Connecticut's Questions and the Hidden Agenda Driving Them. No to Question #1. Jim Himes for Congress! Midnight in the land of the Flip Floppers!

I know I shouldn't rely too much on my own personal experience, because I live in this southern CT to NYC liberal bubble, and I know that the democratic party in this area doesn't really bother much with the workaday signage and campaigning; we live blue here. The big push in these parts is to have calling parties to call voters in swing states to talk with them, and its not beyond the candidates to stop in to attend high roller fund raising events in tony houses in Greenwich or Rowayton.

I'm usually happy to do the calling thing, and even happier to speak with the bunch of neighbors here who have McCain Palin signs out, because I can say that I'm their neighbor....whatever, I suppose we're all neighbors in some higher sense...but CT. swings blue, so even if we have red voters, its not a strong focus. People don't want to be called, and its so seldom that someone has a question that one can answer.

In any case, I'm troubled, as usual, that the local party hardly bothers to put out signs or rally us generally more than to ask for money and a little bit of volunteerism. Its always the same crowd running things and it smacks of the local PTA where a few alpha moms run the show. I'm still pissed that so many "dems" supported Lieberman after he jumped from the party, and that Lamont's organization was sent to a back room as if we was the independent candidate!

The McCain signs are an annoyance and an emotional drag, as things like this always are when the aggressively stupid or the just plain greedy, insist on their point of view with the bold surety that Fox News is the only network that tells the truth unvarnished. Humvee drivers who seemingly want to project an image that they perceive as being very American, but which comes off as just plain idiotic; the silly young men who drive by my bumperstickered car giving me the finger, as if their vote means anything in this county or state...the young man who last night sat around a firepit at a Halloween party up here, and said with all authority that he is just worried that Obama doesn't have the "experience," which I read as "he's black," readying himself for the vote that is not gonna serve him in his construction job and middle class life where he is unable to buy a house in the town he grew up in or even afford healthcare. These things trouble me, but its not about wining CT for the democrats; Its about the American psyche and how twisted America has become about our collective place in things.


The problem that I see right now is that Chris Shays signs that are everywhere. I believe that alot of people are voting for Shays because hes a hometown boy and pretends to be a liberal. That's, um, liberal republican, and hes really only as liberal as his BFF Joe Lieberman is a democrat! These guys are strong supporters of the Bush agenda, even now, and they really don't represent CT., so much as they represent the last bastion of cronyism that is dying a terrible wheezing death around this state.

I worked hard on the Lamont campaign to get rid of Joe Lieberman, and during that time I had the opportunity to speak with Shays at a town meeting and then on a conference call. My issue was not only with Lieberman changing parties after he lost the primary; he started his own party with the dismissive attitude that he was doing this because we didn't know what was best for our state. The whole thing boiled down to the war in Iraq; Joementum had gone to Iraq with Shays some 14 times,becoming one of the biggest defenders of Bush and his war, and he and Shays were the token liberals in the push to victory. Its well known that Joe Lieberman will do anything for the adulation of having the senate floor erupt in cheers as he returns from his fact finding missions ready to advise and instruct or from his close bid with losing his seat, only to be voted in by Ct's republicans who shunned their own candidate because Lieberman was representing them just fine!


The soft spoken Shays has some sharp claws, and skirts the issues that are important to his constituents, while hiding behind the "liberal" label. Its long past the time when Shays should have retired his seat and moved on. Diane Farrell almost unseated him two years ago, and he retained the seat by a slim margin mainly with a last minute flip flop on the Iraq war. Shays claimed that a trip just weeks before the election changed his mind; this after so many, many trips and the fantasy ideals that were put forth even as the entire country crumbled and people died needlessly.

Last week, the Stamford Advocate had a front page story in which Chris Shays threw McCain under the bus in the service of his own re-election. This is the Chris Shays that I know. He flip flops at the drop of a poll number and heaven forbid that reality ever take hold; until recently he was parroting the republican talking points about the economy. Worst though is that he boasts that CT is the first state to provide health insurance for all of its children. Well, its a horrible system with little coverage, and its not working! Having talked to him about this personally, I can say that what he does is to just deny that its true or possible that providers won't take the state insurance. Shay's modus operandi is that when he is confronted with a problem he acts like it is merely a personal problem of the questioner and he refers them to a staff member who will discuss it in private.

