ctblogger Posts

Doing what he does best!

NOTE: Video will be posted shortly.

Transcript:

I'm here to talk about America's choice in this election, so let me get right to the point.

Mitt Romney has said that if he was President and Paul Ryan's budget passed, he would sign it into law. That's what he said, so let's talk about what it would mean.

Medicare would become a voucher program, effectively ending the guarantee of health coverage for millions of senior citizens.

Medicaid would be slashed, jeopardizing coverage for millions of children, people with disabilities, and family members in long-term care.

Education would be slashed by 20 percent - from Head Start through college, and everything in between.

And all these cuts are being done so Romney can give a tax cut of $265,000 to your average millionaire, and continue billions of dollars in subsidies for big oil.

We Democrats have nothing against people who've earned their wealth. We salute their hard work and good fortune. But slashing what we invest in schools, in roads, in research and development, in clean energy, and in the things that protect our most vulnerable just to cut taxes for those at the top is ridiculous - and wrong!

That's the Romney-Ryan budget. It isn't conservative. It's harsh, it's radical, and it's wrong.

It would shred the safety net that protects the middle class and those striving to get there. It would undermine FDR's New Deal, unravel Harry Truman's Fair Deal, and leave us with Mitt Romney's Raw Deal!

President Obama and we Democratic governors believe something very different.

We believe that a budget is more than just a bunch of numbers: it's a document that reflects our values.

We believe we can - and should - make government leaner, cheaper, and more effective - cutting waste and trimming fat where we can.

That's why President Obama signed into law $2 trillion in spending cuts, bringing annual domestic spending to its lowest level, as a share of the economy, since President Eisenhower.

But we can - and should - ask every American to shoulder their fair share, not just the squeezed middle class, but also those at the very top who have done so well these past few years.

We can - and should - invest in what will strengthen and grow the middle class: good schools, affordable health care, medical research, clean energy, modern roads and high-speed trains.

That's what President Obama believes. That's what we Democratic governors believe - and that's what we've done.

There are other differences as well. Let's talk about jobs.

President Obama has helped create 4 million American jobs.

Mitt Romney says he'll create jobs, but in what country?

Let's talk about voting rights. In Connecticut, we're expanding them and making it easier for people to register and to vote.

The Republicans? In 19 states, they're engaged in a systemic effort to disenfranchise millions of African Americans, Hispanics, and senior citizens, as they try to undermine the fairness of this election.

Let's talk about women's rights. The Republicans want to take away a woman's right to choose, even if she's a rape victim. That's in their platform. That's what they believe.

That's why there are three simple reasons for anyone to support Barack Obama over Mitt Romney: "Your sister, your mother, and your daughter."

As Democrats, we have a deep and abiding belief that America is full of people from all walks of life, people who are good and decent, and who work hard. People who are respectful of others, and who do not discriminate based on gender, age, race, religion, ethnicity, disability, or sexual orientation.

We need to fight for our children, fight for our senior citizens, fight for women's rights, fight for the middle class, and fight for our country's future.

That's why we need to fight for Barack Obama.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

Here's what's on tap for today at #DNC2012.

LIVE VIDEO STREAM:

The CT delegation are ALL OVER Twitter and you can follow along by viewing below.

CTRadicals Tessa provides an inside look into the good, bad, and ugly from the convention.

Congressman John Larson is scheduled to deliver the red meat at the convention at 5:00 PM.

Governor Malloy is scheduled to speak at 6:45 (yo can view a copy of the governor's full schedule by clicking here.

The President's acceptance speeches location has been changed from outdoors to indoors at the Time Warner Cable Arena due to the possibility of rain.

PRESS RELEASE:

Himes for Congress released its first television ad in support of the 2012 re-election campaign today.  The ad features Jim and his two daughters Emma and Linley.  

"The new ad reintroduces Jim to residents of southwest Connecticut and discusses some of the issues most important to him.  His daughters Emma, 13, and Linley, 10, are proudly featured in the ad discussing Jim's work on the deficit and his commitment to reading bills before he votes on it," said Himes for Congress Campaign Manager Justin Myers. "The ad shows Jim in his most important job of being a committed, loving father and also highlights his work in Congress as a leader on fiscal responsibility."

