Side Me With Weicker on This One

It was with a groan that I read the headline in the Willimantic Chronicle “Weicker doesn’t have anything good to say about Connecticut politicians” (June 18, 2010). The era of liberal blowhard Lowell Weicker is a part of Connecticut's past best forgotten most of the time.

But I have to admit that I agreed with 85 percent of what he said here.

The ex-Connecticut resident said Governor Jodi Rell was “disinterested” (very apt!) and Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has made the state unfriendly to business and the Connecticut General Assembly failed to keep a lid on spending while selling bonds to pay for operating expenses.

All true.

He was speaking at a Connecticut Conference of Municipalities thingy. He predicted that the next Gov would be a one-termer like he was because of all the unpopular decisions he would have to make on the fiscal side of things “Its going to be a very cold shower on a very drunk state”.

Where I disagree is Weicker's implication that the reason he is unpopular is because he forced us to take needed medicine. Not quite asshole. Weicker is unpopular because he promised not to enact an income tax and then double crossed us and shoved it down our throats. The new governor will have four years to make a difference and that should be enough if he takes the bolder course of fiscal conservatism. Yeah that, and doesn't lie to us like Weicker did. I think Republican Tom Foly will govern by veto. We need a grown-up in the Executive Mansion. I actually think --or maybe its just hope -- that the people will respect a strong fiscally conservative governor looking after the big picture after the muddle of Rudderless Rell. – Kinda like the feeling you get after you have been out of work for a while and you are at your new job and your hands are busy earning some money. You know you won’t be paid until the Friday of next week but it just feels great to working again and be back on track. You know what I mean?

Weicker said that he understands that Rell is popular but that is because she has ducked the hard issues. No truer statement has ever passed through through the man's lips. I wonder why no one else has said that until now? I must have thought it a million times. Rell picks the issues she takes any sort of stand on extremely carefully. She tiptoes her way through everything, careful not to say or do anything unpopular. She guards her personal popularity points like they are gold.

Fools gold is you ask me. I am of the George W. Bush state of mind where if you have political capital, you cash it in on worthwhile policy initiatives. Bush may not be very popular now, but you have to concede he got a lot done in his presidency whether you agree with him or not. Unspent political capital is a waste. --- And an aside on Bush and Rell that always bugged me, I will never forget (or forgive) the time when the skittish Rell suddenly just had to be out of state visiting the Governor of Mass, who was once a cop-killer's lawyer, when Bush visited Connecticut. Rell was obviously scared shitless that President Bush's unpopularity might somehow tarnish her sterling reputation if she stood to close to him or someone snapped a picture of the two together. What a fucking Ninny.

Former Governor Weicker is absolutely right. Our Accidental Governor spends most of her time hiding from big issues. There is not one blessed thing I can think of that Rell made a difference on except for the brazenly Un-Constitutional Public Financing scheme of hers to fool the public into thinking she was never a Rowland crony. What a gem that is. You can find similar beauties of that landmark legislation in my cat Joe's litter box.

Weicker seems to be backing Ned Lamont for Governor (who incidently I saw yesterday at Willimantic’s "Third Thursday's" snooze of a festival on Main Street) which kinda undermines his well-reasoned criticisms of Rino-Rell and the Democrat General Assembly. It just seems to me that electing a liberal Democrat Governor like either Dan Malloy or Lamont now (NOW??!! WHAT ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY??!!) would be like throwing gasoline on fire. If Weicker were truly worried about spending, he would be holding fundraisers for Tom Foly. A Democrat Governor will not likely check the overspending of his own party. Certainly not enough! Hell I am not even sure Connecticut can be saved at this point.

The article mentioned something that surprised me about the 79 year old Weicker. He sits on the Board of World Wrestling Entertainment. Wow, really?

He said that Linda McMahon was a very decent person with a fine mind.

Well there you go then. That’s one good thing he said about a Connecticut Pol. I have never agreed with him so much.