U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton issued a stipulated order requiring Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz not to apply state election laws that restrict political advertising within 75 feet of polling places to the wrestling fans who wear WWE clothing, paraphernalia or merchandise on Tuesday.
The trouble at PURA and the two energy companies it oversees began – ages ago, it now seems – with the elevation of Marissa Gillett to the chairpersonship of Connecticut’s Public Utilities Regulation Authority. Connecticut Commentary has previously weighed in on the controversy: PURA Pulls The Plug on November 20, 2019; The High Cost of Energy, Three Strikes and You’re Out? on December 21, 2024; PURA Head Butts the Economic Marketplace on January 3, 2025; Lamont Surprised at Suit Brought Against PURA on February 3, 2025; and Lamont’s Pillow Talk on February 22, 2025: The melodrama full of pratfalls continues to unfold awkwardly. It should come as no surprise that Gillett has changed the nature and practice of the state agency. She has targeted two of Connecticut’s energy facilitators – Eversource and Avangrid -- as having in the past overcharged the state for services rendered. Thanks to the Democrat controlled General Assembly, Connecticut is no l...
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Bysiewicz’s role in this latest judicial fandango was – please forgive me – intentionally fuzzy. There was no clear obiter dicta from her end, just discreet phone calls. The intent was twofold: 1) to solidify the impression planted by the media that there was some vital connection between McMahon’s campaign and WWE, the buried axiom of nearly all the Democratic propaganda; and 2) to subtly intimidate McMahon voters. The whole thing blew up in her hands – dramatically.
The media, left out in the cold by McMahon's monetary independence, went along for the ride until ol'Vince bodychecked the much bruised Bysiewicz.
I'm at a loss for how McMahon voters would be intimidated by not being allowed to wear WWE paraphernalia to the polls. Are you suggesting that before Judge Arterton issued her opinion, McMahon supporters were going to stay at home on Tuesday, cowering in fear because they couldn't wear their Stone Cold Steve Austin t-shirt to the polls? If Susan intended to intimidate McMahon supporters, she picked a pretty stupid way of doing it.
And will there be more people than usual wearing WWE paraphenalia to the polls this year than if Linda wasn't in the race? Of course. And it would be foolish to think that they are all doing so simply to support WWE, and not as not so subtle support of McMahon. M
Make no mistake; many of the folks wearing WWE to the polls will be in compliance with the letter of the law, but they will almost certainly be violating the spirit of the law. There is a good reason why you cannot wear political items into polling places. Considering a ban on items branded with a company so closely associated with one of the candidates is not at all preposterous.
Call me old fashioned, but regardless of what I was up to that day, I always wear a tie and jacket when I exercise my franchise. It seems the most respectful thing to do when exercising your most sacred of rights.
A subtle intimidation, I think. It’s intimidating in the same sense that Catholics might be intimidated from voting against, say, a pro partial birth abortion candidate after a ruling from the secretary of state that no crosses may be won at poling stations. That would be an insufferably stupid ruling. If your question to me is: Would you personally be intimidated by such a ruling, my answer would be “Nope.” If your question is Does the ruling itself have an intimidating character, I would say it did. Prohibitions that reach the laity from politicians on high are intended to affect behavior. The point of every law and regulation is to intimidate by inhibiting.
I always dress up in a tux for the great day.
I do hope that Denise Merrill loses the race for Secreatary of State because mark my words: She will be a lot worse!