One Minute with Alan Schlesinger

Tonight was the second interview we've done with Republican candidate for Senate Alan Schlesinger. He discussed many issues that are important as we move into the last week of the Senate campaign, some of them quite frankly. Be sure to check back later as I upload more clips from this very interesting interview.

This is a simple, one-minute "get to know you" video.

One minute with Alan Schlesinger.


And please visit Schlesinger2006.com.

Videos of Crossroads' faith-based interviews

Several weeks ago Shane Griffiths from Crossroads Magazine interviewed Ned Lamont (which I then co-opted and posted here) along with the other two Senate candidates on faith-based issues. The finished program was aired last weekend, and CT residents will be able to see it again Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 5:30 a.m. on WTXX the CW Channel 20.

They have the video online. Here's the two-part interviews with the three Senate candidates, on these issues:

- Faith in politics
- Health Care
- Choice
- Gay Marriage

I like the format of the interviews; it has the feeling of a debate, where all three candidates answer the exact same question, but they were interviewed at different times and places. This results is sincere answers that are untainted by the other candidate's replies.

I'd like to see this format expanded and used more in the future (by me, of course). It allows the voters to see the candidates' views on specific issues compared with each other, in a straight forward manner.

Great job with this, Shane.

(UPDATE: The videos below were apparently removed from Youtube, so if you want to see the portion of the interview featuring Ned Lamont which I taped and posted myself, please click on THIS LINK)


Part One


Part Two

What more do you need?

Senator Bush Lieberman is in George's back pocket, and has been since the War began.



If you've had enough of Joe Lieberman's "Campaign of Corruption", then DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

You have one week left to change the world!

How often do you get an opportunity like that?

Volunteer for Ned Lamont
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Beware of "Danger Kitty"!

His "meow" is worse than his bite!
Just having some fun on this fine Halloween morning.

(This is what happens when I don't have to go to work first thing!)

R?!? WTF?

ABC News showing some of that award-winning reportering.

Barred campaign worker employed by Lieberman

Senator Lieberman's campaign of corruption is exposed in yet another scandal.

From today's Hartford Courant:

Activist Denies Violating Ban On Ballot Work
October 31, 2006
By DANIEL E. GOREN, Courant Staff Writer

A Hartford Democrat who was fined and barred from involvement in absentee ballot activities last year is working for a company hired by Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman's campaign to do voter outreach in the city - including the distribution of absentee ballot applications.

Prenzina Holloway was fined $10,000 in July 2005 and ordered not to distribute absentee ballot applications or to assist voters with the ballots for two years, after the State Elections Enforcement Commission found that she had forged a voter's signature in the 2004 election.

Holloway acknowledges working for Urban Voters and Associates, a company paid $17,550 by the Lieberman campaign since September to do "field work." But she said she isn't involved in the company's absentee ballot operations.

"That is just a no-no," she said. "And I know it is a no-no."

But five people at a Vine Street housing complex for the elderly have told The Courant that Holloway and another person came to their doors to give them absentee ballot applications, and a security worker at another complex on Woodland Street said Holloway tried to get into the building to distribute applications there. Holloway was barred from the building after getting into a verbal altercation with the worker after he made supportive comments about Lieberman's main challenger, Ned Lamont.

Other sources at the building said she called back a week later to try to "sweet talk" her way into the facility.

[...]

Holloway committed absentee ballot fraud in the 2004 election when she voted on behalf of, and forged the signature of, at least one voter, according to the State Elections Enforcement Commission. The commission also found evidence that Holloway was in the same room with at least two other voters as they filled out absentee ballots, a violation of state election law.

Holloway was fined $10,000, but because of financial hardship was made to pay only $2,000. She also signed an agreement saying she would "refrain from distributing absentee ballot applications and shall not assist with absentee ballot applications for a period of two years," starting April 1, 2005.

[...]

But Claudia Dismuke, 85, was one of five voters at Mary Mahoney Village on Vine Street who said Holloway and an older man came to their doors several weeks ago to give them absentee ballot applications. Dismuke said she has known Holloway for years.

"She came by with another man," Dismuke said. "She helped me fill it out and then I put the stamp on it. I mailed it in."

Four other residents at Mary Mahoney Village - James Hightower, Olga Morales, Angelito Vazques and Dorothy McKinley - said they did not know Holloway personally but recognized her when shown a picture. All four said Holloway had given them applications.

There you go again, Senator. Breaking laws that you feel shouldn't apply to you.

How long will you be allowed to get away with this kind of behaviour?

Read the rest of the article via the link at the top of this page.

Furious Joe's Campaign Writes a Letter

From LamontBlog: When most candidates lose a newspaper endorsement - even one as potentially influential as the New York Times' - they let it go. They might go so far as mutter something under their breath about newspaper endorsements being meaningless. About how the voters are the things that matter.

Not Joe Lieberman.

"Danger Face"
And not Dan Gerstein, who, upon reading the New York Times' reasoned, articulate editorial absolutely dismantling his candidate's carefully constructed post-primary PR, sat down to furiously bang out an official letter of protest (impressively enough, at the same time his head was apparently exploding) to the "liberal media" heavyweight.

The blog post introducing the letter opens with this gem, echoing Lieberman supporters across the right-wing by accusing the Times of being biased and having a "clear partisan agenda":

"Danger Duck"

We fully expected that the New York Times, given its strong anti-war stance and clear partisan agenda, would repeat their misguided primary endorsement of Ned Lamont for the general election. But we never imagined the Times of all papers would produce such an intellectually dishonest and shoddy editorial as they published Sunday.

The Gerstein letter itself goes on to accuse the Times of being:

• dishonest,


• "ill-informed,"


• "tendentious,"


• biased,


• "narrow-minded,"


• willfully ignorant,


• lacking "rigor,"


• "disinterested" in the truth,


• and intellectually captive to... wait for it... bloggers...

"Danger Kitty"
...all in the first five paragraphs.

And there are twenty-nine petulantly virtiolic paragraphs that follow:

All of this goes to show that if anyone is guilty of not facing reality, it is the Times editors. You clearly overlooked all the signs that Senator Lieberman was listening and that his views could and did evolve. Instead, you repackaged the distorted caricature the Lamont campaign has been peddling for several months to serve your own ideological agenda.

The truth is, the only way Joe Lieberman could have won with the Times editors was to compromise his principles and recant his support for the war. And in much the same way, the only acceptable definition of changing course for the Times was a politically-determined timetable for troop withdrawal -– a path that has been rejected as a threat to our national security interests by many critics of the Bush Administration, including the overwhelming majority of Senate Democrats, and our military leadership.

The most blatant evidence that the fix was in was your assertion that Mr. Lamont is “the far better candidate” to serve in the U.S. Senate. That is simply incomprehensible – and frankly an insult to your readers’ intelligence....

"Danger Nut"
It is quite telling that the Times, much like the bloggers who have been trying to purge Joe Lieberman from the Democratic Party, failed to acknowledge any of these accomplishments and stands – or to explain why they were not relevant to your endorsement process....

Or, not least of all, the Times editors did not acknowledge the consequences of losing Senator Lieberman’s seniority for the people of Connecticut and for many of the progressive causes the Times has long championed.

That is probably because you long ago convicted him of not being ideologically pure enough and of not being reflexively hostile enough to his Republican colleagues. You clearly wanted another finger-pointer in the Senate, and Ned Lamont wins that contest hands down.

It's really perplexing. What good can come of this letter? Other than to direct people to the decidedly sane and civil - and convincing - endorsement from the Times that made Gerstein fly into such a rage.

What it shows is how Joe's is and always has been a campaign based entirely on entitlement, indignation, and anger. He was angry at having to face a primary challenge. He was insulted that anyone would ask him to defend his record. And he's been in furious rage at the Connecticut voters who rebuked him in a record turnout in August.