In the ad, Emma and Linley discuss Jim's votes against Congressional pay raises and his voting against wasteful spending.  Jim supported the Budget Control Act that kept the government running and cut $1 trillion in spending over the next ten years.  He supported a cap on agricultural subsidies, and because many of these payments go to farmers who do not need the subsidies, such as larger farms with higher income levels, it would save millions in government spending.  Jim voted to bar payments to the Brazil Cotton Institute, a measure that would save the U.S. government $147 million in annual payments to agribusiness.

Jim has worked to tackle the nation's debt in a responsible manner, and he will soon be honored with the Paul E. Tsongas Economic Patriot Award by the Concord Coalition for his demonstrated commitment to fiscal and generational responsibility.  USA Today called Jim a hero for his support of the Simpson-Bowles plan, a deficit reduction measure to reduce the deficit by $4 trillion in a responsible way.  

To say that Gov. Malloy is having a good time doing the TV rounds at #DNC2012 would be an understatement...

The governor will address the convention today around 5:00 PM.  

NHI

DeLauro stepped up to the podium at around 7:25 p.m. Tuesday along with a line of House women. Their task: argue why women need to reelect President Barack Obama, as women's issues take center stage in the run-up to the November contest against Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Democrats are hoping to maintain a wide gender-gap advantage over Romney excaerbated by some Republicans' (including running mate Paul Ryan's) calls for banning abortion even in cases of rape and incest.

[...]

"I'm Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, and we have work to do. America's women still make just 77 cents for every dollar men earn," DeLauro said.

[...]

"We've been making progress," DeLauro said. "The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, to give victims of pay discrimination their day in court, was the first bill President Obama signed into law.

[...]

"Now we want to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act: real protections to ensure equal pay for equal work. The Democratic women of the House are committed to closing the wage gap for American families to move America forward," DeLauro said.

Here's the latest from the CT delegation at the Democratic National convention.

Recently, the CT Delegation signed onto supporting a provision in support of marriage equality.

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro will address the convention as part of the "Women of the House." She will speak at 7:10 p.m. If all goes as planned, I will provide a live stream of the speech.

You can view a full listing of the CT delegation by clicking here.

You can view a a copy of the CT delegation schedule by clicking here.

The CT delegation are ALL OVER Twitter and you can follow along by viewing below.

We've been warned...

PRESS RELEASE (via Office of State Comptroller Kevin Lembo):

Comptroller Kevin Lembo today announced that the state ended Fiscal Year 2012 with a $143.6-million deficit, which has been eliminated using General Fund reserves from prior years.

 

It is still early in Fiscal Year 2013, but expenditures are currently budgeted to advance at a 2.6-percent rate against last year's disbursements and General Fund revenues are budgeted to grow at a 3.1-percent rate from last fiscal year, as reported by the Office of Policy and Management.

 

"This rate of (spending) increase is historically low and will require careful monitoring and swift remedial action if outlays trend higher," Lembo said.

 

In a letter to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, Lembo reported that General Fund revenue for Fiscal Year 2012 advanced 4.8 percent or $854.2 million in Fiscal Year 2012. That growth fell $227 million short of the original budget target.

 

Lembo said General Fund spending in Fiscal Year 2012 was up $936.9 million or 5.2 percent over last fiscal year. The largest component of this increase was derived from an increase in Department of Social Services (DSS) spending by $409.4 million, or 7.6 percent as Medicaid caseloads advanced 52 percent during the year.

 

Additional spending increases resulted from contributions to teachers' retirement, up $210.2 million (reflecting full funding); debt service payments; and funding for the state employees' retirement. Salary and wage costs declined by more than 8 percent after adjusting for the disbursement of the 27th payroll, which occurs once every 10 years.

Reading material.

• The latest from #DNC2012 in Charlotte.

  PRESS RELEASE

  Today the Democratic National Committee announced that it has posted online the 2012 Democratic Party Platform, which will be officially adopted by the Delegates to the Convention tomorrow, Tuesday, September 4.  The Party Platform articulates clearly President Obama's vision for moving our country forward by restoring economic security and building an economy that is built to last.

  The Democratic Party Platform reflects President Obama's vision for the future. Meanwhile, the Republican Party, led by Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, approved a platform that supports the same top-down economic policies that hurt the middle class and embraces extreme positions on issues and policies from Medicare to immigration to women's health.

