Cuts had to be made and so simple things like closing an educational and historic icon like the Old State House was an easy selection, whereas tougher choices that included annual raises for tenured UCONN employees, http://ctmirror.org/2016/06/22/a-few-top-uconn-officials-get-hefty-pay-increases-despite-tough-times/ special interest groups, major city grants and perks, transportation growth plans that never make any notable improvements but continue to feed perhaps the hungriest mouth in Connecticut, were stricken off the list in what was once known as “the Constitution State.” Liberals here have long preferred its second nickname, “the Nutmeg State” which is much better as it stands now, especially when one drops the ‘meg.’
Yale University, Connecticut’s Ivy League college has made national news recently as the once fine institution which continues to back down to demands by young students who feel it’s their right to dictate in today’s social makeup what the academic program should consist of – or not. Apparently, classic English authors like Shakespeare, Eliot and Milton are being described by this minority group as “dead white men” who “create a culture that is hostile to students of color.” http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/2/yale-students-white-male-writers-hostile-culture/
The Connecticut General Assembly has also become more and more lenient in terms of its “Early Release Programs” that allow felons to get out of prison much sooner than their original sentences. Prison guards were another cut from this session’s budget since they are not needed anymore, with fewer and fewer prisoners to watch over every day. Many of the early-released inmates had records which included assault, rape and burglary. Early on when this legislation passed, the test period quickly showed it was a failure with these newly released criminals, immediately returning to a life of crime. http://www.myrecordjournal.com/News/TopNews/5512239-154/republicans-blast-early-release-program-following-southington-death.html
The Old State House, which first opened in 1792, was purportedly designed by architect Charles Bulfinch, and designated a national landmark in 1960. It is something the liberal legislators down at the Capitol, could easily dispense with in terms of financing, and in terms of satisfying their supporters who continue to fight to erase America’s forefather’s from our currency, to call for statues of our finest Presidents to be taken down and even for classic movies like “White Christmas” to be deemed offensive and either stricken from airplay or remade.
Despite all the bizarre, unbalanced and inflamed politics that exist today, in Connecticut, throughout the country and the world, something as informative and inspiring as the Old State House in Connecticut should not be closed. For many children, it is a field trip that first opens their eyes to the wonders of history and the lessons behind it. For adults who revisit either with their own children, to attend an event or take in an exhibit, the Old State House has always made a case for why it was an important museum and fixture of downtown Hartford.
On May 3rd of 2011, an original copy of the July 4th, 1776 Declaration of Independence was made available for viewing at the Old State House. Writing for Ameriborn News, an on-line news site based in Connecticut, I covered this story. It was a thrill to stand in front of the document and read it line by line.
Americans and all people who cherish freedom and liberty should remember this Independence Day and what July 4th really means, and what had to transpire to make the United States what it is today, even if it means including voices of dissent who don’t really understand they are fighting against something that gave them this privilege. Let’s hope the Old State House reopens soon and that current and future generations can learn from all the vast information that it contains within its walls.
Juliana Simone in the Old State House with the Declaration of Independence, May 2011 {All photos in this article by Juliana Simone except photo of Simone by William Landers}
{Editor’s Note: Still searching, but at the time of this post I’m unable to find the original article I wrote about this event at the Old State House. Over the years, writing for Ameriborn News, when the site would suddenly be taken down, some articles would be lost if not backed up yet at the time. Still have the photos, however, and if anyone wants to see the two-headed calf from the mammal room, I’ll post my photo but here’s a link about the small room on the top floor: http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/museum-natural-other-curiosities }
Ameriborn News Exclusive Interview with U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty
Written by Juliana Simone
Kent, CT – Connecticut’s Fifth Congressional District Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (D-5) who took over this formerly held seat by her fellow party member Connecticut U.S. Senator Chris Murphy after the 2012 elections, was speaking to a small circle of constituents in Litchfield County about some of the issues that came up this Saturday afternoon on her “Congress in Your Corner” tour. A beautiful May afternoon allowed the United States Representative to stay and mingle with a handful of interested constituents who reside in one of the districts forty-one towns.
