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On April 4, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy signed 139 pages of gun control legislation into law, effectively telling the $1.7 billion gun industry that has called his state home for more than a century they are no longer welcome. Speaking for Colt Manufacturing, which has been in Connecticut for 175 years, president and CEO Dennis Veilleux said, "At some point, if you can't sell your product then you can't run your business... You need customers to buy your products to stay in business." Other prominent Connecticut-based gun companies include Mossberg, Ruger, and Stag Arms, all of which are being...

This week, as lawmakers in Congress braced themselves for a protracted and impassioned debate over gun control, Democratic governors moved swiftly to push tough new gun laws in response to the school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo easily shepherded legislation through a divided state legislature to produce the strictest gun laws in the country. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has proposed similarly stringent measures, including a ban on assault weapons, while Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has called for universal background checks on all gun sales. And what do all three governors have in common (besides a strong...

Disappointing but understandable. If even the NRA was sufficiently cowed by public reaction to Sandy Hook to keep silent until today, how much political leeway did the Republican governor of a blue state have to expand gun rights — in schools? Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed a bill this afternoon that would have allowed gun owners with extra training to carry their concealed weapons in schools, day care centers, churches and stadiums. In his veto letter sent to the Legislature shortly before 4 p.m., Snyder said the bill had a fatal loophole that didn’t allow for those institutions to opt out...

State Republican Party Chairman Jerry Labriola said he’s making the argument to Republican officials at the national convention in Florida that Connecticut could be a possible win for presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Labriola told The Associated Press Monday that he’s been busy pointing out how President Barack Obama’s popularity in this Democratic-leaning state has waned and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Linda McMahon is running a strong campaign against Democratic Rep. Chris Murphy. That makes it worthwhile, Labriola said, for Romney’s campaign to dedicate some resources in Connecticut, such as a visit from Romney or his running mate Rep. Paul Ryan,...

President Barack Obama will attend two fundraisers Monday in Connecticut, a state where he is facing an alarming decline in both political contributions and in some recent polling. Obama will head to the Stamford Marriott Hotel for a $500-per-person reception first. Then, he will be whisked off to the home of film producer Harvey Weinstein, where tickets to the dinner start at $35,800 per person. With the two fundraisers, Obama aims to close the wide gap between Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney in the Constitution state. Backed by a surge of Wall Street support, Romney has more than...

Former wrestling executive Linda McMahon leads former U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays 51 - 42 percent in the Republican primary for Connecticut's U.S. Senate seat, but Shays runs better against possible Democratic candidates, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. This compares to a 50 - 35 percent McMahon lead September 16. U.S. Rep. Christopher Murphy leads the Democratic primary for Senate with 37 percent, followed by former Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz with 25 percent and State Rep. William Tong with 4 percent, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. In possible November matchups: •Murphy tops McMahon 52 -...

Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) will not seek a fifth term in 2012, according two Democratic sources familiar with the decision. Lieberman's office did not offer any comment on his plans, saying only that he would make an announcement tomorrow in Stamford, Connecticut. "The Senator's remarks tomorrow will stand on their own," said a Lieberman spokeswoman. Lieberman will be the second Democratic senator to make public his plans to leave the chamber in the past 24 hours. On Tuesday morning, North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad said he would not seek a a fifth term in 2012. On the Republican side,...

In recent weeks, a number of prominent Jewish intellectuals have been publicly praising Sarah Palin. This despite a recent poll, reported by veteran analyst James Besser (Nov. 26), that well-educated Jews appear to be overwhelmingly opposed to Palin. How do we explain this discrepancy? Besser focuses on a recent poll showing Palin with stronger support among voters in general who are "less educated" and "less affluent." That poll made no reference to Jewish voters, but Besser argues that since Jews are "more educated than the population at large and more affluent," therefore one may safely assume they oppose Palin too....

Sarah Palin wasted little time firing back at Barbara Bush, who used an interview with Larry King early this week to express her hope that Palin will stay in Alaska. "I think the majority of Americans don't want to put up with the blue bloods," Palin said on Laura Ingraham's radio show on Wednesday. "And I say it with all due respect because I love the Bushes. The blue bloods who want to pick and choose their winners instead of allowing competition to pick and choose the winners." While it's true that Barbara Bush remains a well-liked figure, particularly within...

