RELL WON’T RUN AGAIN!

No one saw this coming, or, at least not today! Our assignment manager got the call about an hour before the press conference that Governor Jodi Rell was holding a press conference in her office at 5 p.m but that is all the alert said.  AP was scrambling to cover the event because their main Capitol reporter apparently has the flu.  Did Rell’s “soul searching” happen in the last few hours? It would have been nice to have a little notice or a little bit of a clue. The State Republican Party Chairman, Chris Healy also had no idea Rell was going to make this announcement today.  All I know is Quinnipiac University is coming out with some poll tomorrow.  I have no idea if this has anything to do with Rell’s announcement or not.  All I know is I saw the Governor walking in the Veterans’ Day Parade yesterday with her entire family and grandchildren.  She looked very happy.  Now, I know why.  Who would want the headache. right?  I can think of a few names.

THE MAGIC IS GONE.

Just when I thought Senator Christopher Dodd and I had crossed a bridge, the magic appears to be gone.

 He is no longer calling me by my first name and that dismissive hand waiving after one of my questions is back.

What this tells me is he is frustrated. Frustrated this time, not by the Countrywide Mortgage controversy or some other bump in the road Dodd has had to stomach, no, this time he appears to be frustrated by Joe Lieberman and Joe’s very PUBLIC  PLEA against the Public option this weekend on NATIONAL T.V.

The last time I saw Dodd waiving his hands at me like he did today–it was when I kept asking him about his Country Wide Mortgage Documents and when he would release them.

You can tell a lot about a person based on their body language. Today, when we asked Dodd if Lieberman could de-rail the entire Health Care Bill, he said under his breath and with what I saw  as a nervous smile “No, that’s way down the road here.”

I don’t think he was talking about Lieberman derailing the bill but just that I was putting the horse before the cart or jumping the gun or something like that.

I also took this picture of Dodd with my Blackberry Camera Phone. Definitely captured the moment when reporters were asking Dodd about Good Ol’ Joe. You can watch the entire story (and Dodd’s body language) tonight on the Fox 61 News at Ten. (on 6 on most cable station and the time, 10 pm–hence, the name.

GOVERNOR LAMONT?

Ned Lamont, you remember Joe Lieberman’s biggest nightmare, says he is considering a run for Governor.  He’ll make an announcement tomorrow at Centeral Connecticut State University.

Lamont told me a few months ago that he was not considering a run for Governor. I wonder what changed?

Sources tell us that Lieberman could be his Lt. Gov.

Here is a copy of the Press Release he just sent out.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 4, 2009

NED LAMONT ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE

Norwalk, CT – Ned Lamont, successful businessman, co-founder of the state policy center at Central Connecticut State University, and Democratic nominee for US Senate in 2006, announced that he will be filing papers today with the State Elections Enforcement Commission establishing an Exploratory Committee for statewide office:

“As I have continued to meet with citizens across our state over the last three years, as co-chairman of President Obama’s Connecticut campaign and on behalf of health care reform, I have been constantly reminded that Connecticut is not living up to its potential and that too many of our families are being left behind,” said Lamont.

“Like businesses, states thrive with strong executive leadership, and they fall behind with weak leadership. As measured by the loss of jobs, young people leaving our state, and the never-ending budget crisis, Connecticut’s Chief Executive is simply not getting the job done.”

Since the 2006 campaign, Lamont has continued to serve as Chairman of the Board of Campus Televideo, a Connecticut company he founded twenty-five years ago. He is also a distinguished professor of political science at Central Connecticut State University, where he co-founded a policy center which has brought together leading business, labor, and non-profit leaders to formulate a strategic plan for the state of Connecticut.  In addition, he serves on the boards of Conservation Services Group, a leading provider of energy efficiency programs, Teach for America/CT, and Mercy Corps, an international non-profit organization that focuses on job training and small business start-ups around the world.

 

UCONN STUDENTS BEING BULLIED ON THE INTERNET NOT TO “SNITCH”

 Internet bullying and threatening language could be hindering the University of Connecticut’s police investigation into the weekend murder of football star Jasper Howard, or at least according to the student run newspaper, “The Daily Campus”.

 Reporter Kate Monohan broke the story in today’s newspaper and said some of the threats were in networks only UConn Students would have been able to see and access. One comment posted on a blog dedicated to UConn Football and Basketball threatened students not to talk to police.

“Stop snitching! Post the names of anyone you know who gave info to the police,” Monohan read from one of the comment posted on the blog. In that same posting, a person who goes by “CJ” also wrote that Jazz didn’t deserve to die and that the person who killed him didn’t intend to kill him. The entry also warned that anyone who snitched would face consequences and wrote in all caps, “BURN IN (expletive) HELL SNITCH MOTHER F*** (another expletive).”

“I think because some of them are so specific and they say things like almost they were there.” said Monohan who is a senior majoring in journalism. “Maybe not too many people saw this but for the people that did, I mean, it is really terrifying to read.”

 The intrepid reporter also found a posting on Facebook in the “R.I.P Jasper Howard” group network which would have only been seen by those in the network. In it, someone wrote in caps, “F*** THE SNITHCES. THIS NEEDS TO BE A LESSON FOR ALL OF UCONN.” This post has since been taken down.

UConn police would not talk on camera about the internet threats but did say the story in the Daily Campus is accurate and that police are actively pursing any leads at to who is behind the threats.

 As for Kate, she said the night Jasper died, so did some of their innocence. The stabbing happened in a busy part of campus close to the police station. The area was well-lighted and there were a lot of people around. She said It was a place where students were supposed to be safe.

“This is something that is really a tragedy on so many levels. Just to happen in the heartbeat of the UCONN campus in front of the student union,” she said. No arrests have been made in the investigation.

CHRIS HEALY SAYS BLUMENTHAL WOULD SUE SANTA!

Ouch! Not exactly the Holiday spirit but then again, it’s only October so I guess anything flies!

The investigation into Governor Jodi Rell’s office over a focus group is picking up speed, in part, because of two men–Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and State Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy.

First in the ring, Richard Blumenthal who says his office is “following the money” to see if any laws may have been broken and if tax dollars may have been used to conduct polls for Governor Jodi Rell, as some are alleging.

“There apparently was not an official contract but a memorandum of understanding. The money may have been paid to an institution or an individual; we want to follow that money, “ Blumenthal said.

Next in the ring, Healy throws a one-two punch at the Attorney General for getting involved.

“Blumenthal is looking into anything. He would sue Santa Clause if he could get away with it,” Healy said.

In a mild manner tone, Blumenthal just left me a voice-mail message not surprised at all by the Republican Party Chairman’s response

“Chris Healy has used that line before and I don’t think it’s worth a reaction,” Blumenthal said. “It is simply an investigation and not a lawsuit.  The results will speak for themselves.”

The Governor had said that her office hired Ken Dautrich to conduct studies on how to better streamline State Government and that no polls were conducted.

Meanwhile, if Chris Healy wants some presents from Santa, he’d better be a little nicer.

12 WATERBURY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS SUSPENDED.

WATERBURY POLICE SAY 12 ELEMENTARY STUDENTS COULD FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES TIED TO A SEXUAL INCIDENT ON SCHOOL BUS.

By Shelly Sindland.

As school buses left Margaret M. Generali Elementary School in Waterbury, some parents were coming to the school to pick-up their children instead.

 ”I was going to put my daughter back on the bus but after this, I refuse to put her on the bus,” said Heather Bunker whose daughter goes to the kindergarten through 5th grade school.

 Parents are reacting to the news that 12 students from the elementary school have been suspended after an incident last week on a school bus. One of those students also faces expulsion.

Waterbury’s police department is investigating the incident.

“The complaint involves an allegation of inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature on a school bus. The children were riding home from school on a Friday afternoon,” said Lt. Chris Corbett with Waterbury Police. Lt. Corbett said no contact occurred and no assault took place but still the students suspended could be charged with risk of injury to a minor. Lt. Corbett said even though the suspects are minors themselves, older children can be charged with the crime.

 ”Potentially, it’s a criminal matter.” Lt. Corbin said. “The school has already taken action against the students involved to discipline those students but potentially, those students could also face criminal charges.”

Parents said they’re frustrated with the lack of information they are getting from school administrators and police. While some said they did get letters from the principal informing them about the suspensions, some parents said they want more specific information as to what really happened on that school bush last Friday.

 ”I just want to know what happened!” said Sherryll McCowon. “My daughter takes the bus; I want to know what happened! As the parent, we need to know that.”

 School Administrators, who would not talk to us on Camera nor agree to an interview–told the Republican-American newspaper and the Associated Press that a fifth grade student did something to a girl on a school bus and that the others egged him on and laughed. That fifth grader, according to those reports, is the one who faces expulsion. School administrators say the other students will be transferred to other schools so the girl will not to see them. Heather Bunker said she wonders what this world is coming to.

“This only goes up to 5th grade and things like this are happening. What is going to happen in middle school?” Bunker said.

DODD IS CANCER FREE!!!

BIDEN AND DODD

That is good news and it was Vice-President Joe Biden who spilled the beans today at an event in Fairfield! Biden was in the State talking stimulus money and Chris Dodd, (BUT DON’T CALL IT POLITICAL!!!))

Check out my story tonight on the Fox 61 News at Ten.

Meanwhile, I am off.  Sorry for not BLOGGING for a few weeks but I have been cleaning my basement–hoping to move!

Here are some more pictures from the event!

BIDEN AND DODD

WWE EXECUTIVE GETS IN THE RING WITH DODD

McMAHON GETS IN THE RING WITH DODD

For years, Linda McMahon has been a heavy hitter in the world of wrestling. Now, the co-founder of the WWE, is looking to be a heavy hitter in Washington, D.C.

 ”We need fresh faces. We need new blood,” said McMahon during an interview with Fox 61. “I am putting my hat into the ring because I think it’s time.”

 The 60 year old Fairfield County woman, along with her husband, created a wrestling empire. She announced today that she would be leaving the ring for the world of politics but don’t call her a politician.

“Washington is over-run by career politicians. I’m not a politician, I’m a business woman,” she said.

MaMahon is the latest Republican looking to get into the ring with Senator Christopher Dodd. Colleen Flanagan, the communications director for the Connecticut Democratic Party, said the long-line of Republican Candidates will only help Dodd in his bid for re-election.

“Obviously their goal is to take on Chris Dodd but they’re going to have to take on each other first. So, it’s looking to be an entertaining next few months,” Flanagan said.

McMahon, who was recently appointed to the State Board of Education by the Governor, said her real-life experience is what sets her apart from the other Republican candidates.

“You know, I didn’t start out exactly where I am today. Early on in my career, Vince and I went bankrupt. We lost everything. We lost our home. We couldn’t get any credit. We didn’t have any credit cards. I can relate to a lot of people in Connecticut and our country who are afraid of losing their jobs; who can’t make their mortgage payment.” she said.

Former Second District Congressman Rob Simmons, State Senator Sam Caligiuri and former U.S Ambassador to Ireland, Tom Foley, are the other Republicans vying for their party’s nomination. In a statement, Foley said this about the crowded race. “I welcome Linda McMahon into the race. When I got into the race I knew it would be a fight, but I didn’t know I’d need to be prepared for smackdowns.”

On the Democratic side, political newcomer Merrick Alpert is launching a primary campaign against Dodd. The General Election will be in November of 2010.

IT WAS CLOSE BUT IS IT REALLY OVER FOR VANCE?

The day before the primary election, J. Paul Vance, Junior, predicted a major upset in the Democratic Mayoral race for Waterbury. On that same day, Mayor Mike Jarjura said he wasn’t too worried about it.

However, I am guessing now, he’s changed his tune a little bit. The Associated Press is reporting that Jarjura pulled off a victory but barely! The four-term incumbent was only ahead by SIX votes at the polls but through the absentee votes pulled ahead by 164 votes. Vance gave a concession speech Tuesday night and said the close vote meant that Waterbury residents were not and are not happy with the way things are going in Waterbury. Vance’s voice-mail on his cell phone is full so I could not leave a message to get a temperature read on what his next move will be. But for a petitioning candidate, losing by 164 votes against a man who has been Mayor since 2002, is hardly a bad showing. Vance said on Monday that he would only run for Mayor as a Democrat and nothing else. I wonder now he if too is having a change of heart. Will he run as an independent? It’s a question I will ask him when he calls me back.

J. PAUL VANCE, JR. PREDICTS UPSET IN WATERBURY MAYORAL DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

VANCE SAYS CHANGE IS COMING

As people get ready to head to the Polls on Tuesday for local Primary elections, one perceived under-dog is predicting a major upset. J. Paul Vance, Junior, the Waterbury Alderman who gathered enough signatures to force a Democratic primary in the City’s Mayoral race, said in so many words that he thinks he will win when all the votes are tallied.

“I think that change is coming to Waterbury,” said Vance who is looking to send four-term incumbent Mayor Mike Jarjura packing. “I think there will be an upset.”

But Mayor Mike Jarjura appeared not to be losing any sleep over it. “I’ve been in a lot of elections and I know when I’m in trouble and I know when I am not in trouble and I don’t think I am in any trouble this time.”

Mayor Jarjura said. In 2005, Jarjura pulled off a political miracle by winning re-election as a write-in candidate after losing the Democratic Primary. This time around, he said his record speaks for itself. Jarjura said Waterbury is in good financial standing even with the downturn in the economy. Jarjura said Waterbury currently has no operating deficits, no tax increases and no lay-offs.

However, Vance said the Jarjura years have not been good ones. “Eight years of being number one in unemployment and number two in taxes, just isn’t good enough,” Vance said. “The eight people that I went high school with, my best friends in the world, all decided to leave Waterbury for various reasons–taxes, jobs. It’s quality of schools and the condition of the parks and streets.”

Even if Vance gets his wish on Primary Day, it doesn’t mean his race against Jarjura is over. Jarjura, who was cross-endorsed by local Republicans, could run in the General Election as a Republican if he loses the Democratic Primary. While Jarjura downplayed that scenario, he didn’t rule it out either saying if that were to happen, he would “offer it back to the Republican party and they would have to tell me if whether they would want me to continue on their line or not.”

IT SOUNDS LIKE RELL WILL RUN AGAIN!

"I'D VOTE FOR ME!"

Call me crazy  but it seems like Governor Jodi Rell just gave me the scoop after completely dissing me this weekend by deciding NOT to do my show.  Yes, “The Real Story” was the ONLY show the Governor did not appear on last weekend! Rell appeared on “Face The State” with Dennis House and on “Connecticut News Makers” with Tom Monahan but did not appear on “The Real Story.”   I wear Rell’s rejection as a badge of honor because she knew I would ask the tough questions.  When I asked Rell why she ditched me and decided to do Dennis’ show (who doesn’t even cover the Capitol, mind you) and not mine–Rell told me quote,  “I can’t do them all!”  But here is where I know better.  Mr. House moved up the taping of his show to accommodate  the Governor which means she could have done my show as well.  (WE tape on the same night, a half hour apart.)  Either way,  I am getting ready to wear my “RELL DITCHED ME” pin  around the Capitol in the very near future.

SO BACK  to the SCOOP, after Rell’s press conference wrapped up today in her Capitol Office and I was done sulking and feeling sorry for myself,  I went up to the Governor and asked her,  off-camera, what she thought  about all the Democrats lining up to take her job. Rell kind of laughed.  Then, when I asked her which of the three would she vote for,  Dan Malloy, Susan Bysciewicz or Jim Amann,? Rell told me, and I quote: “I’D VOTE FOR ME!”

Sounds to me like she is running again!  I  think Rell just gave me the scoop because she feels badly that she blew me off and got me into trouble with my boss!

Her up-beat demeanor could be in response to a new Quinnipiac University Poll which just came out today.  The Q-Poll shows Rell is still scoring high with the voters. Seventy-five percent of those polled approve of the job she is doing.  Meanwhile, the poll also found that out of the three Democrats eyeing The Governor’s job, Susan Bysciewicz is in the lead.

Hmm… Susan Bysciewicz is already booked for “The Real Story” this week. I think I will give her the ENTIRE show or at least most of it and we can talk about Sadie,  babies and kittens and how she helps train seeing eye dogs for the blind.

BYSCIEWICZ AT FOX 61 FOR THE TAPING OF A PREVIOUS SHOW

RELL SAYS SHE DID NOT WATCH OBAMA’S SPEECH LAST NIGHT.

GOVERNOR RELL DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE IN HER OFFICE

Governor Jodi Rell said  today that she did not watch President Barack Obama’s national, televised speech last night on the economy and stimulus package.  Rell did not give a reason why but said she backs the President’s plans despite some concerns. That’s because the compromised version of  the Stimulus Package means cuts for Connecticut.

Rell is counting on 2 billion dollars from the Federal Stimulus Package,  over the next 3 fiscal years,  to balance her budget.  While things can change and  still are changing,  Rell’s office says the latest version of  would mean fewer dollars for the State, about 430 million dollars less.

Despite this fact, Rell believes it is still better to do something than nothing.  The Republican Governor is getting her inspiration  from a book about the legendary Democratic President,  Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The book is called “The Defining Moment” by Jonathan Alter and it tells the story about F.D.R’s handling of the financial crisis during the Great Depression and his push to get his “New Deal” through Congress.

“He talks about the delay, they talk about the delay in getting something done and what and how that created such problems,” Rell said.

It is unclear what page Rell is on in the book but we do know she has been reading it since December.

CROMWELL POLICE SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT SURROUNDING ROCKY HILL WOMAN’S DEATH

My  blackberry went off at 8 O’clock this morning but it wasn’t Jim Amann, Dan Malloy or  Senator Dodd’s office, this time, it was Cromwell Police. This blog is certainly eating into a lot of my free time these days which isn’t much but I am happy to do it.

Captain Roy Nelson wanted to set the record straight concerning my recent posting on the Carol Sinisgalli/Rep. Jim O’Rourke case. He had an issue with this line from my posting over the weekend. To see the entire posting click here

((Cromwell police were called to the bar to break up the fight. I don’t understand why Sinisgalli wasn’t taken into police custody then?  Perhaps if she had been hauled away in handcuffs, at least today, the 41 year old woman would be alive.  In all fairness to Cromwell police, I never called them for a comment about this. The Cromwell police factor is just something I thought of the other night when I went out into the snow barefooted and in a sense, felt the bitter cold Sinisgalli must have felt that night as she curled up along side the train tracks and died.))

Carol Sinisgalli

Well, the long and short of it is that Cromwell police couldn’t arrest her if she was no longer at the cromwell tavern.

Capt. Nelson said his officer did respond to an altercation at the tavern that night at about 11:34 p.m. “Upon our officer’s arrival, we found a man in a wheel chair accosted by the woman but the woman had already left in an unknown vehicle, in an unknown direction,” Captain Nelson said. According to the Captain, the officer found the woman’s purse at the bar along with a pair of sandals and the hood to a a jacket.   Her car was also still in the parking lot but this is where Nelson says his officer’s hands were tied. The man in the wheelchair and the owner of the bar refused to press charges against the woman.

“Any complaints from the bar or man and we would have pursued her,” Nelson said. “Without it, our hands were  tied.”  Nelson says his officer waited for 45 minutes at the Tavern for the woman to return to her car. He  says the officer even called her residence more than once  and left  messages on her home answering machine.

“The issue is how far can we take things because we don’t have a complaint,” Capt. Nelson said. “We are not going to pursue someone out of district if we don’t have a complaint. We are extremely comfortable with what we did. I don’t know what more we could have done.”

Meanwhile,  a Rocky Hill Police spokesman– whose department is  investigating the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death–says they are waiting for the toxicology reports to come back on Sinisgalli which could take weeks.  Detective are also still interviewing people.

“This is an active investigation,” Lt. John Herbst told me on the phone on Monday. Other than that, he would not  say much. This is a story which is far from over.

To see my first story on the case with details from the police report click here.

Bysiewicz says Amann’s Job Offer With House Democrats will hurt him.

I'll take that call

As the race for Governor heats up so  do the words of Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz about her potential Democratic Rival, Jim Amann.

Susan Bysiewicz says former House Speaker Jim Amann’s  6 figure job offer with House Democrats will hurt Amann in his run for Governor in 2010.   Bysiewicz says she has heard from a lot of people who were furious with Amann’s 6 figure gig,   at tax payers expense, during these hard economic times. ( Mind you, it was a gig that later fell through!)  I asked Bysiewicz what she would do to make sure she didn’t use her State position to gain  headlines in her race for Governor– You’ll have to tune in to see what she had to say. “The Real Story” airs Sunday morning  on  Fox 61  at 8:30 a.m.

Susan is leading the pack in Governor's race with Democrats in recent poll

Second Segment–DODD’s POLITICAL FUTURE IN TROUBLE? A new poll also shows Senator Christopher Dodd’s time in office could be nearing an end.  Why the Countrywide Mortgage controversy  could cost him his office.
Guest: Rick Green, The Hartford Courant
Kevin Rennie, The Hartford Courant

Dodd's Political Future

Plus, a new segment on The Real Story, MAKING THEIR CASE—why they say they  should be spared by  Governor Jodi Rell’s Budget Cuts. This week, how Rell’s cuts will hurt those living with AIDS and HIV.

Advocate Shawn Lang and Charles, who has been living with HIV for 26 years.: Charles says people living with the virus will die because of Rell’s cut.

RELL CUTS WILL KILL PEOPLE

Shawn and Charles " making their case."

AMANN CAMP ACCUSES BYSIEWICZ OF “DANCING WITH THE STARS”

The  Jim Amann camp isn’t too happy with The Secretary of The State Susan Bysiewicz these days, especially with her recent comments on my show “The Real Story”.

THE AMANN CAMP THROWS SOME PUNCHES

To see the show, play here.

In fact, insiders  said Bysiewicz should be on “Dancing with the Star” given the way she avoided my quote, “very direct and important questions”; like, is she committed to the race and how will she avoid campaigning on state time?

Apparently, Amann is pretty fired-up and plans to fight fire with fire.  I am learning that the Amann campaign plans to contact every Democratic Town Committee in the state to point out that Bysiewicz is already starting to go negative on her fellow Democrats  by claiming to have met dozens and dozens of constituents who were appalled by Amann  even considering the 6 figure  job offer from House Speaker Chris  Donovan.

The Amann camp wants to know  if Bysiewicz talked to those dozens and dozens of constituents on State time? They call her tatics  “disappointing but not surprising” going on to say that her “m.o. from previous campaigns is coming through.”  They accuse Bysiewicz of putting her  political ambitions over the good of the party to a   “stunning degree.”  The Amann camps says,  ” No one in the party forgets her tactics against Ellen Scalettar in the 1996 primary for secretary of state. It’s unfortunate we are seeing more of the same.”

WHEN MY SITTER BECOMES THE NEWS!

LINSEY BEING INTERVIEWED ABOUT THE I-84 INCIDENT

I really need to go to bed but I have to write just a little something about the stand-off  today on I-84 in Hartford with the allegedly suicidal man. My baby-sitter (part-time Nanny, actually, Sadie’s babysitter) was caught right in the middle of it all.  Linsey Hall could see the man held  up in his car and the swat team surrounding the vehicle. She saw the guns drawn. She had that lump in her throat. She called me, worried that she might be late. She was really nervous when cops warned her and others to stay put.

“They said he had a gun. They told me to stay in the car because it’s  not safe,” she told me during her frantic yet calm cell phone call explaining to me why  she might be a little late.

“I’m scared.” She texted me later.

She was diagonally across from the man’s car except on the other side of the highway.  I’ll told her, “don’t worry, you’ll be safe. They’ll take him out before he gets to you.”

While Linsey was no doubt afraid for her own safety, her words after the fact struck me straight to the bone. She wasn’t so much concerned about herself, she was more concerned about him.  Imagine that? More concerned about him. To be quite honest, that hadn’t crossed my mind.

“How sad,” she said, “that he felt so alone and this was his only option.”

Imagine if more people thought the way Linsey did and does? Yes, I am cynical.  I’ve covered a lot of crazy people with  guns during my 17 years as a reporter. Yet, Linsey’s  compassion resonates with me. We need to be more like Linsey. I need to be more like Linsey. I am just so thankful that she is all right and that she is the one, kind, gentle soul watching my most beloved possession –my daughter, Sadie.  I have a lot to be thankful for tonight.

“I’m glad it didn’t end badly,” Linsey told me.

I’m glad too.

LINSEY TELLS HER STORY TO FOX 61

WHY THIS STORY COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE–REALLY!

If you’re a woman, or have a mother, grandmother,  daughter, sister , or wife– this is a story you can’t afford to miss or it could cost you, or your loved one, their lives.  I am not being dramatic here. This is the gosh, honest, truth.

It was a story at first I couldn’t believe myself.  Nancy Cappello pulled me over at the Capitol one day to tell me all about her personal battle with breast cancer. I am so glad she did.

TWO MAMMOGRAMS MISSED HER BREAST CANCER

Nancy says her struggle to survive started five years ago.  At 51 years old, she was diagnosed with stage three cancer after an ultra-sound discovered  a  once-inch tumor in her right breast.  It was something that slipped through a mammogram not once but twice! Her doctor delivered the devastating news after finding a lump during a routine manual breast exam and then  making her go back for an ultra-sound.

“I said to her, why didn’t the Mammogram find the cancer? And she said, you have dense tissue,”  Cappello said.  It was all news to her despite the fact that that information had been in her Mammogram reports for years. It was just that no one bothered to tell her or warn her of the risk factors. Experts say having dense breast tissue can make it difficult for radiologists to see tumors.

“Dense tissue appears white on a Mammogram and cancer is white so there is no contrast,” Cappello said. “It’s like looking for a polar bear in a snow storm, you can’t see the contrast. You can’t see it.”  By the time an ultra-sound found her cancer, it had spread to 13 of her lymph nodes. After 8 rounds of chemotherapy, 24 treatments of radiation and a mastectomy, Nancy lost her hair, her nails, and she nearly lost her life.

FIGHTING FOR HER LIFE

“What really annoyed me was that fact that I was kept from information about my health,” Cappello said, “eventhough, I did everything right!” Now, determined to keep the same thing from happening to other women, Cappello is taking her fight to the State Capitol. She has already convinced lawmakers to pass one law having to do with dense breast tissue and now, she is hoping for another. In 2006, a new law was passed requiring insurance companies to pay for ultra sounds for women with dense breast tissue. Now, Senate Bill 458 would take it a step further and require a woman’s breast density automatically be disclosed when she has a mammogram.

“It’s just critically important to get that information and to know about your own body and to fight for what is right,” a determined Cappello said. While she is now cancer free, she will never be totally in the clear. “I had stage three cancer and the reality is, it could come back. I don’t live thinking that it will, but I am a realist.”

GETTING THE WORD OUT THERE

Cappello tried last year to get similar version of the bill passed but it never made it to The House floor for a full vote. In the meantime, this year, the only opposition seems to be Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. In written testimony submitted to the Insurance Committee, a Government liaison for the giant insurer went on record against the proposed legislation calling it a mandate which would drive up the cost of  insurance for everyone.

Meanwhile, Cappello has her PhD in higher education and works for The State Board of Education. She lives with her husband in Woodbury.  To learn more about dense breast tissue, click here to check out her web-site.

DODD SAYS HE WILL DONATE STANFORD MONEY TO CHARITY.

So, what do you do when someone calls you from Senator Dodd’s office, not once, not twice, but three times in less than one week, saying they want to have an “off-the-record” conversation with you?  Or with me, that is!  I was told the conversation would only take a few minutes but it wasn’t for broadcast or for my blog ( I guess the good news is, they read my blog. I guess the bad news is, I am sure I will take some heat from them about this post) I assume the off-the-record call was concerning the Senator but I am not sure what exactly they wanted to talk to me about because that  “off-the-Record” conversation never happened. I declined saying I wasn’t comfortable with the request.

DURING A PREVIOUS INTERVIEW WHEN I ASKED DODD ABOUT HIS LOW INTEREST LOANS.

My journalism professor at Seton Hall taught me a lot of things  and one them  was to never have an off-the-record conversation!  Listen, I have done them before but only under extreme circumstances, like, when someone’s  life is in danger or the information could cost someone his or her job.  The problem is with “off-the-record” stuff is you can never report  it, ever!  You can’t say “anonymous” sources, you can’t say anything. Reporters will have that “off-the-record” conversation if they think it will lead them to someplace else, where someone will go on the record. Otherwise, if that doesn’t happen, that information is just stuck in your mind driving you crazy.  Some would say I am already crazy enough!

Anyhow, this case involved an elected U.S Senator and it didn’t seem extreme to me.   Elected officials  and people who represent them– should go on the record, all the time!  I find this to be even more important with someone like Dodd who is already under scrutiny for two questionable things.  1)  Two low interest loans he received from Countrywide mortgage.  2) Money he received from a financial Group under federal investigation for fraud.

Dodd says he will give it all back, or at least to charity. That was the story that broke today and  I can’t help but wonder if this would have been part of that “off-the-Record” conversation that never happened.

I told Dodd’s office that I would happy to chat “on-the-record”. So far, no call back!

Meanwhile, here  is what the Associated Press wrote about today’s developments.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd says he plans
to donate the thousands of dollars he received from Stanford
Financial Group, a network of financial services companies under a
federal fraud investigation.
Dodd, who appeared at a state Capitol news conference on housing
foreclosures, said he’s still trying to determine exactly how much
money he received in campaign contributions from Stanford.
The Connecticut Post reported he accepted $27,500 since 2002.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed
civil fraud charges against Texas financier R. Allen Stanford. He’s
accused of perpetrating an $8 billion fraud against his companies’
investors.
Dodd says he doesn’t recall meeting Stanford, but is
double-checking to see if he did at some point.

We’ve heard that “double-checking” before. No word yet on when we will hear back from him.

SAM CALIGIURI SAYS DODD IS AN “HONORABLE MAN”, HE JUST MAY WANT HIS JOB!

CALIGIURI vs. DODD?

State Senator and former Waterbury Mayor Sam Caligiuri says he is seriously thinking about running for Dodd’s Seat in 2010.

“I am very seriously considering running for The U.S Senate Race,” Caligiuri told me over the phone within the past hour. “I am a few weeks away from making a final decision.”  The Republican from the Brass City says this isn’t something you enter into lightly especially with two young kids.  Caligiuri says he is thinking things over with his wife but will have a final decision soon.

As for Senator Christopher Dodd and the latest controversy  surrounding Connecticut’s Senior Senator–campaign money he received from Robert Allen Stanford who is the subject of a Federal Fraud investigation–Caliguiri wasn’t ready to take any swings!

“I don’t think that (the Stanford matter) is much of an issue, ” Calguiri said. “I can see how that can happen in a campaign. I think Senator Dodd is an honorable person, I just think he has been there so long that he has forgotten who he represents.”

Not exactly a full-on punch but I would say the last line is at least a pinch in the arm.  I am trying to book Caligiuri for my show next week.  Right now he has out-of-town plans but is trying to move things around to make the show. We shall see.

DODD JOKES THAT HE IS THE MOST UNPOPULAR POLITICIAN IN THE STATE AND SAYS HE DOESN’T REMEMBER MEETING STANFORD!

DODD--MEMORY LAPSE?

Apparently, Robert Allen Stanford didn’t leave an impression on Senator Christopher Dodd, eventhough he donated thousands of dollars to his campaign.

“I don’t remember meeting him but I am told I did back in 2001 or 2002.  I don’t remember the event but we went back in the records and looked and he was at an event, a fundraiser, I believe, that’s right.” Dodd said today as he looked to his staffer for confirmation.

Dodd was in Hartford today speaking to students at Weaver High School about the Economy, the Stimulus Package and Governor Jodi Rell’s proposed budget cuts.  That’s where we caught up with him to get the latest on Stanford who is accused of bilking investors out of billions.

SENATOR DODD SAYS HOW COULD HE HAVE KNOWN ABOUT STANFORD?

“I certainly didn’t know in 2001 or 2002 that I was talking to someone or in a room with someone who was going to end up being, to put it mildly, a problem!” Dodd said today after the high school event.

DODD SAYS HE'S NOT WORRIED ABOUT NEXT YEAR'S ELECTION JUST YET!

That’s why Dodd says he will donate the money he received from Stanford to charity.  Dodd says he received $3,000 from Stanford himself and $27,000 from employees who worked for Stanford at his financial company.

When I asked him what he would say to those who say this doesn’t look good? Dodd responded by saying “I don’t disagree.  Of course it doesn’t!”  But Dodd, who is chairman of the powerful banking committee, insists he has done nothing wrong.  Dodd says current campaign fiance laws leave politicians vulnerable!

“As long as you are out there having to raise money to compete in campaigns, unless you are self-funder where you have personal wealth and don’t have to do this,” Dodd said, “then,  there is always the risk that you are going to have people who contribute to you that you don’t know about.”

Meanwhile, State Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy says the fact that Dodd is claiming to be the victim is laughable.

“People just aren’t buying it,” Healy said. “The polls show it. The people have had  enough of it.”

