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Connecticut US Senator Joseph Lieberman was clearly enjoying his time—nearly the entire ½ hour—on Face the State on WFSB-TV (Channel 3) hosted by Dennis House yesterday morning. Lieberman made it clear he wouldn’t hesitate to endorse Rob Simmons or Linda McMahon—both Republicans—in the upcoming election to replace his long time Democratic colleague Chris Dodd. Democratic Attorney General Richard Blumenthal leads both GOP candidates in the most recent polls.
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On the subject of his own reelection race in 2012, Lieberman said he may run as an Independent or even a Republican as he doesn’t think he can win the Democratic nomination. Speculation has been rampant that Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz has her eye on Lieberman’s seat, even going so far as to refusing to pledge to serve the entire four year term of attorney general, the office she is seeking this November. Former Majority Leader and Party Chairman George Jepsen is also seeking the nomination.
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The debate about what Scott Brown’s victory for US Senate from Massachusetts means for Democrats is almost as divided as the election itself. There are many Republicans who say Brown’s historic upset win over Attorney General Martha Coakley spells bad news for Democrats (particularly incumbents) this fall. Others think Dems will learn from the “Brown Experience” and have plenty of time to make adjustments before November.

Case in point is Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. Does anyone truly believe Blumenthal will blow a 30-point lead a month out and lose to any Republican? Not a chance. Blumenthal is no Martha Coakley.
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Senate President Don Williams and Public Health committee co-chair Jonathan Harris are heading an effort to save the Licensed Practical Nursing Program in the state. Governor Rell eliminated 10 programs at state’s technical high schools. Rell said it would save nearly $2 million in the current fiscal year.

Williams said budget cuts are necessary but it doesn’t make sense to cut programs that create jobs. “Now is not the time to eliminate a successful and proven pro-jobs, pro-economic growth program,” Williams said. The program Rell eliminated graduates approximately 350 students every 16 months.
“Democrats have already cut a historic amount from the state budget, and we will be cutting more in the coming months to meet deficit projections, but we remain committed to maintaining programs that grow jobs,” Harris said.

As the author of The Shad had learned first-hand over the past two months or so, we need as many well-trained nurses as possible. This is a short-sighted cut that should be restored.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has said all along that he would run his race for the US Senate “as if he was the underdog,” That looks like even more of a smart approach after Republican Scott Brown upset Democratic Attorney General Martha Coakley this week in Massachusetts.

The biggest similarity between the two races is the size of the lead held by the favorite. Coakley lead Brown by more than 30-points just more than a month ago. In the latest polls here, Blumenthal had similar leads over Republican contenders Rob Simmons, Linda McMahon and Peter Schiff. Additionally, winners will replace Democratic legends: Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts and Chris Dodd here in the Nutmeg State.

Of course, the Connecticut race cannot be spun as a referendum on the health reform efforts of President Barak Obama. Yet Blumenthal’s potential Republican opponent, Rob Simmons is distributing a piece by Politico’s David Cantanese that somehow portrays Blumenthal as a “loser” in the “Winners and Losers” of the MA election.:
“As another Northeastern state attorney general with a big lead in the polls and an interest in replacing a longtime senator, Richard Blumenthal may want to call a campaign meeting Wednesday. Blumenthal, who became the Democratic Senate candidate in Connecticut when Sen. Chris Dodd abruptly announced his retirement, enjoys large polling advantages that would look insurmountable in a different environment.

With a big lead in the polls over Republican former Rep. Rob Simmons and World Wrestling Entertainment executive Linda McMahon, Coakley’s 30 point lead in December would probably be good campaign office wallpaper to serve as a motivational reminder.” The headline of this Shad explains exactly why Blumenthal will win.
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In a preview of an issue that won’t go away anytime soon, candidates for governor weighed in on public financing of their campaign. Republican Tom Foley and Democrat Ned Lamont, both Greenwhich millionaires, oppose it although Lamont said he would participate if all the other candidates did. The rest of the field will embrace public financing (that it, if it is still law—but that needs a blog of its own).

In a political development of historic proportions, Massachusetts voters elected Republican Scott Brown to the US Senate seat previously held by Ted Kennedy, his brother (and later President) John Kennedy and Kennedy allies. The race was not all that close in the end. Brown got 52% to Attorney General Martha Coakley’s 47%. Independent Joseph Kennedy (no relation) got 1%.

Republicans say the victory now means President Obama’s Health Care Reform bill is in trouble in the US Senate as Brown has pledged to be the 41st GOP vote, meaning the Democrats cannot end a filibuster (60 votes are needed).