"Danger Joe"
And guess who he'll take that anger out on if he wins.

Atty. General Blumenthal on the investigations

Last night at the Dave Mooney for State Rep birthday party, I spoke to Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal about some of the important issues going into the final week of the campaign.

The most important issue seems to be the "Lieberman Campaign Slush Fund" scandal, but I also asked about the supposed "hacking" claim by "Stick with Joe" Lieberman's campaign. Watch what the AG says about that.

Joe can't stick with "Stay the Course"

In this 13-second video, you can easily see the way George Bush and his little lapdog Joe Lieberman now insist that they never believed in "Stay the Course".

Joe (recently): "I am NOT for stay the course".

He must think you're all a bunch of dopes.


This is another betrayal from Joe Lieberman, this time to the maybe 1/3 of the voters out there who approve of our policy in Iraq and believe in "Stay the Course".

Joe is suddenly in favor of a phased withdrawal. That's what I call a betrayal to you "Stay the Course" people.

So now you don't have ANY reason to vote for Joe; and if it comes down to which candidate has always been 100% clear on Iraq and never LIED about his position, there's only one choice.

Ned Lamont.

Why would anyone still "stick with Joe" at this point?

He's got all the "sticktoitofness" of a fried egg on a teflon pan that's been sprayed with vegatable oil and WD-40.

How's THAT for sticking it to Joe?

Meet Joe and Mayor Bloomberg Tomorrow, 7:45 am, Stamford Train Station

From My Left Nutmeg, by Branford Boy:

Joe Lieberman and Mayor Michael "I want a commuter tax" Bloomberg will be holding a joint campaign appearance at the Stamford train station tomorrow (Monday, Oct 30) from 7:45 a.m.

Some concerned citizens may show up and distribute a flyer something like this:

If you can knock out something better, be my guest. In the meantime, you can download the quick and dirty version and print up as many as you'd like.

"Senator Sellout" cozies up to Bloomberg

Wow.

Apparently (according to Joe Lieberman) Ned Lamont's wealth is somehow tainted, but Michael Bloomberg's BILLION DOLLARS is pure manna from heaven!

So while Senator Lieberman spews lies out of one side of his mouth and implies Ned's family fortune was earned through mysterious and shady means, Joe uses the other side of his mouth to plant a sloppy wet kiss on Micheal Bloomberg's ass cheek.

Because Mayor Bloomberg, the billionaire Republican who spent over $77,000,000 of his own money to campaign for the Mayorship of New York, is eager to impose his OUT OF STATE influence on Connecticut's Senate race.

From an AP story on CNN.com:

The mayor has also dispatched several campaign operatives to Connecticut to help Lieberman reach GOP and independent voters as the race closes. Lieberman is running as an independent after losing to wealthy businessman Ned Lamont in the Democratic primary.

"The mayor has been extremely generous personally in being willing to help us raise money," Lieberman spokesman Dan Gerstein said.

Bloomberg appeared at a major Chicago fundraising event for Lieberman recently. He will campaign with Lieberman on Monday in Stamford, greeting commuters and formally endorsing him. Bloomberg will also host a fundraiser next week at his home, Gerstein said.

Bloomberg operatives are helping to build Lieberman's get-out-the-vote effort, which is targeting a mix of Democratic, Republican and independent supporters.

"We're leveraging the very relevant experience of the Bloomberg operation to help us in what can charitably be described as a unique situation," said Gerstein.

The Bloomberg team has valuable experience identifying such voters in New York City, which is considered Democratic turf, said Gerstein.

Bloomberg also is backing Connecticut Republicans Gov. M. Jodi Rell and Rep. Christopher Shays, who is locked in a tough re-election fight.

So, not only are Republican "operatives" going to be flooding the state, but Mayor Bloomberg is also betraying his own party by not supporting the Republican candidate for Senate, Alan Schlesinger.

No wonder Lieberman loves Bloomberg.

They're two of a kind.

TO CONNECTICUT VOTERS: Don't let the out-of-state operatives decide the election for you!

Rosa DeLauro for Ned Lamont

Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-3) spoke at the Branford DTC on Friday. She explained why we need Ned Lamont to be our senator; watch the video:

Hartford Courant in Joe's pocket long ago

How can Ned Lamont expect fair and unbiased reporting from a newspaper that long ago cast it's lot with three-term incumbant senator Joe Lieberman?

(UPDATE: The Hartford Courant finally pulled down the page, and Reader Rep Karen Hunter posted this article in the Courant's blog, along with other reader complaints. Link to that blog entry is HERE. I just love how everything that helps Lieberman is a "computer glitch". Funny how there aren't any pro-Lamont glitches happening anywhere!)

If the Hartford Courant's ownership is backing the senator, as they've stated this weekend by endorsing Lieberman, then obviously that bias will trickle down through every corner of the newspaper's operations; from it's reporters to it's web site. Here's a perfect example (click image to enlarge):

This appeared on the Courant.com website last Thursday. Someone was apparently testing some feature on the website, and uploaded this page for public viewing.

Happens all the time.

But when you read the fine print, you can see where the Courant's priorities lie.

"TEST BULLETIN -- The following is a TEST. Joe Lieberman, CTL, elected U.S. Senate, Connecticut."

This "test bulletin" was attributed to the "AP STATE WIRE", which graphically shows what the newspaper hopes and works toward what might happen.

Here's the link to the actual Courant webpage that shows the "bulletin", but I expect it to disappear at any moment once they realize it is being seen by people.

When you have "institutionalized bias" like this that infects every facet of a news organization, you can't possibly expect fair coverage from a paper.

(h/t to reader Peter Jung)

The "Find Joe" Song

Today Joe Lieberman's campaign released a clever little ditty designed to assist his mentally-challenged supporters find his place on the ballot. You can listen to it HERE.

But here's a more accurate depiction of the song, with video goodness added. Enjoy!

Joe Lieberman is a Liar

This past Thursday, I attended the Milford DTC meeting (my first) and afterwards I spoke to DTC member James Quish.

Jim was quoted in the October 19th issue of Milford Weekly about Joe Lieberman's phone call to him. From the article:

Jim Quish (on right, with Ned), of Milford, was also a delegate at the Connecticut Democratic (convention) and said that one of the main reasons why he is casting his support for Lamont is because Lieberman, who Quish says personally told him he wouldn't run as an independent if he lost the primary, went back on his word.

"Lieberman called me at my house because he wanted my vote at the convention," said Quish. "He said, 'No Jim, I will not run as an independent if I lose the primary.' He told me there was no way he would do that. I felt betrayed."

I asked Jim about the phone call.

"One of his staffers called me shortly before the convention and asked if Senator Lieberman could speak to me. I was sort of honored that the Senator wanted to talk to me, so I said 'Sure thing.'"

"Joe Lieberman then called and asked for my support at the convention. I told him that I was very much against the war in Iraq, and asked him if we, as a nation, had the choice of what to spend these billions of tax dollars on, what would it be? Maybe a cure for cancer, or ending world hunger? Nobody in their right mind would choose to perpetrate this war."

"Lieberman then said that Hussein was a terrible and ruthless leader who needed to be removed to ensure peace. He also said that we'd start withdrawing troops from Iraq shortly, and we'd be under 100,000 soldiers by Christmas."

"I said that I'd read in the paper that he would run as an independent if he lost the primary, and Joe said, 'No Jim, I will not run as an independent. That was something a Lamont supporter goaded me into saying.'"

Jim said that Lieberman called a second time before the convention trying to get his support. Needless to say, Jim Quish is a thinking Democrat, and he voted for the man he thought would work to stop the insanity in our Federal Government. Ned Lamont.

"No Jim, I will not run as an independent. That was something a Lamont supporter goaded me into saying."

Even BEFORE the Convention, everything was Ned Lamont's fault.