HEALY SAYS DODD IS NOT THE VICTIM

Citing the Countrywide low-mortgage deal and now Dodd’s dealings with Stanford, Healy went on to say, “Many of these companies, these  financial institutions,  have donated hundreds of thousands, millions of dollars, to his Presidential and Senate campaigns–that has influenced his judgement!” Healy proclaimed. “He has been missing out on his responsibilities because he’s been too busy collecting campaign cash.”

Dodd knows the polls right now aren’t in his favor.  Last night at an event, Dodd says he joked  about how he was the most unpopular politician in the State.   As for now, Dodd who says he will run again, says thinking about the election next year is not a top priority.

“People are struggling here at home,” Dodd said. “And candidly, they’re not terribly interested in if I’ve got a job.  They want to know if I am doing anything about their job. “

MEANWHILE, HERE are some more pictures of Dodd and some behind the scene shots of my photographer, myself and my friends at Channel 8!

DODD–SHORT TERM MEMORY?

SENATOR DODD SAYS HOW COULD HE HAVE KNOWN ABOUT STANFORD?

SAYS HE’S NOT WORRIED ABOUT NEXT YEAR’S ELECTION JUST YET!

HEALY SAYS DODD IS NOT THE VICTIM

KRAYESKE VS. CALHOUN

I was trying to take a break from blogging because it is taking up a lot of my time these days but I just can’t take it anymore.
The story that has really struck a chord with me is the  story everyone is talking about–Ken Krayeske’s questioning of Uconn Basketball Coach Jim Calhoun.

KRAYESKE PLAYS HARD BALL

Simply put, Ken was right. Calhoun was wrong!  Whether he likes it or not, Krayeske’s question was valid and one worth answering.  You can’t tell someone to “shut-up” or that they are “stupid” just because you don’t like their questions.  Last I knew, we lived in a free society–Freedom of The Press, right?  I guess Calhoun thinks The First Amendment doesn’t apply to him or the basketball court! He was rude, arrogant and down right mean to Krayeske. The debate seems to be whether or not Krayeske is a valid journalist. Under Connecticut’s Reporter Shield Law, Bloggers are covered.  So, that would make Krayeske a valid journalist.  We in the field call them “pajama journalists” because they tend to write about things from the comfort of their own homes with no real world experience.  This was not the case with Krayeske.  He took the time out of his schedule and “volunteered” for the difficult task–a task, I might add,   many others in the biz would be too afraid to venture into.
I spoke with Ken on the phone today and he is taking a lot of heat for his “one-on-one” with Calhoun and his “full-court” press on the issue.  (okay,enough from my sports’ writing days) No question  is a “stupid” question.  Mr. Calhoun had the power to avoid the controversy.  The ball was is his court and he fouled big-time!

CAUGHT OFF-GUARD

If Mr. Calhoun worked for a private university, the question would be off-limits but Calhoun does not work for a private university, he works for us.  There is no doubt that Mr. Calhoun brought UCONN basketball to the point it is at now! There is no doubt that Mr. Calhoun has brought Connecticut into the competitive and profitable world of College Basketball.  However, at a time when other State Employees are being asked to make sacrifices, why shouldn’t he be asked to do the same? Or at the very least, why shouldn’t he be asked the question?  According to Krayeske, the Dean of Students has just been laid-off at Uconn because of budget cuts during these difficult financial times.  The Dean of Students–at a University where a majority of the students are there to learn and not to play basketball.
Listen, I love college basketball but not as much as I used to! There was a time when I lived and breathed it. Then, I realized, it was only a game. In college at Seton Hall University,  I worked in the Sports Information Department for my Sophomore, Junior and Senior years.  I was at every single Men’s Basketball game, taking stats, doing minutes, fouls, you name it. I have seen how the game is played behind the sidelines.   I have also seen how Calhoun has behaved behind the sidelines. It was  several years ago , long after my college days.  I went to the Civic Center to see Uconn play and was fortunate to have seats a few rows back from the Uconn Bench.  I was shocked to hear how many “F-bombs” Calhoun dropped by the sidelines and in a manner which we all could all  hear him, young children as well.  I remember at the time thinking I was glad I didn’t have any children with me because how would I explain to them that it was all right for Calhoun to talk that way to people but not all right for them to use such profanity.
At Seton Hall, former head basketball coach P.J.Carlesimo was known to drop a few swear words once in a while.  Our office at the time was adjacent to the practice gym and we could hear the swearing sometimes.   BUT, and I stress BUT, on the basketball court during a game, I NEVER heard him swear once.  IF he did, the fans nor I could hear him and I was as close to the bench as you could get–taking stats and all.

FROM MY DAYS AT SETON HALL

I am guessing Carlesimo was being respectful of the people, including lots of children, there to see the game. After all,  isn’t basketball supposed to be a family activity?  Maybe, this is why more families take their children to see Uconn Women play.  Even the sports’ guys say Gino doesn’t talk that way.  I wish I still kept in touch with P.J. because maybe I could convince him to give Calhoun some coaching lessons. (minus the choking incident from his NBA  days!)    Or maybe,  we  just need to put a rating category on all the Uconn Men’s basketball games?   I think an “L” warning for strong language would suffice.  Just a thought.

I can assure you, If I ever talked to someone the way Calhoun talked to Krayeske or anyone else for that matter, I wouldn’t have a job. Plain and Simple!  If Governor Jodi Rell told people they were “stupid” or dropped a few “F- bombs” at press conference or public events, people would be calling for her head.  Why is Calhoun  immune from such a standard?  At the very least,  He owes Mr. Krayeske an apology .  I am sure I will take some heat for this post but that is why I blog on my free time. This is not for Fox 61. They don’t pay me for it. They don’t sponsor it.  I do this  all on my own, via wordpress, for the record.  And I can assure you,  if I did get a dime for it, from the people, I would gladly give it back.

As  for Krayeske,  he will get plenty of  time to tell his side of the story on “The Real Story” this week.  He’s already booked for two segments.  It should  be a good one. The show airs Sunday on Fox 61 and CW20. It will also be available on line and in my blog.

CARE FOR SOME RICE WITH RAT FECES?

INMATE FILES FEDERAL LAWSUIT

An inmate suing the State of Connecticut says that is the case for prisoners living in lock-up! Bruce Jefferson filed a Federal Lawsuit claiming prison over-crowding is violating prisoner’s Constitutional rights by creating inhumane conditions.

I get more letters from inmates than any girl would care to get–including several from Mr. Jefferson. I guess they watch my show.  I think there is a promo here somewhere?  Anyhow, I have been warned by those in law enforcement that I should stay away from this particular inmate because he is extremely dangerous. I have been told that if I give Jefferson any attention it will only make matters worse for me because he will never leave me alone.  Then, the package came today in the mail with a copy of the Federal Lawsuit.  Despite the warnings, this is a story I can not ignore.

Inmate Jefferson means business and has some heavy hitters in the legal community fighting his case for him. Three lawyers from Murtha Cullina have taken on his case free of charge.  Lawmakers know this is serious. Here’s why.  If a Federal Judge should rule in Jefferson’s favor, it could mean State Taxpayers would be forced to foot the bill of building more prisons which isn’t cheap. And at a time when schools are cutting back and teachers are getting laid-off, using State dollars to build more prisons for inmates would not go over well with many.  The other option would be for a judge to order an immediate release of prisoners.  It is a scenario playing out right now in California.  Here is a written-version of my story that ran tonight in the news.

“It’s a very big deal,” says State Representative Mike Lawlor. That’s because what the co-chairman of the Judiciary committee feared would happen, did!”This is the beginning of a process that could cost us hundreds of millions of dollars,” Lawlor said while holding a copy of the Federal lawsuit given to him by Fox 61.  In it, an inmate with a long criminal history claims prison over-crowding and inhumane conditions are violating his Constitutional rights.

“This is happening right now in California. A federal judge ordered the State to either build more prisons and pay for it, or release 10, 20, or 30 percent of the inmates overnight,” Lawlor said.  While California is appealing the Federal Judges ruling, Lawlor fears Connecticut could be facing a similar future.

In the lawsuit, inmate Bruce Jefferson claims, among other things, that as a cook, he saw rat feces mixed into the rice given to prisoners.   He also claims that the water is foul-smelling and unsafe to drink.  Because of over-crowding, Jefferson says inmates are given one roll of toilet paper a week and are herded into shower stalls naked, five to seven at a time.

“It’s not really about whether you feel sorry for inmates,” Lawlor said.  “It’s the tax payers at risk. If a Federal judge orders us to do things, we have to do it.”

Meanwhile, Jefferson, who has been behind bars since the early 2000’s, has a long history with police.   In Hartford alone, he was arrested 64 times in a four year period for various things including robbery, burglary, assault and kidnapping in the first-degree. It was Jefferson who mailed us a copy of the lawsuit.  We have aired details from previous letters he sent to the station with similar concerns.

With Connecticut already facing an 8 billion dollar deficit by  next year, Lawlor says being forced to build more prisons now would only make a bad situation worse but other believe the situation can be defused.

“There are other things we could look at and I don’t think it should be up to a judge,” said State Senator John McKinney, the Republican leader in the Senate.  “Whether it’s moving prisoners out of State, which we have done in the past, or letting non-violent offenders out earlier. We need to make sure violent offenders stay in prison for a very long time,” McKinney went on to say.  Lawlor agrees.

As for the claims that inmates are being abused in prison, McKinney said they are only claims. “I don’t expect, nor do the people of Connecticut expect prison to be easy or fun,” he said.

The inmate in the case has a big law firm in Connecticut representing him for free!  Three lawyers from Murtha Cullina LLP have taken his case pro-bono.  They are Michael C. Markowicz, Kari Olson and Christopher Drake.

KRAYESKE WANTS AN APOLOGY FROM CALHOUN

KRAYESKE HOLDS HIS GROUND

TO WATCH THE REAL STORY INTERVIEW WITH KRAYESKE CLICK HERE FOR PART ONE!

TO WATCH PART 2 CLICK HERE

TO WATCH SAM CALIGIURI CLICK HERE

Hearing the exchange between Uconn Basketball Jim Calhoun and himself  still sends shivers down his spine.

“It’s unnerving,” said Ken Krayeske during the taping of this week’s “The Real Story.”   Krayeske , the reporter who asked The Question that got under the popular Coach’s skin would  like an apology from the coach because he feels like he was verbally abused.  Calhoun called Krayeske “stupid” and at one point told him to “shut-up” when the free-lance journalist asked Calhoun about his 1.6 million dollar salary during a post-game press conference last weekend.

THE REAL STORY ON THE CALHOUN CONTROVERSY

Connecticut is facing a projected 8 billion dollar deficit by next year and at a time when other state employees are being asked to take pay-cuts and furlough days, Krayeske, a blogger and law-student at UCONN,  just wanted to know what the Coach would do to help the state out.  He never got that far with his line of questioning once  the exchange took on a life of its own.

“I don’t expect him to take a pay cut ,” Krayeske said after the taping, “but a few furlough days would be nice  as a symbolic gesture.”  Krayeske says all the attacks on him haven’t been fair.  He’s been to several press conferences and no one ever questioned his credentials until now.  “I always ask the first question, ” he said. “This time was no different.”  Krayeske admited  he was nervous asking the question-who wouldn’t be-but he felt it was a question he needed to ask for the People of Connecticut.  Krayeske said his Uconn law professor has been asked to take 8 furlough days, why shouldn’t  Calhoun?

Krayeske said he is not out to get anybody and has long ties with UCONN. As I mentioned, Krayeske is a law student at UCONN AND  His grandfather actually played BASKETBALL  for the University of Connecticut during the 1020’s.  Ken says his grandfather played UCONN football too!

KRAYESKE SAYS HE WAS NERVOUS ASKING THE QUESTION

KRAYESKE SAYS HIS GRANDFATHER UCONN BASKETBALL AND FOOTBALL

Krayeske’s only regret from the heated-exchange, telling Calhoun that he (meaning Krayeske) was stupid.  You can hear how  it plays out  with the un-cut version of the Q&A which we run during the show.

Meanwhile, State Senator Sam Caligiuri also weighed in on the controversy. On the same day two Democratic lawmakers called on the president of The University of Connecticut ,  Michael Hogan, to discipline Calhoun–Caligiuri didn’t agree . Calling it an “ambush-interview” the Republican State Senator defended Calhoun calling him a great coach.  Caligiuri was on the show to talk about his possible run against Senator Christopher Dodd next year.  Despite my hard-ball questioning, I couldn’t get the Republican State Senator to commit to the race.  He said he was “heavily” leaning that way but thus  far, hasn’t made a concrete decision.

CALLED KRAYESKE'S QUESTIONING AN "AMBUSH" INTERVIEW

CALIGIURI IS LEANING HEAVILY TOWARDS RUNNING AGAINST DODD

Someone who was weighing-in on the Calhoun Controversy was the Uconn President Michael Hogan.  While he said he wouldn’t comment on calls to discipline the Calhoun, he did say, in so many words,  that he thought the week’s worth of negative publicity was probably punishment enough.  He spoke to Fox 61’s Sarah French today. You can see part of the interview on the News at Ten and News at 11.

Krayeske doesn’t have a beef with Hogan.  He applauded the UCONN president for turning down a big bonus last year.

Meanwhile, I want to know why Gino makes less money than Calhoun and Randy!  Hmm, I hope it’s not because he is the coach of a woman’s team.  Maybe there is another story brewing!

OH, and I almost forgot! I would like to thank Nick Caito , our professional Real Story staff photographer, for these GREAT PHOTOS! You Rock but don’t expect to get paid, okay?

RELL TAKES ON RUSH!

RELL SAYS BRING IT ON! (WELL, IN SO MANY WORDS)

The Chairman of The Republican National committee, Michael Steele, maybe apologizing for his remarks about  Rush Limbaugh but Governor Jodi Rell doesn’t seem to mind taking jabs at the conservative  radio talk-show  host.

When asked today about Limbaugh’s recent remarks about how he hopes President Barack Obama fails, The Republican Governor lashed out at Limbaugh.

“I think Rush Limbaugh speaks for himself and a few selected people,” Rell said while at an event today in North Branford. “No one wants to see anyone fail.”

When Rell was asked if she thinks Limbaugh is the voice of the Republican Party, Rell said, “Some would like to think that! I don’t!”

We’ll see if Limbaugh goes after Rell now like he did Steele for saying similar things.   Limbaugh, in the meantime, says he wants Obama to fail in implementing, what he refers to, as socialism.

Meanwhile, if Rush decides to go after Rell, he needs to know that he is going after a soon-to-be Grandma for the 3rd time.  Rell’s daughter Meredith is in labor in Colorado with Rell’s soon-to-be  second Grandson.  Rell’s son Michael and his wife recently gave Rell her only granddaughter.

DR. PETIT DEFENDS THE DEATH PENALTY!

I witnessed an execution not too long ago.  In 2005, I watched,  in real-time, the life drain out of serial killer’s face.  I  saw Michael Ross die  and it didn’t bother me nearly as much as covering the horrific Petit Family home invasion.

The night Ross was executed, sure, I was a little creeped out but was able to fall asleep.  He died more peacefully than the young women and teenage girls he confessed to killing during the 1980’s.

After the Petit Family murders, I slept with the lights on in my house for an entire year. My daughter at the time was only 6 months old. I would often bring her into my bedroom at night and sleep with the bedroom door locked from the inside.   I couldn’t sleep without her near me –knowing she was safe. Or at least, that is what I hoped for.

To this day,  more than a year and half after Jennifer-Hawk Petit and her two daughters , 17 year old Hayley and 11 year old  Michaela,  were brutally murdered in their own home in Cheshire,  I think of them often–Michael Ross, not so much.  Police say two career criminals broke into their home one night while they were all asleep.  Dr. Petit, the only survivor, was beaten and left for dead.  Jennifer and her two daughters lived through a night of terror only to be killed in the end.  Police say one of the girls was tied down to her bed and set on fire.

This is what haunts me today and not the imagine of Michael Ross strapped down to a gurney with an I.V. in his arm.  As one of the five reporters picked as pool reporters to cover the event, I really thought witnessing the execution would be a defining moment in my life.  It wasn’t.

Now, Connecticut lawmakers are considering a bill which would repeal the death penalty.  Mind you, Connecticut has only had two executions in the last 49 years and Michael Ross was one of them.  Dr. Petit lost more than that in just one night.

In a packed public hearing room, Dr. Petit waited nearly 6 hours to tell his story and his stance on  the Death Penalty.  SIX HOURS!

DR. PETIT WAITS MORE THAN 6 HOURS TO SPEAK

“These three women never hurt a soul,” Dr. Petit said in a very sorrowful tone.  “My family got the death penalty and you want to give their murderers life.”

Even with what I wrote about witnessing the Ross Execution, I really do not have a stance on the death penalty.   I see both sides, Dr. Petit’s side and those on the opposite side who believe a killing doesn’t justify a killing.

I thought witnessing the execution would cement my stance either way but it didn’t.
But I do know that tonight, I will probably be sleeping with the lights on!

DR. PETIT WAITS MORE THAN 6 HOURS TO SPEAK

WHY DID DR. PETIT HAVE TO WAIT MORE THAN 6 HOURS TO TESTIFY?

My blackberry has been buzzing tonight  with e-mails from  many of you who want to know the answer to this  question. I can promise you, it’s a question I have myself. I have called Rep. Mike Lawlor, co-chair of the Judiciary committee, looking for answers.  Dr. Petit was the person everyone in the room wanted to hear from but still, he was made to wait  more than 6 hours to give his testimony. Being there, I would imagine, was not an easy task for Dr. Petit and reliving that terrible night was even harder. Why make him wait?  Many of you are outraged by this fact, which I understand.  It is no secret that Mike Lawlor is against the death penatly (he said it at the hearing) and some of you have written to me with concerns that this was his motive in making Dr. Petit wait! However, I will tell you that public hearings are known for their long hours and all-nighters.  They tend to  switch back and forth between public officials and the public!  I will also tell you that Mike Lawlor has always been up front with me and I have never had even one bad experience with him, in his defense. There is no ryhme and reason to public hearings  but maybe this is what needs to change?  Why not let the public go first?  After all, it is a Public hearing, right? I thought it was cruel to make Dr. Petit wait. He has been through enough! This was the least the State of Connecticut could have done for him. I am hoping to do a story on this tomorrow for the News at Ten but if plans change, I promise to update you on my blog.

AMANN AND McENROE KISS AND MAKE-UP!

"BEST FRIENDS"

After years of slamming the former Speaker of The House on his radio show, Colin McEnroe and Jim Amann made-up before the taping of “The Real Story” tonight in the Fox 61 Studio.  It was an embrace that almost, and I stress ALMOST,  brought this reporter/host to tears. The two have made plans to have brunch on Sunday when the show airs.  Jim wants eggs, bacon with a side of  pancakes; McEnroe wants to make egg-whites with pea juice.  This could be the downfall of their newly created bond but hopefully the two can get past it.

PUTTING THE PAST IN THE PAST

Seriously, Amann talked about his run for Governor and why he thinks he is still in the race despite a recent poll which has him finishing last among the Democratic hopefuls.  One of those hopefuls, Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, has run into some controversy concerning his son who was just arrested for attempted robbery.  Amann said he wanted to reach out to Malloy about the incident but didn’t want it to look like it was politically motivated.  When I asked Amann if Malloy should drop his dream for running for Governor, Amann said that was up to Malloy but that the story about his son should be “off-limits.”

MALLOY'S SON SHOULD BE OFF-LIMITS

Meanwhile, Colin McEnroe had lots to say about his life after radio and the recent lay-offs at the Hartford Courant, where he also works.  You’ll have to tune in to see. The Real Story airs on Fox 61 on Sunday morning at 8:30 on Fox 61 and runs again at 11 am on CW20. It is also available on line if you can’t watch it at those times.

LIFE AFTER RADIO

COLIN "MOOING" TO MY HOMETOWN OF HARTLAND

I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR REAL STORY INTERN, LAURIE PEREZ, FOR TAKING THESE AMAZING PHOTOS! YOU ROCK, LOR, THANKS!

“BEST FRIENDS”

PUTTING THE PAST IN THE PAST

MALLOY’S SON SHOULD BE OFF-LIMITS

LIFE AFTER RADIO

COLING “MOOING” TO MY HOMETOWN OF HARTLAND

TOP REPUBLICAN SAYS LAWLOR AND McDONALD OWE DR. PETIT AN APOLOGY!

Calling it cruel, State Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy says the two Democratic Lawmakers and co-chairs of the Legislative Judiciary Committee owe Dr. William Petit an apology for making him wait so long to testify in favor of the death penalty.

CALLING FOR AN APOLOGY FOR DR. PETIT

“This is all about Mike Lawlor trying to ignore the will of the people on the death penalty.  His treatment of Dr. Petit was shabby and disgraceful,”Healy said at the Legislative Office Building today.  “If Mike Lawlor’s family was raped, tortured and murdered, I wonder how he would feel if he was made to wait some 8 hours, just to offer his testimony?” Healy said.

LAWLOR SAYS NOTHING WAS DONE INTENTIONALLY

Dr. Petit is the lone survivor  of the Cheshire home invasion.  His wife Jennifer and their two daughters, Hayley and Michaela, were murdered , police say, by two career criminals who broke into their home back in July of 2007.

WAITING TO BE HEARD!

“I support the death penalty because I believe it is a matter of justice,” Dr. Petit said after both he and his sister waited for hours and hours to testify about the brutal killings and the two men charged with the horrific crime.  “My family got the death penalty and you want to give murderers, life ” Petit questioned after getting emotional while talking about his two beloved and now lost, daughters.

McDONALD SEEMED SURPRISED BY MY QUESTION

Healy says both Lawlor and State Senator Andrew McDonald tried to “stack the deck” by making Dr. Petit wait to testify.  “They don’t want a death penalty,” he said. ” They’ve said it and they are trying to impose their will on the people of Connecticut.”  Healy also said that Dr. Petit didn’t even know about the public hearing until the night before when his sister read about it on an Anti-Death Penalty web-site.

However, Senator McDonald says nothing was done intentionally and seemed taken aback when I asked him if personal politics played any role. “That is surprising,” Senator McDonald said when I asked him about Dr. Petit’s wait.  “He pulled a lottery number that resulted in his position in the sequence. Until you just said that to me, no one has suggested otherwise.”

Meanwhile, Representative Mike Lawlor says there was no malice on his part either.  He says at first,  he didn’t even know Dr. Petit was there.

“Was it cruel to make Dr. Petit wait?” I asked Lawlor.

“Well, we have a standard process before the committee,” Lawlor replied. “We have a random lottery system for picking the order in which people testify. ” Lawlor also explained that they used to operate on a first-come, first -serve basis but changed the rules a  few years ago to a lottery system because people were lining up at the capitol at the crack of dawn–many of whom were  lobbyists  because they knew how the system worked.

Meanwhile, Healy says he has seen Lawlor and McDonald “bend over backwards” for people they want to hear from , and in this case, Dr. Petit was not one of them.

Meanwhile, Republican State Senator Sam Caligiuri , who has worked with Dr. Petit before on proposed 3-strikes legislation, says Dr. Petit wouldn’t  have wanted to get special treatment at the pubic hearing and never asked for it.  But Healy says the co-chairs could have shown Dr. Petit  and should have shown Dr. Petit more sympathy and common courtesy.

SENATE DEMOCRATS RECEIVE DEATH THREATS OVER CATHOLIC BILL!

A CATHOLIC WHO SUPPORTS SB 1098

 

Senate Democrats say they have received death threats over proposed legislation that would change the way the Catholic Church controls its money. Communications Director Derek Slap told me today in the Legislative Office Building that his office has indeed received death threats concerning the controversial issue but he wouldn’t  to whom those threats were made. Senator Andrew McDonald, one of the backers of the bill, is a member of the Senate Democratic caucus. Slap went onto to say that his office has received thousands and thousands of calls from angry people furious about Senate Bill 1098.

At issue is this–Should the State be sticking it’s noise into the business of the Catholic Church?

 Supporters of the proposed bill, S.B. 1098, An Act Modifying corporate Laws relating to Certain Religious corporations, say the bill will give parishioners, or lay-people, a legal right as to how church money is spent.

“The multiple, well-publicized priest-theft cases in Greenwich and Darien, represent just one reason why governance change needs to take place,” Said Tom Gallagher, a practicing Catholic who spoke at today’s press conference. He said he asked the two Democratic Co-Chairs of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Andrew McDonald and Representative Mike Lawlor, to amend a current law to give lay people more rights as to who holds the church check book.

Professor Paul Lakeland, a religious expert on Catholic issues at Fairfield University , says the bill would also put the finances of parishes out in the open so lay people would know how their money was being spent to settle sexual abuse cases regarding priests. He says right now, it’s the Bishop who controls the purse strings and has the power to keep financial information close to his chest.

“In a parish situation, lay people give absolutely every cent of the money which maintains that parish,” Dr. Lakeland said. “And Catholic lay people have absolutely no rights or responsibility in church law for executive decisions for how that money is managed.”

However, Republicans questioned the motives behind the Democratic Co-chairs of the Judiciary Committee who sponsored the bill but would not get into specifics.

“It is about the Constitutional protection to the freedom of religion. This is the very core of what we are about, ” said State Senator John McKinney, a Republican from Fairfield who is The Senate minority leader.

“I don’t purport to be a better Catholic than anyone in the world. All I know is that as a citizen as the United States of America and the State of Connecticut, I will protect any body’s religion from State interference,” said Representative Larry Cafero, a Republican from Norwalk who is the house minority leader.

 

REPUBLICANS CALL IT AN ATTACK ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

 In the meantime, The co-chairs of the Judiciary Committee have pulled the plug on tomorrow’s public hearing. Rep. Cafero says he was expecting bus loads of people to show up at the Capitol in Protest. Republicans accuse Rep. Lawlor and Sen. McDonald of caving to public pressure, hoping the issue will now just go away.

“I’ve got be honest, I feel like I was had,” said State Senator John Kissel, a Republican member on the Judiciary Committee. Kissel said he doesn’t remember someone ever canceling a public hearing and doesn’t even know if Lawlor and McDonald have the power to do so.

Rep. Cafero said the two Democrats got cold feet because they didn’t want to face the pressure from the People and the press. Republicans vow to carry on with the issue. They say they will hold an “informational hearing” on SB 1098 tomorrow at Noon in at the Legislative Office Building, room 2c.

Meanwhile, Rep. Lawlor and Sen. McDonald said in a written statement that decided to postpone tomorrow’s public hearing  after one of the supporters, tom Gallagher, asked them to do so.  They say they want to wait until the State Attorney General weighs-in on  the proposed legislation and whether or not it violates any Constitutional rights.

I called Mike Lawlor to talk to him on Camera but he never got back to me about a possible interview. He did reply to a text message earlier in the day on whether or not the public hearing would be cancelled.

He wrote that he was waiting for a briefing and would decide ASAP. Forty minutes later, his aid emailed a press release announcing  the the public hearing was cancelled.

CALHOUN POLL DUE OUT TOMORROW!

We should find out tomorrow as to what the People of  The State of Connecticut think about Coach Jim Calhoun’s conduct during the now infamous press conference a few weeks ago.

You remember the one where he told free-lance reporter Ken Krayeske to “shut-up” and that he was “stupid” for asking the Uconn Basketball coach about his 1.6 million dollar salary during these hard economic times !

Today, Uconn said it would raise tuition by 6 percent for students, many of whom backed Calhoun for his “not one cent” comment. I wonder what they think about the situation now!

It Q-poll will be out tomorrow.

I will fill you in!

SAY A PRAYER FOR BOB!

 Long time Republican State Lawmaker and current DMV commissioner Bob Ward will be getting a kidney transplant tomorrow. His brother will be donating one of his Kidney’s to Ward.  Here is what The Governor’s office had to say about it.

 

WARD TO UNDERGO KIDNEY TRANSPLANT

 

The Commissioner, who has managed issues associated with kidney disease for the last 20 months, is expected to have about an eight-week recuperation following transplant surgery at Hartford Hospital. DMV Deputy Commissioner William Ramirez will serve as Acting Commissioner during the Commissioner’s absence.

 

“Commissioner Ward has done an outstanding job at the DMV and I look forward to his speedy recovery and return to the job,” Governor Rell said.  “Bob and his family will be in my thoughts and prayers as he undergoes surgery and recuperation. My only directive to Bob was ‘be as good a patient as you have been a Commissioner and get well soon.”

 

Commissioner Ward said, “My brother, David, volunteered to be a donor and I am extremely grateful to him for such a life-giving gift.”

 

In the time since the diagnosis, the Commissioner said he has followed his doctors’ advice and treatment schedule. However, he considered transplant as an option should the right opportunity arise.

 

As improvement comes, Commissioner Ward said, he will begin doing some work from home and will be in touch with staff during his convalescence.

SENATOR ROB SIMMONS?

SIMMONS BEATS DODD IN NEW POLL

SENATOR ROB SIMMONS? Could be based on a new poll which has former 2nd District Congressman Rob Simmons winning in a race against Senator Christopher Dodd.  As the pollster said, Dodd has to be worried. The poll found that Simmons would win by one percentage point.  We’ll ask Simmons what he thinks about his “victory” in the polls. He is already booked this week for “The Real Story”! I also told him to bring in a few of his ties from his notable and memorable tie collection.

To see the Quinnipiac University poll click here.

State Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy (who worked on Simmons campaign when he lost to Joe Courtney) said the people of Connecticut want change and it is what Senator Christopher Dodd has done that has gotten Dodd into trouble with the voters.  But even Healy conceeded that election day is along way away and Republicans have their work cut out for them if they want to defeat Dodd.

CALHOUN IN THE CLEAR WITH “TEAM CONNECTICUT”

A NEW Quinnipiac Unversity Poll gives Uconn Basketball Coach Jim Calhoun a “slam dunk” according to  Polling Director Doug Schwartz.

DOUG SCHWARTZ, POLLING DIRECTOR AT QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY

 

“Despite the negative headlines about Jim Calhoun’s response to a political activist/blogger’s question about his salary, Calhoun remains very popular,” said Schwartz. “He has a 68 percent favorability rating overall, and an 86 percent favorability rating among UCONN men’s basketball fans. These are numbers many politicians would love to have.” 

Out of those paying attention to the now infamous press conference where Calhoun called Ken Krayeske “stupid” and told him to “shut-up” ,  51% percent of those polled said that they approved of the way  Calhoun answered the question , while 43 percent disapproved. That to me, is mind boggling! I don’t understand how it is ever okay to say those things to another human being!  I think Colin McEnroe maybe right. Maybe we are turning into a society where people just don’t care anymore!

Also in the  Q-poll, Connecticut residents say 61-30 percent that Calhoun should keep his 1.6 million dollar salary, rather than donate a portion to help with the economic problems.  However, it is important to note that this poll was done BEFORE  yesterday’s announcement that UCONN plans to raise tuition by 6%. 

TO SEE ALL THE RESULTS CLICK HERE!

CAPITOL POLICE INVESTIGATE MORE THREATS AGAINST LAWLOR AND MCDONALD

Capitol Police Chief Mike Fallon says his department is investigating a serious threat, sent in an email, directed at State Representative Mike Lawlor and Senator Andrew McDonald.

Both Democratic Lawmakers have taken a lot of heat  during the past few days concerning a recent bill they were set to hear, as co-chairs of the Judiciary Committee, that would have set new guidelines as to how the Catholic Church controls its finances.

In a phone interview, Lawlor didn’t seem too bothered by the threats being made against him.

“The Judiciary committee deals with lots of controversial topics,” Lawlor said. “I’ve gotten a lot of death threats over the years. “  He went on to say that he was surprised  to learn there was already a law on the books , dating back to the 1800’s, which already mandates how Catholic  Churches control their parishes.

Long and short of it, Lawlor said,  “The Legislature should not be involved in this stuff. That is my gut reaction!”

Meanwhile, It also appears that State Senator Andrew McDonald is also having some second thoughts concerning the bill he sponsored.  In a press release regarding S.B. 1098 Senator McDonald had this to say.

“It is clear to me that my attempt to create a forum for a group of concerned Catholic constituents to discuss their legislative proposals regarding parish corporate finances has offended a group of similarly devout Catholic parishioners,” McDonald said.

“It was never my intent to offend anyone of faith, nor to cast negative attention on the many trustworthy and responsible parish corporations. My only goal was to try my best to represent the concerns of my constituents, some of whom were the victims of fraud.
I regret that in my pursuit of their interests, I failed to appreciate and invite into the discussion early on the views of other, equally concerned Catholics.”

It also appears that the proposed legislation seems to be dead in the water, at least for now. Lawlor also told me the issue is tabled for now while lawmakers tackle the huge budget deficit. He says once the budget is done, he would like to have a “discussion” on the old law in general.  He says there should be a general religion law and that’s it!

All this on the same day Roman Catholics flexed their muscles at the State Captiol. Close to four-thousand Catholics turned out to protest the bill and the public hearing that wasn’t. Lawlor and McDonald post-poned it yesterday.

WHY SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO BULLY A BULLY!

A lot of you are asking me what exactly went down this morning with WTIC Radio Talk Show Host Jim Vicevich. THE SHORT ANSWER IS, I am not sure.

