The "I-Conn" Icon

The quickest way to anger a Conncticut lefty is to to refer to Joe Lieberman as "D-Conn." You must, they will point out, refer to him as "I-Conn." since he did not win re-election as a Democrat.

Never mind the fact that he considers himself a Democrat, is registered as a Democrat, caucuses with Democrats, and was the Democratic candidate for Vice President in 2000.

Lieberman continues to be the favored whipping-post of leftwing pajama-bloggers. Scarcely a day can go by when he isn't tarred and feathered on their assortment of radical weblogs. So where did Connecticut Dems and Lieberman go awry in their relationship. Perhaps the chart was plotted long ago, but Lieberman has made some remarks recently that perhaps shed some light on things from his perspective.

Today's New Haven Register did a nice front-page piece on the split. In it, Lieberman's Shar-Pei jowels wag insolently on the Democratic party "It's been effectively taken over by a small group on the left of the party that s protectionist, isolationist and very very hyperpartisan. So it pains me."

Now Lieberman is backing the Republican candidate for president, John McCain. This furthers the outrage among the lefty blogosphere.

So what's really happening here? Has Liebeman really left the Democrats, or have the Democrats left Lieberman? Perhaps a little of both. Can't we all just get along? Sniff sniff.

Gutter Ball

Dork.

More Gas on Gas from Speaker Amann

Now after seeing regular gasoline at $3.40 a gallon this morning, I am especially pleased to read in the Connecticut Post how House Speaker Jim Amann wants to raise our gas taxes to build a "world class transportation system."

That's great. Why don't you build a Westfield Shopping Center on the moon while you're at it... there will be just as many people left in Connecticut using this tremendous infrastructure improvemet as there are currently in space after all the tax increases this guy has planned for us.

Sadly, U.S.Rep Chris Shays stood with Amann to endorse this idiocy, and therefore, he should be politically skinned as well. After all, it's a real pleasure to have an unabashed tax-increaser as the lone remaining Republican Congressman in the northeast.

I am sure we all remember the way Democrats under Amann in the legislature stood in the way of the Republican effort to cut the gas tax last year? Well, that crafty Speaker attached the GOP gas tax cut to one of the versions of his tax-raising budget and when the GOP voted against it, he pointed and jumped saying he had them on record voting against their own tax cut... like anybody was retarded enough to buy that. Apart from him.

Well, not as if I really need to point this out, but apparently he was less than genuine in his offer to cut that gas tax.

So this is what we have Connecticut... our Speaker looks across this state, where you and I struggle under a tax burden he has helped create... the largest in the nation in fact, and says we aren't paying enough. This same man wants to be governor.

Go ahead Connecticut... keep voting for Democrats. Who needs money anyway?

Dumbtarded

I would like to propose a bill this year with the General Assembly. Are there any legislators out there who can help me with this?

I want to have a bill drafted that requires every person who serves in the legislature to have an IQ over 60 before they can serve. I know... you're laughing because you think that I am hoping to get rid of 80% the Democrats in one fell swoop. Not true!

While I may disagree with almost everything Democrats do, and question their motives, I actually believe that they do not do TRULY stupid things that often.

However, last week, Rep. Peter Tercyak (D-New Britain) said something that can really only be characterized as pure stupidity.

Last week Christopher Keating of the Courant reported that state revenues are expected to be between $60 million and $100 million below expectations. Tercyak, vice chair of the legislature's Appropriations Committee uttered these frightening words:

"If we have another blizzard, I'm in favor of plowing only one lane of highway and putting the rest of the money to the nonprofits."

As you can guess, Tercyak works for a non-profit, so this can be seen for the noble, selfless non-political act it surely is.

Secondly, how out of touch do you have to be to be so bent on benefitting yourself and your friends that you are willing to jeopardize public safety to accomplish it.

Congratulations New Britain... you have yourself a real genius there.

So, the way I figure it, if someone helps me get my bill passed, Tercyak will be ineligible to run again this year, and next winter we will still get all highway lanes plowed.

Always Impressive

I have always enjoyed the USMC Silent Drill Team. I hope you do too.

Burned at the High Stakes

After the 2007 legislative session concluded, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee Rep. Michael Lawlor (D-East Haven) apparently sat down to meet with a band of wiccans to talk about pardoning eleven Connecticut residents who had been executed for the crime of witchcraft in the 1600's.

Apparently Lawlor went under their spell, because the Judiciary Committee is poised to take up a bill doing just that. So, after more than 300 years, these people will finally get justice!

Naturally, we should all be relieved. The General Assembly is finally taking a position on witchcraft, one of today's most pressing issues.

