Gov. M. Jodi Rell today announced that in anticipation of a federal stimulus package she has directed state agencies to identify those infrastructure projects, including road, bridge, rail and public buildings and economic development and housing initiatives that have received all necessary permits and, as appropriate, final designs.

"We will be ready to begin these projects as soon as federal dollars are available,” Rell said. “I have said all along that the best economic stimulus is jobs, jobs, jobs. We want these projects to be shovel-ready to get people working as soon as possible.”

The governor has directed the Departments of Public Works, Transportation and Economic and Community Development to prioritize those projects that are ready to be undertaken subject to federal funding. She has written to President Bush, Congressional leaders and the Connecticut Congressional delegation urging timely passage of a second stimulus package that focuses on investments in public infrastructure, Medicaid reimbursement funding and money for unemployment benefits.

The governor is also meeting with President-elect Obama on Tuesday in Philadelphia with other governors to discuss the specific needs of states. Rell said she plans to emphasize that infrastructure monies should be 100 percent federally funded rather than having states provide the traditional 20 percent match.

HARTFORD - Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz announced today that New Hartford (94.78%), Weston (90.84%), Newtown (88.97%), and Stamford (81.65%) are the winners of the 2008 “Democracy Cup.” The award is given annually to the small, medium, large-sized towns and city with the highest voter turnout on Election Day.

“This year’s election was the most exciting in a generation,” said Bysiewicz. “Scores of new voters – young and old - went to the polls to make their voices heard. I congratulate these four towns for doing the best job this year of getting voters out to the polls. The involvement of citizens in the democratic process is the cornerstone of our civic life and this year the voters of New Hartford, Weston, Newtown , and Stamford proved they are leaders.”

Co-sponsored by the East Haddam Civic Association since 2000, the Democracy Cup was created as a way to encourage voter participation in each year’s elections. Under Democracy Cup criteria established by Secretary Bysiewicz, towns with fewer than 5,000 registered voters are considered small; municipalities with between 5,000 and 14,999 and voters are considered mid-sized, towns with 15,000 and 49,999 registered voters are considered large towns. This year, for the first time, cities with more than 50,000 registered voters are their own category.

“All Connecticut communities should be proud of their voter participation this year, but none more so than our big cities; especially Stamford ,” said Scot Mackinnon, co-founder of the Democracy Cup and East Haddam Civic Association member. “While New Hartford’s astounding 94.78% was the best turnout overall, Stamford 's 81.65% is amazing for a city with so many active registered voters. Typically, while smaller municipalities have an easier time getting voters to the polls, urban centers, like Stamford, New Haven and Hartford , are gaining ground. This is a trend worth celebrating."

Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz will talk about her every-four-years consideration of a run for governor on Channel 3's "Face the State" program at 11 a.m. Sunday.
Maybe all those slick (taxpayer-funded, we assume?) commercials where Bysiewicz explained the new system of voting finally have raised her profile large enough to get her to take the plunge this time.
Also on the show will be state Republican Chairman Chris Healy talking about how to rebuild the party in Connecticut and possible challengers to U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd next year.

Charlotte Hungerford Hospital President Daniel McIntyre, U.S. Congressman Chris Murphy, state Sen. Andrew Roraback and state Rep. Roberta Willis are all expected to participate in a forum on "The Future of Health Care" from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3, at the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, 333 Kennedy Drive, Torrington.
They will participate in a panel that will also include Ann Bowen, president of the Bowen Agency in Winsted and chairman of the Chamber's Insurance Committee, and Juan A. Figueroa, president of the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut.
The panel will be moderated by Marc Vallario, vice president of sales at United Healthcare, and hosts of the session are Michael and Theresa Carr, co-chairmen of the Chamber Health Council and owners of Inspired Touch LLC.
RSVP for the event at www.nwctchamberofcommerce.org/event_register.asp.

After his brief and remarkable-but-ultimately-unsuccessful write-in bid for the District 63 state representative seat abruptly vacated by state Rep. George Wilber two weeks before the election, attorney William Riiska quickly and quietly has settled back into his volunteer leadership role in working on legislative issues for the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce.
And one of the Chamber's first tasks this fall is going to be bringing a large freshman class of first-time Northwest Connecticut legislators up to speed on the issues important to the local business community.
Taking Wilber's seat is Republican newcomer John Rigby.
Upsetting incumbent state Rep. Anne Ruwet (R-65th District) was Democratic newcomer Michelle Cook.
Upsetting longtime incumbent state Rep. Richard Ferrari (R-62nd District) was Democratic newcomer Annie Hornish.
And the Chamber and others locally who have important issues before the Legislature also are trying to get to know Republican Kevin Witkos, who has served several terms in the House, representing Canton, but will now represent a portion of the Torrington area after winning the 8th District seat in the state Senate.

Torrington Mayor Ryan Bingham said this week that he might get involved in the school situation involving superintendent Susan O'Brien if the school board does not end the saga soon.

The Board of Education is scheduled to meet tonight at 7 p.m. to hear O'Brien's last 2 hours of testimony on her handling of the resignation of former high school principal John Metallo. O'Brien threatened to fire Metallo if he did not leave his post. Board Chairman Paul Cavagnero has said the board might not make a decision until next week on possible action against O'Brien.

Bingham said Saturday that he purposely chose to stay out of the situation. He wanted to avoid adding "another layer of politics to the situation." He has not attended any school board meeting regarding this issue, which was brought to the public's attention in September.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell today stressed the need for all segments of society to work together creatively to stem youth violence that affects not only the state’s largest cities but every corner of Connecticut.

The governor addressed hundreds of people gathered at Central Connecticut State University for a statewide summit she convened on preventing urban youth violence.
“We knew we needed to develop a coordinated statewide approach to address these tragedies that really do have ripple effects far beyond urban borders,” Rell said. “With each senseless death we lose a little of ourselves as a society – unless we all come together to help.”

The theme of the summit, “Creating Solutions Through Innovative Collaborations Statewide” drew representatives from interfaith groups, schools and community organizations.
“There is certainly no lack of passion on anyone’s part here to begin to turn this around,” Governor Rell said. “Our solutions must be the produce of an integrated approached and a shared commitment.”

The summit featured panel discussions from participants of recent town hall meetings in Hartford, Bridgeport and New Haven. Panelists discussed the impact of youth violence on their communities and possible solutions to the problem.
“We must break this cycle of violence,” Governor Rell said. “We have so much to gain as a society. If we do not, we stand to lose the full potential of the next generation and more of our humanity.”

CLICK HERE for politico.com's report on the latest news about some Democrats' efforts to punish Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman for his support of Republican John McCain's presidential campaign. They report he's likely to keep his powerful committee chairmanship.

Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that her new interactive state budget Web site has drawn hundreds of responses from taxpayers who weigh in daily with online suggestions for saving money and making state government more efficient.

"The public is speaking loud and clear on how to best use taxpayer money," Governor Rell said. "We developed this Web site to not only give residents a clear understanding of what we are facing in this economy but also to give them a chance to be part of the solution."

The interactive budget Web site, launched October 27, allows taxpayers to review the entire two-year state budget. The site can be accessed by clicking on the "Budget Forum" link in the Governor's Web site at: www.ct.gov/governorrell

The Web site includes links to budgets of specific agencies and aid to cities and towns. There is also a link that provides the latest updates to the state's economy, including Governor Rell's stark announcement earlier this week that the projected deficit has ballooned to $6 billion for fiscal years 2010 and 2011.

