Posted on 06/21/2004 6:26:18 AM PDT by jern
CT Gov. John Rowland to Resign
Regards, Ivan
It looks like Lt. Gov. Jodi Rell is about to become my governor.
This man is a disgrace to the Republican party!
What's the succession protocol? Who's the Lt. Governor.
Her name is Jodi Rell. Here is a link to her bio:
http://www.ct.gov/otlg/cwp/view.asp?a=1317&q=257280
If this were Gov. Bill Clinton of AR, he would NOT resign.
Is she up to the job?
Here is a link to an Associated Press report:
http://www.ctnow.com/hc-rowland-resign,1,2026867.story?coll=hc-big-headlines-breaking
Good riddance.
FYI
I don't know. I've heard good things about her, but she doesn't have the same kind of heavy-duty political background that Rowland had. I'd be surprised if she could deliver Connecticut to the Republicans for a fourth term. There are too many popular Democrats in this state (like Attorney General Richard Blumenthal).
It's too bad. He did some good things for Connecticut, but he got greedy. The Democrats will sieze the moment. The worst part is what he did to the Republicans in Connecticut. It will be hard for the Republicans to recover.
For all of its Yankee roots, Connecticut politics tend to be rather nastily corrupt in both parties. Nothing on the scale of mafia-dominated Rhode Island, and not as radical as Taxachussetts, but bad nonetheless. It is most curious that the states first settled by Calvinists who gave us the notion of good, uncorrupt government in this country, are among the more corrupt today. You would expect corruption in places like Arkansas or Illinois, but not in New England. I think the Yankee stock here is far too attenuated.
Connecticut is a pretty diverse state today. The state is rightfully proud of it's Yankee heritage, but aside from a few isolated parts of Fairfield County, modern Connecticut does not much resemble the old Connecticut of charming village greens and hard-working, steady-minded, abstemious residents.
You may be right...an example is my state Illinois...
My folks live in CT, and they're take is that Rowland didn't do anything illegal -- the legislature was trying to change/tighten the state ethics laws after the fact in order to "get" Rowland.
Regards, Ivan
I've been following this in the local press, and I'm not so sure. I think the most favorable interpretation for Rowland, and giving him every benefit of the doubt, might be that he might not have crossed the line into illegality, but was so close to it that his shadow was well over into it. There was surely the appearance of impropriety. Neutral or less sympathetic observers might reasonably conlude he crossed the line. I think it's that close.
Greenfield Hill, the Fairfield neighborhood in which I live, still has the air of a New England village about it. The Congregational Church on our green is magnificent, and most of the residents seem to be somewhat reclusive, eccentric WASPs. (They are also very Republican. When I entered my zip code into one of the campaign finance sites, Bush showed up as far and away the largest recipient of funds from locals).
"....was not a wealthy man before becoming governor."
Does this imply - elect only the wealthy because they won't steal? Nice message & gives support to Kerry & his ilk - he's wealthy enough & patrician enough to be trusted not to steal - right?
Z
Our real RINOs are Shays and Johnson. But considering that only parts of Connecticut bear any relation to New England traditional ways, one should not be surprised. It is not possible for a conservative Republican to be elected to Congress or statewide office in Connecticut.
I have always liked Governor Rowland, but I don't think he's the victim of a lynch mob. He was up to no good, and he has brought the state Republican Party into disrepute. It's tragic.
Regards, Ivan
"...seized upon Rowlands faux pa..."
Interesting, stealing can now be defined as a faux pas. Great, just the kind of message the GOP wants to send - when our guys steal from you - it's a faux pas (wink, wink).
Z
Pondman88 has it exactly right..this was a hatchet job, trumped up all the way...still Rowland should have know better..and Hartford is such a cesspool that it makes Albany look like Poland Springs...however, the Rats usually screw these things up...the LG might be a surprise..CT is perhaps the quinticential soccer mom state...
I agree, and he should have resigned much sooner than this.
As would we.
My thoughts exactly, regardless of Rowland's guilt or innocence in this matter.
