Hey, it’s almost Turkey Day! Posting over the next few days will be light.
What’s happening out there?
Open Forum
by Genghis Conn · November 20th, 2007, 11:34 pm · 57 Comments
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CTNewsjunkie Latest Headlines- Lamont Not Sold On Paid Sick Days For Small Businesses February 10, 2010 Christine Stuart
- Women’s Day At The Capitol February 9, 2010 Christine Stuart
- Lawmakers Review Options for Campaign Finance February 9, 2010 Chase Carnot
- ‘All Roads No Longer Lead To Print’ February 9, 2010 Paul Bass
- Republican Candidates Stump In Rockville; Another Gets Ready To Enter the Race February 8, 2010 Christine Stuart
- Latest Political News from the Journal-Inquirer
- Pratt will keep leaving; and one town has it all February 9, 2010
- Panel seeks to block inmate access to guards’ personal info February 8, 2010
- Outside advisers and managers reaped big fees from state treasury last year February 8, 2010
- Rell struggles to find options to Bridgeport juvenile hall February 8, 2010
- STORY WITH 2 VIDEOS: Middletown power plant blast kills 5, more than a dozen hurt February 8, 2010
57 responses so far ↓
Iowa’s looking pretty good for Obama and Huckabee. I can’t wait to find out what dirt Hillary has on Obama. I’m also glad to see a Democrat (Obama) finally question Hillary about her “experience.” Oh, and the General Betray Us Democrats have a Congressional approval rating of about 20%.
Don’t forget — the surge is working. Just like we all predicted, right, TBCT?
The two GOP “dark horses” got quite the boost today.
Mike Huckabee got endorsed by Ric Flair.
Ron Paul got endorsed by GQ Magazine.
As for my vote… while I’m disappointed that my senior Senator moved out of state, I will still vote for him if he gets the much-coveted endorsement of either Dustin Diamond or ALF.
The surge is done in April, right?
How convenient for Congressman Chris Murphy to show interest in the dispicable abuse of our most vulnerable by the operators of Haven Healthcare.
http://www.courant.com/news/custom/topnews/hc-havenhome1121.artnov21,0,3054054.story?coll=hc_tab01_layout
Where was Murphy before today?
Maybe he turned a blind eye towards Haven executives that funneled due $12,000 in campaign contributions that he accepted in his 2006 run for Congress.
David NYC over at Swing State Project has a post up about NRCC recruitment failures this cycle. CT-02 is included in the post.
Before some idiot posts something nasty about the Pilgrims; let’s get it straight; The Puritans were NOT here prior to 1629 when (there goes the neighborhood) they set up the Massachusetts Bay Colony and ran roughshod over the fine folks of Plymouth.
The Puritans had NOTHING to do with the first Thanksgiving; quite the contrary they were just a pack of assholes that had played a large part in chasing the Pilgrims out of England in the first place.
Indeed, Connecticut was founded by Hooker and a small band of refugees from Plymouth in an effort to get away from the horrid, pontificating, holier than thou, Puritans.
The Puritans caused problems with the Indians, did the witch trial schtick and generally made trouble for all they encountered.
Read the facts here: http://www.sail1620.org/discover_myth_pilgrims_not_puritans.shtml
If there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s a self-righteous Puritan (Wait! Is there any other kind?!)…..especially those prickly 5th Generation Puritans.
FBI agents who last month swarmed the Florida headquarters of Wellcare Health Plans Inc. seized dozens of documents from the desk of Marc S. Ryan, a high-ranking company executive who for years served as former Gov. John G. Rowland’s state budget director, federal court records show.
A 43-page inventory from the Oct. 24 raid, obtained Monday from the U.S. District Court in Tampa, reveals that the items government agents retrieved from Ryan’s desk included a “calendar” of “political visitors” to Wellcare’s offices and of the “political contributions” the company made and proposed to make to them, as well as Ryan’s “self-assessment” of the status of “various talks,” apparently with those visitors.
http://www.journalinquirer.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19041338&BRD=985&PAG=461&dept_id=161556&rfi=6
TIMING? Political?
Gov. Rell announced this week that the two companies — Anthem Health Plans Inc. and Health Net — would no longer carry out managed-care responsibilities for the state’s HUSKY health-insurance program for poor children and their parents.
http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=8b1bb3e5-c67d-41ce-8423-6967a98776c5
1619 Thanksgiving, Berkeley Hundred in Virginia
1621 Thanksgiving, The Pilgrims in Massachusetts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving
Rob Russo, of Bridgeport, vanquished by Finch in the past two elections, has expressed interest, and several prominent Trumbull Republicans last week urged state Rep. T. R. Rowe to run, saying he is the only candidate who can win a special election and prevail in November’s general election.
from: Towns want Finch out of Senate
dunno who from the Democrats is interested; hadn’t heard anything
http://www.connpost.com/localnews/ci_7520101
Just excited to be getting back to Southbury to see the family tomorrow.