  In July, the Platform Drafting Committee, chaired by former Governor Ted Strickland, met in Minneapolis to receive input from the public and to write the first draft of the Platform. Then on August 11, members of the Platform Committee, chaired by Mayor Cory Booker and retired Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy, met in Detroit. At the Platform Committee Meeting in Detroit, committee members submitted amendments to the draft Platform before unanimously approving the draft and sending it to Charlotte for the vote by delegates tomorrow.

  You can read the Democratic Platform HERE.

• MOODY: "Is country better off? 'Hell yeah!' Malloy says"
  

  As Rick Dunham and others have pointed out this week, there's been no shortage of Democrats struggling with a fairly simple question: Is America better off than it was four years ago?

  Count Gov. Dannel Malloy as at least one Democrat gathering in Charlotte this week for the party's convention who thinks it's an easy question to answer.

  Asked the question during an appearance Tuesday on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Malloy gave a pretty emphatic response.

  "Hell yeah!" he said.

  Malloy, who will speak at the convention Wednesday, proceeded to rip Republicans as an out-of-touch group that spent the entirety of last week's convention in Tampa (Malloy called it the "Tea Party convention") rehashing old, failed policies.

  "They spent three days telling you that lowering taxes on very wealthy pepple in the country will actually make the country better," he said. "It's not true."

  Malloy said he's confident Democrats this week can make the case for Obama, who polls show is in a virtual dead heat with GOP nominee Mitt Romney just over two months from Election Day.

  "This is our chance to make it very clear why our candidate is very different from Mitt Romney, why we have a better vision and why quite frankly, the United States  is in a far better place today than it was four years ago," he said.

• KOS (Elections Morning Digest) moves CT-SEN race from Lean D to Toss up
  

  CT-Sen (Lean D to Tossup): Despite her disastrous 2010 run for Senate, Republican Linda McMahon has managed to give herself a makeover as far as Connecticut voters are concerned, thanks to her virtually bottomless wealth. She's also started hammering Democrat Chris Murphy hard on the airwaves (including expensive NYC broadcast TV), driving up his negatives. That's led to a round of recent polling, undisputed by the Murphy campaign, which has show the race to be neck-and-neck. Murphy's allies, including the DSCC, will spend here if they have to, and the Nutmeg State may yet return to form, so there's a very good chance this won't be the last time we change our rating on this race. In the meantime, though, we're slotting this race into a more competitive category.

• CTNJ: "Former Lawmaker Dismisses Leaked Letter On Education Debate"
  

  A former lawmaker and candidate for state Senate says parents got stuck in the middle of a debate between teacher union advocates and education reform advocates earlier this year as debate on Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's education reforms efforts were just getting started.

  Jason Bartlett, a former Bethel lawmaker who advocated for legislation in 2010 which would give parents a say at how to reconstitute a failing school, dismissed allegations made in a leaked letter published online last week by the "Progressive Change Campaign Committee."

  The letter from StudentsFirst General Counsel Angella Dickens is addressed to Gwen Samuel, president of the Connecticut Parents Union, Bartlett, and two other parents. It alleges that it "underscored to Ms. Samuel that we are unable, as a matter of policy, to provide direct financial support," to her organization. StudentsFirst spent more than $670,000 in Connecticut on advertising during the legislative session.

• Politicians on parade
• COURANT: "One Proposal For Amtrak Bullet Train Route: Under Long Island Sound"
  

  As Amtrak studies how to bring bullet trains to its frantically busy Northeast Corridor, one design team is suggesting a radically new route requiring a roughly 18-mile-long tunnel beneath Long Island Sound.

  Trains speeding from Washington to Boston would run through the heart of Long Island, cross into Connecticut through a tunnel emerging in Milford, head to Hartford and then race east toward Worcester on new tracks running alongside I-84.

  The segment between Manhattan and Hartford would cost about $20 billion, according to the University of Pennsylvania's high-speed rail design studio, which first put forward the idea in 2010. Overall, the full 450-mile route from Washington to Boston would cost about $100 billion, PennDesign said.

  Amtrak is focusing on its own "NextGen High-Speed Rail" map for the corridor, a proposal that would skip the Long Island section and cost an estimated $151 billion. But PennDesign's plan isn't off the table.

