Author: Daniela Altimari

William Saletan in Slate: What goes around comes around. Blumenthal “would like you to give him a break,” Saletan writes. “But Blumenthal has never given anyone a break. He has made a career out of holding others to the strictest standards of truth–and mercilessly prosecuting them when they fall short.”

Norm Pattis: “Liar, liar, lips on fire”

The Boston Globe: “A serious offense”

Media Matters: “Is the NYT giving Blumenthal a RAW deal?”

And finally, kudos to Dennis House for finding a picture that truly is worth a thousand words.

“Ned is fully committed to running for governor,” said Lamont spokeswoman Justine Sessions. “He’s running to create jobs, bring new leadership to Hartford, and he’s looking forward to working with Senator Blumenthal to move Connecticut forward.”

As for the Blumenthal matter, Lamont had this to say:

“I’ve known Dick for more than 25 years.  He is a good friend and a dedicated public servant who works day in and day out on behalf of the people of Connecticut.  As our Attorney General, he has been a tireless champion for Connecticut families, and as our next Senator he’ll bring that unwavering work ethic and record of results to Washington.”

Did they or didn’t they?

I was told that the McMahon campaign worked closely with the New York Times on the Blumenthal story — providing military records, information on the deferments and, most damningly, that video from the Norwalk event.

And, last night, the campaign wasn’t shy about saying so. Staffers tweeted on the topic and posted Kevin Rennie’s blog entry about it on the campaign website. Just before 11 p.m. last night, they sent out a press release with Rennie’s blog post — in case you missed it.

Now, however, the website has been scrubbed and the campaign appears to be backing off its claim of credit.

A New York Times spokeswoman tells Politico that the story was the product of “extensive independent reporting.” 

 If the McMahon campaign provided the video and other help, should the story have said so? Is this inside baseball or are there larger principles at play?

And one more question: Did the McMahon campaign undercut the story by giving the Dems an out?

That’s the tack Democratic chair Nancy DiNardo is taking. “Linda McMahon’s malicious, deceptive attack on Dick Blumenthal’s record of service is the lowest kind of political smear,” DiNardo said in a statement. “Her campaign admits they are the ones who cherry-picked the quotes and are behind the hit piece.”

The Times story continues to send shock waves through the political world. Here’s a sampling of reaction from Connecticut:

“The Blumenthal Bombshell comes at the end of more than 2 months of deep, persistent research by Republican Linda McMahon’s Senate campaign,” Rennie writes. “It gave the explosive Norwalk video recording to The Times.”

In a blog post this afternoon, Kevin Rennie writes about the curious triangle that has developed bteween Rob Simmons, Linda McMahon and former U.S. Attorney Kevin O’Connor.

O’Connor gave a $250 campaign contribution to Simmons but three weeks later, he endorsed McMahon.

“Mahon’s acceptance of the endorsement of a former law enforcement official suggests she thinks she still hasn’t provided convincing responses to persistent stories about the steroid-infested professional wrestling division of show business,” Rennie writes.

In the past, O’Connor has taken a hard-line on steroids. In 2007, he busted a state man and five others who were peddling the drugs on MySpace.

“The dangers associated with the improper use of steroids and human growth hormone are well documented,” O’Connor said in a press release trumpeting the charges.

And in 2006, O’Connor’s office brought a case against a California man who was charged with selling anabolic steroids on the internet.

“The illegal distribution of anabolic steroids and other pharmaceuticals on the Internet poses a grave and increasing public health risk, and the federal government will vigorously prosecute this offense,” O’Connor said at the time.

McMahon spokesman Ed Patru said the candidates was “very pleased to have Kevin O’Connor’s endorsement. 

As for the steroid issue, Patru said McMahon has addressed it. “Delegates understand that individuals in the entertainment industry don’t always make the best personal choices…That said, they’re comfortable with the policies Linda put in place at the WWE and convinced that her real world business experience and her ability to create jobs is what’s needed in Washington.”

It’s worth noting that O’Connor’s wife, Kathleen O’Connor, served with McMahon on the state board of education. Both were appointed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell in January, 2009. McMahon stepped down from the post earlier this spring.

