“This Has Nothing to Do With Sen. Tom Gaffey”
Yesterday the Senate Democrats released a five point ethics reform packagethat has nothing to do with Senator Tom Gaffey yesterday. The plan, co-authored by Senators Ed Meyer, Martin Looney, Gayle Slossberg, and the irascible Senate Democratic Leader, Don Williams (which has nothing to do with the recent revelation that Meriden Democrat Tom Gaffey was having a “personal relationship” with a legislative liaison while attempting to secure a $1 billion bond package for her employer) consists of five points:
The Democrats’ ethics proposal would - among other things - “examine extending restrictions to State Officials who lobby legislators”, like if a legislative liaison for the Connecticut State University System had a “personal relationship” with a Senator who is the Chairman of the Education Committee, for example.
The Democrats took another whack at a dead horse - former Gov. John Rowland - in a particularly brazen attempt to gloss over Sen. Gaffey’s growing scandal that has nothing to do with the proposal:
“The Democrats responded, however, that they had been working on most of the proposals for years, including the pension revocation plan that dates to 2003 when then-Gov. John G. Rowland’s deputy chief of staff, Lawrence Alibozek, pleaded guilty in a corruption scandal that eventually led to Rowland’s resignation and prison sentences for former co-chief of staff Peter Ellef and contractor William Tomasso.
The Democrats have controlled both chambers of the legislature since then, but Republicans say that the Democrats have balked at revoking pensions because it could extend to state employees. In addition, Republicans say, Democrats were concerned that a pension revocation could have extended to former Democratic state Rep. Jefferson Davis of Pomfret, who pleaded guilty in 2004 to risk of injury to a minor after admitting to committing a sex act with his former foster son. An arrest-warrant affidavit said that the boy had told investigators that he was assaulted 50 to 100 times by Davis.” - Courant
The good thing about the proposal from the Senate Democrats is that it has absolutely nothing to do with Sen. Tom Gaffey. You don’t have to take it from us. Speaking to reporters about the plan, the Hartford Courant quoted Senator Ed Meyer saying: “This has nothing to do with Sen. Tom Gaffey,” Meyer told reporters. “If the media and the people of Connecticut think that what we are doing up here at this podium with these proposals relates to Sen. Gaffey, you are wrong.”
If you say it enough times, maybe it will become true!
December 13th, 2007 at 10:15 am
Ethics for Democrats is just a word they throw around to badger Republicans. They are constantly referring to John Rowland as the high water mark in political corruption, and Lou DeLuca is their new whipping post. They treated us to legislative hearings and inquiries on the conduct of both of them.
However, we were never treated to hearings and political lynchings for Ernie Newton, Barnaby Horton, Edwin Garcia, Donnie Sellers, Kevin Ryan or Jefferson Davis, all legislative Democrats who broke the law and brought dishonor to their offices for a variety of crimes.
Legislative Democrats appear to have the greatest problem with ethics, and with the newest scandal with Senator Gaffey, the least credibility on the subject.
Martin Looney said neither party has cornered the market on corruption. But clearly, Democrats are working hard to do so.
December 13th, 2007 at 10:36 am
But don’t you get it, HH? These people - Horton, Garcia, Sellers, Ryan, Davis - they were VICTIMS man, Victims of SOCIETY.
The Man was keeping them DOWN, so they rebelled by repeated abusing foster children and spending September 11, 2001, in jail after another DUI.
Fight the man!
December 13th, 2007 at 11:57 am
Well, they should rejoice today, because “The MAN” is now dead:
http://www.iketurner.com/