“I was delighted to see so many people show up today,” she told the group. Congresswoman Esty was pleased there were a variety of topics that were a mix of local, state, federal and environmental issues, among them Bulls Bridge and the Appalachian Trail which are pertinent to the area. In regards to the Appalachian Trail which runs 2,181 miles from Maine to Georgia, concerns about unsupervised swimming where there was a recent fatality, parking, safety and trash were discussed.
The Appalachian Trail is mostly maintained by the National Park Service one Esty and a member of the circle concluded but Esty asserted if the parking spaces were on a state road then this would be a state issue. A man told the Congresswoman the newly created parking spaces were for CL&P so she wondered if this then was deeded land or an easement and concluded that state, local, federal and non-profits will have to figure this out.
Before departing the group, she was asked about Statico, and whether this had been resolved, and U.S. Representative Esty replied she would have to get them an update and reminded them a couple of people had asked about this today in her appearance at the Kent Memorial Library.
With time constraints where the Congresswoman had scheduled to look at local artist paintings before leaving Kent, she excused herself and then gave Ameriborn News Network some of her time. Here is a transcription of the two questions asked of Representative Esty and her responses along with the accompanying video of the interview:
Juliana Simone: Congresswoman, can I ask you a couple of questions?
Rep. Esty: Well, it depends…
Juliana Simone: Well, they’re different subjects but I was just wondering…
Rep. Esty: I’m sorry. You’re with whom?
Juliana Simone: Ameriborn News.
Rep. Esty: Okay.
Juliana Simone: We endorsed you over Donovan in Campaign 2012…(Esty laughs)
Earlier this week, you had to return some campaign donations from Northeast Utilities involving you and your husband (because of him) being the DEEP commissioner in CT…Are you going to return the rest of the individual donations that Jon Lender mentioned in the Courant?
{A toddler rides his scooter between the interviewer and Esty and Esty asks him, “are you going through?” She says, “He’s enjoying his scooter,}
Rep. Esty: Um, No. The NU made a decision it was an (obstruction) but I have worked in the field of energy and environmental issues for a long time. I served well before my husband’s appointment. I served on the Energy and Technology Committee and the folks are aware of my work there…
Juliana Simone: At the House?
Rep. Esty: In the House of Representatives here in the state of Connecticut…and that’s firm support from people over the years in communities and around the country…and a lot of those folks are people elsewhere around the country who are very concerned about having knowledgeable people in Congress who are making national – {ed.: indiscernible} to address these national, and frankly, international concerns.
And, about the death penalty…I know that you’re against the death penalty, so I was wondering, you know, unfortunately, the Fifth Congressional district in Connecticut had two of our most heinous national stories about murder – with Cheshire and the home invasion, and then our Newtown Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy…Now, I know you voted against the death penalty when you were a state representative and that included the Cheshire home invasion gentlemen, and now, if the Sandy Hook shooter…
Rep. Esty: I’m not answering any hypothetical about that, you know?
Juliana Simone: But I was wondering if he didn’t commit suicide, and he was found and convicted would you have voted for the death penalty against him?
Rep. Esty: “I gotta tell you I don’t answer any hypotheticals about that, you know…my job is focused at this point on representing Newtown and all of the citizens of (that) district…and trying to make sensible gun control laws and gun safety laws so that we minimize the risk of any other communities going through what happened in their communities…
and today we had a number of gun owners who came to speak to me and we also had a very good conversation – because there is so much misinformation. Part of the problem right now is there’s a lot of heat but not a lot of light about what’s happening…about we need to have real information about what the safety laws are and what those proposals would do…and I think if people look at them they’ll see how sensible they are and how important it is to get this done, to save the lives of children every day…
and police officers every day are just making sure that all of the law abiding gun owners are going through background checks, too…and so does everybody else…so they can’t choose to avoid going through a background check…which is what allow right now…and that’s just bullsh*t…”
The press liaison for Congresswoman Esty interjected there was no more time as she had to go view the paintings of the local artists.
The follow up question to Rep. Esty given more time would have asked about all of the gun owners who aren’t law abiding and do not go through background checks to acquire their weapons but hopefully both our state and federal legislators will include this issue in their future discussions, proposals and legislation.