A new link added this week titled "View Suggestions" lets the public view many of the taxpayer suggestions. "We have heard from every corner of the state and there is certainly no lack of creativity," Governor Rell said. "Most importantly, there are some sensible ideas that merit consideration." Many of the suggestions focused on the use of a smaller, more efficient state fleet and a reduction or outright ban on personal use of state vehicles. Others have suggested privatizing certain services, such as transit districts, or cutting state employee hours to 35 a week. Other suggestions currently posted on the Web site are:

* Sell beer and wine in grocery stores and on Sunday and double the tax on Sunday sales

* Standardize the state's printing and publication process

* Take a full accounting of all state property and sell the excess

* Ban all-night legislative sessions - conduct business during working hours

* State employees should contribute more to their health insurance

* Light every other street light and outfit them with sensors

* Reduce highway mowing

* Have towns plow state roads in their jurisdiction

* Bring back tolls

* Use synthetic oil in state fleet and push out timeframe for oil changes

* Too many "commissions"

* Eliminate pay raises for a year - act like a private business that could go bankrupt

"The unstable national economy is hitting home - and hard. It is no longer a matter of whether to cut the size of government but rather how deep. My office, our commissioners and state lawmakers have some very hard choices ahead of us to make sure the state lives within its means over the next several months and, even years," Governor Rell said. "This Web site will help keep the public informed of our progress and perhaps generate common sense solutions from the very taxpayers we serve. Connecticut's richest resource has and always will be its people."

The national political Web site politico.com did a brief analysis on presidential election voting trends in Connecticut.

It shows that Republicans lost the most ground over the last four years in the 5th Congressional District, where freshman Congressman Chris Murphy easily won re-election to a second term, and Litchfield County supported Obama this year after being the only county in all of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and Rhode Island four years ago to support Bush.

CLICK HERE for the link.

President-elect Barack Obama has told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid he's not interested in seeing Democrats oust Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman from their ranks over his endorsement of Republican John McCain, according to an article by the Associated Press.

Obama told Reid in a phone conversation last week that expelling Lieberman from the Democratic caucus would hurt the message of bipartisanship and unity that he wants for his new administration, a Senate Democratic aide said Tuesday. This aide spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions were confidential, the AP reports.

The caucus is the meeting of all Senate Democrats and at the beginning of each Congress it chooses the body's leaders. Lieberman, a longtime Democrat most recently re-elected as an independent, has continued to meet with the Democratic caucus.

In the last Congress his presence was essential to the Democrats' control of the Senate because he gave them a 51-49 edge over Republicans. But Democrats expanded their majority last Tuesday and no longer need Lieberman to control the chamber, though his vote still could be crucial in votes to end filibusters, according to the AP.

CLICK HERE for a variety of expert opinions on whether Joe Lieberman should hold onto his powerful committee chairmanship in the U.S. Senate or be stripped of it by Democrats in retribution for his support of John McCain's presidential campaign.

Failed 5th District Green Party congressional candidate Harold Burbank of Canton is considering running for Chris Dodd's U.S. Senate seat in 2010, The Register Citizen reported this morning.
Burbank, a human rights attorney, criticized the Senate Banking Committee chairman for his role in the huge federal bailout of Wall Street this fall.
Running with virtually no budget and shut out of major party candidate debates in the 5th District race won by incumbent Congressman Chris Murphy, Burbank received 2,871 votes, or 1 percent of the vote on Nov. 4, to Murphy's 174,316 votes.

Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced she has asked Connecticut ’s Congressional delegation to join her in pressing for an increase in federal Medicaid reimbursement rates to be included in the second national economic stimulus package Congress will consider in the coming days.

Social services represent the largest component of the $18.4 billion state budget, accounting for about 40 percent of expenditures. Services range from child care, food stamps and heating aid to nursing homes, home health care and services to the elderly. Connecticut ’s expenses are partially reimbursed by the federal government, but the state’s reimbursement rate is set at 50 percent – the lowest possible – so any increase would mean a substantial boost in state revenues.

Dear Connecticut Congressional Delegation:

I know that the campaign season has been long and difficult for all of you and I hope that you have had some time to rest and recover since Tuesday’s election.

Connecticut residents are looking forward to the prospect of new and creative solutions to the serious challenges confronting us. Foremost on their minds – and mine – is the national economy. I know you share my conviction that as Congress returns to work in the coming days there is much that needs immediate attention. High on that list should be passage of a second national economic stimulus package – one geared toward easing the grinding financial pressures on the states and helping put people back to work.

As you know, middle-income families in Connecticut and elsewhere are struggling as never before. They see their energy bills, their food bills and other expenses piling up, while the stock market remains in a slump and businesses large and small fight to keep their heads above water. Many of our largest employers have laid off workers. Even those that have not been forced to cut jobs are predicting lower spending and lower profits.

In Connecticut and all over the country, state governments are pinched between competing demands. Almost every state in the nation is required, either by law or by constitution, to have a balanced budget. Yet almost every state has seen revenues decline as jobs are lost, incomes dwindle and the economy contracts. And, of course, it is when the economy is deteriorating that the demand for state services is at its greatest.

That is why I am writing today to urge you to swiftly enact a comprehensive economic stimulus package for the states.

As you know, I recently wrote Congressional leaders on the same subject, a request that was echoed by Representative Courtney. I stressed that the package should not only include money for unemployment assistance and new infrastructure projects to help create jobs, but should also include money to relieve the pressure that skyrocketing Medicaid costs are placing on states.

I am asking that you pay particular attention to the issue of Medicaid reimbursements. An increase in reimbursements will serve two critical purposes: It will enable us to continue providing both direct services to citizens and indirect services through our network of private and non-profit providers, and it will relieve some of the burden as the General Assembly and I cope with the current budget deficit of more than $300 million.

Connecticut ’s federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) is currently set at 50 percent, the lowest possible reimbursement rate set by the federal government. An increase to 55 percent would mean an additional $125 million in annual revenue to maintain our high-quality health care programs.

Medicaid represents Connecticut ’s most significant public investment in the health and well-being of our population. Our fiscal 2009 Medicaid budget exceeds $3.7 billion, or 21 percent of the entire state budget. This includes nearly $1.5 billion for citizens in long-term care, nearly $800 million for child and care-giver coverage and $334 million for community and home health care services.

Programs ranging from prenatal care and children’s health coverage to community-based home care for elders, coverage for the employed disabled and long-term care for our vulnerable seniors are all supported by federal Medicaid reimbursements. Many Connecticut residents rely on these programs and would be deeply affected if budget realities forced them to be scaled back or eliminated.

None of us want to see these programs become a victim of the very real budget pressures faced by Connecticut and countless other states – and that is yet another reason why an increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates is such a vital component of the stimulus package Congress will be considering.

Working together, we can soften the impact on our working families, our retirees, our senior citizens and the others across this nation who struggle to make ends meet. The mandate revealed in Tuesday’s election clearly sought nothing less. And the future of a great nation clearly demands nothing less.

Sincerely,


M. Jodi Rell
Governor

CLICK HERE for The Register Citizen's editorial today on why Democrats need Joe Lieberman.