  Advocates of bullet trains in the Northeast acknowledge that a project of such magnitude, regardless of the routing or specific details, would require enormous private investment.

  PennDesign's proposal includes a series of public-private financing scenarios, while Amtrak's own proposal doesn't address revenue sources. Last month, Amtrak President Joseph Boardman told The New York Times: "We can worry about where the money is coming from, but we need to have a plan in place so when it does, we're ready."

• CT Blue nails it.

I'm at the US Open on a self-imposed blogging blackout during the Labor Day weekend...be back to full speed tomorrow.

Another amazing cross post from Jon Pelto's Wait What?

Forget about the concept that our schools need to devote more time to learning;

Paul Vallas, "education reformer extraordinaire," and Bridgeport's, $229,000, part-time, interim superintendent of schools, has announced an unprecedented standardized testing assault on Bridgeport's students and their teachers.

In an announcement yesterday, Team Vallas informed administrators that in addition to the two weeks of Connecticut Mastery testing that is required by the Connecticut State Department of Education, Vallas is ordering that all students in grades 3-11 complete three additional rounds of standardized testing.

While "Education Reformers" are fond of claiming that they support extending the school year and the school day, Vallas' absurd action will significantly reduce the number of hours students have to actually learn.

Instead, even more teaching to the test will take place.

According to Vallas' directive, Bridgeport's standardized testing program will include a round of Fall Testing that will take place from October 1st through October 10th, Winter Testing, which will run from January 7th through January 16th and Spring Testing which will go from May 28th through June 6th     This is in addition to the Connecticut Mastery Tests which run for two weeks in March.

It is not clear how much the massive standardized testing effort will cost, but if history is any guide, we can assume that the company providing and grading these standardized tests got their contract through a no-bid process.

Ironically, Vallas provided Bridgeport's outgoing illegal Board of Education with a budget update earlier this week, but he somehow forgot or failed to mention this massive new "initiative" that will undoubtedly cost "big bucks."

However, what is clear is that when it comes to standardized testing, Team Vallas is not only on the wrong path but headed in the wrong direction.   There is growing recognition that standardized testing is not a good measure of student abilities and can actually be detrimental to the learning process.

There is more below the fold...
In Texas, the birthplace of George W. Bush', No Child Left Behind Act, which introduced massive standardized testing, school districts, parents and even the business community are demanding less testing and more learning.  To date, 593 Texas school districts, representing   70% of all Texas' students, have endorsed a resolution demanding that state officials, "reexamine public school accountability systems" and "develop a system based on multiple forms of assessment which does not require extensive standardized testing" and "more accurately reflects the broad range of student learning."  The Texas PTA, various chambers of commerce, and principals' associations have also signed onto the Texas anti-testing movement.

But the testing craze is alive and well here in Connecticut.

With Bridgeport's school system in desperate need of additional resources and a real commitment to putting the city's education program on the right path, Vallas stays the course with his dedication to hiring more out-of-state- consultants, purchasing new products through no-bid contracts, and now derailing the effort to revitalize the quality of education by turning the schools into nothing more than "testing factories."

When you hear that Connecticut's taxpayers are giving Bridgeport more than $168,000,000, a year, to cover the vast majority of the City's education costs, you can now thank Team Vallas for flushing even more of that money down the drain.

***Proving that there are school administrators who "get it," Diane Ravitch has a blog today about John Kuhn.  Kuhn is the superintendent of the Perrin-Whitt Independent School District in Texas and Ravitch calls him a " hero superintendent" and someone who has " been a voice of reason and at the same time an exemplar of passion and courage since he burst onto the national stage a year ago at the national Save Our Schools rally in Washington, D.C."   For Diane's full blog go to http://dianeravitch.net/2012/0...

As predicted, today the Working Families Party endorsed Elizabeth Esty for Congress.

Statement in full (including a written endorsement for Esty from Chris Donovan):

Today the Working Families Party announces that it is endorsing Elizabeth Esty, calling her the best candidate in the race to fight for working families. Working Families Party leaders met with Esty yesterday, where they discussed issues important to the party, including raising the minimum wage, defending Social Security and Medicare, and limiting the influence of big money on elections. 