Republicans (Nixon, Gingrich, Livingston, Packwood, et al) resign; Democrats tear the country to shreds and make millions writing books about it.
Trivia: Rowland had a deal with New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft to build a new stadium for the team in Hartford but there was a backout clause (Kraft would pay $1 mil., IIRC, if he changed his mind). When it became apparent that there was a lot of toxic waste to clean up and the stadium would not be ready in time for Kraft's deadline, he used the backout clause.
At a press conference afterwards, a furious Rowland
immediately declared himself a NY Jets fan. The stadium
wound up being built next to the Pats' previous stadium,
in Foxboro, Mass. The team has won 2 Super Bowls in 3 years and got to unveil the new stadium just after the
first of these.
Kraft wound up financing the stadium himself, with the state kicking in only some funding for access roads, IIRC.
Later Rowland jumped on the Pats' bandwagon again (oh,
those politicians...a flip-flopper in the spirit of
Kerry?):
I don't doubt there are still neighborhoods, such as yours in Fairfield, that retain their WASP character. They are becoming few and far between. I have always considered Fairfield pretty much a Gold Coast town, although it does have a signficant ethnic population and is wedged between Bridgeport and Westport, both of which are decidedly not WASPy, though for different reasons.
About time. Guess he tired of damaging the state GOP....
Since both Bush and Kerry are wealthy enough not to need to steal, or let themselves be bought, I think the comment is neutral viz. a viz. this election. A more sensitive reading of Kerry's personal financial history, however, would be that he is not personally wealthy, and has let himself be bought by wealthy women as well as well as wealthy constituents in between wives.
It seems sad to say, but for the last century, a yankee is just a member of a ball team.
>>She is the first Republican Female Lieutenant Governor in Connecticut’s history
Well at least Conn. apparently isn't like Vermont, where the Gov and Lt Gov can be from different parties--which is how, when Gov. Richard Snelling (R) died, a Dem. wound up taking over. Howard Dean, yearrrcccgggghhhhh!
I spent a few days in Conn. last year, seeing things like
the Mark Twain house in Hartford, some old-fashioned
railroads; nice scenery near the coast, etc. Hope things turn out well down there. Isn't CT where W was born?
In New Haven, IIRC.
About time.
Republicans (Nixon, Gingrich, Livingston, Packwood, et al) resign; Democrats tear the country to shreds and make millions writing books about it.
Right, I guess Trent Lott had more backbone than the other Republicans listed here after all. He is still sticking around, for what I am not sure, however.
Another resigning Republican: Bill Janklow!!!!
W. was born in New Haven, Connecticut. Highway signs on I-95 and I-91 announce: "Welcome to New Haven, Birthplace of George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States." I understand the signs are very controversial. They have probably caused more than one deranged liberal Yale professor to drive off the road in a fit of apoplexy.
what a waste of 'talent'. He was elected to Congress at an early age and was governor by age 37. Now, he'll probably end up in a jail cell next to ex-Waterbury mayor Phil Giordano.
Oh PLEASE. He's at the same time being investigated by a federal grand jury - controlled by a US Attorney APPOINTED BY BUSH. No dem forced him to have that work done for free on his vacation home; no dem forced him into that questionable condo deal in DC. Face it, the man is corrupt. He got caught. He will pay the price.
Remember, Rowland ran a vow to eliminate the income tax.... That's how he was elected and he's been RINOing us ever since.
"Since both Bush and Kerry are wealthy enough not to need to steal, or let themselves be bought,..."
I'm just cynical enough to think all politicians can be bought, no matter how much wealth they may already have. It's called fund raising, among other things - there's always a debt to be paid to those that helped you acquire power.
Z
I just wish Rowland hadn't removed the hottub from his Bantam Lake home then he could have announced his resignation from it while sipping on a martini.
Oh, that's true enough, but the temptation to the sort of low-grade corruption such as got Rowland, or the Bridgeport mayor Ganem, into trouble is less.
There are still some places like that - Woodstock, Suffield, and Somers come to mind. Haven't been in that area since '99, though, I'd like to think things haven't changed too much.
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