Brilliant: Connecticut Governor Wants to Raise Gas Tax

Hey, the poor schlubs in this wall-to-wall Democrat state just aren't paying their fair share, I guess. I mean, all he wants is a mere three extra cents a gallon on top of the 25 cents they're already hitting the people up for. This is such a brilliant plan I'm surprised Obama and his merry band of Congressional idiots haven't come up with this idea on the national level. So the governor is scratching his pointy head wondering how anyone could object.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy often defends his proposal to raise Connecticut's gas tax amid skyrocketing prices at the pumps by arguing the extra money is needed to fix the state's roads and bridges.

But the idea of tacking on another three cents to the state's 25-cent-per-gallon excise tax isn't sitting well with members of the Democratic governor's own party, or with many motorists.

"This is not the time, that's for sure," said Fred Smith of Columbia, after spending more than $28 to buy just seven gallons of gasoline for his pick-up truck last week. "The roads aren't going to get any better by hiking the gas three cents. ... There are so many people on unemployment right now. What are you going to do?"

What are you going to do? Go to Rhode Island to buy gas.

Right now the national average for a gallon of regular gas is $3.91, up two cents from yesterday.

In Connecticut the average is $4.20 a gallon.

The high gas prices in the state has people living along Connecticut's border traveling to Rhode Island for cheaper gas.

The price difference is significant. Compared to a nearby Connecticut station, a station in Westerly Rhode Island is 23 cents cheaper and offers a twenty cents savings. It's enough to get Conor Gleason to cross the state line for fill ups.

"It's definitely cheaper than my town I know, I was at the gas station in my town today and I went by and it was $4.25, so it's saving a quarter over here, so it gives me another reason to come," says Gleason of North Stonington.

Update: Apparently the madness has spread to Maryland. Gee, these Democrats are really in touch with reality.

Anti War Representative Denies Army Reserve A Training Base

First a bone to pick with the newspapers in Connecticut, come on guys put the party affiliation along with the name. I know you take it for granted everybody knows that only Dems get elected in your neck of the woods, but on the off chance somebody from out of state does stop by do us a favor.

Okay with that being said, the Army reserve want to build a training center on a piece of property near the town of Danbury. Now this isn't the sort of training center you normally think of when you think Army. It wasn't going to be used for shooting weapons or messing with things that go boom, but rather it was going to be a learning center with a motor pool.

Well Mr "I support the troops but not the mission" Murphy wasn't going to have any of that. He contacted the Army and leaned on them to reconsider acquiring this piece of land and building a reserve center there. Now the article says the matter of center has been cause for concern in the city of Danbury, which probably means some left wing idjit wrote a strongly worded letter to the editor.

Murphy, who serves the Fifth Congressional District, said the military agreed to the concession after a "lengthy" meeting he had with Army officials last week in Washington.

"I made it clear to them that they had to look at other options," Murphy said Wednesday. "This is a significant concession on their part. It's pretty unprecedented for the military to step back from a proposal they could have easily moved forward with."

He added, however, that he had "strong words" with the military and they "recognized it would be difficult to move forward without the congressman or mayor on board. But ultimately the Army can do this with or without my or the city's support."

Rep. Chris Murphy (CT-05)
Uploaded by Scarce. -

And that boys and girls is how decisions related to national security are made. I hope the Army moves the whole damn thing out of state and locates it somewhere more appreciative and friendly.

Lying Lowlife Blumenthal's Lead in Senate Race Vanishes Overnight

It appears the sane people of Connecticut aren't buying the drivel offered up by serial liar Dick Blumenthal. What was a 13-point lead over Linda McMahon the other day has disappeared and is now just a three-point edge, withing the margin of error. His once formidable lead over Rob Simmons and Peter Schiff has already drastically shrunk since news came out he is a serial fabricator who's been lying his ass off the past 30 years.

Following a New York Times report that he exaggerated his military record, Democratic Senate hopeful Richard Blumenthal has lost ground in match-ups against all his potential Republican challengers in Connecticut.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Connecticut finds Blumenthal with just a three-point advantage over Linda McMahon, 48% to 45%. Two weeks ago, he led the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment by 13 percentage points. The New York Times story broke late Monday; the survey was taken Tuesday evening.