VICEVICH VERSUS SINDLAND

All I can tell you is that he was talking smack about me, so, I smacked him around a bit.  Rick Hancock called me this morning to tell me that Jim (my former boss, mind you, for a brief moment in time) was bad mouthing me concerning my story last night  on the SB 1098.  (The Catholic Church Bill)  Vicevich apparently told his listeners that I didn’t go “far enough”  and do a thorough job  in explaining  Representative Mike Lawlor’s “backpedaling” on the bill.  Vicevich scolded me for  not saying what was behind Lawlor’s Motive?  When I asked Jim what exactly  that motive was, he didn’t say! EITHER he didn’t know or wouldn’t say. You know how Jim talks in circles all the time. He’s like  a puppy-dog chasing his own tail.  He gets so caught up in the moment that he gets dizzy and forgets where he is going or what he is doing.  I guess Vicevich thinks I should be able to read minds, or report conjecture or NOT INTERVIEW the other side.  I am not sure what Vicevich wants except to say  that he was one the backpedaling this morning.  As soon as I called in, he changed his tone.  He claims that he never said anything bad about me and that Rick was the one setting me up?  Sounds a little like the 3rd grade, doesn’t it? Jim said he was going to check the on-air  tape.  I went to 1080’s Web-site to look through the  content from their TWO local shows.  It didn’t take me long!  So far, there is nothing up from my exchange with Jim. I am guessing that means that I was right.  He was wrong. You push! I push back.  Jim wants to know if we are still friends? The jury is still out on that one.  Now, I need to prepare for my interview with Rob Simmons and read my personal note from Laura and George Bush. This is a true story. It came in the mail yesterday for Sadie and me!

UPDATE!!!!! Okay, I’ve had some time to think about it and I am over it.  I do like Jim and don’t really think he is a bully. It just makes for a great radio fight! :-)

THIS WEEK ON THE REAL STORY–ROB SIMMONS!

A new Q-Poll has Rob Simmons beating Senator Christopher Dodd by One Percent in an potential race.

(If you factor in the margin of error, it’s a statistical tie.)  However, the  question remains is--WILL SIMMONS REALLY RUN? I asked the former Republican 2nd District Congressman that very question.  You’ll have to tune in on Friday to hear what he has to day.  The Real Story runs on Fox 61 Sunday at 8 AM and runs again at 11 AM on WTXX (channel 11 on most cable stations!)  If you miss it, it is also available on line by going to FOX61.com.   Also this week, Richard Blumenthal continues to defend Senator Dodd and says Dodd will most likely release more documents tied to his controversial mortgages from Countrywide.  Also, Scot Esdaile, with the Connecticut Chapter of the NAACP, talks about why the controversy surrounding that dead chimp cartoon in the NY Post is hardly over!  THANKS NICK CAITO for taking these amazing pictures!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED HERE?

RICHARD BLUMENTHAL TRYING TO GET IN ON THE ACTION.

JIMMY ALTMAN, DICK BLUMENTHAL AND ME

THE LAUGH! OVER Simmons' tie collection, perhaps?

BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE.

At the State Capitol for Irish Coffee.

CONGRESSMAN LARSON

CONGRESSMAN LARSON, SADIE AND ME

CONGRESSMAN JOE COURTNEY, SADIE AND ME

SENATOR PAUL DOYLE AND BILLY CIOTTO

LOVE THE SCARF TONY!

HOUSE SPEAKER CHRIS DONOVAN WITH DOYLE

SEN. GARY "ST. PATRICK"

YOU MAY WANT TO SEE YOUR COLORIST ABOUT YOUR HAIR?

SADIE NOT SURE WHAT TO MAKE OF THE HAIR

SADIE, SHELLY AND LINSEY

NO BINK!!!!

WHERE IS THAT STIMULUS CHECK?

RICH, HIS DAUGHTER AND SUSAN

JOE WITH HIS DAUGHTER

MY "LITTLE SIS" RACAHEL FRANK

SARAH FRENCH WITH SADIE

TOM LEWIS AND BURCHEL HENRY

SARAH AND NARMEEN

JOHN CHARLTON AND JEFF VALIN

JENNIFER LAHMERS AND RACHAEL FRANK

"MARK TWAIN" --I LOVE THIS PICTURE

WITH MY COUSIN CYNTHIA

NICOLE JACOBS

JOHNNY VAUGHN

HARTFORD FIREFIGHTER KAT

THE IRON WORKERS

THE LUCK OF THE IRISH

MIKE

DENNIS HOUSE, HELENA AND KARA WAIVING IN THE BACKGROUND!

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE MECHANICS!!!

THE SHRINERS

HERE'S KARA!

DENNIS, HELENA, LINSEY AND SADIE

SO SWEET

CROWD SHOT--LOTS OF PEOPLE!

MORE CROWD SHOTS

WHO ARE THESE CLOWNS?

A GOOD CROWD FOR MIKE

IN MEMORY OF MAYOR MIKE.

MAYOR MIKE'S SON CHRISTOPHER

I TOOK THIS PICTURE OF US

LONG DAY

CONGRESSMAN LARSON

CONGRESSMAN LARSON, SADIE AND ME

CONGRESSMAN JOE COURTNEY, SADIE AND ME

SENATOR PAUL DOYLE AND BILLY CIOTTO

LOVE THE SCARF TONY!

HOUSE SPEAKER CHRIS DONOVAN WITH DOYLE

DON’T JUST STAND THERE, WHERE IS MY COFFEE? :-)

SEN. GARY “ST. PATRICK”

YOU MAY WANT TO SEE YOUR COLORIST ABOUT YOUR HAIR?

SADIE NOT SURE WHAT TO MAKE OF THE HAIR

SADIE, SHELLY AND LINSEY

NO BINK!!!!

WHERE IS THAT STIMULUS CHECK?

RICH, HIS DAUGHTER AND SUSAN

JOE WITH HIS DAUGHTER

MY “LITTLE SIS” RACAHEL FRANK

SARAH FRENCH WITH SADIE

TOM LEWIS AND BURCHEL HENRY

SARAH AND NARMEEN

JOHN CHARLTON AND JEFF VALIN

JENNIFER LAHMERS AND RACHAEL FRANK

“MARK TWAIN” –I LOVE THIS PICTURE

WITH MY COUSIN CYNTHIA

NICOLE JACOBS

JOHNNY VAUGHN

HARTFORD FIREFIGHTER KAT

THE IRON WORKERS

THE LUCK OF THE IRISH

MIKE

DENNIS HOUSE, HELENA AND KARA WAIVING IN THE BACKGROUND!

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE MECHANICS!!!

THE SHRINERS

HERE’S KARA!

DENNIS, HELENA, LINSEY AND SADIE

SO SWEET

CROWD SHOT–LOTS OF PEOPLE!

MORE CROWD SHOTS

WHO ARE THESE CLOWNS?

A GOOD CROWD FOR MIKE

IN MEMORY OF MAYOR MIKE.

MAYOR MIKE’S SON CHRISTOPHER

I TOOK THIS PICTURE OF US

LONG DAY

SIMMONS SAYS “I WILL NOT MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON SUNDAY. SUNDAY IS THE DAY OF REST.”

That’s what Rob Simmons told me during the taping of the Real Story last week but obviously HE did! (According to the Associated Press and The Hartford Courant)

"I WILL NOT MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON SUNDAY"

We tape the show on  Thursday which airs on Sunday morning on Fox 61 and WTXX.  It was during the taping of the show that Simmons told me he was going to have a family meeting along with his minister on Sunday (yesterday, I know this is getting confusing) to decide whether or not he would run against Senator Christopher Dodd. When I pressed him on ” family meeting”, here is what he said.

MY QUESTIONS:” Why this Sunday? And are you expecting to make an announcement? And if so, why not just make it here?”

SIMMONS:“I will not make an announcement on Sunday!

MY QUESTION: “You will not?”

SIMMONS: “I will not. Sunday is ‘The Day of Rest’.   It’s a time for our family and friends to gather and to talk about the poll, the issue, to talk about the challenges.”

SIMMONS SAYS SUNDAY IS THE DAY OF REST.

The former 2nd District Republican Congressman apparently forgot what he told me during the taping of the show. He did make an announcement after that family meeting and said that he would run against Dodd!

to see the the exchange watch this video below. We start talking about the Sunday Family meeting at 3 minutes and 20 seconds into the show.





I just don’t understand why Simmons didn’t give me the scoop?  I put my life in danger by cutting into Richard Blumenthal’s time on “The Real Story” so Simmons could show off  few ties from his notable collection.   I don’t mind risking my life for a story as long as I get something out of it in the end.

Meanwhile,  Democrats are already going after the Republican’s jugular vein.  Check out this press release I just got from the DSCC, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. To see it, click here.

DODD SAYS HE DID NOT CHANGE HIS POSITION ON AIG BONUSES.

SENATOR CHRISTOPHER DODD

THE REAL STORY on what Senator Christopher Dodd did and didn’t do concerning AIG bonuses still seems to be the million dollar question. Kate Szostak just sent out this statement from Dodd:

Washington, DC – Senator Dodd, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, today issued the following statement on his executive compensation amendment:

“I’m the one who has led the fight against excessive executive compensation, often over the objections of many.  I did not want to make any changes to my original Senate-passed amendment but I did so at the request of Administration officials, who gave us no indication that this was in any way related to AIG.  Let me be clear – I was completely unaware of these AIG bonuses until I learned of them last week.

“Reports that I changed my position on this issue are simply untrue.  I answered a question by CNN last night regarding whether or not a specific date was aimed at protecting AIG.  When I saw that my comments had been misconstrued, I felt it was important to set the record straight – that this had nothing to do with AIG.

“Fortunately, we wrote this amendment in a way that allows the Treasury Department to go back and review these bonus contracts and seek to recover the money for taxpayers.  Again, I have led the fight to curb excessive executive compensation, and will continue to do so.”

All I know is that Dodd has an open invitation to appear on my show. I am guessing the people of Connecticut would like “The Real Story.”   One former insider said the problem with Dodd is he surrounds himself with people who tell him how great he is all the time that he has no idea what real people really think. I am guessing he has a pretty good idea now what people really think.

Here is what Grandpa Pollard thinks of Dodd’s latest controversy. In an e-mail he just sent to me on my Blackberry, Grandpa Pollard from Uncasville wrote, “Impeach Dodd! This man is a disgrace to the great State of Connecticut. Lie after lie, ” he writes. “Shame on him.”

State Republican party Chairman Chris Healy is also firing away. He writes in a press release I just received, “This is a total whitewash and it shows Sen. Dodd lacks the courage of his convictions and that he didn’t think through the impact of this disastrous rip-off of the taxpayers. Sen. Dodd is hiding behind a press release. It’s time for Sen. Dodd to face the music and face the facts.”

By no means am I out to get Senator Dodd. As a woman, I appreciate all he has done for womens issues especially dealing with child care issues. Dodd has been on the forefront of this issue.  Remember the Family Federal Medical Leave Act? Without Dodd on this issue, we’d be having babies and heading back to work the next day. On that note, I say thank-you Senator Dodd.  However, to use a sports analogy, you are only as good as your last game. It seems to me his last game is going on longer than the Syracuse/Uconn game! My challenge to you, come on “The Real Story.” I will give you the entire show!

AS for “The Real Story”, Congressman Joe Courtney is ready to get real this week.  He will be on the show taking about his efforts to squash anymore taxpayer funded bonuses.  Remember, Courtney is the only member of the Connecticut Delegation to vote against The Wall Street bail-out package, not once, not twice but THREE times!

CONGRESSMAN COURTNEY GETS "REAL" THIS WEEK!

CONGRESSMAN JIM HIMES-(D) CT 4th District

Also, the NRCC is claiming the Freshman Congressman Jim Himes blocked a plan to recoup AIG bonuses and voted today to block a bill that would help the government recoup the bonus money.

(House Roll Call 131) The Democrat who beat long-time Republican Congressman Christopher Shay this past election cycle, represents Fairfield County. AIG’s finacial department is based in Wilton which is part of Himes District.

Meanwhile, State Senator John McKinney seems to be throwing some serious punches at Congress for letting the AIG debacle happen in the first place. McKinney, who as you remember told me on “The Real Story” a few months back that he was considering running for his father’s old Congressional seat, slammed members of Congress for letting this mess happen in the first place.  You’ll see what he said in a taped interview on this week’s show.  McKinney Versus Himes? Could be?  At the very least, it sure sounds like it.

McKINNEY VERSUS HIMES?

DODD TO HOLD CONFERENCE CALL WITH CT REPORTERS IN 25 MINUTES!

I’ll be one of them and I will fill you!

ALSO, The REAL STORY crashed and burned this week because of all this AIG stuff! I had to cancel my segment with Congressman Courtney because of the house vote today.  So, I have State Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy and Democratic consultant Roy Occhiogrosso booked to fill his place.  The topic–DODD!

DODD ON THE PHONE AS WE SPEAK!

I am on the phone as we speak with Senator Christopher Dodd and he insists he has not changed his position concerning who wrote the loop-hole which allowed AIG to hand out million dollar bonuses.

“The administration came to us and suggested changes after the original  bill left the Senate saying this was about lawsuits, ” Senator Dodd just said. ” I had no idea AIG bonuses were involved–had I known at the time that this would have assisted in the matter, I would have rejected it.”

When I pressed Dodd on WHO exactly The Administration thought  would sue the Government or who this amendment was referring to, he didn’t say and pretty much reiterated the previous statement.

“Where did the idea come from? Who suggested it? “Dodd just said. “It wasn’t my idea.  It wasn’t my proposal and it wasn’t my suggestion. It came from the Administration. “

When asked if he felt like he had a credibility problem? He said he misconstrued a question from a reporter referring to the CNN interview.

THE CALL IS STILL GOING ON BUT WINDING DOWN.  NARMEEN CHOUDRY WILL HAVE A FULL REPORT TONIGHT ON THE NEWS AT TEN.

THIS WEEK ON THE REAL STORY–DODD AND TOLLING TIMES!

This week on “The Real Story”, hear why Democratic Consultant Roy Occhiogrosso says Senator Christopher Dodd’s latest controversy concerning  his role in AIG bonuses is not really a big deal.  Also, hear why State Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy says I have a place in Heaven!

OCCHIOGROSSO AND HEALY ON DODD'S LATEST DILEMMA

Also this week, Co-Chair of The Transportation Committee, State Representative Tony Guerrera (D) Rocky Hill, talks about his efforts to bring tolls back to the State.

REP. TONY GUERRERA

THE REAL STORY AIRS ON SUNDAY ON FOX 61 AT 8:30 AM (Channel 6 on most cable stations) and runs again at 11:oo AM on WTXX!

A big thanks to “The Real Story” staff photographer Nick Caito for taking these GREAT pictures once again!

JOE COURTNEY TO CHRIS DODD–I GOT YOUR BACK.

COURTNEY SAYS HE IS BACKING DODD

WELL, Second District Congressman Joe Courtney didn’t say it exactly that way but he did say today at an event in Enfield that he is on Senator Christopher Dodd’s side when it comes to Dodd’s latest dilemma with AIG.
I can’t say that Courtney seemed over-eager to speak with me but when I pulled him aside in a hallway after the event, here is what he said.

My question: “What do you think about the controversy Senator Dodd has been facing? Do you support him on this? And do you feel as if the Treasury Department hung him out to dry?”
Congressman Courtney: “ABSOLUTELY! I brought The Economist with me which describes what happened there and it clearly states that Senator Dodd was pushing to get strict executive compensation limits and it was over the objection of the Department of The Treasury.”
My question: ” So, support him on this?“
Congressman Courtney: “In terms of this particular issue, there’s no question that he was the one who was trying to improve, make the situation better.”

Dodd’s stance–The Treasury Department asked him to change the language in the stimulus bill concerning excessive pay for companies receiving tax payer money, so he did. Dodd claims he had no idea changing the language cleared the way for AIG to give out 165 million dollar in bonuses.

COURTNEY STANDS WITH DODD

SENATOR DODD: “I was asked by the Treasury department to modify some of that language six weeks ago which seemed kind of technical and innocuous at the time, had anyone suggested to me six weeks ago that this was on behalf of some bonuses for AIG employees who had received substantial taxpayer money–to try and keep that organization alive, I would have rejected it out hand. I am disappointed, frankly, that those requested this kind of change didn’t have the courage to stand up a couple of days ago and admit that they were the ones who asked for it.”

MY QUESTION: “I can’t imagine that you didn’t ask, well,  what does this have to do…”
SENATOR DODD INTERJECTS BEFORE I CAN FINISH MY QUESTION: “We did. We did.”
MY QUESTION: ” But you had no idea it was AIG?”
SENATOR Dodd: “No, no, no, no, let me tell you the answer they gave. We asked the question, ‘why are they doing this?’ The answer we were given by the legal department of the treasury was ‘lets try to avoid what they called a flood of lawsuits.’”

COURTNEY SAYS HE IS BACKING DODD

COURTNEY STANDS WITH DODD

SO, I ASKED SENATOR DODD TO BE ON MY SHOW !

As you know, Senator Christopher Dodd has an open invitation to appear on my show “The Real Story.”  I have made that known to a few of his staffers but today, I decided to personally invite The Senator.  So, I did, after he was done doing an one-on-one interview with CNN.

THE REAL STORY ON DODD COMING ON "THE REAL STORY"

I waited patiently until the CNN reporter was done asking Dodd questions. They were kind of the same old questions, nothing really new.  As Dodd was wrapping things up and walking away from the camera, I told Senator Dodd I had one last question.

I asked him when was he going to appear on my show “The Real Story”? As you know, he was on Dennis House’s  show last week which was a great get for Dennis.  Now, as a single- working- parent trying desperately to hang onto her job, the pressure is on me to keep a roof over my head and feed my little daughter.  (enter somber, piano track music) The pressure is immense for me to land Dodd on my show , so, I figured I would just ask him in person.  I mean, how can he, how could he turn down this hard-working single mom? Right?

Wrong.

SO, THE ANSWER YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR IS THIS!

Let’s go back to my question.

“Senator Dodd, when are you going to do my show, “The Real Story”?

Senator Dodd kind of laughed and then said with a smile, “I was born at night but I wasn’t born last night!“

I am not sure what exactly to make of this except that I am taking this as a no.

I mean, who does he think I am, Jim Vicevich?  I guess I will have to break the bad news to Sadie in the morning.

THE REAL STORY







ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER!

After issuing 13 Subpoenas, only one senior employee at AIG will be showing up at the State Capitol Tomorrow. He is Steven Blake, the head Human Resource Adviser for AIG’s financial department which is based right here in Wilton, Connecticut. While Blumenthal says those subpoenas are still active, he is working with AIG and their security concerns after several employees received death threats. Blake will testify at 1 o’clock tomorrow afternoon before the State Legislature’s Banking committee. Members want to hear more about a State law which AIG says legally required them to give out 165 million dollars in bonuses after the tax payer bailout!

HEALY COMPARES BLUMENTHAL TO McCARTHY!

Chris Healy takes on Blumenthal

State Republican Party Chairman is not afraid to go after powerful Democrats.
First,  it was Senator Chris Dodd!
Now, Healy is taking on State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal!

Healy accuses Blumenthal of having “media-itis” and unfairly going after AIG employees , for the “love of the camera”, while putting their lives in jeopardy.  He accused Blumenthal of pulling “McCarthyite” tactics not seen in this country since the 1950’s. To read more about Joseph McCarty click here.

“What Dick Blumenthal wanted to do was bring them up here and have a show trial to humiliate them and to put them potentially at great physical danger.”  (referring to death threats made against the children of  Connecticut AIG workers who got millions of dollars in  bonuses after the tax-payer funded  bail-out.)

BLUMENTHAL SAYS HE'S NO McCARTHY

Blumenthal seemed truly at a loss for words when I asked him about Healy comparing him to Joseph McCarthy.
“Taxpayers have the right to know what happened to their money,” Blumenthal said. “We are very mindful of their privacy and safety and security concerns and we have no desire or intention to publicly embarrass anyone.”
But Healy and other Republicans says if Democrats really want to answers, they should subpoena members from their own party.
“These bonuses were approved by The Democrats,” Healy said.” So, you can’t blame people from AIG from trying to make a living.”
Yesterday, State Senator John McKinney, The Republican Minority Leader from Fairfield, said if Blumenthal subpoenas anyone, it should be Senator Christopher Dodd.
When I asked Blumenthal if he would do that? He said, “Christopher Dodd did not receive any bonuses. Our focus is on AIG.”
Meanwhile, I am guessing Healy will not be getting any holiday cards , anytime soon, from Dodd or Blumenthal and I am guessing Senator Dodd STILL won’t come on my show!

DODD AHEAD IN NEW POLL!

A new poll gives Dodd the lead over potential Republican Challenger Rob Simmons.  The poll was conducted by an independent polling firm Research 2000 for the liberal Daily Kos website and was just released today. In it,  Dodd leads Simmons 45 percent to 40  percent.

THE WEEK ON THE REAL STORY–A REAL CONNECTICUT COWBOY!

A REAL CONNECTICUT COWBOY

Dr. Scott Merrell calls it extortion–the amount of  money, that is, that The City of Norwalk wants to charge him for property taxes on his 3700 square foot–1945, waterfront home! Dr. Merrell is a horse Veterinarian facing foreclosure because he refuses to pay his property taxes. And that’s not all, did we also tell you that he’s  running for Governor!  His battle-cry, revamp the property tax system in Connecticut. It’s the main focus of his Gubernatorial race and one he’s willing to hang his hat on!

HE'S WILLING TO HANG HIS HAT ON IT!

Dr. Merrell, who is running for Governor as a Republican, doesn’t mind going up against Connecticut’s most popular Republican and current Governor, M. Jodi Rell, if that’s what it takes.  His cowboy boots were made for walkin’ and he says, that’s just what he’ll do!

During the taping of this week’s show “The Real Story”, Dr. Merrell vowed to stay in his house and be “a man!” He also has a current plan before the State Legislature, “The Merrell Amendment”, which he says would reform the property tax system in the State overnight!  To hear it all, you’ll have to tune in on Sunday.  “The REAL STORY” airs Sunday mornings on Fox 61 at 8:30 A.M. and on WTXX at 11 A.M.  If you miss it, you can also watch it on line and right here on my blog!

BRUCE "TWO DOGS" BOZSUM

Also this week, Bruce “Two Dogs” Bozsum is smokin’ mad over the State’s proposed plan to limit smoking at Connecticut’s two casinos.  He says he has all the paperwork  done and is ready to go to file suit  if need be! He also says Casinos will withold slot revenues to the State if they end-up in litigation.

MAKING THEIR CASE

Also this week, State Child Advocate Jeanne Milstein and State Health Care Advocate Kevin Lembo make their case as to why they think their agencies should be spared from Governor Jodi Rell’s proposed budet axe! NEXT WEEK, I PROMISE TO HAVE A HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT! I would also like to give a big-shout out to my boy Nick Caito for taking these pictures!

COULD SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY THIS GUY STILL HAS A JOB?

KANE SAYS NOTHING AS HE LEAVES THE COURTHOUSE TODAY

Can anyone please tell me why 7th Grade Math Teacher Timothy Kane (pictured above in the red tie) still has a job after writing an explosive and threatening e-mail to two State Lawmakers?  According to the arrest warrant, Kane admitted he is the man behind the e-mail  and according to the arrest warrant, sent it  from his personal e-mail account which was VERY easy to trace back to him.  His address, tikane@gmail.com! That’s like me sending something from ssindland@fox61.com.   I can tell you one thing, after reading his e-mail today in a Hartford Courtroom, I wouldn’t want Kane teaching my child.    I hope I don’t get threatening e-mails now because of it!

We have called SEVERAL members from the New Britain school system  during the past few day seeking comment about Kane’s arrest and NO ONE has called us back.

Kane, a devoted Catholic according to his attorney, was furious with Democratic State Lawmakers –Representative Mike Lawlor and Senator Andrew McDonald–who were set to hear a bill having to do with regulating how Catholic Churches controlled its finances.   Sen. McDonald sponsored the bill and is openly gay.

In his e-mail, Kane writes “You better hope that myself and other Catholics don’t find out where you live, cause there’s hell to pay for your attack on the church.  Fuck-Off!  God hates gay sex.”

To see the entire letter and read more about this–click here to view it on CTNEWSJUNKIE.

A judge ordered the 26 year old teacher to undergo a mental evaluation and anger management training.  I’d say!  His attorney says Kane regrets what he did and is hoping to put this matter behind him and move on with his life.  He says Kane will formally apologize to the lawmakers if that’s what the Court wants.

I spoke to Rep. Mike Lawlor on the phone about the case and he says as  a politician,  you have to have a thick skin. While he doesn’t see himself as a victim in this case, hearing threats like this, he says,  are unnerving to say the least.

I’M GUESSING CALIGIURI WILL RUN!!!!

I kind of knew this last Friday when Caligiuri called me to say it was “time to talk” and that I should book him for my show this week–which I did!

CALIGIURI TO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENT TOMORROW!

Now, I am pretty much certain he will run. Today, he announced he will be making an important announcement tomorrow from his Waterbury home! He is even providing a “mult box” for the Media to plug into it! (This s helps us get great audio!)  You don’t offer-up a mult box to announce you are not running!

The Republican State Senator and former acting Mayor of Waterbury  has been toying with the idea of running against Senator Christopher Dodd but said he was going to wait to make his official decision.  It looks like the wait if over!

Meanwhile, former Republican Congressman Rob Simmons also announced he would run against Dodd on “The Day of Rest.”  For my devoted blog followers, you know what I mean by that comment!

Now, I’m off to interview Dodd. He and Congressman Chris Murphy are having an event in Farmington at 1:45.  I need to get some coffee first!

DODD THE UNDER-DOG?

DODD THE UNDER-DOG?

Golly gee, if I didn’t care that Senator Christopher Dodd keeps blowing of my requests to appear on my show, “The Real Story”, I think, and I caution, I think, I would feel sorry for him.

Thirty years in office and on the eve of the announcement of another Republican getting into the race to try and unseat him, Senator Dodd portrayed himself today as the “under-dog”! Or at least, that was my perception. This is basic “campaign tactics 101”, make the voters feel sorry for you and let them know you are doing the best you can.

When asked Dodd today at an event in Farmington about State Senator Sam Caligiuri’s impending announcement tomorrow, Senator Dodd paused and said this.

“I didn’t get elected to get re-elected,” Senator Dodd said. “No one is indispensable in this world including anyone in politics but you do the best you can and that is my intention.”

Okay, I can’t take it anymore. I take back everything I have written or said. It’s gone! Done. Please, erase it from your memories.

This admission also comes on the heals of yet another controversy surrounding Dodd’s dealings with AIG. The Washington Times is reporting that a CEO for AIG’s financial products sent an e-mail to executives urging them to donate to Dodd’s campaign because Dodd was next in line to take over the chairmanship of the powerful Banking committee.  Dodd told reporters today that he didn’t know about the e-mail and will gave back any PAC money donated from companies now receiving Stimulus money.
“I wasn’t aware of this–out of telegrams or emails that went out at the time,” Dodd declared. “We did ask for help and support at the time, as we did from others in The State and elsewhere around the country. It’s not uncommon but then again, I’m not clairvoyant.  I didn’t know three years ago that I would be talking about a company in financial difficulty, to put it mildly.”

Something else Dodd didn’t realize is that the same company that owns our Station also owns “The Hartford Courant.” I told him that today when I pulled him aside and jokingly stated how he always seems to run away from me.  He told me, with a smile, he doesn’t run from anybody. Well, that makes me feel better.    Now that my General Manager, Richard Graziano,  is now the Publisher of The Courant (news which broke today) I am thinking Dodd might have a change of heart about coming on my show.  If not, I’ll just ask Santa Sam Zell for it at Christmas Time.

STILL NO NEWS CONCERNING REP. JIM O’ROURKE

I just want all of you to know that I am not giving up on the Rep. Jim O’Rourke case surrounding the freezing death of Carol Sinisgalli.  I called Lt. John Herbst with the Rocky HIll police department both last week and the prior week to get an update on those toxicology reports they’ve been waiting for.  STILL, no call back!  If there is no news to report, then, they could at least call me back to  tell me. I think waiting two weeks for an answer is long enough–makes me wonder if something else is going on! Tomorrow, I will call the Rocky Hill Police Chief.

I HAVE AN UPDATE! I did call the Chief’s office. Apparently Lt. Herbst has been on vacation for two weeks and forgot to say that in his voicemail.  The chief’s offices says at this time, there is NO UPDATE. They are still waiting for the toxicology reports. I was told to call the Lt. again on Monday.

SAYING DODD HAS “LOST HIS WAY”, CALIGIURI GETS IN THE RACE!

CALIGIURI WITH HIS FAMILY

Saying Senator Christopher Dodd has “lost his way”, Republican State Senator Sam Caligiuri says he’s looking to defeat Dodd in 2010.

“I am proud to stand before you this morning to declare my candidacy for the United States Senate,” Caligiuri declared in front of a crowd of supporters on the front lawn of his Waterbury home, along side his wife Lori and their two young children Owen and Grace.

“Senator Christopher Dodd has failed us in many ways. But ultimately, I am not running this race to run again Chris Dodd. I am running for The United State’s Senate to take us into our future and away from what Chris Dodd has come to represent,” Caligiuri said, “career Politicians who have been in power for so long, that they think they can do, or fail to do, anything that they want and still get themselves re-elected.”

Caligiuri is the Second Republican lining up for Dodd’s job. Former Second District Congressman, Rob Simmons, says he will also run. So, does this mean the Republican candidates will primary? State Republican Party Chairman, Chris Healy, said on “The Real Story” a few weeks back that Republicans essentially know when to call it quits and come together for the good of the party. However, Healy has yet to call me back today on this one! Hmmm! Plus, the media savvy Healy was also a “no-show” at the Caligiuri event (which I wrote about on Twitter). And, this has me thinking that a good political fight could be in the works!

Ahhh. Brings me to The Lieberman/Lamont days. I was pregnant at the time an convinced that my unborn child’s first words would either be Ned Lamont or Joe Lieberman because I covered the story practically every day! When Sen. Lieberman asked me recently which name Sadie said first, I said, Alan Schlesinger -I had to be upfront with him!

Okay, enough back to my original story! It looks like Caligiuri’s announcement has Dodd “Tweeting” up a storm. He’s been on fire on Twitter all day boasting about his Credit Card Accountability legislation which just passed out of committee. Dodd says his legislation will stop abusive and deceptive credit card practices “once and for all.” Dodd was offering up Satellite interviews about his bill but I couldn’t make it back from Waterbury in time! But Apparently Al Terzi got to talk to him. How do I know that? I read about it on Twitter!

CALIGIURI EVENT, COP OVER-KILL?

WATERBURY COPS WALK THE POLITICAL BEAT

So, I am pulling up to the street where Sam Caligiuri lives this morning with my photograph Nick Dethlefsen!

A cop is there to greet us and direct us where to park.

We park.

Then I see two more cops on motorcycles parked behind a barrier adjacent to Caligiuri’s front lawn.
“Wow,”  I think– The President of The United States  must be here because I haven’t this many cops since George W. Bush was in Town.

Oh wait, there’s more.  I look down to the end of the street and I see another cop in a Waterbury cruiser blocking off the other the street.  Okay, now, I am thinking this is a bit much. I mean, isn’t Waterbury in a major budget crunch struggling to get by?  I am also wondering who exactly is picking up the bill for all these cops?

I ask Evan Kozlow just that. He’s a consultant with the Caligiuri campaign and while he is upfront, he seems a little nervous that we are asking him questions about all the police  at a Political event for about 50 people?

“We let the police know that we were putting on this event and they decided what to do from there.” Kozlow said. “It was a safety precaution and we were trying to be prudent because of all the traffic  this is a residential neighborhood.”

When asked who will foot the bill for the half dozen or so cops at the event, Kozlow responded, “We will incur the costs, if necessary.”

SIMMONS SAY TOO EARLY TO TALK ABOUT A PRIMARY!

SWEET TALKIN' SIMMONS?

I’m not totally sure but I think Rob Simmons just said “love ya” right before hanging-up the phone with me.  I guess it’s good to know that he has no hard feelings towards me concerning his promise  NOT  to announce on “The Day of Rest,”–something he ultimately did. No worries. I am over it now and apparently so is the former 2nd District Republican Congressman.

With Republicans lining up to take Senator Christopher Dodd’s job (Simmons, of course,  being one of them) I asked him about the possibility  of finding himself in a primary with Sam Caligiuri?

“I’m a Republican working hard to run a tough race against Dodd,” Simmons just told me on the phone before the “love-ya” part. “We can’t predict what happens next year. That’s a long way to go!”

HERE  is where it gets interesting,! (BESIDES the “love-ya” part) Simmons told me that he has had conversations with Caligiuri on this topic and have discussed working together in the future. It sounds like one of them will bow out of the race before they take it to Malloy/DeStefano territory.

The last Republican primary for the U.S Senate was back in 1992.  That’s when Brook Johnson beat Christopher Burnham only to lose to Dodd in the General Election.

Okay, that’s it for now! Got to go.  Love ya!