We will immediately get back to Northwest Connecticut politics, but couldn't resist one piece of for-what-it's-worth speculation for political junkies about President-elect Barack Obama's cabinet.
Look to Democratic governors who are prevented by their states' system of term limits from running for re-election in 2010. There are 10 of them, and some are considered rising political stars, not the type to fade into non-political life.
They include key early supporters of Obama, such as Gov. Janet Napolitano of Arizona and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, key late supporters of Obama, i.e., Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, and big industrial/key swing state personalities, i.e., Gov. Jennifer Granholm of Michigan and Gov. Ed Rendell, who could bring something to the table in terms of economic policy.
Who wants to bet that Obama will rescue some of them before they have nothing to run for in two years?

The every-other-year speculation that Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal will run for governor started basically the day after this year's election.
Maybe - but doubtful - we'll find out if 2010 is finally the year when Blumenthal appears on "Face the State" on WFSB Channel 3 at 11 a.m. Sunday. Topics of discussion, according to the station, will be "Obama's Big Win, Blumenthal in 2010 and the state Republican party."
Conventional wisdom is that, once again, major potential Democratic candidates are somewhat paralyzed in actively seeking the governorship until Blumenthal makes up his mind.
Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, who thought about running last time, and Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, who lost in the primary last time to New Haven Mayor John Destefano, both might fall into that category.
Outgoing Speaker of the House Jim Amann is not in that category - he is openly running for the seat already.
God help the Republicans if Gov. M. Jodi Rell decides not to seek a second full term.
The other factor for major candidates could be U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd's seat, which is up in 2010 also.
Who knows how the mortgage controversy that is increasingly sliming his reputation will impact his decision on whether to run again. Or maybe President-elect Barack Obama, who had once considered Dodd for vice president, will tap him for some cabinet appointment or ambassadorship.
If Dodd quits, Blumenthal might run for the Senate. And would Ned Lamont take another shot, so he could be the junior Senate teammate of his buddy Joe Lieberman?
And you also need to factor in a bunch of bored congressmen possibly being interested in either Dodd's seat or running for governor, including Chris Murphy, Joe Courtney or John Larson.

Democrats now have a bigger majority in the U.S. Senate, but not quite big enough to be "filibuster-proof."

So they don't need Joe Lieberman anymore, and are seeking payback for supporting John McCain over Barack Obama this fall ... reportedly by stripping him of his committee chairmanship.

If that happens, Lieberman is considering caucusing with the Republicans.

CLICK HERE for the story.

The Connecticut Democratic Party, riding the coattails of Barack Obama’s historic presidential run and fueled by a huge statewide voter turnout, appeared on track Tuesday night to pick up the seat it needs to claim a veto-proof "supermajority" in the state Senate to match the one it already has in the House of Representatives, state political leaders said.
"We got smoked ... mostly because of the national trend," said state GOP Chairman Christopher C. Healy. "It’s now the liberal Democratic show, ‘Live from Hartford,’ and we’ll do everything we can to educate the voters as to what they’re up to ... It’s just too lopsided a balance up there, based on the numbers."
Of the new Democratic "supermajority," Healy said, "I don’t think the Democrats understand the severity of the financial crisis ... If they think they can tax the millionaires and get us out of this, they are in for a rude awakening ..."But for tonight, they won. They won impressively," he said. "We have to suck it up and get back in the game, which I think we will do within days."

It's official. John McCain has conceded, and Barack Obama is the next president of the United States.

Rep. Joseph Piscopo easily beat back a challenge from Democrat Joseph Arcuri on Tuesday.
CLICK HERE for the results.

Litchfield state Rep. Craig Miner has defeated Democratic challenger Nick Creed by a wide margin.
CLICK HERE for full results.

Congressman Chris Murphy is dominating election returns throughout the Torrington area and Northwest Corner appears headed to an easy re-election victory over Republican state Sen. David Cappiello.
A bad sign for Cappiello is Murphy's victories in some of the most heavily Republican towns in the 5th District, such as Goshen.

CLICK HERE for the latest overall tally.

HARTFORD (AP) - U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays has lost his bid for an 11th term in Congress.
Shays, who is the last New England Republican in the House of Representatives, lost to former Greenwich businessman Jim Himes. With 40 percent of votes counted, Himes won 60 percent to 39 percent.
Himes is a former Goldman Sachs vice president who now runs Northeast operations at Enterprise Community Partners, an affordable housing operation.
Shays survived close elections in 2004 and 2006.
Shays has long been popular in his district in southwestern Connecticut, but recent campaigns have been close as Republicans fell from power in Congress and Shays' support for the Iraq war put him at odds with many Connecticut voters.

The massive defeat of all charter change proposals on the ballot today was the latest defeat of the agenda set forth by a Republican majority on the Winchester Board of Selectmen.
CLICK HERE for the official results.
The charter change defeat comes after four town budget vote rejections this year.

Canton state Rep. Kevin Witkos appears headed to a fairly easy victory for the open District 8 state Senate seat, beating Democrat Art House in every town in the district so far except Torrington.
CLICK HERE for the latest results.

HARTFORD (AP) - Congressman Joseph Courtney has won a second term in Washington.
The 2nd District Democrat defeated former submarine commander Sean Sullivan on Tuesday. With 32 precincts reporting, Courtney won 63 percent to 34 percent.
The election was easier than Courtney's 2006 victory over Republican Rob Simmons. Courtney won that election by only 83 votes of nearly 250,000 cast.
A University of Connecticut poll in late September showed Courtney preferred by 50 percent to 23 percent of likely voters.

Democrat Art House has won Torrington by an 800-vote margin, erasing an early lead that Republican Rep. Kevin Witkos had in Barkhamsted and Harwinton.

Witkos continues to achieve narrow victories in the smaller towns. He has won Norfolk, 588 to 542.

Barack Obama won Connecticut easily today, but at least a few towns in historically Republican Litchfield County bucked that trend.
So far tonight, John McCain has won in Goshen, Harwinton and Morris.

Early returns show the following:

Senate District 8 - Republican state Rep. Kevin Witkos has a narrow early lead with lots more results to come over Democrat Art House to succeed Sen. Tom Herlihy.
Senate District 30 - Incumbent Republican state Sen. Andrew Roraback is cruising easily to another re-election victory.

House District 63 - Republican John Rigby wins the seat currently held by Rep. George Wilber, beating back a write-in challenge by Democrat William Riiska.
House District 64 - Rep. Roberta Willis unopposed for re-election
House District 65 - Democrat Michelle Cook upsets incumbent Rep. Anne Ruwet.
House District 66 - Incumbent Republican Rep. Craig Miner leading over Democrat Nick Creed with only partial returns.

Republican Rep. Kevin Witkos narrowly beat Democrat Art House in Barkhamsted for the open District 8 state Senate seat, 1,085 to 992.
Democrat Annie Hornish beat incumbent Rep. Richard Ferrari in the town, 366 to 300.
Obama carried Barkhamsted, 1,281 to 965.

In just 7 days, Norfolk attorney William Riiska convinced thousands of voters to write in his name for state representative in the 63rd District.
But it won't be enough to beat the only candidate whose name appeared on the ballot, political newcomer John Rigby, a Colebrook Republican.
Rigby has beaten Riiska in Winchester, which accounts for about 40 percent of the population of the district, 2,438 to 1,079.
Riiska filed to run as a write-in after incumbent Rep. George Wilber resigned with only two weeks to go before the election in the wake of a sex abuse allegations coverup scandal.

