Just about everyone at the state Capitol in Hartford and almost all editorial boards and blogs agree: There is no good excuse for Gov. Rell missing the National Governors Association meetings held last weekend, wrapping up Monday.

The NGA itself billed the meetings as a chance to “address critical issues, including health care reform and the economy. Governors will also meet with President Obama, members of the administration, business executives and other experts for discussions on a host of issues and challenges facing states.” The NGS highlights private “governors-only” sessions, “including a meeting with President Obama at the White House, provid[ing] governors a venue for sharing their thoughts and views on common challenges.” But not Governor Rell. Governors from Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the contiguous states all recognized the value of the meetings and attended. Is anyone surprised Connecticut gets left behind when it comes to getting stimulus money or other federal aid? For what it’s worth, Connecticut paid the dues for the NGA. Pathetic.

The Hanging Shad pointed out Rell’s absence from the NGA meetings Tues. morning( http://scullycommunications.com/scullyblog/ ). The Hartford Courant followed with a more in-depth article Wednesday. The Rell administration gave some lame excuses that ranged from “she had to be here for the budget negotiations” to “we are well represented in Washington.” Really? It took until September to get the current budget passed. And there is no substitute for face time with President Obama and administration big shots. Is this what we can expect until the fall when we elect her successor.
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In a somewhat related story, longtime business and economic development leader Nelson “Oz” Griebel appears on Channel 3’s Face the State hosted by Dennis House Sunday. Griebel is a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor. The show was taped Thursday evening so host House has leaked some of the content of the show including Griebel breaking with Gov. Rell and stealthy criticizing her about missing the NGA meetings. Said Griebel, “I really believe it is vitally important the governor be the face of the state, that the governor be the chief business development officer of the state. Not only do other governors go to these events but many major businesses do as well and I think it is important that the governor communicate to businesses that Connecticut is open for business and we are eager to retain jobs we have and gain new ones.”

And that’s not all. According to House on his blog, Griebel said, “In this kind of global economy you have to understand that every state and many countries are going after these jobs. If Connecticut doesn’t have a hungry governor, there are 49 others out there eager to eat our lunch.”
“It is vitally important that a governor stay involved in this. This is a 6 or 7 day a week job.”
Face the State airs on Channel 3 Sunday at 11 am.

In the political races here in Connecticut, the casual voter who might not pay attention to the elections until the fall because, well, they’re held in the fall, has been getting a steady diet of campaign ads from Republican US Senate candidate Linda McMahon and GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley. Expect to see Democrat Ned Lamont in that mix soon. What do they all have in common? Gobs of money. Light-your-cigar-with-a-hundred-dollar-bill type of money. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. The Shad’s author wishes he had that kind of money. And God bless these people if they can get their message out to voters using their riches.

Eventually, however, (with any luck) all the candidates will have to talk issues, answer questions about their positions and what their priorities are should they be fortunate enough to be elected to office. Many times this is when the lesser-known candidates get a chance to stand out. We hope this will be true of candidates such as Hartford Metro Alliance Chairman Oz Griebel (R), Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton (R), Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman (D) –all running for governor; Health Care Advocate Kevin Lembo (D) for Lt. Gov.; State Sen. Jonathan Harris (D) for secretary of state.

Full disclosure: The author of The Hanging Shad has worked with Mary Glassman and Jonathan Harris in the past and is clearly a big fan of both. I’m not alone: Mary Glassman Stands Out Amid Glitter In Connecticut Governor’s Race – Courant.com (I’m also a fan of Rick Green).

Money is important in politics, no doubt. But the voters of Connecticut should strive to cut through the clutter and get to know the candidates who are not so well-known right now and don’t have the personal wealth some others do. It’s important. There are enormous challenges ahead.
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Leave the Canadian women’s hockey team alone. The media and the snooty-nosed, Thurston Howell, III-like Olympic committee members are all over the women for their post-gold medal celebration after they dispatched an exciting and talented American team. Granted, hanging around the arena for more than an hour is a bit much. And swigging beer and smoking cigars on the ice is waaaay over the line—especially for the under-aged members of the team.

The team representatives have already apologized so let it go and move on. Suggestions that they be barred from the closing ceremonies or other such punishments are nonsense. These women have been carrying the weight of an entire country for this whole tournament and for some, carrying the stress of Hockey Nation for years.
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Other Olympic notes:

The hockey Maple Leaf has awakened and could steamroll their way to the gold. Love the US Nordic combined team which hit gold for the first time. At a critical point in the Sweden-Finland women’s hockey bronze medal game, a Finnish player dropped her gloves and grabbed the Swedish player by the head and threw her to the ice (know what that’s like and it’s no fun)! Those Scandinavian women are tough! Who knew?

USA men’s hockey team takes on Finland today for a spot in the finals and an eventual rematch with Team Canada—now THAT’S what I’m talking about.

The first shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Yemen arrived in Boston Harbor this week, amid high security and attention. Officials from Boston and surrounding communities were satisfied with the procedures for the docking of the hulking vessel but wondered whether the same attention would be given to the next 25 shipments that are to come.

