Connecticut Local Politics

1. Another week, new faces in the race for Governor. Oz Greibel plans to announce he’s in the Governor’s race tomorrow. Griebel, who hails from Simbsbury, was the chief executive office of BankBoston’s Connecticut subsidiary from 1993 to 1999, and has been with the Metro Hartford Alliance since 2001.
2. According to the Greenwich [...]

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Well it’s another day in CT and what does that mean? You got it… another candidate for Governor!
This time it’s on the GOP side, Chester First Selectman Tom Marsh,
Marsh is running on a platform of fiscal control and bipartisan leadership.
“There are very few purely republican or democratic issues. No political party ever [...]

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Jim Amann Still Gaining Steam
Per CT News Junkie, Former Speaker Jim Amann picked up another legislator endorsement yesterday from State Rep. Ryan Barry of Manchester.  The money quote:
“This is the kind of guy who grabs you by the lapels in the middle of a budget crisis and says, ‘Just be thankful we’re here to help [...]

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And the plot thickens. The New Haven Independent reports that during a visit to the city this morning, State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, left the door open as to whether he, too, might throw his hat into the race for governor now that Jodi Rell has declared she won’t run for re-election.

He made the [...]

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Former Speaker James Amman on Governor M. Jodi Rell’s decision not to run for re-election and how it affects his chances in the 2010 Governor’s race:
“It’s as I predicted, but no one listens to me because I’m a has-been,” Amann quipped, adding that with Rell out and Attorney General Richard Blumenthal on record as not [...]

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I’m so late to this party. What can I say? I’ve been in a funk.
Anyway, this pulled me right the heck out of it.
There’s this Jim Amann press release, in which ground is broken for an elevator and the unique word “governatorial” is used.
And THEN there’s this gem unearthed by CT Bob in [...]

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Governor Jodi Rell’s approval numbers dipped to just 65%, according to a new Quinnipiac Poll released this morning. 
The score, which stands as the lowest ever for the Governor, shows that despite a bruising budget fight Rell has maintained her popularity with people in Connecticut.  30% of those polled disapproved of Mrs. Rell’s performance.
Dr. Douglas Schwartz [...]

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The news: Jim Amann’s gubernatorial campaign has raised only $8,000 this quarter.
The excuse:
In a phone interview Monday, Amann said he’s only raised about $8,000 during the last three months. Unapologetic about the small amount of money raised, Amann said he is the first ever candidate for governor under the new campaign finance laws.
 
“I am the [...]

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CTNJ is reporting that Patrick Scully is no longer with the Amann campaign.
The reason, according to Scully, was that they have no money. Amann disputes that.
The question, then, is whether Amann’s campaign still exists in any meaningful way, if it ever did.

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On Face the State this weekend, Jim Amann went after Jodi Rell, accusing her of seeking popularity instead of making the tough decisions.
He also accused Lisa Moody of being the real governor, saying:
“You have to be there. You have to show up. And you certainly don’t let your chief of staff be the governor of [...]

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Jim Amann, the very soul of class, is chastising Dan Malloy for staying in the race despite his son’s well-publicized troubles. The quote:
“In the priorities of life, family is first and politics is second. I would have made a different decision,” Amann said of Malloy’s decision to remain in the gubernatorial race.
Okay, a few things.
First, [...]

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There was a gubernatorial forum in Pomfret this week with Dan Malloy, Susan Bysiewicz and Jim Amann, similar to the one that was held in Groton two weeks ago.
Ray Hackett of the Norwich Bulletin has this review:
Malloy narrowly won the convention endorsement three years ago, but ultimately lost the nomination in a Democratic primary. [...]

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For all the political junkees, the 2010 Gubernatorial race for the Democratic nomination reached full throttle today with the first candidate and non candidate debate this morning, March 14, 2009 at the Groton City Municipal Building where declared candidate Jim Amann, exploring candidates Dan Malloy and Susan Bysiewicz (Susan B from now on), and non [...]

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It’s hard to find a job in this tough economy. Give Jim Amann some credit, he’s managed to find a couple of them. First, he almost got a job working for his former caucus, which would have landed him a six-figure salary while he runs for governor. Public outcry forced him to withdraw. Now Amann [...]

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A Quinnipiac University poll released this morning shows Governor Jodi Rell with a 75% approval rating and looking strong against all Democratic comers should she choose to run for reelection next year.
A week after announcing her austerity budget, Rell’s approval is high even amongst Democrats, 67% of whom gave her a favorable rating [...]

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The entry of Susan Bysiewicz into the governor’s race, combined with the official entry of Jim Amann Thursday sometime in February and the expected entry of Dan Malloy, means that the 2010 Democratic field for governor is finally starting to take shape.
All three expected candidates have their strengths and weaknesses.
Susan Bysiewicz
She is arguably [...]

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Has anyone else noticed that the pattern of stars on Jim Amann’s website looks like a hook about to drag him off the stage?
Just sayin’.

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Is Patrick Scully to be Jim Amann’s new press guy? Shelly Sindland thinks so… Check out her site for more.

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Jim Amann, bowing to public pressure and, apparently, the opinion of the entire Democratic caucus, decided not to take the job with Chris Donovan.
It’s probably the least painful way for Amann to back out of the position he and the Speaker got themselves into, by making it look like it was Amann himself who [...]

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“When I was speaker [...] If you add up all the hours I worked during my 25 years there, I worked for about $10.21 a day! I didn’t see anyone complaining then.”
–Jim Amann to Shelly Sindland, misunderstanding the “service” part of “public service.”
Read Shelly’s piece, there’s a strong indication that Amann may not get [...]

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