Michelle Cook has pulled off the upset of the night, unseating three-term Republican state Rep. Anne Ruwet for the 65th House District.

Winsted has rejected all proposed town charter changes, by large margins.
The proposal to switch from a town manager system to an elected mayor was rejected by more than 1,000 votes.

If as Morris goes, so does the state, then the state's proposed constitutional convention may go down.
Morris voters rejected it, with 528 yes votes to 666 saying no.

The latest from the AP ...

Question 1-Constitutional Convention
77 of 759 precincts - 10 percent
Yes, 43,066 - 39 percent
No, 66,865 - 61 percent

Question 2-Voting at Age 17
75 of 759 precincts - 10 percent
Yes, 69,949 - 67 percent
No, 34,855 - 33 percent

State Rep. Craig Miner (R-66th District) has won in the town of Morris, beating back Democratic challenger Nick Creed, 781 to 469.
McCain won in Morris, 703 to 648.

Incumbent state Sen. Andrew Roraback has won in Goshen with 1,443 votes against Democrat Michael Renzullo's 276 votes.

Republican John McCain won 911 votes against Democrat Barack Obama's 843. Independent Winsted native Ralph Nader took 23 votes in Goshen.

CLICK HERE for the story.

The Associated Press is declaring U.S. Congressman John Larson the winner in Connecticut's 1st District over challenger Joe Visconti, a Republican town councilor from West Hartford.

Democrat Michelle Cook has won the Southwest School and City Hall parts of Torrington against incumbent Anne Ruwet for the 65th District, unofficial numbers show.

From Register Citizen Staff Writer David Hutter ...
HARTFORD — Green Party candidate Stephen Fournier, running for the 1st District U.S. Congressional seat held by Rep. John Larson, said he campaigned because no one else jumped at the seat in the Green Party. He said he struggled to increase his name recognition. Today, he greeted voters at polls in Hartford and West Hartford.
"I’ve never run for office," Fournier said. "I had a loosely organized group of about ten volunteers."
He said he is good at championing the causes of other people yet is not entirely comfortable about touting his own abilities.
"I am embarrassed to see my face on all these palm cards," he said. "I wish we had a better candidate (in the Green Party). I am not the type who can blow his own horn. I am aggressive in championing others, not myself. ... I don’t have star-power."
"I ran a very civilized campaign and I am happy it’s over."
Fournier said he plans to run again in two years.

From Register Citizen Staff Writer David Hutter ...
Joe Visconti, the Republican candidate for the 1st Congressional District of Connecticut, said he has greeted voters in Hartford, West Hartford, South Windsor, Manchester, Wethersfield, Rocky Hill, New Hartford, Bristol, Newington and Southington. He said that voters are being very quiet about which candidates they support.
"I’ve been all over the district," Visconti said. "I will be at state central headquarters in New Britain tonight."
A contractor from West Hartford, Visconti is vying against Democratic incumbent John Larson and Green Party candidate and lawyer Stephen Fournier of Hartford.

Michael Cohen, host of the Minor Side of Things on WAPJ community radio in Torrington, discusses political issues and the youth vote with, from right to left, Lewis Mills High School history teacher Bryce Byrnett and Lewis Mills students Dyan Zhang, Dave Troiani and Joe Gasser on Tuesday. (Photo by Ronald Derosa, Register Citizen)

CLICK HERE for the story.

From Register Citizen Staff Writer David Hutter...
DANBURY — State Sen. David Cappiello, the Republican candidate for the 5th Congressional District of Connecticut, has greeted voters in Danbury, Waterbury, New Britain, Farmington and Brookfield today, his communications director Adam Bauer said today at 6:50 p.m.
"He has gotten through as many towns as he possibly could today," Bauer said. At this very moment, Cappiello is "shaking hands at Danbury High School," Bauer said.
Cappiello campaigned in Torrington on Monday.
In the six days preceding today, Cappiello stumped in each of the 41 towns of the district, Bauer said.
"We’re feeling very good about where we are," Bauer said. "Everywhere he has gone he has gotten a very positive response. We’re seeing a very large voter turnout. ... We will be celebrating his victory at Anthony’s Lake Club in Danbury. ... We’re in for a long night."

November 3, 2008

Open letter to Senator Barack Obama

Dear Senator Obama:

