WASHINGTON-Connecticut’s biggest individual political donors are not too eager to talk about why they’ve opened their wallets this election season. They’re content to let their money speak for them. Together, the five top contributors in Connecticut have given nearly $800,000 to federal candidates and political committees so far this election cycle. And despite the bleak […]

t may sound more like a motorcycle gang than a political club, but state Sens. Dan Debicella and Sam Caligiuri have both just joined the “Young Guns.” Launched by the National Republican Congressional Committee, the Young Guns program includes promising GOP challengers in this year’s House contests. Debicella and Caligiuri are the Republican candidates vying to […]

There weren’t any complaints from Connecticut’s delegation about Congress’s fast exit from Washington this week, even if that meant ending with a whimper instead of a bang. Even those who had been looking forward to a big political brawl over renewing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy said they weren’t disappointed that that fight fizzled. […]

WASHINGTON-There’s the JFK ad. The cap-and-trade ad. And even the “I’m sick of her ads” ad. But if you think the U.S. Senate campaign has been hogging Connecticut’s television airwaves, know that it could get a lot worse. Independent advocacy groups have largely steered clear of airing TV spots in Connecticut’s Senate and House races […]

Democrats in Washington are officially worried about Connecticut’s U.S. Senate showdown between Democrat Richard Blumenthal and Republican Linda McMahon. So much so that the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, has purchased $300,000 of TV air time to run ads boosting Blumenthal’s campaign, according to POLITICO.

Sen. Christopher Dodd says he’s thrilled not to be facing a very angry electorate this November and to instead be pondering other, less angst-ridden, opportunities this fall as he heads toward retirement. “I look clairvoyant,” Dodd told the Washington Economics Club at a swanky dinner in downtown Washington on Wednesday night.  “The only second thoughts […]

Sen. Christopher Dodd has a photographer trailing his every last move in the U.S. Senate, documenting the final days of his 30-year political career. Former Hartford Courant photographer Brad Clift is spending the next few days, from dawn ’til dusk, with Dodd and his family, for a photo book they commissioned marking the end of Dodd’s time […]

Only in Washington can Wednesday mark both the beginning and the end of the work week. House members just came back into town this morning for the first votes of the week, and they’re hoping to wrap up legislative business by tonight. While the Capitol has been paralyzed in partisan gridlock on everything from tax […]

Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, has just joined an increasingly popular club: Democratic incumbents emphasizing their independence and striving for an “I’m-not-of-Washington” message in this volatile campaign season. In his first ad this election, Courtney focuses on his votes against the bank bailout, officially known as the Troubled Asset Relief Program, to argue that he’s no toe-the-line […]

WASHINGTON–Linda McMahon and Richard Blumenthal differ sharply on a range of environmental issues, starting with the big one: climate change. But neither of the U.S. Senate candidates has a strong position on what should be done about it. Their differences begin with the basic question of what causes global warming, a phenomenon that many scientists […]

WASHINGTON–Supporters of a public financing system for U.S. House and Senate candidates have wrapped themselves in the Tea Party flag, with an ad touting support from this election season’s hottest new political force. But they shouldn’t count on a Sarah Palin or Glenn Beck endorsement anytime soon. At issue is a proposal, sponsored by Rep. […]

WASHINGTON–In May, it was romaine lettuce contaminated with E. coli bacteria. In June, lobster meat found with Listeria. And most recently, eggs tainted with Salmonella. All these products, and dozens more, have been pulled from grocery store shelves in Connecticut in recent months. Meanwhile in Washington, a food safety bill has been languishing for more […]

I like it, but don’t expect me to vote for it. At least not all of it. That seems to be the message from state Sen. Dan Debicella, the Republican hoping to oust U.S. Rep Jim Himes, D-4th District, in response to the new agenda outlined by House Republican leaders today. The GOP’s “Pledge to America” vows that, […]

Democrats might be more excited about the Tea Party’s endorsement of Republican Linda McMahon than the GOP candidate herself. FreedomWorks, a Washington-based Tea Party group, officially weighed in on behalf of Republican Senate nominee McMahon today, saying she was the clear “choice for limited government” in the Connecticut contest that pits her against Democrat Richard […]

Lawmakers in Washington aren’t just gridlocked over their unfinished business, such as tax cuts, food safety, and spending measures. They’re also still fighting over bills passed months ago. That was crystal clear today at a dueling news conferences highlighting the six-month anniversary of the sweeping health care reform law. Democrats like Connecticut’s Christopher Dodd, who shepherded the bill […]