Since Democrats apparently don't mind having liars in their midst, for now they're sticking by him, but once Blumenthal is trailing Republicans they'll surely jettison him out of political expediency. Every statement of his in the public eye will now be pored over and you can almost be assured more "misplace words" (a/k/a lies) are sure to surface.

It's time for this windbag to go.

In a press conference yesterday, Blumenthal bravely and selflessly took "full responsibility" for "a few misplaced words" that caused him to repeatedly lie about his own military service.

You see, a lifetime of talking incessantly -- often about yourself -- in return for applause and a good paycheck leads to another grave malady that strikes many politicians.

They become delusional and start actually thinking that they did brilliantly serve in Vietnam. And that their service manning a stapler -- a dangerous object in untrained hands, you know -- really does give them the right to claim valiant service alongside America's soldiers.

Well, the time now has come for Blumenthal to finally serve his nation honorably. And for real. He should quit the race.

Spin This, Dick

Attempts at damage control are already underway for the disgraced Connecticut Attorney General Richard (Dick) Blumenthal. But there's just no ambiguity here. He says he served in Vietnam and he didn't. Some things you just can't spin, try as hard as you might.

Previewing a campaign event tomorrow, Myers wrote that "Dick has a long record of standing up for veterans. Tomorrow, veterans will be standing up with Dick."

Dick may have a long record, but how will we know those standing up for Dick are actual veterans? Can we get a check of their records, Dick?

Assorted reaction here this morning.

While the Linda McMahon campaign is taking credit for feeding the info to the Times, it's worth noting GOP contender Rob Simmons actually served in Vietnam.

Rob’s public service career began when he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1965 as a Private, and spent 19 months in Vietnam where he earned two Bronze Star Medals. Rob continued his military service in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Military Intelligence Officer, retiring as a Colonel in 2003 with over 37 years of active and reserve service.

He is past commander of the 434th Military Intelligence (MI) Detachment New Haven, CT, which won the Reserve Officers Association’s Outstanding Small Unit Award in 1996. In 1998, Rob was recognized by for his contributions to the Military Intelligence Corps with the Knowlton Award for "Integrity, Moral Character, Professional Competence and Selflessness.”

Replacement candidates for Blumenthal are already being mentioned.

A New York Times report Monday night that Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal had lied about serving in Vietnam had pundits and pollsters across the nation speculating about the impact that it will have on an already tough mid-season election for Democrats.

Speculation immediately turned to Northwest Connecticut’s local congressman, 5th District U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, as a possible “replacement” candidate should this revelation be a death blow for the Blumenthal campaign.

An organization called Public Policy Polling tested Murphy against potential Republican nominees Linda McMahon and Rob Simmons in early January. He led both by 7 points, but the organization said the poll basically functioned as “generic Democrat” against McMahon or Simmons since Murphy has “low name recognition” statewide.

Sandwich King Hanging Up His Apron

The announcement Tuesday that North Dakota Democrat Byron Dorgan was retiring caught many Democrats by surprise. Well, today's new that Chris "Sandwich King" Dodd has cut and run will be a mighty blow to Democrat prospects this November.

Connecticut Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, a five-term Democrat whose political stock began falling after the financial meltdown and his failed 2008 presidential bid, has decided not to seek reelection in November, Democratic officials said early today.

Word of Dodd's retirement came hours after North Dakota Democrat Byron L. Dorgan, 67, announced he would not run for reelection. Republicans stand a good chance of taking Dorgan's seat, but Dodd's could stay with the Democrats. Although Dodd was personally unpopular, President Obama won Connecticut handily in 2008.

Dodd was expected to make an announcement today. The officials who disclosed his plans would speak only on condition of anonymity. The Washington Post first reported his decision on its website.

Dodd, 65, is chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, which was at the center of efforts to deal with the economic meltdown. He also has played a prominent role in the healthcare debate.