The fundraiser is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday at the home of Jill and Dan Ciporin and Tea Party activists affiliated with the group Right Principles plan to protest outside.

The Courant tried to reach Malapanis but could not. Her lawyer, James Wade, declined comment. As far as I can tell, Lovallo’s interview will be her first public comment on the case.

Lovallo’s show can be heard at 5 p.m. on the following stations: WDRC1360,  WMMW1470, WWRO12409 and WSNG610. 

Call off the press conference: The climate change and energy bill that Sen. Joe Lieberman, John Kerry and Lindsey Graham worked on for months won’t be unveiled Monday as planned.

“I want to thank Senator Graham for his contribution to writing the American Power Act and I regret that allegations of partisan politics will prevent us from introducing the bill on Monday as planned,” Lieberman said. 

“I know from all of our work over the past year that Senator Graham shares our commitment to this bill that will create American jobs, move us closer to energy independence, and reduce pollution.  I look forward to Senator Graham rejoining our efforts after we work through the concerns that are preventing us from advancing a cause the three of us believe in so deeply.

“I remain committed to the American Power Act and am excited about what passage of the bill will do to promote energy security and invigorate our economy.  I will not give up and will continue to work with Senator Kerry, Senator Graham, and the broad coalition of industry and environmental support this bill has generated to pass the American Power Act this year.”

Brian Lockhart of the Stamford Advocate has the story of Linda McMahon’s plan to pay students $5 for every registered Republican they bring in during a voter registration drive at UConn next week.

The Senator says he’s not worried about reports that an immigration bill will derail the environmental legislation he helped craft.

“I think these are separate issues on separate legislative tracks,” Lieberman said in a conference call with Connecticut reporters this afternoon. “One will not adversely effect the other.”

Lieberman said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid assured him that he will bring the climate and energy bill to the floor, likely in late May or early June, barring any obstacles.

The bill, put together by Lieberman and Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and John Kerry, D-Mass., is seen by environmentalists as a major step in addressing global warming. The Obama administration has made the issue a priority. And the bill, which would lead to more nuclear power, off-shore oil drilling and so-called “clean energy” technologies, also has the broad support of the energy industry, Lieberman said. 

The bill is “the most significant step toward helping out country break its dependence on foreign oil…to put a price on carbon so …we stimulate the growth of a clean energy industry,” Lieberman said.

Republican Sam Caligiuri, running for Congress from the 5th District, had a strong 1Q of 2010, bringing in more donations than his two leading GOP opponents, Justin Bernier and Mark Greenberg.

Caligiuri said he’s especially proud of the fact that he raised more in individual contributions than Democratic incumbent Chris Murphy. “I was thrilled to have had such a successful fundraising quarter, and exceptionally grateful to my many supporters,” Caligiuri said in a press release touting his fundraising numbers last week.

But the canned statement doesn’t touch on the all-important cash-on-hand figure, a category in which Caligiuri is lagging. He has $204,320 in the bank; Bernier, who has been in the race much longer, has $248,869. Greenberg has $404,027, a sum that includes the recent $250,000 personal loan he made to his campaign.

Murphy trumps them all, with more than $1 million.

“Every one of us will be at a financial disadvantage against Murphy but that’s not the key issue,” Caligiuri said.

He noted that when Murphy was challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Johnson in 2006, he, too, was the underfunded candidate.

“The incumbent is always going to have more cash on hand,” Caligiuri added. “The challenger has to be able to raise enough money to get their message out and you have to have the race dynamics on your side.”

It was that dynamic in 2006, a wave of anti-Republican sentiment, that allowed Murphy to topple a long-term incumbent and her financial advantage.

“We have the same dynamic at work for us,” Caligiuri said. “People are very upset with what Nancy Pelosi and Chris Murphy are doing in Congress. His votes are out of step with what people in the 5th district want.”

“We will get out-raised and outspent by Murphy but as long as we remain competitive, we will have the resources to beat him on the strength of our message.”

Caligiuri said unseating Murphy is the main goal, whichever Republican candidate emerges as the party’s nominee. “If I don’t win the convention, I have said all along I will back our  nominee,” he said.

CT News Junkie scoured Democrat Dick Blumenthal’s campaign finance filing and found more than $200,000 in PAC contributions.