But this is an undeniable problem across the board in CT, so even if his staff were to take me into an office and out of the town hall, so that he could move on to other issues, they couldn't solve the problem that I have to drive 2 hours to get to a specialist for my son....or that it took us an entire year to get a surgery approved, only to have it canceled on the night before because it was suddenly denied again; oh they had approved the surgeon but not the hospital!! By the time this orthopedic surgery was performed on my son, he was the oldest, biggest kid that this surgeon had ever done this procedure on! Now we will probably lose our coverage anyway because our provider, a subsidiary of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, is opting out of the state's program, and our Dr. barely takes what we have...no one will take the alternatives. I'm looking into private insurance and its going to probably be a grand a month for a family plan if I can even find one that will take us! The issue is that the paperwork involved for a tiny reimbursement is not worth it to many doctors who have full time staff trying to deal with the bureaucratic nightmare that is this program (and unregulated health insurance in general!) I've heard lately that some doctors don't want the responsibility of prescribing drugs to children for a gross payment of maybe $19 per visit, which is much less when overhead and man hours processing the claims is taken out! The hospitals with the clinics for the poor, who have the "A" type of insurance, have a deal with the state and they also have institutional insurance and rotating doctors in clinics, so the responsibility is much less.

So, its not about my personal medical issues, as much as its about the boasting that goes on with Shays and Lieberman around this being such a great program. It's the kind of thing that might make them eligible for a task force on national health coverage in a bipartisan position...and I don't think that this plan should be used as anyone's blueprint for how health care should be taken care of in this country. What is really reprehensible is to do this experiment on children...the very poor kids who go to the hospitals tend to get OK care because they have the clinic doctors available. But we cant all go to the hospital clinic, can we? And we make too much money to be in the "A" program, so we pay a premium, which disallows us from a level of service that poorer people have...and no pediatricians or specialists are taking this insurance around lower Fairfield county anyway....so...I would very much NOT like to have the liar Chris Shays walking around Washington DC, misrepresenting what he's done here. It sucks, and along with just about everything else in this region, the move is to push the poor out and make room for more high rises (Trump has a tower going up in downtown Stamford) and mansions. And of course, foreclosures are at an unprecedented high....while Shays claimed that the economy was stable, until he just changed his mind a little while ago.

Jim Himes, who is running against Shays, is an experienced businessman who has worked successfully in business, but his most important work has been in the not for profit housing and financial support sector:

After over a decade at Goldman Sachs, Jim devoted himself full-time to pursuing business-oriented solutions to the problems of urban poverty. Jim found an ideal role with Enterprise Community Partners, where he has run their Northeast operations since 2004. Under Jim's leadership, Enterprise worked with private, public, and community organizations to address complex issues of urban poverty. At Enterprise, Jim developed an innovative program to provide tax preparation assistance and financial services to low-income families at very low cost. Jim led the way in financing the construction of thousands of affordable housing units in the greater New York and Northeast regions, often using new green technologies to achieve energy efficiency and reduce utility costs.

Himes is not a career politician and he is not steeped in the rampant cronyism that has overrun this state. He has spent years developing ways to help lower income people handle their finances and to find affordable housing. He may enter on a junior level, and I'm hearing grumbles from people who feel that he will not be able to get a foothold or be heard on anything important... But, my feeling is that we are going to see an unprecedented turnover of power and faces in this election, and granted that Shays will have to go at some point...besides that he doesn't represent what the voters of his state want, and he lies and flips whenever its convenient...and we always have Chris Dodd, who is the strongest representative that we could hope for!

Shays was so wrong about the war, and even when specialists were telling him and Joe that what they were seeing was not as it seemed, they both insisted that because Baghdad looked better to them in their military security caravan, that it must be so. Shays has been wrong on the economy, on insurance for our children, on federal eavesdropping and privacy issues, and on medicare...he has sided with Bush in just about everything and changes his mind back and forth...I don't want it anymore. Its time for him to go!

Connecticut needs a congressman like Himes on board, and the American house needs this kind of new upcoming public servant working hard to get us back on track and to help America work again. This country is just not feasible for so many people anymore, and the Bush administration has managed, unbelievably, to fulfill its objective, which was to funnel all of the money upwards to a rare few, while the middle class crumbles, and the legions of the voiceless poor grows. Leaders who have been complicit with that movement should have no place in our government going forward. Shays is a lifetime politician who began his career as a young man in my district in North Stamford. Back in the days when the residents of this part of CT were more interested in how a representative might do in bringing funds to our state and our city, the largely democratic population here felt that Shays was liberal enough to represent us. But, more recently, Shays has been singing the Bush line, and that is not working for any of us on any level. And thus the flip flop of this past week...its vintage Shays and I hope that the voters don't fall for it.