In your nearly two-year presidential campaign, the words "hope and change," "change and hope" have been your trademark declarations. Yet there is an asymmetry between those objectives and your political character that succumbs to contrary centers of power that want not "hope and change" but the continuation of the power-entrenched status quo.Far more than Senator McCain, you have received enormous, unprecedented contributions from corporate interests, Wall Street interests and, most interestingly, big corporate law firm attorneys. Never before has a Democratic nominee for President achieved this supremacy over his Republican counterpart. Why, apart from your unconditional vote for the $700 billion Wall Street bailout, are these large corporate interests investing so much in Senator Obama? Could it be that in your state Senate record, your U.S. Senate record and your presidential campaign record (favoring nuclear power, coal plants, offshore oil drilling, corporate subsidies including the 1872 Mining Act and avoiding any comprehensive program to crack down on the corporate crime wave and the bloated, wasteful military budget, for example) you have shown that you are their man? To advance change and hope, the presidential persona requires character, courage, integrity-- not expediency, accommodation and short-range opportunism. Take, for example, your transformation from an articulate defender of Palestinian rights in Chicago before your run for the U.S. Senate to an acolyte, a dittoman for the hard-line AIPAC lobby, which bolsters the militaristic oppression, occupation, blockage, colonization and land-water seizures over the years of the Palestinian peoples and their shrunken territories in the West Bank and Gaza. Eric Alterman summarized numerous polls in a December 2007 issue of The Nation magazine showing that AIPAC policies are opposed by a majority of Jewish-Americans. You know quite well that only when the U.S. Government supports the Israeli and Palestinian peace movements, that years ago worked out a detailed two-state solution (which is supported by a majority of Israelis and Palestinians), will there be a chance for a peaceful resolution of this 60-year plus conflict. Yet you align yourself with the hard-liners, so much so that in your infamous, demeaning speech to the AIPAC convention right after you gained the nomination of the Democratic Party, you supported an "undivided Jerusalem," and opposed negotiations with Hamas-- the elected government in Gaza. Once again, you ignored the will of the Israeli people who, in a March 1, 2008 poll by the respected newspaper Haaretz, showed that 64% of Israelis favored "direct negotiations with Hamas." Siding with the AIPAC hard-liners is what one of the many leading Palestinians advocating dialogue and peace with the Israeli people was describing when he wrote "Anti-semitism today is the persecution of Palestinian society by the Israeli state."During your visit to Israel this summer, you scheduled a mere 45 minutes of your time for Palestinians with no news conference, and no visit to Palestinian refugee camps that would have focused the media on the brutalization of the Palestinians. Your trip supported the illegal, cruel blockade of Gaza in defiance of international law and the United Nations charter. You focused on southern Israeli casualties which during the past year have totaled one civilian casualty to every 400 Palestinian casualties on the Gaza side. Instead of a statesmanship that decried all violence and its replacement with acceptance of the Arab League's 2002 proposal to permit a viable Palestinian state within the 1967 borders in return for full economic and diplomatic relations between Arab countries and Israel, you played the role of a cheap politician, leaving the area and Palestinians with the feeling of much shock and little awe.David Levy, a former Israeli peace negotiator, described your trip succinctly: "There was almost a willful display of indifference to the fact that there are two narratives here. This could serve him well as a candidate, but not as a President."Palestinian American commentator, Ali Abunimah, noted that Obama did not utter a single criticism of Israel, "of its relentless settlement and wall construction, of the closures that make life unlivable for millions of Palestinians. ...Even the Bush administration recently criticized Israeli's use of cluster bombs against Lebanese civilians [see www.atfl.org for elaboration]. But Obama defended Israeli's assault on Lebanon as an exercise of its 'legitimate right to defend itself.'"In numerous columns Gideon Levy, writing in Haaretz, strongly criticized the Israeli government's assault on civilians in Gaza, including attacks on "the heart of a crowded refugee camp... with horrible bloodshed" in early 2008.Israeli writer and peace advocate-- Uri Avnery-- described Obama's appearance before AIPAC as one that "broke all records for obsequiousness and fawning, adding that Obama "is prepared to sacrifice the most basic American interests. After all, the US has a vital interest in achieving an Israeli-Palestinian peace that will allow it to find ways to the hearts of the Arab masses from Iraq to Morocco. Obama has harmed his image in the Muslim world and mortgaged his future-- if and when he is elected president.," he said, adding, "Of one thing I am certain: Obama's declarations at the AIPAC conference are very, very bad for peace. And what is bad for peace is bad for Israel, bad for the world and bad for the Palestinian people."A further illustration of your deficiency of character is the way you turned your back on the Muslim-Americans in this country. You refused to send surrogates to speak to voters at their events. Having visited numerous churches and synagogues, you refused to visit a single Mosque in America. Even George W. Bush visited the Grand Mosque in Washington D.C. after 9/11 to express proper sentiments of tolerance before a frightened major religious group of innocents.Although the New York Times published a major article on June 24, 2008 titled "Muslim Voters Detect a Snub from Obama" (by Andrea Elliott), citing examples of your aversion to these Americans who come from all walks of life, who serve in the armed forces and who work to live the American dream. Three days earlier the International Herald Tribune published an article by Roger Cohen titled "Why Obama Should Visit a Mosque." None of these comments and reports change your political bigotry against Muslim-Americans-- even though your father was a Muslim from Kenya.Perhaps nothing illustrated your utter lack of political courage or even the mildest version of this trait than your surrendering to demands of the hard-liners to prohibit former president Jimmy Carter from speaking at the Democratic National Convention. This is a tradition for former presidents and one accorded in prime time to Bill Clinton this year.Here was a President who negotiated peace between Israel and Egypt, but his recent book pressing the dominant Israeli superpower to avoid Apartheid of the Palestinians and make peace was all that it took to sideline him. Instead of an important address to the nation by Jimmy Carter on this critical international problem, he was relegated to a stroll across the stage to "tumultuous applause," following a showing of a film about the Carter Center's post-Katrina work. Shame on you, Barack Obama! But then your shameful behavior has extended to many other areas of American life. (See the factual analysis by my running mate, Matt Gonzalez, on www.votenader.org). You have turned your back on the 100-million poor Americans composed of poor whites, African-Americans, and Latinos. You always mention helping the "middle class" but you omit, repeatedly, mention of the "poor" in America. Should you be elected President, it must be more than an unprecedented upward career move following a brilliantly unprincipled campaign that spoke "change" yet demonstrated actual obeisance to the concentration power of the "corporate supremacists." It must be about shifting the power from the few to the many. It must be a White House presided over by a black man who does not turn his back on the downtrodden here and abroad but challenges the forces of greed, dictatorial control of labor, consumers and taxpayers, and the militarization of foreign policy. It must be a White House that is transforming of American politics-- opening it up to the public funding of elections (through voluntary approaches)-- and allowing smaller candidates to have a chance to be heard on debates and in the fullness of their now restricted civil liberties. Call it a competitive democracy.Your presidential campaign again and again has demonstrated cowardly stands. "Hope" some say springs eternal." But not when "reality" consumes it daily.

Sincerely,Ralph Nader

U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, D-5, has greeted voters in Torrington at The Armory and at other polling sites in Farmington, Cheshire, Meriden, Danbury, Waterbury, and Newtown, communications director Kristen Bossi said today at 6:30 p.m.
Murphy will be heading to the Holland Hughes Center in Waterbury at 8 p.m. to hear the results of the race. Murphy is running against Republican candidate and State Sen. David Cappiello, human rights lawyer and Green Party candidate Harold Burbank, and retired physician’s assistant and Independent Party candidate Thomas Winn.

More than one person was grumbling today about the format of Torrington's ballot.
They found it confusing that the questions relating to changing the city charter were printed on the back of the ballot, and feared that some voters would not remember to flip the ballot over and be heard on those questions.

A voter from Canaan just now said that she realized after leaving the polling place, only after her husband asked her about it, that she'd FORGOTTEN to write in William Riiska's name for the District 63 House seat.
She had intended to support him, but the omission could be a strong example of the challenges Riiska faces in winning a last-minute campaign where his name does not even appear on the ballot.
This voter did not fill in the oval next to Republican John Rigby's name, either, but the Riiska thing slipped her mind.
It's one of the reasons Riiska had volunteers dispatched to most of the polling places in his sprawling district today, waving signs as voters entered.

The Connecticut Attorney General's Office has ruled that polling times won't be extended tonight even if voter turnout is overwhelmingly heavy.
However, anyone waiting in line when the polls close at 8 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot.
So, all you smokers, if there's a line at or close to 8 p.m., make sure you're in it if you want to vote!

From Register Citizen Staff Writer David Hutter ...
NEW HARTFORD — Annie Hornish, Democratic candidate in the 62nd state house district, said she has met many voters at each of the polling places in New Hartford, Barkhamsted, Granby, and East Granby today. She said she is confident about her prospect of winning the seat.
"I’ve been jumping around the polling places since 6 a.m.," Hornish said. "I’ve spoken to a lot of voters. I think the biggest reason I am getting votes stems from my plans for the environment. ... I am optimistic I’ll have a victory."
She said she was currently driving from New Hartford to Granby today at 5:47 p.m. She will be meeting up with her many volunteers at her house in Granby once the polls close at 8 p.m. She said she has many volunteers who are making get-out-the-vote phone calls and campaigning at the polls.

From Register Citizen Staff Writer David Hutter ...
BURLINGTON — Some 4,116 residents in this community had voted in person and another 350 people had voted through absentee ballot today by around 5:20 p.m., Republican Registrar of Voters Jackie Sheehan said.
"We had very long lines this morning," Sheehan said. "Over a period of one and a half hours, we had 1,700 people vote. I am amazed at how quickly everyone passes through."
The crowds have since subsided at the polls as of 5:20 p.m., she said. The town has 6,113 registered voters and an overall population of about 9,100.
"This turnout is tremendous - we’ve never seen anything like it," Sheehan said. "I do not know if it will pick up again."

From Register Citizen Staff Writer David Hutter ...
HARTLAND — More than 800 residents in this rural town of about 1,500 registered voters had already cast their vote today at 5:10 p.m., Hartland First Selectman Wade Cole said.
"It’s very, very heavy going," Cole said today around 5:10 p.m. "Much heavier than it was four years ago."
He expected many more residents to vote between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., when the polls close.
"People are leaving work now," Cole said. "Everything has gone off without a hitch."
The total residential population of Hartland is approximately 2,000.