CONGRESSMAN COURTNEY GETS FRONT ROW SEAT TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

FRONT ROW SEAT TO THE PRESIDENT

Suite, $400.  Tie, $75.  A front row seat in a meeting with President Barack Obama–PRICELESS!

OKAY, I really have no idea how much money Second District Congressman Joe Courtney spent on his clothing for this picture, but I do know his office is pretty pumped about it because they sent it to me!  The picture was taken March 12th at a White House meeting when President Obama met with a few House Democrats!

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK!

See who else is in the picture? You have Congressman Courtney, President Obama and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

OKAY, THIS IS NOT AN APRIL FOOL’S JOKE!

Who needs friends in high places when I’ve got family in high places!

According to Facebook -”WE’RE RELATED” President Barack Obama, from Washington, D.C, has confirmed me as his 4th cousin once removed!

This is great news, CUZ! That would make Sadie his 5th Cousin. Makes this picture even that more special.  Sorry Joe, did not  mean  to top ya!

SADIE WITH HER "5TH" COUSIN

A NEW Q-POLL HAS SIMMONS KILLING DODD–FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING, OF COURSE!

Voters are fuming mad with Senator Christopher Dodd concerning those bonuses handed out at AIG after the Taxpayer bail-out. They are so fuming mad, in fact, that if an election were held today–Dodd would lose big time.  The new Quinnipiac University Poll has Former 2nd District  Congressman Rob Simmons beating Dodd by a landslide—50% to 34%.  Even newcomer State Senator Sam Caligiuri would beat Dodd by  a 41%  to 37% margin. There is more bad news for Dodd.  His approval rating is at an all-time low~slipping to 33% from 44 % in March. Quinnipiac Unversity Poll Director Doug Schwartz says the “anything but Dodd” attitude could be very hard for him to overcome. “I’ve never see a politician fall so far, so fast, ” Schwartz to the Associated Press.

To see the entire Q-poll click here.

Meanwhile, The Democratic Senatorial  Campaign Committee is fighting back by releasing an advertisement against Simmons  on the Web today.  I was hesitant to run this (and told them that) considering the fact that Dodd WON’T COME ON MY SHOW and talk about his problems.  The DSCC assured me they would work on that–so, here goes the video.

By the way, I think Simmons and Caligiuri are also doing well because they have BOTH done my show. Actually, Caligiuri is coming on again this week for a second appearance.

SIMMONS TO APPEAR ON HANNITY TONIGHT!

Rob Simmons will get some national exposure tonight in his race against Senator Christopher Dodd.  He will appear on the “Sean Hannity Show”  sometime during the 9 O”Clock hour tonight on FOX NEWS CHANNEL! (not FOX 61)  Simmons called me a “PEACH” for trying to help set it up!  I’ll add that to the “love-ya” list.

I can also tell you that SIMMONS IS PUMPED about today’s poll.   He signed off on his e-mail to me—ROB, 50-34!And that’s not a tie!

THIS WEEK ON THE REAL STORY–CALIGIURI SAYS HE WILL NOT ATTACK DODD

CALIGIURI SAYS HE WILL NOT RUN SMEAR CAMPAIGN AGAINST DODD

This Week on “The Real Story” Republican Sam Caligiuri says he will not run an attack campaign on Senator Christopher Dodd but did say he will point out how Dodd has “failed miserably”. The State Senator from Waterbury and former acting Mayor of The Brass City didn’t back away from the the idea of taking his fight against his Republican contender former Congressman Rob Simmons all the way to a primary.  Caligiuri implied that he never talked with Simmons about working together in the near future–something Simmons had said to me earlier this week.

Caligiuri gets "real" on THE REAL STORY

ALSO THIS week, State Senator John McKinney takes his plans to run for the 4th Congressional District up a notch by saying now that he is “SERIOUSLY” considering a run.  The Republican’s late father Stewart McKinney held that seat for years up until his death in 1987.  Sen. McKinney says right now his future political plans are on hold while  dealing with the current budget crisis. He also slammed Democrats for their plan to raise taxes, something he says would also impact the Middle-Class and not just families earning more than $250,000 a year.

McKINNEY says he is SERIOUSLY considering a run for Congress.

ALSO this week, Judge Douglas Mintz talks about a court mediation program to help those facing foreclosure keep their homes.

And check out our shots from our studio audience. THANKS TO NICK CAITO for taking these GREAT PICTURES!

JUDGE MINTZ--WE'RE HERE TO HELP!

WATCHING "THE REAL STORY" IN REAL TIME.

THE REAL STORY AIRS ON FOX 61 SUNDAY MORNING AT 8:30 AND ON WTXX AT 11 AM. IF YOU MISS IT, YOU CAN ALSO WATCH IT ON LINE BY GOING TO FOX 61.COM AND CLICKING ON THE REAL STORY PAGE.

I AM TAKING A BREAK!

I just wanted to let you know that this will be my last post for a few days. I am taking some much deserved time off!  The Real Story will be a re-run from last week.  Bad for my devoted viewers. Good for Sam Caligiuri!

HERE IS MY recent show with Caligiuri who threw some major punches at Dodd and also at ROB SIMMONS who indirectly linked him with Dodd by calling him part of the Washington Elite who got us into this mess. OUCH.

TO SEE IT click here.

I haven’t had a vacation in THREE years. I am not kidding! It will be so nice to have some time off! See you next week.

JOE LIEBERMAN SAYS “I’M FOR CHRIS DODD”

SO, I am really going to take a break after this post!

The big story today– and one that I couldn’t resist –has to do with Senator Joe Lieberman who knows what it’s like to face a Democratic Challenger. As you know, Democrat Roger Pearson says he’ll “likely” challenge embattled connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd next year in a primary.“I’m for Chris Dodd!”  Lieberman just told me in an interview in Hartford. “I’ve known him 40 years! We worked together for 20 years. He’s a very effective senator for Connecticut. We all go through tough times. That is the nature of our business and the public ultimately has the final say but I am convicnced, based on what Chris Dodd has done for Connecticut and America, that he’ll be re-elected.”

I guess Lieberman is over Dodd appearing in those Ned Lamont political commercials.

As for those AIG bonuses, Lieberman says it’s been a rough few weeks for Dodd and some of it has been unfair.  Lieberman says Dodd was the one who tried to limit executive pay and bonuses.

Meanwhile, back to Dodd’s potential challenger–Pearson is an attorney and former Greenwich first Selectman.  He  said yesterday he’ll make a final decision in the next few months.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

 

What’s up with these Greenwich men rockin’ the Democratic Boat? Remember,  Ned Lamont was from Greenwich too.  Lieberman advice to Dodd about primaries–”Well, I”ve been through it and it’s no fun,  until Election Day,  when it was a lot of fun.” I guess he has the laugh last–at least for now.  Now, as for me, it looks like Lieberman and I are about to embrace in this picture, doesn’t it? He was actually a few feet away but the camera makes everything two dimensional! This is just an illusion. I swear.

 

NOW, I am off to start my vacation. And yes, Mr. Gerry Brooks, it really is my first one in three years minus some time off to have a baby and then last year—some surgery!

MAKING HIS POINT WITH A PITCH FORK!

IS IT A WEAPON OR FREE SPEECH?

It isn’t every day you run into someone at the State Capitol yielding a real pitch fork and all but today was THAT day for me. Today is the day I met Andy Florian.

The Southington man knocked on our car window in the station vehicle before the rally started. I was enjoying my starbucks coffee but when I saw the pitchfork in his hand, I didn’t know whether to open the window or call police. I mean, I grew up in the sticks and all but this was a pretty big pitch fork. Then, I realized, I was at a “Tea Party” rally with lots of people angry about taxes and government spending. Fox crews tend to do all right at these types of events, so, the photographer and I decided to roll the window down.

Andy Florian had a story for us. He was just told he had to leave the rally by Capitol Police because his pitch fork, even with the black electrical tape over the sharp points, was considered a weapon.

“Capitol police told me that it was a weapon and I would have to leave,” Florian told me.

“So, you’re causing a little bit of some problems here, huh,” I asked the fire restoration specialist!

“Well,” he said. “I didn’t have time to make a sign so, last minute, I thought of a pitch fork symbolizing my Constitutional right to form a militia. ” (Florian tells me he got the idea from the movie Frankenstein when the angry mobs chase Frankenstein trying to kill him. I am not sure, however, if this would help his case with police!”

Florian assured me he was there to protest in peace. “like I said, I didn’t have time to make a sign so, I grabbed a pitch fork, I put the tape on the end of it as to let my true intentions be known that I was here with a smile.”

“But you could take the tape off , easy enough, ” I told him.

Fair point, he said, that is why he decided to pitch the fork but stay at the protest.

JUST A REALLY SAD STORY.

NORTON WITH ME BEFORE THE ELECTION

I had no idea that when I met David Norton for the first time last fall that it would also be the last time.

He was the candidate running in a State race in the face of tragedy.  His friend and fellow Republican–Derek Jerome– killed himself just weeks before the election.  He was running  in place of his friend not knowing that he would soon be facing death,  unwillingly.

I just learned that Mr. Norton died March 9th of Leukemia. His widow Patrica has called the station in tears, looking to get a copy of the story I did with Norton before the election.  Norton wasn’t running to win. He was running in honor of Jerome who believed no race should go untested.  Jerome, the father of two, apparently had run into some difficult financial times and thought he would be worth more dead than alive.  Norton told me then, that sadly, Jerome took his own life to cash in on a life insurance policy which he could get because he bought it years before his own suicide. To read the previous story, click here.

“I pray for him every night,” Norton told me during that interview on that beautiful Fall day. “I still can’t fathom it all.”

Norton lost the race for the State House Seat for Bristol but still managed to grab some 15 hundred votes without running a campaign.  His broken-heart wife told me on the phone that her husband was a “young 71 years old”  who still coached soccer.

“My husband loved life.” Patricia Norton said. “He did so much to help people.  I have heart disease and always thought I would go first but knew he would be all right because he was so good at taking care of people.”

Patricia says that her husband was diagnosed January 21st after having a few cases of  bronchitis. She said his immune system was down and they didn’t realize he had Leukemia until after a chest x-ray in January.

“He was diagnosed on January 21st and was gone by March 9th.” she told me through tears that I could feel through the phone.

I can only say that I am so sorry for her loss and so sorry I didn’t know about his death until now.

I googled Mr. Norton’s name to see if any stories had been done about his life and death.

I didn’t find any, so,  I am writing this one now.

Norton knew the challenges life could bring and was sick about his friend’s suicide.  Norton was a nice man. I enjoyed meeting him. I took these pictures from the shoot that day and plan to send them to his family.

I hope seeing his smile brings them some peace now. He knew he was blessed. He told me so. I could also see it on his face.

NORTON WITH ME BEFORE THE ELECTION

BREAKING NEWS–REPUBLICANS SAY THEY’VE COME UP WITH A NO NEW TAX BUDGET.

Pat O’neil with House Republicans says after weeks of being told to “put-up or shut-up” by Democrats about their budget plan which increases taxes on those making more than $250,ooo, Republicans say they’ve DONE IT!  They say they have figured out an alternative budget that has NO NEW TAXES!

They’ll be releasing the information in about 10 minutes at 1 pm.

OUCH! REPUBLICANS CALL FOR AN 18 MONTH WAGE FREEZE FOR STATE EMPLOYEES!

And that’s not all! House and Senate Republicans also want to fold 23 State Agencies into six!  To read more about it, check out Christine Stuart’s story here! Got to go. Getting ready to Interview Don Williams for the show tonight.

BREAKING NEWS!! SENATOR DODD SAYS HE WILL DO MY SHOW!!!!

We haven’t finalized a date yet, but I did get a green light from Senator Christopher Dodd’s office today that yes, he will appear on “The Real Story.”

This was  only after Bryan DeAngelis called me this morning to point out an article that ran in The Boston Globe about President Barack Obama backing Dodd.

To read more about it click here.  To read Rick Green’s column, click here.

When my cell phone  rang this morning and I saw it was Dodd’s office  calling, I told DeAngelis it was a good thing I was sitting down. ( I was actually riding in the car on the way to the State Capitol to cover the Governor.)

Anyhow,  sure,  I feel a little used but it wouldn’t be the first time. I guess it comes with the territory I think Dodd feels more confident to go up against me now that he Obama in his corner.

DeAngelis says we need to “keep -in-touch” to hammer out a date.

Well, my Birthday is April 28TH!  That would bea great date and present. What more could a girl want, right?

CONNECTICUT GEARING-UP FOR A CASH FLOW PROBLEM!

Connecticut is gearing up for a possible cash flow problem.  Today, the State approved borrowing 700 million dollars during the bond commission meeting–just in case State Treasurer Denise Nappier needs it anytime in the near future.

“Having this authorization helps tremendously, as she is trying to make sure the State has enough cash to pay its bills.” said Michael Chichetti with The Office of Policy and Management.

Right now, the projected budget deficit is expected to hit 8.7 billion dollars by next year and could grow even more after the State tallies the money it received after the April 15th Deadline.  Those numbers should be finalized early next week. Also next week on Monday, Republicans and Democrats will begin the grueling process of budget negations.  When asked if she would veto a budget with an income tax increase, Governor Jodi Rell said at a  press conference today that she “never says never”.  However, Rell said she does think the Democrats didn’t go far enough in curbing spending.  But Senate President Don Williams said during the taping this week’s show “The Real Story” that Democrats wouldn’t have to raise taxes a penny if they were working with the same outdated numbers Governor Rell is using. “The Real Story” airs on Sunday mornings. You can see it on Fox 61 at 8:30 am and on WTXX at 11 a.m.  If you miss it, you can also watch it on line by clicking on “The Real Story” page.

CHRIS DONOVAN NEARLY CRIES AT A PRESS CONFERENCE.

I am not kidding. You’ll have to watch my report tonight on The Fox 61 News at Ten. I will also try to blog about it later.  It has to do with a complaint Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy filed today with The Elections Enforcement Commission concerning  charges The Donovan Campaign made after he won re-election.

TO SEE MY STORY–CLICK HERE–TO VIEW IT ON THE FOX 61 WEB PAGE.

DONOVAN NOT HAPPY ABOUT ETHICS COMPLAINT FILED BY CHRIS HEALY

STATE REPUBLICAN GOP ACCUSES DONOVAN OF USING TAXPAYER MONEY TO BUY "SLURPIES, SLIM JIMS AND MANICURES."

REMEMBERING ERIKA

The last time I saw my second cousin Erika, I was seven months pregnant. We were at my baby shower–celebrating a new life that was about to be. I had no idea, at the time, that that would be the last time I saw Erika. Eight months later, Erika was killed in an accident involving a drunk driver. She was only 22 years old.

I look back at the pictures from my shower and see Erika in many of the photos. It was a happy day, yet, the pictures of her haunt me.  If only I had known then that that would be our last time together, I would have spent more time talking with her.  I had about fifty people at my shower and was busy making the rounds but I wish I had sat down and talked with her more. I wish I could go back in time and tell her just how much she meant to me and all of us.  I wish I could re-write the past and change the future. I wish I could have convinced her not to get into that car with the man who was drunk and behind the wheel.  I wish I could have protected her. I wish. I wish a lot of things when it comes to Erika.

THE HIGH COST OF DRIVING DRUNK

This week on “”The Real Story”, it was  personal. We talked about Erika and the life she left behind and the life she still deserves to  have.  Her mother, my cousin Debbie Warren, is walking in memory of her only child this upcoming Saturday in the “Walk Like MADD” event in West Hartford. Debbie is a very brave woman who is making it her mission to prevent other mothers from living her pain. She is too young to have had to bury her only child but in her tremendous loss, she has found tremendous strength.

The Walk Like MADD event –sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving–is  this Saturday May second, in West Hartford Center.  The walk starts at 10 A.M at Blue Back Square and will last until 2 P.M. I will be there with Sadie to show my support for my cousin Deb.  I just wish Erika could be here too.   See, there’s that “wishing” part again.

TO SEE DEBBIE ON THE REAL STORY CLICK HERE.

TO DONATE TO DEBBIE’S WALK CLICK HERE.

AND HERE I THOUGHT GOVERNOR RELL LIKED THE PRESS?

This is another prime example of what not to do when the cameras are rolling and there is a microphone in front of you.

Before a press conference today about possible swine flu cases in Connecticut and while television photographers were busy setting up, Dr. Carter decided to chat with Rell about the current state of  t.v media.

I discovered this when I just looked at the tape.

At the time, only television photographers were there and no television reporters, including myself!

Here’s what went down.

Dr. Carter leans over to The Governor and says, “Well, now they send these people out to talk to us with a set of questions.” The next part is hard to hear but Dr. Carter continues to say, “They just hold the camera and ask us the question.”  (I am sure photographers would love to hear that they are being referred to as “these people”.

Rell responds, “Yeah?”

Dr. Carter: “and they take it back.”

Rell: “Great.”

Dr. Carter: “No reporter.”

Gov. Rell:” I like that sometimes, you know. “

Dr. Carter and Governor Rell then end their conversation with a laugh.

I am hoping Governor Rell wasn’t  talking about me.? It must be Mark Davis.

CONGRESSMAN COURTNEY LAUNCHES SWINE FLU WEB-PAGE

The purpose, his office says, is not to alarm but inform. Check out the link below.

GOVERNOR RELL’S HOMETOWN BOY!

American Idol contestant Nick Mitchell  who uses the alias “Norman Gentle” has a lot in common with Governor Jodi Rell!

Not only can the two carry a tune (or at least , so, I am told by those close to Governor Rell), the two live in the same town of Brookfield.  Yesterday, I ran into Mitchell right here in our studio. I must say, he is very handsome in person minus the Olivia Newton-John’s “Let’s get Physical” attire.

NICK MITCHELL AKA "NORMAL GENTLE"

Mitchell says he lives just two miles away from The Governor  and that he hopes to one day meet her in person.

Rell & Mitchell on stage together?  Now, that would be something to see. I am not going to even bring it up in our news meeting because it is sweeps. I AM  afraid “they” will really try to make it happen.

MEANWHILE, here a few more of my favorite pe0ple.

THE IDOL WITH OUR OWN IDOLS

EAST HADDAM SCHOOLS LOOK MORE LIKE A GHOST TOWN!

The scene at East Haddam schools today was almost an eerie one for me.

EERIE SCENE RIGHT HERE IN CONNECTICUT

Without sounding too dramatic, which as you know is not my style,   the stillness of the swing sets and the silence hovering over the playground  instead of the sounds of children laughing really sent a chill up my spine.  It reminded me (just a little bit) of the deserted towns I visited near The Chernobyl nuclear power plant back in 1997.

I learned then how sometimes silence can be deafening.

Meanwhile, I also spoke with two girls who know one of the 2 children in East Haddam  being tested for the Swine Flu.  The girls were in health class with the boy the same day he fell ill.

GIRLS SAT NEAR SICK BOY

“We didn’t really have contact with him, we just talked to him,” said Carlie Chapman who sat across the row from the sick boy.

“In the beginning of the day, he looked fine and then later on, we heard he went home because he didn’t feel good.” said another girl in the class, Leeauni Stagin.

The Middle School boy and his sister who attends the Elementary school in town  both left school early Monday after experiencing flu-like symptoms.

They had just returned from a family vacation to Mexico.  They’re names are not being released for privacy reasons. Schools in East Haddam were closed today and will remain closed tomorrow –April 30th– while officials wait for the results from the Swine Flu test.

IT LOOKS LIKE REP. O’ROURKE WILL BE CHARGED IN WOMAN’S DEATH.

REP. JAMES O'ROURKE

The Hartford Courant is reporting that Rep. James O’Rourke could be charged with criminally negligent homicide in connection with the freezing death of a Rocky Hill woman, Carol Sinisgalli. As you know, I have been following this story since I broke it on my blog shortly after the woman was found dead along a snowy embankment along the Connecticut River.

CAROL

Here is what The Courant is reporting:Police want to charge a state legislator with criminally negligent homicide in connection with the January death of Carol Sinisgalli, who died of exposure in a remote area of Rocky Hill.

Prosecutors in Superior Court in New Britain are reviewing an arrest warrant application seeking to charge state Rep. James O’Rourke, sources close to the investigation said. The warrant must be signed by a prosecutor and a judge before an arrest may be made. Criminally negligent homicide is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and/or a fine of up to $2,000.

To read the entire story click here.

to see my previous stories, click here and here..

THIS WEEK ON THE REAL STORY–LARRY CAFERO SAYS BUDGET TALKS ARE MOVING ALONG SLOWLY!

HOUSE MINORITY LEADER LARRY CAFERO

House Minority Leader Larry Cafero says he doesn’t expect to have any time off this summer and predicts lawmakers will hammer out a budget in late August. He says normally the House Speaker blocks off some time during the summer months where lawmakers can plan on taking some time off.  That’s not the case this year, Cafero said during the taping of “The Real Story” this week.  Cafero also defends the House and Senate Republican Budget, weighs in on Sen. Arlen Specter jumping ship and also comments on the ethics complaint against House Speaker Chris Donovan.

CAFERO SAYS DON'T EXPECT TIME OFF THIS SUMMER--TO LAWMAKERS

Also, after their coffee break, Chris Keating and Kevin Rennie (with The Hartford Courant) talk politcs with me!

KEATING RESTING UP BEFORE THE BIG SHOW

RENNIE MAKING A FUNNY FACE

WYMAN WANTS LAWMAKERS TO STOP WORKING ON TWO YEAR BUDGET AND DEAL WITH CURRENT CRISIS FIRST!

In a letter to Governor Jodi Rell, State Comptroller Nancy Wyman aks the Governor to tell lawmaker to stop working on the budget for FY2011 and instead, concentrate all their efforts on dealing with the current fiscal crisis for this fiscal year which ends in June. Wyman essentially says it’s too hard to predict what will happen in 2011 and doing so, could be a waste of  time.

to see Wymans letter click here.

While The Governor says she appreciates Wyman’s letter, the comptroller is essentially preaching to the choir, meaning, don’t tell her, tell them.  To read Rell’s response, click here.

WE WERE WALKING LIKE M.A.D.D–IN WEST HARTFORD CENTER

It was one of those beautiful weekend days in West Hartford Center.  You know, one of those days you thought was going to be a wash-out but in the end, the sun came through.  It was on the surface, a perfect day. However,  underneath it all;  the beautiful weather, the huge turn-out and the supportive crowds, I am sure  my cousin Debbie and I wished we could have been anywhere else BUT here.   If only fate had taken a different corner,  perhaps, we could be making plans for Mother’s day instead of marching in Memory of my cousin’s only child.  Her daughter Erika was killed two years ago by a drunk driver.

MISSING ERIKA

That was the point of this weekend’s MOTHER’S AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING  event.  No matter how many times we hear the warning–don’t drink and drive– people still do and people still die. It’s just that now, my cousin’s only child is no one of those statistics.

While Debbie has lost a lot, she and other mothers who have also lost loved ones to drunk drivers, want to people to know that drunk driving kills.  Unfortunately, they know.  They’re hoping now people will listen to spare you from ever experiencing their pain. To read my previous story on Erika, click here.

DIAMOND WEARING A T-SHIRT WITH A PICTURE OF HER MOTHER

3RD COUSINS ENJOYING SOME ARTS AND CRAFTS

BRAD DAVIS, ME AND THE BACK OF SADIE’S HEAD

DEBBIE WITH BRAD DAVIS–WDRC RADIO TALK SHOW HOST

Debbie after the walk

MISSING ERIKA

WALKING LIKE MADD

PRESS CONFERENCE OR PHOTO-OP?

ALL IS GOOD, NOW, WE'VE GOT TO GO!

Mind, you, I was a little late but before I could set up my mic and my photographer could start rolling, Senators Christopher Dodd and Joe Lieberman were already out the door trying to catch a late morning flight back to Washington, D.C.  All this after yet another story hits concerning Senator Dodd and his wife.  To read The Courant story,click here.

The press Conference lasted all of about 15 minutes.  Before the presser, a pool camera was allowed to video-tape a quick conference call Dodd, Lieberman, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, Congressman Joe Courtney –along with other state Public Health officials– held with hospitals and community centers around the state.  However, we were not able to record any sound, so, I have no idea what was actually said.  I am guessing that their  handlers thought it would be great to show  pictures  of The  Connecticut Delegation (on their  home turf)  getting a handle on the pandemic that wasn’t or at least isn’t for now.

PRESS CONFERENCE OR PHOTO-OP?

The crowd emerged from the conference call saying the news was good news.  Hospitals around the State are reporting a decline in the number of patients seeking testing for swine flu.

Did the Government over act and is this  a case of “the boy who cried wolf”?  While I didn’t ask Lieberman that specific question, mostly because the press conference didn’t last that long–or at least long enough for reporters to ask The Senators any questions– Lieberman did seem to explain the situation like this.

“We have a genuine public health threat in Connecticut and in our Country, ” Sen. Lieberman said, “but it is one that Government was ready for.”

However, Senator Lieberman warned that we are not out of the woods just yet. He said the virus could go underground for The Summer and then re-appear in The Fall, as it did back in 1918 when 30 million people died of the Spanish Flu.

Meanwhile, Connecticut received its first batch this weekend of anti-viral medications from the Fed.  Sen. Lieberman says Connecticut received 134 thousand doses of Tamiflu and Relenza to combat The Swine Flu, if need be!

The State Department of Public Health is reporting that 271 people in Connecticut have been tested for swine flu and only a few have tested positive for H1N1. Seasonal Flu typically lasts until April and/or May and that’s what they think they are seeing now. The Hartford Courant is reporting that police are investigating  the death of a 9 year old boy to see if it was POSSIBLY linked to Swine Flu.

LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICALS DECLARE THEIR OWN EMERGENCY

 With a possible pandemic on their hands, public health directors from around The State say now is not the time to cut State funding to local health departments.  They say if The Swine flu comes back in the fall packing a serious punch, they fear they may  have enough people to administer vaccines–if scientists come up with one by then. 

Under Governor Jodi Rell’s proposed budget plan, funding would be totally eliminated to 89 towns and cities in the State, mostly in Fairfield County, shoreline communities and Hartford suburbs.

The funding for the remaining towns would be cut to $1.25 per person, per year.

 ”That’s less than a cup of coffee, that’s less than the cost of a bottle of water,” said Jennifer Kertanis, with the Connecticut Association of Directors of Health, Inc. “We ask you, are these budget cuts worth the risk to your health and the health of your family?”

NAUGATUCK VALLEY HEALTH DIRECTOR KAREN SPARGO

At one point, under the Governor’s plan, the public health Department serving the towns of West Hartford and Bloomfield would have be shut down.   Not exactly good news for the health director Steven Huleatt who believes his office has since been spared.  Huleatt says his main worry now is preparing for thousands of people who might turn out for flu vaccines in The Fall. 

“In the West Hartford case, that might be 62 thousand people,” Huleatt said.

 ”What do you give now,” I asked.

 ”About three thousand,” Huleatt replied.

His biggest concern is that if The State does cut funding to his department, he’ll have to lay people off and will have fewer dollars for practice drills.

 ”If you’re not prepared, what?” I asked.

 ”We’d be very slow and we might be too late.”

The health director for Naugatuck valley also sounded the alarm at today’s conference in the State Captiol’s office building.

“I don’t think you’ve ever seen me up here,” said karen spargo.”  I think the people who are here are very, very, concerned.”

Meanwhile, the Governor’s office had this to say in reaction to today’s press event.  Here is the press release I just received.

“The Governor’s budget proposal encourages regionalization and provides continued support for important public health objectives. There are significant advantages to public health regionalization; for example, many states have county health departments that are much larger than Connecticut’s local and regional health districts. The Governor’s proposal offers municipalities a way of providing services more efficiently and effectively, at a lower cost.

 

During these unprecedented economic times, government at all levels is required to reduce costs, just as families and businesses are doing all across Connecticut. If a municipality wishes to operate outside of a region or wants to put more resources into public health than the amount of the proposed state subsidy, they are certainly free to do so.”

Desperately Seeking DODD!

So far, Senator Christopher Dodd has not “inked” a date with me to appear on  ”The Real Story”.  The problem seems to be timing.  I need to more than a days notice to produce and host the show and that seems to be the problem.  DODD’s office assures me that they are working on CEMENTING A DATE.  I believe they really are, however, I just want my viewers to know that Senator Dodd will not be getting “real” with me this week!

 

Governor Jodi Rell will also  be on the same list with Dodd soon.  I am losing my patience with her as well.  Despite my repeated requests to appear on “The Real Story”,  she has yet to come on the show (despite doing  the OTHER Sunday Morning shows after her budget address.)

However, I am working on a fabulous show for you! This week’s topic, the “changes” at The Hartford Courant. I have asked our General Manager and Courant publisher Rich Graziano to come on the show but am thinking our new hire, Jeffery Levine (the new director of content for both Fox 61 and The Courant) will be the guy to come on the show –if he can make it.  I will keep you posted.  I also have some other guests lined up to talk about the future of The Courant and some Courant reporters to talk about all the changes and their new roles.

There you have it folks.

I’m off to cover a Dodd story, or at least that is the plan for now!

DODD’S CAMPAIGN MANAGER TO APPEAR ON THE REAL STORY

I was just told that Senator Christopher Dodd’s campaign manager–Jay Howser,  will be here for tonight’s taping of “The Real Story.” He and Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy will go head-to-head over questions surrounding Jackie Clegg Dodd’s mid-six figure job.

THE HEAT IS ON!

 

 

 

Is it a case of  WHAT  she knows or WHO  she knows?  Should be a good one.

THIS WEEK ON THE REAL—ANTICIPATION

THE ANCTICIPATION BUILDS

 

CHRIS HEALY WITH DODD'S CAMPAIGN MANAGER, JAY HOWSER

 

CHANGES AT THE COURANT & FOX 61

YOU CAN WATCH THE REAL STORY SUNDAY MORNINGS RIGHT HERE ON FOX 61 AND WTXX.  It airs on Fox 61 at 8:30 A.M and on WTXX at 11 A.M.  If you miss it, you can also watch it on line by going to Fox 61.com. BIG THANKS TO NICK CAITO–OUR REAL STORY STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER! YOU ROCK.

REAL STORY GUEST ARRESTED FOR THREATENING A LAWMAKER

DOMINIC VITA WITH CORNELL LEWIS DURING A RECENT "REAL STORY"

Dominic Vita (pictured on the left next to Hartford Activist Cornell Lewis) was just arrested for allegedly threatening Republican State Senator Tony Boucher. Capitol Police say Vita sent Boucher a profanity laced e-mail to the effect of, “I’m getting ready to go postal.”

VITA MUG SHOT

Vita is a former Marine who advocates decriminalizing small amounts of Marijuana.  He was on my show just a few weeks back and was very articulate and polite.  I am personally shocked by this.  To view the show, click here.

Sen. Boucher also recently appeared on “The Real Story” to talk about tolls. She is the woman at the end in the red suit.

STATE SENATOR BOUCHER ( WOMAN IN RED SUIT) IS THREATENED!

DODD WISHES ME A HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

For those of you who missed it, Dodd wished me and other mothers “who struggle every day to balance home and work” a happy mother’s day!  This,  after blasting my colleagues at The Hartford Courant (and probably me as well)  for reporting on his wife, Jackie Clegg Dodd, and her mid-six figure salary.

The Dodd camp is calling it sexism to even go there.  All I will say is this, as SINGLE -parent, full -time working woman who knows how hard it is to juggle both, asking a legitimate question is NOT SEXISM. What is fair is fair.  Dodd’s campaign manager, Jay Howser appeared on our Sunday Show– ’The Real Story” –declaring that Mrs. Dodd has a right to make a living.  Well,  if making 500-thousand dollars a year qualifies as “making a living”,  I would LOVE to be  making that kind of living. I am not saying that Mrs. Dodd has done  anything wrong. Hey, if she’s the one who brings home the bacon, I say–way to go.  All I am saying is that if Senator Dodd doesn’t like the press asking questions, well, then he should move to the communist country of his choice. Last I knew, we have freedom of the press here in The United States.  A question, is just that.  Senator Dodd’s reaction is turning it into much more.

Here is Dodd’s Comment:

‘JACKIE IS QUALIFIED’
Dodd: Attacks On Wife Are Baseless Low Blows
By CHRISTOPHER J. DODD
May 10, 2009
In the past year, my opponents have spent a lot of time attacking me. The people of Connecticut deserve the respect of being presented the truth rather than unchecked partisan rhetoric.

Yes, I have made mistakes, but I have been open and honest about them and I have been working hard to get Connecticut and America’s economy back on track. In fact, we are just days away from winning the fight I have led to crack down on the credit card companies and their abusive practices against consumers.

I’ve been focused on doing my job fighting for you. However, this past week the attacks against me just went too far. The state GOP chairman, Chris Healy, attacked my wife, Jackie. He claimed she served on corporate boards and isn’t qualified. That is a flat-out lie and it’s low-blow politics at its worst.

It has been made even worse by the biased reporting of The Hartford Courant’s newsroom and opinion pages, which seem determined to fan the flames of these attacks without giving credence to the information and resources we provide them.

Here’s the truth.

As a highly educated, professional woman with a long and accomplished career, Jackie is qualified to serve on these boards.