Dodd has taken heat for a discounted VIP mortgage loan he got from a subprime lender and has consistently trailed potential GOP challenger Rob Simmons in Connecticut polls. Simmons, a former House member, has his own challenger in World Wrestling Entertainment co-founder Linda McMahon, who is also seeking the Republican nomination for Dodd's seat.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is expected to quickly announce he'll seek the Democrat nomination.

Given Dodd's bad poll standing, other Democrats have gone out of their way to give him the spotlight in hopes he could recover before November.

With Dodd stepping aside, Democrats can now try to recruit a more popular candidate to run in the Democratic-leaning state, bolstering the prospects of thwarting a Republican victory. Among the early favorites to replace Dodd is longtime Connecticut state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who is seen as one of the state's most popular politicians.

"Republicans thought they might steal this seat, but now they should probably look elsewhere," said Roy Occhiogrosso, a veteran Democratic strategist in Connecticut and a Dodd supporter. "This is Dick Blumenthal's race. People in Connecticut know who he is. They know the work he's done. They know he can go to Washington and continue the same kind of work."

It's quite possible nutroots darling Ned Lamont may give it another shot although he may now be facing spending restrictions in Connecticut.

Conencticut is a reliably blue state and Dodd's quitting may actually enhance their chances of keeping the seat considering Simmons has more garnered support out of disgust with Dodd while McMahon carries more than enough baggage considering her background.

With Dodd and Dorgan running for the hills, what other longtime Democrats facing problems might consider retirement? Might the passage of ObamaCare give Dingy Harry a convenient reason to call it a day?

When Democrats Attack: Connecticut Alderman Beats Fiancee With Baseball Bat

Naturally since this thug is a Democrat you have to dig around to find a news account actually labeling him as such.

An Ansonia Alderman resigned from his post two days before he was charged with beating his bride-to-be with a baseball bat.

Keith Maynard, a Democrat, faces second degree assault, unlawful restraint and reckless endangerment. He avoided questions from the media while leaving court today, but the victim, who is now his wife, spoke of the betrayal.

"I love my husband more than anything and to know that five days later was my wedding and he could do that and go through with the wedding. I was very surprised," said Ida Maynard.

In court today, the judge issued a protective order, ordering him to have no contact with his wife. News Channel 8 was there as he removed his belongings from their Cook Street home. Maynard has also removed himself from office, submitting his resignation letter August 18 after serving 10 years as an Alderman.

"I'm surprised and saddened. I'm a guy who can usually talk a lot and I'm just speechless," said Stephen Blume, President, Board of Alderman.

The alleged assault happened back in July. Ida had returned home and was attacked by a masked man who was waiting inside. She was knocked to the ground, covered with a blanket and hit with a baseball bat. The assailant then fled out the back door.

"I lived my life in fear every night and to think I was in a house with someone who was supposed to protect me and now, they are the person that put you through all that pain. It's scary," Ida said.

Maynard, who married the victim days after the alleged assault, initially denied any involvement and said he was working in Norwalk at the time of the assault. He is a state employee with the Department of Transportation and has since been placed on paid administrative leave.

But court documents show he finally confessed and he told police, "No idea why I did it."

Um, because you're a sociopath, perhaps?

Here's a news video.

 

An NBC affiliate managed to churn out 15 paragraphs without identifying Maynard's party. No surprise there. The Hartford Courant also leaves readers in the dark. The Associated Press also fails basic journalistic principles.

Be assured if a Republican pummeled his wife with a bat the party affiliation would be the first word in every story.

Simmons Increases Lead Over Dodd

A primary target for the GOP next year trails badly in a new poll released today. Oh, how sweet it would be to see this corrupt hack sent into retirement.

Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd trails former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, a likely Republican challenger 48 - 39 percent in the 2010 Senate race, but he is inching up in his job approval to a negative 42 - 52 percent approval rating, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

The matchup compares to a 45 - 39 percent Simmons lead in a May 27 poll by the independent Quinnipiac University.

In this latest survey, Simmons leads 87 - 7 percent among Republicans and 56 - 27 percent among independent voters, while Sen. Dodd takes Democrats 74 - 16 percent. The incumbent has gained among Democrats, but lost independent support since May 27.

