In what might be described as a capitulation to concerns across the spectrum of women’s basketball – if not all of sportsdom – that things are getting kind of boring, UCONN Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma may be contemplating an unprecedented move to make the national championships more exciting.

Behind this speculation is the fact that most expect UCONN to win it all, going away, for the second consecutive year. While Baylor coach Kim Mulkey puts a brave face on things, everybody believes the Husky women to be unbeatable.

Excerpt:

Former President George W. Bush called Baylor coach Kim Mulkey on her cell phone Wednesday while she spoke with reporters about playing mighty Connecticut in the Final Four.

Bush was told to call back.

Even in a phone face-off, the Huskies can’t be beat.

“The thing that you gotta remember, guys, is I don’t care how good UConn is,” Mulkey said before her phone rang. “One day they will lose.”

The article goes on to point out that the UCONN women haven’t lost in over 75 consecutive contests.

This does not count intra-squad play, because the wins and losses cancel each other out, obviously.

An announcement from Auriemma’s spokesperson could come before the end of the day. If the Huskies were to field or, more accurately, “court” but four players against the opposing five, UCONN’s projected margin of victory would drop to single digits, along with the odds on the Husky women to win it all.

Disclaimer: Chris MC totally supports the UCONN Huskies, and especially the women’s basketball team, and makes no bones about it!

Source: Associated Press, ‘One day they will lose’: Baylor eyes upset over mighty UConn in Final Four, by Paul J. Weber. Continue Reading

Quinnipiac put a poll in the field March 9 through March 15th, and today released a statement on the results:

Among Democrats, 44 percent of voters are undecided, while businessman Ned Lamont gets 28 percent to Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy’s 18 percent. No other candidate tops 4 percent.

As I’ve said elsewhere, polls this far out aren’t terribly meaningful in terms of head to head match-ups and, as others have pointed out, with 44 percent undecided this is still wide open.

What I find interesting about this poll is that Malloy hasn’t spent a dime on paid advertising, it has been all earned media. And Malloy and the campaign has really earned every bit of it, by being the hardest working candidate that I’ve ever seen, putting out substantive statements all the time, offering tons of video, regular email updates to supporters, and so on.

Malloy’s vote share has moved 7 points without spending a dime. Ned hasn’t spent any money on paid media either, and he’s moved but a point. That tells me that the Malloy campaign’s focus on issues, on shoe leather campaigning, on direct contact with the voters, is working. The time will come for paid media, and when it does, Malloy will be competitive.

As far as it goes, this is good news for Malloy.
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One week ago today, Dan Malloy officially became a candidate for Governor.
Video:

Malloy continued his torrid pace of appearances, appearing on WFSB’s Face the State, answering questions from panelists Daniela Altimari of The Hartford Courant, Ted Mann of The Day, and host Dennis House.
Video (thanks to ctblogger):

Malloy’s Sunday appearances included a conversation with Connecticut Newsmakers host Tom Monahan.
Video (thanks again to ctblogger):

There’s more after the jump…
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If you were feeling disappointed with the the story line on the Senate race this year – if for you it lacked a certain kind of looniness that you find de riguer for a political season that aspires to hold your interest – help has arrived in the form of lower Fairfield County’s answer to Lyndon LaRouche.

Lee Whitnum has declared her intent to replace Chris Dodd. As evidence of her qualifications for the job, she cites a picture taken of her with Senator Dodd, and the fact that she found him very disappointing to talk to.

I have some pictures of myself with Chris Dodd, and they are much nicer than Lee’s. In a couple, it is just me and Chris Dodd. Therefore I am announcing my intention to seek the seat for United States Senator. My campaign will commence as soon as I can locate my signature zany hat.
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There is a lot in the press about Linda McMahon the last couple days. McMahon’s campaign has, relative to what one can meaningfully spend on a statewide political campaign in Connecticut (about five million dollars will do the job, and its maybe eight million dollars tops), an unlimited amount of money. Her fortune comes from the family business, the very definition of stage-managed storytelling media companies, World Wrestling Entertainment. People tend to go with what they know and, sure enough, McMahon’s pursuit of the Senate seat vacated by Chris Dodd is a tightly controlled marketing campaign, with the star act’s every move – and everything in her vicinity – meticulously attended to by her handlers.

But McMahon and her campaign are not escaping scrutiny. From the cutting edge of online local media right here in Connecticut, to the original innovator that brought us the 24-hour news cycle, Linda2010 is generating controversy.

