Yesterday’s mentioned “Lost Works” have been returned to us by none other than mattw of MyLeftNutmeg.  Many thanks to Matt for his generous contribution.

I’m going to post them all here in this one post, with the exception of the Iowa piece, which will remain on its own.

Mike McLachlan Considering Bid for 24th Senate Seat
The Everyday Republican
12/29/07 5:03 PM
Heath
News, SD 24
Comments
The Danbury News-Times is reporting today that Mayor Mark Boughton’s
Chief of Staff, Mike McLachlan, is exploring a run for the
Connecticut State Senate’s 24th Senate District. The seat,
currently held by Republican Senator David Cappiello, will be vacated
as Senator Cappiello challenges Congressman Chris Murphy for a seat
in the United States House of Representatives.
McLachlan is quoted in the News-Times article thus: “”I’m
meeting with Republican leaders to seek their support. I am seriously
considering a run,” McLachlan told The News-Times this morning.”
You can also see the video of McLachlan talking about his potential
run here.
McLachlan has long been an active member of the Connecticut
Republican State Central Committee (RSCC).

+ + + + +

Gov. Rell to State Gov’t: Tighten Your Belts
The Everyday Republican12/27/07 10:30 PMHeath Governor Jodi RellComments

The Courant is reporting today that Governor Rell has ordered state
government to tighten their belts a notch as she looks toward a very
tight budget year. Our Governor was thus quoted:

“I am instructing [the Office of Policy and Management] to once
again request from you any ideas or suggestions that you may have to
reduce expenditures in your agency both this year and next,” the
Republican governor said in a letter, dated Dec. 21, to commissions
and executive directors throughout state government.”

There is a terrific graph out there somewhere that shows government
spending in Connecticut over the history of the state. For more than
150 years, the state budget bounced along with a consistent level of
spending. In the last 25 years (remarkably, since the income tax!)
spending has skyrocketed. The Governor is rightly taking the first
step in reversing the trend.

Eliminating duplicative services, waste, and inefficiencies are key
facets of trimming the state’s budget down to size. With the
Governor’s leadership on this, as well as “outside the box”
thinking on property tax reform, perhaps our state may yet be on the
right path toward fiscal discipline.

+ + + + +

CTLP Praises Chairman Healy
The Everyday Republican12/27/07 10:05 PMHeath NewsComments

From Connecticut Local Politics:

“1/31 - Chris Healy is selected to chair the state Repiblican Party,
replacing George Gallo. It’s arguably the best thing to happen to
the Republicans all year. Well, that and Jim Amann’s announcement
that he might run for governor.”

++++++++

A Great Year
The Everyday Republican12/24/07 10:30 AMChris Healy NewsComments
As everyone takes to their families in these closing hours of
Christmas Eve, we at the Connecticut Republican Party wish each of
you a Merry Christmas, joyous holiday and best in the New Year.

Looking back on 2007, we have a lot to be grateful for as Connecticut
Republicans. After a disappointing 2006, we have emerged stronger and
more resolute in our purpose. Each day, the Connecticut voter knows
the Connecticut Republicans are on point, with a vision for a better
state and country.

Governor M. Jodi Rell enjoys record approval ratings for her honest
and compassionate stewardship. Her generosity of spirit and attention
to everyday issues separates her from all others.

In the Legislature, Republicans rallied against overwhelming odds to
led the public debate on taxes, spending and public safety. Led by
our new leaders - House leader Larry Cafero and Senate leader John
McKinney - Republicans placed the Democrats rightly on the defensive
and offered positive solutions to the issues families deeply care about.

Congressman Chris Shays continues to be a national leader on the
fight against terror while remaining a strong advocate for lower
taxes and spending.

Each day, more candidates eager to run for office in 2008 are coming
forward with contagious energy and a winning attitude.

We continue to build out our network of friends and donors through
our exciting new website and Internet capacity, sharing a vision of
smaller government, communicating and following through the programs
and policies that meet our primary goal - elect more Republicans
leaders at the local, state and federal levels.

There are so many people to thank for the many successes we have
enjoyed. But those accomplishments are tempered by the hard work and
boundless opportunities that await us in 2008.

Next year will be the year where we will put all our hard work and
vision into the battle of ideas and hope. We will need every
Republican on deck, to help us in this endeavor and we know you will
be there.

For now, we hope you enjoy the good cheer and love of the holidays
and remember those who we have lost over this last year to greater
glory.

