Scully Communications

As candidates face off on issues leading up to the November elections, voters should expect to hear an examination of the office-holders’ records and what the challengers would do differently. The latter is starkly missing from the discourse thus far.

In the race for governor, former Stamford mayor Democrat Dan Malloy has accepted invitations to 19 debates all over the state, including some high-profile TV forums. He has challenged Republican Tom Foley to do likewise. Foley is bobbing and weaving to avoid having voters see the contrast between Malloy and him so many times. We’re now to the point of discussing what constitutes a “debate.” The answer is simple. Let’s stipulate that anytime the two are standing side by side, answering questions, it’s a “debate”—if there are forums in which the two can question each other, all the better.

But in the back and forth about the debates, the Foley camp simply attacked Malloy’s record as Stamford’s mayor. Fair enough. Malloy has a record and it’s fair game (it would be nice if the attacks were truthful). However, the voters deserve to hear what Foley would do as governor. So far, all we’ve heard is that he will cut spending and put a target on the backs of state employee unions. And as far as personal background, let’s hope one of the cuts Foley plans is not his state car and driver. I’d hate to see what would happen on I-95 if the legislature somehow rebuked a Foley proposal.

We seem to be having the same problem with the Chris Murphy-Sam Caligiuri contest for the 5th district congressional seat. Yesterday, Republican Caligiuri released an internal poll showing he was within a point of the incumbent Democrat Murphy. The survey was done by a reputable Republican pollster. Two things stand out: It’s an internal poll and it’s done by a Republican pollster. Both make it suspect just as an internal poll done by a Democratic pollster would be.

But again, rather than fighting about the credibility of the poll, Caligiuri should tell us what he would do differently. Republican state party Chairman Chris Healy’s school of “the current guy is really bad so vote for our guy” campaigning can only go so far.

Former state Representative Tom Dudchick is facing a federal lawsuit stemming from a stock sale in 2004. Christine Stuart of CTNewsJunkie.com has all the details. Dudchick is the operator of CTCapitolReport.com, a Drudge Report look-a-like that compiles news from other sources throughout the state. The site is popular among political observers and even assignment desks because it is a one-stop-source to find others’ reporting and opinions.

Dudchick is also an occasional guest on some state TV and radio shows as an “insider.” He was an official in the Weicker administration.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Meaghan Mackin
(860) 246-1553, ext. 116
meaghan.mackin@cga.ct.gov

Does Media Bias Impact Elections? Join the Discussion on September 15th

Join the discussion at Connecticut’s Old State House as we explore bias in the media, past and present, and its effects on elections on Wednesday September 15th. This free lecture and panel discussion, moderated by media personality and Connecticut Network’s Elections Coordinator Diane Smith, will be held from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. This is the final lecture in the summer series, Taking Sides: The Role of Partisanship in Politics and Policy.

There is much discussion today about bias in the media and its impact on voters but is it anything new? Was our democracy built on sensational and biased reporting? “Objective Reporting” hasn’t always been the goal according to Quinnipiac Professor and former newspaper reporter and editor, Paul Janensch. He will examine the history of bias in journalism and its reemergence in today’s media in his lunchtime lecture. Following Prof. Janensch’s talk, the panel will discuss the role of new media in reporting, the decline of traditional newspapers and the blurring lines between reporting and commentary. Prof. Janensch will be joined by Patrick Scully, the former Director of Communications and Media for the Senate Democrats in the Connecticut General Assembly, and Professor Richard Hanley from Quinnipiac University.

Lectures begin promptly at noon, last no more than an hour, and visitors are invited to bring their lunches. Advanced registration is encouraged, please visit www.ctoldstatehouse.org or call 860-522-6766 to do so.

The Old State House, located in downtown Hartford, is air conditioned and easy to get to with nearby parking garages. More information on parking and parking discounts can be found on the website, www.ctoldstatehouse.org.

This lecture was made possible by a grant through the Connecticut Humanities Council.

An Emmy award winning TV journalist, Diane Smith is currently managing election coverage as Elections Coordinator for the Connecticut Network. Her other recent projects include a weekly magazine series for Connecticut Public TV called “All Things Connecticut”, and a documentary about historic preservation called “Living Modern in Connecticut.” Her newest book “Seasons in Connecticut” is now available.