Joe Lieberman is a Liar. How can anyone in Connecticut vote for this man?

Ned Lamont on the Debates

Tonight Ned Lamont made an appearance at the Branford DTC, along with 3rd Congressional District Representative Rosa DeLauro, in a "Meet & Greet" that was well-stocked with pizzas and Democrats.

The Kiss Float put in an appearance, displaying Joe's shame as the $387,000 flies out of his bag of petty cash, completely unhindered by ethics or election laws.

Here's Ned answering a couple of my questions about the debates immediately after the meeting. Bonus points if you can if you can hear the point where I'm trying not to laugh as I ask a question.



(Hint: the real answer was "You goddamn sonovabitch", but Ned is way too classy to repeat that out loud.)

Where's the money, Joe?

Nobody in the media is doing their job and asking this question.

Spazeboy is.



Visit Spazeboy.net and let him know you agree with him that Joe must answer the question.

Tivo alert: Ned answers faith-based questions

Shane Griffith's interview of Ned Lamont at the Milford Democratic Party's Meet & Greet on Tuesday will be broadcast on Crossroads Magazine special on the three U.S. Senate candidates. Here's the press release:

CROSSROADS MAGAZINE TO FEATURE PROGRAM ON U.S. SENATE CANDIDATES

Meet the Candidates: Sen. Joe Lieberman, Ned Lamont and Alan Schlesinger.

The Office of Radio and Television of the Archdiocese of Harford has put together a special edition of “Crossroads Magazine” featuring the three primary candidates running for U.S. Senator. The extended segment will air on Crossroads throughout Connecticut three times next week beginning on:

Saturday, Oct. 28 at 10:30 p.m. on WCTX MyTV Channel 9
Sunday, Oct. 29 at 10:30 a.m. on WTXX the CW Channel 20
Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 5:30 a.m. on WTXX the CW Channel 20

The program features each candidate answering the same questions regarding faith in politics, women’s reproductive rights, their definition of marriage, and their strategies to combat our nation’s and Connecticut’s healthcare crisis. The purpose is to provide voters with information not commonly covered by the mainstream media, and to help them vote with a clear and informed conscience. We’ve put forth extra effort to be as fair and balanced as possible.

I posted Ned's responses to those questions last week, and now you can see all three candidates answer these questions from a faith-based point of view.

"We're # 49! We're # 49!"

C'mon everybody, if we all try REAL HARD and reelect Joe Lieberman, we can make NUMBER FIFTY!


(video by by Brian Felsen and Stefan Avalos)

Don't forget Joe's blog!

I've been working hard to keep up with all the lame articles and outright lies that are posted on Joe Lieberman's official campaign blog.

You know, the one where they don't allow comments.

But I do.

Not only do I allow comments, I encourage them! With complete abandon.

So visit the Joe2006Blog.com and post YOUR thoughts on Joe's cute little bundles of lies.

Lamont Accepts Invitation for Fourth Debate

This just in from the Lamont campaign:

(STATEWIDE) – Today, Democratic Nominee for US Senate Ned Lamont accepted an invitation to attend another US Senate debate. It will be held next Thursday evening, November 2nd, and will be sponsored by Fox 61 WTIC-TV and the Hartford Courant. The debate will be broadcast live from Quinnipiac College in Hamden, and again several times before the election on November 7th.

“We are looking forward to another opportunity to debate the issues openly so the voters of Connecticut can make an informed decision on who they want to represent them in the US Senate,” said Liz Dupont-Diehl, Communications Director for the Lamont Campaign. “We hope that both of Ned’s opponents will join him.”

Republican Nominee Alan Schlesinger has also accepted the invitation. The sponsors will allow the debate to proceed whether or not Senator Lieberman accepts.

The Establishment is Scared to Death

They are afraid. Very afraid. The leaders of the Incumbent Protection Racket in Washington, DC are terrified that we, the people, can actually have a voice in our government. Ned and those of us supporting him, wanting to kick the bums out, have the old timers in an uproar. Yes, Ned is the Democratic nominee, a right he won in a Democratic primary, but Chuck Schumer, head of the DSCC has been totally absent in this race -- where is all the money for this competitive race? Flowing into Joe Lieberman's coffers.

Why is Joe getting all of this support? Because he's already a member of the club. He is in deep with the lobbyists and special interests that control Washington. He can be relied on to vote the way he is "supposed to" vote. Put Connecticut's needs first? No way. Joe has folded on the energy bill, the Iraq mess, and he voted to give George W Bush the absolute right to determine what torture is and is not, and who can be treated as an "enemy combatant" and who cannot. (But, remember, if Hillary becomes president, she'll have the same powers to declare Rush an "enemy combatant," so maybe we just have to hang on for 2 years -- heh, heh.)

No, we are the establishment's worst nightmare. We think, we donate, we're active, we're incredibly well informed, and we call them on their bullshit, like claiming they have never said "Stay the Course." WE have become the checks and balances in this era of a Rubber-Stamp Congress.

That's why they want to crush us. The primary win was bad enough for these insiders -- a seat in the Senate held by a man with a conscience, who's there for US, who can't be bought --- well, that's a fate too horrible for those entrenched in the power game to even contemplate.

We, in Connecticut, for the first time in a LONG time, have the power to change politics as they know it. At this point, it is not about your money. It is about your voice and your presence. Come to the town hall meetings with Ned and bring your friends. Send postcards to friends and family. If you click, you'll see Bob's video on how much fun it is to get involved with this campaign down the stretch. If you can take election day off and volunteer to drive people to the polls, make last minute calls, monitor polling places -- you can change our world.

The last revolution started in Massachusetts. Let the next one start here in our beloved CT on November 7. Ned Lamont -- his ONLY special interest is Connecticut.

The Media is Lazy and Dumb

I've been resisting this thought for weeks now, but I just can't prevent it from entering my mind and spilling out all over my keyboard.

The Media is Lazy and Dumb

First, let me discuss how I came to this conclusion.

I've never been involved in a campaign before. At least, not with anywhere NEAR the total immersion I've experienced over the last six months. This is an entirely new experience to me.

In many ways, it's been an eye-opener. I'm continually amazed at the things I see, hear, and feel while I'm out there making my videos, talking to people, and observing the process.

Senators give answers about things that are not only wrong, but agressively so. The ego of a sitting US Senator is a terrible and awesome thing. Politicians talk like John Gotti and Tony Soprano. Campaign staffers routinely lie as a matter of course; they lie when they don't even HAVE to, simply out of habit.

And the Media...well, as I said, they're Lazy and Dumb.

How else can you explain the way they simply transcribe what a candidate says without challenging him on the most basic inaccuracies? Or the way they draw conclusions that are not only erroneous, but are facing 180 degrees from the truth?

Or the way the Media completely ignores the fact that Joe Lieberman apparently has a slush fund of over a third of a million dollars, and nobody is asking about it?

$387,000. That's MORE MONEY than Nixon's Watergate bugging team was funded with!

Yet, for some reason, the media doesn't think this is a significant issue. Amazing.

Well, it's disappointing. I used to think that the Media was a sort of noble profession. Guys like the famous Watergate-cracking team of Woodward and Bernstein. People who would stay up late, digging through the tangle of clues, relentlessly search for the underlying truth that will expose the guilty and exonerate the innocent.

But now, the Media seems to consist of nothing but transcribers, politically-motivated spinners, and self-aggrandizing boors. It's the perfect career path for the Lazy and the Dumb. The only qualifications you need apparently is a basic mastery of grammar and spelling, and a willingness to allow egregious acts of public betrayal to occur right under your nose without making any effort to rectify them.

The Lieberman Slush Fund is potentially a Pulitzer-worthy story for a motivated journalist, but it's been out for over a week now and none of our Media hotshots have even bothered calling Tammy Sun out on her promise to release the detailed accounting of the missing loot last Monday. They're letting the story slide through their lazy and dumb fingers.

