Dame Edith on Gaffey Ethics
It’s good to see State Sen. Edith Prague, D-Columbia, hasn’t lost her duplicitous perspective on any transgression by her fellow Democrats.
Prague is defending her colleague, State Sen. Thomas Gaffey, D-Meriden, for his unethical misconduct concerning the passage of a $1 billion in state spending on the Connecticut State University System.
In an interview with Chris Keating and Mark Pazniokas in the Hartford Courant,Prague rushed to defend Gaffey’s judgment on failing to disclose a personal relationship with a CSUS staffer, who plotted to commit the money.
“What’s to investigate? He didn’t steal anything,” Prague said. “A man’s private life is a man’s private life. That money was put in there because of [CSU chancellor] David Carter. It would not have happened without David Carter.”
It all depends on what your version of the word “steal” means.
Did Gaffey “steal” by not reimbursing his political expense account for personal expenses?
Did Gaffey “steal” receiving “Final Four” tickets far below the market price? (This was a problem for former Gov. Rowland which got him fined by the State Ethics Commission).
Did Gaffey “steal” by receiving gifts and benefits from others totaling over $100? (Gaffey won’t say..)
Your standard definition of “steal” includes
steal 
(st
l) KEY
VERB:
stole (st
l) KEY , sto·len (st
l
n) KEY , steal·ing , steals
VERB:
tr.
To take (the property of another) without right or permission.
- To get or effect surreptitiously or artfully: steal a kiss; stole the ball from an opponent.
- To move, carry, or place surreptitiously.
- To draw attention unexpectedly in (an entertainment), especially by being the outstanding performer: The magician’s assistant stole the show with her comic antics.
- Baseball To advance safely to (another base) during the delivery of a pitch, without the aid of a base hit, walk, passed ball, or wild pitch.
Gaffey has made a career of slight of hand and Prague has made an art form of looking the other way when her own side crosses the line.
December 17th, 2007 at 10:14 am
A few recall elections would set this whole thing right. As it stands now, they have no fear, almost a birthright of re-election in this bluest of blue states and a super majority to prevent any serious inquiry.
A recall election would let the whole state decide if a particular elected official was worthy of the office. Consequently overriding one district’s constant re-electing of a “bringing home the bacon” official.
Oh, if only we could recall that Grand Wizard of a Senator from West Virginia. The King of Pork.
Come on, we can do better than this!
December 17th, 2007 at 11:33 am
Edith Prague doesn’t have a double standard. She has no standards.
When Republican Bill Varese of Monroe left a strip club in the afternoon and ran his car up on a sidewalk drunk, she was disgusted and called for his pelt.
When Kevin Ryan (DWI-Montville) had his number of drunk driving arrests finally land him in jail a few years back, she said he was a good man fighting a difficult proble and deserved our understanding.
She is a vile, malevolent harpy more suited to dark, mythological underworlds than she is the CT state senate.
December 17th, 2007 at 11:43 am
Its surprising sometimes that she actually has the shamelessness to make some of her comments. Thats what it is, too - pure shamelessness.
December 17th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Shameless? You mean like letting your little dog crap all over a committee room carpet, and then blaming a blind Senate Republican employee’s seeing-eye dog for it until actual video showing the dog taking a dump was produced by the police? Yes… I suppose she is shameless.
December 17th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
Yeah, I’d say just like that, actually.