Paul Janensch was a newspaper reporter and editor for more than 30 years. He taught as an associate professor of journalism at Quinnipiac University for 14 years until his retirement in 2009, although he continues to teach a senior seminar on international news media coverage. Janensch is credited with designing the graduate journalism program at Quinnipiac. His career highlights include: top editor of the Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky., the Rockland Journal News in Nyack, N.Y., and the Telegram & Gazette in Worcester, Mass.

Richard Hanley has taught at Quinnipiac University’s School of Communications since 2001 after a 23-year career as a journalist. Presently, he is an assistant professor of journalism and the director for the graduate journalism program. Hanley is a frequent contributor of opinion pieces in national and global media and has appeared on national news programs on MSNBC and Fox News, including the O’Reilly Factor. He is a panelist on the weekly WNPR political discussion program Politics, Burgers & Beer.

Patrick Scully has worked in Communications for over 24 years. Currently, he is a communications consultant for Scully Communications. His career highlights include working for Sullivan & LeShane Public Relations, Inc. as a Public Relations Associate, Director of Communications and Media for Senate Democrats in Connecticut’s General Assembly, Director of Communications for Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, and Director of Public Affairs Programming for Yale University.

Located in Hartford, Connecticut’s Old State House invites visitors of all ages to reawaken their own civic engagement and awareness through authentic, educational and inspiring visitor experiences. The building served as the Constitution State’s original seat of government from 1796 to 1878. It serves today as a physical and virtual classroom, teaching lessons of citizenship past and present and enriching Connecticut’s communities as a laboratory where people of all ages can interact and discover that their voices matter, and that words, ideas, persuasion and debate really can change minds – and quite possibly, the world.

Educational and community programming for Connecticut’s Old State House is managed for the Connecticut General Assembly by the Connecticut Public Affairs Network, Inc., a nonprofit company founded to provide comprehensive and unbiased educational programming and outreach on state government, civics and citizenship. For more information, visit Connecticut’s Old State House online at www.ctoldstatehouse.org.

Dan Malloy’s willingness to debate and insistence that his opponent join him became a major positive for his primary campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor against Ned Lamont. Lamont was eventually forced into a Channel 3-TV debate after refusing for weeks to take part.

Now, Malloy is throwing down the debate gauntlet again, this time to Republican Tom Foley. The former Stamford mayor says he has agreed to 19 debates—and he has listed them. He wants Foley to agree to them as well. Foley has tentatively agreed to a handful of forums but Malloy says that’s not enough.

“Here’s the real question: what possible reason could he have for not doing them? I’m running as a Citizens’ Election Program candidate, and Tom is relying on his personal wealth,” Malloy said. “We both don’t have to raise money, so we have plenty of time to debate. The bottom line is this: the next Governor of Connecticut will be our first new governor in a long time. It’s a big, important choice for the state to make. What better way to help them make that choice than to stand next to one another on a stage and tell people why we think we’re best qualified to be Governor?”

Foley has yet to respond.

The debates in question are:
• ConnCAN’s Gubernatorial Debate on Education, Middletown, September 28
• Tourism Gubernatorial Forum, Hartford, September 29
• Progreso Latino Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven, New Haven, October 4
• Courant/Fox61 Debate, Hartford, October 5
• Connecticut Council of Municipalities Gubernatorial Forum, Hartford, October 6
• CT Developers Council/CT Partnership for Balanced Growth/Construction Coalition for Economic Growth Discussion with Gubernatorial Candidates, Berlin, October 7
• League of Women Voters Debate, Danbury, October 7
• The Day/WTNH-Channel 8 Debate, October 13, New London
• Connecticut Fund for the Environment’s Gubernatorial Debate, New Haven, October 14
• WABC Debate, New York City, October 15
• News12/CTN/Fairfield County Chambers of Commerce Gubernatorial Debate, Location TBD, October 19
• Channel 3 Debate, Rocky Hill, October 19
• UCONN/CDNA Debate, Storrs, October 20
• League of Women Voters Debate, Stamford, October 21
• NBC30 Debate, West Hartford, October 26
• League of Women Voters Debate, Bridgeport, October 28
• NAACP Gubernatorial Debate , Stamford, October 29
• WPLR Live Radio Debate, Milford, Date TBD
• Northwest Corner Gubernatorial Debate, Torrington, Date TBD