It's getting very ugly ... The prospect of an Obama victory, or something, has brought out the worst in some.
Volunteers campaigning on behalf of Barack Obama and other candidates at the polls in Torrington today report people driving by and shouting racial slurs as well as a threat on Obama's life.
CLICK HERE for the story.

A dispatch from Register Citizen Staff Writer David Hutter ...
GRANBY — State Rep. Richard Ferrari, R-62, voiced optimism about his prospects of defeating Democratic candidate Annie Hornish in the race for the seat that covers New Hartford, Barkhamsted, Granby, and East Granby. The Republican incumbent has been greeting voters at Barkhamsted Town Hall and Granby High School for a majority of the day since the polls opened at 6 a.m.
"I didn’t go to New Hartford Town Hall because there were not any Republicans there," he said. "I am actually feeling very good about my chances. We’ve been outside meeting people all day. I am pretty confident I’ll take all four towns. I think she (Annie Hornish) would need to win Granby in order to win the election."

Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz is reporting continuing heavy turnout throughout the state, as record numbers of Connecticut voters are going to the polls. As of 3:30 p.m. many towns throughout Connecticut are already reporting 50% of registered voters already having cast ballots, even before the late afternoon rush.

“The 2008 election will be one for the record books,” said Secretary Bysiewicz. “All over the state, registrars and our teams on the ground are saying they have never seen this kind of turnout – ever. Lines are long in some polling places, but the lines are moving, the poll workers and our new optical scan machines are handling the crowds well. We are also seeing crowds of young people coming to the polls like we have never seen in Connecticut history.”

Bysiewicz added, “As we go into the late afternoon rush to the polls, I would urge anyone who has not yet voted in Connecticut to give yourself extra time to get to your polling place and anticipate having to wait in line before the polls close at 8:00 p.m. I want to remind all Connecticut voters that anyone in line at their polling place by 8:00 p.m. will still be able to cast a ballot.”

Turnout was extremely heavy in cities like Bridgeport, Hartford and New Haven; some polling places were seeing double their normal volume of voters on Election Day.

Bysiewicz is reminding first time voters to take with them to the polls either a current and valid photo identification that shows their name and address; or present a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows name and address.

Secretary Bysiewicz is also reminding voters that although no one can be prevented from voting if they wear a campaign button or shirt to the polls, Connecticut General Statutes Section 9-236 prohibits solicitation on behalf of any candidate or question within 75 feet of any polling place. This would prevent an individual from wearing a campaign button, t-shirt or hat into the polling place. However, once the individual removes the button or article of clothing from plain sight, the individual would be allowed to enter the polls and to vote. Once the individual leaves the polling place and the 75 foot restricted area, they could again wear the button or article of clothing.

“We want to make sure that voters are properly informed of their rights,” said Bysiewicz. “In interpreting the law, we also want to ensure that polling places remain neutral zones where voters can go and vote their conscience free of real or perceived intimidation. We understand that many voters feel passionate about the candidates they support and will want to express their opinions through their attire. This expression is protected by the Constitution; however it must be limited to areas outside the 75’ boundary for the polling place.”

Secretary Bysiewicz is encouraging voters to visit www.Vote-EZ-CT.com to learn more about acceptable forms of identification or to help locate their polling place.

Estimated Voter Turnout as of 3:30 PM

Avon 57%
Barkhamstead 59%
Burlington 53%
Canaan 47%
Canton 60%
Colebrook 50%
East Granby 59%
Goshen 59%
Granby 60%
Hartland 47%
Harwinton 51%
Litchfield 43%
Morris 51%
Salisbury 51%
Simsbury 61%
Winchester 45%

Predictions of 90 percent voter turnout and an Obama landslide have local Republicans fearing that some good local legislators will be swept out of office by new Obama voters who are not as educated on local races and by default vote for the "Democratic" column down the line.
While no one believes that someone as strong and with such bipartisan support as District 30 Sen. Andrew Roraback could fall victim to such a trend, it could very well doom the candidacy of state Rep. Kevin Witkos, who faces a tough challenge from Democrat Art House for the 8th District Senate seat.
State Rep. Anne Ruwet, who won by 1 vote six years ago, less than 300 votes four years ago and less than 100 votes two years ago, could also be at risk. Both the state Democratic Party and the Working Families Party, as well as special interest groups on the left, have poured resources into the campaign of her opponent, Michelle Cook, and into attack mailings criticizing Ruwet's votes on a variety of issues.

District 63 Republican state representative candidate John Rigby is not the only unopposed candidate on the ballot to face a last-minute write-in campaign.
Michael Lynch, an attorney who lost handily to State Rep. Roberta Willis (D-64th District) four years ago, attended the Torrington Rotary Club meeting today wearing a big "Michael Lynch for State Representative" pin from four years ago and announced to the crowd that he'd cast a ballot for himself today as a write-in candidate against Willis.
Unlike Norfolk attorney William Riiska's serious challenge of Rigby in the wake of Rep. George Wilber's resignation, we can assume that Lynch didn't get certified as an "official" write-in candidate with the Secretary of the State's office.

At noon at Vogel-Wetmore School in Torrington, more than 1,000 people had voted already, the most that poll workers could remember at that time of day in any recent election.

UPDATE: Turnout was more than 50 percent as of 4:30 p.m. CLICK HERE for more.

Congressman Chris Murphy, State Rep. Anne Ruwet and District 63 state representative write-in candidate William Riiska campaign at the polls in Torrington and Winsted Tuesday. (Photos by Mic Nicosia/Register Citizen)

The national Green Party has complained about the write-in box on Connecticut's election ballots today being too small to write in a name legibly.
Their candidate for president, Cynthia McKinney, is not on the ballot. Neither is Libertarian candidate Bob Barr.
We've heard the same complaints today from supporters of William Riiska, who is mounting a serious write-in bid for state representative in House District 63.
CLICK HERE for the story about the Green Party's complaints.

CLICK HERE to get real-time election results, state by state

CLICK HERE to find out about Torrington's poll problems.

UPDATE: Problems with memory cards in Bristol, too. CLICK HERE for the story.

CLICK HERE for story about the state's special hotline to report voter fraud. It's not working properly.

CLICK HERE for the AP's story about historic turnout expected in Connecticut.

This comment from a reader on registercitizen.com today:

"Though, on the contrary, I found the design of the ballot to be very poor. Sub par performance again Ms. Bysiewicz. To older voters questions 1 and 2 did seem like a header, I had to make sure I had filled this in. The write in process is terrible. You have a small little box to write in "Barr and Root" or "William Riiska" in felt tipped marker and you still have to remember to mark the bubble. Finally while charter questions read horizontally, the individual elections read vertically. I am young so I am unaffected, however, how many elderly in our state are going to end up voting for Pat Buchanan agian (crazy snowbirds). "" Though, on the contrary, I found the design of the ballot to be very poor. Sub par performance again Ms. Bysiewicz. To older voters questions 1 and 2 did seem like a header, I had to make sure I had filled this in. The write in process is terrible. You have a small little box to write in "Barr and Root" or "William Riiska" in felt tipped marker and you still have to remember to mark the bubble. Finally while charter questions read horizontally, the individual elections read vertically. I am young so I am unaffected, however, how many elderly in our state are going to end up voting for Pat Buchanan agian (crazy snowbirds). "

Accosted on the way into vote at Vogel-Wetmore School in Torrington, and on the way out, by a Working Families Party volunteer, the message was a little puzzling.
"All of the Democrats you see on your ballot also appear on the Working Families Party line on the ballot," she said, "but if you vote for them on the Working Families line, it's a statement for working families."
Huh? If every Democrat is endorsed by the Working Families Party, why doesn't the Working Families Party just fold back into the Democratic Party?