Of course, yesterday, they were unable to pass a bill important to the living relatives of some people who actually died THIS century... specifically the Three Strikes bill. What the Judiciary Committee is apparently saying to us is that the declarartion of innocence for eleven people executed for witchcraft in a time when people believed having a bowel movement was an act of the Devil, and that evil spirits entered you when you sneezed, is important.

But creating tougher standards for rapists and murderers... that can certainly wait.

Two Balls, Three Strikes

Democrats in the Connecticut General Assembly are doing their best to develop a body of work to truly be ashamed of this session.

Yesterday the Judiciary Committee's Democrats defeated another "Three Strikes" measure proposed by Republicans. It went down 25-16.

The last time the Democrats defeated this bill, someone with power suggested that any Democrats voting in favor of the Republican amendment should be immediately castrated. If that policy is still in effect, two of the three Democrats voting in favor of the measure yesterday have nothing to fear, as Reps. Mary Fritz and Gail Hamm are women. However, Jeffery Berger of Waterbury may want to wear a protective device.

The real "Profiles in Courage Award" goes to Democrat Sate Senator Ed Meyer, who apparently snuck out and missed the vote, and was immediately asking questions in the committee's public hearing minutes later. He's so clever!

There was gut-wrenching testimony from Petit family members concerning this measure only days ago, begging the legislature to enact this bill. But while Connecticut Democrats want to be certain that a non-violent criminal like John Rowland gets absolutely no chance at redemption, they seem to be working hard to make sure that rapists, killers and home invaders get all the slack they can cut them.

At least we can congratulate Jefferey Berger... the only Democrat with two balls on "Three Strikes."

For the rest of them, they ought to have deep shame.

Shroud on Parade

The New Haven Register reports this morning that the dress worn by East Haven Mayor April Capone Almon at her inaugural gala last month has been donated to the East Haven Historical Society.

How wonderful to preserve East Haven's rich history! This black sheen Goth-style burlap sack will presumably go on display next to one of Mayor Hank Luzzi's armpit-sweat stained Monster Truck t-shirts, and a chunk of nicotine-scented orange shag carpet from Mayor Joe Maturo's office.

The Smithsonian will be calling. East Haven, don't sell cheap!

O blah blah

It was a much-anticipated speech which, if you ask me, accomplished the opposite of what it intended, and may end up costing the silver-tongued Obama the Democratic nomination.

This was an opportunity to distance himself from Reverend Wright, and instead he embraced him under the guise of forgiveness... the kind of forgiveness he could not see a reason to extend to someone such as Don Imus when he called for that man's termination because of his use of a racial slur.

I did not appreciate the suggetion that the Reagan coalition was built around the exploitation of racial issues. Nothing can be further from the truth. Reagan delivered a message of optimism and hope for all Americans. If Obama really wants to get these mysterious "Obam-icans" to appear, anti-Reagan rhetoric is not the way to do it.

I think it was a weak speech delivered from a defensive posture. A posture he hasn't had to take since his candidacy caught fire with liberals. He is inexperienced as a campaigner, and has a thin resume, and we are seeing that now.

Hillary smells blood... and here she comes for the kill...

Postcards from the Edge of Hypocrisy

When the long thread of history winds back upon itself, and the doings of mortal men are measured in their completeness against one another, surely none will come within metric miles of the record Rep. Chris Caruso has amassed as first among all demagogues.

It seems that if a thing will not generally offend common people, shamelessly advance himself, or assert his deluded sense of righteousness and brilliance over the common man that he clearly holds as stupid, it is not a thing worth doing.

As CT News Junkie reports today, Rep. Chris Caruso, in his capacity as Chairman of the GAE Committee, has sent a letter to the Waterbury Chamber of Commerce inquiring about their hiring of former Governor John G. Rowland. The letter, co-authored by his GAE vice chair Diana "Bullhook" Urban, asks a lot of questions they have no authority to require answers to, but culminates with an impressive assertion:

"As legislators, it is our obligation to diligently protect public funds." That is most impressive rhetoric! And a fascinating position for he and Urban to take after so heatedly advocating the use of over $10 million of these funds every campaign season to buy bumper stickers, lawn signs, postcards, and other political junk.

Yesterday, Caruso's GAE Committee discussed and approved a bill that he introduced that would establish the same standards for a court order on a new primary as a court order for a new election. Caruso introduced this bill as a result of his personal experiences in being unable to sue his way into the Bridgeport mayor's office.

The irony is, on the same day's agenda was a bill that prohibits a lobbyist from sitting on a board or commission. Presumably because they would have the very kind of conflict of interest Caruso has in introduing a bill of personal interest and benefit to him.

Life as Chris Caruso must be easy. If you win, profess superiority. If you lose, sue someone. If someone disagreees with you, question their character. Best of all, if you and someone else do the same thing, they are wrong and you are right.

Print Media Going Down the Flusher

Hooray for the New Haven Register!