Quick question for you all though – aside from a brief mention in the Waterbury Republican-American I’ve not seen much lately about the expected special election for the 32nd Senate District. Does anyone know how the nomination process is going to work on either side? I’d heard talk of a convention for the Republicans sometime next month, but no details.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving
Anytime I have a problem with facts I just go over there and re-edit it to whatever I need to, too!
[quote comment="22816"]Rob Russo, of Bridgeport, vanquished by Finch in the past two elections, has expressed interest, and several prominent Trumbull Republicans last week urged state Rep. T. R. Rowe to run, saying he is the only candidate who can win a special election and prevail in November’s general election.
from: Towns want Finch out of Senate
dunno who from the Democrats is interested; hadn’t heard anything
http://www.connpost.com/localnews/ci_7520101/quote
Maybe the prominent local D’s should have the conversation with Sen Williams. Word on the street is that the Senate D’s want Finch to stay because Republicans traditionally do well in Special Elections and they fear that they would lose this seat, and thus, their Veto proof majority.
What a shame it would be to lose that veto-proof majority, since they’ve done SO MUCH with it.
Get a load of Headless Horseman’s hard hitting post about Congressman
Chris Murphy
http://headlesshorseman2008.blogspot.com/2007/11/chris-murphy-helping-illegals-screwing.html
In any event, Finch ought to resign before the short session gets underway next year. If he’s dividing his attention like this, Bridgeport won’t have a full-time mayor and his district won’t have a full-time senator. The Democratic caucus should put the best interest of these towns above party.
Speaking of Finch… Caruso is seeking a stay of the election results. He’ll be having a hearing before the Supreme Court on Nov. 30:
AP article here.
I think Headless Horseman has indeed lost his head. I find his comments to be out of line. When Murphy accepted the contribution from Haven, they were not under investigation. It also seems perfectly reasonable to me that Congressman Murphy would wait to make a firm statement on Spitzer’s licensing idea until he had learned more about it. Better that than rushing into a statement on something he knew little about. Seems like that’s more likely to get us into trouble. Then Headless makes fun of the way Murphy looks? I’m supposed to give this guy credibility?
[quote post="1213"]his district won’t have a full-time senator[/quote]
The state legislaure in CT is part time. Even Rell has suggested it should be that way and only that way.
Headless Weicker,
What’s so hard hitting? It’s the same stuff recycled over and over again.
If you look at everyones donation receipts you will find money from people with questionable backgrounds or motives. I could donate to Mitt Romney (not that I would) and you cold post “Romney takes Money from Liberals”
Keep tryin’ guys!
Haven Healthcare, under scrutiny after a Courant investigation exposed patient-care deficiencies in many of the chain’s 15 Connecticut nursing homes and that the chain was millions in debt for unpaid bills, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
http://www.courant.com/news/custom/topnews/hcu-havenbankruptcy1121,0,4336131.story?coll=hc_tab01_layout
Pharg….
I think this goes to a different level when they have just filed for Bankruptcy!
Ray Termini even testified before the legislature’sPublic Health Committee.
During the testimony, then State Senator Chris Murphy was on a first name basis with this dirtbag.
Pharg….
Weicker Liker is right….
In 2004, Chris Murphy accepted $2,500 in campaign contributions from Haven executives, including Ray Termini.
Termini personally testified just two months later in front of Murphy’s committee in favor of imposing a $14 per day tax on nursing home patients. The committee passed the bill with Murphy’ s support.
And you forget that Murphy was touting reform when he ran in for Congress 2006.
Looks pretty bad….
Nah. No one cares. This is going to be a blip, trust me.
I agree with you Simsbury Sally….
Congressman Murphy should heed call by CT GOP Chairman Chris Healy and return the $15,000 in campaign contributions to charity.
Murphy has talked a good game during the past about helping those most in need and his desire for social justice.
It would be an honorable gesture to help those in need at this time of Thanksgiving.
[quote comment="22825"]In any event, Finch ought to resign before the short session gets underway next year. If he’s dividing his attention like this, Bridgeport won’t have a full-time mayor and his district won’t have a full-time senator. The Democratic caucus should put the best interest of these towns above party.[/quote]
GC- Are you kidding?
Does everyone with a full-time job have to quit the legislature?
Examples: Andrew McDonald attorney for a private development corp or Kevin Witkos police officer. They seem to be able to do both.
