Connecticut Local Politics

The Washington Post reports that one of the myriad sugarplums of pork tucked into the fetid crap sandwich that is the Senate version of Health Care “Reform” is $100 million dollars for a university hospital, and that it has been set aside for none other than Chris Dodd, whom the paper notes “faces a difficult [...]

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This evening the Senate passed the motion for debate on the healthcare bill.
Here’s what Senator Dodd, who took over work on the HELP committee for his ailing friend and colleague, the late Senator Edward Kennedy, had to say:
if you’ve watched the debate here in the Senate over the past few days, you’ve probably [...]

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Sen. Joe Lieberman announced today that he would be a thorn in the side of those trying to pass a health care reform package with a government-sponsored plan:
“We’re trying to do too much at once,” Lieberman said. “To put this government-created insurance company on top of everything else is just asking for trouble for the [...]

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After the president’s speech tonight, Rep. Courtney will be discussing their reactions to the speech and health care in general with his guest, Dr. Dinesh Kapur, the Medical Director of Oncology at The William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich. Dr. Kapur is also an Attending Physician in Hematology, Oncology and Internal Medicine. You can watch [...]

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This is a nice post to do today, when it seems like the debate over health care is starting to shift into the legislative endgame.
Rep. Joe Courtney held a telephone town hall on health care on August 24th. According to what Brian Farber, Deputy Chief of Staff/Communications Director for Rep. Courtney, said near the end [...]

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Originally posted by Scarce over at MLN. He is not a fan of a public option, and thinks that it is the major barrier to reform:

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Here are the final questions from the Town Hall Meeting held by Second District Congressman Joe Courtney.
22. You haven’t taken my phone calls, your office has not responded to my questions so I came here in person. I am a small business owner. My standards are “profit and simplicity” (Loud cheers from [...]

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Continuing the saga of last night’s, September 2, 2009, Town Hall Meeting held by Second District Congressman Joe Courtney.
15. The collection of people in this hall is less than one percent of a voting precinct. Please don’t let a skewed audience swing your vote. (Shouts and rumblings from the audience). A [...]

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Rep. Jim Himes’ health care town hall scheduled for 6:30 pm this evening in Bridgeport has been moved to the Klein Auditorium at 910 Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport in anticipation of a big turnout.
Okay Tea Bagger Judy Aron it’s been posted on CTLP. No whining about being victim of a vast left-wing liberal conspiracy, [...]

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My account of last night’s, September 2, 2009, Town Hall Meeting with Second District Congressman Joe Courtney continues below. For those interested in a shorter summary than my many part tome may chose to the account in the New London DAY or the Norwich Bulletin.
We are picking up the questioning with the seventh question [...]

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I attended the Town Hall Meeting that Second District Congressman Joe Courtney held at Montville High School tonight, September 2, 2009. Because of the length of the Town Hall Meeting and the over twenty questions asked, I am splitting the report into two or more posts, one tonight and the others throughout the day [...]

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The governor’s Charter Oak health care plan (remember that?) turned a year old last week, and the governor has been touting the plan’s enrollment. In a release, Rell’s office said that over 10,000 people had already enrolled, with another 5,000 set to become part of the program. The plan provides coverage to anyone who applies, [...]

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Since his announcement that he has prostate cancer, Senator Chris Dodd has been advocating health care reform using his own experience as an example:
“I didn’t wake up the morning of June 19th — when I found out I had prostate cancer — and worry about whether or not I have a health care plan or whether I would get access [...]

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In my following of Connecticut politics, I have always viewed Chris Healy as, at best, an oddity. He provided color to an otherwise barren and uninteresting Republican bench. He seemed to be a member of the Michael Steele school of politics–believing that saying something patently absurd is a perfectly acceptable thing to do so long [...]

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This interview with Rep. John Larson was broadcast on FOX News earlier today.

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Both the House and Senate have passed the SustiNet universal health care bill over the governor’s objections, and (for the most part) along party lines.
Any threat of Republicans using parliamentary tactics to delay the Democrats’ passage of the bills seems to have vanished, as both chambers passed the legislation very rapidly, and with little debate. [...]

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Politicians. Gotta love ‘em. In an election year they say whatever it takes, and then once they’re re-elected, fuggedaboutdit.
Senator Joe Lieberman, Example A.
Here’s Joe in a primary debate with Ned Lamont three years ago on July 7th, 2006
what I’m saying to the people of Connecticut, I can do more for you and your [...]

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Rep. Joe Courtney makes a strong argument for a public option in his opening remarks on health care reform in the House Education and Labor committee. Courtney reminds those members of Congress who are against government-run health care that they all benefit from just that.
I think this is one of the better speeches I’ve seen [...]

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When you really don’t want health care reform to happen but are simulating being constructive, sometimes you get hoisted on your own petard. That’s what happened to Senator Enzi, (R-WY), the ranking Republican on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP) during Monday’s markup session on the health care bill. At the opening [...]

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No surprise here, Gov. Rell has vetoed two much-touted health care reform bills today. One of the two bills would established a commission to study a public health care option, and the other would have expanded the statewide health insurance pool to municipal workers, nonprofits and small businesses.
Rell said the first bill was too [...]

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