But Mark Davis did a wonderful job of looking smug while asking Ned Lamont about his advertising during the debate. Because what's apparently important is being a smart-ass and taking shots at the honest candidates while letting the criminal ones slide by. Because what counts is how clever you look on TV, not the basic TRUTH of the issues.

I can only do so much. I was the only person at the debate who dared ask Lieberman about his slush fund, while all the other Media simply asked the same, tired and lame questions that Joe has heard and responded to a million times. Or maybe it was only a THIRD of a million times. It doesn't matter.

What matters is this - until the Media takes some initiative and starts digging for the news instead of simply calling it in, we'll be stuck with bad government and this inevitable conclusion:

The Media is Lazy and Dumb

Joe avoids the question (as usual)

When asked repeatedly about how the war in Iraq is going, Senator "Doubletalk" comes out with complex, nonsensical, multi-point answers designed to confuse the public and to avoid admitting what we all know:

"The war in Iraq is a continuing disaster for America"


This is a perfect example of WHY we need to retire Joe on November 7th:

He doesn't have the honesty to answer a simple YES OR NO question!

Click here to help

There's five BIG races here in CT, and a bunch of smaller ones.

And they're ALL gonna be a horse race to the finish!

Here's some info on the BIG ones, courtesy of ConnecticutBLOG:

To help John DeStefano click here

To help Ned Lamont click here

To help Chris Murphy click here

To help Diane Farrell click here

To help Joe Courtney click here

You can make a difference.

If you want to help the state races, check into your local area's political scene and get involved.

Joe and George - 2 of a kind

There is a witty little catch phrase that the President came up with after the invasion of Iraq, and Joe Lieberman has taken that phrase and made it a major part of his platform on the war.

See if you can count how many times the phrase is mentioned here:



The when you're done, think about how much time you can volunteer to help Ned Lamont CHANGE THE COURSE!

Then CLICK HERE to find out where you can help.

200,000

We've had a minor milestone here at Connecticut Bob.

Last night our website visit total hit the 200,000 mark. Wow!

I started this silly little blog back in April after Joyce and I saw Ned speak at the now-legendary Naples Pizza appearance. (CT Blogger still has the video of that night, and a short clip appeared in a Lamont commercial recently)

Walking back to our car after that appearance and speaking to Ned, we both decided we were going to support his campaign.

Little did I know where it was going to lead!

So here we are today, with a blog that people seem to enjoy. I've got an amazing blogging partner in Kirby, who adds a lot here, and I've got a ton of new friends because of this.

And hopefully, in roughly two weeks time, we'll have a new senator to celebrate with.

That would make all this work seem very worthwhile. And, finally...

Thank you for visiting!

Joe's new ad forgot a minor point

Joe Lieberman's continued use of Karl Rove's tactics in his TV ads is astounding.

"Blame the other guy for stuff I'm doing myself" seems to be the overriding theme here.

In his latest crap-tossing-fest, our junior Senator alleges that Ned Lamont's family fortune has "up to $5 million invested" in a "firm whose companies ship jobs overseas."

Maybe like Halliburton, of which Joe Lieberman himself had quite a few shares until he embarrassed himself by pointing out Ned's much smaller investment and then Joe had to divest himself of it.

Yeah, Joe caught himself with that allegation.

Or the contributions he accepted from Wal-Mart and meekly claimed that he returned so he could posture at the "Wake Up Wal-Mart" rally in Bridgeport this summer.

So, let's talk about investing in American jobs.

Joe voted in favor of NAFTA. That's the North American Free Trade Agreement.

According to the Economic Policy Institute (link):

Since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed in 1993, the rise in the U.S. trade deficit with Canada and Mexico through 2002 has caused the displacement of production that supported 879,280 U.S. jobs. Most of those lost jobs were high-wage positions in manufacturing industries.

And the report also had THIS to say about the results of Joe Lieberman's support of NAFTA:

The loss of these jobs is just the most visible tip of NAFTA's impact on the U.S. economy.

So, while Joe Lieberman is picking through the investments of an estimated $300 million family fortune that has CREATED wealth and jobs, his vote for NAFTA has cost us almost a MILLION JOBS.

Thanks for caring, Joe.

Join the team and help Ned win!

It's getting down to crunch time for our state and our nation. Ned Lamont needs YOUR help to get over the top and WIN for YOU!

Here's what you do:

1) Watch the video
2) Decide how much time you can give (anything is helpful!)
3) Contact a Lamont office and ask them how you can help

OK, are you ready? Let's go!

1) Watch the video:



2) Decide how MUCH time you have: A few hours in the morning, or evening; maybe a full day on the weekend; a morning or an afternoon session; whatever you can spare!

3) Contact a campaign office that's close to you: And tell 'em that Connecticut Bob sent you!

Volunteer Coordinator: Rose Ryan, (203) 634-6601

1st Congressional District
1stcd@nedlamont.com

West Hartford Office
901 Farmington Ave
West Hartford, CT 06119
(860) 523-9238

Hartford Office
1339 Albany Avenue
Hartford, CT 06112
(860) 548-1823

East Hartford Office
1003 Main Street
East Hartford, CT 06108
(860) 291-9527

2nd Congressional District
2ndcd@nedlamont.com

New London Office
154 Hempstead St
New London, CT 06320
(860) 447-3585

Willimantic Office
713 Main St
Willimantic, CT 06226
(860) 456-1316

(Satellite phonebanking locations in Groton, Norwich, Old Saybrook, Mansfield, and Vernon.)

3rd Congressional District
3rdcd@nedlamont.com

New Haven Office
205 Church St., Suite 501
New Haven, CT 06510
(203) 772-2405

(Satellite phonebanking locations in Branford, Hamden, and Milford.)

4th Congressional District
4thcd@nedlamont.com

Norwalk Office
25 Van Zant St
Suite 18D
Norwalk, CT 06855
(203) 854 5219

Bridgeport Office
300 Fairfield Avenue
Bridgeport, CT 06604
(203) 331-9869

(Satellite phonebanking locations in Greenwich, Stamford, and Fairfield.)

5th Congressional District
5thcd@nedlamont.com

Watertown Office
659 Main St.
Watertown, CT 06795
(860) 274-4957

Help me make a video!

This is YOUR chance to be involved in the making of a Connecticut Bob Video!

I'm thinking of putting together a video this week about the impact of the Iraq War felt here at home in Connecticut.

If you, a member of your family, or someone you know is serving/has served in Iraq, I am looking for home movies with family (the cute stuff) and/or movies from abroad while serving overseas.

This goes for digital photos and snapshots as well.

The plan is to compile it into a video that shows just what people are leaving behind at home, and the contrast to war while in Iraq.

Time is critical here, I'd like to get moving on it ASAP. Email me at futuredv at yahoo and let me know what you have and how I can get in touch with you, and later this week I'll start compiling your videos/movies/pictures.

I really want to do this, but I'll need YOUR help fast!

"Impressions of the Debate"

Here's my magnum opus on last night's debate. The video is about 10 minutes long and shows a lot of little scenes from outside and inside the debate, including some samizdat video of the end of the debate.

I wasn't too worried about taking video in the theater after I saw how ineffective they were in throwing those LaRouche assholes out of the place. They are featured in the video afterwards, singing like they did inside. Dopes.

Most of the camera work is shaky because I was talking on the cell phone most of the time to Kirby back at "Connecticut Bob Central".

By the way, great job last night, Kirby! Well done.

Some images from last night

While my ten-minute video opus on the debate is being rendered and uploaded to Youtube, here's some pictures I took last night to tide you over:

Here's the marquis of the Garde Arts Center. Because of Joe Lieberman's support of the Bush/Cheney Energy Bill, they couldn't afford to light the middle of the sign.