Peace be with you and we look forward to a new year with hope and
thanks.

With the Iowa Caucuses slated for Thursday evening, the political world is abuzz with the last minute news and notes from the campaign trail.  Required reading today includes C-SPAN’s Campaign Network, The Politico’s Jonathan Martin, and Slate’s nifty Map the Candidates page.

A (seemingly) bit of routine maintenance almost sank the ship here at The Everyday Republican.  With a little bit of work, most everything is revived, except for the posts from December 21 - December 30.  Though I am sure that these “lost works” will go down in history for the poise, artistic styling, soaring rhetoric, the site seems to be functioning normally now despite it.  Back up your stuff.  It’s good for you.

In Iowa for the Christmas holidays, I’ve posted the following as a three part series on the impending Iowa Caucuses and observations on the process from the ground level. On Saturday, December 22nd, I was on the campus of the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. From Sunday, December 23 until Christmas Day, I was in the tiny farming town of Dunlap, Iowa in western Iowa.

Saturday, December 22nd

Heavy fog hung over the plains of eastern Iowa today, posing a significant impediment to seeing much of anything beyond a 1000 feet away. Nonetheless, even a passive observer wouldn’t have missed the evidence that campaigns for President were underway in the liberal-minded college town of Iowa City, Iowa.

The campaign of Barack Obama seemed particularly strong here, with by far the most signs - they seem to prefer prominent 4? x 6? signs in tightly packed lawns - and bumper stickers on display on the dust-covered cars and trucks of Iowa City’s residents. John Edwards and Senator Hillary Clinton are close behind Senator Obama, with cleverly placed signs on display throughout the city. The so-called “second tier” candidates, our own Senator Dodd, Gov. Richardson, Sen. Joe Biden, and Dennis Kucinich were all represented as well, with a surprising number of Dodd and Biden lawn signs visible.

Interestingly, after quite a full day that included long stops at the mall and on the campus of the University of Iowa, I was surprised by what I did not see - teams of volunteer knocking on doors in the neighborhoods, college kids passing out literature at the mall, junior high schoolers waving signs along the road - none of it. On winter graduation weekend, one would have thought that the campaigns may target the crowds for displays of enthusiaism, at very least. But to my own eyes, at least, it was not so.

Sunday, December 23rd

240 miles west and lightyears away, I rolled into far western Iowa’s Harrison County, one that cast more than 60% of its 2004 ballots for President George W. Bush. And with a cold wind driving across the plains, it was a numbing day to be out and about in rural Iowa.

To the observer of the Presidential nominating process, my trip from dusty Dunlap through Dow City and Arion to Denison, Iowa, via Highway 30, offered unique insight. Rural, forgotten Iowa seems largely untouched by the 2008 Presidential drama, with nary a lawn sign nor bumper sticker visible along the way to Denison. The history of the place is written in the road’s crossings - a gravel covered dirt path offers entry into the bowels of the American heartland where brutally tough men amble across the prarie in search of lost cattle, rising corn, and thriving soybeans; a paved crossing over the railroad tracks to the Tyson slaughterhouse for Iowa and Nebraska- raised hogs; and a freshly-laid path to the new ethanol plant with thick steam rising to Heaven in the crisp midday air. The 4?x8? signs that dot the sinews of New Hampshire, for example, are not to be seen on this drive. Out here, its simply a man and his wide open dreams. Into Denison, there are dots of signs here and there - Edwards, Obama, Clinton - but nothing more than the brand names.

Of particular interest is a conversation with strikingly average Iowans - the simple farmer, who needs little other than rain, sun, fair health, and the blessings of the Chicago Board of Trade. From my conversations with these relatives and family friends, the results were clear - everyone had an opinion on Senator Clinton, who was not two weeks removed from a visit to the livestock sale barn in Dunlap, most had heard of Barack Obama - Oprah likes him, of course; and John Edwards. When offered the names, “Rudy Giuliani”, “Mitt Romney”, and “Mike Huckabee” fall on bland stares. “Fred Thompson” conjures curious gazes until someone has it - “the DA Arthur Branch on ‘Law & Order’!?” The Republican candidates - Romney, Huckabee, McCain, Giuliani - don’t seem to have ‘broken through’ as potential Presidents. In this decidedly conservative county of a swing state, that’s a bad sign for Republican Presidential candidates in 2008.

