I was getting tired of the Jim Himes and Chris Shays mailers. And what can I say about the Steve “Jodi Rell is my friend” mailers? Could Jodi Rell identify Papadakos if he walked into the Governor’s office? But at least Papadakos manages to send out the one a day mailer. Bruce Morris, running unopposed for the state rep seat he currently holds, sent 3 mailers in one day! Hey, maybe he’s subliminally saying how he does his job. Aren’t you glad that public financing of campaigns enabled this to happen?

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Detractors are calling Chris Shays some pretty awful names these days, because he has abandoned his candidate’s sinking ship. I say his candidate, because he is Connecticut co-chair of John McCain’s campaign. Shays is no Joe Lieberman (McCain’s other CT co-chair, BFF, and rumored first pick for VP), there is no denying that. While Lieberman is merely edging one foot toward the Obama boat while staying firmly planted on the McCain dock, Shays has taken full flight, renouncing McCain to the Yale Daily News.
Excerpt:

“I just don’t see how [McCain] can win … He has lost his brand as a maverick; he did not live up to his pledge to fight a clean campaign,” Shays said. …

Shays laid much of the blame on the far right, which, he said, has “hijacked” the Republican Party, threatening to walk out if its demand are not met — despite being in the minority.

Um. Wait a minute. Isn’t that code for “it’s Sarah Palin’s fault”? But, didn’t he say that Sarah Palin was an “awesome” pick for Vice President; that she would help him in his race?

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I’ve been hearing rumors that there were other shoes to drop on this, but nothing specific. MSNBC reports here.
Excerpt:

“The Justice Department is making very serious inquiry into any possible wrongdoing that may involve (former Countrywide CEO) Angelo Mozilo, other Countrywide employees, Sen. Chris Dodd, Sen. Kent Conrad, (former Fannie Mae CEO) Franklin Raines or other public officials,” said Feinberg’s lawyer, Anthony Salerno. “Robert has always cooperated thoroughly with authorities and is strictly a witness in their investigation.” …

Senator Dodd says he thought the VIP program just meant better customer service, and that he received market terms that he could have received from other lenders. The senator said in a press conference on the matter that if anyone had suggested at the time that he was receiving some kind of financial benefit on the loans because of his position, he would have terminated the relationship immediately.

Maybe one of our readers can shed some light based on the reporting, but I can’t tell if Dodd is a target of the investigation or a person of interest, or whatever. Personally, I’ll believe this when it is proven. Far as I’ve been able to tell, the deal Dodd got wasn’t all that sweet.

Dodd, who has been keeping his own counsel on this so far, released a statement via email a short time ago; printed in its entirety below.

Source: MSNBC.com

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This just in from Senator Dodd via email.

Chris Dodd for Connecticut

Dear Friends,

As we approach the most historic election of our lifetimes, I wanted to let you know how much I’m looking forward to working with all of you to address those challenges that we face here in Connecticut and across the country.

This November, Connecticut has the chance to gain a super majority in the State Senate and to elect Jim Himes to Congress, which would send an entirely Democratic Congressional delegation to Washington from our great state.

Around the country we are making significant gains in some of the reddest states imaginable, and there is growing hope that Democrats will not only elect Barack Obama to the White House but also pick up enough Senate seats to give him a filibuster-proof majority.

Put simply, we have a remarkable opportunity to create the kind of lasting change that will improve the lives of families here at home and across America for years to come.

However, I realize that over the last few weeks there have been a lot of questions raised about my own 2003 mortgage loans. And while I’m determined not to let this distract me from the things we are fighting for together, I wanted to talk with you directly about it.

Most importantly, I want to say again that the allegations are simply not true.

I’ve had the same home in East Haddam for 28 years. In 2003, mortgage rates were the lowest they had been in 50 years and Jackie and I did what millions of other homeowners did. We refinanced. We shopped around and negotiated to get a competitive rate.

Contrary to what you may have seen in the press, I am not a friend of Angelo Mozilo, the CEO of Countrywide, and I never have been. I never spoke with him or any other executive about my loans. Like any customer, we dealt with loan officers and received standard markets rates you could find advertised in the newspaper. At no point was it suggested that we would get some special rate because I was a United States Senator. Had it been, I would have ended the relationship immediately.

There is a bipartisan Senate Ethics Committee inquiry into this matter, as there should be. I welcomed it and have been completely forthcoming with them, providing whatever they need. I know there have been requests to release more information publicly, and I’ve said that we will do so at the inquiry’s conclusion. But I regret that this process is taking longer than I thought it would and apologize for not making that clearer at the outset.