Dodd's negative 42 - 52 percent approval compares to 38 - 53 percent May 27 and this was up from a negative 33 - 58 percent April 2.

Simmons dominates a Republican primary matchup with 42 percent, while no other Republican tops 5 percent, with 45 percent undecided.

Dodd leads businessman Merrick Alpert 52 - 18 percent in a Democratic primary.

"Sen. Christopher Dodd is rebuilding his approval rating, but he is still in negative territory. He has moved the needle from 25 points down April 2 to 10 points down today. He still is losing to Rob Simmons," said Quinnipiac University Poll Director Douglas Schwartz, PhD.

The Quinnipiac poll also shows Barack Obama's approval slipping eight points, although he still has a 61% favorable rating, far superior to Dodd.

Another Challenger for Chris Dodd?

Poll results released today show Libertarian businessman Peter Schiff has a realistic shot at unseating corrupt Connecticut Democrat Chris Dodd as his numbers stack up well against Dodd as well as potential GOP challenger Rob Simmons. For a man with far less name recognition that the other two, Schiff polls surprisingly well, trailing Dodd by only four points, within the margin of error.

Simmons, meanwhile, holds a nine-point edge over Dodd with 15% undecided.

Without question, a poll within the margin of error against a virtual unknown is very bad news for Dodd.

More here.

Some background on Schiff. While I'm not crazy about his Ron Paul links, he's far more preferable than Dodd.

Instapundit links. Thanks!

Former Gore Aide Challenging Dodd

The increasingly unpopular Connecticut Democrat Senator Christopher Dodd now has a primary challenger to worry about.

Mystic businessman Merrick Alpert will challenge Sen. Chris Dodd for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in 2010, the most direct internal threat yet to the struggling incumbent senator.

Alpert, who founded a medical software company called E-Ceptionist, announced his intention to challenge Dodd on his campaign Web site, merrickforachange.com.

”Like many of you, I've lost faith in Senator Dodd,” Alpert says in a video posted on his Web site. “While he served the state well in the past, that's not so lately. He's become part of a culture of corruption in Washington. He's beholden to the very special interests that we sent him there to protect us from.”

The video includes a number of jabs seemingly aimed at Dodd's recent political woes, including references to campaign contributions Dodd has received from individuals connected to the financial services industry.

Dodd has “gotten a lot of favors from them,” Alpert says, referring to unnamed special interests, later adding that his election would represent “a fundamental change from the culture of corruption in Connecticut.”

You know you've got a serious problem on your hands when someone in your own party is talking about the culture of corruption.

Alpert, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force who served in Bosnia in 1998 and 1999, has held numerous jobs in Democratic politics, including as an aide to former Vice President Al Gore - the candidate's Web site features a photo of Gore and Alpert synchronizing their watches - and on Clinton-era health care reform efforts in the early 1990s, from which Alpert moved on to work for David Walters, then governor of Oklahoma.

The desperate Dodd is trying to latch on to Barack Obama.

”Chris Dodd is focused on his job, working with President Obama to usher through historic change and fighting every step of the way for Connecticut families,” campaign manager Jay Howser said in an e-mail message. “This week he's working to pass an historic crackdown on the credit card industry, protecting Connecticut consumers who've been ripped off and taken advantage of. This is something he's been fighting to pass for years, and now with seniority in the Senate and Barack Obama in the White House, Chris Dodd will win this important fight for Connecticut families.”

If Dodd, thinks latching on to the credit card issue is going to save him, well, let him remain delusional.

How Unpopular is Chris Dodd in Connecticut?

If the number of contributors from his home state is any indication, he may want to seriously consider retirement.

U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd appears to have looked everywhere but his home state to fuel what pundits anticipate will be one of the most hotly contested races in the nation in 2010.

The five-term incumbent reported raising just $4,250 from five Connecticut residents during the first three months of the year while raking in $604,745 from nearly 400 individuals living outside the state.

While incumbents often turn to special interests for early campaign fundraising, Dodd's out-of-state total seems unusually high and comes at a time when he has been plagued by poor approval ratings among state voters.

