Media Attache

• HBJ - 2010.

  
  This is my last column for the Hartford Business Journal. For the last three years, I’ve had the privilege to share my opinions on state and national politics 600 words at a time.
  I want to begin by thanking the publisher and editors of the [...]
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  Posted: November 16, 2009, 7:00am EST
  

• An Ethical Dilemma.

  
  Even the most devout observer of state government probably doesn’t recognize the name of Priscilla Dickman, but her case raises serious questions about ethics in government and how best to pursue purity.
  Dickman is a former medical technologist with the University of Connecticut Health Center [...]
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  Posted: November 09, 2009, 7:00am EST
  

• Editor's Note - Moving On.Org.

  
  By now you may have heard (The Laurel).
  My wife and I are moving to Washington D.C.
  She landed a great job there and in a few weeks we will relocate from Connecticut and I will begin my search for a new job and [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 7:24pm EST
  

• HBJ - Never Mind.

  
  As the 2010 campaign season approaches, candidates for the legislature and statewide office face a difficult decision about how to pay for their campaigns. The relatively new public financing system is – as a practical matter – on pause at a critical moment in the [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 7:00am EST
  

• HBJ - Small Change.

  
  Although differences between the Bush administration’s foreign policy and the views of candidate Barack Obama defined the presidential campaign of 2008, it is difficult to see much difference between the two now that Obama is in charge.
  
  Particularly with regard to the wars in [...]
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  Posted: October 26, 2009, 7:30am EDT
  

• HBJ - Death on Cable.

  
  We don’t wait for anything anymore, not even death. And we certainly don’t waste any time thinking about what is next once someone is gone.
  In the 21st century, life is fast paced. I remember reading an essay in college by a 19th century writer [...]
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  Posted: October 18, 2009, 9:17am EDT
  

• HBJ - Deference.

  
  With all due deference to seniority in public office, recent events have me thinking more about the value of term limits. The issue comes to mind as the Connecticut political world waits while Senator Chris Dodd and Governor Jodi Rell decide whether they will once [...]
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  Posted: October 12, 2009, 7:30am EDT
  

• HBJ - Thanks, but No Thanks.

  
  On June 12 of this year, right after the end of the regular legislative session and just before the end of the fiscal year, a group of eight Connecticut business leaders wrote to the governor and the legislature, begging to be given a chance to [...]
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  Posted: October 05, 2009, 7:30am EDT
  

• HBJ - The Pause That Refreshes.

  
  Fatigue appears to be the ultimate winner in this year’s debate over the Connecticut state budget. In the end, it was the dread of further pain that led Governor Jodi Rell to definitively end her long stalemate with legislative Democrats.
  
  On one level she [...]
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  Posted: September 28, 2009, 7:30am EDT
  

• Time Off.

  
  I'll be taking a sabbatical from blogging for the next couple of weeks - a sabblogtical.
  In the meantime, I will continue to post my Hartford Business Journal column here on Monday mornings.
  Thank you for your loyal readership and I'll see you soon. Image: [...]
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  Posted: September 22, 2009, 7:27am EDT
  

• HBJ - Republican Primary.

  
  With at least five candidates in the running for next year’s Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, each has a legitimate path to victory. For the first time in more than twenty years, observers of all political persuasions see a possibility for a Republican to win [...]
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  Posted: September 21, 2009, 12:00pm EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Back to Work.

  
  The Connecticut legislature is expected to be back to work next week to pass budget implementer bills. Word from the Capitol is movement toward agreement on this package of technical legislation has been progressing slowly with representatives of the legislature and the administration meeting for [...]
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  Posted: September 18, 2009, 7:11am EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Senate Race.

  
  By the time you read this there may be five Republicans running for the Senate against Chris Dodd. Peter Schiff is expected to announce his intention to run this morning (8:15a.m.) during an appearance on Morning Joe on MSNBC (Hartford Courant). It appears Linda [...]
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  Posted: September 17, 2009, 7:18am EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - McMahon In, Rell Down.

  
  A new Quinnipiac Poll out today shows Governor Rell paying a job approval rating price for her management of state government for the first time since she has taken office. Most of those surveyed think she was wrong to let the state budget become [...]
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  Posted: September 16, 2009, 7:05am EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Local Primaries.

  
  Municipal primaries are being held in 29 Connecticut cities and towns today. The one getting the most attention is in Waterbury (WRA) where the unique career of Mayor Mike Jarjura is on the line.
  You may have seen this story buried in the paper [...]
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  Posted: September 15, 2009, 7:36am EDT
  

• HBJ - Fall Prevention.

  
  In the final hours of this year’s budget debate, Republicans and ultimately Governor Jodi Rell, targeted a line item titled “seniors fall prevention program” as wasteful spending.
  I have to admit that when you hear the concept for the first time, without explanation, it sounds [...]
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  Posted: September 14, 2009, 12:00pm EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Obama on Wall St.

  
  The news of the day will be driven by a presidential trip to Wall St. to mark the one year anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the unprecedented government intervention that came with it (New York Times).
  The president will give a [...]
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  Posted: September 14, 2009, 7:07am EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Field Notes.