U.S. Senate Candidate August Wolf Petitioning to Primary
Written by Juliana Simone
May 11th, 2016
Hartford, CT –
Arguably, for all of America, the best thing Trump and Sanders have done for the general public today, is awaken them to how the political insider system works and why their vote prior to Election Day, doesn’t matter in terms of who they want to see become the next President of the United States. I’ve been saying this for weeks.
For the newly informed Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders backers who have only recently learned about conventions, delegates and super-delegates, when it comes to who their nominee will be regardless of how people voted in state primaries, our own Connecticut Republican Party’s state convention held on Monday evening is a good example of the process.
Delegates who volunteer or who win by a majority vote usually through their party’s town committee, but less often through a popular vote as a town registered party member who does not sit on the committee, are by large, a group of party members who toe the line. In Connecticut, 79 of the super delegates are members of the republican caucus in the General Assembly and the rest are members of the State Central Committee.
This is because most delegates are affiliated in some way with the party leadership – whether it’s as an elected official serving a municipality, state house or state senate district, or as a town committee chair, officer, staff worker at the capitol, or seasonal campaign staff member. There is a minority who does not belong to this group, but for the opportunity to experience a state convention for the first time, perhaps, the appointed delegates usually agree to vote for who they are told to vote for by those appointing them. There may be a few renegades here and there, of course, but they won’t be asked back.
With the presumed Republican nominee New York businessman Donald Trump, beating out all of the other original seventeen challengers which included many respected sitting and former Governors and Senators, who were also seeking the title of the next President of the United States, as well as a retired brain surgeon and retired CEO who was the only female in the group, Trump learned a little late in the game that the party nomination was not just a matter of winning the most state primaries, vote totals cast or delegates.
Businessman and Republican Presidential candidate 2016 Donald Trump
On the Democrat front, Vermont U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, is the equal to Trump, as someone who entered his party’s race but was expected to go nowhere. As with Trump, he lit up his party on the campaign stump, bringing out huge crowds at his rallies and events. He was considered by his party leadership as someone who would just serve as a vehicle in debates for the presumed nominee, former First Lady, New York U.S. Senator and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, to allow his opponent to make her comments look more moderate and put her in the middle. Sanders quickly showed among his voters, especially the millennials, he had the popularity and appeal Clinton has never been able to achieve.
Clinton was the presumptive nominee in 2008, but a new freshman Illinois U.S. Senator Barack Hussein Obama, quickly swept registered Democrat’s away, along with the unaffiliated and even some Republicans, who in casting their vote, despite feeling proud to help elect the first African American, just found him more likable.
As it stands today, Sanders has won 19 states in primaries to Mrs. Clinton’s 23 – something unimaginable to the Democrat leadership initially. Maybe more notably, Sanders has won the last ten of the fifteen primaries held in the U.S.
Sanders, a proclaimed socialist, actually resonates more with voters than Mrs. Clinton. Despite the resume full of titles, but thin on accomplishments made while holding these positions, she continues to showcase this paper a second time around, yet her connection to voters largely falls flat.
Donald Trump, despite any verbal gaffe according to the politically correct, which is then repeated ad nauseam by the mainstream media, has prevailed to outlast and out survive every opponent regardless of credentials, history or message. Voters have noticed finally how the many problems with Mrs. Clinton and her past with every title she’s worn, have been muted by the media, including her own consistent verbal gaffe’s that come out as regularly as Trump’s.
Back to Connecticut where its Republican State Convention was held Monday evening, and where it was quite clear how candidates get the nod at their conventions.
Dan Carter (R-2), a state representative in the Connecticut General Assembly, getting the nomination among delegates made up of a majority of party colleagues, is comparable to August Wolf, a former Olympian, getting the nomination among delegates made up of a majority of Olympic team members.
Though Wolf has been working for almost a year to earn the nomination, and has raised five hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars in his effort to beat incumbent U.S. Senator and former Connecticut Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal, he’s also put in two hundred thousand dollars of his own money to show his commitment to this cause. Monday’s winning nominee, State Representative Dan Carter, had managed to raise six thousand dollars pre-convention and post announcement.
Wolf says, in his own words, he is not a rich man. Certainly, compared to many recent Republican federal candidates selected at the CT state conventions like World Wrestling Federation’s wife of Vince McMahon, in back to back U.S. Senate races the multi-millionaire lost both times by the same notable percentage points.