She has a master’s degree in strategic studies from Georgetown University and has been a guest lecturer at universities across the country.

Jackie worked for a Republican senator as an associate on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and as the principal staff member on the banking committee’s Subcommittee on International Finance and Monetary Policy.

From there, she served as chief of staff, vice president for external affairs, vice chairman of the board of directors and first vice president of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the official export credit agency of the U.S. government. In fact, Jackie was the youngest person and the first woman ever to serve in that capacity in the bank’s history.

She accomplished this before we married.

She represented the government as the lead trade finance official on presidential trade missions, developed international experience while beating foreign competition to retain U.S. jobs, and developed a deep understanding of corporate governance, balance sheets and strategic issues.

After government service, Jackie started her own consulting business, and later decided to dedicate her work full time to her boards of directors duties. She has not taken on clients since the birth of our second child.

Jackie also has the background to serve on audit committees. She has previous audit committee experience. She supervised the chief financial officer and she was chairwoman of the loan committee at the Export-Import Bank. And as a board member, she supported financing of more than $50 billion in U.S. exports, approving each transaction through a thorough analysis of financial statements and the creditworthiness of the borrower.

Indeed, her experience qualifies her as a financial expert according to the strict rules established by Sarbanes-Oxley. In fact, this determination is made by the companies, their external auditors and legal counsel — not Jackie.

Why would public corporations take a civil and criminal risk for not adequately exercising their fiduciary duties by designating someone as a financial expert who does not qualify?

Jackie and I have always kept our careers separate and have both gone to great lengths to ensure this. The first thing Jackie did when she entered the private sector was to hire a leading ethics attorney to review every contract and board and to set strict rules against her representing anyone before the government. There are no conflicts of interest.

Short of giving up her career altogether, Jackie has done everything she could to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest. She has sought and followed the advice of ethics counsel, she has turned down positions on boards, and she has turned away potential clients.

Jackie and I understand that it is the responsibility of the people of this state to ask questions of its elected leaders. However, it is despicable that the Republican chairman would be lying about my wife’s background and unfairly attacking her.

People will get the facts and see these attacks for what they really are. I’ve dedicated my career to representing the best interests of the people of Connecticut, and I will continue to do so.

For all mothers, including those who struggle every day to balance home and work, happy Mother’s Day!

• Christopher J. Dodd is the senior U.S. senator from Connecticut. He lives in East Haddam.

NED SAYS “NO” FOR NOW

 

NED LAMONT SAYS HE IS STAYING OUT OF POLITICS FOR NOW

Remember Ned Lamont? I’m guessing he is a man Senator Joe Lieberman will never forget. The Greenwich businessman and millionare almost cost Lieberman his U.S. Senate seat back in 2006.  Now, with Lamont still making the rounds, many  are wondering what Lamont is planning next.

Well, I just got off the phone with him and he assures me there is “no news.”  I’ve been hearing from a few folks that Lamont may consider a run for Governor, he assures me, that isn’t the case.

When I asked him if he would challenge Senator Christopher Dodd for his seat if polls continue to show Dodd could be in real trouble, Lamont said “probably not.”  Lamont told me he staying out of politics for now.

However, it’s the “probably not”  part that could have the Dodd camp a little nervous.

SENATOR LIEBERMAN NOT-SO IN LOVE WITH REPUBLICANS ANYMORE?

OR at least that seems to be the case according  to a story on politico.com today concerning comments Sen. Joe Lieberman made on MSNBC about former Vice-President Dick Cheney.  To see it, click here.  Let’s just say a little birdy told told me about this one.

BOB IS BACK!

I ran into DMV Commissioner and long-time State Lawmaker Bob Ward today in the Legislative Office Building and I must say he looks GREAT!  As most of you already know, Ward took a few weeks off from work to under go a kidney transplant.  Ward just returned to work a few days ago and is doing six hours days until he gets totally back on his feet again.  Ward has the color back in face and told me he hasn’t felt this good in two years!  SO good to hear!

I’VE GOT A COPY OF THE THREATENING E-MAIL AND IT AIN’T PRETTY.

Here it is.  Christine Stuart and I just picked up our copies of the e-mail Dominic Vita sent to his buddy and  accidentially sent in a blanket reply to the State Capitol.  oops.

I must warn you–there is some swearing and offensive words in here.  Read at your own risk.

 I know it’s hard to read but here is what the e-mails reads—

David,

not sure if you have seen what these douche bags are up to at the capitol but I’m getting ready to go postal.  Sen. Boucher is about to get my foot in his/her fucking face. My tolerance for these fucking worthless pieces of shit is rapidly eroding.  Things are going to get really ugly soon. Fuck this bullshit!

 MEANWHILE, Vita is a former Marine who fought in the  Iraq War. He says smoking marijuana is the only thing that alleviates war-related injuries.  He was very polite and well spoken when he appeared on my show, The Real Story, a few weeks ago. I will be running a clip from his interview in my story tonight on The Fox 61 News at Ten.  

TO SEE MY PREVIOUS STORY AND PICTURE OF VITA CLICK HERE.

Vita’s wife insists her husband never really intended to hurt anyone. Here is her comment to my previous blog.

Submitted on 2009/05/09 at 4:41pm

Shelly,

As Dominic’s wife, I’d like to comment on this situation. I too am shocked, but I am shocked by the way the media is portraying this incident as the situation is not at all what it seems. Dominic receives bill-tracker updates from the capitol. On Thursday, he received notification that Sen. Boucher proposed to reduce the amount of marijuana down from 1/2 ounce to 1 gram and increase the fine to $2500 for SB 349. He was infuriated by this because having medical patients only able to carry 1 gram of marijuana on them means that they would have to seek marijuana daily from drug dealers, which puts them in harms way more often than needed. My husband has severe PTSD from his combat experiences in Iraq and he got very angry and accidentally hit “reply” to the bill-tracker email, instead of forwarding it. His intention was to forward the bill-tracker update to David (NORML CT President), sharing his feelings about the update. His intent was NOT to send any correspondence to the capitol. He absolutely wrote things in his email that are wrong, but his intent was to blow off steam to a friend, NOT to threaten the senator. The entire situation could have been avoided if he didn’t write the email at all & certainly he has learned his lesson (while also embarrassing the hell out of his family). The media is spinning this situation in a way that makes Dominic appear to be a threatening criminal. He is not in any way a threatening criminal. In his email, it is apparent that he didn’t even know who Sen. Boucher was…his words: “him/her” indicate that he didn’t even know if the senator was a man or woman. Regardless, I am very upset with the poor media spin because it is obvious that the only reason that this situation has gained so much bad publicity is because Dominic advocates for medical marijuana and sensible drug policies.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Abbie Rieley Vita

 

One last thing–it appears the bill which would have decriminalized small amounts of marijuana is dead in the water.  Today the finance committee took no action on it which means, unless it does so by tomorrow, the bill will die.

ONLY REPUBLICAN IN THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR TO HIT WATERBURY AIRWAYS IN ABOUT 30 MINUTES!!!

THE COWBOY WHO WANTS TO BE GOVERNOR

The Connecticut Cowboy running for Governor in 2010 –who is staking his entire campaign and possibly his OWN house on property tax reform–will be the featured guest today “The Ed Flynn Radio Talk show” .   Dr. Scott Merrell (seen here when he appeared on The Real Story ) will be on the show at 11 am.   Sorry for the short notice.  You can hear him in the Waterbury area on radio station 1320 AM.  Merrell is a horse veterinarian who’s Norwalk home is under foreclosure because he refuses to pay his $60,000 dollar a year property taxes.  Calling it extortion, Dr. Merrell has hired some heavy hitting lawyers and promises to take his case all the way the The United States Supreme Court.

HARTFORD COP TELLS ME HE DOESN’T HAVE TO STOP FOR PEOPLE IN CROSS-WALKS!

I was on my way to a press conference this morning at The Attorney General’s office in Hartford. As I was walking into  the building, along with photographer Scott Vargas, we saw a Hartford cop almost hit a man in the cross-walk right outside  the A.G’s office at the corner of Hudson and Elm streets.. Mind you, this guy clearly wasn’t all there and did dart into the cross walk with-out looking to see who was coming, but either way, the Hartford Cop just kept on going.  Afterward,  I heard him tell the guy to watch-out because  he almost got hit.  Now, being who I am, I couldn’t just let this one slide.

I asked the cop, “aren’t you supposed to stop for people in the cross-walk?”

The cop said, “No, we’re immune from that.” Kid you not, he said it just like that!

Oh really? Doesn’t seem right to me. So, being who I am, I walked inside the A.G’s office and asked the  State Trooper there  on- duty if what the Hartford cop said  seemed right?  The trooper told me cops are not  immune from stopping for people in cross-walks, unless, maybe they have their sirens on.

This cop did not have his sirens on!

There’s more.  The security guard in the building told me that a Hartford Cop side-swiped a woman  in the cross-walk just a few weeks ago–hitting her with his side view mirror.  The security guard said the Hartford cop told her the same thing.

I guess this “woman” is also the assistant State Attorney General and she isn’t very happy about about the incident and is looking into it. I don’t blame her.

I know a lot of Hartford Cops and consider of few of them to be my friends. By no means is this a blanket statement  about all Hartford Police officers.  As for the cop I ran into today (that is a poor choice of words) — I didn’t recongize him nor did I get his name.   However, next time you’re crossing the street in Hartford, you might want to look both ways and don’t assume anyone–not even a cop–will stop.

I WITNESSED AN EXECUTION.

As lawmakers debate right now– on whether or not to abolish the death penalty, I have an interesting take on the issue.  Because unlike everyone up there, I have actually seen a man being executed and die right before my eyes.  I was one of only five reporters picked to cover the execution of Michael Ross back in 2005.  I recently wrote about my experience when Dr. William Petit testified at a committee hearing concerning the bill to abolish the Death Penalty.  To read it, click here.

MAYOR MALLOY–”I LOVE MY SON”

This week on “The Real Story”–Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy talks about his son Ben and his recent arrest for attempted robbery.

MAYOR MALLOY OPENS UP ABOUT HIS SON'S RECENT ARREST

“I love my Son,” Mayor Malloy said tonight during the taping of the Real Story. 

Malloy, who is considering a run for Governor,  was reacting to his Jim Amann recent remarks by implying that  Malloy should drop out of the race because of his son’s problems. This is the second time Ben Malloy has been arrested since 2007.

 

When I asked Amann what he would do if this were his son, Amann said the following.

“I personally believe, and I mean this in my heart Shelly, that there are more important things in life than politics,” Amann said again to the recent arrest of Malloy’s son. “If it were me, I would probably choose my family but that is my choice. Ultimately, it is up to Dan to decide, but if it were me, I’d drop-out.” 

(Amann is the only Democrat to offically delcare his campaign for Governor. )

Meanwhile, Malloy said that’s like asking a Doctor to stop practising medicine or someone like me, to stop reporting, if a child gets into trouble.  Fair point.

Malloy says he has gotten hundreds of letters from people whose children also struggle with mental illness and has found lots of support from friends  and even strangers.

As for Malloy and his next move—The Democratic Mayor says he’ll make a final decision on whether he’ll run for Governor again sometime in November.

MALLOY SAYS HE'LL MAKE A DECISION IN NOVEMBER

The Real Story airs on Fox 61 Sunday morning at 8:30 AM and runs again on WTXX at 11:00 AM. If you miss it, you can also watch it on-line by going to Fox61.com and clicking on The Real Story link under the news bar.

Thanks TO NICK CAITO FOR TAKING THIS GREAT PICTURES. Mr. Caito will not be here during the next two weeks as he goes on tour with his band around the North East.  Mr. Caito is not just a talented photographer but he also plays the Saxophone. (just like myself, I might add!)

Yesterday, in a phone interview Amann told me if  fellow Democrat

BABY ABANDONED IN A BEER BOX DURING THE 80′S GRADUATES FROM COLLEGE TODAY!

Alison before her graduation

There are two things Alison Dolan always carries with her.

One, is a picture of the woman who adopted her as an infant which she wears in a specially made silver chain around her neck.

Alison's Adoptive Mother

Two, is a copy of a newspaper clipping she carries in her wallet from the day she was born.

The Newspaper story Alison carries with her

“Jane Doe.  Baby Doe, “Alison says about the first names given to her as an infant. That’s because instead of giving her a name or a cozy pair of pajamas to keep her warm, Alison’s birth mother left in a beer box in The Bronx.

“When I was born, I was abandoned,” she said like she had said it a thousand times before.

It was bitter cold winter day and for several hours, baby Alison cried for help but no one heard her until two teenage boys, on their way to school, heard her cries for help and brought her to a nearby hospital with her umbilical cord still attached.

“It was February of ‘87, which I am told was one of the coldest winters around New York City. And when I was found, I did have hypothermia,” Alison said. In fact, if two teenage boys hadn’t found her when they did, she most certainly would have never lived to see her College graduation day on Sunday.

“I think that I am the face of safe haven laws and rightfully so, because when I found out, I thought–do people not know that you can drop an infant off at a fire house, or police station, or any safe place?” Alison said pleading to other scared mothers-to be.

The Face for Safe Haven Laws

Now, this new Quinnipiac University graduate  is sharing her remarkable story to let other people know that it’s not so much about where you’ve been, but where you are going.

“I hope that people who are going through a really hard time will learn to dig down within themselves and find something that can push them out of it because it’s not about where you came from. If I based my life on where I came from, I would probably be going nowhere because I would just keep thinking about the past.”

Allison hopes her journey to this point in her life will inspire others to live by her motto based on a quote by a famous author.

“Tough times don’t last,” she said, “but tough people do.”

However, there is one thing which brings this “tough girl” close to tears, not the mother she never knew but the mother she loved and lost.

“On Sunday, I think the first thing I will think of is that my Mom is not here to see it.” Alison said as her eyes welled-up with tears just thinking about her graduation ceremony.  “You know, when my Mom was sick with cancer, there were so many times that I wanted to quit but all my friends were really pushing me. So, this will be the culmination of four years of really hard work.”

And the culmination of a remarkable journey of a baby girl found in a box who grew-up, willing and ready, to conquer the world.

(NOTE: Alison was never able to find anything out about her birth parents. She has even tried to contact the two teenage boys who found her—Jose Lopez and Carlos Rosado, both of whom would be grown men by now.  She is still hoping that someone somewhere will hear her story and know who her birth parents might be. She was born February 2^nd, 1987 and was found at 8 am in alleyway in The Bronx. If you know any information, please contact us and we will pass along the information to her. )

“DONE WITH DODD RALLY” PLANNED FOR TOMORROW!

Even one of the State’s top Republicans is distancing himself with this one –claiming the organizer –Sean Murphy –is hardly the mouth piece for the State G.O.P.

But for what it’s worth, the rally will take place tomorrow  outside Senator Christopher Dodd’s office in Hartford at 30 Lewis Street.  The start time is 12:15.  Senator Dodd has a scheduled event at Griffen Hospital at the same time, so, I am guessing he won’t be there.

The organizer of the “Done With Dodd Rally” is promising some active visuals including : Thomas Jefferson reading the Declaration of Independence from “King Dodd II”.  The press release also says that they will have a seminar for Senator Dodd on how to pack his bags.

MEET MERRICK ALPERT!

MERRICK TAKES ON DODD

Democrat Merrick Alpert says he will challenge Senator Christopher Dodd for is seat.  At his Mystic home, Alpert announced his candidacy today along with his family and a slew of supporters.

The best part, I thought , was his daughter who spotted a worm during the press conference and made her mother  pick it up and hold it in her hand. That’s what I like, a little girl who is not afraid to get her hands dirty.

MERRICK'S DAUGHTER SPOTS A WORM AT THE RRESS CONFIRMS

I will write more later as to more serious aspects of Alpert’s speech but now am under deadline.  I just thought you would like to see some pictures of  the man who is stirring the pot and hoping for another Lieberman/Lamont race.

APPARENTLY SOMEONE IN THE ALPERT FAMILY HAS A GREEN THUMB

MERRICK TAKES ON DODD

MERRICK’S DAUGHTER SPOTS A WORM AT THE RRESS CONFIRMS

APPARENTLY SOMEONE IN THE ALPERT FAMILY HAS A GREEN THUMB

DODD’S DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGER CALLS HIM “BAMBI” IN HEADLIGHTS!

Three years ago it was Senator Joe Lieberman who was in the political fight of his life facing a bitter Democratic Primary against political newcomer Ned Lamont.

Now, embattled Senator Christopher Dodd seems to be following in his shoes.

For the first time since being elected into office as a  U.S Senator back in 1981, Chris Dodd is facing a Democratic challenger and a potential Democratic primary for his U.S Senate seat.

MERRICK ALPERT

Today, a former Air Force officer who went on peace keeping missions in Bosnia, announced he will challenge Dodd for his party’s nomination. Outside his Mystic home alongside his pregnant wife and their two children, Merrick Alpert made if official and launched a primary campaign against Dodd– which is sure to rock the boat in the Democratic Party. (or, at least that was Ned Lamont’s theme)

“It doesn’t have to be like this,” Alpert said. “Politicians don’t have to be corrupt.”

However, when pressed if he was calling Senator Dodd corrupt,  Alpert would only say that Dodd is part of the “culture of corruption” in Washington and has been bathed with tens of thousands of dollars in special interest money.

At one point Alpert used this analogy calling Dodd  “the lifeguard on duty when everyone drowned”—referring to the financial meltdown and that as chairman of the Banking Committee, Dodd could have done something to stop it.

But Alpert said it was Dodd’s role in those A.I.G bonuses and what he called Dodd’s “untruthfulness” in his answers, which compelled him to run.

“When you’re directly asked, are you responsible? Are you accountable and you say no, and you stand there looking like Bambi in the headlights night after night on the news,” Alpert said while answering questions from the press outside his Mystic home.  He went on to say, “At some point, you need to take responsibility or you need to have the pride to skate off the ice.”

DODD

BAMBI

Meanwhile, Senator Dodd’s camp says Dodd is not worried about facing a Democratic challenger and believes his record will only help him with voters and not hurt him with voters.

Campaign manager Jay Howser says right now, Dodd is focusing on getting his Credit Card Reform legislation through congress and is not focusing on a election that is more than a year and a half away.

I’M OFF TO SEE PRESIDENT OBAMA!

I don’t know if I will actually meet him but I am certain to at least see him tomorrow in The Rose Garden.  I will be there as he signs the Credit Card Accountability Act into law along side Senator Christopher Dodd who needs some good press these days.

This is REALLY one of those stories where Pampers and Politics collide.  My daughter Sadie fell and hurt her chin and she is relentless on telling everyone on the phone with whom  I am speaking  that she has a “boo-boo”. So, tonight as I tried to make this all work, I had to tell Dodd’s press Secretary Bryan DeAngelis, my boss Rocky as well as photographer Andy Zaremba over and over again how Sadie had a boo-boo.  Until it was said, I couldn’t talk because Sadie wouldn’t let me. Don’t worry. She’s fine. She just has this obsession with injuries.  She is still talking about how she threw up two months ago.  She sure can talk for a two year old. Don’t know where she gets that from.   So anyhow, thank-you Bryan for your patience with Sadie saying “boo-boo” over and over again during our phone conversations tonight while setting up this road trip.  Which makes me realize, I really should be going to bed since I have to be to work at 4 a.m to make the journey to D.C.  Should be fun.  And Bryan, If you could get President Obama to sign this picture for me–I am sure Sadie’s boo-boo would  feel much better!

I TOOK THIS PICTURE ON THE DAY OBAMA WAS SWORN INTO OFFICE

MERRICK MEETS THE PRESS, OR SHALL I SAY “THE REAL STORY”

So, it’s been a busy few days.  About an hour after taping the show with Senator Chris Dodd’s new Democratic challenger, Merrick Alpert–I got a call!  Then, in a few short hours, I was off to D.C to The White House. (hence, why I am wearing the same outfit!)

The Real Story with Merrick Alpert

Alpert answered a lot of questions concerning his run against Dodd and talked about why he thought Dodd was being “untruthful” but wouldn’t go as far as saying Dodd was “lying”. When I asked him to explain the difference, he said he didn’t know Dodd’s “intent”. Sounds like a true JAG lawyer because Alpert was a JAG attorney in The Air Force and served time in Bosnia. Pretty impressive.  Here are some behind the scenes of the taping. Thanks to Andy for stepping up to the plate with The Real Story Photographer, Nick Caito, on vacation.

NOT SURE WHAT THIS FACE IS ALL ABOUT?

THE REAL STORY WITH MERRICK ALPERT

OH, AND TALK ABOUT AN ENDORSEMENT—TOM SWAN, Ned Lamont’s former campaign manager, said doing The Real Story (formerly known as Beyond The Headlines) is what TURNED  Lamont into a household name. See, what Dodd is missing out on.

SWAN GETS "REAL" ON THE REAL STORY

SWAN AND ALPERT

GREAT DAY FOR DODD AND ME IN D.C.!

So, President Barack Obama was so impressed with my reporting on Senator Chris Dodd and the signing of his credit card reform legislation into law that he offered me a job! I say it looks like a good fit, no?

MY NEW JOB

Senator Dodd was just basking in all the glory during the bill signing. I am pretty sure he was pointing at me during this picture!

I AM PRETTY SURE DODD IS POINTING AT ME IN THIS PICTURE!

A PRESIDENTIAL "SHOUT-OUT" TO DODD

DICK BLUMENTHAL WAS ALSO THERE---HE REALLY IS "EVERYWHERE" LIKE CHANNEL 3'S SLOGAN!

As for my Photographer Andy and I, the trip made for REALLY long day. We left Friday at 4 in the morning and got home Saturday morning at 3 AM.  But the experience was so worth it! It was my first time to The White House as a reporter. Chuck Todd from NBC told me where the bathroom was.  I was close to President Obama but didn’t get a chance to meet him. I thought he would be taller than he was but then again, I am pretty tall, just a little under six feet.

Andy

MORE PICTURES OF THE BILL SIGNING IN THE ROSE GARDEN AT THE WHITE HOUSE

PRESIDENT OBAMA

THE ROSES

IN THE ROSE GARDEN

MY NEW JOB

THIS PICTURE JUST CRACKS ME UP!

A PRESIDENTIAL “SHOUT-OUT” TO DODD

DICK BLUMENTHAL WAS ALSO THERE—HE REALLY IS “EVERYWHERE” LIKE CHANNEL 3′S SLOGAN!

Andy

PRESIDENT OBAMA

THE ROSES

IN THE ROSE GARDEN

COLILN McENROE TO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENT SOON!!!

COLIN DURING A RECENT TAPING OF THE REAL STORY

For those of you having Colin McEnroe withdrawals, including me, your addiction could soon get its fix!  I can’t say anymore than that or Bill Curry wil kill me! All I can tell you is that Colin says he will have a big announcement in June (which is only a few days away!)  Oh gosh, it’s like Christmas came early, isn’t it?  I am hearing he could be back on the radio by the summer time.  Either way, I will press him about it this week on “The Real Story. ” Mr. McEnroe will be one of our guests!!! Should be good.  FYI,  The Real Story airs Sunday morning at 8:30 am on FOX61 and runs again on WTXX at 11 AM.

NEW Q-POLL TOMORROW ON DODD

Quinnipiac Unversity will release a new poll tomorrow concerning Senator Christopher Dodd and the U.S Senate race in 2010.   We’ll see what kind of impact the Credit Card Reform Act had on Dodd’s approval rating and I am guessing we will also  see how his new Democratic rival,  Merrick Alpert, is fairing in the race.  The poll will be released at 11 am tomorrow. I’ll be there!

SIMMONS SAYS HE HASN’T SPENT A NICKLE AND IS STILL BEATING DODD

Despite a new poll which shows Senator Christopher Dodd is gaining groundswith voters and a personal “shout-out” from President Obama,  Rob Simmons says Dodd isn’t do as well as Democrats would like you to believe.

“He’s had a White House Rose Garden session with The President, plus, The President calling the press.  I mean, they have pulled out all the stops on him, spent a lot of money on him and a lot of time and he’s still behind.  So far, I haven’t spent a nickle.” Simmons said during an interview with me today in Norwich.

However, when I pressed him on whether or not he has spent a penny–Simmons wouldn’t say.

A new Quinnipiac Unversity poll has the former Second District Republican Congressman beating Dodd by 6 percent if an election were held today but the poll found Dodd is catching-up.  In early April, during the height of the AIG controversy, Simmons was beating Dodd by 16 percent.

 ”The bottom line of the poll is that the numbers are better for Dodd but he’s still in trouble,” said poll director Doug Schwartz who pointed out how about half of those polled believe Dodd is not trustworthy. “If voters don’t trust you, they’re not going to vote for you.  So, he really has to restore his credibility with Connecticut voters.”

The Q-Poll had Dodd beating his other two political rivals if an election  were held today.  In a match -up against Republican State Senator Sam Caligiuri, Dodd would win by two percentage points which is technically a statistical tie.  As for Democratic new comer Merrick Alpert, Dodd beats him 44 to 24 percent. Schwartz says that is not a bad showing for someone who just entered the race last week but contends that the former Air Force Jag officer and Mystic businessman has his work cut out for him if he wants to beat Dodd.

DODD’S NEW POLITICAL AD IS A REAL TEAR JERKER!

I cried as much watching this as “Beaches” and “Steel Magnolias”.

To see Senator Christopher Dodd’s political spot featuring his “shout-out” from President Barack Obama, click here.

SPEAKER DONOVAN GIVES GOVERNOR RELL AN INCOMPLETE

After Governor Jodi Rell blasted Democratic leaders over the weekend for not drafting a budget by calling them the most disorganized group of lawmakers she has ever seen, today, House Speaker Chris Donovan gave out his own grade for The Governor’s performance.

“Her big revenue proposal was Keno and that’s in jeopardy,” Said Speaker Donovan in the hall outside the House Chamber. ” So, she’s offered us really nothing, an incomplete at best and really, a mess!”  Tomorrow the regular session ends for State Lawmakers and Speaker Donovan says they will need a special session to get a budget done. Rell’s office says a Special Session will cost taxpayers ten thousand dollars a day. Governor Rell has proposed 3 Billion dollars in cuts which includes closing several courthouses and DMV branches but her proposal includes no new taxes. Democrats says they’re fighting to save the People of Connecticut from Rell’s “painful” cuts which they say hurt the poor, senior citizens, the sick and college students. Democrats want to implement a progressive income tax which would raise taxes on couples making more than $250,ooo a year.

ANOTHER MAN ARRESTED FOR THREATENING LAWLOR AND MCDONALD

Capitol Police say this man, 47 year old Harold “Hal” Turner from North Bergen, New Jersey, incited viewers on his blog to take up arms against Rep. Mike Lawlor and Sen. Andrew McDonald over that now dead but apparently still controversial Catholic Church Bill.  The Bill would have changed the way Catholic churches handled their finances.  A  Connecticut School teacher was arrested a few months before for also threatening the same two lawmakers over the bill. Lawlor and McDonald chair the committee which was set to take up the bill.   Police say turner also made threatening comments in regards to any State’s Attorney, Police Department or court who attempted to deal with the matter.

“Mr. Turner’s comments are above and beyond the threshold of free speech,” said Capitol Police Chief Mike Falon. ” He is inciting others through his website to commit acts of violence and has created fear and alarm.  He should be held accountable for his conduct.”

Turner is in custody in New Jersey and is expected to be extradited back to Connecticut to officially charged.  He will be charged with inciting injury to persons or property.

I learned tonight in between my live shots for the News at 10 and the News at 11 that Turner was going to release the home addresses of Lawlor and McDonald tonight on his internet radio show.  He said that the two should not be afraid of people knowing where they live if they’ve done nothing wrong. Turner also wrote on his blog “OBEY THE CONSTITUTION OR DIE”!

He apparently was fired-up about the latest development where The Ethics commission was looking into whether or not The Catholic Church would have to register as Lobbyists in order to hold events at the Capitol.  Turner also threatened the ethics commissioner in his blog.

Before I get any mean e-mails from folks who say I am unfairly targeting the Catholic church by reporting this–please note that I am only reporting the story and by no means am I lumping this guy in with other Catholics. For the record, I also went to a Catholic University–Seton Hall–and loved my religion Professors/Priests with whom I still keep-in-touch.

MEANWHILE, A former Marine, Dominick Vita, was also arrested for threatening a lawmaker over her stance on a bill which would have decriminalized small amounts of marijuana. That bill is also dead.

LAST I KNEW MONEY WAS TIGHT!

As a semi-professional landscaper, I KNOW this ain’t cheap!  Despite the fact that we are are in worst economic times in recent history–I guess everything is still “coming up roses” at the State Capitol or at least in this case, “coming up Salvias”.  (the kind of flowers I saw SEVEN workers, that’s SEVEN workers’ planting today)

HARD AT WORK AT TAXPAYERS' EXPENSE

As Connecticut faces a projected 8.7 BILLION DOLLAR deficit by next year–can someone please tell me how this makes sense?  I know flowers are beautiful and all but does the State really need to be changing the flower beds at the Capitol every few months? Today, I observed seven men with a private landscaping company working on  the front lawn! Seven men, mind you, for several  hours!! The labor in and of itself isn’t cheap not to mention the hundreds of flowers they brought with them. (most are Salvias!)

I am told that Legislative management runs the operating costs for the Capitol which includes the flower beds and landscaping.  However, I have not been able to get a hard number on how much money is spent  on flowers but have been told that the office has not trimmed its budget at all!

FLOWERS IN THE SPRNG

THIS WEEK ON THE REAL STORY—RENNIE AND KEATING!

IF THE LOWER PICTURE DOESN’T SAY IT ALL!  That crazy Chris Keating.

The topic this week, The Budget or lack there of!  GOOD stuff.  Be sure to watch! The Real Story runs Sunday Morning of Fox 61 at 8:30 AM and on WTXX at 11 AM.

(thanks Nick Caito for capturing these priceless moments!)

CHRIS KEATING & KEVIN RENNIE

THERE IS A NEW CHALLENGER IN THE RACE AGAINST DODD!

He’s bald.  He doesn’t have a lot of life experience. He’s not that tall and did we tell you he also cries a lot!

His name is Wyatt, Wyatt Alpert that is!   He’s 7 POUNDS and 5 ounces and 19.5 inches long!

Wyatt is the third child of Merrick and  his wife, Alex Alpert.  Mr. Alpert says both Mom and baby son are resting and doing just fine!!!(We we are so glad to hear!)   As you know, the proud Daddy is the Democrat and former Jag Officer from Mystic running a Democratic primary campaign against Senator Chris Dodd.  Wyatt was born on June 4th at 12:56 PM.  No word yet if Dodd  has sent flowers!

A VERY PREGNANT MRS. ALPERT AT HER HUSBAND'S ANNOUNCEMENT INTO THE RACE

NAACP CALLS RELL’S VETO A “COWARDLY ACT”

 They say they are defeated but not done in their fight to get rid of the Death Penalty in Connecticut.

Today, Governor Jodi Rell Vetoed a bill which would have done just that saying The State cannot tolerate people who commit the most revolting crimes. The Governor vetoed the bill behind closed doors without any press present. Meanwhile, the national President of The NAACP who flew in from out-of-state to try and convince Rell to sign the bill slammed The Governor for not meeting with him.

 ”I frankly expected that Governor Rell would have made the basic respect of talking with me five minutes before she made her decision rather than five minutes after,” said NCAAP President Benjamin Todd Jealous who went on to call it “a cowardly act on a serious issue.”

Jealous say Capital Punishment violates the civil rights of minorities who are more likely to end up on Death Row than whites charged with similar crimes. In Connecticut, ten men sit on death row. Out of them, six are black, one is Hispanic and three are white. However, there have only been two executions in Connecticut since 1960 and both were white men. In 2005 serial killer Michael Ross was executed by lethal injection. In 1960, Joseph “Mad-Dog” Taborsky was killed in the electric chair for a series of liquor store robberies and murders during the 1950’s.

Dr. William Petit, the most notable supporter of the Death Penalty whose wife Jennifer and two daughters, Hayley and Michaela , were all murdered during a home invasion in Cheshire two summers ago, praised Rell for vetoing the bill.

“Thankfully, Governor Rell has a sense of what is required to maintain the fabric of our society. Finally the victims have a reasonable voice and some consideration over the deluded thinkers who feel that rights should only be accorded to convicted felons,” Dr. Petit said in a statement.

However, Majority Leaders say the will have a veto Session in July but House Speaker Chris Donovan says he doesn’t know if the votes are there to over- ride the Governor’s veto because it’s a bi-partisan issue.  Donovan said “both Democrats and Republicans voted for it and against it.

SENATOR PRAGUE WANTS TO CLOSE COLLEGE CAMPUSES

State Senator Edith Prague  says even she hates thinking about it but she’d rather see college campuses close than “Life Star” get grounded.

PRAGUE SAYS CLOSING CAMPUSES, COLLEGES SHOULD BE ON THE TABLE

“There a five Uconn Campuses around this State, maybe there could be a consolidation,” said Senator Prague (D-Columbia) who is known for not mincing words.

AND SHE DIDN’T STOP THERE.

Prague also thinks shutting down State run colleges, like Central, Southern or Eastern should also be on the table!