After careful consideration, the state committee has voted to endorse Elizabeth Esty for congress in Connecticut's 5th Congressional District. With the endorsement comes a spot on the Working Families Party line on the ballot in November, and the support of WFP's activist grassroots base.

"Elizabeth Esty is in the best position to fight for working and middle class families going forward," said Lindsay Farrell, Executive Director of the Connecticut Working Families Party. "If you want a government, and an economy, that works for middle class families in Connecticut, I encourage voters to support Elizabeth on the Working Families ballot line."

"After meeting with Elizabeth, we're confident that she will defend Social Security and Medicare and fight to raise the minimum wage," said Julie Kushner, co-chair of the Connecticut Working Families Party. "That's why we've endorsed her, and that's why we'll fight to get her elected as the next member of Congress from the fifth district."

"I'm grateful to Chris Donovan and to the Connecticut Working Families Party for their endorsements and their support in this critical election for our families," Esty said. "Chris has a strong and admirable record of public service as both a leader in our state and a life-long fighter for the rights of working families. I know he will continue to be a strong voice for the middle class. 

"The Connecticut Working Families Party has been essential to ensuring that democracy works for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected. In the post-Citizen's United world, with a Republican Party seeking to end Medicare's guarantee of health care coverage for seniors while protecting tax cuts for millionaires, that mission is more important than ever. 

"I'm looking forward to working together, with both Chris and the Connecticut Working Families Party, to fight for good jobs and fair wages, the right to organize, and to protect the Medicare and Social Security benefits that working and middle class families need and have earned."

"As someone who has fought for working families my entire life, I know how much is at stake right now for people across our district," said Chris Donovan. "That's why I ran for Congress. Right now in Tampa, the Republicans are preparing to attack the right of working people to bargain collectively, they're preparing to end a woman's right to choose, and they're preparing to get rid of the Medicare and Social Security benefits that seniors have earned. It's critical for the working families of the 5th District that we unite as Democrats behind Elizabeth Esty for Congress. Elizabeth is committed to the fight for working families. She has a record of advocating for middle-class jobs, women's rights, and Medicare and Social Security. I am proud to endorse her and to stand with her to fight for the values that we share as Democrats."

This sets up the stage for the Working Families Party to vote on endorsing Elizabeth Esty as early as today.

PRESS RELEASE:

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill today received an official letter from House Speaker Chris Donovan withdrawing his candidacy for the 5th Congressional District.  Donovan was the endorsed candidate of the Working Families party and would have appeared on the ballot the November 6, 2012 general election in the 5th Congressional District.  According to Connecticut election law, Donovan's withdrawal gives the Working Families party until September 5, 2012 - the minor party nomination and certification deadline - to choose a new candidate for that Congressional seat if it wishes to.

"I have received Speaker Donovan's letter withdrawing his candidacy for Congress in the 5th Congressional District," said Secretary Merrill, Connecticut's chief elections official.  "Since Speaker Donovan was the endorsed candidate for the 5th Congressional District of the Working Families party, that party now has until September 5th to nominate someone else if it wants to put a candidate on the November general election ballot."

Today, Linda McMahon came out with yet another misleading and distorted ad against Chris Murphy in which she attempts to fool seniors with the "Murphy will cut your Medicare" fear card.

I'm confused, didn't McMahon state that she wouldn't rule out signing on to Paul Ryan's plan for cut 700 BILLION from Medicare?

While we're at it, isn't this the same McMahon who hinted that she would be on board to REDUCE the federal min. wage...

Ted Mann, The Day: Should it be reduced now? Since businesses are struggling, as you all described? Would you argue for reducing the minimum wage now?

McMahon: "We have got minimum wages in states, we have got minimum wages in the (federal) government, and I think we ought to look at all of those issues in terms of what mandates are being placed on businesses and can they afford them. I think we should get input from our business community. We should listen to our small business operators and we should hear what it is they have to say and how it's impacting their businesses and make some of those decisions."

...and, when the media asked her simple follow-up questions, got flustered when she couldn't hide behind her PR machine?

I'm going to put to rest the name Linda McSteroids, for now on the Republican's laughable senate candidate will be referred to as Linda McSham...in the meantime, you know what to do...

I was going to post on this but CT Capitol Watch beat me to the punch.

Working Families Party Executive Director Lindsay Farrell says she expects her party's state committee to vote on whether to change its endorsement for the 5th Congressional District seat at a meeting Thursday.

