NPR host and Hartford Courant columnist Colin McEnroe raises a relevant question: why does Joe Ganim say I screwed up, but …? The former accomplished mayor, who finally apologized January 1, 2015 for having his hand out after declaring under oath he did nothing wrong, now conveniently declares on the campaign trail “mistakes” were made. They were not mistakes, they were conscious decisions. A mistake is cursing in front of a nun, a mistake is kicking the dog in frustration, a mistake is missing your kid’s baseball game. Having your hand out? That’s not a mistake. It’s by design. From McEnroe:
I’m not going into a lot of detail here, because it might be my column this week, but why is it so hard for truant politicians to say anything truly redemptive?
Last week, I interviewed Joe Ganim, who is running once again for mayor of Bridgeport, an office he lost in 2003 when a massive corruption scandal took him down and sent him to prison.
Producer Betsy Kaplan had told the Ganim campaign that nothing would be off limits if we did this interview, and they agreed. Ganim waited a long time to apologize for his crimes, but he did it this year on New Year’s Day. Still, it’s one thing to apologize and another to really own what you did. That’s what I’m always waiting for, from these guys who get caught: a moment where they really explain what they did and why.
So I pressed Ganim a number of times and in a number of ways. He began very unpromisingly with the classic “mistakes were made” formulation. Who even tries that in 2015? After a few other feints that failed to advance the topic very much, I asked him what he tells his son about what he did. His son was traveling with him that day and seemed like a nice kid. I asked Ganim in particular how he prepares his son for avoiding the kind of mistakes he, the father, made. I got nothing.
I know that he held back partly because he worries about his opponent, incumbent mayor Bill Finch, taking the audio and editing it to make him look as bad as possible. But it felt like more than that. I didn’t get the sense that Ganim has a version of the narrative that goes: “I look back at that guy and barely recognize him as me. He’s greedy and entitled. I went to prison for seven years, and I lost everything in the process. But I deserved it for what I did. Here’s how I see things now …”
He can’t do that. Neither could John Rowland. (I always thought Rowland’s radio show would have been great if his past as a rogue and a rascal was part of the regular chatter, the way Don Imus has been taunted by his on-air confederates for years about his days and nights as an addict. Instead, Rowland insisted on being treated reverentially and addressed as “Guv,” with no mention ever of his criminal past.)
They can’t tell a story they don’t know. I’m sure Ganim thought I was hounding him. That wasn’t my intention. I was opening a door I think he needs to walk through, both as a human being and a politician trying to reacquire the trust of the voters. But I don’t think he knows the story about how he turned into a bad guy and betrayed his city. So he can’t ever really apologize for it and mean it.
No one needs Joe Ganim to explain why he broke the law. It’s clearer than the nose on his face. It’s the thing that drives most corrupt politicians. It’s power and money and a whole lot of ego. It’s that plain and simple.
Why didn’t Joe Ganim come back humble? Why didn’t he tutor kids in Bridgeport schools? Mentor some Bridgeport youth? Volunteer for some social service agencies? Why, because all of that is below Joe Ganim. Instead he lives in Easton on the family compound biding his time for his triumphant return.
It’s power and money and a whole lot of ego.
McEnroe is on the money.
If you want forgiveness and a second chance, Mr. Ganim, then show us the redemption and the safeguards.
If you want people to believe when you talk about establishing an “Office of Integrity,” then show us, Mr. Ganim.
How will that “office” work? It cannot be part of the mayor’s office. It must be independent.
Will any parts of city government business be off limits to or be left unmonitored by this “Integrity” office?
Who’s going to run and staff it? Are they competent and proven in this specialized area?
Further, for this “Office of Integrity,” where will the authority originate and through what authority will it be guaranteed?
To make this a durable and lasting institution, will it need voter approval via a charter reform? (I for one like smart, durable solutions that outlive fair-to-horrible administrations and politicians.)
What if you had set this up in your first term, Mr. Ganim. How would it have detected and safeguarded the city from the crimes you were convicted of? Reverse engineer. Show us!
And how about instituting a Board of Finance? How about setting term limits for the mayor of Bridgeport? How about positively ending the charter-violating dual role of city employees who serve on the City Council and vote on their own budgets?
Pete Spain,
Your second to last comment says it all.
Joe Ganim, tell us how your office of Public Integrity would have discovered your misdeeds and what is it they can do to blow the whistle on corrupt officials.
8:20 this morning NPR had a panel discussing Joe Ganim. They kicked him to the curb. It was sad!
Mr. McEnroe is feigning self-serving journalistic naivete and indignation in his condemnation of Joe Ganim for what any reasonable person of conscience would interpret as the utilization of discretion when discussing painful, shameful episodes of one’s past.
Mr. McEnroe isn’t trying to uncover a crime as a journalistic sleuth–or to prevent a crime by using his journalistic skills to uncover a figurative burning fuse that leads to a figurative keg of gunpowder. He is exploiting a man’s guilt for the sake of journalistic recognition and gain–and he is doing it after the fact of the man having paid a huge price, with a huge chunk of his life, for crimes most politicians perpetrate for similar reasons but for which they are never exposed or held responsible.