"You goddamn sonovabitch!"

The Puppetmaster-In-Chief shows who pulls the stings in the Connecticut For Lieberman Party.

"You goddamn sonovabitch!"

Here's the three reporters who managed to craft the most boring questions I've ever heard.


"You three goddamn sonsabitches!"

The Garde Arts Theater is a magnificently restored theater, and here's Connecticut Joyce with legendary actor Humphrey Bogart.

I think I may have heard Joe Lieberman say to Bogie, "You goddamn dead sonovabitch!" but I'm not 100% sure.

Poor Joe...the man simply doesn't possess ANY class.

(Disclaimer: for all I know, Joe may have been saying "You got some classy britches" to Ned)

Joe: No Longer a Dem

UPDATE: Yes, I know that I screwed up and wrote "The" instead of "Then" in the video. Don't bother filling my comments with corrections. I'm not gonna change it. If Joe can call other candidates "goddamn sonovabitches", then I can leave my misprint in the video.

(How's THAT for a left-handed justification while getting a shot in at Joe? Brilliant!)

I'm a champion! ("Eagle-eye Smith" reference)

Back from New London

And boy, am I tired!

Here's a Tim Tagaris photo (via MY batteries, which he bummed off of me at the cost of me taking pictures with my own digital camera!) of the Lamont crowd moments before our triumphant march to the theater. The surly Irishman in the lower left is Tom Swan (who isn't surly at all, but just looks that way when he smells blood), and Ned Lamont is just above him, shaking hands and greeting his supporters. My buddy Sal is visible at lower right, and that's a cardboard cutout of George W. Bush on the pole being Joe Lieberman's puppetmaster.

It was a real hoot tonight, from our very first view of the new and improved Kiss Float; to the very last sip of IPA Ale that I enjoyed at the bar moments after meeting the legend Bill Hillsman himself in person!

Joyce and I just dropped off the amazing Caffinated Geek Girl from Connecticut Local Politics (Genghis Conn has got a lot of great pictures from the debate posted there) and we caught the last 10 minutes of the late CSPAN rebroadcast, and it came across almost as crazy as it was for us who were there.

I sat with Branford Boy (and his lovely wife Sally, who's clearly much too good for him!) and it was a lot like being at a good football game when the home team is winning. Hoots and cheers went up mostly for Ned, and despite the party-fucking-pooping Lyndon LaRouche tards who showed up to sing badly at Joe, it was a fun time.

Tomorrow I'll have video of the post-debate Joe taking questions from the (lazy, transcribing, do-nothing) press while giving me the stink-eye, and rushing off before my volley of polite yet intriguing questions were fired at him. Plus some other cool stuff. And I had a moment to speak to Alan Schlesinger post-debate, who was open and accessable as always.

But that will be tomorrow.

(And somebody, please, just tell me when exactly was it that George Stephanopolis had the stick surgically implanted into his ass?)

Post Debate Report 1

The singing that disrupted Joe's speeches was from the Lyndon LaRouche people, who are now standing in the lobby of the theatre, singing and holding a sign equating Bush and Lieberman with Goebbels and Himmler. Bob shot video and will have it up later. If you did not get a chance to watch live, be sure to catch a stream or watch C-SPAN at 11pm. The second half is not to be missed.

Joe called Ned a liar, and Ned stood up to him and defended himself in a very classy way. Last quick question was about gays in the military, "don't ask, don't tell" -- wish Ned and Alan would say that's Joe's policy with the slush fund. Not one word about that, or the new BS from Tammy Sun, "We'll release our petty cash log when Ned releases his tax returns" Oh yeah, right....Joe's delivered on every promise so far in this campaign. Why don't we set up a records escrow? Ned can put his tax returns in, to show good faith, but they are only made public when Joe's full petty cash accounting is also submitted to a special master.

If I hear Joe whine one more time, I think I will puke.

Ned and Al said they would like to barnstorm the state, continuing debates, with questions from the public in each congressional district. Joe declined.

There will be plenty of analysis on this one, that's for sure. Bob is going to have amazing video.

First Debate Report

The debate will be on C-SPAN tonight at 11p Eastern. Live stream at 8p Eastern and audio stream live at 8pm. (you might want to log in and fill out their stupid form in advance).

I just got the first report from Bob, and it is all about the money is pre-debate festivities in New London. Joe's people were right in front of the theatre, about 20 people, many in suits, no Lieberyouth to be seen, and about 15 firefighters with the IAFF, who endorsed Joe. Alan has about 20 people in front of the theatre. Then there's the Lamont Blob.

Bob estimates there are between 300 and 400 Ned supporters. They gathered about a block away because there are so many people there, and then, led by a police escort, then bagpipes, they marched to the front of the theatre with the KISS float bringing up the end of the party. Ned's people are handing out DVDs of the 1988 Lieberman tribute -- and the Lieberfolks just dumped them in the trash.

The KISS float is updated with a pot of money labeled "Petty Cash" and a sign that says "Is this Joe Lieberman's idea of 'Team Connecticut'?" I can't wait to see the video Bob is shooting as I type. A new sign on the back says "The kiss - stick with Joe and you're stuck with Bush"

It sounded pretty rowdy in the background as I was talking to Bob. Wish I was there! While you wait, visit Colin McEnroe's show and listen to interviews he did with Tom Swan (campaign mgr), George Stephanopoulous (tonight's moderator) and Eunice Groark, (campaign co-chair), former Republican who served as Lt.Governor with Lowell Weicker as governor when they ran under "A Connecticut Party"

Debate time!

"Has anyone seen my $387,000 anywhere?"

Poor Joe...having to worry about all the money he lost. I guess when you rake in $15,000,000.00 from lobbyists and big corporations, it's easy to misplace a few hundred grand. That's small potatoes to a big-bucks politician like Joe.

I wonder if anyone will ask him about it tonight?

Stay tuned for updates and commentary from Kirby while I'm at the debate. I'll have my video camera, and will be there for the pre- and post-debate festivities. I'll try to call in with details before and after.

Watch the debate tonight. 8:00PM on WTNH-TV Channel 8 (also streamed here live at WTNH.COM). Also, WTIC NewsTalk 1080 and WTIC.com will carry the audio portion live.

ROFL

C.R.E.E.L.

From the Daily Cup of Joe on the Ned Lamont official website:

After President Richard Nixon abused campaign finance law through his Committee to Reelect the President (CREEP), laws were passed to force candidates to disclose how they spend campaign funds.

But over the weekend, it became clear Senator Joe Lieberman may be ignoring those laws, as the Senator’s FEC reports uncovered $387,000 “petty cash” slush fund that could be called the "Committee to Reelect Lieberman" (CREEL).

During the 14 days around the August 8th primary, Lieberman’s campaign spent over $387,000 on un-itemized, un-identified, and un-disclosed disbursements. By contrast, Ned Lamont’s campaign spent just $500 on petty cash in the entire reporting period. This slush fund requires answers to questions like: what was this spent on? Who was it spent on? And why weren’t the expenses itemized, as the FEC requires?

Today, the Lamont campaign will be filing a formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission, demanding an investigation into possible wrongdoing.

Read the rest of the article here.

I wonder how much of that money went to Lobbyist Richard Goodstein (see Dickie in action here). Judging from how he behaved, it must have been a LOT!

(photo courtesy CT Blogger at ConnecticutBLOG)

Joe volunteers ask "Where's MY piece of the pie?"

$387,000 to pay "volunteers".

Yeah, THAT makes sense!

I wonder how many of those "volunteers" are feeling like complete dupes this morning, because they missed out on Joe's gravy train? It's obvious that the money DIDN'T go to the loyal Lieber-troops who were out there in the trenches, knocking themselves out for Joe. Working for the guy that they misguidedly thought was honest and respectable.

