ICYMI - Senator Blumenthal Votes for Senator Murphy

Blumenthal Endorses Murphy for U.S. Senate

HARTFORD–Today, Senator Richard Blumenthal endorsed Chris Murphy's campaign for the United States Senate. With this endorsement, Senator Blumenthal joins a growing list of Connecticut leaders to stand with Murphy, including Governor Dannel P. Malloy, Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman, Attorney General George Jepsen, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, Comptroller Kevin Lembo, the state's entire U.S. House delegation, dozens of state legislators, and thousands upon thousands of Democratic activists across the state.

“From standing up for American jobs and manufacturers to protecting Medicare and Social Security, Chris has been a strong partner for me during his service in the House," said Blumenthal. "Now, I need Chris' energy and drive to continue these important fights in the Senate, where he will be an even stronger voice for the people of Connecticut."

"I couldn't be happier to have Dick Blumenthal's support in my campaign for Senate," said Murphy. "Of all the endorsements our campaign has received, this is probably the most important, because Senator Blumenthal is choosing the person who will fight along side him for Connecticut over the next six years. I'm thrilled that Senator Blumenthal believes I am the best person to stand with him in the Senate, and I can't wait to hit the campaign trail with him."

Since announcing his candidacy, Murphy has built an unparalleled grassroots coalition of activists throughout Connecticut. He has received the nomination of the Connecticut Democratic Party and been endorsed by the National Organization for Women, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the State Council of the Service Employees International Union, the Working Families Party, the Connecticut Hispanic Democratic Caucus, the Connecticut Education Association, Connecticut Fire Fighters, United Auto Workers, Connecticut Laborers, the Connecticut State Building and Construction Trades Council, the Communications Workers of America, the League of Conservation Voters, Connecticut’s entire Congressional House delegation, Governor Dannel Malloy, Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman, Attorney General George Jepsen, Comptroller Kevin Lembo, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, State Representative William Tong, dozens of state Senators and state Representatives and over 15,000 Democratic and progressive activists from all across Connecticut.

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 Paid for and Authorized by Friends of Chris Murphy

aka "Up your nose with a rubber hose, Susie B."

CT Film Industry Training Program

There's less than two weeks left for you to sign up for a spot in the CT Film Industry Training Program that starts on June 4th. Here's the details:

The program is four weeks, Monday through Friday, 9AM to 5:30PM at Quinnipiac University in Hamden. Tuition is $500 You must be a Connecticut resident (sorry all you other 49ers!) Application deadline is May 31st, apply HERE FOR ADMISSION. When you complete the program, you will be knowledgeable enough to get a job as a PA (Production Assistant) in the craft you selected.

The program works! I took the course in 2010 and was hired onto a film starring Keir Dullea ("2001: A Space Odyssey") and Kathleen Chalfant ("Law & Order", "Rescue Me"). I've also worked on other films and projects. Don't delay! If you've ever dreamed of working in the movie business, or if you want to get a glimpse of how movies are made, you need to sign up for this program now. (reposted from ConnecticutBob.com)

Freedom to Marry - for Servicemembers - IMPORTANT

Many people assume that with the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," gay and lesbian service members are finally being treated fairly and equally. But they're not.

The so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) forces the military to treat legally married gay and lesbian service members and their families differently from straight service members and their families -- denying these military families crucial support and protection provided to all other married couples.

Last week, President Obama talked about the unfairness of gay service members fighting to defend our country, while being denied the freedom to marry or the recognition of their marriages. It is a contradiction that compelled him to support marriage equality.

Today, Freedom to Marry and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) are launching Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry, a new multimedia campaign highlighting the stories of military families harmed by federal marriage discrimination.

Watch the first video that demonstrates a powerful and emotional timeline of how DOMA is hurting a military family:
 

In the coming weeks and months, SLDN and Freedom to Marry will put forward other stories that show the real harms of DOMA to actual military families, including denial of health insurance, survivor benefits, and spousal access to military housing.

These military stories underscore the powerful case Freedom to Marry and SLDN are making together: DOMA must be overturned and the federal government must respect marriages legally recognized in the states.

You can help. Watch and share the video:

http://freedomtomarry.org/Timeline-Video

Together, we secured the freedom to serve when we repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and together, we will achieve the freedom to marry.

Evan Wolfson
Founder and President, Freedom to Marry

Aubrey Sarvis
Army Veteran and SLDN Executive Director

All Politics is Loco

Went to the Convention for the Democratic Party Endorsement for Congressional Candidate for the 5th CD.

If you want to enjoy a Convention or any other event, sit with Aldon Hynes and watch him live tweet.
Sit close enough to hear his verbal jokes as background to his typing.

OMG that vanity campaign of Dan Roberti's is embarrassing to watch.
Gotta say I have been to no less than five events where this guy steers away from being introduced, literally sticking his nose in the air. Any candidates who voted for Roberti had to be pandering for some ulterior motive. I will stop short of rashly accusing people of looking for personal monetary gain, since there is no evidence of that, but OMGOMG what a huge ass he appears to be. This was reinforced by the Yahoo Roberti supporters who tried to block Donovan with their sign when he stepped up to give his acceptance speech.

Ok so I also have to say that Elizabeth Esty's haircut and coloring looks great. The bob is flattering, and less schoolmarmish and the burnished auburn tint looks good. I still don't approve of ConservaDems with No Labels leanings. The search for common ground between the Republicans and the Democrats, at this point, will result in a negotiation into the stagnant water at the bottom of a drained pond.


