7/15/10

No Big Surprises In the Latest CT Gov Race Q-Poll

The latest KWIN-uh-pe-ack© numbers are out for the CT-Gov race of 2010 and ctblogger looks at the data overall and the questions a bit, while Ct Bob looks at the inside game of the likely voter numbers.

Needless to say, the numbers look good for the Democratic party candidates no matter how it goes down.
Democrats lead in any possible general election matchups among registered voters:
  • Lamont over Foley 45 - 33 percent;
  • Lamont over Fedele 49 - 27 percent;
  • Lamont over Griebel 49 - 25 percent;
  • Malloy over Foley 44 - 33 percent;
  • Malloy over Fedele 49 - 26 percent;
  • Malloy over Griebel 51 - 25 percent.

"The Democrats haven't won a race for Governor in Connecticut in 24 years. Could this be their year?
"Could this be their year?" Considering the numbers show that the only hope the GOP has is if the Dem candidates start tossing live grenades at each other while simultaneously carrying out Sepukku? Both the Lamont campaign, IMHO the leader in the primary, and the Malloy campaign can point to some good news in it with both improving their favorabilities among their base a lot and in both being able to trounce the GOP opposition.

As far as the GOP side of this? The second paragraph in this snippet from connpolitics.tv pretty much sums it up:
Foley leads Republicans with 48 percent of the vote. Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele garners 13 percent and business advocate Oz Griebel 7 percent.

“The governor’s race is overshadowed by the Senate battle between Linda McMahon and Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and the controversy over Foley’s arrests is not having much impact,” Schwartz said. “So Foley has been unharmed and voters still don’t know much about Fedele or Griebel.”
Fedele who? Grieber what? As far as Foley? If it were not for the recent news about vehicular assaults and a circus like divorce I think I might be asking who he is, as well.

Checking the ct.gop site, given the latest poll you'd think they would have something up...

But, apparently even Chris Healy hasn't found anything good to write about this poll, either. (Not yet nor as of the time I am writing this, anyways.) Just some mumbling to himself and trying to get mileage out of a relative non-story about an Attorney General going to a meeting of evil American trial lawyers.
In Connecticut, the GOP dusted off their strike at Dick Blumenthal’s character and integrity, asking whether the attorney general would come clean about his weekend jaunt.

“No more lies. Dick Blumenthal owes the voters of Connecticut a straight answer: Did he travel to Canada yesterday to raise money from his fellow liberal trial lawyers, or did he send his bag man Harry Reid to collect his share instead?” asked NRSC spokeswoman Amber Marchand.

Blumenthal spokeswoman Maura Downes would only confirm he attended the event, as did New Hampshire Rep. Paul Hodes.
Aside from Healy's obvious reasoning (and even more obvious conflict of interests in the GOP candidate race) ranting and raving about Blumenfeld 24/7 over at the GOP site...

Let us look at who Healy is happy to take donations from, OK?
Thank you for supporting the Connecticut Republicans-Federal account. These funds are used exclusively for the purpose of supporting Federal candidates and federal election activities. Contributions from state lobbyists and Connecticut state contractors are accepted and allowed in this account.
So Chris Healy, a former lobbyist himself, accepts lobby money for his party activities, complaining that a candidate on the other side MAY actually be doing the same and taking money from a PAC that wants to lobby him? Hypocrisy much?
Christopher C. Healy is a lobbyist in Hartford at the law firm Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, has worked on political campaigns at the local, state and national level and has served on the Republican State Central Committee.
Should I even bother to check his CT GOP and their candidates for any lobbying interests and their PAC donations? Too obvious to even waste the effort.

As far as the national level equivalent of Christopher Healy? Michael Steele had this to say about the Senate race when he was in town:
Asked about Peter Schiff, the Weston money manager who will primary McMahon on Aug. 10, Healy and Steele said they would support the party’s nominee.