A Coast Guard team boarded and searched the ship, scanned the hull for explosives, and recorded the faces, retinas, and fingerprints of crew members. The 935-foot Maran Gas Coronis arrived flanked by pilot vessels and tugs. Patrol cars and wagons parked at nearly every vantage point with a view of the ship’s arrival.

Local officials yesterday praised the security measures, but they questioned whether such attention will continue as shipments go on from the Middle Eastern country known to have harbored cells of the terrorist group Al Qaeda.

“This is the first run from Yemen, and it went off very successfully, because the eyes of the world were on this ship,’’ Mayor Thomas M. Menino said in an interview. “We expect that, because the Coast Guard was there, State Police were there, every security group was there to watch it. But you know this was the first one. What happens to the next 25 that come to Boston?’’

According to the Boston Globe, opponents of the tankers worry that terrorists could board a ship as stowaways and potentially ignite the flammable gas as the tanker docks in Boston. In 2004, a study commissioned by the Department of Energy concluded that a terrorist attack on an LNG tanker would cause “major injuries and significant damage to structures’’ a third of a mile away and could cause second-degree burns on people more than a mile away. Also that year, the Boston Fire Department estimated that up to 10,000 people could die in a LNG fire in Boston. Officials of the company importing the LNG, Distrigas of Massachusetts, dispute the risk outlined in the critical studies. There is no data on what a terrorist attack could do to surrounding states. Connecticut officials joined forces to keep a LNG terminal out of Long Island Sound.

According to the Globe, Distrigas has signed a 20-year contract with its Yemeni supplier and expects to bring as many as 30 shipments a year through Boston Harbor. The company provides 20 percent of New England’s natural gas on a typical day.
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If any Shadder read the Hartford Courant this morning, they would have seen a story about Governor Rell blowing off the National Governors Association held this past weekend into Monday. The Shad posted the story Tuesday morning.
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Olympic notes:
The USA men’s hockey team had a close call in the quarterfinals, beating Switzerland 2-0 (empty net goal at the end). While everyone is extolling the youth factor of the American team, it was the veterans that carried the play. Nothing but the very best hockey in the world to come from here on out.

Lindsay Vonn v. Julie Mancuso? I’ll taking Mancuso any day, on any topic.

I love NBC bringing back Dorothy Hamill and Kristi Yamaguchi for their views and analysis on the figure skating. They are still great personalities. USA’s Nordic combined team broke new ground—making it hard not to watch the rather boring sport of cross-country skiing.

When Gov. Rell made it known earlier this year that she is not seeking another term, we all kind of expected her to lay off the heavy lifting (not unlike when she was smack-dab in the middle of her terms) as those who want to succeed her scrambled for position. However, I don’t think anyone expected her to simply “mail in” the rest of her term.

That’s the way it looks right now as Rell remained in Connecticut this past weekend while the rest of the nation’s governors attended the winter meetings of the National Governors Association in Washington. These are no ordinary meetings. According to the NGA, the meetings (which concluded yesterday) “address critical issues, including health care reform and the economy. Governors will also meet with President Obama, members of the Administration, business executives and other experts for discussions on a host of issues and challenges facing states.” But not Governor Rell. The NGS highlights private “governors-only” sessions, “including a meeting with President Obama at the White House, provided governors a venue for sharing their thoughts and views on common challenges.” Except of course, for Connecticut’s.

It’s not like Connecticut doesn’t need representation on these issues. The state received a proverbial “drop in the bucket” in federal stimulus money last time around and is one of only nine states getting nothing in the latest round. You’re not increasing your chances of getting a slice of the pie when you don’t show up for your chance at face time with the president and other big shots. Taxpayers should be asking why Rell is the least hard working governor in the nation.

Unless there is some sort of family or health situation involved, there is no excuse for the governor not going to DC and fighting as hard as possible for Connecticut. And there’s no excuse for legislative leadership not holding her accountable.
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Olympic notes:

I know this goes against the grain but as a life-long hockey player, I can tell you the USA men’s hockey team better step it up or they will be on the outside looking in when it comes time for passing out the medals.

No one was happier than me when they beat Canada but the fact is, they were outplayed for the most part, failing to effectively transition from defense to offense and they need to be more physical in front of the net. The fact is, Ryan Miller basically hoisted the team on his back and carried them to the win.

The scary part is, Canada played a horrific game and still almost won. They have the better players and they played like they didn’t want to be there. If Pronger, Bergeron, Nash, et al come to play, watch out. If they sleepwalk through the rest of the tournament, the US doesn’t have to worry. Meanwhile, Thursday’s Gold Medal game between the USA and Canadian women could be great stuff.

Speed skater Shani Davis is my favorite Olympic athlete (after the multitude of hockey players). Davis wins and does one, post-victory interview, smiling widely and thanking those that helped him. Pure class.

Bode Miller has redeemed himself; dialing down the partying while showing humility. The same cannot be said for snowboarder Lindsay Jacobellis.

I think NBC is doing a great job.

Note to loyal Shadders (and occasional readers as well): The posts will be a little less frequent in the coming weeks as I enter a rather time-consuming physical therapy program to get the body back into shape after the holiday-time, near tragic fall. BTW, thanks for all the well-wishes and “get wells.” It means a lot to me.