No, the money went elsewhere.

That's gotta hurt. Not only was their hero caught in a scandal that will likely lose him the election, but they didn't get a tasty piece of that big ol' pie that Joe was handing out. They were passed over and left out in the cold.

A lot of Lieberman workers must be giving their boss a cold hard reappraisal this morning.

A third of a million dollars worth of reappraisals.

Watch the debate tonight. 8:00PM on WTNH-TV Channel 8 (also streamed here live at WTNH.COM). Also, WTIC NewsTalk 1080 and WTIC.com will carry the audio portion live.

Something tells me there's going to be fireworks.

Ned and Joe Comparison Sheets

Want to learn exactly how Ned Lamont and Joe Lieberman differ on issues that are important to YOU?

Check out this great comparison sheet that is now available online. Unofficial, but it's representative of the type of initiative that volunteers and supporters have taken for months now.

Leave comments on how you like the comparison sheet. Ways to improve it, add to it, etc.

Then keep it going by inviting friends, family, and neighbors to send out some FREE Ned Lamont postcards!

Voter registration deadline almost here!

From Spazeboy.net:

I find it hard to believe that regular readers of the local political blogs in CT are not registered to vote, but if family, friends and neighbors are not, their registrations must be hand-delivered or post-marked by October 24. Update: The deadline to register in person is 10/31

If you’re not registered, or if you know someone who isn’t, download and print the voter registration form in English or Spanish. Make sure to get yours into a mailbox by last pick-up on Tuesday 10/24. If for a friend or family member, remind them to get it in the mail by last pick-up on Tuesday 10/24.

(click to read the rest of Spazeboy's article)

We registered 30,000 new Democrats approaching the primary, and Ned won by around 10,000 votes. So THAT should tell you how important it is to be registered to vote! Regardless of who you support, there's no way you should miss casting your vote because of failing to be registered.

(BTW, even though I said "regardless of who you support", remember that Joe Lieberman voted for the repeal of Constitutionally protected rights and also voted in favor of torture.

So if you want to lose your right to vote, and then get tortured for it, be sure to "Stick With Joe"! LOL!)

Is THIS a "partisan attack", Joe?

Posted on NBC News, among many other places:

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The number of Americans killed in Iraq this month now stands at 80.

A military statement said a soldier from the 82nd Airborne Division was killed and three others were wounded Saturday in combat in a northern province.

A separate statement said a Marine was killed Saturday in Anbar province west of Baghdad.

"October is the deadliest month this year for U.S. troops in Iraq, and it's on pace to become the deadliest since November of 2004."

Senator, I'm sorry if this sounds terribly partisan to you, but could you please answer one question for me:

How many more brave Americans need to die in this senseless war for George Bush's friends?

If that makes me partisan, then fine...I can live with that.

There's 80 brave Americans this month alone who won't get to live with anything ever again because of this stupid war.

Powerful

Sometimes, with all the rhetoric and spin that gets tossed around so freely during a hotly contested election, we lose sight of what's important.

Here's a powerful reminder.


Stem cell research promises to find cures for countless diseases and afflictions. George W. Bush firmly opposes ANY public funding of stem cell research. Joe Lieberman supposedly is in favor of stem cell research, but his policy of rolling over for EVERY SINGLE item on the George W. Bush agenda belies that claim.

Almost certainly the issue will end up in front of the Supreme Court. Joe Lieberman's vote for cloture on discussion of Sam Alito's confirmation hearing is exactly the same as a vote FOR this ultra-conservative pro-Bush pro-torture pro-strip-searching-children anti-choice judge.

And can you guess on which side of the stem cell research argument Sam Alito will fall?

Ned Lamont has stated repeatedly, and as recently as last Tuesday on video (available here) exactly where he stands on issues like stem cell research.

What more do you need to know?

Where is "Joe For Progress"?

Speaking of blogs, whatever happened to that most Rovian of blogs, "Joe For Progress"?

This is the officially sanctioned "independent" Lieberman blog, the highest linked from Joe's official blog page, and known for posting the vile stuff that even Joe wouldn't dare put on his blog, has been down for "maintenance" for weeks now.

What's the matter? Did Eric Blankerbanger get a little too overwhelmed with writing the litany of lies on the regular blog that he didn't have any time left for "Joe For Progress"? Where's all that "independent blogger's support for Lieberman" that was supposed to be out there?

How come everyone in the blogosphere ISN'T rushing to help Joe Lieberman?

What does $327,000 in petty cash buy you?

Maybe it buys you somebody to do some dirty politicking, like this guy:

CORRECTION: It's $387,000; just like Joe, I somehow misplaced $50,000 in petty cash.

And how would Joe's campaign people pay this guy?

Something tells me you won't find a receipt in Joe Lieberman's campaign vault that says "$1,056 to pay racist guy who dresses like an Arab and holds up a rotten sign" on it.

No, you'd probably see something like this:

"Petty Cash" and "Stipend Volunteer Payments". Vague to the point of being completely untracable. That's what is known inside the Beltway as a "slush fund" payment.

And somebody please tell me just how in hell do you PAY VOLUNTEERS? Either they VOLUNTEER, or they're PAID STAFFERS! By definition, you can't PAY a frickin' VOLUNTEER!

Dick Nixon was very good at dirty tricks and hiding funds, but it was Karl Rove who wrote the book on them.

And I'd bet that someone in Joe Lieberman's campaign has a signed copy on their desk.

Video Roundup

Lots of good stuff in the past few days.

Looking for the now famous Amann video? Click here

Here's the interview with Alan Schlesinger

In the last 24 hours, there are two new Lamont commercials to take a look at: This one, Entrepreneur, was the first commercial aired immediately following the WFSB debate broadcast last night, then it got some rotation during game 7 of the NLCS (so sorry, Bob)

This one, with Dodd, debuted this AM. I think the end is pretty clever. What will be Dodd's punishment from Joe for this one?

Over at Spazeboy, the doctor is in

For anyone who has a teenaged girl at home, or knows one -- this video speaks to girls' (and women's) self esteem in a way words cannot possibly. (Hat tip to Colin McEnroe)

And now for the one that will really piss you off:
The Republican National Committee is trying to use fear in the most panicked way by suggesting a terrorist attack is imminent -- sound familiar? You can see it here The particularly disgusting thing about this is the end -- "These are the stakes" is right out of the Johnson daisy ad that aired only once because it was deemed so over the top.

Follow the money

For all his self-serving whining about being poor and cash-strapped, Joe Lieberman appears to be doing OK financially.

There's no better way to spend a rainy day than by thumbing through the incredibly complex and extremely interesting Lieberman Campaign Financial Report.

Oh, and don't worry about the Q-poll. They were wrong about Ned's enormous lead two weeks before the primary, and they're wrong about this. Poll director Douglas Schwartz is a publicity-seeking clown who desperately wants to impose his spin on the numbers and sound like an intelligent prognosticator.

Doug, stick to what you know...phoning lonely retirees and tabulating the results.

Anything else just makes you look like a dope.

Bummer

Well, at least it was an exciting run!

And since the universe mostly works in fairly predictable ways, this means that Ned will definitely win in November.

Because, Karma can't possibly be THAT mean to me twice in three weeks!

Ned's interview at Milford Democrats on TV

Shane Griffith's interview of Ned Lamont at the Milford Democratic Party's Meet & Greet on Tuesday will be broadcast on Crossroads Magazine special on the three U.S. Senate candidates.

Crossroads airs twice weekly on Saturday nights at 10:30 on WCTX MyTV9, and Sunday mornings at 10:30 on WTXX CW20. This segment will probably air October 28 and 29.

So far Shane still hasn't gotten an interview with Joe Lieberman, but he hopes to have it in time for the show's debut. Be sure to tune in for a faith-related view of Ned on the important issues.

