillary Clinton turns up at the place where I work to speak to a huge, overflow crowd. She’d visited Hartford earlier in the day, and received a similarly enthusiastic welcome.

1/29 - A new poll shows Clinton and Obama tied in Connecticut.

1/30 - Jim Amann announces the formation of an exploratory committee to run for governor.

February

2/4 - Obama plays Hartford. 17,000 greet him at the XL Center at the most incredible political event I’ve ever been to in Connecticut.

2/5 - Super Tuesday. Obama and McCain win–Obama by a little, McCain by a lot.

2/7 - Rell gives her budget speech. It isn’t much for inspiration, and the highlight may be the proposal to break up the DOT (which doesn’t happen).

2/8 - Gov. Rell, without warning, bans highway billboards on state property. Hands smack foreheads all across the state.

2/11 - Sen. Thomas Herlihy joins the increasing list of GOP retirements.

2/23 - Joe Visconti announces his run against John Larson. It ends the way you’d expect.

2/23 - A rift grows between Democratic House and Senate leadership.

2/24 - Nader!

2/25 - Dodd endorses Obama.

2/27 - William F. Buckley dies at his home in Stamford.

2/29 - Ned Lamont makes an ad for Barack Obama. It’s really bad.

March

3/5 - Jodi Rell is still going on about billboards. Seems frivolous now, doesn’t it? Well, it did then, too.

3/6 - Roll Call presciently identifies Sean Sullivan as a dud.

3/7 - Tony Blair is set to teach at Yale.

3/10 - The Elliot Spitzer thing happens, and Connecticut breathes a sigh of relief that it isn’t us this time.

3/11 - Republican Rob Russo wins a special election for Democrat Bill Finch’s senate seat, ending the Democratic supermajority for the rest of 2008. It isn’t missed.

3/19 - Joe Lieberman is making himself useful to John McCain.

3/19 - The Judiciary Committee kills three strikes again.

3/24 - Urban mayors propose a local sales tax. That doesn’t go far, but it highlights the crunch cities face then and now.

3/25 - Jim Amann picks up an endorsement for governor. Yes, in 2010.

3/26 - Democrats propose a budget that is less than Rell’s. Consternation and uproar ensue.

April

4/2 - Connecticut businesses are in trouble.

4/3 - Jim Amann threatens to go “toe-to-toe” with the governor on criminal justice reform. Uh?

4/4 - Rell gives up on three strikes.

4/8 - Tony Nania pushes that toe in a little farther, allowing Headless Horseman to create an awesome title for a post.

4/9 - It turns out that the Lamont campaign didn’t hack Lieberman’s website back in 2006 after all. *cough*

4/11 - Broadwater sinks, Gov. Rell is giddy with joy.

4/15 - Sean Sullivan has fundraising problems. More on fundraising for Q1 2008.

4/16 - Speculation that Joe Lieberman may speak at the GOP convention makes the rounds.

4/18 - Gov. Rell apparently forgot that she knew that the rail center project in New Haven was going to be way, way over budget. Kevin Rennie says her credibility is damaged, except, of course, that it isn’t.

4/22 - Rell nominates a public transportation guy to be the head of DOT.

4/23 - Amann to retire! We all fall over. Gov. Rell says, and I am not making this up, that she is “crushed” to see him go. Heh.

4/25 - George W. Bush visits the state of his birth to raise money for David Cappiello. By all accounts, it’s a successful visit.

4/30 - The surplus disappears.

May

5/1 - A constitutional amendment allowing certain 17-year-olds to vote in primaries passes the senate, clearing the way for it to be on the ballot in November, where it passes easily.

5/3 - Everyone’s response to economic decline is to hold perfectly still and hope it passes by. Republicans response to the “do nothing” budget is a “do something” budget. Politics at its finest.

5/7 - Lots of retirements in the General Assembly, and who can blame them?

5/7 - The short session ends. Lots is left undone, as usual. Gov. Rell heads home early instead of delivering the traditional end-of-session speech. To be fair, it was past her bedtime.

5/8 - Tony Nania retracts that toe, dropping out of the race and backing David Cappiello.

5/9 - Joe Lieberman reports that he has “personally checked John McCain’s bearings.” Um.

5/11 - Familiar face Boaz ItsHaky challenges Rosa DeLauro.

5/18 - Jodi Rell threatens to veto a minimum wage hike. Republican Sen. Sam Caligiuri says he may side with Democrats to override the veto.

5/19 - Insurance companies threaten to raise rates if the state employee health program is opened to towns and nonprofits.

5/21 - Dick Cheney gives a speech at the Coast Guard Academy. A debate ensues about whether or not his hat is silly (it was).

5/21 - Republicans push their budget proposal to be taken up during the scheduled special session.

5/22 - As Ted Kennedy couldn’t make it to a scheduled commencement address at Wesleyan due to his health, Kennedy’s pal Barack gives it for him. Wesleyan students mask their disappointment with an explosion of joy.

5/22 - Bill Dyson retires, touching off a primary battle in New Haven.

5/24 - Abe Giles runs in Hartford.

5/27 - Rell vetoes a minimum wage increase.

June

6/2 - Chris Caruso defied the Bridgeport DTC and ran against Bill Finch. His reward? A primary challenge.

6/3 - Gas prices head upwards during a time when they were starting to reach the $4 mark.

6/5 - The Cook Report lists the 4th district race as a toss-up. None of the other districts are listed as being close.

6/8 - Truck inspections were down in 2007, despite terrible crashes on Avon Mountain.

6/11 - The legislature meets in special session. Bills on ethics, cash discounts for gas, and a delay of gas tax increases pass.

6/11 - Lee Whitnum petitions her way on to the ballot against Jim Himes.

6/13 - Gov. Rell vetoes health care pooling. She vetoes six bills in total.

6/13 - Chris Dodd’s mortgage is front and center after a piece is published in Portfolio magazine alleging that he and several others got preferential treatment. During a mortgage crisis, the revelations are particularly damaging for banking committee chair Dodd. His popularity starts to sink.

6/17 - Dodd declares that he had no idea that he received preferential treatment.

6/18 - Actually, Dodd did know he was part of a “VIP” program.

6/23 - The legislature overrides Rell’s veto of a minimum wage hike.

6/25 - The Courant announces cuts as print media in Connecticut enters a very rough patch.

6/28 - Gov. Rell misses the annual Republican bash in Stamford. Republicans are not pleased.

6/30 - Charter Oak Health Care comes to life, and begins accepting applications.

The rest of the year in review will appear soon!

The New London DAY’s Ted Mann has a very pithy comment on the old year and the upcoming New Year in his blog http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=1fd2124f-8a88-477f-8351-86839bbc0a0b   The  Trough  this morning, December 26, 2008.  It is well worth the read.