  
  On this anniversary of the September 11th attacks on the United States there is growing debate in Washington over the course to follow in Afghanistan (New York Times). President Obama, who campaigned on a promise to focus U.S. efforts away from Iraq and onto [...]
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  Posted: September 11, 2009, 8:08am EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Briefly.

  
  I have an early meeting this morning so here's a brief look at the news....
  President Obama made his best healthcare case to the American people last night in a speech to a joint session (NYT), but judging by the reaction from members of [...]
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  Posted: September 10, 2009, 6:17am EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Dodd Stays Put.

  
  Defying Washington conventional wisdom, Senator Dodd is expected to announce later today that he will remain as chairman of the banking committee clearing the way for Tom Harkin of Iowa to replace Senator Kennedy as chair of the health committee.
  
  Several Capitol Hill news [...]
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  Posted: September 09, 2009, 6:40am EDT
  

• HBJ - The Story Behind the Veto.

  
  What conclusions can be reached as a result of this year’s string of vetoes from Governor Jodi Rell?
  If the governor and legislature are working well together there should be little need for a governor to resort to a veto. If all sides are talking, [...]
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  Posted: September 08, 2009, 12:00pm EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - No Lull.

  
  You would think the week following a long summer weekend would start out slow, but that is not the case in national and state politics.
  First of all - we now have a state budget. The plan passed by Democrats a week ago becomes law [...]
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  Posted: September 08, 2009, 7:08am EDT
  

• Editor's Note.

  It's Labor Day.
  See you Tuesday. The HBJ column this week looks at Governor Rell's 2009 vetoes and what we can learn from them.
  Also coming up in the week's ahead...crucial decisions for Senator Dodd and Governor Rell. National healthcare and the short U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts. [...]
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  Posted: September 07, 2009, 7:00am EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - End of Summer.

  
  Day 66 - Connecticut Without a Budget.
  In all, Connecticut will go 69 days past the end of the last fiscal year without a budget. The budget approved this week by Democrats will become law, without Governor Rell's signature, on Tuesday - the day after [...]
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  Posted: September 04, 2009, 6:51am EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Healthcare Developments.

  
  Day 65 - Connecticut Without a Budget.
  The investigation into corruption at Hartford city hall (technically: The Municipal Building) has led to the re-arrest of Mayor Perez and the arrest of three others, including city councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson (Hartford Courant). All maintain their innocence [...]
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  Posted: September 03, 2009, 7:35am EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Struggle at City Hall.

  
  Day 64 - Connecticut Without a Budget.
  The Hartford Courant is reporting that Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez "and several others" are expected to turn themselves in at State Police Troop "H" today as a corruption investigation continues into the Perez administration. The mayor says [...]
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  Posted: September 02, 2009, 7:22am EDT
  

• Budget Update - Done Deal.

  
  Late this afternoon, Governor Rell issued a statement saying she will allow the Democrat approved budget - given final legislative approval early this morning in the Senate - to become law without her signature.
  She said she "does not believe in the budget," but [...]
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  Posted: September 01, 2009, 5:40pm EDT
  

• Budget Update - 3:30p.m.

  There's an information lock down at the Capitol this hour concerning the fate of the budget given final legislative approval early this morning by the Senate.
  
  Informed sources have been told only that "it will be resolved later today."
  
  Governor Rell is being pressured by Republicans to veto [...]
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  Posted: September 01, 2009, 3:35pm EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Still No Agreement.

  
  Day 63 - Connecticut Without a Budget.
  The state House and Senate have passed a budget, but Governor Rell has been noticeably silent about whether she intends to sign it into law (Hartford Courant). Although Democrats tried to position the budget plan as a [...]
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  Posted: September 01, 2009, 7:06am EDT
  

• HBJ - Technology Ready Jobs.

  
  A few months back, as the economy was tanking and politicians here and in Washington were looking to take action, a great deal of emphasis was placed on government spending for “shovel ready” projects. Shovel ready projects are public works projects that have been designed [...]
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  Posted: August 31, 2009, 12:00pm EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Down to the Wire.

  
  Day 62 - Connecticut Without a Budget.
  With real and self imposed deadlines in place Governor Rell and legislators are trying to reach a budget deal by midnight tonight. According to the latest reporting (Hartford Courant), the two sides are hoping to complete negotiations [...]
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  Posted: August 31, 2009, 7:00am EDT
  

• Campaign Finance/Brushfire Poll.

  
  Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz have scheduled a news conference (Noon) to discuss the state's possible next steps following a federal court ruling against Connecticut's public campaign finance law.
  The AP is reporting the state will appeal the decision [...]
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  Posted: August 28, 2009, 10:33am EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Campaign Finance Enjoined.

  
  Day 59 - Connecticut Without a Budget.
  U.S. District Court Judge Stefan Underhill has handed down a major decision in a case brought by the Green Party against Connecticut's new public campaign finance law (CTNewsJunkie - contains link to decision). The bottom line, the [...]
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  Posted: August 28, 2009, 7:10am EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Suddenly.