Farrell confirmed that nearly 20 members of the Working Families Party met with 5th District candidate Elizabeth Esty, of Cheshire, Wednesday morning. Esty's campaign declined to comment on the meeting.

Farrell also said she spoke with state House Speaker Christopher Donovan, of Meriden, following the party's meeting with Esty. The Working Families Party is currently endorsing state  Donovan for the 5th District seat.

Given Esty's disdain for working families and progressive causes, unless she took a cue from Kristen Gillibrand, made a deal not to be an reincarnation of Joe Lieberman if elected to Congress, hopefully WFP will give the one time State Rep. (with enough baggage to fill a closet) an unanimous and emphatic thumbs down.  

Cross post from Jon Pelto's Wait, What?

Having completed the task of dropping my child off at college, I'm reminded of the challenge that faces our chief elected officials, whether in Washington, or here at home in Connecticut.

In particular, as the effects of the Great Recession continue to take its toll on the nation; those of us in the trenches are left to ponder about what is the proper balance when it comes to using public resources to create quality jobs versus creating quality workers.

In one of my old college economic textbooks, I found a definition of a public subsidy as, "the provision of economic value by a public entity to a private entity for purposes beneficial to the public..."

That is, government, on behalf of the people, spends money, not to purchase goods and services, but to induce actions that have a longer-term benefit for society.

It might be providing grants, loans, or tax benefits to businesses to get them to maintain or expand the number of quality jobs they provide.

On the other hand, it might be providing grants, loans, or tax benefits to individuals, so they can go to college and have better, more productive lives and become part of a quality workforce that allows our economy to be successful.

Like many middle-class families, paying for college has eclipsed the challenge of buying and maintaining a home.  Earlier this summer, I once again signed the federal government's Parent Plus Loan promissory note to borrow $30,000 (at 5.9 percent); an amount the government formula said was my "share" of the bill.  Grants and subsidized loans covered the rest.

At this point, it looks like I'll need to borrow about $120,000 for the undergraduate degree.  With interest, the total cost over ten years will be $159,000,000, just over $39,000 of which will be interest on the loan.

There's more below the fold...
At about the same time, Connecticut's governor signed a "promissory note" on behalf of Connecticut's taxpayers to pay the world's largest hedge fund, Bridgewater, $115,000,000.  Although Bridgewater had enough money to pay its CEO $3.9 billion last year, making him the highest paid employee in the world, apparently the public funds were needed to persuade Bridgewater to stay in Connecticut, build a new headquarters and add 800 new jobs over the next ten years.

The public subsidy included a ten-year, $25 million forgivable loan, with an interest rate of one percent, $5 million in grant funds for job training, $5 million for an alternative energy system, and $80 million in Tax Credits.

If Bridgewater fails to create the 800 new jobs over the next decade, it will have to repay the $25 million dollar loan, but will be allowed to keep the other $90 million in public subsidies. The one percent interest rate on that $25 million loan means the company would have to pay about $1.3 million dollars in interest.

In the end, when you calculate the numbers, it really means that as a middle class family, I pay a carrying cost of 26 percent to get the funds I need while the world's biggest hedge fund pays a carrying cost of 5 percent.

Or put a different way, to create that quality job, Connecticut's taxpayers are giving Bridgewater about $150,000 per job, while I'm paying (after the various public subsidies) about $160,000 to help "create" a quality worker.

Truth be told, I've given up trying to figure out the fairness in all this, but as part of the ever-shrinking middle class, the modern phrase, "I'm just saying," seems particularly appropriate.

I'm just saying...

Capitol Watch:

Public Policy Polling also released a poll and it shows slightly different results. That surveyby the left-leaning polling group, conducted on behalf of the League of Conservation Voters, puts Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Chris Murphy ahead of his Republican rival, Linda McMahon.

Murphy gets 48 percent and McMahon 44 percent, with 8 percent undecided. The survey of 881 Connecticut voters was conducted on Aug. 22 and 23. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.3 percent.

McMahon has a 45 percent favorable rating and a 47 percent unfavorable rating. Murphy was viewed favorably by 39 percent and unfavorably by 41 percent.

But the good news for Murphy is that 20 percent said they were not sure of their opinion, which suggests his numbers could change. Just 8 percent said they were unsure about their opinion of McMahon.