Every year we are treated to more and more stupidity at the state capitol... bills about bullhooks, official state cookies, creating dog war memorials... the list goes on. Never mind the tax increases, business-killing measures and job-crushing legislation that drives young people out of our state by the truckload.

There's also the corruption there. Not just the John Rowland type, but the kinds of abuses Speaker Jim Amann has engaged in (strong-arming lobbyists for donations to the charity he works for) or the Senator Gaffey type (duking a lobbyist who works for an organization you are developing a bill to give $1 billion of state money to).

If there was ever a time when the imbeciles in Hartford need to be watched as closely as possible, it is now. So what does the New Haven Register do? They fire their one Capitol Bureau correspondent, Greg Hladky, a veteran journalist of over 20 years, so they can cut corners.

Fortunately for all of us, while Hladky is dismissed, the Register is keeping daft and inadequate writers like Randall Beach, who treats us to columns rife with the emotional sophistication of a twelve-year old girl.

Apparently the Register feels it is more important for us to read fluff about retiring barbers than to find out what the latest thing is that the state legislature is trying to do to us.

Print media is not dead yet, but boneheaded moves like this guarantee that its days are numbered. Thanks so much, New Haven Register... you really have your finger on the public pulse.

What if the Beatles were Irish?

An amusing St. Patrick's Day thought...

Big Hunters

There are definitely some fascinating bills before the Connecticut General Assembly this year, and I happened upon this interesting bill prohibiting the remote hunting of birds and animals.

It is difficult to oppose this bill, and as I see from one committee vote tally, no one is.

As I understand it, this bill was brought about by a company in another state that was selling the ability for people to hunt actual live animals over the Internet, and with a point and click, they aimed and fired a remote controlled rifle into a pen of living prey maintained by the company.

Once the deed was done, the company skinned and processed the carcass and delivered it to the "hunter."

Evidently the company claimed they were providing a service to the handicapped who could not go out for an actual hunt.

I don't think there is a gun-owner or hunter out there who could consider this actual hunting. In my experience, I have only hunted animals that have a fighting chance. Pointing a mouse into a pen of trappd animals isn't hunting, it is not sportsmanship, and it isn't humane.

That aside, do we need a bill on this? Is there a threat of this kind of thing taking off? What is the need?

It may be that the General Assembly, as usual, is creating a solution when there is no problem.

What I would support is someone creating a company where you coud watch live feed of the General Assembly in session, and for a small fee, use a point and a click of the mouse and throw pies or water balloons at legislators.

Of course, Speaker Jim Amann would never get anything done, getting pelted every three seconds. And that would be good for Connecticut in more ways than one.

Hartford Pulls Out of Iraq

I love tidbits like this. CTNEWS JUNKIE had a story recently about the Hartford City Council passing a resolution against the war in Iraq.

The story is here, and you can find the resolution here.

Finally. I know the residents of Hartford must have been clammoring for the city to develop a foreign policy, and now they have.

The genius behind this measure is Councilman Larry Deutsch, a member of the Working Families Party (the other Democrats).

The French have a phrase for this kind of activity: farting too high for your ass. While everyone of us as citizens has a right and obligation to voice our opinions on these issues, it is not for municipal government to call for the start or end to wars.

Hartford's economy is in the toilet, businesses are being strangled out of the city, and its tax base is shrinking. And what do these clowns busy themselves with? Foreign policy. How about working on trash collection, Deutsch?

But now that Hartford has a foreign policy, perhaps neighboring communities should be wary. Perhaps they want the troops home so they can invade West Hartford.

Song with a Hook

It was only a matter of time before we discovered who the hooker was that Governor Spitzer paid thousands of dollars to for the most expensive hump of his life. Now we know.

Goodness! She's a "musician." That, apparently from her MySpace page.

Also on her MySpace page, she writes: "I have been alone. I have abused drugs. I have been broke and homeless. But, I survived, on my own. I am here, in NY because of my music."

Well, music and having sex for money.

I don't really know what makes a confused person like this get where she got, but it's tough to find sympathy. On the other hand, if it wasn't her, it would just be some other hooker. The focus shouldn't be on her... the moral responsibility in this sordid tale belongs to Spitzer. Hookers are not known for morals. Ashley Dupre isn't the story.

However, she may have just found her big break... ironically, the very thing that is crushing her weird twisted world right now could land her an enormous record contract and book deal.

I mean, look at Pam Anderson. She's evidently written several books, despite being unable to read.

I suspect Ms. Dupre will be able to remain in Manhattan as long as she likes...

Russo Victory Ends Dem Supermajority. Will We Notice?

Republican Robert Russo's special election victory last night in the open 22nd State Senate district spells the technical end to the veto-proof Democratic supermajority in both chambers of the legislature.

