Connecticut Commentary: Red Notes from a Blue State

The estimate of the state of the state elections by Paul Bass, a writer for The New Haven Independent, is fairly accurate: “Connecticut went true blue—bluer than ever. Malloy will have become the first Democrat to win the governor’s office since 1986. Democrat Richard Blumenthal captured an open U.S. Senate seat the party had seemed until only recently in danger of losing. And all five of the state’s U.S. House seats went to Democrats again—even though the 4th and 5th District appeared at times heading to turn red. Democrats also swept the under ticket constitutional offices.” Departing Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz has called the gubernatorial election in favor of Dan Malloy. Two days after the election, the Associated Press, citing an 8,424 vote lead by Foley with all but 1.5 percent of precincts counted, withdrew its call of Malloy as the winner. Later in the day, the AP announced that it had missed figure in New Haven. Republicans may contest Bysiewicz’s finding in court. ...

Welcome to the Fairy tale. U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, the guy who is chiefly responsible, along with U.S. Rep Barney Franks, for destroying the U.S. Housing market, is teaming up with Chris Donovan, Connecticut’s House Speaker, who put together a budget half a billion dollars in the red one month after it was passed, to convince outgoing Gov. Jodi Rell to pony up $25 million so that the state can receive from the Barack Obama administration, deeply in debt to the Chinese, part of a stimulus outlay to be used ferry unemployed people on a new and improved train line connecting Springfield and Hartford. The Hartford Courant will do everything in its power to facilitate this madness. In the meantime, Connecticut’s economic roof is leaking buckets. Even the noses of Dodd and Donovan are wet with roof tar. Bits of shingle are swimming in their soup. The batting from the attic is hanging from the gaping ceiling. The couch where they both snooze together is green with mold. But nevermind ...