  
  Day 58 - Connecticut Without a Budget.
  Now it's an emergency. Now something needs to be done by September 1st. After allowing the state's fiscal crisis to fester for nearly nine months there is a sudden urgency to get a deal and move on.
  Governor [...]
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  Posted: August 27, 2009, 7:36am EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Death in the Cable News Era.

  
  Day 57 - Connecticut Without a Budget.
  The news of the day and probably the next week or so is dominated by the death of Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy at 77 of brain cancer (Boston Globe).
  Kennedy and his family have long been a [...]
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  Posted: August 26, 2009, 7:15am EDT
  

• Editor's Note.

  
  Day 56 - Connecticut Without a Budget.
  I am on special assignment and will be back with the Daily Trendline on Wednesday morning.
  [...]
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  Posted: August 25, 2009, 8:00am EDT
  

• HBJ - Rowland Reforms?

  
  Five years after the resignation of Governor John Rowland set off an orgy of ethics reforms there are signs that the pendulum is swinging back. This is not necessarily a bad thing, because despite arguments I have made previously about the need to set higher [...]
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  Posted: August 24, 2009, 12:00pm EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Questions Raised.

  
  Day 55 - Connecticut Without a Budget.
  Democrats plan to step up their public relations campaign against Governor Rell's insistence on further budget cuts this week. Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, who is running for governor, plans an event to offer an alternative to cuts to' [...]
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  Posted: August 24, 2009, 7:04am EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Defense of the Strategy.

  
  Day 52 - Connecticut Without a Budget.
  In an interview with The Day of New London, Governor Rell tries to explain her current stance on state budget negotiations and a column this week from the Journal Inquirer's Chris Powell, takes a similar point' [...]
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  Posted: August 21, 2009, 7:16am EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Kennedy Succession.

  
  Day 51 - Connecticut Without a Budget.
  Democrats were optimistic when Governor Rell agreed to consider - at least for a moment - their latest proposal to end the state budget standoff, but they were dejected after a meeting Wednesday during which the Republican governor [...]
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  Posted: August 20, 2009, 7:09am EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Cautious Optimism.

  
  Day 50 - Connecticut Without a Budget.
  For the first time in months there is a hint of optimism in the quest for a bi-partisan budget solution (Hartford Courant).
  Democrats say Governor Rell has agreed to continue negotiations "everyday this week" in the hope [...]
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  Posted: August 19, 2009, 7:36am EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Still Nothing.

  
  Day 49 - Connecticut Without a Budget.
  No progress reported out of budget negotiations Monday. Connecticut remains one of two states unable to forge an agreement.
  As the standoff continues it is very difficult to determine what either side is fighting for - exactly. The [...]
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  Posted: August 18, 2009, 6:26am EDT
  

• HBJ - The Defenders.

  
  There’s an old saying, used by lawyers, that when the facts are on your side you argue the merits, but when the facts are against you - you argue over the rules. That honest view of strategy continues to come to mind as I watch [...]
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  Posted: August 17, 2009, 12:00pm EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Public Option.

  
  Day 48 - Connecticut Without a Budget.
  The need to pass healthcare reform in Washington is becoming increasingly high stakes for President Obama (New York Times). This weekend the administration signaled it may be willing to drop pursuit of the so called "public option" [...]
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  Posted: August 17, 2009, 7:30am EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Bad Signs.

  
  Day 45 - Connecticut Without a Budget
  Legislative Democrats have announced they have set aside August 27 - 28 for an extra legislative session on budget matters. By all accounts and observations it appears unlikely there will be a budget plan to vote on by [...]
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  Posted: August 14, 2009, 7:15am EDT
  

• Dodd Update - On the Mend?

  
  The Daily Beast has what it bills as an exclusive interview with Senator Chris Dodd, conducted the night before his prostate surgery. In the interview, Dodd suggests that he is on the mend politically following last week's ruling from the Senate Ethics Committee.
  Dodd [...]
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  Posted: August 13, 2009, 1:48pm EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Healthcare Spillover.

  
  Day 44 - Connecticut Without a Budget.
  As President Obama campaigns (politico) for what is now called "health insurance reform" the debate is spilling over in unexpected ways and unexpected places (Wall St. Journal).
  Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, Healthcare Advocate Kevin Lembo and [...]
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  Posted: August 13, 2009, 7:28am EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Harsh Political Reality.

  
  During his tenure as House Republican leader, Larry Cafero has tried to keep his small caucus involved and relevant. And it has worked. He has managed to have an influence despite the fact that he is badly out-numbered.
  So it is no surprise that he [...]
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  Posted: August 12, 2009, 6:54am EDT
  

• Interview - Gary LeBeau.

  
  Two weeks ago, long time state legislator (1991), Senator Gary LeBeau (D) formed an exploratory committee for governor. In this interview he explains the reasons behind his decision to run and in his first answer offers a very personal look at how a health scare [...]
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  Posted: August 11, 2009, 12:00pm EDT
  

• Daily Trendline - Debicella In.

  
  No progress on a state budget solution. The leaders and the governor met Monday afternoon for about two hours with no significant progress reported. Unclear this morning when they will meet again, but both Democrats and Republicans plan to continue their road shows to drum [...]
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  Posted: August 11, 2009, 7:06am EDT