Blumenthal has always taken pride in the fact that he has not accepted special interest money — until he launched his U.S. Senate campaign.

When he told MSNBC shortly after announcing his Senate candidacy that “I’ve never taken PAC money and I have rejected all special interest money because I have stood strong and have taken legal action against many of those special interests,” he was talking about his past runs for AG, not the current Senate campaign.

“He was asked about, and he talked about what he did as attorney general,” spokeswoman Maura Downes said. “He wasn’t asked about and he didn’t talk about what he would do in this campaign.”

Vince McMahon’s absence from the campaign trail ended abruptly in Greenwich Wednesday night.

The wrestling kingpin accompanied his wife, U.S. Senate candidate Linda McMahon, to a charity gala hosted by Sacred Heart University. Linda’s leading Democratic opponent, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, also attended.  

Moments after the master of ceremonies, “The Early Show” weatherman Dave Price, acknowledged Blumenthal’s presence, Vince  jumped onto the dias, casually brushed past the MC, took control of the microphone and introduced himself to the audience.

My name is Vince McMahon and my wife is the one who’s going to beat you this fall, McMahon reportedly said. (I wasn’t there, but an account of the episode was relayed to me by three separate individuals.)

Apparently, both Sacred Heart and the McMahon campaign videotaped the event, though as of late this afternoon, neither organization had posted anything on You Tube (that I could tell.)

Earlier in the night, as Blumenthal worked the room, one of the hosts introduced him to Vince.

As the two men shook hands, Vince told Blumenthal that his wife is going to “whoop” the AG. Blumenthal laughed and said he’s heard it before.

The event was the school’s 21st annual Discovery Dinner, which honors “the gifts of caring and accomplished people” while raising money for a Sacred Heart scholarship fund that aids low-income students in Fairfield County. This year’s honorees included Larry Kudlow, a CNBC pundit once mentioned as a possible candidate for Senate, Charles Gasparino, a Fox Business Network correspondent and Monsignor Kevin Wallin of Bridgeport diocese.

Linda McMahon serves on Sacred Heart’s board of trustees.

Before he was the Most Powerful Journalist in Washington (according to White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer, who ought to know), Mike Allen covered Hartford for the NYTimes.

In fact, not in most of Connecticut, according to this fascinating map by Patchwork Nation.

Windham County has the highest concentration of Tea Party members in the state — 5.01 for every 10,000 people. New London County is next, with 3.74 per 10K. Hartford and New Haven counties had the lowest percentages.

Patchwork Nation, a project of the Christian Science Monitor that is funded by the Knight Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, scoured online directories to find people who have registered with Tea Party groups. It’s “not a perfect system but one that captures the overwhelming najority of registered members,” writes Dante Chinni on the Patchwork Nation blog.

(The methodology leaves one question unanswered: The Tea Party movement’s identity is wrapped up in the fact that it isn’t a political party in the traditional sense: no one registers as a member. It is a loose affiliation; no paperwork required, which makes tracking down “members” a challenge.)

Patchwork Nation carves the nation into 12 community types, based on certain socio-economic and demographic criteria. For example, rural Custer County, Nevada is dubbed “Tractor Country” and Miami-Dade County is “Immigration Nation.”

In Connecticut, Fairfield County is one of the “Monied ‘Burbs” and Windham County is a “Service Workers Center.”

The survey found the highest concentration of Tea Party members in “Boom Town Counties” – places such as Walton County, Ga. and Oldham County, Texas. “Tractor Country” and “Military Bastion” counties also had higher than average Tea Party membership.

The lowest concentrations? Not surprisingly, it was the biggest cities and places with larger African-American populations, Chinni writes. Hartford, dubbed an “Industrial Metropolis,” had a negligible number of Tea Party members. 

Last week’s New York Times story painted a scathing picture of Richard Blumenthal’s senate  campaign. The attorney general’s rambling answer to the most basic of questions — why do you want to be a Senator? — brought to mind the famous 1979 Roger Mudd interview with Ted Kennedy, when Kennedy was completely unable to articulate why he wanted to be president.

“He is polling at more than 80% but there are some Republicans in the state so he isn’t at 100%,” writes Pat Scully on his blog, The Hanging Shad.