The speech I liked among the (was it 6?) nominating speeches for Donovan featured the following (to the best of my memory):

Chris Donovan is a.progressive democrat.
Chris Donovan is a progressive champion.
We have a responsibility to send, not just a democrat, but a bold unapologetic democrat to Washington.

What She Said.

[UPDATE] Political Endorsements are Meaningless (or are they?)

Heading to Waterbury for the 5th Congressional District Convention, with a thought towards who supports who(m).

Endorsing Chris Donovan for Congress:

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill
Comptroller Kevin Lembo
Former 5th CD Congressman Jim Maloney
Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman
Southbury First Selectman Ed Edelson
Congressman and Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Raul Grijalva
Congresswoman and Vice Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Chellie Pingree
the Progressive Change Campaign Committee
Blue America
the Connecticut Working Families Party
The Connecticut State Police Union
the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 478
Sheet Metal Workers Local 40
AFT Connecticut
AFSCME Council 15 - the Connecticut Council of Police
the Connecticut Education Association
the Connecticut State Council of Machinists
the Connecticut Carpenters
the IAFF - Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut
United Auto Workers Region 9A
the Connecticut Laborers District Council
the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 777

13 Democratic Party Town Committees:

Bethlehem ; Burlington ; Canaan ; Harwinton ; Meriden ; Middlebury ; Morris; Watertown ; New Britain ; New Fairfield ; New Milford ; Newtown ; Torrington

Endorsing Elizabeth Esty for Congress 

State Senator Ed Meyer
State Representative Dick Roy
EMILY’s List
the National Women's Political Caucus
Women's Action for New Directions
the Women's Campaign Fund
Medicare expert Ted Marmor
former Democratic candidate for the 5th District Mike Williams

And 3 Democratic Town Committees:

Canton, Cheshire, and Goshen

Donovan info culled from today's press release, announcing endorsement by the Connecticut State Police Union.
Esty info taken from a post on her website, dated May 3rd.

[UPDATE]

Sorry! Totally forgot Dan Roberti!

The only endorsement I can find on his site is a press release that states

Southbury Democratic Town Committee Endorses Dan Roberti for Congress

March 21, 2012

Convention Season

When I was a kid I got to go to conventions with my father: Architectural Conventions. I got lots of neat stuff like tile samples we could use in the dollhouse, and canvas bags with pictures of faucets printed on the side.

Yesterday I attended the Connecticut State Convention, where the only thing given away was a sense of dignity by Susan Bysiewicz.

Currently, her main theme is that "party insiders" shouldn't decide who the Democratic Party backs for US Senate.

Susie B. is a long term insider, and went to the insiders convention to get the votes from insiders to put her name on the ballot. If she wanted to be outside the insiders she could have by-passed the convention process and petitioned to be on the ballot, using the signatures of supporters from households, not Democratic Town Committees.

Remember this:
In 2010 Susan Biesiewicz ran for Governor

She did not opt to raise funding within the Citizen's Election Program, which is designed to have campaign funding come from individual residents, rather than corporations, lobbyists, and insiders. When I asked her about this, a program she claimed to support as Secretary of State, she told me that she "would not fight with one hand behind her back". I told her that wasn't going to go over very well with Progressives. Silence. I said "Perhaps you don't need the support of the Progressives." To which she replied: "No I Don't".

Then she ran for Attorney General
 

It pains me to have to hold back on bumper stickers that say "A Woman's Place is in the House...And the Senate....and the Oval Office." It would be a pleasant folly to imagine that gender trumps character. But this political season gives us a crop of experienced, talented, on-target men, and unfortunately has a sprinkling of less-viable female candidates.

Obviously, I am supporting Chris Murphy for US Senate.
And, No, I don't consider Linda McMayhem to be viable.

CT Comptroller Lembo sends Freaking Cool Letter to Democratic National Committee Chair

May 9, 2012

Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz
National Chair
Democratic National Committee
Washington, DC

Madame Chair:

As the Affirmative Action chair of the Connecticut delegation, I feel compelled to write to you regarding the recent electoral action in the state of North Carolina and its impact on the decision of our party to hold the national convention in Charlotte this September.

In November 2010, I was elected as Connecticut’s first openly gay statewide official. I am one of a handful of LGBT people across the country to ever be elected statewide. On that election night, as Comptroller-elect, I remarked that as we had made electoral history, the people of Connecticut “shrugged” – a nod to the incredible progress our state has made toward equality, and a recognition that in this state being gay was neither an obstacle nor a qualification for public service. While full equality is a dream for people in many other states, yesterday’s election results in North Carolina must give us pause.

How can we, as a party committed to the rights and freedom of all Americans, tacitly endorse the North Carolina vote by marching our leadership and our President into Charlotte in September?

The advocates of a same-gender marriage ban in North Carolina have used their constitution – once again – as an instrumentality of discrimination. Our federal and state constitutions should only be used to broaden rights and protections for people, not restrict them.

While it may be logistically impossible to move our location at this late date, we must, at a minimum, have a conversation about the impact of our presence there on our credibility and our values as a party.

I am deeply troubled that we, the party of America, find ourselves in the position of celebrating our rich diversity in a location that now espouses the polar opposite. Please know that I am committed to help in any way that you deem appropriate. I am,

Sincerely,

Kevin Lembo