The Northwest Connecticut Young Professionals, a new group affiliated with the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, is meeting up at the Black Rock Tavern in Thomaston tonight to watch election returns.
A $10 cover charge will get you into the networking event that will preceed the polls' closing from 6 to 8 p.m. CLICK HERE to RSVP.

Torrington resident Mike Driscoll says that when he went to vote this morning at City Hall, he was handed an envelope with TWO of the new optical scan paper ballots, instead of one, something he realized only after filling out the first ballot.
He didn't cast a second one, but instead returned it poll workers who said it was definitely a mistake.

Please allow me to take off my reporter hat for a moment and speak to you as a registered voter in the city of Torrington.

It took me a long time to make up my mind, but when I fill in my bubble today at Vogel-Wetmore School I will cast my vote for Democrat Barack Obama as the next President of the United States.

The reason comes down to a simple one: I find him inspiring. He doesn't necessarily inspire me...yet. But people who really like him and support him say he inspires them. He makes them feel like change is coming. The world is bad but when he takes over the White House, people are certain things will start to turn around. The country needs that right now and because of the hope he instills in many Americans he has earned my vote.

Will he make a good president? I don't know. What I do know is he can't be any worse than what we've got now.

I respect John McCain. The guy is a war hero, filled with loyalty and respect for America. Those are great qualities for a human being to posses. But for me it's not enough. For me that doesn't necessarily translate to a great president.

The pessimist in me thinks America is so messed up that neither candidate will make a huge difference in his four or eight years in office.

Obama is a big step in the right direction though. People believe in him. People believe he is the answer. If people start thinking positive, believing that good things are right around the corner, then maybe things really will turn around.

Like Andy Dufresne from Shawshank says, "Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things."

Please vote today.

Walt Gogolya

Volunteers from the healthcare4every1 Campaign will be outside polling places in Torrington and Winsted tomorrow, trying to sign voters up to its mailing list.

The healthcare4every1 Campaign is a "statewide educational and advocacy campaign uniting residents, businesses, and organizations to work for quality, affordable health care for everyone." The campaign is coordinated by Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut.

Learn more about the campaign at www.healthcare4every1.org .

If you think Connecticut's liquor laws are a pain-in-the-butt throwback to blue laws and prohibition, CLICK HERE and be grateful. At least we can still drink on election day.
Depending on the results tomorrow and your party affiliation, you might really need it.

CLICK HERE for the Hartford Courant's analysis of campaign cash raised by candidates for U.S. Congress in Connecticut this year. As you can probably tell from the number of TV commercials and glossy cards you've received in the mail, Chris Murphy has a massive edge over Republican opponent David Cappiello.

What’s in a name? Quite a bit, on the ballot. But it isn’t everything.
For those voters in Connecticut’s 63rd legislative district intending to vote for write-in candidate William Riiska, here’s one piece of important advice from Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz’s office: Fill in the bubble.
It doesn’t matter how you spell his name, said Av Harris, spokesman for the secretary of the state’s office. "You can be missing an ‘I,’ you can write in ‘Bill Riiska,’ you can misspell the guy’s name," Harris said. Write-in votes are counted by hand, so there is some discretion on the part of the vote counters.
"We look for the intent of the voters," Harris said. "We assume the intent of the voters will be clear."
But the operative thing here is that little bubble next to the space to write a candidate’s name.
On the ballot in the 63rd district is the Republican candidate, John Rigby’s name (with bubble), George Wilber’s name (also with bubble) blacked out, and a blank space in which to write a candidate whose name has not been printed. But don’t fill in that bubble and the vote will not be counted.
As Harris explained, a machine counts the filled-in bubbles and any ballot acknowledged to be valid vote for a write-in candidate then gets hand-counted. ("No hanging chads," Harris said.)
"If you write in the guy’s name but don’t fill in the bubble then the vote doesn’t count at all," Harris said.

It's the calm before the storm. Doors are getting knocked on across Connecticut and, though many are predicting an Obama win, the question arises: "What if McCain takes it?"
Race riots? If a Broward County, hanging chad-type situation robs Obama of the Oval Office, a la Al Gore in 2000, can we expect another Al — Sharpton — to raise all sorts of a ruckus?
Locally, Ruwet looks like she'll retain her seat, though the major upset could come in the 63rd district.
Bill Riiska. It took guts for him to throw his name into the hat, robbing Rigby of an all-but-certian win. He probably won't, owing to the difficulty of the situation (voters must actually scribble his name into the little box. He's probably having a tough time getting his name known at all). But what if he wins? Write-ins have won before in this state and others, though with only six days to campaign, his chances are slight. It would be the upset of all upsets. Dewey beats Truman? Hah! Riiska beats Rigby would take the cake.

The Secretary of the State's Office is pulling out all the stops to make sure potential voters are fully informed about voting specifics for tomorrow's historic election, according to information released by Secretary of the State SusanBysiewicz.
Specifically, this multimedia public awareness campaign is targeted at the nearly 60-percent of Connecticut residents that have not yet cast ballots using new voting machines, including the more than 240,000 new voters who have registered since January 1st.
In strict compliance with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), the voter education campaign consists of the following:
• Paid advertisements on broadcast television stations, cable systems, and radio stations across Connecticut;
• Public Service Announcements on Comcast Cable, CRIS (Radio for the Blind and Print Handicapped), and various radio stations;
• Launch of the www.Vote-EZ-CT.com website;
• More than 1 million voting guide inserts in local newspapers;
• More than 1 million pocket guides mailed to voters across Connecticut;
• Bilingual posters up in 1,000 public buses in Hartford, Waterbury, New Haven, Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford
The total budget for the English language TV and radio spots is $380,000. The Secretary of the State’s office was able to leverage those funds into more than $770,000 worth of English language TV and radio spots. The combined cost of the inserts and pocket guides is estimated to be about $300,000.

CLICK HERE for a story about Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz predicting 90 percent voter turnout in Connecticut tomorrow.

CLICK HERE for a story about a judge rejecting an attempt to throw Barack Obama off the ballot in Connecticut due to all those spam email rumors about whether he was really born in the United States.

From registercitizen.com today:

CLICK HERE for "Nader sticks to anti-corporate message in final days of campaign."

CLICK HERE for "Gloves come off in 5th District congressional race."

CLICK HERE for "Democrats see chance to widen majority in state legislature."

CLICK HERE for "FROM THE PUBLISHER: What choice do we have in Wilber mess?"