One of the most glaring examples of convention tinkering from the establishment is the Republican race for the U.S. Senate nomination between former U.S. Congressman and retired U.S. Army Colonel, Rob Simmons. Going into the 2010 convention, Simmons was assured of a win on the first ballot. Once McMahon achieved enough votes to primary, the “switching” began until the numbers for McMahon finally beat out the experienced and respectable Simmons.
Former U.S. Congressman Rob Simmons (CT-2), retired Army Colonel and First Selectman of Stonington.
If the right person had been nominated, many don’t doubt Simmons would have beaten Blumenthal in the Senate race, and for the first time since Congressman Chris Shays was voted out as the last Republican in all of New England still serving in D.C., a Republican would have been sent back to Washington. For the record, Shays was the opponent in the second race where McMahon hoped to become a United States Senator, and he fell victim to the same negative advertising and lack of support from the party as Simmons.
It is the same with the entire sitting federal democrat delegation in Washington that represents Connecticut. All five congressional districts are represented by democrats, Congressman Larson (serving since 1999) and Congresswoman DeLauro (serving since 1991) the most tenured, and both U.S. Senate seats are also represented by Democrats, former Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and former Congressman Chris Murphy.
The Republican Party leadership and establishment, clearly choose the wrong candidates time and time again at the state conventions time and time again. Whether it’s the money that motivates their bad decisions, as with McMahon, who spent 100 million dollars over two campaigns to lose to both Blumenthal and Murphy, but provided many jobs to Republicans, or whether it’s promoting one of their own in the General Assembly over an outsider, either choice remains ineffective. They can orchestrate the convention, and believe they’ve won once again with the choices they’ve made, but their record produces nothing more than one big zero with federal candidates. It’s not always the candidates fault. Many complain they received no help from the party once earning the nomination, but this is usually from the newcomers who have no affiliation with the party establishment.
For candidate August Wolf*, a proud father of four wonderful adult children, three in college and one about to enter her freshman year in college after finishing high school, he has personal priorities that take a toll on his income. Your children come first for most people, and Wolf’s are all achievers. But apparently this is not enough for the Connecticut leadership to endorse him. They cited dramatic issues with his campaign and even made condescending remarks about his qualifications, saying someone who just threw shot put in the Olympics, was hardly enough….maybe they prefer wrestling. Wolf, a business leader, after his Olympic career and a graduate of Princeton University, qualifies more than some of the candidates the CT GOP has promoted. He even received high approval ratings in the polls, a rarity for any Republican in CT.
August Wolf, CT U.S. Senate Candidate 2016
Arguments for not choosing Wolf, and throwing in Connecticut State Representative, Dan Carter one month before the convention, was the drama the Wolf campaign produced. One, was a personal relationship between staff members, that Wolf knew nothing about, and two, interestingly, came from someone party leadership themselves interjected into his campaign for a decent monthly fee. A State Senator suggested Wolf hire his friend as his Campaign Manager if he wanted to get anywhere with his candidacy.
Not knowing any better, or who any of these people were, as is often the case with all new entries into the political field, he did so, and this move also proved to be a problem. The referred hire left Wolf as soon as it seemed well-known CNBC conservative television host Larry Kudlow might enter the race for U.S. Senate in Connecticut. He told Wolf that he needed to move on to a race that could win.
As any true athlete would do, the former Olympian kept running, and hired reputable staff from resumes that included national winning campaigns. Together, they were all moving forward on the right track until running into the same wall as 2016 President of the United States candidates, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders find themselves.
Regardless of how voters vote on Primary Day, the delegates and party leaders will determine who their nominee is at their convention, and that is someone who is often one of their own or someone who has a great deal of money that will provide jobs to friends of the party and needed donations to GOP staff.
With Wolf earning the needed 15% to primary Monday evening, actually even originally having 17%, a third candidate whose run for two offices prior to this without success in 2004 and 2010, seventy-year old Jack Orchulli, had someone make a motion for him to take the stage to address the delegates, which was seconded with some inaudible grunt from the back row but accepted. Taking the stage, as if he was a party uniter and the man of the hour, he asked all of the delegates who casted votes for him this evening to give them now to State Representative Dan Carter.
