Scully Communications

Try to think of an issue that would put Richard Blumenthal and Rob Simmons on one side with Chris Dodd, Joe Lieberman and (tepidly) Linda McMahon on the other. Well, the headline above gave it away. It’s the reconfirmation of Ben Bernanke as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve. Both Blumenthal and Simmons said Bernanke should go and someone fresh and new should take control of the Fed. Dodd, Lieberman and McMahon said Bernanke should stay. McMahon hedged on the question, saying she has high respect for the president to make his own choice for Fed Chairman.

Opponents blamed Bernanke for not preventing the financial crisis of 2008. Supporters said he managed the crisis well and deserved another term. He was approved Thursday, ending speculation that anger about Wall Street bailouts could cost him his job. Bernanke’s confirmation on a 70-30 vote came three days before his current term is scheduled to expire.
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Get those scorecards out—add another page—and get ready for an update of who is running for what; or at least thinking about it.

R. Nelson “Oz” Griebel officially entered the race for governor—as a Republican. Well-known for his work on economic development issues, he has very little name recognition statewide. He pledged to end Connecticut’s reputation as an anti-business state. Also getting closer to a run for governor is Waterbury’s Democratic Mayor Michael Jarjura. In 2005, Jarjura lost the primary for mayor but won the office in a write-in campaign in which his supporters passed out pencils. Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, a Republican, is also considering running for governor. Finally, former Republican state party chairman Bill Hamzy, currently an influential state Representative from Bristol, is making noise about running for attorney general while criticizing Democratic frontrunner Susan Bysiewicz.

Stay tuned; I’m sure there’s more to come.