There are Shays signs all over the place in Stamford, and its more likely due to the organized republican party getting the signs out, rather than being representative of who is going to vote for the entire republican ticket. There are way more Shays signs than McCain Palin signs, leading me to think that his independent campaign is more organized, and as has happened in the past, democrats will leave the line for the congressional seat vote. I don't encourage that, because it causes confusion, and even with the new ballots, alot of people may lose their votes by making silly mistakes while trying to serve someone that they are familiar with. That is no reason to make decisions about our children's future; no reason at all.

For CT voters who will be faced with 2 questions about the state's constitution,(those of you from towns with other questions about budget concerns and marching bands are on your own!) I have this to say: They vaguely word the first question to be about having the ability to edit the sate constitution in the upcoming term. The answer would be no, because hidden in that simple question is the stated objective to make gay marriage unconstitutional in CT. It is not the time to mess with any constitution for anything.

The time now is to change our leadership and stop worrying so much about what your neighbors are doing in their bedrooms in private. If people want to enter the unholy alliance of marriage, then that's their problem. I don't recommend it personally, but hey, it makes some people feel more secure; so go for it! Just sign a pre-nup so we don't have more backup in the court systems in this state. My question of the secretary of state is why is this aim on stated in the ballot question?

The second question is about young voters who will be 18 on election day and should they be allowed to vote in primaries when they are 17. I don't understand this or what it represents in a real way. It is supposed to encourage young voters to get involved earlier, but I'd be more in favor of lowering the entire voting age so that voting could be something that becomes part of high school curriculum and then we can bring back civics class and poli-sci and all that! The red flag there is that it also involves opening up the state constitution for editing, and its worded strangely, as these things always are! So, I say no right now, unless I get a compelling reason not to. My son just shrugged...it makes no real sense as a half measure regarding the primaries...like, why then don't we allow driver's licenses to people who will be of age when they can afford their car? I don't know if that is the equivalent, but I'm in favor of an across the board lowering of the voting age rather than this confusing half measure as part of editing our constitution...its all about gay marriage....keep that in mind. So, to question 1, vote NO!




c/p Brilliant at Breakfast

Shays v. Himes Tips Blue...Other Close Races Abound...

Though I couldn't go to the debate personally today due to a bad virus that has laid me low, I have seen video of some of it and have been looking at alot of other video of the previous debates. Currently Himes is ahead by 3 points, within the margin of error, and I believe that these close numbers are due to the bullshit facade that Chris Shays projects as a very connected insider who is hand in hand with Joe Lieberman in belief and attitude that they, (as Bush followers and true believers,) know whats best for us.

Shays is a seemingly mild mannered liberal republican who hides a sharp temper and a belief in the neocon vision. Actually, according to a UConn/Hearst Newspaper poll, Himes is way ahead in the cities of Bridgeport and Stamford...way ahead, like, 54-35%...and an incumbent like Shays should not be that far behind in any polls at this point. There is still the matter of all of the undecideds in the surrounding towns, because Shays is so influential and has been around forever....but according to the CT Post:

The poll found that 86 percent of voters believe the country is on the wrong track. Seventy-five percent of them disapprove of the job President Bush is doing. Seventy-two percent disapprove of Congress while only 22 percent approve. Fifty-five percent said they would prefer Democratic control of Congress, while 34 said power should revert to the GOP.
...snip...
The poll found a 54-percent support for Obama and 34 percent for Republican standard-bearer John McCain, making it even harder for Shays to hold off Himes' challenge Nov. 4. Shays will need voters to split their tickets to win re-election.

The facts are so clear and the differences between these two are so stark that its a wonder, really, that there is a question as to which one should win this seat....except for the fact that this is a very, very rich area and the citizens here like those tax cuts. What is really pathetic is that people who really won't be hurting without those tax cuts will vote based on them even if the rest of the policy throws their children and the rest of their city and country under the bus.
Is that greed or laziness or what?




I'll have more on this in the weeks to come, but its clear that Shays can no longer slide by as New England's only Republican Congressman on the sheer power of his bullshit liberal act. He is not a liberal and he has been a big supporter of George Bush and his war of lies. The last minute apology act has been done before; its getting to be a pattern with this guy, and I can see that people are fed up with him.

