Governor Rell’s flip-flop back flip on the Senate vacancy bill – which cans the Governor’s power to appoint the replacement for a Connecticut US Senate seat vacated mid-term in favor of a special election – has exposed the rift the chasm between the occupant of the only major Connecticut office held by a registered Republican and her Party.
Connecticut House minority leader, Norwalk Representative Larry Cafero, after a moment of mum, has been quoted in the press making some rather candid statements of his views on the matter.
”Maybe she completely changed her mind,” Cafero said sarcastically, rattling off a list of potential explanations. “Or her phone broke. Or she forgot that 48 out of 49 members of her own party, at her office’s request, spoke for over five hours in opposition to a bill that we felt was a direct slap to her personally because it took effect during her term.”
”It was clearly a political move,” Cafero said of the Senate vacancy bill. “She said it was. For her to today sign that was a complete about face of which we had no prior notice, so I guess you’d have to ask her why.”
This has sparked renewed speculation about the Cafero’s intentions for next year, bolstered of course by his website:
I am exploring greater opportunities to serve the city I cherish and the state I love. My commitment to Norwalk has never been stronger…our shared efforts on behalf of Connecticut’s future have never been more needed. — Larry Cafero
Where he might be headed may be problematic, since the CT04 Congressional nomination will be going to State Senator John McKinney (Fairfield, Easton, Newtown, Weston), and there is already a knot of Republican aspirants considering a run for Chris Dodd’s seat next year.
But depending on what M. Jodi Rell decides to do (or not) in 2010, and what happens in the under-ticket on the Democratic line, a run statewide may well be in the cards for him. Ironically, any such bid might pit him against Democratic State Rep Spallone (Essex), the vacancy bill’s principal sponsor, who has announced his interest in exploring a run for constitutional office.
One might wonder whom the Republicans and the Democrats might nominate to replace Larry in the House next year?
Source: Explore Cafero.
[h/t tparty]
{ 11 comments }
I don’t pay as much attention as I should to these matters… Is the basic story that Rell asked the Republicans to support her indignity at taking away the governor’s right to appoint a refill to a US Senate vacancy, then turned around and acted in the completely opposite fashion supporting the bill? And never said a word to the House Republicans? Well I would be annoyed too, especially if I was cajoled into taking a purely political stance on an issue and then got left high and dry.
Lex Paulsen, an unknown candidate just out of law school, lost to Larry by 200 something votes in 2006. And Larry thinks he can win the gubernatorial??? He’s not even a big vote getter in his home town.
I do hope he makes a run for it, maybe Lex will come back from the Obama administration and win that seat. The Dems have targeted that seat and will likely win it in 2010.
Yeah Larry’s really on top of things, isnt he?
Two words for his honor, Bye Bye!!
“just say no” in 16 months.
The two strongest Dems would be Bruce Kimmel or Mike Coffey. Both of them could take an open seat in that district. They also have strong records in City Hall.
Neither Kimmel nor Coffey could afford the job, unless Kimmel retires from NY teaching and Coffey stunts a lucrative NY law practice and impoverishes his family (don’t think the wife would want that consequence after the NDTC treated him like s**t. Lex Paulson graduated Yale law school and would take a financial hit doing this stuff.
So the bottom line is: make the run and suffer a run on your bank account–which is good because it keeps them honest.
What we need in place of Larry is someone new. I can’t understand these politicians who stay in office for decades while their ideas get old and stale. Look what happened to Knopp; he went to Hartford as the “whiz kid”, stayed far too long, and when he came back here to win the election he was jaded, tired, and had no new ideas. IMHO, these senators and representatives should not take for granted their offices will be theirs for a lifetime. In reality we the voters ought to be turning these offices over every 6 years or so. New blood and new ideas are needed to keep things moving, just like a good dose of Maalox.
while I think Larry is great and has done much for Norwalk and connecticut,if he wants to be governor he has to become more inclusive so there is a place for liberal republicans like myself.
was most impressed with Rob Simmons with his there is a place for everyone in the party even if you do not agree with them.
Chris MC: The CT04 Republican nomination will go to John McKinney? Who? I mean Fairfield, Easton, Newtown, Weston have how many Republicans, like 501 combined? Oh I exaggerate, but CT04 is vast and pragmatic and a done deal it is not.
I agree with number 4. Coffey and Kimmel would both be great choices for the Dem nod. Maybe the Party can convince either of them to run this year for Mayor. They would be upgrades over the current field.
What about that fresh young face from New Canaan, Will Gregory? What up wid dat?
Having written about Larry’s exploratory committee, let me just throw this out there:
Rell decides NOT to run in 2010.
One would say that makes Lt. Gov. Mike Fedele of Stamford the party’s nominee.
Fedele has legislative experience and is technically second in command (well, really that’s Rell’s chief of staff, Lisa Moody, but I digress). BUT as the Lt. Gov. Fedele is, as is typically the case with the position, not allowed to do too much that would eclipse his boss.
Whatever you think of Cafero and his positions, he is more the face of the CT GOP right now than Fedele, just because Cafero’s the guy facing the cameras during the legislative session and the budget debates.
Whether Larry wants to be Governor or not I don’t know. But I suspect some in the party want a deeper bench should Rell bow out and that’s why Cafero has been doing his explorin’.
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