“There are four State colleges, maybe there could be a consolidation,” Prague said. “I haven’t heard any talk about that and it just seems to me that issues like that ought to be discussed. Even though they are painful, I would rather see those kind of cuts than something like Life Star that can save somebody’s life.”

DOES LIFE STAR REALLY NEED SAVING?

Prague’s proposal is just that and probably won’t fly with some–shutting down a State college or campus to help out a privately run hospital. 

Democratic lawmakers including Prague say  Governor Jodi Rell’s proposed cuts in State funding to the Life Star program could ground one or perhaps even both of the life saving choppers.

However, Rell isn’t buying it. She says her proposed cuts, 1.4 million, only account for a small portion of the overall 7 million dollar Life Star budget operated by Hartford Hospital. “Every one of the cuts that we have been looking at, as I say, no one wants to make them but we are facing an 8 billion dollar shortfall,” The Governor said.

JOHN KENNELLY SAYS HE IS CONSIDERING A RUN FOR HARTFORD MAYOR!

MAYOR KENNELLY?

During the taping of this week’s “The Real Story”, former Hartford City Councilman John Kennelly and son of former Congresswoman Barbara Kennelly, said he is considering running for The Mayor of Hartford and that he will be back in public office soon. Kennelly, who lost his bid for re-election a few years ago, comes from a powerful political family which has been called “the Kennedys” of Connecticut.

Speaking of the Kennedys, current Hartford City Councilman Ken Kennedy says he is also considering a run for Mayor depending upon how things shake out with Mayor Eddie Perez and the criminal investigation surrounding work Perez had done on his Hartford home by a city contractor.

I can tell you that both myself and Hartford Courant reporter Jeff Cohen (also on the show)  have no plans on running for Mayor.

You can watch The Real Story on Fox 61 Sunday morning at 8:30 am and on WTXX at 11 am.  It is also on-line by going to Fox61.com and clicking on The Real Story link under the news bar in the top corner.

Also this week, Kevin Kinsella, Vice-President of Hartford Hospital, makes his pitch on why he thinks Governor Jodi Rell should restore a 1.4 Million dollar subsidy to Life Star.  If not, one or both choppers could be grounded.

KENNELLY & KENNEDY BOTH COULD RUN FOR HARTFORD MAYOR

DODD’S IRELAND HOME WORTH MORE THAN HE REPORTED.

HERE IS WHAT THE AP IS REPORTING.

By SUSAN HAIGH

AP Political Writer

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – Records show the value of Connecticut. Sen. Christopher Dodd’s vacation cottage in Ireland has more than doubled to nearly $660,000.

The seaside home, located in County Galway, was valued on Dodd’s 2007 financial disclosure report at between $100,001 and $250,000. A recent estimate by a real estate agent in Ireland places the value at about 470,000 euros. That’s about $660,000.

Dodd spokesman Bryan DeAngelis says the senator and his wife decided to have the property appraised because they felt it was time to update the information for Dodd’s disclosure report.

The vacation home is the subject of an ethics complaint by a conservative group that questions whether it was really a gift.

 HERE IS WHAT Rob Simmons is saying about it in this press release.

 

“The fact that Chris Dodd could for years cover up the full value of the Irish home he acquired through his association with Mr. Kessinger, as well as obscure by hundreds of thousands of dollars the value of his wife’s corporate board memberships is shocking, and demonstrates the need for far more open and transparent personal financial disclosures.  Particularly troubling is that the enormous profits Dodd stands to reap raises further questions about Mr. Kessinger’s motivation for selling the property to Dodd at such an apparent discount.”
                     
 
TIMELINE OF THE DODD IRISH COTTAGE INTRIGUE

 

In 1993, Dodd Friend Edward Downe Was Convicted And Forced To Pay $11 Million In Fines To The SEC For An Insider Trading Scheme. “In 1993, Dodd’s close friend, New York bon vivant Edward R. Downe Jr., got a heaping helping of justice when his insider trader scheme caused him to plead guilty to violating tax and securities laws. Downe, who lived at exclusive 25 Sutton Place on the Upper East Side with his then wife, heiress Charlotte Ford, was nabbed setting up foreign accounts to make illegal insider stock trades for himself and some socialite friends. Dodd attended Downe’s sentencing, where the schemer received three years’ probation and 3,000 hours of community service. Downe agreed a year later to pay $11 million to the SEC.” (The Hartford Courant, 2/22/09)

Dodd Along With A Friend Of Edward Downe’s, William Kessinger, Purchased The 10 Acre Irish Property In 1994 For $160,000. “While Downe fought the SEC in 1994 about paying the penalty, Dodd and William Kessinger of Kansas City, Mo., whom Dodd knew through Downe, purchased a house and nearly 10 acres (4 hectares in local parlance) on the island of Inishnee in the affluent Roundtree section of Connemara, in County Galway, Ireland, for $160,000.” (The Hartford Courant, 2/22/09)

 

Dodd Said He Purchased 1/3 Of The House While Kessinger Bought 2/3. “Dodd, who says he contributed $12,000 to the purchase price, owned one-third of the house, Kessinger two-thirds. They purchased the property with a two-year mortgage from the seller of the property that was, according to Dodd’s Senate financial disclosures for both 1994 and 1995, between $100,001 and $250,000.” (The Hartford Courant, 2/22/09)

In 2001, Dodd Circumvented The Justice Department To Help Downe Get A Full Pardon The Last Day Of President Clinton’s Presidency.  “In 2001, Dodd did the favor of a lifetime for his pal, Downe. The veteran senator circumvented the normal Department of Justice vetting process and got Downe a full pardon from President Bill Clinton on his last day in office.” (The Hartford Courant, 2/22/09)

After Dodd Got A Pardon For Downe, Dodd Purchased The Rest Of The House From Kessinger For Only $127,000, Just Slightly More Than Its Value Eight Years Earlier. “That year, a year after Dodd obtained a pardon for Downe, Dodd purchased Kessinger’s two-thirds interest in the Irish hideaway for only $127,000, according to Dodd. Irish property records obtained for this story show it as $122,351. That was slightly more than its value eight eventful years before, but much less than what might have been expected given the explosion of Irish real estate prices.” (The Hartford Courant, 2/22/09)
 
Kessinger Only Made A Profit Of $15,000 In His Sale To Dodd Despite The Fact That Real Estate Prices Had Exploded. “Kessinger provided two-thirds of the money for the purchase. Eight years later, when Dodd bought him out for $122,000, Kessinger made a profit of only $15,000, despite the fact that real estate prices in Ireland had exploded in that time, Rennie reported.” (The Hartford Courant, 3/10/09)

 

According To The Bank Of Ireland, Most Irish Properties Quadrupled In Value Between 1994 And 2004. “Between 1994 and 2004, according to the Central Bank of Ireland, prices of existing homes (as opposed to new ones) nearly quadrupled. But not according to a 2002 bank appraisal that Dodd used in the purchase of Kessinger’s interest.”  (The Hartford Courant, 2/22/09)

 

A New Appraisal Conducted By Dodd Now Shows The Value Of The Property At $658,000, Nearly Three And A Half Times What Dodd Has Been Claiming. “A new appraisal of the Irish cottage owned by Sen. Christopher Dodd concludes that it is worth about three times as much as Dodd has been reporting on his financial disclosure forms.  The new value of the cottage, located on Inishnee in Galway County, is $658,000, according to Dodd’s 2008 financial disclosure form released today. The appraisal was done by the same person who did the original one in 2002 when the 1,200 square-foot cottage was evaluated at about $190,000.” (The Hartford Courant, 6/12/09)
 

###

Paid for by Simmons for Senate

REP. JIM O’ROURKE WILL NOT BE CHARGED!!!

THIS IS KIND OF CONFUSING BUT THE LAST FEW LINES SPELL IT OUT.  NO CHARGES AGAINST O’ROURKE WILL BE FILED IN THE FREEZING DEATH OF A ROCKY HILL WOMAN.

REP. O'ROURKE WILL NOT BE CHARGED

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:   Mark A. Dupuis, Communications Officer, (860) 258-5997

Report of the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of New Britain Concerning the Arrest Warrant Application for James O’Rourke

June 16, 2009

The Rocky Hill Police Department has submitted an arrest warrant application charging James O’Rourke with the crime of Criminally Negligent Homicide in connection with the tragic death of Carol Sinisgalli. This warrant application has been reviewed by New Britain State’s Attorney Scott Murphy. As part of the review, all of the police reports pertaining to this investigation were read and a visit was made to the locations mentioned in the arrest warrant application.

The police investigation into the death of Carol Sinisgalli has determined that on the night of January 21, 2009, Ms. Sinisgalli was a patron at a bar establishment known as Digger McDuff’s in Cromwell. Upon arriving at the bar at between 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. she ordered a beer but did not drink it. Instead, she walked out of the bar and returned approximately 20 minutes later. Soon after re-entering the bar she engaged in numerous acts of aggressive behavior, including assaulting a wheelchair-bound individual, striking another customer and ripping her own coat and throwing it in the trash. She also approached an individual, Edwin Raffile, who was sitting in his vehicle in the Digger McDuff’s parking lot, banged on his car window and demanded that he return her coat. Mr. Raffile did not know Ms. Sinisgalli and did not take her coat. She opened the driver’s side door of the Raffile vehicle, accused him of taking her coat and began to strike him with her hands, causing Mr. Raffile to exit his vehicle. She then ran back into the bar. Ms. Sinisgalli was eventually asked to leave the bar and the Cromwell police were called at 11:34 p.m., for the purpose of removing her from the premises.

James O’Rourke had arrived at Digger McDuff’s at approximately 11 p.m. after attending a University of Connecticut basketball game in Hartford. Shortly after arriving he saw Ms. Sinisgalli, who he knew from a mutual friend Joseph Cardillo, and said hello to her.  About twenty minutes later he observed a disturbance between Ms. Sinisgalli and the wheelchair-bound patron. A few minutes after that disturbance ended, Mr. O’Rourke prepared to leave the bar but was advised to exit through the rear door because Ms. Sinisgalli was out front and was not allowed back in the bar. He told police that he may have heard that the police were coming. Mr. O’Rourke exited through the rear door and walked over to his vehicle, intending to drive home. Mr. O’Rourke told police that he consumed 1 ½ beers that night.

A Cromwell police officer arrived at Digger McDuff’s at 11:38 p.m. and learned that Ms. Sinisgalli had already left the premises, getting into the back seat of unknown vehicle. The responding officer seized from the bar for safekeeping several items which Ms. Sinisgalli had left behind, including her shoes, her purse, her cell phone and a zippered hood to a jacket. No one at the bar wished to press criminal charges against Ms. Sinisgalli and Cromwell police therefore closed their case. The police officer did call Ms. Sinisgalli’s residence at 12:17 a.m., leaving a voice message that Cromwell police had possession of her property and that she was not to return to Digger McDuff’s. The Cromwell police also observed later that night a vehicle registered to Ms. Sinisgalli in the parking lot of Digger McDuff’s.

After exiting the bar, Ms. Sinisgalli ran toward the vehicle being operated in the Digger McDuff’s parking lot by James O’Rourke. Mr. O’Rourke told the police that Ms. Sinisgalli, without being invited, opened the rear door of his vehicle, got into the back seat and said she needed a ride to her home in Rocky Hill. Mr. O’Rourke stated to police that he was concerned about her operating a motor vehicle after having too much to drink, so he agreed to drive her home. As Mr. O’Rourke was driving his vehicle northbound he asked her where in Rocky Hill she lived but Ms. Sinisgalli refused to speak to him.  Mr. O’Rourke therefore called Mr. Cardillo on his cell phone and learned from him that she lived on the other side of Rocky Hill. Phone records of Mr. O’Rourke show that there were a series of calls made between Mr. O’Rourke’s cell phone and Mr. Cardillo’s residence that night, the first call being at 11:43 p.m.

At some point while Mr. O’Rourke was operating his vehicle he made a call to Mr. Cardillo and a portion of the conversation was recorded on Mr. Cardillo’s answering machine. On this tape Mr. O’Rourke is heard saying to Ms. Sinisgalli, “Alright, stop it. You want to get out, get out that side. Alright then stop fucking with shit back there”. Mr. O’Rourke stated that while driving eastbound on West Street in Rocky Hill, near the Marriot Hotel, Ms. Sinisgalli opened the back door as the vehicle was moving. Mr. O’Rourke stated he was concerned that she was going to jump out so he stopped the vehicle and struggled to close the door. He then continued driving on West Street. At the intersection of West Street and Route 99, he stopped his vehicle and had another cell phone conversation with Mr. Cardillo, learning that Ms. Sinisgalli lived in a condominium off of Dividend Road. Mr. Cardillo then gave him directions to Dividend Road.

Mr. O’Rourke stated he drove Ms. Sinisgalli to Dividend Road, which is in a mixed residential-industrial area, looking for her condominium. After driving approximately a mile on Dividend Road, he turned right into a road in which there were a number of residential buildings. He asked Ms. Sinisgalli if she lived in one of these residences but she continued to be uncooperative. Mr. O’Rourke told the police that he turned back onto Dividend Road and Ms. Sinisgalli lunged between the seats, pulled on the rearview mirror and the heating vents and knocked his glasses off. He stopped his car on Dividend Road, near the intersection with Laurel Street and Ms. Sinisgalli exited the vehicle and ran across the road, climbing over a snow bank. Mr. O’Rourke stated that he composed himself, looking unsuccessfully for his glasses, and then drove home to Cromwell. The temperature at the time was approximately fourteen degrees. Mr. O’Rourke stated that he did not know that Ms. Sinisgalli was barefoot when she left his vehicle and believed that she was close to her home and knew where she was going. In the area where Mr. O’Rourke stated that Ms. Sinisgalli exited his vehicle several residences were visible. Photographs taken of the vehicle of Mr. O’Rourke showed damage to the heating vent.

The investigation further determined that Ms. Sinisgalli, after exiting the O’Rourke vehicle, walked the length of Laurel Street, a dead-end road containing primarily industrial buildings, and entered a driveway leading to the rear of a closed industrial building housing Interstate Batteries of Central Connecticut. She then walked eastward through a field until she reached railroad tracks that ran in a north-south direction. Ms. Sinisgalli crossed the railroad tracks and apparently then fell from a retaining wall, six feet high, into snow, which was on property of a former construction company. Ms. Sinisgalli, heading north, then traveled through a wooded area, parallel to the railroad tracks. She exited the wooded area by crawling under a fence back onto the railroad tracks. She then walked approximately 285 feet in a northerly direction along the railroad tracks, to a spot where her body was found.

The area traveled by Ms. Sinisgalli from the end of Laurel Street to the location where her body was found was primarily snow covered and several depressions in the snow were found which were consistent with her either falling or sitting in the snow. The distance from where Mr. O’Rourke stated Ms. Sinisgalli exited his vehicle to where her body was found is approximately ½ mile.

The body of Ms. Sinisgalli was found at approximately 4:45 p.m. on January 22, 2008, by a cross country skier. He called the police and the Rocky Hill police responded. The State Police Major Crime Squad was subsequently called out to process the scene. The State Police noted that Ms. Sinisgalli was wearing a dark colored sweater, a pair of blue jeans and was barefoot. Her body was found approximately 6 feet from the railroad tracks. The autopsy of the body of Ms. Sinisgalli determined that she died of hypothermia and that the manner of death was accidental. Toxicological testing determined that in her blood was alcohol in a concentration of .08%, cocaine in a concentration of .29 mg/L and a prescription medication, Fluoxetine, an anti-depressant, in a concentration of .13 mg/L.

There was a security camera located at the end of Laurel Street and an examination of the video tape showed that at 12:28 a.m., on January 22, 2009, lights that appeared to be brake lights were seen backing up to the eastern most building on Laurel Street, dimming for 22 seconds, and then proceeding westbound out of view of the camera. Despite extensive efforts to enhance the video, the source of the lights could not be determined. Mr. O’Rourke has denied driving or being on Laurel Street that night. The police also observed a second set of footprints at the end of Laurel Street, near where the footprints of Ms. Sinisgalli began. These footprints traveled in a more northerly direction than Ms. Sinisgalli’s for 50 feet and then returned to Laurel Street. There was no detail within these prints that allowed for casting. Who made these footprints and when they were made is unknown.

Mr. O’Rourke, through his attorney, contacted the Rocky Hill police on January 23, 2009, to report that he had given a ride to a woman from Digger McDuff’s to the area of Dividend Road. Subsequently, Mr. O’Rourke met with the Rocky Hill police on three occasions, provided a written sworn statement of his actions on the night of January 22, 2009, turned over his cell phone records for January 21, 2009, and permitted the police to inspect and photograph his vehicle.

It is noteworthy that the police investigation did not uncover any evidence that Mr. O’Rourke provided Ms. Sinisgalli with the intoxicants found in her blood or was present when she consumed them. There is no evidence that Ms. Sinisgalli was forced to either enter or exit Mr. O’Rourke’s vehicle. There is also no evidence that Mr. O’Rourke was aware of the route taken by Ms. Sinisgalli after she exited his vehicle. The autopsy and a forensic examination conducted by the Connecticut Forensic Laboratory detected no evidence of recent sexual activity by Ms. Sinisgalli or that she had been physically or sexually assaulted. As previously mentioned, Mr. O’Rourke gave to the police his version of the night’s events. While one can discount what Mr. O’Rourke told the police, it is not permissible to conclude that the opposite of what he said is true, absent independent evidence. State v. Alfonso, 195 Conn. 624, 634 (1985). Such independent evidence was not uncovered through the police investigation.

The crime of Criminally Negligent Homicide, Section 53a-58 of the Connecticut General Statutes, is committed when a person, with criminal negligence, causes the death of another person. An essential element of this crime, which must be proved by the State beyond a reasonable doubt, is that the defendant acted with criminal negligence. Criminal negligence means that the defendant failed to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable risk that such result would occur and that this failure was a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would observe in the situation. Connecticut General Statutes, 53a-3(14). A gross deviation is a great or substantial deviation, not just a slight or moderate deviation. Criminal Jury Instructions, Section 2.3-5 (Revised to December 1, 2007).

In determining whether Mr. O’Rourke acted with criminal negligence, the initial question that must be addressed is whether Mr. O’Rourke owed to Ms. Sinisgalli a legal obligation to protect her from hurting herself. If he did not have a legal duty to protect her, then he could not have breached that duty. Generally, one has no legal duty to aid another in peril, even when aid can be provided without inconvenience. There are exceptions to this general rule, including where one voluntarily has assumed the care of another. 1 W. LaFave, Substantive Criminal Law (2003) Section 6.2(a)(4), p. 440. No Connecticut case has been found that states that a person assumes a duty to protect an intoxicated person by agreeing to drive that person home. The imposition of such a duty, with the potential of criminal liability, would have the effect of discouraging people from giving a ride home to an intoxicated person. Such a rule would run counter to the social policy of encouraging designated drivers. Courts in other states have refused to impose on people who give a ride to an intoxicated individual the duty to protect them from their own acts, citing the concern that such a rule would discourage designated drivers. Stephenson v. Ledbetter, 596 N.E.2d 1369 (Ind. 1992), Collins v. Thomas, 938 A.2d 1208 (Vt. 2007), Cardello v. Robinson 903 So.2d 613 (La. 2005), Downs v. Bush, 263 S.W.3d 812 (Tenn. 2008). The Connecticut Supreme Court has also shown a reluctance to impose on an individual a legal duty to protect a non-relative sufficient to trigger criminal prosecution. State v. Miranda, 274 Conn. 727 (2005). Given the particular facts of this case, including that Mr. O’Rourke and Ms. Sinisgalli were at most casual acquaintances, that Ms. Sinisgalli voluntarily entered and exited the vehicle, that there was no monetary consideration involved and that Mr. O’Rourke had not supplied the intoxicants or was present with Ms. Sinisgalli when she consumed them, he did not assume a duty to protect Ms. Sinisgalli by agreeing to drive her home.

The arrest warrant affidavit alleges that Mr. O’Rourke acted with criminal negligence by failing to call the Rocky Hill police after Ms. Sinisgalli exited his vehicle. Mr. O’Rourke claimed that he did not call the police because he believed that she was near her home and knew where she was going. Whether his conclusion was reasonable, given the totality of the circumstances then known to him, is questionable. However, because Mr. O’Rourke did not have a legal obligation to protect Ms. Sinisgalli, his failure to call the police cannot be the basis for a finding of criminal negligence.

A second element that must be proved, beyond a reasonable doubt, to prosecute a person for Criminally Negligent Homicide is that the defendant’s criminal negligence was the proximate cause of the death of another person. State v. White, 204 Conn. 410, 426 (1987).  Proximate cause has been defined as a predominating cause, a substantial factor from which the death followed as a natural, direct and immediate consequence. It is a cause without which the death would not have occurred. The resulting death must be a foreseeable and natural result of the defendant’s conduct. Connecticut Criminal Jury Instructions, Section 2.6-1 (Revised to December 1, 2007.

The known actions of Mr. O’Rourke do not establish that he was the proximate cause of Ms. Sinisgalli’s death. Ms. Sinisgalli made a voluntary decision to exit the O’Rourke vehicle. She then walked a route that, given the conditions present, including that it was nighttime, snow covered and cold, would have been hazardous for an able-bodied person, properly dressed, to safely traverse. For Ms. Sinisgalli, given her impaired condition, it was reckless to take that course. In choosing this path Ms. Sinisgalli went from a relatively populated area to an isolated area, where it would be unlikely that she would be found in a timely manner. It was this series of decisions made by Ms. Sinisgalli that led to her tragic death.

Equally importantly, the element of proximate cause requires the State to prove that the death would not have occurred but for the criminally negligent acts of the defendant. State v. Kwaak, 21 Conn. 138, 146 (1990). In this case, given the route that Ms. Sinisgalli took and her condition, it is uncertain whether the police, even if they had been contacted by Mr. O’Rourke, would have been able to locate her. It would require speculation to conclude that the Rocky Hill police would have been able to rescue Ms. Sinisgalli. In fact, it is just as likely that if the police department had been contacted, Ms. Sinisgalli would not have been found in sufficient time to save her, given her location, the weather conditions and her attire. Therefore, the State cannot establish that the failure of Mr. O’Rourke to call the police caused her death.

After a complete review of the police affidavit, the investigative reports and the relevant law it the conclusion of State’s Attorney Murphy that there is insufficient evidence to charge James O’Rourke with the crime of Criminally Negligent Homicide. The arrest warrant application is therefore denied. The responsibility of a prosecutor in reviewing an arrest warrant is limited to determining whether there is sufficient evidence to charge an individual with a criminal offense, not whether the acts of that individual were prudent. Therefore no finding is made on this subject.

A thorough investigation of this matter was conducted by the Rocky Hill Police Department, which was ably assisted by the Connecticut State Police, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Connecticut Forensic Laboratory. It is the general practice of the New Britain State’s Attorney’s Office, when an arrest warrant is denied, to decline any public comment to protect the privacy rights of the people involved and the presumption of innocence afforded to all. However, because of the publicity previously generated and the extensive public interest, this report has been generated.

O’ROURKE OFFERS CONDOLENCES AND HINTS AT POSSIBLE LAWSUIT!

This according to Fox 61 Reporter Narmeen Choudhury who just left the press conference and sent this note from her Blacberry. As we reported, Rep. James O’Rourke will not be prosecuted in the freezing death the Rocky Hill Woman, Carol Sinisgalli!

 

TO READ THE STATE’S ATTORNEY REPORT CLICK HERE.

 

From: Choudhury, Narmeen

Sent: Wed Jun 17 15:33:45 2009

Subject: O’Rourke presser details

Presser just wrapped up. O’Rourke would not take any questions but did read from a prepared statement, basically offerring condolences to the Sinisgalli family, putting this all behind him and moving on.

His lawyer spoke briefly, took a few questions and implied they may be moving forward with a lawsuit, although he wouldn’t commit to it entirely.

 

You can see her entire story tonight on Fox 61 News at Ten!

 

CHANGES TO “THE REAL STORY”

Sorry about the late notice but I just found out about this one myself.  The Real Story will NOW be on at 10:30 AM on Fox 61 on Sunday morning after The Stan Simpson Show.   It will NO LONGER be on at 8:30 AM so make sure to set your DVR to the new time.   This week on the Real Story, meet the Libertarian Candidate who wants to take on Dodd, plus, Jim Amann will be here to talk about controversy surrounding his so-called “Hollywood East”.  Matt Fluery with The Connnecticut Science center will also be getting “Real” with us!

MY FRIEND, OUR FRIEND, ALICE

ALICE MORRIN

Today was a very hard day for me and everyone at Fox 61.  We learned that our dear co-worker Alice Morrin was the victim of an apparent murder-suicide in Vernon,   killed by her husband who then turned the gun on himself.

Their two beautiful daughters were in the home at the time.

Alice was everything that a lot of people aren’t.  She was kind, caring, compassionate and such a gentle soul who loved her daughters more than life itself.  Although, at just 43 years old, I am sure she never imagined their lives without her in it.

Last year on Mother’s Day, I heard a knock at my door.  It was a rainy and miserable day and at first,  I didn’t realize someone was at my door.  When I finally opened up the door,  I noticed a  present on my back porch with flowers, a card and a beautiful ocean-blue wind chime.  Alice later told me that she wanted me to have a gift because she worried that as a single parent and with my daughter only being one year old, that I wouldn’t have a gift for “Mother’s Day.”  She was right.  The gift she gave me was the only one I received.

Just last night, I was sitting on my sun porch where I have the wind chime hanging to catch the breeze.  The chimes were ringing and I thought to myself, “Oh, that Alice.”

Tonight, when I came home from a very emotional and draining day at work, I could hear those wind chimes once again ringing out as if all was right with the world when I knew it wasn’t.  I didn’t know whether to cry or stand still for just a second, as if Alice was trying to tell me something, like , she was all right and not to worry.  It would be just like Alice to think of us now instead of herself.

But one thing I do know is that Alice would have never wanted to be away from her girls, Erica who is 15 and Shannon who is 9.  When my daughter was born she told me, “Did you ever think you could love something so much? Can you even remember what life was like before they were born?”  She loved her daughters and right now, as I write this entry through an endless stream of tears, I worry about them, two girls who lost both their parents. I just pray they didn’t see it.

Alice had filed for divorce from her Husband Jim in April. It would have been final this Friday.   I am not sure what the story is there but she assured everyone in the station that “Jim was harmless.” However, it was clear to everyone that she wanted to break free from something–I think now, we know.

Alice would always ask me specific questions about what it was like being a single mom, how did I find time to mow the lawn and do everything a man typically does while working  full-time and taking care of my young daughter.   I told her it was hard but doable.  She told me just three weeks ago that the reason why she was asking me so many questions was  because she wanted to know what it was like and if she could do it.  She was planning to leave, she wanted to leave but just not this way.

Our hearts are breaking for our friend. We are in shock and our sadness is immeasurable.  Tonight, I am going to hug my daughter even longer and hold her even  closer and give her as many kisses as she will let me before she pushes me away. And when she goes to sleep, I am going to sit out on my sun porch and listen for Alice through the gentle sounds of that chime she gave me not so long ago.  My only hope is that she is somewhere, at peace, knowing that the kindness she showed everyone during her life which was tragically cut short,  is still very much alive.

MY COMPLAINT.

I know the word is out there by now that I have filed a complaint with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) concerning my employment at Fox 61.  All I can say is that this has been a difficult decision for me and comes with great sadness after 14 years at the station.  I also recognize that the timing of the complaint  is unfortunate because we have all just endured such a terrible loss at the station regarding the murder of our beloved co-worker Alice Morrin.  But Alice always said I was a “strong woman” and now I have to be as strong as I can be because not only is my livelihood at stake, but my daughter’s future as well.

I am doing this for my daughter as well as the other women at the television station both young and “old”.  I do not in any way see this as a case of  of “us” versus “them.”  It is quite the contrary.  I have come to think of the younger women at the station as friends and truly care about them. What is happening to me, is, by no means, their fault.
It’s just that, one day, they too will also be  older and perhaps, mothers as well, and may not be considered “sexy enough.” The simple truth is that such issues should not be considered negative factors in a workplace – whether it is a factory or a television news organization.

For now, that is all I can say. For any other information or comments, please contact my
attorneys Elizabeth Conklin and Gregg Adler at the firm of LIVINGSTON,
ADLER, PULDA, MEIKLEJOHN & KELLY at 557 Prospect Avenue in Hartford, (860) 570-4627, www.lapm.org.

CORRECTION OFFICERS CALL FOR A VETO OVER-RIDE

 

Today, in their union hall in Middletown, Correction officers urged State lawmakers to over-ride Governor Jodi Rell’s recent veto of bill which would have created a sub-committee to look into attacks on prison guards by inmates.

 

CORRECTION OFFICERS CALL FOR A VETO OVER-RIDE

 At the press conference, correction officers said many attacks are being disguised in internal reports by the way they are classified.

 

“Just two weeks ago, there was a violent assault at one of our prisons, one of my prisons, that was never reported. It was so violent, the inmate was life-stared,” said Uncasville correction officer Luke Leon.

In a statement at the time of her veto, Governor Rell said her goal was to streamline State Government and not create more bureaucracy, study groups and task forces which often increase the cost of State Government.

Correction officers said this sub-committee would have cost the state “Zero” dollars and said they were dumb founded as to why Rell rejected it.

“We’d like to know the reason also,” one of the correction officers said referring to the veto. “We don’t know. It’s got to be politics.”

The correction officers say they plan on being at the State Capitol when lawmakers return on Monday for a special session.

ALICE’S 9-1-1 CALL.

I think we made the right call and at the same time learned a valuable lesson.

Sometimes the news we report hurts people.

This time, it was us.

ALICE MORRIN

Yesterday, Vernon police released the 9-1-1 call of our dear co-worker Alice Morrin just minutes before her death. Police say she was murdered by her husband Jim who then killed himself. Their  two girls were home at the time.

People in the newsroom were upset. Why would we run this horrific tape of our friend begging for her life? Why? It was a valid question. Just because we have run 911 tapes before doesn’t make it right every time.

In Alice’s case, there was no question as to how she died. Cops were NOT trying to defend their arrival time. No one was looking for the killer. The case was closed. What could we possibly learn, what would our viewers possibly learn from hearing Alice during the final moments of her life?

In the end, we decided not to run the tapes. I believe the other stations didn’t run it as well but The Hartford Courant did have it up on its site for a few hours.

This scenario brings me back to my college days.

I remember the day very well. It was March 22, 1991. I was a senior in journalism class at Seton Hall University. My favorite professor, Tracy Gottlieb- a former New York Times Reporter–was asking us if a local newspaper was right to run a picture of singer Eric Clapton’s dead four year old son. Conner had died after falling out a 53rd story window in a New York City apartment building.

“Would you publish that picture?” Professor Gottlieb asked all of us young journalists-to be.

We overwhelmingly said no because it would hurt the family.

My professor said that she would have run the picture because it was news. Fair enough, as someone once said, if we clean-up news too much, it’s not news anymore. But sometimes I think back to that day in journalism school and wonder if perhaps we, the students, were right. We were thinking more as people than as journalists. Maybe, now as journalists, we need to think more as people.

My colleague John Charlton did a great job covering this aspect of the story last night in our “News at Ten” newscast. He interviewed a clinical psychologist who said this.

“When you realize how close to home this has hit, I wonder if the station can say maybe we’ve erred in the past? Maybe this is something we shouldn’t do in general? Maybe we need to take a look at what we’re doing and why we’ve been releasing these things, and really asking the question, what good will come?” said Dr. Elaine Ducharme.

Meanwhile, I listened to that 9-1-1- call and wish I hadn’t. I heard my friend and she was so scared. I couldn’t sleep last night because I kept imagining what those last few minutes of her life must have been like. The tape made if pretty clear.

Eric Clapton wrote a song about his son’s death—”Tears in Heaven”. I would imagine there are a few more tears being shed in Heaven now with Alice’s death. I can assure you, there are a few more tears being shed down here in our newsroom and on my pillowcase.

HEALY VISITS DODD’S VACATION HOME IN IRELAND

HEALY AT DODD'S HOME IN IRELAND

State Republican Party Chairman, Chris Healy can’t even get away from his job while on vacation in Ireland.

Healy visited the controversial homestead of Connecticut’s Senior Senator  Christopher Dodd on July first and says after seeing it in person, it is quite the pad.  Healy, who could also have a future as an Irish Tour guide, took home video of the 12 acre estate with a panoramic mountain view of the “Twelve Points of Ben”.

Dodd’s home is located on the small island of Inishnee in County Galway.  Healy says there are about 25 homes on the Island.  At issue is the bargain price Senator Dodd got for the Irish home.  Hartford Courant Columnist Kevin Rennie was the first to break the story.  He reported that Dodd bought the home from the business partner of a man Dodd  helped get a Presidential Pardon.

No word yet if Senator Dodd will be inviting Healy back anytime soon for some coffee and scones

INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

JORDAN AND HIS MOTHER

With the stroke of a pen, it was as if all of Jordan Obersteins’ dreams had come true today.