State Rep. Dan Carter (l) and Jack Orchulli (r) CT State Convention 2016
Allegedly, it’s reported that he has said his sole goal in joining the race late and running was to prevent August Wolf from receiving the nomination. Those analyzing this now after the fact, wonder if Orchulli’s entrance in the race wasn’t a canard in the first place, and was a placement just to set up this whole event where knowing he’d never get the nomination, could take votes from Wolf and then throw them to Carter during the convention.
In case these votes weren’t enough to take away Wolf’s 17% to below the needed 15% to qualify for a primary, the famous “switching” or Act II at conventions took place, known now to those following Trump, as the second ballot.
The usual party loyalists ran up to the microphone to announce their delegations switches from Wolf to Carter. For the record, our delegation never “switches” and remains true to their original casted vote. In terms of election law, if anything should be looked into or stricken from the books, it’s “switching.” A totally false concept which either allows party members who temporarily strayed to move back into the fold for re-admittance, or for the rules committee or establishment to call the shots, and achieve the outcome they’ve planned all along.
This convention in itself was a first of a kind, in that under a newly elected state chair, the U.S. Senate candidate videos which used to be produced and shown to delegates before voting, were not allowed. More strikingly, the traditional projection screen that has always hung behind the stage to show the counts of delegates as they were announced for each candidate and what number their percentage was as the voting went on, was nowhere to be seen. Delegates were left in the dark as to which candidate had x amount of votes and what their percentage was as votes were cast.
The chair quickly offered to the convention that they could just load or click an app on their phone and follow along. If a delegate was a senior who didn’t use apps, or was someone who couldn’t afford an expensive mobile phone to provide this app, or was someone who didn’t have the app loaded going into the convention, among other possibilities, then a large portion of the delegation was blacked out. People just stared at the one or two people on stage who seemed able enough to punch in numbers on their laptops as they came in as reported from the five congressional districts.
Another change of note was where delegation Captains no longer were required to hand in a paper form that checked rows to show how many of their delegates were for which candidate. This paper record now no longer needed, apparently whatever was said in the microphone was fine. The party leadership keeping track got it. The only paper they did take was the “switching” forms at the end. Perhaps they believed this might be some cause of concern so hard copies were necessary.
With two congressional nominations that were contentious, in the Fifth, where an exceptional and conservative candidate Bill Stevens*, did not achieve enough to primary, and the win went to party-endorsed Sherman First Selectman Clay Cope. Stevens, who entered late, said in his words, when he saw who the choices were that would go up against incumbent Elizabeth Esty, he felt he had to enter the race. Negative literature about Stevens was even left on every Fifth District delegates chair prior to the vote, something normally not allowed. In the Second, conservative Daria Novak, the candidate who has run twice before and lost, squeaked out a win for a third try over newcomer and challenger Ann Brookes by 5 votes. First District Matthew Corey will run again against John Larson; Angel Cadena, Jr. will run against DeLauro in the Third; and John Shaban will take on incumbent Jim Himes in the Fourth.
Veteran CNBC host Larry Kudlow addressing delegates at the Connecticut Republican State Convention 2016
The only highlight of the evening was Larry Kudlow’s speech to the convention. People had been asked to pay to hear him at a fundraising event before the gavel at 4PM not knowing he was going to address the whole delegation for free later where he addressed the entire delegation from the stage. Nevertheless, despite this ruse, Kudlow gave a sincere and passionate speech which left him so emotional in closing, he fought tears to stress his love for his country and concern for its future.
Post-convention, August Wolf, made the decision to petition his way on to the ballot and collect the needed signatures to primary. If party members respect the process, they should not slander Wolf now for this choice. In terms of election law, and the process, this is something any candidate can decide to do. It’s their choice and their campaign.
CT Republican’s should also remember their current party Chair also chose the petition option for a former U.S. Senate candidate he was the campaign manager for in 2010.
Knowledgeable political veterans say a primary is the best thing for two new candidates facing the public – it gives them extra publicity and more name recognition. As an outsider and congressional candidate has always maintained with insight and conviction, “let the people decide.”