There are many close races across the country and its very important now to step up and do some calling, contributing, and legwork. Close races abound with the specifics spelled out in races such as Minnesota's Coleman v. Franken sporting the same statistical spread that Shays v. Himes does. Senate races here show some predictable spreads in firmly red or blue states, but there is much more wiggle room than I would have expected in places like Colorado, Kentucky, and even Texas. A Franken worker told me on the phone tonite that it is imperative that they get additional funds to put television spots on in the more remote areas of a state like Minnesota because people there don't get much more than the news and paper, and one of the few ways to reach out is vis the TV. Think of how different the world would be if the Fairness Doctrine were in place right now and people got an array of opinions on radio and TV. I think that with the kind of filth that Limbaugh, Savage and O'Reilly are spewing, this must be an issue for every blue politician running for a seat anywhere in the country; how do we fight the constant onslaught of lies and degrading accusations coming from these hate-casters?...so send your pennies to whichever one is your's or strikes you as needy...act blue on one of the blogs..whatever. Franken's worker told me that in this economy, no amount is too small.

Closehouse races abound with close races from NJ to Texas. I'm not one to wholeheartedly believe polling numbers, especially in such an unusual and historical time, but I have a feeling that we are gonna see a blue avalanche, if for no other reason than because people just want to vote for something different. There is also the racial issue and how likely people are to be honest if there is a racial feeling involved in their preference; if people will even be honest with themselves about their feelings and fears.

For some interesting nonpartisan commentary and explanation on this, check out Polltrack. They currently have a great interactive presidential race map that projects ahead to tomorrow and even election day. Senate and House graphics are in the works there as well. Its the blog that is interesting because it explains whats going on in very plain terms without projecting too much into the drama of why.

I hope to be looking more closely at these numbers and the races behind them...but mostly I hope to be watching the blue numbers tip the scales more and more every day until we have a working majority that we can expect to fully represent the American people rather than big business, and to make some real lasting changes.

c/p Brilliant at Breakfast

Shays Debates Himes on Monday Oct 20th, 2008, 7PM, Stamford CT Holiday Inn Select....

Tomorrow at 6 PM there is a rally prior to the final debate between Chris Shays (R-CT,)and his democratic challenger, Jim Himes in their battle for Connecticut's congressional seat. The debate .,takes place at the Holiday Inn Select at 700 Main St., in downtown Stamford, and should be really interesting. The rally is at 6PM with the debate at 7PM and open to the public. The official subject is foreign affairs and this should be great considering Shays support of the war and other sundry freedom spreading missions. I always like a good Shays debate because of his two faced lies that not even his old time supporters are buying anymore…not to mention how great old Chris thinks the economy is.

Shays is a hard nut to crack because he poses as a “liberal republican” even as few of his positions have been any less than neocon, and he has been a huge supporter, along with BFF Joe Lieberman, of the war in Iraq, traveling there some-teen times and only rethinking his position when an election was imminent. Shay’s manner is that of a soft spoken liberal, but behind that facade is a nasty temper protecting a true neo conservative ideology. I never got the idea that he knew what he was talking about regarding heath care when he jumped on board Medicare reform even as he set up forums to try to help his elderly constituents sort through the maze, and lied about the efficacy of Husky for his youthful constituents, many of whom cannot find doctors to take the very state insurance that Shays prides himself on. I have been at meetings where Shays was pro Bush as our fearless leader, and I subsequently had a conversation with him where he tried to divorce himself from his previous positions on Bush and the war. Shays may regret it now, but he drank the Bush Kool-aid and it’s a little disingenuous to suddenly, just weeks before an election where he had a strong challenge from Diane Farrell, begin the backpedaling….and now he continues his backpedaling because he sees the very strong possibility that the days of CT cronyism might be coming to a close. Shays lies when he claims to be a liberal. Just take a look at his voting record and its clear.



Jim Himes is a supporter of cutting taxes for the middle class, who are hurting horribly in this area of haves and have not’s. He is someone who comes from a background of public service and who has benefitted personally from a public education and so sees the importance of strengthening our education system. He is also someone who has extensive experience in business and the markets from his years as a businessman before going into the non profit sector full time. His experience in community service involved working on poverty initiatives to provide business advice, housing, and help with financial services. The work he did in building affordable housing involved green technology and energy efficiency. He is all about energy independence…and he seems to have some great ideas that are off the beaten path of the old crony network of which Shays is an integral part.

We are hoping for a big turnout in support of Himes in this close race, so please pass this information on to anyone who might be interested in attending or blogging about this.
Note that there is also a 10:30 AM debate at 400 Atlantic St; information here
Check Jim Himes out…this is one close race that is worth working for and writing about…if for nothing else than to take away Joe Lieberman’s best buddy and Iraq War traveling and disinformation partner.

c/p Brilliant at Breakfast