I guess you just want unemployed or retire folks to represent us, it could kinda like our jury system.
[quote comment="22833"]Pharg….
Weicker Liker is right….
In 2004, Chris Murphy accepted $2,500 in campaign contributions from Haven executives, including Ray Termini.
Termini personally testified just two months later in front of Murphy’s committee in favor of imposing a $14 per day tax on nursing home patients. The committee passed the bill with Murphy’ s support.
And you forget that Murphy was touting reform when he ran in for Congress 2006.
Looks pretty bad….[/quote]
WL- You have to remember its a Democrat they are awlays without exception given more leeway.
Billy Bogardus of West Hartford went into a Haven Healthcare nursing home to recuperate from a hospital stay, but ended up fighting for his life.
For four days in April, Bogardus and his close friend, Leona Brenner, tried to convince the staff of the Haven Health Center in South Windsor that he was dying. Bogardus, who had sought nursing-home care after complications from heart surgery, was coughing, struggling to breathe and couldn’t walk the six steps from his bed to the bathroom, he and Brenner said.
Only after Brenner threatened to call 911 herself did the nursing staff finally summon an ambulance, the couple recounted. By the time the 69-year-old retired civil engineer arrived at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, hospital records show, he was dehydrated and his kidneys were failing.
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-haven2.artnov19,0,387534.story?track=rss
http://memberofthefamily.net/registry/ct.htm
In state Department of Public Health records, Tondalo’s demise is starkly recorded: She suffered from bedsores and malnutrition while at the West Haven home in 2003, and was hospitalized in May for dehydration and a urinary tract infection. The nursing home repeatedly neglected to monitor her fluid intake, weight and skin sores in the months leading up to Aug. 19, when she was rushed to the hospital again, with a diagnosis of dehydration and a documented weight of 95 pounds — a 28-pound loss from February. She died a few days later.
—-
But in the four years since, Haven Health-Soundview has been fined by state and federal health officials six more times for a litany of patient-care violations, including neglecting bedsores and ignoring patients’ care plans. The most recent citation, in May of this year, included an incident in which a nurse’s aide left a sandwich within reach of an elderly woman with swallowing problems, whose care plan specified that she not be given access to solid foods.
The woman choked to death.
The home paid another fine.
It was a predictable cycle.
DPH is useless but who didn’t know that.
http://fox61.trb.com/news/local/hc-haven1.artnov18,0,6776625.story
BTW, this is some dyno shit for Rell to do some finger waggin!!!!!
You guys are so deperate to tar this guy but your not making any connections.
From what I recall the tax issue was a “non-issue”. The money would be refunded by Medicare. You claim he recieved donations from management. Did he intervene in any way? I have yet to hear anything of any substance against Chris Murphy other than unsubstaniated inuendo!
[quote post="1213"]Weicker Liker is right…[/quote]
[quote post="1213"]I agree with you Simsbury Sally….[/quote]
Not for nothing ‘guys,’ but the stench of sock puppets suddenlt got overwhelming in this thread…
Hey, just wanted to point out the facts on Chris Murphy and contributions from Haven execs. The FEC web site shows that he didn’t actually receive money in 2006 from Haven execs – he submitted a letter correcting the record.
And of course, my fat fingers meant to type “suddenly”…
New Hampshire Moves Primary read my blog for more info.
CtRoadrunner – I hadn’t even noticed you had a blog.
You’re pretty prolific aren’t you?
I tossed up a link seeing as the poor folks that stray into mine rarely find anything interesting, I figure the least I can do is give the hapless souls a few links that might entertain them, you & Headless seem ready to do that.
BTW – (just trying to contribute what I can towards thread drift) I stumbled across this guy and I think he’s pretty funny in sort of a Robert Benchly, Art Buchwald sort of way: http://www.goupstate.com/lanefiller
His Nov 2nd piece regarding what he found in Huckabee’s wallet is worth reading.
Ah nutz, I screwed up that link –
What’s in Mike Huckabee’s wallet?
Hey, looks likes the Supreme Court is going to weigh in on the 2nd Amendment
Republicans are getting desperate early realizing that Cappiello has zero chances with his pal Galante riding shot gun..ooops……I mean at his side.
I hope that Republicans spend a lot of their time and money trying to win a seat they have no shot at…oops..I mean no chance at.
>>Hey, looks likes the Supreme Court is going to weigh in on the 2nd Amendment
Yesterday’s news – the end result should tank a slew of questionable laws; like New York City’s; Chicago’s, and obviously DC’s.