You know the situation is bad when there is question as to whether you’re even qualified to hold the elected office you seek. Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz is trying to close the door on the issue as it pertains to her and her bid for attorney general. After balking at first, she has now decided to seek a declaratory ruling from a judge as to whether she has been an attorney “in active practice” or alternatively, have the 10-year requirement struck down as unconstitutional.

She may not get the answer she wants (Dick Blumenthal didn’t exactly come through with a “foxhole response” for her). However, that has to be better than having the issue hanging over her for the entire campaign. Her rivals, particularly former state Senate Majority George Jepsen and state Rep. Cameron Staples, have found way to work the issue without outright slamming Bysiewicz. She is leading in the latest polls (as she was in the governor’s race),

On the other side of the aisle, there is no doubt Republicans will relentlessly question Bysiewicz’ qualifications regardless of how the judge rules.
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The clip-clop, clip-clop, you hear are the Horsemen of The Shad’s personal Apocalypse. One of the signs has been reveal. I agree with nearly ALL of Kevin Rennie’s column on Ned Lamont in Sunday’s Hartford Courant. Lamont clearly plans to parachute into the race for the Democratic nomination for governor and overwhelm everyone else with his personal wealth. He already leads in the polls which this far out, are purely name recognition. Hopefully, the others in the race who are going town to town building support (Dan Malloy, Mary Glassman, et. al) won’t lie down or be intimidated.

Lamont’s appearance on Channel 3’s Face the State hosted by Dennis House was one part scary and two parts pathetic. For every question House asked, Lamont answered a different one. The robotic Lamont said what he was programmed to say. Disappointing at best.
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More Olympic notes:
Unquestionably an incredible athlete, Apolo Ohno’s marketing choices (he’ll pitch just about anything) makes him seem more pitchman and less champion athlete. Meanwhile, Lindsay Vonn gave herself a built-in excuse if she didn’t win with the whole shin injury thing. Please.

Love the snowboard athletes. They get it. Shaun White is the best. Making history as he goes alone. I wish I could get my hands on those Canadian gloves and those plaid shirts. Hate the pajama-looking outfits the US ski-jumpers wore.

Ok, I‘ll skip asking for the phone number of the Harvard and women’s hockey player. I’ll settle for Kristie Yamaguchi’s.

More on the best sport—hockey—to come.

There is an issue garnering attention at the Capitol in Hartford and statewide. It’s the issue of domestic violence and the other crimes related to it. And it’s about time. The issue was brought front and center Valentine’s Day when nearly 100 people gathered at the state Capitol to note the one-year anniversary of the murder of Tiana Notice of Plainville who was working on her master’s degree at the University of Hartford. She was stabbed to death. Her ex-boyfriend, James Carter was arrested and faces murder charges. He is currently locked up, awaiting trial.

This demonstration comes on the heels of the release of a report by a special legislative commission on domestic violence. The task force was formed by House Speaker Chris Donovan and chaired by the hard-working and talented state Representative Mae Flexer of Danielson.

Shelters should be staffed around the clock, GPS devices should be used to track the worst offenders, and problems with teen dating should be taught in schools. Flexer says she knows some of the proposals will be problematic given the budget deficit but those are being floated for the future or in hopes of getting alternative funding.

Some random thoughts on the Olympics:
• I’d rather watch an opening ceremony that shows the diversity and openness of a beautiful country (even if there are glitches in the presentation) than a high-tech show from a country that attempts to make us forget about its human rights abuses for an hour or two (Beijing).
• Gretzky is still the greatest.
• Watching the early events about which the author of the Shad knows nothing, is fun. All the ski jumps look the same (at least on take-offs). One wonders about the origin of the biathlon—shooting and skiing. Don’t let Rip Torn hear about this. And at these events, especially the ski jumping, the only place you’ll see an American flag is on some people who got lost on the way to Whistler to see the Flying Tomato.
• Apolo Ohno got all excited winning silver (and setting a record) because the two South Koreans ahead of him took each other out and crashed. I’d hate tto win in that manner and certainly wouldn’t be celebrating like that. I’d also hate to be in the next meeting of the South Korean short-track team.
• Some anchors/commentators grow old nicely with each Olympics, some don’t. Jim McKay for instance could have gone on forever. Bob Costas was good. Tom Brokaw was great. Not so much for Al Michaels. He, of the “Do you believe in Miracles?” call of the 1980 US men’s hockey team beating the USSR, needs to lose weight and go to Blades in Wethersfield for his dye job.
• I long for the life of a moguls skier. You can’t find happier people and while competitive, they don’t seem to care much where they place in the event.
• Love the Connecticut connections to the women’s and men’s hockey teams. The comments of Choate alumnus Angela Ruggerio were perfect. “I guess I could use my Harvard [business] degree to get a job but I’d rather play hockey.” Finally, I found a girl after my own heart. Anyone have her number?
• As young hockey player (about ages 5 to 12 or so), my team would go to Canada once a year to play teams in and around Quebec. Watching some of the scenes of the west coast of Canada and Vancouver specifically, reminds me how beautiful the country really is.