Digging deeper into the cross tabs, the poll broke down each candidate's support by gender, race and age. Forty seven percent of white voters favor Murphy; 45 percent go with McMahon. Among other races, the split is 48 percent Murphy, 44 percent McMahon.

McMahon loses by a few percentage points in every age category except voters age 46 to 65. And once again, there's a gender gap: Murphy gets 55 percent of the women's vote and McMahon gets 54 percent of the male vote.

Like I stated in an earlier post, we can not take the race for senate for granted.

...you know what to do.

I can't stop myself from rolling my eyes...

Would any member of our Congressional delegation be on board with Esty's Republican-Light approach to fiscal responsibility?

Department of Labor

● Reduce funding for Connecticut's Youth Employment Program by $ 2. 0 million in FY 11. Funding is provided at the reduced level of $ 1. 5 million in FY 11.

Department of Public Health

● Eliminate funding for Fetal and Infant Mortality Review by $ 315,000 in each year of the biennium.

[...]

Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services

● The Democratic Alternative budget concurs with the Governor's proposal to reduce funding for housing supports by $ 2. 5 million in both FY 10 and FY 11. This includes a reduction of $ 1. 2 million in FY 10 and FY 11 to reflect the delay of planned housing expansions and a reduction of $ 1. 3 million in FY 10 and FY 11 for housing subsidies.

● Funding for Local Mental Heath Authorities is reduced in the amount of $ 3. 5 million in FY 10 and FY 11.

● The Democratic Alternative budget concurs with the Governor's proposal to close Cedarcrest Hospital. This will result in a net savings of $ 6. 7 million in FY 10 and $ 8. 7 million in FY 11.

[...]

Department of Social Services

The DA Budget includes various reductions originally proposed by the Governor, yet not included within SB 1801. Major items and associated savings by fiscal year include:

● Eliminate most adult dental coverage under Medicaid and SAGA

● Impose cost sharing (co-payments) under fee for service Medicaid

● Increase HUSKY B premiums for Band 2 to $ 50 for families with one child; $ 75 for those with two children, and $ 100 for families with three or more children

● Eliminate coverage of most over the counter (OTC) drugs under Medicaid and SAGA

Other major changes included within the Democratic Alternative budget are:

● Concurring with the Governor's original recommendation to fully eliminate state funded Medicaid for non citizens (for a savings of $ 23. 6 million in FY 10 and $ 24. 5 million in FY 11). SB 1801 had provided for continued service provision to children and pregnant women (for a lesser savings of $ 9. 3 million FY 10 and $ 9. 75 million FY 11).

State Department of Education

● Reduce School Readiness by $ 1. 0 million in both fiscal years. This change eliminates the additional funds for professional development but does not impact the number of slots.

● Reduce Sheff Settlement by $ 1. 0 million in both fiscal years.

● Reduce Omnibus Education Grants by $ 1. 0 million. This will reduce the per meal reimbursement for Healthy Foods, from ten cents to five cents.

● Eliminate the After School Program (which results in a savings of $ 4. 5 million).

● Suspend the operation of Wright Technical School and eliminate the additional funding contained in HB 1801 for Wright Technical School. This results in a savings of $ 5. 075 million in each fiscal year.

● Reduce Open Choice increase only to reflect current services needs. This results in a savings of $ 1. 37 million in FY 10 and $ 4. 12 million in FY 11.

● Eliminate additional funding for Edison and Wintergreen magnet schools, which results in a $ 1. 5 million savings in each year.

● Reduce funding for the American School for the Deaf, which results in a savings of $ 1. 0 million in both years.

● Eliminate funding for Early Reading Success, which results in a savings of $ 2. 3 million in both years.

● The July 30th plan passed by the Appropriations Committee included a $ 13. 4 million reduction to the Excess Cost grant, which will result in a 10% reduction to municipalities.

Judicial Department

● Eliminate funding to expand Family Support Centers, with a reduction of $ 1 million in FY 10 and $ 2 million in FY 11.

Would any of our Congressional delegation disagree with comments made about Esty's "fiscal responsibility" philosophy?