And to think this sainted journalist would invoke the man’s relationship with his son–from whom he was separated for a prolonged, critical period in their lives, as punishment for crimes against a city that has been officially designated (by sanctified offices) for poverty and exploitation for the past five decades–speaks of an exploitative bully hiding behind faux journalistic credentials (at a newspaper without journalistic standards that was caught plagiarizing Manchester Journal Courier articles not long ago).
Mr. McEnroe tried to force a soul-baring confession from a healing man who is seeking to retrace his steps to undo past wrongs by way of redemption.
There are reasons for the provision of attorney-client privilege in the adjudication of legal matters, for the strict protection of the secrecy/privacy of therapeutic discussions between psychotherapists and patients, as well as protection against forced divulgence of confessional details by priests attending to the spiritual needs of their charges. There are also laws protecting professional journalists against the forced divulgence of sources of information in legal (even criminal) situations. (So much for “journalistic integrity”–or even human integrity– n the case of Mr. McEnroe.)
The world doesn’t need to hear Joe Ganim bare his soul about crimes for which he has already admitted guilt and served his time. Joe Ganim succumbed to frailties of the flesh and ego and broke the law in the process. He was convicted for such and paid heavily in fines, personal time/freedom, lost income, professional status/prerogatives, and, most significantly, in damage to his family that will exact payment for the rest of all of their lives.
To expect Joe Ganim to engage in gratuitous self-flagellation and voluntary humiliation at a critical time in the process of recovering his life is gratuitously cruel and inhumane. He isn’t a war criminal. With the known state-federal economic agenda for Bridgeport, we weren’t going anywhere anyway, and Joe Ganim didn’t steal anything from Bridgeport we were going to allowed to have, anyway.
So: Bridgeporters need to think about how we can get out from under the bonds of our oppressors down-county and get out from behind the eight-ball, generally, and quit being distracted by the Ganim scapegoaters and witch hunters in the political and journalistic arenas (which scapegoaters and witch hunters have no plan or talents to use or sell by way of more positive pursuits in any arena).
Go away, Mr. McEnroe. (Go to Stamford!) You should try doing some real sleuthing on why Bridgeport and Hartford are failing to thrive. I’m sure you’ve already decided it is the “corruption.” But if a real journalist did some digging, they would surely find the real reason is classism/elitism and racism.
That is why we’ll never see any real journalistic effort made in this regard by the Hartford Courant, or the equally opportunistic and slanted Connecticut Post.
Mr. McEnroe made a “mistake” with his publicized take on the Ganim interview. I wonder how he will explain his greedy, gratuitous exploitation of another man’s pain to those close to him. (He probably should have stuck to: “How are you going to rescue Bridgeport?” and “How do we know you won’t repeat your mistakes if elected again.” Those questions would have been fair–and much more relevant.)
Jeff, let me ask you about this scenario. You are the manager of a bank, you find out a teller has stolen thousands OF DOLLARS. THIS TELLER IS ARRESTED AND GOES TO PRISON. The teller returns and asks you as the bank manager for her/his job back. What do you do?
Jeff, answer the question please.
Mr. McEnroe is not trying to uncover a crime. That was uncovered more than a decade ago. He is showing more than a little bias toward the current occupant of the mayoral suite at Morton Government Center. “Occupant” is the operative word here. Mr. McEnroe does not care a farthing about Bridgeport. Like everyone else working in Hartford, he regards Connecticut’s largest city as a joke, a source of amusement.
Well written, Jeff Kohut!
What matters here is who can lead Bridgeport out of its current troubles. Who has the competence and professionalism? This is not the time in our history to stand on self-righteousness.
Jeff, this McEnroe is obviously an insecure, underpaid journalist whose only 15 minutes comes when he’s being mean and feeling important because for the time it takes him to write or speak, it’s history in the minds of the people who might take the time to listen. Tomorrow what he says won’t even be a memory. I don’t know this person, never heard of him, but he appears to be a legend in his own mind. Hey McEnroe, try writing a book, you might get lucky.
Lololololololol.
Great post, Jeff!
Risking the wrath of the self-righteous, McEnroe’s column mirrored the same questions and observations I have with Joe Ganim and I have heard in many conversations these past weeks.
Frankly, had Joe Ganim done what McEnroe was looking for, he’d be practicing law now instead of running for Mayor.
I’ve stated repeatedly I wish Ganim no harm. He paid a huge price for his criminal acts and I think he should be a practicing lawyer again.
But after being totally out of the loop in every political and business perspective for the past 10-12 years other than trying to overthrow Finch, what does he bring to the table? Certainly not political or business connections and relationships that could better the City.
But maybe we can learn from past history and apply the lessons moving forward.
After the Mary Moran bankruptcy debacle, the State stepped in and forced Bridgeport to operate under a financial review board and to work with the Ukeles suggestions.
It was only after the Financial Review Board was disbanded, the Ganim mayoral train ran off the tracks, bringing us to where we are today.
Given everything that’s happened in Bridgeport, maybe a Financial Review Board with teeth is something Bridgeport should have.
