Washington — With his leadership PAC, Sen. Richard Blumenthal is helping friends and seeking greater influence in the Senate. Blumenthal, a Democrat, established the Nutmeg PAC (political action committee) last year, but it had very little activity until recently. According to the latest filings with the Federal Election Commission, Blumenthal has stepped up efforts to […]
Ana Radelat
Ana has written about politics and policy in Washington, D.C.. for Gannett, Thompson Reuters and UPI. She was a special correspondent for the Miami Herald, and a regular contributor to The New York TImes, Advertising Age and several other publications. She has also worked in broadcast journalism, for CNN and several local NPR stations. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Journalism.
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Lieberman poised to win big on postal bill
Washington — Sen. Joe Lieberman has spent weeks pleading, chiding and compromising to win approval of a bill that would blunt the U.S. Postal Service’s plans to close hundreds of facilities and curtail mail service. On Tuesday, it appeared Lieberman, an independent, was close to victory. The Senate is considering 39 amendments to Lieberman’s bill, […]
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Courtney on front lines of White House fight over student loans
Correction: An earlier version of this story reported different totals for Ms. Colao’s loan burden. In rechecking her figures Monday, she said she owes a combined total of more than $30,000, of which more than $15,000 are in Stafford loans. The story and photo cutline have been corrected to reflect these figures. Washington — Like […]
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Lieberman plans busy season investigating scandals
Washington — Sen. Joe Lieberman does not plan to go quietly into retirement. He put himself at the center of two high-profile scandals this weekend by saying he would initiate investigations into the Government Services Administration, whose employees had a expensive romp in Las Vegas, and the hiring of prostitutes by Secret Service agents and […]
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Tong big figure in nation’s Asian community
Washington — Democratic state Rep William Tong may not be as well-known to Connecticut voters as his rivals in the U.S. Senate race are — but he’s a big name in the nation’s Asian community. According to filings with the Federal Election Commission, about one-third of the donations to Tong’s campaign have come from Asian […]
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McMahon spending millions to build new campaign
Washington –– Republican Linda McMahon has spent nearly $4 million on her second bid for the Senate, using much of that money to rebuild her campaign and help reshape her message. Some of the money is financing a political advertising agency known for its attack ads. McMahon’s spending has strongly outpaced all of her rivals. […]
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Murphy says he pays 22.4 percent in taxes
Following up on a promise made earlier this week, Rep. Chris Murphy, D-5th District, released his 2011 federal and state tax returns Wednesday. Murphy and his wife Catherine Holahan reported joint salaries of $220,125 and no other income except $160 from a refund on last year’s taxes. Murphy’s congressional salary is $174,000. Murphy and his […]
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Murphy tapping Clinton donors
Rep. Chris Murphy, D-5th District, is trying to get a fundraising boost by soliciting campaign funds from the people who gave to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. According to the latest filings with the Federal Election Commission, the Murphy campaign has rented the Clinton email donor list for $3,644.96. Although Clinton, now secretary of state, lost […]
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Lieberman may investigate Secret Service scandal
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman is under pressure to hold a hearing on the scandal that has rocked the Secret Service this week. But Lieberman, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said Tuesday he didn’t know whether he wants to investigate allegations that 11 agents partied with prostitutes when they were preparing for President Obama’s […]
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In race to divulge tax returns, Shays is first
Washington — The candidates in Connecticut’s Senate race seem to have taken a page from the presidential campaign when it comes to taxes. All major candidates, except for Republican Linda McMahon, say they will release their returns this week. Former Rep. Chris Shays, a Republican, beat his rivals to the punch by releasing his 2011 […]
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’Buffett Rule’ would have major impact in Connecticut
Washington — The so-called Buffett Rule, President Obama’s name for his plan to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans, would have a greater impact in Connecticut than almost anywhere else. Connecticut has more millionaires and billionaires per capita than all other states except New Jersey, Maryland and Hawaii, according to a 2009 study by Phoenix […]
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When it comes to political cash, McMahon may now be the poorest candidate
Candidates for retiring Sen. Joe Lieberman’s seat stumbled all over themselves Friday afternoon putting out the latest numbers on their fundraising efforts. Republican Linda McMahon tweeted that she raised $172,390 in the first three months of this year. In addition, she’s loaned her campaign another $965,000. That means McMahon has invested more than $1.7 million […]
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Connecticut Republicans vying to be top ‘Young Gun’
Washington — The five Republicans running to replace Democratic Rep. Chris Murphy in the 5th Congressional District are competing for more than votes and campaign cash. They are also vying to be chosen for an exclusive group of GOP candidates known as “Young Guns.” Those are the candidates the national Republican Party has determined to […]
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Congress becoming more diverse, but not Connecticut’s delegation
Wayne Winsley is a rarity in Connecticut politics: He’s a minority candidate running for Congress. Winsley, 48, is a black Republican hoping to unseat Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District. That’s an uphill battle because the 3rd District leans Democratic, and DeLauro is a member of the Democratic House leadership and can amass a huge amount […]
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Connecticut’s income is high, but its taxes are average
Washington — Connecticut’s “Tax Freedom Day” is May 5, not April 17, when state and federal returns are due. That’s according to the Washington-based Tax Foundation, which calculates May 5 as the day Connecticut residents have earned enough money to pay off their total tax bill. The foundation says Connecticut’s “Tax Freedom Day” is later […]