“If he wins we’re behind him just as much as we’re behind Linda McMahon, but your questions were more focused on her,” said Healy, whose wife works for the McMahon campaign.

Steele said he expects Republicans to be competitive in 44 states this election season.

“The people of Connecticut are no different than people anywhere else around the country. They’re sick and tired of being sick and tired,” Steele said. “We’re winning again in the northeast. How crazy is that.”
It is real clear that the GOP isn't winning anything big in CT this year, so it is safe to say that both Healy and Steele are off the charts crazy.

7/13/10

Smoking Out Nutmeg Astroturf Of "Glenn Beck For President"

Maybe? I am not saying for certain that she is fronting another in a long line of AstroTurf groups for the GOP and corporate interests... But take a look and decide for yourself. For all I know, she may just be as crazy as her movement implies?

Via Gawker we get this little bit of giggle:

The Time Has Come to Make Glenn Beck President, Says Clown Lady

Most Americans want Glenn Beck to be our next president and return us to prosperity. The only hiccup? Getting him to run! Fortunately, the clown lady in this video is circulating a petition to change all that.



Her name is Robin Potwora, and the website for her "grassroots organization," Main Street Bites Back, features a number of terrifying robot-voiced videos of illustrated political figures, including the hated Barack Obama.
Aside from this "grassroots" clown gig? Well, given the Torrington, Connecticut address on "Main Street Bites Back" contact page and the name to go with it... I think it is safe to say that she may just be tied to some  very right wing and typical "grasstroots" lobbying money...

The Tobacco Industry to be precise:

"Robin Potwora (left), Executive Director of Smoke Signals Coalition, leads a protest of Connecticut's ban on smoking in bars at Sports Rock USA in Bristol on Saturday. The group is supporting Bill 5138 to amend Connecticut's smoking ban." 
 Curious about the "Smoke Signals Coalition"? I pulled this out of a cache:
Tobacco giant aids smoke ban repeal bill
Waterbury (CT) Republican-American, 2005-02-02
Trip Jennings

Rep. Leonard Greene, R-Beacon Falls, wants to repeal the statewide ban of smoking in restaurants and bars a year after identical legislation died in the General Assembly.
But this time Greene has help from a powerful ally.

Tobacco giant RJ Reynolds has bankrolled a Torrington nonprofit with $10,000 to run radio spots in Hartford, New London, New Haven and Fairfield counties and to pay for direct mailing to every liquor license holder in the state to mobilize support for Greene's bill, said Robin Potwora, executive director of the nonprofit, Smoke Signals Coalition.

"There are more than half a million adult smokers in Connecticut. They understand this is a fairness issue," Potwora said of the statewide ban that outlawed smoking in restaurants in October 2003 and in bars in April 2004, but allows it in private clubs and Connecticut's two gambling casinos.

The 30-second and 60-second advertisements, running on a classic rock station in Brookfield, a hard-rock station in Hartford and country music station in New London, ask Connecticut smokers to boycott buying cigarettes until the smoking ban is repealed.
Just thought you might find this typically funny of nearly every "grassroots" GOP Inc. campaign - like the Dick Armey GOP inc. sponsored side of the Tea party. Typical of these corporate astroturf types, she was anti cigarette taxes too. (I'm shocked, I tell you!)

Anyways... There is smoke. Dare I say fire?


[update] Put this in your pipe and smoke it:

Tobaccoup Road

In 1999, speaking to physicians, Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, a Reagan appointee, decried the hold of Big Tobacco on health care legislation.

He called tobacco “the sleaziest, slimiest, most devious industry in the world,” whose members “also are the smartest and the richest," and then added. "...that’s a bad combination.”*

Koop remarked:

The biggest scandal in Washington was the Republican Senate selling out to the tobacco industry.
Always prescient, Koop was drawing attention to a coup d'etat: a bloodless takeover of government by big business...one that would drastically effect us for over a decade and is still derailing healthcare reform efforts today.

Koop warned, "We have lost control of medicine to the business world."

Read on...