For many Republicans, the bright, golden haze of Election Day is marred by a thunderhead on the horizon -- the increasingly erratic political interventions of Sarah Palin. In the past, Palin embodied the populist style of the Tea Party movement while espousing a fairly mainstream Republican ideology. On economic, social and foreign policy, Palin seldom strayed from a simplified, popularized Reaganism. The mama grizzly may have been ferocious, but her talking points came from the Heritage Foundation instead of from darker corners of the right. But this election season has called that perception into question. Palin's endorsement of Christine O'Donnell...

A recent independent poll conducted by Merriman River Group has State Sen. Sam Caligiuri (R-16) ahead of incumbent Democratic Congressman Chris Murphy (CT-5) by 5.4 points, with Caligiuri polling at 49.7 percent and Murphy at 44.3 percent. The poll, commissioned by CT Capitol Report, a Connecticut political blog, surveyed 481 likely voters in the 5th District, with a predicted margin of error of 4.4 percent. Of those surveyed, 6 percent were undecided. "Chris Murphy appears to be facing an uphill fight to keep his seat," Merriman Group Executive Director Matthew Fitch said in their report. "He is behind opponent Sam...

The race for Connecticut Governor starts on Thursday at NBC Connecticut. On Thursday night and again on Friday night, NBC Connecticut will host political debates involving 14 candidates for Governor. Find out where they stand on the biggest issues affecting our state and the lives of all the residents. The debates begin at 7 p.m. and will broadcast live on air and online. They will last for one hour and each candidate will have 60 seconds to answer each question. On Thursday, we will hear from Republicans who have announced their gubernatorial candidacy or expressed an interest in running: *...

STRATFORD -- Republican Laura Hoydick has won the special election for the 120th Assembly District seat recently vacated by Mayor John A. Harkins. Hoydick received 1,949 votes to 1,390 for Democrat Janice Andersen. Hoydick won in all six voting districts with 58 percent of the vote to 42 percent for Andersen

Indepdendent Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.) this weekend reiterated that he has not ruled out running as a Republican for reelection in 2012.

The decision by Beau Biden not to run for Senate brings to mind an historical parallel. With no Biden in the race, with no Ted Kaufman serving another term, the Democratic candidate is likely to be New Castle County executive Chris Coons. Back in 1972, no Democrat wanted to run against a popular Republican, so a young New Castle County Councilman with no money entered the race. His name: Joe Biden. Historical parallels might be all that Democrats have to hang onto. Rep. Mike Castle (R) is sufficiently popular statewide and has a fairly unimpeachable record of service in Washington....

Calling himself not the most likely candidate to unseat U.S. Senator Chris Dodd, State Sen. Sam Caligiuri withdrew from that race Tuesday and entered the Fifth Congressional District race. His move came about one week after Connecticut Republican Party chairman Chris Healy encouraged him to switch. In so doing, Caligiuri runs against fellow Republicans Justin Bernier and Mark Greenberg, and Democratic incumbent Chris Murphy. State Sen. Andrew Roraback, R-30, endorsed Caligiuri, with whom he has worked for years. Calling Caligiuri a person of integrity, Roraback does not believe Caligiuri hurts himself by switching races. “I think he is helped because...

Do you want Peter Schiff to run for Senate in Connecticut? If so, Peter has set a fundraising goal... http://www.schiff4senate.com

Peter Schiff turns on his computer and checks his fundraising numbers with the studied nonchalance other guys might display while perusing last night's box scores. It's a Friday in early August and Schiff's fans have set off a "money bomb" — a 24-hour pledge blitz they hope will persuade him to run for the U.S. Senate seat held for almost 30 years by Christopher J. Dodd. Schiff, the Fairfield County stockbroker and author who has become YouTube's most popular prognosticator of financial doom, says he will make up his mind by Labor Day. But spurred on by a cadre of...

State Sen. Sam Caligiuri, who represents the 16th District comprising Southington and Wolcott and parts of Cheshire and Waterbury, has announced his intention to run for the United States Senate in 2010. “To me, building a stronger America and a better Connecticut boils down to one simple question: ‘Can we do better?’ I know the answer to that question is a resounding yes, which is why I’m proud to announce my candidacy for the United States Senate,” Mr. Caligiuri said. “With our nation and our state at a crossroads, Connecticut needs a senator committed to reform, grounded in principle, and...

U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd has another Republican challenger: Former ambassador Tom Foley is entering the race. Foley is a businessman who served as U.S. ambassador to Ireland for about two years. In 2003 and 2004, he served as a U.S. government official in Iraq, overseeing businesses and developing a plan for reviving the private sector economy. For his efforts, he earned the Department of Defense distinguished public service award. Foley established a website, www.tomfoley2010.com .........