Start with the local: Valley Independent Sentinel reporter Joe Cole attempted to ask McMahon a coupla questions at a public appearance in Seymour last week, and McMahon “press wrangler” Suzan Bibisi reportedly shut it down. The campaign followed up with a boiler-plate email response to the reporter’s question; followed by a ham-handed attempt to intimidate the local guys with a press release, quoted in a report by veteran investigative journalist Paul Bass of the New Haven Independent:

“Valley Independent Sentinel Report Involved in Head-On Collision with Reality, the Facts,” the release’s headline read.
“The Valley Independent Sentinel’s claim is demonstrably false, contradicted by scores of interviews Linda has given, including more than a dozen hour-long interviews with reporters and editorial boards nationally and in Connecticut,” the release stated, listing selected interviews her campaign has arranged.

The skinny: Gilded Senate Campaign – 0, Gritty Local Reporters – 2.

Then, CNN‘s Anderson Cooper 360 launched its new series on campaign spending – Cost of Entry – with an expose’ on none other than Linda McMahon. Have a peek:

The, uh, money quote:

The Center for Responsive Politics says 40 out of 51 Congressional candidates that spent half a million dollars or more on their 2008 campaigns lost, or quit. Proof, perhaps, that even the richest person in the world needs a message voters believe, not just a good act.

Meanwhile, note that former CT02 Congressman and contender for the GOP nomination Rob Simmons got some nice “earned media” in the CNN piece.
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Steve Collins was not going quietly into the night.

Back on November 11, 2008, I posted an installment to a thread I revisit occasionally (like now), categorized on this blog under Media, wherein I sporadically chronicle the chronic condition of traditional media, specifically print media, here in your state, CT. The post was entitled Connecticut print media about to shrink again?, and it referred to a story on Steve Collins’ blog about the imminent demise of Steve’s employer, the Bristol Press, along with a bunch of other holdings of the bankrupt Journal Register company. I was sure that both Steve and his wife, who also worked for the Press, were goners.

Turns out, Steve had a bit more fight in him than he let on. Read A look back on the effort to save the Press on Steve’s blog, wherein he discloses his December 4, 2008 letter on the subject to state Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, Joan McDonald.

Worth reading.

Due to a prior commitment I will be unable to attend the right-in-my-wheelhouse event tonight at The Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford; “a screening of a critical new documentary on the future of newspapers, “On Deadline: Is Time Running Out For The Press?” followed by a panel discussion led by WNPR’s John Dankosky with some of those involved in this changing trade.” I’m going to have to settle for the airing of the film on CPTV 8 p.m. on Thursday or 10 p.m. on Friday.
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Dan Malloy discusses missed opportunities at Bradley Airport with the Windsor Locks Democratic Town Committee, and shares a story from “The City That Works”.

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The question:
“25% of the educational budget in Killingly is directed to 13% of students because of special education mandates. How will you save regular education in Connecticut?” Dan Malloy and Ned Lamont respond, Tuesday, 23 February 2010.

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Dan Malloy in Old Saybrook earlier this week:

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Was it really just four weeks ago that Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz was the apparent front-runner for Governor of the state of Connecticut? It seems like much longer than that. According to some wags, the long knives are out and, people are openly speculating her political career might be over. Its astonishing.

Not much to add to the news, so if you haven’t read about it, here is a synopsis:
Susan, just weeks after saying she was committed to campaign finance reform and would participate in public financing, reversed position and declared she was opting out almost in the same breath that she declared she was no longer running for Governor, but instead for Attorney General. Supporters and allies in Hartford with whom she had fought to bring about campaign finance reform went nuts. Susan got into a bit of a scrape with some reporter types while the cameras were rolling.

A blogger questioned whether Susan was technically qualified under state statutes to be Attorney General. Susan called up her friend Dick and asked him to issue a legal opinion saying of course she’s qualified to replace him. Dick’s office said they hadn’t gotten a letter from Susan or from the Secretary of State, and until they did they had nothing to say. Competitors and reporter types started calling Susan out on the specific issue of whether or not she can even be AG and, while they’re in the neighborhood, her resume is pretty thin either way. The SOTS wrote the AG a letter asking several questions, beginning with questioning the constitutionality of the statute in the first place. This is where it goes from bad to worse.

The AG issued an opinion today saying, amongst other things, that yes in fact the statute is constitutional and no, the AG cannot be issuing opinions as to whether or not Susan is qualified under the statute as a practicing attorney. The GOP state chair says that if none of the Democratic contenders, such as Susan, are willing to take the issue to court to get a summary judgement, you bet your ass he will. Meanwhile Susan tells at least one reporter that she thinks the AG agrees with her, in fact that the 15 page opinion confirms what she has been saying all along and, damn the torpedoes, she’s getting on with her candidacy.

Hands smacking foreheads all over the place. Columnist types are penning opinions and commenters on the blogs are issuing early political obits. Susan defenders fuming this is a bunch of crap, and a political ambush.

AG’s opinion here.
Christine Stuart with her story on it here.
GOP Chairman Chris Healy blogs here.
Colin McEnroe here.
And there’s just tons more out there.

Stay tuned.
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