Paulie Walnuts ain't got nuttin' on dis guy!

I hope our House Speaker sees the humor in this cute little video, or I may have to shop around for a remote car-starter.


If anybody has the number of the Witness Protection Program, that might come in handy.

UPDATE: More here from the New Haven Register.

UPDATE from Kirby: These posts just amaze me. If you would like to see more, we have a tip jar at PayPal, just scroll up and click -- this is not for me, the mild-mannered behind-the-scenes type gal -- it's to help Bob with his technology upgrade!

CT House Speaker Amann speaks

And boy, does he speak!

I just got home from an appearance by Gov. candidate John DeStefano at the Milford RR Station, where he was joined by House Speaker James Amann to discuss transportation issues. Speaker Amann also endorsed the Democratic candidate for governor.

After the speech, I taped an interview with Speaker Amann, and was joined by a very enthusiastic CT Keith and Branford Boy; h/t to BB for giving me the heads up on this appearance; visit My Left Nutmeg for his recap. CT Keith took over the interview, and let's just say it became a very heated discussion!

I'm uploading the video to my PC right now, and I hope to have something up by 4 or 5 today.

Trust me, you'll want to see THIS!

Samizdat audio

Here's the Senate Debate audio, courtesy ConnecticutBLOG.

"Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us."
-- Justice William O. Douglas

Let's hear it for Kirby!

Just so everybody knows...

...today's excellent coverage of the WFSB-3 nearly-super-secret Senate Debate was provided in it's entirety by our very own Kirby.

She was the complete "Connecticut Bob" Special Senate Debate Team today! Without her tireless efforts and determination, we never would have gotten such amazing coverage of today's event; hours before the MSM broadcast the story.

Let Kirby know how much you value her work! This is People Powered Media at it's best!

UPDATE 6:20am: Kirby here. Thanks so much. I felt like I was the eyes and ears of all bloggers yesterday. You can listen to the whole debate here, thanks to ConnecticutBlog's fine audio sweetening.

Lightning Round -- best way for homeland security to protect CT

Joe
*Just passed a bill in the Senate
*I personally added language that smaller ports like those in CT can apply for special funding
Alan
*Use expertise of government experts and large ports, such as the port of Los Angeles that has the technology
Ned
*Intercept threats before they get here
*Screen cargo bound for US before it gets here
*Work with allies to do screening all over the world

What About Social Security?

Joe answered first
*Very important question
*1 in 5 -- 160,000 seniors in CT depend on SS
*They would live in poverty without SS
*Good through 2040 -- dollars needed for benefits will match dollars coming in
*I've been working on this, but SS not enough
*I am working on legislation to protect company pensions
Al
*First, we need to repeal Congressional pensions and let these guys live under SS (loud applause)
*Joe, you're an ostrich, just like the rest of them, a member of flock
*[He said more, but consistent with Monday debate, discussing Joe's not understanding and it's all IOUs and I missed it -- sorry]
Ned
*Joe has flip-flopped on privatization
*We stand by SS and will keep it healthy financially
*[He said more, but consistent with Monday debate, and I missed it -- sorry]

Rebut
Joe
*Al and I may disagree
*IOUs in SS, yes, because of the budget deficit
*I am against privatization
*As long as God gives me life, I will fight for SS
Alan
*Joe needs to talk to the GAO and other experts in the government
*Joe's plan is IOUs from him and Al Gore in the lock box
Ned
*Fundamental changes, as Al said, are critical
*Budget problems
*Too much foreign oil -- Cheney bill increases our foreign oil dependence
*Invasion in Iraq has made us less safe, less money available




Rebut

Why don't we get more Bejamins for homeland security?

Alan (first)
*I will do everything I can
*$15 or $50 million -- to people in Washington, it's chump change anyway
*Horror stories of misappropriations for HS $ -- bought TVs for prisoners
*We must make sure $$ goes to ports
*When people drink that Kool-Aid, we lose
Ned
*We may have senority in the Senate, but we're not seeing results
*Joe missed important votes on homeland security funding
*We get less per capita than any New England state
*Alan -- that is not chump change
*2 weeks in Iraq could pay for port security
Joe
*I've been fighting for funding
*Bush admin not providing enough overall funding for HS
*I helped set up the Department of HS
*I worked with the Republicans to increase our funding
*Will do everything I can, hopefully as committee chair

Rebut
Alan
*Not chump change? You've spent that much of your own money on this campaign!
Ned
*Need to finish the job in Afghanistan
*$250 million/day in Iraq
*Imagine what we could do with that money applied to HS
*Need to work with our allies
Joe
*Ned spent so much time blaming instead of what he would do for CT
*I just passed a bill on firefighting [missed the name] with full bipartisan support, and that's why I am so proud to have teh support from firefighters for my campaign

Increase in oil prices

Joe
*This is an outrage
*Oil market does not follow supply and demand principles as it should
*I proposed excess profit tax that would be redirected to people who can't afford heating oil
*"Set America Free" bill he introduced would decrease our oil dependency by 10 million barrels
Alan
*Remember last gas/oil crisis when mortgages were also sky-high
*Gross earning tax/excess profits tax not the answer
*Reagan repealed them then, and gas prices fell dramatically
*Need change from fossil to alternative
*Two level incentive plan
Ned
*After 9/11, people were ready to do things to reduce oil dependence
*Cheney invited his friends to the WH and they decided how the energy plan would go
*Joe only New England D to vote for the energy bill
*Need incentives for conservation and for companies in alternative fuels

Rebut
Joe
*No greater failure of leadership over the last 30 years than the failure to decrease our dependence on foreign oil.
*I worked in a bipartisan way on the "Set America Free" with Senators like Obama and Sessions
Alan
*I agree with you, Ned
*Cheney energy bill not good, but because it would put a natural gas facility in Long Island Sound
Ned
*When Joe signed on to the Cheney bill, we lost the opportunity to include language that would require that vehicles be more fuel efficient

At what point should US take military action North Korea and Iran?

Ned
*We are bogged down in Iraq
*We need strong, hard negotiations directly
*North Korea most dangerous
*While we were in Iraq, North Korea and Iran moved forward with nuclear plans
*We need to work with Russia and China who have more influence with Iran
Alan
*North Korea must be handled with negotiations
*If I could answer Iran in 60 seconds, then Face the Nation would only need to be 2 minutes long!
Joe
*These nuclear weapons remind us that we live in a dangerous world
*We must stop
*Requires bipartisan approach
*We are Americans first, not Democrats or Republicans
*Each nation must know US will work with allies
*We do not want to take military action, but cannot allow selling this technology
Knibbs
*Some of us don't think of ourselves as democrats or republicans, and haven't for some time

Rebut
Ned
*Joe wants regime change
*Alan wants us to use force
*We must negotiate and exhaust those options
Joe
*I sponsored a bipartisan resolution calling for regime change in Iran
*Amajenidad wants to wipe out Israel
*He said imagine a world without the US
Alan
*If you think we can negotiate with Amajenidad, good luck
*Joe and I agree on this one thing

Where do we go from here in Iraq?

In order, unless the Q went to Alan or Ned, the order was Joe, Alan, Ned
From my written notes, not necessarily quotes

Joe:
*I've spent a lot of time with soldiers and their families
*No one wants to end this war more than I do
*Can't compromise homeland security/national security
*Cannot disrespect the sacrifice our soldiers and their families have made
*I issues a 10-point plan to get out of Iraq
Alan:
*Military has done a terrific jo
*Problem in Iraq is not military
*This is now a political problem
*We can prop up al-Maliki or use a three state solution
*Split into Shiite, Sunni, and Kurd and equally distribute country income from oil
Ned:
*3.5 years ago, Bush took us to war, and Joe Lieberman cheered him on
*We need to provide all the resources al-Maliki needs
*Quoted Colin Powell that we must change course
*Quoted UK (equivalent of SOD) troops in Iraq are exacerbating the problem
*Iraqis must stand up and fight for their own country now

Rebut
Joe
*Cannot and will not stay forever
*Iraq has a reasonable prospect to survive with our help to build a free Iraq
*Must get together across party lines
Alan
*This is what happens when you run for VP and president -- you forget about your role as a Senator -- and that is to advice and consent
Ned
*We all read Joe's [using first names to go faster, Ned did not call him Joe] editorial that said we had to stay the course

Debate Report p.2

The questions this time were more on Iraq, Iran, North Korea, homeland security than the Monday debate in Stamford.