Most nine year old boys dream of Harry Potter, wii Nintendo, or riding their bikes, but today, Jordan  dream got a hug from the Governor and got to see a bill he’s been fighting for get signed into law!

“It means excitement. It means importance to all the autistic people and it’s also a really special day,” said Jordan.

You see, at just 9 years old, Jordan has had to fight harder than most other boys his age. He’s had to fight hard to find his voice and reveal the boy inside others couldn’t see. He said it was like his mind was fine but his mouth was broken.

“It’s like I had a second mouth which was covered up by a band-aid or something,” he said explaining why before he just couldn’t get the words out.

After years of therapy, doctors and therapists were able to reach him. His parents paid for most of his medical expenses out-of-pocket because insurance companies would not pay for it. Jordan’s mother, Yummie Oberstein, said she and her husband had medical bills as high at $60,000 a year.

Stories like the Obersteins are about to change.

Today Governor Jodi Rell signed a bill into law which requires insurance companies to pay for the cost of diagnosing and treating children with autism–making Connecticut the 13 State to do so. It also requires insurance to cover behavior therapy treatment for children under the age of 14 and some prescription drugs.

“We’re so pleased, so pleased, to see it finally done and it’s going to help a lot of people get the therapy that they have needed for a very long time,” said Jordan’s Mother,  a special education teacher from West Hartford who recognized her son was autistic at an early age.

She said some doctors said her nine year old son Jordan would never speak but Jordan has lots to say now!

“To keep hope and not to give up,” he said hoping to get his message out to other children with autism.

He had a message for their parents too.

“To always keep hope and give them therapy,” he said. “It’s what they need. Help them. Don’t just leave them there.”

The new law goes into effect on January 1, 2010.

JORDAN AND HIS MOTHER

THIS WEEK ON THE REAL STORY—HEALY’S TRIP TO IRELAND

DODD'S VACATION HOME IN IRELAND

THIS WEEK ON THE REAL STORY, REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIRMAN CHRIS HEALY about his vacation to Ireland and his trip to Senator Christopher Dodd’s vacation home.

NOW THAT/S A LOT OF HAY

He’ll go up against Democratic Chairwoman Nancy Dinardo who has accused Healy before of playing dirty politics when Healy scrutinized Mrs. Dodd’s salary.  We’ll see what Dinardo says this time about Healy’s trip to Dodd’s home.

HEALY SAYS HE PLANS TO TURN THIS ONE INTO A POST CARD

THE REAL STORY AIRS AT A NEW TIME NOW ON SUNDAY MORNING AT 10:30 A.M after the Stan Simpson show on Fox 61.  It also airs on WTXX at 11:00 A.M. and is also available on-line.

DINARDO PLAYS HARD-BALL WITH HEALY!

Connecticut State Democratic Chairwoman Nancy Dinardo called Chris Healy’s trip to Ireland nothing more than a political stunt during the taping of this week’s show “The Real Story.”

NANCY DINARDO PLAYS HARD-BALL

As you already know, State Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy just returned from a trip to Ireland where he took pictures and video of Dodd’s summer vacation home there which has been at the center of some controversy.

Dinardo accused Healy of trespassing on Dodd’s property and made some strong counter-point to Healy’s arguments as to why he went.

THE REAL STORY WITH HEALY AND DINARDO

You can see the entire interview this week on “The Real Story” which airs at a new time now on FOX 61 at 10:30 A.M. after “The Stan Simpson Show”.   “The Real Story” also airs on WTXX Sunday morning and is also available on-line.

WILL LAWMAKERS BRING SUSTINET BACK FROM THE DEAD?

…if House Speaker Chris Donovan gets his way.  Sources tell me that Donovan is putting some  serious pressure on his own Democratic Party members to override Governor Jodi Rell’s veto of his “baby”–The Sustinet Health Care plan.

DONOVAN DURING PREVIOUS INTERVIEW

The landmark bill would try to achieve Universal Health Care by opening a public insurance pool that anyone could join regardless of their health history. Rell vetoed the bill saying its billion dollar price tag was not something the State could afford right now given the current fiscal crisis.

But this is Donovan’s baby and he wants it bad.  Overriding Rell’s veto on this would be huge.

However, with a lot of house members on vacation this week, it looks like the real fight could be both the House and in the Senate.  (initially all eyes were on the Senate) The Senate only has 24 Democratic Senators and they will need every single one of them to override the veto. I just got a head count from Communications Director Derek Slap who says they are at The Capitol willing and ready to work.  (doesn’t mean they have the votes to override the veto, however.)

The House’s Democratic Majority has a several members out and will need most everyone there today to vote to override in order to do it.

Both parties will be caucusing in a few–where, there will no doubt be some serious arm twisting going on.

AMANN AND SCULLY PART WAYS!

OKAY, I have a few corrections to make. First of all, I just heard from Patrick Scully who took issue with a few things I said in my blog.  First of all, it wasn’t  a “bitter divorce” but more like an amicable break-up!

Secondly, I guess he and Amann did not have “tuna-melts” during that  first meeting, but rather Turkey melts.

For that, I am sorry.

Here is Patrick’s statement on why he left  The Jim Amann Campaign for Governor.

For the record, my departure from the Amann campaign was strictly a financial matter. When campaign manager Jim McMahon came on board, he saw the amount of money I was owed under my contract and sent me an e-mail asking me “not to occur any more billable hours” (I still have the e-mail). I spoke to him subsequently and he said it (asking me not to do further work) was strictly a business decision. (I still have not received any of the back pay owed me.) I realize the campaign has not kicked up its fundraising operation just yet. I also realize that I can’t just wait around until they do.

On my end, if I had the financial capability to volunteer for Jim Amann, I would. But like everyone else, I have to make a living and this is what I do. I am currently trying to grow my client list as a communications consultant. I have great respect for Jim Amann and I have not changed my mind about his candidacy. And he gave me nothing but extremely positive feedback when I was working for him. I wish him the very best.

HOUSE TAKING UP SUSTINET HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN RIGHT NOW!!!!

The debate just started as lawmakers decide whether or not to override Governor Jodi Rell’s veto of a plan that would start a public pool for health insurance regardless of previous health conditions.

HOUSE TAKING UP SUSTINET PLAN NOW IN VETO OVERRIDE SESSION

There are 350 thousand people in Connecticut without Health Insurance.  That would be as many people living in Hartford, New Haven, West Hartford and  say, Middletown.

When you look at it this way, that is a lot of people. However, the problem is, who is going to pay for it?  The estimated cost is one billion dollars.  However, House Speaker  Chris Donovan says in the end, the State would end up saving more by giving health insurance to the uninsured.

However, it’s unclear if the votes are there.  A few people have told me that they are still on the fence.  However, my guess would be that Donovan wouldn’t call it if he didn’t know the votes were there.

I will tell you this.  He looks pretty happy to me!

A VERY HAPPY HOUSE SPEAKER

DONOVAN SAYS THE VOTES ARE THERE

THE HOUSE VOTES TO OVERRIDE GOVERNOR RELL’S VETO OF THE SUSTINET HEALTH CARE BY ONE VOTE!!!  The final vote here in the house is 102 for it, 40 against it! In order to override a veto here in the house the magic number is 101.  The Speaker gets by–but barely.

Mind you, he is very happy.  While the bill now goes onto the Senate, Donovan says he’s been assured that the votes are there. This would be Speaker Donovan’s first veto override since taking over as speaker.

TO OVERRIDE RELL'S VETO OF SUSTINET BILL

SUSTINET GETS SECOND CHANCE

     The Democrats at the State Capitol were flexing their muscles today as the Democratic Majority voted to override seven of Republican Governor Jodi Rell’s recent 20 vetoes. One of the major overrides included one that lays the ground work for A Universal Health Care system in the State.  

     With just one vote to spare in the House and none to spare in the Senate, Democrats put the Sustinet Health Care reform plan back into place.  In the House, the final vote was 102 to 40.  101 votes were needed for the override. In the Senate, the final vote was 24 to 12.  24 votes were needed in the Senate to override the veto.

     Sustinet puts a panel in place to study health care issues and the costs of opening up a public pool regardless of one’s medical history.  That panel will come up with a recommendation by the year 2011.

     “Someone who is ready who is waiting right now for coverage, who can’t afford commercial coverage, is not going to get relief in the next year but what they do need to know is that finally they are on the right path,” said State Health Care advocate Kevin Lembo who will be on the panel.

     However, Senate Majority Leader John McKinney said the State of Connecticut should not be in the business of selling insurance which he said will come as a great cost to taxpayers.

     “The Sustinet plan cost the State of Connecticut over a billion dollars. What the Democrats have done is they’ve pushed that plan out two years because we can’t afford it in this economy. Quite frankly, I don’t think we’re going to be able to afford it period,” said Senator McKinney who predicted Connecticut could be facing a deficit for the next four years!

THIS WEEK ON THE REAL STORY–DODD REACTS TO HEALY’S VISIT TO HIS IRELAND VACATION HOME

Senator Christopher Dodd says he would have invited State Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy into his Ireland Vacation home for tea and crumpets if he knew Healy was planning a trip there.  Dodd said in a jokingly manner that “most people on their honeymoon would have had other things on their minds.”

Last week on “The Real Story”, we showed you video Healy took of Dodd’s estate in Ireland.  Dodd said  he has answered questions concerning his vacation home and he never did anything to compromise his  job as a Sentor.

SCULLY & PAGANI

Dean Pagani and Patrick Scully debate the Dodd vacation home as well as recent poll numbers which suggest Dodd could be bouncing back.

ALSO this week, Chris Keating with the Hartford Courant and Christine Stuart with CTNEWSJUNKIE.COM talk about the Sustinet Health Care Reform plan brought back to life this week at The State Capitol.  And, two workers from Pratt & Whitney talk about the news that 1,ooo jobs there could be on the line.

Tomorrow, I am taking my daughter to the beach. The forecast looks good! So, pampers, politics and “swimmer” continues!

THE REAL STORY

SCULLY & PAGANI

THE REAL STORY

DID DODD KNOW HE WAS GETTING A DEAL?

READ THIS AP STORY HITTING THE WIRES NOW!

WHAT DID DODD KNOW?

WASHINGTON (AP) – Despite their denials, influential Democratic Sens. Kent Conrad and Chris Dodd were told from the start they were getting VIP mortgage discounts from one of the nation’s largest lenders, the official who handled their loans has told Congress in secret testimony.
Both senators have said that at the time the mortgages were being written they didn’t know they were getting unique deals from Countrywide Financial Corp., the company that went on to lose billions of dollars on home loans to credit-strapped borrowers. Dodd still maintains he got no preferential treatment.

Dodd got two Countrywide mortgages in 2003, refinancing his home in Connecticut and another residence in Washington. Conrad’s two Countrywide mortgages in 2004 were for a beach house in Delaware and an eight-unit apartment building in Bismarck in his home state of North Dakota.

Robert Feinberg, who worked in the Countrywide’s VIP section, told congressional investigators last month that the two senators were made aware that “who you know is basically how you’re coming in here.”

“You don’t say ‘no’ to the VIP,” Feinberg told Republican investigators for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, according to a transcript obtained by The Associated Press.

The next day, Feinberg testified before the Senate Ethics Committee, an indication the panel is actively investigating two of the chamber’s more powerful members:

—Dodd heads the Banking Committee and is a major player in two big areas: solving the housing foreclosure and financial crises and putting together an overhaul of the U.S. health care system. A five-term senator, he is in a tough fight for re-election in 2010, partly because of the controversy over his mortgages.

_Conrad chairs the Budget Committee. He, too, shares an important role in the health care debate, as well as on legislation to curb global warming.

Both senators were VIP borrowers in the program known as “friends” of Angelo. Angelo Mozilo was chief executive of Countrywide, which played a big part in the foreclosure crisis triggered by defaults on subprime loans. The Calabasas, Calif.-based company was bought last July by Bank of America Corp. for about $2.5 billion.

Mozilo has been charged with civil fraud and illegal insider trading by the Securities and Exchange Commission. He denies any wrongdoing.

Asked by a House investigator if Conrad, the North Dakota senator, “was aware that he was getting preferential treatment?” Feinberg answered: “Yes, he was aware.”

Referring to Dodd, the investigator asked:

“And do you know if during the course of your communications” with the senator or his wife “that you ever had an opportunity to share with them if they were getting special VIP treatment?”

“Yes, yes,” Feinberg replied.

Bryan DeAngelis, Dodd’s spokesman, said Feinberg has repeatedly made allegations of special treatment that were not true.

“As the Dodds have said from the beginning, they did not seek or expect any special rates or terms on their loans and they never received any. They were never offered special or sweetheart deals and if anyone had made such an offer, they would have severed that relationship immediately.”

DeAngelis also repeated Dodd’s statements from last February that an independent report showed the terms received by the senator and his wife were widely available at the time.

The ethics committee determines whether senators violated standards of conduct. The outcome of the investigation could hinge on whether the mortgage violated strict limits on gifts to lawmakers or ran afoul of other Senate rules.

Feinberg could face criminal prosecution if shown to have made false statements. He was questioned closely by three of the ethics committee’s six senators: Chairman Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.; the panel’s senior Republican member, Johnny Isakson of Georgia, and Republican Jim Risch of Idaho, according to Elana Goldstein, one of Feinberg’s attorneys who accompanied him to both closed-door committee appearances.

The ethics questioning was intense at times, and Boxer asked the bulk of the questions. When Feinberg described a conversation he had with Dodd, she demanded to know how he remembered it. Feinberg said he recalled Dodd saying he had to leave to make a speech.

Boxer asked whether Dodd and Conrad received VIP treatment because they were senators. Feinberg said that was not the case; they received breaks as other influential people in Countrywide’s “friends” of Angelo VIP program.

Isakson, a onetime real estate executive, asked more detailed questions about the mortgage agreements’ terms.

Countrywide VIPs, Feinberg told the committees, received discounts on rates, fees and points. Dodd received a break when Countrywide counted both his Connecticut and Washington homes as primary owner-occupied residences—a fiction, according to Feinberg. Conrad received a type of commercial loan that he was told Countrywide didn’t offer.

“The simple fact that Angelo Mozilo and other high-ranking executives at Countrywide were personally making sure Mr. Feinberg handled their loans right, is proof in itself that the senators knew they were getting sweetheart deals,” said Feinberg’s principal attorney, Anthony Salerno.

Two internal Countrywide documents in Dodd’s case and one in Conrad’s appear to contradict their statements about what they knew about their VIP loans.

At his Feb. 2 news conference, Dodd insisted he didn’t receive special treatment. The assertion was at odds with two Countrywide documents entitled “Loan Policy Analysis” that Dodd allowed reporters to review the same day.

The documents had separate columns: one showing points “actl chrgd” Dodd—zero; and a second column showing “policy” was to charge .250 points on one loan and .375 points on the other. Another heading on the documents said “reasons for override.” A notation under that heading identified a Countrywide section that approved the policy change for Dodd.

Mortgage points, sometimes called loan origination fees, are upfront fees based on a percentage of the loan. Each point is equal to 1 percent of the loan. The higher the points the lower the interest rate.

Dodd said he obtained the Countrywide documents in 2008, to learn details of his mortgages.

In Conrad’s case, an e-mail from Feinberg to Mozilo indicates Feinberg informed Conrad that Countrywide had a residential loan limit of a four-unit building. Conrad sought to finance an eight-unit apartment building in Bismarck that he had bought from his brothers.

“I did advise him I would check with you first since our maximum is 4 units,” Feinberg said in an April 23, 2004, internal e-mail to Mozilo.

Mozilo responded the same day that Feinberg should speak to another Countrywide executive and “see if he can make an exception due to the fact that the borrower is a senator.”

Conrad’s spokesman, Chris Gaddie, said Monday that the senator “never asked for, expected or was aware of loans on any preferential terms” and has “worked overtime to set the record straight.”

“He went with Countrywide simply because they already had his financial information,” Gaddie said. He added that a Countrywide official had told Conrad that “it is not unusual for them to make exceptions for good customers if they could sell the loan in the secondary market. We now know that they did sell the apartment building loan in the secondary market.”

Feinberg said in his deposition with House investigators last month that exceptions for the type of loan Conrad received were not allowed for borrowers outside the VIP system.

“If there was a regular customer calling, and of course you say, ‘No, we’re a residential lender. We cannot provide you with that service,’” Feinberg said.

Feinberg also told House investigators that Countrywide counted both of Dodd’s’ homes as primary residences.

“He was allowed to do both of those as owner-occupied, which is not allowed. You can only have one owner-occupied property. You can’t live in two properties at the same time,” he said.

Normally, Feinberg said, a second home could require more equity and could have a higher mortgage rate.

Rep. Darrell Issa of California, the senior Republican on the House Oversight Committee, had his investigators question Feinberg as part of a broader investigation into Countrywide’s VIP program.

Other names that have surfaced as “friends” of Mozilo include James Johnson, a former head of Fannie Mae who later stepped down as an adviser to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, and Franklin Raines, who also headed Fannie Mae. Still other “friends” included retired athletes, a judge, a congressional aide and a newspaper executive.

Conrad initially said in June 2008, “If they did me a favor, they did it without my knowledge and without my requesting it.”

The next day, Conrad changed course after reviewing documents showing he got special treatment, and said he was donating $10,500 to charity and refinancing the loan on the apartment building with another lender. He also said then it appeared Countrywide had waived 1 point at closing on the beach house.

Gaddie said Feinberg has previously made statements to the news media that Countrywide waived 1 point without the senator’s knowledge.

Feinberg testified that VIPs usually were not told exactly how many points were being waived, but it was made clear to them that they were getting discounts.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

PAMPERS, POLITICS AND MAKE-UP

SADIE AFTER GETTING INTO MY LIPSTICK

THIS is what I am up against every morning while getting ready for work. I turn around for a split second and there you have it–Sadie with my make-up all over her face. In this case it was my lipstick–Sephora Number 18!  I think the color is all wrong for her but nontheless, her technique needs a little help.  While there really isn’t much more to this story than what I just wrote, it does  remind me of a few funny stories concerning politicians and make-up.  Let’s face it, the men have to wear it too and don’t have the advantage of years of practice or knowledge on how to use it,  kind of like my little girl.

Years ago, Senator Christopher Dodd was doing an interview at our station with one of the networks.  It was set-up at the last minute and Dodd didn’t have the time to get someone at the studio to do his make-up.  So, production staff, desperate to help out the Senator with putting some powder on his face, went into the newsroom looking for anyone who could help.  The only one who was there was a producer, Roxanna Smith, who never really wears any make-up except Mascara but she was willing to give it a shot.  And when Senator Dodd’s face appeared on on Fox news AFTER Roxanna tried to help him out, we all almost hit the floor laughing.  Poor Senator Dodd looked really pretty but more like a  girl.  He had really rosey cheeks and really full and long eye-lashes.  Roxanna was never asked to do make-up again.

On another note, I was also surprised to see how much make-up President Barack Obama wears!  When I was at the White House in May, I was pretty close to The President and thought it looked like he had on a lot of make-up!  A few reporters with The White House Press corps agreed and told me The President had on more make-up that day than normal.  Hmmm, I am wondering here, and it could be a long shot, if The President was also in a pinch that day like Dodd was a few years ago.  Then again, probably not.   Make-up is a learned skill,  just take that from my daughter.

GO GARY!!!

SENATOR LeBEAU IN A "SEA" OF SUPPORTERS

Long time State Senator Gary LeBeau is the latest Democrat to announce he’s considering a run for office saying “Connecticut can and indeed must do better!” Lebeau is the fourth Democrat  to say he is eyeing the State’s top seat.  Former House Speaker Jim Amann, Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy and Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz are also considering a run.  When I asked LeBeau today about how he would compete he said is first goal is to win over Democrats.  He also told me that being the new kid on the block could help him.

“Here’s what I want to say to you Shelly,” LeBeau said right before delivering the line of the day.  “Now, they have an advantage in name recognition but I think people are looking for a fresh face and while I’m hot and sweaty right now, I’m fresh.”

The general election isn’t until 2010. Some speculate that LeBeau could be getting into the Governor’s race for other reasons including a shot as  being picked at the Lt. Governor candidate.

SENATOR LeBEAU IN A “SEA” OF SUPPORTERS

A KAYAKING COLIN!

WHEN THE LIVING IS EASY!

For those of you who want to know what Colin McEnroe is up to these days, I know.  He is spending a lot of time kayaking and working in his garden.  Mind you, while I did see a lot of weeds, I must say, I am very impressed with Colin’s green thumb.  His flower garden is beautiful! I was at his house today to interview him for my story tonight on the Governor’s Race.  It was really good to see him and I do miss hearing him on the radio and talking about me.:-)  However, since I jumped the gun and spilled the beans in my last “Colin Blog” about his future in radio, I decided NOT to ask Colin about it this time.  I am guessing, however, that he will be back on the radio very soon.  I am thinking that Colin and I should have a show. What do you think?

YUP, HE'S COOL!

BREAKING NEWS ON THE BUDGET!!!

The media black-out on budget talks continues but at least now,  we will soon have a better  idea what deck of cards Democrats and The Governor are holding.  Senate President Don Williams told me today that  Governor Jodi Rell will make public her latest budget proposal on Thursday.  Senator Williams took it even a step further saying,  “The Governor will have to put on the table a balanced budget for the first time ever. ” As for on-going talks, Williams had this to say.

WILLIAMS WITH OTHER DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS

“We met a number of times, I would like to see us get an agreement sooner rather than later.  I think that  when The Governor makes her proposal public and we go public with our proposal this week that that is going to help break the log jam and get us to an agreement,” Williams said.

RELL DROPS A BOMBSHELL. TAXES ON THE TABLE.

After months of saying she wouldn’t pass a budget which included raising taxes, Governor Jodi Rell told the Capitol Press Corps today that “raising revenue” will be part of her new budget proposal which she will release to the public tomorrow.

GOVERNOR RELL SAYS TAXES ARE ON THE TABLE

After negotiating with legislative leaders for the past several weeks during a black-out period with the press, Governor Rell and Democrats have been busy drafting their second attempt at a budget proposal. Governor Jodi Rell says her office is still crunching the numbers today but based on what she knows now, it looks like tax increases will be on the horizon.  However, we don’t know exactly who will be impacted.

Here is how the line of questioning went down.

TO SEE THE ACTUAL VIDEO WITH RELL CLICK HERE.

PAUL HUGHES, with the Waterbury “Republican American”: “Will you be proposing tax increases as part of your plan?”

GOVERNOR RELL: “I will she be looking at revenue after I have exhausted as much in cuts as I can do but that will be part of it.”

PAUL HUGHES along with other reporters, including myself, knowing what we just heard was huge and looking for clarification: “It will be part of it?” we ask.

GOVERNOR RELL: “It will be part of it.”

PAUL HUGHES: “How much will it be?”

GOVERNOR RELL: “I have not finished writing it yet.”

SHELLY SINDLAND (that’s me): “Are we talking about a cigarette tax or an income tax? Can you be more specific?”

GOVERNOR RELL: “You’ll find out tomorrow.”

And that we will.  Connecticut is facing a projected 8.8 billion dollar budget deficit by next year.  Some say it could go even higher to 10 billion dollars.

“BILLIONAIRES” CALL RELL THEIR BEST FRIEND

Members of Connecticut’s Working Families Party poked fun at the Governor today by  playing a different role today—the role of the rich.  Dressed in tuxes and in gowns, members held a mock press conference celebrating Governor Jodi Rell by calling her “the best investment they’ve ever made. “  The group wants a progressive income tax where those making more than $265,000 would pay a higher income tax. Meanwhile, a conservative t-shirt wearing Chris Healy called the group “a bunch of poor communist actors.”  You can see more tonight on The News at Ten.

GIVING A TOAST TO RELL

CHRIS HEALY CALLS THEM "BAD COMMUNIST ACTORS

CHRIS HEALY CALLS THEM “BAD COMMUNIST ACTORS

GIVING A TOAST TO RELL

A SNEAK PEAK AT THE DEMOCRATIC PLAN.

I have a copy of the Appropriations & Finance Committees’ plan for a budget. Here are some of the big ticket items.

CIGARETTE TAX–increasing it by 75 cents a pack.

INCOME TAX——-raising it on residents who make more than $500k to 6.0%, 600K @6.5%, $750k @7.0.

ESTATE & GIFT—30% surcharge for 2009, 2010, 2011

CORPORATION TAX–increase from 7.5% to 8.625% for 2009, 2010, 2011:  increase preference tax from $250k  to $900k.

MEANWHILE, we still don’t know when Governor Jodi Rell plans to release her budget proposal and what type of tax increases it will have in it.  We will be hearing from the Governor’s office in a half an hour to get an update from non other than Mr. Chris Cooper.  Cooper, Rell’s former press secretary,  took the early retirement package offered by the State. Cooper says he is back on a volunteer basis until  a budget is in place.

COOPER WITH SOME GUY

BREAKING NEWS–GOVERNOR RELL TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE IN ONE HOUR!

I just heard that Governor Jodi Rell will be holding a press conference in her office at 4:30 concerning her budget!  We will be there and should learn more about her tax plan and if it still is on the table!

RELL’S LATEST BUDGET PROPOSAL BAD NEWS FOR DRINKERS AND SMOKERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS TOO!

If you are a business owner who drinks and smokes, you are not going to like Governor Jodi Rell’s latest budget proposal.

Governor Rell said she didn’t want to do it but it in the spirit of compromise.  After promising during her State-of-the-State address back in February that her first budget proposal would had no  new taxes, Rell said she has had to reconsider her stance.

GOVERNOR RELL TALKS ABOUT WHY SHE'S AGREED TO RAISE SOME TAXESGovernor Jodi Rell said she didn't want to do it but it in the spirit of compromise. After promising during her State-of-the-State address back in February that her budget proposal contained no new taxes, Rell said she has had to reconsider her stance.

“I would have preferred not to raise taxes at all,” the Governor said in her office at the State Capitol on Thursday. “I chose the taxes that I thought the people of Connecticut would be least offended by.”

Rell has proposed raising the so called “sin taxes” which includes raising the taxes on alcohol and cigarettes.

“You know, this is a tax, these are taxes, ’sin taxes’, the people can avoid if they want to,” Rell said.  “They don’t have to smoke.  They don’t have to drink.”

Under Rell’s proposed budget plan, the cigarette tax would increase from $2.00 to $3.00 a pack, bring the total cost for a pack of cigarettes up to $10.00 a pack.  She would also increase the alcohol beverage tax by 10% and would increase what businesses pay in income taxes by 10% for three year, otherwise known as a surcharge.

Democrats slammed Rell for going after beer drinkers instead of billionaires.

“I’m just surprised that the Governor is taxing the six-pack instead of someone making $600,000 a year or more.”

Democrats want what is called a progressive income tax because the state income tax would progressively get higher with the more money people make.  Their latest budget proposal, which passed through two legislative committees yesterday, would increase the income tax on couples making more than $500,000 a year from 5% (the flat-rate taxes right now) up to 6%.  Couples making more than $600,000 dollars or more would pay 6.5% in income taxes.  Couples making more than $750,000 dollars a year or more would pay 7% in income taxes.  However, Democrats also call for a 75 cent hike in the cigarette tax, a business surcharge of 15% which would phase out after two years, and an estate tax of 30 percent.

Governor Jodi Rell said she won’t budge on a progressive income tax.

“Shelly, I said, earlier that I put the taxes on the table that I can support.” the Governor told me when I asked her if she would still oppose a progressive income tax.

However, a spokesperson for the Governor, Rich Harris, said today that Governor Rell offered not one but two budgets that contained no new or increased taxes at all and has insisted throughout the process that she would not even consider discussing new or higher taxes until she was convinced Democrats had cut the budget as much as they could. Harris also said that  The Governor would like to cut more — but said that the Democrats can’t, or won’t, make any more cuts. Harris said to get the budget talks moving again the Governor offered  these modest tax proposals in a spirit of compromise.

Rell said her budget calls for 391 million dollars in new taxes while the Democratic budget calls for nearly 1.8 billion dollars in new taxes. Democrats says their budget still makes more sense and will be better for the economy because it taxes those “who can afford it.”  Derek Slap, communications director for Senate Democrats, said the progressive income tax for a family of four making $600,000 a year would mean paying about $20.00 more a week.

Stalled budget talks will resume on Tuesday August 4th.

GOVERNOR RELL TALKS ABOUT WHY SHE’S AGREED TO RAISE SOME TAXES

SENATOR DODD, “I HAVE CANCER!”

"I'M GOING TO BE FINE. WE CAUGHT THIS EARLY."

Senator Christopher Dodd announced today that he has early-stage prostate cancer.  With his wife Jackie by his side, Dodd assured everyone that his prognosis is good.

“I feel fine. I am going to be fine. We caught this early,” Senator Dodd said.

Dodd said that he found out he had cancer in June around the same time his sister found out she had lung cancer and died a few short weeks later.  It was the only time Dodd got emotional during today’s press conference when he talked about his sister’s death and telling his good friend Senator Edward Kennedy,  who is fighting brain cancer, about his own battle with cancer. Dodd said he just told Senator Kennedy about his own diagnosis last night.

Dodd said he will under-go surgery in two weeks, during the August recess,  at Sloane-Kettering Memorial Hospital in New York to remove his prostate.  He also said he will use his own battle with cancer to bring more attention the national health care reform debate.  Dodd said as a member of Congress, he gets very good health care coverage which allows him to get a routine physical every year.  It was during that routine physical, Dodd said, that his prostate cancer was caught early.  He said this kind of health care is not available to everyone but should be.

Dodd maintained a strong demeanor and even joked about his current condition and running for office again next year.

“I’m running for re-election,” Dodd said. “I will be leaner and meaner and running without a prostate.”

Dodd has two young daughters.  He said his daughters do not know about his cancer because they are too young to understand but that they will them right before his surgery.   He did say  he is looking forward to spending more time with them during his recovery.  Dodd said he will be back to work when Congress resumes at the end of August.

TO SEE THE VIDEO OF DODD’S PRESS COVERAGE AND FOX 61′S COVERAGE click here.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY READERS!

…for 13,226 hits this month alone! It’s a record breaker for me. THANKS!

WHAT IS A BLOGGER ANYWAY?

FROM BLOGGER TO BLOGOVIST

Don’t ask Stephen Herron that question.  He doesn’t like to be  called a blogger.  He calls himself a “BLOGOVIST”.

This Mr. Mom, part-time “blogovists” says he likes to write about things and help implement a solution.  He wants to get people involved.

“If you notice, a lot of bloggers are very politically active,” Herron told me today after  I saw him interviewing Dodd outside an event in Hartford  concerning Health Care reform.  Herron got the scoop.  He was the only one to interview Dodd solo.  The rest of us caught up with Dodd inside the cramped building after the town hall style event with Secretary of Health Kathleen Sebelius.  No hard feelings here.  It was just a little hot inside but I got some good stuff too.  I will write about Dodd’s visit and battle with cancer a little later.

Back to Stephen.  He has a lot of names and different blogs.  He’s the man behind “drinking liberally in new milford”–to see the site, click here.

He also writes for another popular blog, ePluribus Media and is also known as “Connecticut Man One”,  or I am not sure if it is CTMAN-1, on the very popular Connecticut blog, “My Left Nutmeg”. Herron tells me his story about Dodd today will probably end up on all three blogs.  Not bad for Dodd which is why I am sure he spoke with Herron– it’s a direct line to his base. Meanwhile, it is fascinating how the world of media is changing.  When I asked Herron about how journalists are supposed to be impartial, he told me he’s not a journalist, he’s a “blogovist”.  Hence, a new term is created. (or at least it is new to me.)

Herron said he thinks journalists look at bloggers as the enemy.  I can tell you this journalist does not. I think the world is changing faster than we can keep up and with journalists like myself being asked to constantly do more and more, I say the more ears and eyes around, the better.  Herron isn’t pretending to be something he isn’t.  The former military man says he just wants to make a difference. He is politically active and is upfront about it. Kudos to him. Now, this journalist/blogger/single-mom/super-hero needs to get back to writting her Dodd story.  I just thought it would be fun to put a face to the term “Blogger” or in this case, “Blogovist.”

DODD BACK ON THE BEAT AND LOOKING BETTER THAN EVER.

DODD BACK TO WORK

Just three days after announcing to the world that he is fighting prostate cancer, Senator Christopher Dodd was back at work today fighting to reform health care.  I must say, I think Senator Dodd is looking better than ever.  Maybe, just talking about his cancer is huge stress reliever. Dodd said on Friday that he has known about his cancer since June but didn’t tell too many people with his own sister fighting her own battle with cancer, a battle she lost just three weeks after her diagnosis.  It was the only time Dodd’s eyes teared up during the entire press conference on Friday, talking about the loss of his sister and his good friend Senator Ted Kennedy’s  own battle with brain cancer.

Dodd was back on the beat today in Hartford along  with a few heavy hitters from Washington championing for health care reform, one of them, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.

DODD JOKES THAT HE HAS A "WEL KNOWN PROSTATE."