Under the Democratic alternative budget plan that Elizabeth Esty supported, women on Medicare would have lost coverage for preventative dental care," said [director of UAW Region 9A, Julie] Kushner. "Worse, numerous hospitals across the state would have been closed, making it harder for women and their families to get emergency and specialized care."

[...]

"In 2010, when Esty had an opportunity to help school paraprofessionals, most of whom are low-wage working women, she turned her back on us and voted against legislation that would have allowed us to earn family and medical leave benefits," said AFT Connecticut member Jane Blakeman, a paraprofessional in Watertown. "That's not the kind of representation we need in Washington."

During her only term in the General Assembly, Esty was among a group of legislators to propose an alternative budget that would have drastically cut public services, including healthcare coverage for women and domestic violence prevention.

Hopefully this is as far as our Congressional team will go when it comes to holding their noses and endorsing one of the weakest, dishonest Democratic candidate for Congress in recent memory.

I get the whole party unity message but I hope our delegation doesn't wind up looking as pathetic in sticking up for this "winner by default" candidate as Barbara Boxer did when she attempted to defend LIEberman in 2006.

#ifitwasfinein1992thenitsfinein2012

The drama surrounding the primary race in the State House seat in the fifth district continues.

One week after a recount of votes cast in the August 14 Democratic primary for state representative in the fifth assembly district (Windsor, Hartford), candidate Brandon McGee has filed a complaint in superior court.

According to McGee, the complaint filed alleges the election's outcome was affected by improper actions on behalf of elections staff in both Windsor and Hartford.

Following a recanvass of votes cast in both towns, Windsor's Leo Canty was declared the primary's winner, beating McGee by just one vote. Windsor Mayor Don Trinks finished in third place.

According to a statement released by McGee, the complaint filed in court alleges election officials:

• "improperly allowed absentee ballots to be counted that were not counted by tabulation on primary Election Day or during the recanvass;
• "improperly allowed absentee ballots to comingle, allowing for an improper count;
• "and lost a ballot that was cast in McGee's favor in Windsor's John F. Kennedy voting district."

The complaint says the actions specified are in violation of state statues, and requests a court hearing be held.

While alleging improper actions were taken by election officials, McGee was explicit in saying, "...nowhere in this action is my campaign alleging any wrongdoing by either Mr. Canty or Mayor Trinks."

"I want to ensure that those who exercised their right were not deprived of their voice, and that the will of the people is ascertained without question of process," he added.

Stay tuned...

Here's some material to nibble on...

• Chris Matthews speaks truth to stupid.

• Daily Kos calls the CT-05 race a toss up.
  

  CT-05 (Lean D to Tossup): After an extremely expensive and bruising primary, Democrats probably wound up putting their best foot forward in the form of ex-state Rep. Elizabeth Esty, though it's hard to say how strong of a candidate she is, since State House Speaker Chris Donovan had a wide lead in the polls before his campaign was brought low by a fundraising scandal. Republicans also waged a high-priced and messy battle, but-in a rare move for the GOP-they wound up nominating the candidate who is unquestionably their strongest choice, state Sen. Andrew Roraback. Roraback's moderate profile will definitely aid him in this district, Connecticut's least-blue, though his fundraising has been a fraction of Esty's. Nevertheless, this one looks like it'll be a serious fight until the end.

  Personally, at this point, I would call this race a sightly lean R as opposed to a toss up. Between several unions which make up the larget membership of the AFL-CIO giving Esty a thumbs-down at the John Olsen rigged COPE meeting last week, her continued problem with a portion of the Democratic base, and coming out of the gate attempting to label her well-known moderate Republican challenger as someone who's lock and step with his party, I fear that Democratic candidate who gave me a good laugh by giving your truly the cold shoulder at yesterday's Danbury DTC picnic has quite a way to go in terms of running an effective general elections campaign. Unfortunately, she doesn't have much time to get her act together since everybody knows that the GOP attack ads on her record (which will undoubtedly place the one term State Rep. on the defensive) are just around the corner.

• Chris Murphy attempts to take the gloves off against Linda McMahon.

• Over the next several days, I'll be reaching out to Democratic candidates who are running for State Senate and House seats. If you have a candidate you would like to see profiled here, drop me a line on Twitter at @ctblogger or @Myleftnutmeg.

Now you'll have to excuse me, it's opening day at the U.S. Open and James Blake is set to play soon...