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Former Governor William A. O’Neill died today at age 77 after a long illness. He died at his home in East Hampton with his wife of 45 years at his side. Bill O’Neill, a conservative Democrat who rose through the ranks and became the longest serving Governor is modern history, brought a working man’s perspective to politics.

He did it all and never put on any airs or thought much about the trappings of power. Bill O’Neill served his country in Korea with the Air Force, came home to Connecticut and operated a popular tavern in East Hampton. He ran and won a seat in the Legislature and made friends easily. They in turn made him their Majority Leader where he also won election as chairman of the state Democratic Party.

Bill O’Neill knew how to count votes and it was a talent that came in handy. It always does in politics and while liberals and Republicans would often decry his policies, Bill O’Neill often had the last laugh. He had the votes.

When he ran for State Party Chairman, he opposed Hartford lawyer and national big wig Peter Kelly, who was also the candidate of then Governor Ella Grasso. Many thought O’Neill had no shot, but he knew where the votes were, not in the Governor’s office but with the State Central Committee and the town chairmen He won.

Within a few years, O’Neill was plucked by Grasso to be her running mate at Lt. Governor when the incumbent, Robert Killian, took on Grasso in a primary and lost badly.

In two years, terminal cancer forced Grasso to step down shortly before dying. O’Neill was suddenly Governor and he was immediately underestimated by friend and foe. But O’Neill knew to succeed, you needed smart, loyal people. He hired young, aggressive whiz kids like Tim Bannon and Dave McQuade and kept close counsel with his old pals, Jack Mahaney of Waterbury, George Hannon, Chad McCollum, his chief-of-staff and the sly fox, attorney Jim Wade.

O’Neill beat Lew Rome in 1982 and slaughtered Julie Belaga in 1986, sweeping the Democrats back into power in the Legislature two years after the 1984 Reagan landslide.

Bill O’Neill did many good things for the state - he rebuilt the roads and bridges, kept the income tax off the table and began to rebuild the state’s higher education system. He was tight with the buck and was in no mood for the liberal social agenda.

He was tough but never cruel. He was always deferential to those who disagreed with him and he never forgot a face or name.

When Bill O’Neill left office in 1990, he left without fanfare. He fit effortlessly into private life along the banks of Lake Pocotopaug in East Hampton, offered his counsel when asked, kept his sense of humor and always had time for old friends or colleagues.

He was from the old school when old school was a good thing.

Republicans from across the state mourn the loss of a good and decent man who served his state and country with distinction. We send our love and prayers to Nikki O’Neill during this time of loss.

Chairman Chris Healy completed the Manchester Road Race on Thursday, finishing the race in 43:42:00.

By anyone’s measurement, even the New York Times, allied forces in Iraq led by heroic American soldiers are winning the war on the ground. Acts of violence against civilians and among various tribal elements is down precipitously. Finally, political reconciliation can begin without the fear of bullets whizzing through the conference room or cars imploding from afar. It will take time but the potential benefits to long-term stability in the regime and defeating Islamic fascism and extremism cannot be diminished or ignored.

Except if you Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her boys Congressman John Larson, Joe Courtney and Chris Murphy. None of them acknowledge it even though all them were all too eager to fan public resentment of earlier defeats and setbacks. None of them will appear and even concede the surge strategy has worked and been sustained. Why is that? Why do you think these defeatists are nowhere to be found when the news is good and our troops are proven to be the true fearless professionals we know them to be?

This week, Courtney wrapped himself in the flag by taking a bow for another Virginia Class Submarine to be added to the fleet and built at Electric Boat. We are all thankful for that, but let’s not get too dewy eyed for Courtney. He was handed this sub by Congressman John Murtha, D-PA, and Pelosi to give Courtney a trophy. The hard work was done by you know who and a whole crew of Republicans and Democrats who kept the base open and ready for this opportunity. Give the Democrats credit, they know how to use the power of the purse to buy seats, something the Republican Leaders couldn’t grasp when Rob Simmons was making the same arguments a year ago.

Murphy was smug Wednesday when he dismissed a attack by the Connecticut Republican Party about money he allegedly took from Ray Termini, disgraced owner of Haven Health Care Nursing facilities around the country. We goofed by pointing out initially that Murphy had reported close to $12,000 in donations from various Haven Healthcare executives, including Termini when Murphy was a State Senator and Congressman.

Turns out Murphy’s people filed an amendment report which erased those donations. Seems they didn’t get the checks from those executive which they were all too eager to list on their Federal Election Report. In all our years of politics, we have never heard of anyone putting down a donor without the money in hand - never. It does beg the question - was the money promised? Certainly. And by whom? The Haven executives who parted with their personal information or Ray Termini? And what caused the names to be removed in the amended report? Murphy and his press aide were indignant.

We think Chris Murphy doth protest too much.

And Congressman Larson? Well, he told the Bristol Chamber of Commerce that we needed to “strategically” end the war in Iraq - whatever that means. It is sad and frightening to note, that John Larson was once a high school history teacher. He then told the business group that the war in Iraq was longer than World War II, while noting that the U.S. won the Cold War without firing a shot. It is nice to know that Larson has his idiotic talking points down.