Monday, December 24

The highlight of the day was a stroll through Dunlap, a town that - improbably - has a Senator Hillary Clinton campaign office. The Senator’s office is on Iowa Avenue (Main Street), where even on this Christmas Eve a single campaign worker slaved away, until approximately 2pm when I just happened to be strolling by, and the young gentleman with Virginia license plates climbed into his dusty Audi and headed south across the plains for some unknown destination. And yet, the young gentleman’s efforts are tangible - the only lawn signs visible in town are the prominent blue ‘Hillary!’ signs that grace the front lawn of numerous local homes. This is a 60+% Bush ‘04 county on top of it - utterly remarkable.

Perusing the newspapers raises some eyebrows - the Iowa Farm Bureau Spokesman has candidate profile and issue responses on trade and global warming from Clinton, Obama, Edwards & Romney, Huckabee, and Giuliani. All six sound like Washington-speak on Iowan ears, save Huckabee. Huckabee’s is real, natural, and frank - like regular Iowans. Perhaps this is the nature of the appeal.

The Iowa process is so unique - so singularly Iowan - that one can’t help but admire its spirit. They are without fail unabashedly regular people; in places, the manufacturing plants spring up out of the prarie like aluminum-roof cornstalks, with expansive acreage and lights burning brightly throughout the dark evening sky. Like America, Iowa is built upon goods made in these far-flung places and fed on the corn, soybeans, and cattle that are sown, tended, and borne of the Iowa soil. Like Iowa, America is an amalgamated nation
of farmers, blacksmiths, bartenders, poets, and Holy men, bound together in the face of time’s ticking clock.

Iowa is ready to do their part in choosing the next President, and we look forward to listening to their wisdom on January 3rd, 2008.

The special election in the 32nd Senate District is starting to heat up this week as Republican Rob Kane of Watertown and Democrat Ken Curran of Bethlehem start assembling their campaigns.  As we’ve already reported, Mr. Kane’s campaign qualified for the Citizens Election Program yesterday, and will receive a grant of $63,750 from Connecticut’s taxpayers.  At the same time, both candidates have started to make their mark on the web - Mr. Kane has a new campaign blog up this week, which promises to feature the latest news and information straight from the Kane campaign.  And, interestingly, Mr. Ken Curran’s campaign website went live today - www.kenforsenate.com. 

The above graphic is from the website www.kenforsenate.com, accessed at 10:30pm on Thursday, December 20.  Its content is pretty standard fare, featuring plenty of pontificating about ethics issues, though no mention of Mr. Curran’s former employer, corrupt Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez, sadly.  Regardless, the race for the 32nd Senate District should be exciting over the next couple of weeks, and we look forward to continuing our coverage of the race.

Republican candidate Rob Kane, of Watertown, has been certified as a qualifying candidate by the State Elections Enforcement Commission.  Nominated by the 32nd District Republican Convention on December 4th, Mr. Kane was required to raise $11,250 and receive contributions from 225 in-district donors in order to qualify for the Citizens Election Program (CEP) public financing grant.  He will receive a grant of $63,750 from CEP in the coming days.

On Monday, December 17, Mr. Kane filed his report with SEEC, detailing a total dollars raised figure of $14,200 - well over the $11,250 threshold.  In fact, Rob’s campaign raised $11,495 from within the district.  Perhaps most heartening, of the 393 total contributors to Mr. Kane’s effort, 362 lived within the ten towns that make up the 32nd District - Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Middlebury, Oxford, Roxbury, Seymour, Southbury, Thomaston, Watertown, and Woodbury.

 The Citizens Election Program requires that candidates for office reach two thresholds in order to qualify for CEP public financing grants.  A candidate must raise a minimum amount of money - in a regular election, $15,000 for State Senate and $5,000 for the State House.  Additionally, of these contributions, a minimum number of the contributors must live within the towns touched by the district - 300 donors for the Senate and 150 for the House.  The maximum allowable contribution is $100 and the minimum is $5.  Lobbyists and state contractors with contracts valued at more than $5000 are not permitted to contribute.  Upon qualifying, Senate candidates will receive a contribution of $85,000 and House candidates receive $25,000 - bringing the maximum amount of money to be spent on Senate campaigns to be $100,000 and $30,000 for the House of Representatives.  Republican State Representative Jason Perillo of Shelton was the first candidate in Connecticut state history to qualify for and receive public grant money, when he ran in the special election to fill Rep. Dick Belden’s seat on October 9th, 2007.