Here in Connecticut, Republicans say the MA results show fundamental voter dissatisfaction with the Democrats and that could mean big things for Republicans in the fall. “[L]et the Democrats from the House delegation from Connecticut take notice. We are coming to take you on every step of the way to protect our country from your confiscation of our freedom,” wrote GOP Party Chairman Chris Healy.

“Despite being written off by the political pundits months ago, Scott [Brown] tirelessly brought his message of lower taxes, less government spending and vigilance against terrorism to the people, and they responded by awarding him one of the biggest upsets in political history,” Rob Simmons said in a statement. Simmons hopes to join Brown in the US Senate. “Voters of all political stripes have rejected their party’s agenda of reckless spending and mounting federal debt, unseemly sweetheart deals for special interests, and weakness in the face of the terrorist threat, all of which has done little to put our nation back to work or keep us safe.”

“Connecticut voters want to support a candidate who is fiscally responsible and pushes for smaller government,” Linda McMahon, also running for the Senate, said in a statement. “They want policy makers in Washington who will side with the people of this state, not the special interests. And they want a Senator who understands that small businesses are key to economic recovery.
“Scott Brown is only the beginning. The people are just warming up.”

In a development that at least two local TV stations saw fit to make “the top story” at 6 pm last evening, UConn announced that 67-year old Coach Jim Calhoun will take a medical leave of absence beginning immediately. Associate head coach George Blaney will coach the Huskies tonight against St. John’s. Calhoun, who visited his doctor early Tuesday, could not be reached for comment. The Hartford Count cited several sources indicating that stress appears to be playing a role in his leave. One source said that Calhoun’s leave is tentatively planned for 10 days.

Calhoun’s issue is not cancer or cardiac-related, a UConn spokesman said. He will not be hospitalized and will spend time at home.

The Courant reported Calhoun is a three-time cancer survivor. He had his prostate removed in 2003 and has twice been treated for squamous cell carcinoma, the last time in the summer of 2008. Last summer, Calhoun fell off his bike during a charity event in Simsbury, broke several ribs and fainted after the race.

“It is my recommendation that Coach Calhoun take a medical leave from his coaching position to address some temporary medical issues, none of which involve any previous medical conditions that he has dealt with, UConn Health Center physician Peter Schulman, Calhoun’s primary care physician, said in a statement.

As if the race to fill the US Senate seat occupied by Ted Kennedy for the last 47 years hasn’t been strange enough, it’s now quite possible that the weather in the Boston area may determine the fate of the Health Care Reform bill awaiting action in Washington.

In elections from town crier to president and everything in-between, the weather on election day greatly affects voter turnout. And voter turnout can make the difference one way or the other in close races. Such may be the case in the showdown today between Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) and state Senator Scott Brown. Coakley had as much as a 30-point lead just more than a month ago. Now, polls show the race either a dead heat or Brown with slight lead.

But in every poll, Brown gets almost 70-percent of independents. In Massachusetts, the bluest of blue states, Democrats have a massive political machine, particularly in the Greater Boston area. Therefore, Coakley has the most to gain by having a little sleet or freezing rain fall on the Bay State this afternoon and this evening. Democrats will turn out with postal letter carrier-like dedication. Can the same be said of independents, the group so critical to Brown? Not likely.

Brown has pledged to be the deciding vote on the fate of Barak Obama’s Health Care Reform bill in the Senate. He would vote against it and possibly kill action on the issue for years. Coakley backs the bill and had Obama campaign for her yesterday. Coakley has done a fantastic job of blowing that 30-point lead in just more than a month. Her picture was said to be ready for a milk carton with the caption, “Have You Seen This Candidate”?

Mass Dems are panicking. The author of The Shad’s parents have gotten robo-calls from Obama and Bill Clinton; and live-person calls from a union representative and (for my mom) women’s groups. That wouldn’t be all that extreme except that they live in the beautiful, scenic Berkshires—as far from Boston as you can get and still be in MA. Bucolic Berkshire County towns are thinking about getting the Internet (just kidding; they got access just after getting cable last week).

Emily’s List, the group backing progressive women’s groups, has bought last minute radio time on Connecticut stations that have signals that reach into the Bay State.

Game on. Oh, and the forecast for the rest of the afternoon and evening in the Greater Boston area is snow showers and temps in the 20s. When the weather forecast is the most reliable thing in Massachusetts politics, you know things have gotten weird.