It’s been a bad week for State Sen. Andrea Stillman, D-Waterford, who has proved she has selective memory when serving her constituents. Earlier this week, she and fellow Democrat State Rep. Tom Reynolds, D-Gales Ferry, expressed mock outrage over the budget bill when it was disclosed by The Day, that $40 million had been ripped out of a plan to boost a state commitment to rebuild part a U.S. Navy pier at the Groton Sub-base.

What made that comical was Stillman and Reynolds were more concerned with getting $200,000 for creating a new State Office of Military Affairs. And, of course, they both voted for the bill, even though Stillman is the co-chairman of the Finance Committee and someone you would expect to read the fine print, especially when it concerns her district.

Now, The Day found that Stillman was paying attention when she landed a $50,000 tax break to a local church for property it was renting to another non-profit group in New London. The local officials were none too happy with this rat because it left them short of badly needed income and set a horrible precedent for future tax issues. Tax officials in New London called Stillman to tell them it wasn’t a good idea. Stillman claimed they didn’t and offered a dyspeptic response :

“I never had a conversation with her. And if it’s so important, pick up the phone. If I got an e-mail, it was after the fact.”

The bottom line is Governor Rell and both Democrats and Republican budget negotiators showed prudence in not ponying up $40 million in hard budget dollars to give to the U.S. Navy with no assurances that the base will be safe from closure. The investment can be done through a revenue bond whereby the Navy contributes to the repayment and not walk away with a vastly improved pier when it suits them. Governor Rell understands this and has not walked away from her commitment to Groton. Sen. Stillman thought she could buy a some points by putting in a totally unrealistic ask when her own people knew it was crap.

The Democrats are debating this evening, lest America forget that the Democrats are running for President. Confessionally, its taken quite a bit of fortitude to watch this one, not because it isn’t interesting, but rather because its hot, humid, and these debates are starting all to sound the same.

Why Americans of good faith are asked to sit through these debates and use them to judge the quality of the character and decision-making capacity of potential Presidents is beyond me. The French, in all their storied wisdom, seem to do this better than we do. Two candidates having a conversation and dialogue, no structured time limits or Wolf Blitzers to take up more debate time than many of the candidates. But the digression is an exercise in futility.

The rundown:
Governor Bill Richardson - The camera cut to a picture of a young woman in the audience with a rather puzzled look on her face while Richardson was speaking. I feel her pain.

Former Senator John Edwards - The “Two Americas” are back. How I missed them. His dad worked in a mill? Shocked, shocked I say.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich - Oh Dennis.

Former Senator Mike Gravel - I can’t help but think that his campaign is the funniest joke ever perpetrated in modern American politics.

Senator Hillary Clinton - She sounds strong tonight; she’s got the fire in the belly. Far more energetic tonight than she has been in the past.

Senator Joe Biden - Perhaps the most intelligent and articulate Democrat in the race

Senator Barack Obama - Surprisingly good this evening. Its clear that Obama feels free to pontificate less this evening. But not much less. Good news though, he was tested for AIDS, with his wife, he was quick to point out. Funny, that.

Senator Chris Dodd - What can I add about Chris Dodd? Glad to see that running for President hasn’t changed his tune. Good news that Dodd is starting to sound like his fellow Senator Joe Lieberman, as he supports unilateral military action against Islamic radicals in southwest Asia now. Downside is that he supports it in Darfur. As a matter of fact, all of the Democrats sound downright aggressive when it comes to putting a no-fly zone and a security force into Darfur. Funny, that.

At the end of my patience - I made it to the end of the debate! - thankfully the thing is over. I feel like Captain Renault in Casablanca, saying “Round up the usual suspects”.

Here at the announcement for Jeff Wright, the Republican running for Mayor in Newington. The house here at Cugino's is packed with Wright supporters, easily 50 friends and neighbors of Wright assembled to contribute to Jeff.

Jeff's main points: 1) yearly budget referendum 2) no more than 3% tax increase cap on property tax each year 3) secure schools of excellence.

(Oden picked first by the TrailBlazers in the NBA draft).

Wright says Newington needs new leadership - the Wright team - and a new direction.

The "Wright for Mayor" chants gave way to Mike Bafundo and the smooth sounds of jazz on the trumpet. That's how to make a great night.

The fine folks down at Quinnipiac University released a poll of swing states Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania yesterday, and the results are quite interesting.

On the Democrat side, the juggernaut that is the Hillary Clinton campaign rolls forward inexorably. Peter A. Brown is quoted thus: “Sen. Clinton’s numbers are as reliable as a Swiss watch. Her support and lead remain rock solid among the Democrats in these key states.” The former First Lady has shown some creativity, with things like this. There is still a great deal of time left to go, but the initial Obama boomlet seems to have fizzled against the Clinton campaign. At this rate, the epic clash between the Republicans and Hillary Clinton seems inevitable.

On the Republican side, all but announced candidate Fred Thompson is rising fast amongst the faithful. More from Brown: “The Fred Thompson express continues to roll. He has passed Sen. John McCain for second place in the Republican field in Florida and Ohio, and caught McCain in Pennsylvania. Now the question is whether his candidacy, once he begins active campaigning, will be as strong in the flesh as it appears on paper.” Thompson too, has shown some spunk in using the Internet to respond to critics, not the least of which was this bit (below. Whatever happens, it certainly will prove interesting.

An update from a story we noted here earlier in the week regarding the upcoming release of the most-hyped gadget in recent memory, Apple’s iPhone. The reviews of this little gem are starting to come in, and it seems that free markets and competition have won the day.

The iPhone is, in many ways, a “reinvention”. The folks at Apple rethought the cell phone, a device that has become ubitquitous in our society. Instead of small, incremental modifications, the creativity and wit of a global economic power was marshalled and redirected into a better convergence device. And it isn’t magic - its the power of innovation.

The trouble with free enterprise is that we get so accustomed to our ways that, it seems, that we fail to fully appreciate the big advances it took to get us where we are. When the time comes and some new widget comes along, like iPhone, it serves us notice that we are in a society that values innovation, advancement, and revolution. It should be the role of government to support that innovation, not by controlling it or attempting to direct it in some fashion, but rather by getting out of the way and letting free enterprise do what it does best.

With the municipal races for the fall starting to align, news comes today from Newington that former Republican Town Committee Chairman and current Republican State Central Committee Member Jeff Wright has announced his intention to run for Mayor.

Wright is a former member of the United States Marine Corps and a longtime Newington resident. As a member of the board of the Metropolitan District Commission, Jeff is very familiar with many of the issues currently facing Newington as a town and the region.

Quoted in the Courant today, Wright properly cited the cause for high taxes and ineffective governance - long time Democratic control of the town. “Things have to change a lot to get it back on track and get it in the right direction.”

Like other Republicans running for municipal offices and then next year for the state legislature, the Democrats have been in power for too long. They have grown too comfortable in wielding control without the commensurate increase in proficiency, it seems. With Jeff Wright and candidates like him stepping up to challenge the status quo, there are better days ahead for Republicans in Connecticut.