The firm that’s won the case this far has a blog
Sandy It’s all a matter of turnout and even the dense have figured that out by now. If Rudy’s the GOP nominee, western Connecticut will enjoy a higher than normal Republican turnout by a longshot, making life quite difficult for any Dems in that area.
37 ACR // Nov 21, 2007 at 6:39 pm Quote ·
CtRoadrunner – I hadn’t even noticed you had a blog.
You’re pretty prolific aren’t you?
Thank you ACR. I’m prolific in my escapablity from that demonic, crazy coyot. The prodigal son is my favorite parable from the Savior.
Politics to me is like bird seed to the roadrunner.
Anyone here going to the Jud. Comm. hearing next week?
ACR,
What are you smoking? Rudy(lets put Emergency HQ in the World Trade Center) Gulliani has so much baggage ( the real stuff such as messy divorces, used to be for abortion rights but now is against them) that doesn’t stand a chance. If he had stuck to his guns ( pun intended) on supporting his moderate positions you might have been correct. Unfortunately for your theory, he has his nose so far up the far right’s ass, no self respecting East Coast Republican will vote for him.
>>What are you smoking
USA Gold full flavor king size why do you ask?
The fact is, if the people in the 5th were high enough on heaven only knows what to toss out Johnson there’s no telling what they might do next.
You might take a look at a few polls as well.
As far as Rudy moving right?
He remains pro-choice (so am I actually) but loses a lot of support with his stance on the 2nd. I’d rather run Huckabee personally, and have sent him a few bucks. Never-the-less I suspect Rudy will walk with the nomination and win or lose nationally, Rudy will carry Connecticut.
As part of the baggage I forgot to mention BERNIE KERIK !!!!!
Too bad the CT GOP and their sock puppets here can’t get their facts straight.
But one Congressional rep did get a contribution from Haven Healthcare — Nancy Johnson. I await Chris Healy’s apology and condemnation of his former ally.
MikeCT,
As I said severalposts up, They are so desperate to smear, they’re not even doing their homework!
How can Congressman Murphy report contributions he hasn’t received on his federal report? Is there a provision in the law for promised contributions? Either that or his staff/treasurer submitted reports without checking it against their checkbook.
the only thing i want to say on this issue is that i ask everyone to check the FEC report and see if it makes sense. I am not accusing the murphy camp of any wrong doing i just don’t understand it. Did this happen with any other contributors? Why did it take 8 months to find the mistake? i’m just honestly confused…
My understanding is that Person X may pledge to give Y dollars to Candidate Z. Although no check was received, the treasurer’s report should include such pledges as “contributions.” If Person X never actually writes a check or pays via credit card, then Candidate Z may later decide to have that prior treasurer’s report amended to remove the contribution from Person X.
In other words, the Haven executives likely pledged/agreed to make such a donation to Murphy prior to Murphy’s report showing such a contribution in the first place.
[quote comment="22869"]My understanding is that Person X may pledge to give Y dollars to Candidate Z. Although no check was received, the treasurer’s report should include such pledges as “contributions.” If Person X never actually writes a check or pays via credit card, then Candidate Z may later decide to have that prior treasurer’s report amended to remove the contribution from Person X.
In other words, the Haven executives likely pledged/agreed to make such a donation to Murphy prior to Murphy’s report showing such a contribution in the first place.[/quote]
That’s a pretty convenient understanding given the circumstances. Can you provide any documentation to backup that understanding?
Section 11AI, on which the “contributions” appear, is called “Itemized Receipts” not “Itemized Promises.”
I’m not familiar with guidelines for congressional campaign finance, but the following link is to info for CT state campaign finance (sorry for the ugliness)
http://www.ct.gov/seec/lib/seec/chapter_155_1-07_1col.pdf
see page 7, where it says “(2) A written contract, promise or agreement to make a contribution for any such purpose”
FYI, I want Cappiello to win and Murphy to lose.
Ah, this is federal stuff though, not state.
Another interesting fact. The two reports where the Murphy campaign counted “pledged donations” those “pledged donations” put him over a certain fundraising milestone. In the July 05 filing the 2K put him up to 101K without that it would have been 99K. In the Oct filing the “pledged donations” put him over 250K and without it he would have been around 240K. For anyone who has been involved in Congressional Campaigns folks in DC (gop and dem) look at your fundraising reports as a test of viability.. sometimes hitting these milestones can have an affect.
…pledged donations!
Sounds like a freshman legislator needs to pledge to end pledging. Is it really a pledge if the pledge isn’t kept?
A Coyot in Sheep’s clothing.
Meep, Meep!!!!!!!!!
Has State Rep. Bob Keeley endorsed Finch yet or is he waiting for Caruso?
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