“Look, I’ve got a well know prostate at this point, unfortunately, ” Senator Dodd said jokingly to a group of reporters, “but someone’s prostate shouldn’t depend on the condition of notoriety.  I’ve got a great health care plan. I’ve never worried for a single second when I got the prognosis that one, I could pay for it or that I would get care. That is not the case for most Americans.”

THEY WANT THE GOVERNMENT OUT OF THEIR HEALTH CARE!

However, not all could see the humor in Dodd’s stance to offer a public option for health care backed by the Federal Government.  About a dozen protestors showed up to send their own message to Dodd, one of them, Stephen Ellis, who wished Dodd all the best in his battle against cancer but accused Dodd of trying to use it to his own advantage.

“I think it is unfortunate that he will use this as an opportunity to push the agenda a little further and it’s not necessarily appropriate,” said Ellis. (NOTE, Ellis is not in this picture)

The group believes that the Federal Government is trying to socialize medicine and believes it will only make matters worse and cost taxpayers a lot of money.  Some estimate President Obama’s plan will cost 1 Trillion dollars during the next ten years. Some had some valid points, however, one woman told me that the reason why health care was a mess in the country was because of single women having babies.  Hmmm, I had no idea I was to blame for the health care crisis.  I guess you learn something new every day.

WHO WILL PAY?

THEY’RE BACK!!!

"BILLIONAIRES FOR BUDGET CUTS" ARE BACK AT IT AGAIN!

Last week they were at the State Capitol protesting Governor’s Jodi Rell’s budget and refusal to increase the income tax on wealthier residents in the State.  Tomorrow, “billionaires for budget cuts” will be protesting outside the Governor’s Residence in Hartford as stalled budget talks resume.  However, a spokesperson for the Governor says no “lines have been drawn in the sand.”  I’ll be there taking pictures for my blog and covering the event for Fox 61 so, be sure to tune in here on the web and on the tube.

FAKE BILLIONAIRES HAND DELIVER RELL A THANK-YOU CARD!

ROLLING OUT THE RED CARPET FOR RELL

As stalled budget talks resumed today at the Governor’s Residence in Hartford, members of the Connecticuts Working Families Party were there to roll out the red carpet for Governor Jodi Rell.  The protestors were playing the roll of fake Billionaires happy with Governor Jodi Rell’s new budget plan which would raise taxes on Cigarettes and Alcohol as well as 10% business surcharge.

Rell said last week that in the spirit of compromise,  she agreed to some tax hikes but only ones she could live with. When asked several times by different reporters if she had changed her stance on the Democratic plan to raise the income tax on wealthier  residents in the State, the Governor said over and over again, in so many words, that she would not support a progressive income tax.

“Shelly, I said, earlier that I put the taxes on the table that I can support,” Rell told me during the press conference last Thursday where she unveiled her third budget proposal. However, Rich Harris, a spokesperson for Governor Rell called me on Friday to say that “no lines have been drawn in the sand.”

Meanwhile, today’s protesters  hand delivered the Governor a thank-you note for her “hard work defending Billionaires.”  The note also reads, “We are counting on you to make sure the taxes are only raised on the little people.”

Last week on my facebook page, Sandy had this to say about Governor Rell’s tax plan. She wrote :” I can’t afford a freakin’ vacation, but I can afford a six pack of Bud Light and sit on my deck and enjoy it with a friend …She wants to up the tax on that little indulgence us poor folks have? What next? My Doritos?” Sandy wrote.   However, Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy called the protesters last week a bunch of “bad communists actors.”  Healy said  their call to raise taxes on just the wealthier residents  isn’t  a redistribution of wealth but a seizure of wealth.   This seems to be the sticking point folks.  Who should pay for the State’s projected 8.8 billion dollar budget? Drinkers, smokers or billionaires.  I guess some Billionaires must smoke and drink too.  I don’t know any billionaires personally except for the man who owns the company I work for.  I’ve never met him. I don’t know if he drinks or smokes.

a note of thanks

A NOTE OF THANKS

ROLLING OUT THE RED CARPET FOR RELL

WISHING CONGRESSMAN LARSON A SPEEDY RECOVERY!

Gosh. First Senator Christopher Dodd announces he’s  battling cancer and now we learn Congressman John Larson is recovering from elective heart surgery. He had the surgery at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford.  Larson’s doctors will be holding a press conference in two hours to tell us some more!  Sadie and I wish the Congressman a speedy recovery. Every single time I see him, he always asks about my fellow Norgwegians in my hoometown of Hartland. I mean, every single time I have seen him for the past 10 years at least.   Mind you, Hartland is now in is District but it wasn’t always that way.  GET WELL SOON, CONGRESSMAN!

CONGRESSMAN LARSON WITH SADIE AND BEFORE THE ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADE

IS THERE A REPUBLICAN CIVIL WAR?

IS THERE A REPUBLICAN CIVIL WAR?

IS THERE A REPUBLICAN CIVIL WAR IN THE WORKS?

House Republicans were united as they unveiled their third alternative budget today with no tax increases, but is there a civil war brewing between the Republican lawmakers and the momma elephant, Governor Jodi Rell?

That depends on who you talk to.

Senate Democrats sent out this press release concerning House  Republicans latest budget proposal.

Derek Slap, communications director for Senate Democrats, had this to say in a press release sent out today.

“This Republican civil war couldn’t come at a worse time. The state of Connecticut needs a solution to this fiscal crisis, not confusion and disarray among leaders of the same party.  If Republicans cannot speak with one voice at the negotiating table how will they ever be able to help lead connecticut out of this budget turmoil? Will their own governor declare their budget dead on arrival or will she allow a third budget proposal to derail talks?”  THE PRESS RELEASE STATES.

Now, enter Rich Harris with the Governor’s press office.

In an e-mail to me, Harris writes, “ Governor Rell encouraged the House Republicans to come up with as many new ideas as they could–and they gave a copy of their ideas to her yesterday so she and OPM (office of policy management) could get started analyzing them right away.  As you know, the budget process is not moving ahead as rapidly as the Governor wants, so she is welcoming any and all suggestions–again, it was she who encouraged the House GOP to offer their ideas.”

I’d say the budget process is not moving ahead as rapidly as one would hope.  Connecticut and Pennsylvania are the ONLY two State in the Nation without a budget in place or an agreement on the table.

Who has the power to get this done? That seems to be the question. Democrats have the super-majority.  They’re like Dorothy and her red-ruby shoes.  She had the power all along to get back home, if only she knew early on to click her shoes together, the long journey to  see the Wizard of Oz  would have been a short one.

With the super-majority, the Democrats have that power.  If they click their feet together, united in front, they would have the power to get a budget passed and the votes to override a Governor veto.

But that is where the last scenario comes into play.

The real civil war, Republicans say, is not in their household but in the Democrats nest.
I heard the other day a certain member of the Democratic party saying that this person could not sign off their budget with a 1.8 billion dollar tax increase, increased spending and built in deficit. The real war, Republicans say, is one Democrats are fighting because they can not pass even their own budget because the votes are not there.

Maybe we should all remember the roles certain characters played in that favorite 1930’s classic.

The scarecrow needed  a brain.

The tin man needed a heart.

The Lion needed courage and Dorothy just wanted to go home.

Our lawmakers need to  find the heart to make the right cuts without devastating those who need our help the most.

Our lawmakers need to find the courage to make the cuts that just lead to excess spending and wasteful government.

Lastly, our lawmakers need to use their brains to get the job done, so, we can all rest peacefully in our homes knowing we won’t have to sell them.

I just paid my 6 month property tax bill to the town of West Hartford.  It was the equivalent of two weeks and two days pay.  That is just for six months.  Add up the year, and I am working a month and a half just to pay my town property taxes.

Cuts in State aid will most certainly pass the buck to my local elected leaders who will pass the buck onto us.

I drive a ten year old car.  The property tax on that, nearly $200.oo.  That equals two weeks worth of groceries, diapers and cat food. Should I starve my kitties? Make them earn their keep and hunt for mice in the backyard?

Add in my Federal taxes, the State income tax, interest on my mortgage, and the math for me, like many others here in Connecticut, is not pretty.  I took home less than 16 thousand dollars last year to live on! ( to pay the bills, buy groceries, etc.)

I was born and raised in this State and love it dearly but sometimes I also wonder if staying in this state is the right thing to do.

My second television job was in West Virginia. When I lived there years ago, you could buy a big old victorian house for less than 80 grand.  I rented an apartment for $230.00 a month. Mind you, the cost of living has increased somewhat since then but I still have friends there and know that the cost of living isn’t breaking their bank.

It’s breaking mine.

My brother, who also lives in Connecticut, is considering moving his large family to Iowa.  For me, I wonder if West Virginia may be the place for me.  At least I could live and work instead of working to live.

Something has to change.

Lawmakers and the Governor need to figure it out, now, before it’s too late!

I can hear the John Denver song now playing in my mind.

IS THERE A REPUBLICAN CIVIL WAR IN THE WORKS?

CREDIT CARD COMPANIES RAISING RATES WHILE THEY CAN!

Here’s one reason why not to mess with a reporter–or at least this television reporter.  Okay, maybe not really but it is always a reporter’s dream to say that!

Back to the story.

I got an interesting letter in the mail the other day from my credit card company. Mind you, this company OWES me money–a hundred bucks to be exact–but yet the company decides even with my excellent credit score and the fact that they are in the red with me, it’s time to raise my interest rate.  As of October 1, my APR will go from about 11% to close to 16%, any cash advances or penalties and the rate jumps to close to 24%.  Oh my, those are close to department store rates which is why I hardly ever use a department store credit card unless I pay it off in full.  Wow, I’m being penalized for what?  Does this mean American Express will pay me more in interest for the money they owe me?  I hardly think so.  Of course, why on Earth would American Express live by their own rules?  I mean, come on, that would be silly.

I called American Express and after talking with three people about canceling my card and getting a refund, I finally got Shelia on the line.  I asked her up front if American Express is raising my rates now before the Credit Card Reform law goes into effect early next year. She told me, “yes” and that many other credit card companies are doing the same thing.

I WAS THERE

Wait a minute, I thought this new legislation was supposed to protect consumers from the” big, bad, credit card companies.”  I mean, I was there when the Senator Christopher Dodd’s bill was signed into law by President Barack Obama in the White House Rose Garden.  I was there.  The whole thing almost brought tears to my eyes especially after the Presidential shout-out to Dodd.  He worked hard for this legislation so why isn’t it working?

DODD DURING BILL SIGNING CEREMONY IN THE ROSE GARDEN

The main reason is the bulk of the law does not go into effect until February of 2010.  That gives credit card companies plenty of time to raise rates now without having to answer to the Federal Government.

Turns out, I am not the only impacted by this.  Connecticut State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal says his office has received hundreds of complaints from consumers who say their credit card interest rates are unfairly being raised– right now!

With two provision of the law set to go into effect on August 20th, Blumenthal says the race is on for credit card companies to  circumvent the law.  His words, not mine.

“These companies are essentially trying to beat the deadline and circumvent the law by changing their terms of interest rates, fees, and notice requirements before they are under the mandatory provisions of the new law,” Blumenthal said.
A spokeswoman for Senator Dodd told me what credit card companies aren’t telling us is that when the bulk of the new law goes into effect early next year,  credit card companies will have to answer to Federal Regulators as to why they raised rates on customers through out all of 2009! If there is no valid reason for the rate hike, credit card companies could be forced to lower their rates to what they were before the increase. But what if people are already broke by then?
As of next week, two provision of the law will go into effect. One will give consumers more time to pay their bills.  As of August 20th, credit card companies will have to mail-out bills at least 21 days before they are due. Credit Card companies will also have to give customers 45 days notice of a rate hike.  The idea here is that people will have more time to shop around for a better deal instead of just getting socked with a higher interest rate overnight.
As mentioned, the bulk of the law goes into effect early next year which includes parental consent for minors who want credit cards.  Also, credit card companies will only be able to raise rates if a payment is 60 days late.  Right now, companies can raise rates if a payment is late by just one day.

As for me, I am guessing I have the last laugh tonight.  American Express should have done their homework before raising my rates.  Gosh, I don’t even owe them any money! They owe me.  I have been assured that a hundred dollar check is in the mail. In the meantime, I am no longer doing business with American Express.

WHEN A CAT ATTACKS–IF IT CAN HAPPEN TO ME, IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE!

WILLARD AND ME BACK IN 2003

Before I had my daughter, Willard was my baby. I found him on while covering a story on Willard Street in Hartford about six years ago, hence, his name. He was little, maybe just a few weeks old at best. He was crying near a dumpster in an underground parking lot. His eyes were dirty. He was dirty and scared. I could hear him meowing from a few hundred yards away. When I found him, I scooped him up in my hands, which he barely filled, and took him home.

WILLARD AS A KITTEN IN MY HANDS

He was so little, I was afraid he would get lost in my Hartford apartment so I locked him in my bathroom. I gave him some milk in a bottle made especially for kittens because he was too little to drink from a dish. I loved him then at first sight and still love him now. It’s funny. I’ve had my heart broken before but this is the first time my heart aches over a cat. It’s still hard for me to understand how a cat I bottle fed as a kitten could attack me years later. My injuries, as you can see, were so severe, I spent a night in the E.R. As a kitten, I did everything for Willard to keep him alive. A few weeks after I took Willard home, he came down with phenomena, something common with kittens who are bottle feed. I didn’t realize it at the time, but apparently these little guys can get milk into their little lungs if the nipple hole is even just a tiny bit too big. It happened to Willard and I sobbed as I took him to the vets because I thought despite my efforts, this little kitten wasn’t going to make it. He went on antibiotics and for a few nights, I had to get up every hour to dunk him in cold water to keep his fever down. I remember setting my alarm every hour and doing just that. A few sleepless nights and several hundred dollars later, Willard survived. After that, we had such a bond. He really thought I was his mother and almost every night, even up until last weekend, he would suck on my shirt sleeve and kneed me with his paws. When Sadie was an infant, it was hard to tell the baby-spit from the cat drool on my shirt. My sister would be horrified if she knew I was telling people this right now but I am because it shows that Willard REALLY thought I was his mother. That’s why I was so shocked to see how quickly he could, and would turn on me several years after I scooped him up off of that city street when he was too little to barely walk. It all happened last Friday night. Willard has pretty much been an indoor cat but during the past few years, he has managed to sneak out of the house a few times. I noticed when he was outside that he seemed to change and turn into a “wild” cat as I called him. He would hiss at me when I would try to bring him inside and a few times, I put on leather gloves so he couldn’t scratch me. As soon as I got him inside, he was the same old Willard. So, I TRIED keeping him inside until last week when ran out through an open door as my parents were leaving my house. For hours, I called him and looked for him but couldn’t find him. Finally, around mid-night, I saw him in my front yard near a busy street. I ran outside and called his name and when I reached for him, he lunged at me and bit my hand it two places. I grabbed him on the back of his neck, like mother cats do to their kittens, and he managed to scratch the my harm with his back legs making it look more like raw meat. I couldn’t stop the bleeding, so, I called my sister and off we went to the E.R. The doctor there cleaned my wounds and gave me a tetanus shot.

CAT BITES ON THE FRONT OF MY HAND

THE SCRATCHES

THE DAMAGE

Willard is now being quarantined for rabies at the Veterinarians office because he was not up to date on his shots.( NOTE to pet owners: rabies vaccinations for cats used to last for three years but recently were changed to last a year. ) I didn’t realize that at the time and thought Willard was up to date at the time of the attack. I guess they changed the dosage because it’s believed that the higher dose of the vaccine may put the cat at risk for getting cancer. I took Willard to one of those pet-store vaccination clinics right before Sadie was born. I just assumed it was good for three years. I had a lot on my plate that time and never asked. If someone told me, I honestly, don’t remember. My veterinarian, Dr. Tanya Sloan Battison, the best Vet in the world, is helping me get through this with no judgment what-so-ever. She says there has been a lot of confusion about the rabies vaccination and that I am, by no means, the first. Plus, with the economy many people are skipping their regular vet visits because money is tight. We all know how a trip to the Vets isn’t cheap.

WILLARD TODAY

Willard will be watched for two weeks. If he dies during that period, it most likely means he has rabies and that I will have to undergo a series of painful rabies shots. Dr. Battison believes that Willard is probably all right but tells me that his is nothing to fool around with because, as she says, “it can mean the difference between life and death.” I hear her warning and am following her advice. I hope other pet owners will also follow suit. Rabies can kill. I remember covering a story once about a man who died from contracting rabies from a bat in his house. He never even remembered being bitten by the bat but apparently had been while he was asleep. A few weeks later, his family found him dead in his house. As for Willard, my plan is to keep him at the Vets during this quarantine period and if all goes well, I will get him up to date on all his shots and then try to find him a farm where he can live and roam free. Dr. Battison says she knows of a few farms and will help me find Willard a good home. He meows at the door in my house, for hours on end, trying to get outside. Willard has gotten a taste of the outdoors and now can’t seem to get it out of his blood. This decision to find him a new home pains me. I miss him and my house is very quiet without him. For those of you who have pets, you get this. For those of you who don’t have pets, you probably think I am crazy. If it were just me, I would take Willard back in a heart-beat but now, the tides have turned and times have changed. While Willard was like a child, the truth is, I have a child now and I would NEVER do anything to put her in danger. If Willard came after me, there’s no telling if he would one day go after Sadie too. It’s a risk, I am not willing to take, not even for WIllard. I guess what I have learned through all of this is that you can take a cat out of the wilderness but can’t take the wilderness out of a cat.

STATE BRACING TO SET A NEW BUDGET RECORD

Connecticut is bracing for setting a new State record and folks, this is NOT GOOD NEWS!

GOVERNOR RELL WHEN SHE RELEASED HER 3RD BUDGET PROPOSAL

If a budget is not passed by Saturday, August 22nd, State Lawmakers and Governor Jodi Rell will set a new record for going the longest ever in State history without passing a budget.  The current record is held during that tumultuous year in 1991 when the State Income Tax was first passed.
With vital time ticking away, Democratic leaders are calling for around-the-clock budget talks.
“It was a tough year in 1991. This is a tougher year but let’s face it. We don’t want to go into September without a budget,” said Senate President Don Williams as he pulled up to the Governor’s Mansion for the latest round of budget talks.  “We need to get this done now and we are ready to meet 24/7.”

SENATOR DON WILLIAMS HEAD SHOT

Meanwhile, Governor Jodi Rell also said her priority is getting a budget.
“I will focus our energies on getting a budget,” the Governor said, “but I think some will agree right now that there is a philosophical difference. I continue to believe that we need to cut spending.”
IN 1991 when Lowell Weicker was Governor, the deficit was one billion dollars. Today, the deficit is expected to reach more than 8 billion dollars by next year.
Connecticut and Pennsylvania are the only two State in the country without some type of budget agreement on the table.

BUDGET TALKS—IS THERE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL?

 When it comes to State budget talks, is there light at the end of the tunnel? Could be, according to Democratic leaders who met with the Governor today behind closed doors in her office at the State Capitol and put yet another offer on the table!

They only met for an hour but majority leaders say they are more optimistic than ever that an agreement can be reached and that a budget could be voted on next week by the full House and Senate!

 Hugh?

Yesterday, all hope seemed lost and many predicted this on-going stalemate would propel the State into a new state record–going the longest ever without a budget in place, beating out the current record from 1991, the year the state income tax was born! What changed? We still don’t know. And remember, we are only hearing from the Democratic Leaders, nothing official from the Governor’s office.

 Democratic leaders say the latest offer still includes a proposal to raise the State income tax on wealthier residents in the State. “We believe that those making over 500 thousand dollars could kick in a little bit, twenty bucks a week, to help us out of this budget crunch,” said Speaker Chris Donovan, a Democrat from Meriden.

 Governor Jodi Rell had said that she put all the taxes on the table that she could live with which includes raising the sales tax on cigarettes and alcohol, as well the income tax on corporations. However, the Governor’s office has since said that “no lines have been drawn in the sand.”

One line was drawn in the sand today and it had to do with members of the Governor’s own party.  Republican minority leaders from both the House and Senate, who strongly oppose raising the income tax, were not invited to the bargaining table.  Democratic leaders say it is not out of the ordinary to get their one personal time with the Governor but some Republican leaders contacted by Fox 61 were not happy about it. (Republicans hold only 37 seats in the House and 12 in the Senate which some say hardly makes them a major player in the process.)
 
Meanwhile, budget talks resume tomorrow morning at 11 am in the Governor’s office. It’s unclear if Republican lawmakers will have a seat at the table.

BUDGET TALKS BLOW UP!

Yesterday, it seemed as if Democratic Leaders and Governor Jodi Rell were ready to take the plunge, or at least according to the Democrats. Now, it seems like someone got cold feet and the two sides may need marriage counseling before ever getting married.

So, what happened? Democrats say Rell is what happened.  Accusing her of being in “another universe” Democratic leaders emerged from budget talks today saying it was if yesterday never happened.
“We believe we had options at the table that she was interested in. She wanted time to look at them and she looked at us and said she would have some positive information–toward something, we didn’t know what it was, today.” said Speaker of the House Chris Donovan.

“We have reason to believe that we can get a budget deal but the Governor is the hang-up at this point.” said Senate President Don Williams.
The hang-up, Democrats say,  is their plan to raise the income tax on wealthier residents in the State.  Despite modifying their plan, they say it continues to be a major road-block with Rell.  They also accused her of “protecting the rich” at the expense of the poor and middle-class.  Democrats had proposed raising the income tax on couples making more than a half million dollars and on single filers making more than $260,000. Democrats would not go into specifics as to how they modified that plan.
“We have moved toward the Governor in every respect on taxes, on budget cuts.” said Senate President Don Williams. “We moved substantially toward her position. What we need to see now is to have her come just a little bit toward us.”
Governor Rell called the Democratic budget plan “unaffordable” because it calls for raising taxes by 1.8 billion dollars.  In a written statement Rell “The only real movement made by Democratic leadership is not forward or back, it is shuffling – shuffling revenue and taxes and fees from one column to another.”
Connecticut and Pennsylvania are the only two States left in the nation without a budget.  It is unclear when or if budget talks will resume. If they have to, Democratic Majority leaders said today that they will vote on a budget next week with or without the Governors blessing but even Senator Williams said he doesn’t know if he has enough votes in his own party to override the Governor’s veto.
Democrats are at odds with the Republican Governor as to how to plug a hole in the projected 8.5 billion dollar deficit.

WHAT I THINK ABOUT GEORGE GOMBOSSY.

GEORGE GOMBOSSY

Hearing what happened to George Gombossy is very upsetting to me.  I  had George on “Beyond The Headlines”(which later became “The Real  Story”) back when I used to host the show.  It was in August of 2007,  and George was going after CL&P for over-charging customers.  I knew then George wasn’t just a “watch-dog” but a real “bull-dog” for going  after the giant utility company and sticking up for the little guy!  I was proud to have him as a colleague and still am.    A lot of  people have asked me to weigh-in on George’s “departure”  from The Hartford Courant for obvious reasons.   While I am limited on what I can say because of my on-going complaint against my employer which is currently  pending before the Commission on Human Rights, I will tell you that I truly understand what George is talking about and I applaud him for having the courage to speak out on this issue.

The Hartford Courant and Fox 61 are owned by the same company–Tribune.

GOMBOSSY ON CNN!

EXPECT A REALLY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT ON WEDNESDAY!

That is all I can say but I will tell you that it has nothing to do with me but rather, someone I know.

SO THE REALLY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT IS???

Colin McEnroe will announce today that he will be back on the radio next week!  I can’t tell you where because that will have to come from him. He is making the announcement at 11:30 A.M.

UPDATE: Colin’s new show will be on WNPR from 1 pm to 2 pm.  He says he is not going to talk politics but I think that is a big mistake, not that he listens to me anyhow.  I think he should have Jim Amann on his show and then me and Locustus or locus or whatever his name is.!

SENATOR DODD, “I FEEL LIKE I LOST A BROTHER.”

One word was all he could get out before his eyes welled up with tears.

Senator Dodd, " I feel like I lost a brother."

Senator Christopher Dodd started the press conference and then had to stop as he fought back the tears and emotion while talking about the death of his dear friend, Senator Ted Kennedy.

“I feel like I lost my best friend in the Senate.” Dodd said at a press conference in his home town of East Haddam.  ”It’s been  a rough year, as many of you know.  In June I lost a sister…now I fell like I lost  a brother.”

Dodd is himself recovering from surgery after having a cancerous prostate removed two weeks ago from yesterday.

“When my daughter Grace was born, the first call I got was Teddy. When my sister died, the first call I got was from Teddy. And when I came out of surgery, the first call I got was Teddy.” said a  very emotional Dodd who talked about wanting to do something this morning which made him  alive, so, he went berry picking with his daughter. “Life is not a dress rehearsal,” he said.

In honor of his friend’s memory, Dodd also went on to say  that he will push for health care reform. 

“I hope this will calm  things down,  stop the screaming and get people talking again. ” Dodd said. “

You can see the entire story with Senator Dodd tonight on The Fox 61 News at Ten.

Dodd also said he would continue to

MAN CHARGED WITH THREATENING LT. GOV.

 

It had nothing to do with proposed hikes to the cigarette tax or “millionaires tax.”  No, according to state police, a 28 year old John Stankus was mad at the Lt. Governor for reasons in his own mind.

The Connecticut native, who according to his family, has had a history of mental illness–was arraigned today in court for threatening Lt. Governor Mike Fedele and owners of a New Haven Restuarant.

Tan and dressed in a white shirt and blue Hawaiian shorts, Stankus walked into the courtroom looking more like a surfer than someone capable of making such a serious threat.

According the arrest warrant affidavit, Stankus threatened the Lt. Governor along with the owners of a New Haven restaurant by writing, “most likely I will kill your and The Brazi’s Restaraunts Family,” spelling the word restaurant incorrectly. Investigators believe there is no connection between Fedele and the restaurant, except, in the suspect’s own mind.

According to court documents, Stankus grew up in Prospect with his parents who told police their son left years ago because he thought the State of Connecticut was out to get him. They also told police that their son is mentally ill, obsessed with the Government, conspiracy theories and the Mob. His parents said they held many family events at the New Haven restaurant, mentioned in threatening e-mail, but have no idea why their son would link Brazi with Fedele.

In court, his public defender asked the judge to waive his client’s bond so Stankus could be admitted to a hospital for in-care patient medical help.

“The defendant potentially could present a danger to himself and there for, the level of care that would required would be at a major hospital.” the public defender said.

The judge denied the request and set bond at $75,000. The judge also ordered Stankus to stay away from the Lt. Governor and his family and to get medical treatment if he is able to post bond.

Stankus has no prior criminal history. His next court date is September 25th. He is charged with threatening in the second degree and Breach of Peace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAFERO SAYS RELL WILL VETO DEMS BUDGET!

CAFERO SAYS "RELL WILL VETO THIS BUDGET"

“Rell will veto this budget, ” unless things change–according to the fiery House Minority Leader Larry Cafero!  Cafero says the Democratic Majority has failed to accept Governor Jodi Rell’s “package deal”–meaning, Rell said she would agree to a “millionaires  tax” if Democrats found more cuts and lowered the sales tax from 6% to 5.5% in October.  Also, Cafero says, the Dems call for borrowing 2 billion dollars during the next two years and depleting the State’s rainy day fun which is a little more than one billion dollars.

House Speaker Chris Donovan says lowering the sales tax has been pushed back until January and that there is a revision in the plan–meaning, the State Lawmakers can pull the plug on it if they want to. Donovan says he believes Rell will sign their budget because it comes with 3 Billion dollars in cuts.

The House is recess now as the finance committee takes up the Democrats latest budget plan. The word is, the House will vote on a budget tonight but it is unclear if The Senate will take it up.  We’re told Dems don’t know if the if votes are there.  Democrats will need 18 votes to  pass it and have 23 in attendance.  One, we’re told by Senate Communications Director, Derek Slap, is on vacation in Ireland.

Either way, Lawmakers are preparing for an all-nighter.  Although, I’ve yet to see anyone with sleeping bags in hand but some did bring their lunch boxes.  Larry Cafero has the latest “Hannah Montana” lunch box while Speaker Donovan decided to go with a classic “Bob The Builder”.

TO SEE  “cliff-notes” version on the bill click  here

THE CARD GAME EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT!

When House Minority Leader Larry Cafero talks, people listen, or in this case–play an  internet  card game.

Here is the picture that is getting national attention—taken by an Associated Press Photographer.  (caption below)

“It just shows you how open they are to tax cuts and how serious they are taking their jobs,” says State Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy. “Is it asking too much to ask for them to be respectful? You would think that they would have some manners.”

“Everyone takes a mental break in a 13 hour day.” said Doug Whiting with House Democrats who referred to it as an unfortunate moment in time. “The Representatives were not showing any disrespect to the minority leader. Clearly, they could listen to the debate while on their computers.”

AP: The solitaire playing state reps pictured below are: Barbara Lambert (D-Milford) and Assistant Majority Leader Jack Hennessy (D- Bridgeport).

House Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, far right, speaks while colleagues play solitaire on their computers as the House convenes to vote on a new budget for the fiscal year in the Capitol, in Hartford, Conn., Monday, Aug., 31, 2009.
(JESSICA HILL/ASSOCIATED PRESS / August 31, 2009)

The Card Game EVERYONE is talking about.

So much for Freedom of the Press? Sorry Guys, the AP made me take the picture down because I am not a member.

DEFENSE IN THE CHESHIRE HOME INVASION CLAIMS LONE SURVIVOR IS GETTING “SPECIAL TREATMENT” FROM THE STATE.

 He was there that night when two intruders broke into his Cheshire home, beat him and left him for dead, bound and gagged in the basement.

He was there that night his wife Jennifer and their two young daughters, Hayley and Michaela, fought for their lives–a battle they would eventually lose after a night of terror.

He was there that night his entire family was murdered yet; an attorney for one of the suspects in the Cheshire home invasion believes Dr. William Petit is getting unfair treatment from the State.

Today, as a judge heard the State’s request to try the two suspects together in one trial but with two juries, the attorney for Steven Hayes accused the State of giving the Petits special treatment because the case involves, “a prominent physician and a white family from a predominately white suburb,” said Thomas Ullman who didn’t stop there.

“This makes me sick,” Ullman told Judge Roland Fasano. “

“The suggestion that the State is treating this case differently because of race and social class is ludicrous,” said New Haven State’s Attorney Michael Dearington, who went on to say that nothing else parallels this case.

Defense attorneys for both Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky contend that there isn’t a court room in the State big enough to hold two juries and that it will require special construction and ultimately lead to a mis-trial. The attorneys also claims the defendants are antagonistic and will be “pointing fingers at each other” which is why they should be tried separately. But prosecutors contend that having one trial will ensure both suspects are tried within a reasonable time period and spare the Petits from having to endure the pain of going through two separate trials.

 As for the claim that he is getting special treatment, Dr. Petit only alluded to it in a written response he read to a group of reporters after today’s hearing.

 ”Some fairly heinous things were said in court today,” Dr. Petit said. “We are choosing to take the high road and again, we are certain as a family that justice will prevail.

The Judge will have a final decision on October first.  Meanwhile, jury selection is scheduled to start in January and could take three to six months because of the media exposure tied to the 2007 case.

CAFERO AND DONOVAN PUT THEIR CARDS ON THE TABLE OVER SOLITAIRE CONTROVERSY

CAFERO LOOKING AT HIM PICTURE IN THE PAPER.

Republican State Lawmaker, Larry Cafero, doesn’t take it personally. However, he knew the first he saw the Associated Press photograph that it would be a big deal.

“They just don’t get it.” House Minority leader Larry Cafero said.

Cafero was the guy stiffed by a game of solitaire. The Associated Press photograph snagged two Democratic Lawmakers playing solitaire on their lap tops while Cafero was speaking in the House Chamber during the final hours of the budget debate on Monday Night. Since then, the picture has become viral and Cafero said he has heard from people as far away as Malaysia. This morning Cafero was on “Good Morning America” with Diane Sawyer.

“The reason why this thing has gone viral, the reason why this thing has become international news is because it captures the frustration of the public.” Cafero said. “People expect a lot of us and they sure as heck don’t expect us to be playing games when we are facing an economic and budget crisis.”

For the first time today, the Democratic Speaker of the House weighed in on the controversy and defended his two solitaire-card carrying members.

“First of all, it is a funny picture, right?” Speaker Donovan said. “If you look at the picture, actually no one is looking at the minority leader.” Donovan went on to say that maybe one person was kind of half way looking at the minority leader.

Donovan said the reason why was because it was at the end of a long 13 hour day and those two lawmakers in question, already knew how they would vote.

“You know, we’re not getting paid by the hour. We’re not State employees.” said the Speaker. “We’re here. We know what we’re doing. Is it blown out of proportion? I believe so. “

However, State Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy–didn’t see the humor in it it. He said that the two Democratic lawmakers should apologize.

“I think if speaker Donovan thinks it’s funny–well, I think the joke is going to be on him in 2010.” Healy said.

Meanwhile, the two Democrats under the microscope are keeping their cards close to their chests on this one. Representative Barbara Lambert, a great-grandmother serving her first term, has not made a public statement. Assistant Majority Leader Jack Hennessey, who represents Bridgeport, did not return calls seeking comment.