Forty-eight hours from now, Election 2008 will be in the books, unless, of course, they're still scrutinizing write-in ballots in Barkhamsted.
Barring a major surprise/widespread misreading by pollsters, pundits, the national media and all-around conventional wisdom this time around, few doubt the outcome of most races.
Under that thinking, Chris Murphy will be re-elected fairly easily to his 5th District congressional seat, and John Larson will cruise to a billionth term in the 1st District.
We'll have President Obama, a larger majority of Demcrats in the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate, if not a completely fillibuster-proof majority. Heck, our own Sen. Joe Lieberman might find himself as a pivotal 60th vote for breaking Republican filibusters, forcing the Democrats to take him back.
In Winsted, except maybe for the one dumping the town manager in favor of a strong elected mayor form of government, many think charter changes proposed by the present majority on the board of selectmen will lose big. After winning support for themselves at the polls, these guys haven't been able to get anything else passed, including a town budget on four tries so far this year.
In House District 63, we expect William Riiska to shock the conventional wisdom with the number of write-in votes he receives in his bid to replace the suddenly resigned incumbent Rep. George Wilber. But probably not enough to win.
The two races that are anyone's guess at this point are in House District 65, where you have to wonder whether Rep. Anne Ruwet is vulnerable due to how close the vote was two years ago, four years ago and six years ago (when she won by a single vote). Michelle Cook's lack of experience and lack of specific platform might have been a weak challenge to Ruwet in other elections, but this could be the year of the Obama Democratic sweep, and Dems have sunk a lot of money into a misleading sound bite propaganda war accusing Ruwet of everything from stealing children's breakfast from them to snatching wigs off the heads of cancer victims.
The other race that could go either way is in Senate District 8, where a Democrat with an incredible resume, Art House, and another well-funded and slick campaign operation, is facing state Rep. Kevin Witkos for the open seat being vacated by Republican Tom Herlihy.

Republican state Sen. David Cappiello, who is challenging incumbent 5th District U.S. Congressman Chris Murphy, will continue his "41 towns in 6 days" tour of every community in the district before Tuesday's election today.
He'll start the day at the Twin Colony Diner in Torrington, campaigning with state Rep. Anne Ruwet, who is running for re-election in the 65th District, and state Rep. Kevin Witkos, who is running for the open 8th District state Senate seat.
After Twin Colony, he'll be making stops at T&M's Village Market in Goshen, Baird's Country Store in Cornwall Bridge, walking Main Street in Sharon and Salisbury, stopping at the Collins Diner in Canaan, the Mountainside Cafe in Falls Village, walking downtown in Norfolk, visiting downtown businesses in Litchfield and ending the day at Giovanni's Restaurant in Morris.

Connecticut Republican Party staff think that The Register Citizen has been too easy on former Democratic state Rep. George Wilber, who resigned after the newspaper broke news about a $100,000 payment he made to settle sex abuse allegations.
They're especially upset that the paper has endorsed Democratic write-in candidate William Riiska.
CLICK HERE to read the post on the party's "Everyday Republican" blog.

The Waterbury Republican-American today endorsed John McCain for president, and came out against a charter change in Torrington that would extend the mayor's term from two to four years, saying that it was a "solution in search of a problem."
The newspaper backed Winchester's proposed switch from a town manager to a strong mayor form of government, but opposed three other proposed charter changes, including one that would limit votes on the town budget, calling the proposal "anti-democratic."

CLICK HERE for a street-by-street guide to where you vote on Tuesday, and in what state House, Senate and U.S. Congressional districts.

The Litchfield County Times has endorsed Chris Murphy for U.S. Congress in the 5th District and Andrew Roraback for state Senate in the 30th District. Click headlines below for full articles.

Murphy for Congress, With Hesitations
U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy (D-Cheshire), the first-term incumbent who defeated veteran congresswoman Nancy L. Johnson in 2006, explains on his campaign Web site that restoring the public's trust in government was a principal reason he decided to run for Congress, and adds that it continues to be his "driving force."

Roraback Is Role Model
In a recent interview, conducted when the state budget deficit was projected at $300 million and rising for the current fiscal year, State Sen. Andrew Roraback (R-Goshen) said he would not increase taxes on "a beleaguered public." No need to read his lips; when Mr. Roraback makes a promise he never breaks it. He also never misses a vote, and despite being a loyal and valued member of the GOP, he has served his constituents in a way that has always been more independent than dogmatic.

Click headline below for Litchfield County Times story on controversy over missing campaign signs.

Removal of Cornwall Signs By State DOT Draws Fire
CORNWALL-The recent removal of political signs by state Department of Transportation (DOT) employees along Routes 45, 4, 7 and elsewhere, has residents complaining that their right to free speech is being hindered, and taxpayers' money is being wasted.

The Republican-American has endorsed three Republicans for U.S. Congress - Chris Shays in the 4th District, David Cappiello in the 5th District and Joe Visconti in the 1st District, arguing that if Obama wins, it will be dangerous to have one party control both the presidency and Congress.

CLICK HERE for the paper's endorsements.

Republican 1st District Congressional candidate Joe Visconti issued the following press release this morning blasting The Hartford insurance company's CEO for drumming up support for incumbent Congressman John Larson.

"The Hartford" CEO Leans on Employees to Support Larson

The President and Chief Operating Officer of The Hartford insurance company's life division, is recommending that employees of the insurance firm support Democratic incumbent 1 st Congressman representative John Larson, according to recently obtained internal documents.

However, an email from John Walters, president and chief operating officer of Hartford Life, Inc., praising Larson for supporting the Wall Street 'Bailout,' and urging employees to thank Larson in writing on his website, has drawn a sharp retort publicly and privately from shareholders and employees. Questions also have been raised as to whether Walters coerced employees of The Hartford to donate money to Larson's campaign.

The Hartford Financial Services has donated more than $15,000 to Larson's re-election campaign according to recent financial disclosures while individual employees at The Hartford have donated more than $12,000. The top insurance industry donor to Larson's campaign was AIG which has donated nearly $20,000

In an email to employees, COO John Walters said, "Connecticut First District Congressman John Larson was among the House members who stood tall last week by voting in favor of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.

Congressman Larson backed this legislation from the very beginning. His support never wavered, even after it failed to gain approval the first time it came up for a vote in the House.

I have already thanked Congressman Larson and as a 1st District resident I thought you might like to do the same. If you believe, as I do, that passage of this legislation was absolutely necessary to stabilize the financial markets, please take the time to thank
Congressman Larson. "

Executives at The Hartford privately have criticized Walters' email and say many employees consider it an infringement on their political beliefs.

Republican nominee Joseph Visconti, who is opposing Larson, has privately been approached by executive level employees of The Hartford who have told him they are supporting his candidacy.

In addition, Arthur Mocabee, a shareholder at The Hartford, and Visconti supporter, responded to Walters in a critical letter that stated in part , "While the Hartford Insurance Company lies in shambles due in part to a poorly managed national credit crisis caused largely by the Democrats in Congress, especially the lack of leadership by John Larson, it is extremely improper to use corporate email to solicit political persuasion for anyone, let alone John Larson.

"You as President and COO have probably violated your own corporate email policy.
The 1st District is in the middle of a severe economic crisis that threatens jobs at The Hartford as well as many other major employers in the district. … To single out a single politician smacks of favoritism and insensitivity to others who may feel differently, but have no choice in receiving your solicitation. …

"You have used The Hartford as a 'Big Brother' in suggesting that employees should "thank" John Larson."

Mocabee also noted that individual employees at The Hartford "Contributed financially to Mr. Larson. Your actions raise the question if they did so under your request or of their own free will."

CLICK HERE to read The Register Citizen's endorsement of William Riiska for state representative in the 63rd House District.