Massie Ritsch, a spokesman for the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks federal campaign contributions, said Dodd's low percentage of in-state funding strikes him as unusual.

"Historically, there is no shortage of campaign money that comes out of Connecticut," he said. "In 2008, Connecticut ranked 14th, contributing $53 million to all federal candidates and parties." Ritsch also noted during his last re-election campaign Dodd, a Democrat, raised 30 percent from within Connecticut's borders.

The meager state fundraising effort also seems antithetical to a campaign strategy to rebuild confidence among Connecticut voters that he is on their side.

It would be interesting to know who those out-of-state donors are.

He took in $90,795 from Massachusetts residents, $81,550 from Texas, $56,150 from Maryland, and $53,400 from New York.

Dodd also collected $437,407 from political action committees, including two based in Connecticut that contributed $7,000. He took in $2,271 from individuals contributing less than $200 each.

Overall, Dodd's campaign reported ending the first quarter of 2009 with nearly $1.4 million cash on hand, according to campaign finance documents filed Wednesday.

The $1.4 million gives Dodd a leg up on a growing field of potential Republican challengers who have yet to file financial reports on their campaign fundraising efforts.

The war chest, however, comes at some political cost.

"Normally, it doesn't matter where the money comes from, but Chris Dodd is in a peculiar situation," said Larry Sabato, a professor of politics at the University of Virginia. "Dodd would be much better off raising as much money as possible from residents of the Nutmeg State. Everyone knows he's powerful in Washington, but that's what has gotten him into trouble. He needs to reconnect with the people in Connecticut and in-state contributions are a good way to do that."

Dodd's job approval rating -- as measured by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute -- sank to a historic low of 33 percent last month in the wake of the AIG bonus scandal. Many voters surveyed blamed Dodd, who is chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, for allowing taxpayer money to be handed out as bonuses to the AIG executives.

Chris Dodd, Meet Eddie Perez

The Democrat Senator from Connecticut, Christopher Dodd, may well have some re-election problems on his hands according to the Swing State Project.

Chris Dodd's favorability ratings in his home state have suffered ever since his very unsuccessful presidential run, an undertaking he was never quite able to explain to his constituents - or Iowa caucus-goers, for that matter. Allegations that he got favorable "VIP" loan terms from lender Countrywide haven't helped. What makes this a Race to Watch is the fact that three reasonably strong Republicans could all potentially give it a gander: Gov. Jodi Rell and former Congressmen Rob Simmons and Chris Shays. But Dodd is a powerful fundraiser in a blue state, and no one has stepped up to the plate yet. (D)

Via Instapundit.

Now what makes this of further interest is the fact Connecticut has a recent history of nailing politicians (of both parties, we might note) for corruption. First there was Republican Governor John Rowland and more recently, the indicted Mayor of Hartford and renowned community organizer Eddie Perez.

The New York Post today draws an interesting contrast between Perez and Dodd.

Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez was arrested Tuesday on bribery and corruption charges after allegedly receiving free work on his home from a city contractor. The scandal is remarkably similar to the one that sent former Gov. John Rowland to the big house back in 2005.

We just hope the arrest gets Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) looking over his shoulder. After all, it's not immediately clear why Perez should be in handcuffs - while Dodd retains his chairmanship of the powerful Senate Banking Committee.

Back in 2003, Dodd secured two "VIP" mortgages from Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo that reportedly saved him a cool $75,000. This, while he was supposed to be overseeing the Fannie Mae- and Freddie Mac-backed subprime loans on which Countrywide made a killing.

We know how that turned out.

Perez, meanwhile, is accused of accepting home renovations worth little more than half Dodd's take from Countrywide.

To be sure, the comparison may be somewhat unfair to Dodd: Unlike Perez, he's been accused of no direct quid pro quo for his preferential treatment.

Then again, he likely didn't get the sweet deals for no reason, either. And he's months overdue in making good on his promise to release documents on the deal.

It's also worth noting the Democrats in the Senate won't make any move to oust Dodd and it's unlikely the Obama Justice Department will go anywhere near corrupt Democrats. There's only so much change they're interested in.

Thanks to Instapundit for the link.