With what appears to be a disingenuous convention which left delegates not in the wink or in the fist-bump crowd totally disenfranchised, this convention could very well be a prelude to what lies ahead in Ohio for both Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Bernie Sanders, despite their numbers, money and popularity.
Donald Trump? Bernie Sanders? Take note.
http://www.ctv13.net/ – tab Watch Online; search “Conservative Chat” episodes #105 to watch half-hour interview with Bill Stevens; episode #106 to watch half-hour interview with August Wolf.
The upcoming Connecticut primary in a poll released today by Emerson College, showed 50% of state Republicans likely to vote for businessman Donald J. Trump. Ohio Governor John Kasich, who has one won state (Ohio) comes in second with 26% with the highest favorable rate among all candidates. Texas U.S. Senator is placed third at 17%. Six percent remain undecided.
Former SOS Hillary Clinton still leads Vermont U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders with a 49% lead over his 46%. Sanders holds a higher favorable view among voters, however.
“Conservative Chat” – Bill Stevens and Barkhamsted RTC Chair Juliana Simone discuss Bill’s well-rounded background, his stance on immigration, the Second Amendment, National defense, the Supreme Court nomination to replace the irreplaceable Justice Scalia, the Fifth Congressional election history, why Bill believes he is the best choice to receive the Fifth District nomination at the upcoming Republican State Convention, and energy.
This interview will repeat next Thursday, April 14th, at 7PM on Charter Cable Channel 191. For those who are not Charter Communications subscribers, or who live outside the viewing area, this program can be seen online at www.ctv13.net after this coming Monday. Click on the “Watch Online” tab on the upper right and if the latest episode is not on the home page, put “Conservative Chat” in the search bar.
Winsted, CT- watch Right Principles co-founder and fourth congressional district grass roots leader Bob MacGuffie and Barkhamsted Republican Town Committee Chairman and host Juliana Simone, as they discuss in his second appearance upcoming congressional races in the fourth and fifth districts, as well as the Governor’s race; the tea party and the insiders; the recent successful municipal elections for the Republican party and any reflection on Connecticut voters for future state and federal seat gains; Governor Malloy — his record and Bob’s challenge to the Governor to have a debate, and the state and federal budgets.
The bad news keeps coming for Congressional Fifth District Democrat candidate state House Speaker Christopher Donovan. With more federal arrests yesterday taking in six other people for illegal campaign fundraising, after the initial arrest of Donovan’s former campaign finance director, Robert Braddock, Jr. in May, now charged a second time, the FBI is still continuing its investigation. Though some political pundits and rival candidates made statements after Braddock’s arrest that Donovan should drop out of the race, Donovan held fast and said he would be continuing his bid for Congress. He even hired someone to investigate Braddock’s activities to show he knew nothing about them.
Thursday afternoon after the news broke, Donovan briefly appeared before press at the Capitol reading a statement that proclaimed his innocence but he refused to take questions when finished. With Thursday’s arrests, the party endorsed candidate becomes even less likely to be the right choice on August 14th’s primary day, for both voters and Democrat leaders.
This is both good news and bad news for the four Republican candidates competing for the spot on the November ballot. It’s good news if the perceived front runner has to drop out due to scandal, but its bad news because there go all those easy talking points in debates and television ads. Files with anti-Donovan material in them have been sitting in rival campaign computers for months, and with the possibility of his departure, all of that good stuff will have to be tossed. Pre-printed campaign literature will have to head for dumpsters.
Donovan, known for his union ties was an easy target for more fiscal and business oriented Republicans. Connecticut’s stagnant economy has made more and more voters take notice of the effect the untouchable unions have in our state and how it affects them as taxpayers. Add corruption to Donovan, and he is a very flawed candidate in November if he remains on the ballot, which is clearly beneficial for whichever Republican becomes his challenger.
What’s bad for Republicans, is if Elizabeth Esty wins the nomination on Primary Day. Her being the congressional candidate in November would make this a very different race. She will be much harder to beat for many reasons. She is a moderate Democrat, something more difficult to find these days in Washington and more so in Connecticut, as the states’ democrat majority continues to push them out. If Connecticut does have to remain “blue” she would be a refreshing addition to the five democrat held congressional seats in Washington, as a second female who couldn’t be more in contrast with the only woman serving Connecticut in congress right now, Rosa DeLauro, who is extremely left wing.