Q.1 "Where do we go from here in Iraq?'
Q.2. At what point, with North Korea and Iran should the US take military action (nukes)
Q.3. Families in the Northeast are very concerned about the 6.3% increase in home heating oil prices -- what would you do?
Q.4. Despite CT being home to more high-value target, the state is only going to get $15mil in homeland security money, down from $50mil in 2004. How do we get more $$?
Q.5. E-mail from viewers -- the future of social security is a great concern for young people -- how would you keep it solvent?
Q.6. Last -- quick, 30 sec each -- what is the best way homeland security can protect CT?

Remember, there was an opening, each candidate got a 2-min closing statement (10 min)
Each question took a min of 7.5 min, and then there were the pauses between candidates and asking the questions, etc. that took up more time. And we got yelled at by Bob Schieffer when the whole audience cheered one of Alan's answers on Social Security. Yes -- those were the only questions.

Next, I'll post from my notes on the answers from Joe, Alan, and Ned. Mr. Knibbs and Mr. Ferrucci, I mean no disrespect -- your bloggers can post for you now, and everyone will see your work tomorrow night. I must say, though, that both were very, very well prepared, knowledgable, and answered questions directly without political doublespeak. They made us proud that they were there, taking part in the full debate.

Debate footage online!

Secret Agent Guy Matt Stoller snagged some undercover footage of the super secret WFSB Senate debate, via a NSA-surplus Taiwanese high-tech microchip wireless video camera, hidden in his bow tie.

Or he simply used his digital camera. You decide.



Thanks Matt!

And here's some post-debate interviews courtesy of Tim Tagaris of the Lamont campaign.

Debate Report

While I'm working on other things for later, I just want to start at the beginning. The C4L party, it seems, was the only one to have access to the auditorium seating before hand. And they had put "reserved" signs on some of the sheets. Fortunately, someone with offical ID came out and told the press people for the other candidates what was going on, and invited them in to reserve their own seats.

I would say maybe 100 people total. I sat in the middle, in the 4th row, with Schlesinger people on my left and Lieberman people on my right. I wanted to see it straight on. The podiums were woodgrain. Left to right were Knibbs, Ferrucci, Lieberman, Schlesinger and Lamont in a semi-circle. Interesting how Joe was right in the middle for the second debate in a row -- boy, is he lucky to draw that position! So, the dynamic was the smaller party candidates to Joe's right and Alan and Ned to his left.

Questioners were Al Terzi from WFSB, Angela Dias from WTIC-AM news, and they were seated to the candidates' right. Schieffer was to the candidates' left, with a red-yellow-green light on the front of his table. Ned was last on stage when the candidates came out -- it wasn't a "Now the candidates" or anything like that. But, Ned was the only one, when he walked out to first stand behind the podium, then walk over to Bob Schieffer and shake his hand, and then walk all the way across the stage to shake Al and Angela's hand, then return to the podium. Joe's supporters next to me an behind me were nasty about that! Oh, look at how he brown-noses, the women behind me said, and the stuffy obnoxious men in suits next to me were saying that Ned is such an amateur, that he is too naive. I thought it was polite. But, even in the auditorium, when there was no audience but each other, they had to knock Ned. Nobody else there made comments -- the people who were there got tix from the campaigns, but seemed to respect that each person there was affiliated with a candidate and there was no peanut gallery --- except for Joe's boys, who talked amongst themselves when the two smaller-party candidates spoke.

Each candidate answered the same question for one minute, then each candidate got a 30-second comment period on what the other men said. Joe went over 4 times and then when Schieffer said, "Time's up," they cut his mike while he was still talking. Alan Schlesinger always spoke after Joe. I am betting this will not be visible on TV, because I bet the shot goes straight to AS as soon as Schieffer said, "Time's up." It was really pretty comical to see Joe talking on with no amplification in the theatre.

The candidates always spoke in the same order. So, unless they started with Alan or Ned, Joe was always followed by them. It was a great advantage to the R and D candidates.

Continues...

More Debate Stuff

Images by Matt Stoller of MyDD.com.

Kirby (and an unidentified man) talks to Republican candidate Alan Schlesinger today.

The KISS Float rolls again. Jon Kantrowitz arranged to bring the iconic float to the debate, and it was a big hit.

Schlesinger again was the most dynamic of the candidates, attracting plenty of attention afterwards.

Kirby covers the Senate Debate today!

I just got off the cell phone with Kirby, who was in the very exclusive audience for the WFSB-3 Senate Debate today, and she's going to post a detailed report later tonight, possibly as early as 7PM EDT.

She said that all five balloted candidates were there, Democrat Ned Lamont, Republican Alan Schlesinger, Green Party candidate Ralph Ferrucci,Concerned Citizens Party candidate Timothy Knibbs, and Connecticut For Lieberman Party candidate Senator Joe Lieberman.

Kirby said there were maybe 150 people there, and even though WFSB relented their embargo on reporters, they resolutely forbid any use of cameras or recording equipment. Of course, Kirby took copious notes, and also may have accidently left her digital recorder turned on while it was in the pocket of her blazer.

I'm sure she's very sorry about that. And that she'll be very careful not to transcribe and post any of the important bits.

Kirby mentioned Lieberman's reluctance to directly answer the questions posed to him, and in fact after he "speechified" his third response in a row, Bob Scheiffer turned off his mic in mid-speech.

The other four candidates were resolutely against the war, but Lieberman stayed his course with his "stay-the-course" strategy.

Kirby also briefly interviewed Alan Schlesinger after the event, and there may be more info added to this post as things develop. Stay tuned and check back frequently.

Ned Lamont on the issue of Faith

Earlier this evening Ned appeared at the Milford Democrats meeting. There was a big and enthusiastic crowd there, among them my father.

I was kind of surprised that so many people came up to me and said, "You're Connecticut Bob! I love your blog!" Wow, that is amazing! I made sure to tell as many people possible that it's a team effort, with Kirby doing some amazing reporting, along with all the people who submit information via the comments or email. I'm starting to feel like a celebrity!

Of course, I grabbed a handful of KISS buttons from DeanFan and everyone was clamoring for them, so that might have had something to do with my instant celebrity.

Ned saw me after his speech and said "Hi, Connecticut Bob!", and I introduced him to my father with, "Ned, please say hello to Connecticut Dad!". He said some really nice things about me, which made me feel proud.

Ned spoke and frequently had to pause for the crowd to applaud. Ned spoke for about 20 minutes, and afterwards he spent about a half hour meeting and talking with the people. Then he sat for an interview with Shane B. Griffith, from the religious network Office of Radio & Television. They broadcast a show on the CW network on the weekends, but I didn't remember the broadcast times. Email Shane to get info on when the show will be aired at griffiths at ortv-hartford dot org.

So I edited the several questions into a short 4:00 video, because so few of the media asks faith related questions. I didn't have a mic for Shane, so I transcribed and edited his questions for the title cards. I hope you don't mind that I hijacked your interview Shane (and even if he does, he's a Christian; so he HAS to forgive me! LOL!)



And to everyone I met tonight at the Democratic meeting, thanks for the warm welcome!