It hurts, obviously, when these kinds of accusations are made. It is frustrating to try to disprove a negative. But I hope you know that there is nothing I take more seriously than representing the people of Connecticut with honor and integrity in the United States Senate. No one wants this matter to be resolved more than I do, and it is my hope that the Committee will conclude the review as soon as possible.

As always, Jackie and I appreciate the support that you have shown us over the years. I know that all we have been able to accomplish together, serving as your United States Senator, would not have been possible without your trust. And at this moment, I know there is still so much work to be done on behalf of Connecticut and the country.

Thank you again for your support and your friendship,

Chris

The rumors of Dodd’s imminent demise are overstated. More on this in a later post.

Source: Friends of Chris Dodd via email.

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From a press release:

Non perishable food drive to help fill the Fairfield County Food Bank

MOST NEEDED FOOD ITEMS
Canned Tuna / Canned Chicken, Soups, Carnation Instant Breakfast, Breakfast Cereal, Peanut Butter / Grape Jelly, White or Brown Rice (2 Lb Bags), Powdered or Parmalat Milk, Jarred Spaghetti, Sauce,                Canned Vegetables (Corn, Cut Green Beans),Dried Beans (Pinto Beans, Black Eyed Peas, Lentil, Kidney), Crackers ,Juices, Macaroni & Cheese, Applesauce and other non perishable foodstuffs

On November 4th we will be holding a donation drive for the Fairfield County Food Bank

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In a short email to State Senator Bob Duff, Steve Papadakos replied that he’d prefer to meet and greet Darien voters one on one. Darien is perhaps Papadakos’ best opportunity to pick up votes.

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Well, Madonna provides the youtube video clip inspiration today, but the link here allows you to actually see the proposed SoNo train station plans and solicits feedback in the form of a survey and comment area. Express yourself: www.sonorailstudy.org.

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Bill Safire coined the term way back before the burning of the credibility of the white house, but specifically for Nixon VP Spiro Agnew to use against the “liberal” media. But everything old is new again, so I’ll dust off the term and liberally apply it to the furious fifty who like to show up at every hearing clutching dreams of conspiracy.

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Next Tuesday might be the pivotal Presidential election, but an item on the ballot this year may have far more ranging impact on who is president for residents in Connecticut. Up for vote is the question on forming a Constitutional Convention, meaning that the state constitution could be amended to allow for referendum issues to be placed on the ballot by voter initiatives. Currently the constitution of Connecticut can be amended, but by a 2/3 vote of the state legislature.

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Less than a week to go. I suppose there have been stranger home stretches. Maybe the year Perot was in the mix. But between half-hour infomercials, the Joe the Plumber Express - c’mon guys, wtf? - the mavericky diva, Tina Fey, Al Franken, Ted Stevens, Michele Bachmann, John Murtha, the Bradley effect, and so on …. Well, it’ll be over soon.

Here’s where it stands. Polls are showing some tightening over all, but Obama is on offense, fully funded and with a heavily manned field operation; he is winning over suburban voters and other unaffiliated and swing voters; plus he has a base strategy a la Rove’s Dubya 2 campaign.

The polling and McCain’s dwindling resources have dictated a focused strategy for his campaign. Here’s what Karl Rove’s website has to say as of tonight:

National polls have started to show the presidential race tightening, but 66 state polls released so far this week haven’t captured any significant movement toward John McCain. In fact, since Sunday, Nevada (5 EV) has flipped from toss-up to Obama, giving him 311 electoral votes to McCain’s 157, with 70 as a toss-up. McCain still needs to pick up all of the current toss-up states—which all went for Bush in both 2000 and 2004—and peel off several large states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia from Obama.

The Rove & Company map shows Montana, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Florida as the toss-ups.

FiveThirtyEight proprietor and newly minted media guru Nate Silver’s Senate pie chart is showing 57 Senate seats at the moment going to the Democratic caucus; plus the unaffiliated (read socialist) Bernie Saunders making it 58; and excluding Joe Lieberman who will probably be caucusing with the Republicans, if you believe Senator Ensign.

Four of Connecticut’s five Congressional races are polling roughly as follows: CT05 - somewhere between “over” and a landslide for incumbent Chris Murphy; CT02 - challenger Sullivan is toast as Courtney turns a paper-thin win in ‘06 into a safe seat; CT01 & CT03 - only token opposition to begin with; and a race that will be watched by everybody who watches this stuff, CT04. Himes and Shays in a dead heat, with Shays trying not to make any mistakes, and Himes trying to find some way to shake things up in the closing lengths.

Sources: Karl Rove & Company; FiveThirtyEight.

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