Elizabeth Esty served in the state legislature as a state representative and therefore is familiar with the legislative process and has been elected by voters before. She earned a reputation in the Connecticut General Assembly as a deficit hawk, voting against the budget and holding her party leaders accountable for over spending. She even took a 10% pay cut to help save taxpayers money. She also fought hard on education bills.
An attorney, she is well educated and holds two degrees – one from Harvard and a law degree from Yale. As a mother of three, the Cheshire resident, has always been active in her church, schools and many other community organizations. She has likeability and political connections that help get legislation passed.
If I were a democrat voting on August 14th, I would vote for Elizabeth Esty. I’m saying this before the Donovan campaign arrests. Donovan is someone I could never even fathom voting for nor could ever envision serving in Washington. A third democrat candidate, Dan Roberti, is new to voters but has connections through his father, a lobbyist in Washington who has helped him raise special interest money. He needs to do more before seeking high office.
Esty’s main goals as a congressional candidate are to help small business, bring back manufacturing and to create jobs. This is a democrat? These goals sound like the objectives listed on all the Republican mailers and promised during their campaign commercials. That’s what a moderate or blue dog democrat is – and why they are badly missed in both our state and in Washington. They are needed legislators who don’t vote 97% of the time with their caucus but vote across the aisle when it is the best plan proposed and will serve their constituents for the better good.
Not a social conservative, she is pro-choice and does support gay marriage. But the last female Republican and fifth district congresswoman Nancy Johnson and Governor Rell supported these personal choices, as well, as do many other Republicans and unaffiliated. It’s tough to say the majority of Connecticut voters feel differently. Even the women who agree abortion is bad, still believe there need to be pro-choice laws in place for a variety of reasons.
Many candidates and elected officials who support these views legislatively, often live very conservative lives themselves – going to church every Sunday, remaining married to their original spouse for decades, raising children, going to their kids school games, PTO meetings and town budget hearings. As a writer for Ameriborn News whose covered candidates and campaigns over the years, it’s interesting that those who oppose these things and are running as conservatives, or profess to be conservative, do not themselves engage in these traditional conservative actions or haven’t always.
Lastly, another big factor in political campaigns today, Esty’s campaign has money. A million and a half dollars – and most importantly, almost all of it is from individual donations at 96.09%. Just under $25, 000. is from PAC money compared to Donovan who has around $260, 000. in PAC money according to filings shown www.fec.gov . His campaign filing shows just over a million dollars raised, with 76.07% from individuals, but his donations are part of the FBI investigation under way.
Republican fifth congressional candidate Justin Bernier, with around $700,000. is comparable to Esty with about $27,000. in PAC money. State Senator Andrew Roraback (R-30), the party endorsed candidate, has raised over a half million dollars almost solely from individual contributions at the highest percentage of all fifth congressional candidates at 99.52%. He has received only $2,600. in PAC money. The republican candidate with the most campaign money that is equal to Esty’s, Mark Greenberg, is mostly self-funded with 84.04% in personal income invested. Roberti and Republican Lisa Wilson-Foley each have just over a million like Donovan, with Roberti showing 96.89% and Wilson Foley, another self-funded candidate, at 47.07% in individual donations.
For political insiders, reporters and enthusiasts who regularly read the FEC. GOV quarterly filings, one of the most impressive things about Esty’s contributions is she has 111 pages of them. Donovan has 79 shown. Roberti 44. Republican’s list between a dozen and just over three dozen (Bernier).
With state legislative experience, a remarkable education and career, conservative home life, and the ability to raise an impressive amount of money from individual contributions, Esty will be a much more formidable candidate for whomever Republican’s choose to be their candidate on August 14th come Election Day. Donovan’s on-going campaign finance dilemma leaves him open for constant criticism by the press and the Republican Party, making a loss in November more likely and a win a possible embarrassment down the line for the Connecticut Democrats and constituents. Esty’s win on Primary Day gives Republicans a real challenge and a win on Election Day the best it can be if it is to be a democrat held seat once again.
Commentary and Rhetoric from Politics to Entertainment
In My Vue 