It also means that the GOP are 3 for 3 in special election victories for state legislative seats under the new campaign finance laws that include public financing for races, having retained two Republican open seats, and now having captured an open Democratic seat.

Russo deserves congratulations on an excellent race, and hard-fought victory.

But will we notice the fall of the supermajority? The inept leadership of Don WIlliams in the State Senate, and his constant ego-fueled bickering with House Speaker James Amann have rendered the supermajority useless. No maor "progressive" initiatives have been passed. The veto-override has only been used once since they came to power in January of '07.

Liberals have gotten nothing for their efforts. Although they did just get something...another item on the long laundry list of excuses legislative Democrats have as to why they haven't done a damned thing for Connecticut.

Here Comes Visine Legislation

Apparently a student at the Oxford Academy of Hair Design in Seymour has been taken into custody after she dumped some Visine into an instructor's water bottle.

She meant to put the Visine in another student's bottle, intending to give that individual the 'ol craps and cramps.

According to the New Haven Register Olga Louniakova, 22 of East Haven was charged with attempted second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and threatening. No one drank the tainted water, as other students observed the tampering.

Evidently the act was inspired by the movie "Wedding Crashers" where Owen Wilson puts Visine in the glass of an antagonist to lay him up with diarrhea. Since seeing this movie, I did wonder if this would actually work. According to the article, the results could be far worse.

Poisoning someone with Visine constricts blood vessels, and act as a depressant, lowering blood pressure, and causing a coma-like state.

That's obviously bad. So now, do not be surprised if you see Democrats in the state legislature introduce some sort of proposal to regulate Visine, or ban movies that contain sinister pranks in them that, if repeated, could cause injury to someone.

Doubt me? Just wait...

Client Number 9

Well well well. New York's ultra progressive Democratic Governor Elliot Spitzer is in it deep.

The governor apparently has been paying for prostitutes and has been connected to a prostitution ring. As a prosecutor, Spitzer himself prosecuted two prostitution rings before becoming governor. Can you say hypocrite?

The word is that Spitzer will resign soon.

Spitzer is pretty unattractive, but you'd think a governor who wanted to cheat on his wife would be able to get stanky on his hang-down without having to run his credit card through a hooker's slot. Bill Clinton wasn't much better looking, but he was smart! He went to trailer park sluts, waitresses, hotel staff, and interns.

This sad event not only calls into question the morals of Mr. Spitzer, but the standards of today's hookers.

Death of a Supermajority

Tomorrow could give us the death blow of the Democratic Supermajority in the Connecticut General Assembly.

The special election will be held tomorrow for the seat vacated by Democrat Bill Finch, after he cruelly stole Chris Caruso's birthright through the crudity of a legitimate electoral victory.

The two candidates for the 22nd District,which includes Trumbull, Monroe and Bridgeport, are Republican Robert Russo, and Democrat Thomas Mulligan. According to the Connecticut Post, Russo wants to make property tax relief a central feature of his efforts at the capitol, supporting Governor M. Jodi Rell's proposed property tax cap. Mulligan is campaigning to advocate for needy children.

What? Look, helping needy children is all well and fine, but do you really run a senate campaign on that kind of thing?

If Mulligan wants to do that kind of thing, he can always play Daddy Warbucks and hand a plate of chicken out his back door to Little Orphan Annie... after all, when Democrats talk about helping the needy, they really mean they want to help perpetuate the poverty they live on so their social programs never expire.

Russo appears to be campaigning on adult issues that are relevant to the district. Should Russo win, the Democrats' veto-proof margin in the state senate would be gone. Then, I suspect, liberals will have an excuse to expect even less from the greatest do-nothing General Assembly in over a quarter century.

Interestingly, should Republicans win tomorrow, the GOP will be 3 for 3 in special elections since 2006.

The Battle Continues

I am delighted this morning. One the eve of every primary day this season, the pundits talk about how that day's events will determine the outcome of the Democratic race, and give us a certain nominee. After last night's comeback victories for Hillary Clinton in Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island, the race for the Democratic nomination continues.

Hillary now claims she is "Going all the way!" The last time a Clinton promised that in a race for the White House, there were Arkansas state troopers trying to cover it up.

CNN's coverage was delightful last night. They showed Hillary's wins in light blue, and Obama's wins in dark blue. Hmph. Sounds racist to me.

As I have said before, I want to see a Democratic primary that lasts as long as possible, drains as much campaign cash from each Democrat for as long as possible, and causes Obama and Clinton to spend more time attacking each other than going on the offense against the GOP.

John McCain, while he certainly wasn't my choice in the GOP field, has sown up the Republican nomination with last night's wins. While I don't agree with a lot of McCain's positions on a number of things, he is a far better candidate than either Democrat. I would like to see him have more time to focus on the general election while the Democrats focus on each other.