With all the talk of Joe Ganim’s conviction and incarceration, a few things are being overlooked. (Please do not mistake this as an endorsement.)
It takes a lot of courage, humility and personal fortitude to do what Mr. Ganim is doing. He was mayor for 12 years, tried, convicted, imprisoned, lost his attorney’s license, his marriage. And he decides to run for office again, knowing everything but his divorce will be thrown in his face. “Ganim stole money!” “Ganim is a convicted felon!” “Ganim is this!” “Ganim is that!” With the incumbent’s campaign manager reminding the public of all his past errors in judgment, reminding them at every opportunity, Mr. Ganim has maintained his composure and his dignity. He has not stooped to the level of returning fire. In that regard he has proven himself to be a better man than Bill Finch.
Let’s face it, the 2015 mayoral race is down to Finch and Ganim. All other aspirants have been swept aside by the WWE-like “battle” between these two.
Denis OMalley: Joe Ganim showed great leadership skills and vision early on in his first term as mayor. They are still intact–and fine-honed now, at his more mature age.
And, Joe Ganim had access to the media, and abundant time to think, since his trial and subsequent incarceration.
I believe today’s Joe Ganim could just be the tough, visionary leader–tried by fire–we need in Bridgeport.
The present mayor obviously has no real vision or plan, and he certainly isn’t tough when it comes to advocating for us in Hartford or Washington–or even on a more regional level. Everybody gets their way with Bill–except the taxpaying people of Bridgeport.
The only viable choice this election year is Joe Ganim.
There are a number of Bridgeport residents who are willing to forgive and give a second chance to anyone but what’s important to them is what McEnroe has stated. Ganim’s New Year’s Day comment is one thing but his answer is like a Bill Clinton comment, he didn’t inhale or some other comments. I for one post on OIB run Joe run and I was one of the first ones to say that. At that time Mary-Jane Foster had not made her decision to run for mayor, I supported MJF before and I’m supporting her now but I believe in second chances and I don’t need Joe to confess anything but trust me there are people out there who want and need to hear more from Joe Ganim.
Ron Mackey, I do not usually agree with your commentary. I am a harsh critic of Joe Ganim and most of his supporters on this blog sound silly to me on so many levels. However, I have stated before, I voted for Ganim twice. At this point I do not need an apology from Joe Ganim. He is a very likeable guy. He has many people outside this blog working for him I totally respect. He went to jail. He lost a lot. His career, his wife and nine years of his children’s lives. He has paid a high price for his gross indiscretions. Do I forgive him? Totally! Would I vote for him? No! Only because Bridgeport is at a crossroads. I believe in Mayor Finch. Joe had 10 years. He had his time. He had his moment. Do I believe in redemption? I do. I think Joe Ganim just walking the city should feel redeemed. He has faced the people he betrayed. Like everyone I know, we totally believe in second chances. It is the audacity to try for the top spot in city government.
During the time Joe Ganim was going through his trial and through his seven-year prison term, I never once wrote a letter to the editor. His demise was a painful reality.
If reminding people ad nauseam is necessary to keep Ganim from taking Bridgeport into a questionable future then that’s the way it needs to be.
Certainly, there is not one person who believes Ganim’s past has been vetted.
Bridgeport Connecticut is going to have to relive our darkest days over and over again and people will know the choice is very clear. Joe Ganim is a nice guy and I wish him well in the private sector. I am not saying this in a mean-spirited manner.
As far as another apology? Not necessary, Joe. You are forgiven.
Now, let Mayor Finch continue bringing life back to Bridgeport. He is where he belongs at this moment in time.
Steve, that was a fair post.
He does have his good moments, even if they are qualified good moments.
Jeff,
From your writings, I know you to be sincere and I respect that. But I disagree that Joe is the only viable choice.
Joe’s life experiences have certainly made him tougher. But that does not mean he will be effective at rebuilding Bridgeport because he has been out of the loop for so long. And for the reasons he was out of the loop.
Candidly, I believe it will be very difficult for him to develop the regional, state and federal connections and relationships to help Bridgeport.
Ron Mackey, I concur with all your observations regarding Joe Ganim. The residents of Bridgeport know what Joe was convicted of and what he went to prison for as well. All these self-righteous individuals who proclaim had he been contrite two years ago he would be accepted now is BS. If a man is truly contrite for his actions, what difference does it make if he acknowledged it last year or last week?
The fact is, those who are against Joe would still be against Joe, two years ago or now. Mary-Jane Foster doesn’t bring the baggage of Joe or the propensity to lie like Mayor Finch. The choice is clear to a rationally thinking person.
Donald, what you state is so true. Those who make claims they can’t support Joe because his apology didn’t meet their standard of what and how an apology should be rendered, are hypocrites. They never had any intention of voting for Joe, not now and not two years ago. I find another comment made somewhere in this section quite interesting. “Joe has been out of the loop so long.” He has 12 years of experience at being mayor. Does that just go away, did he have a lobotomy that wiped his memory and experience? Can anyone name one mayor who took office who had any experience? Please stop the redundancy. It hurts me to read comments from smart people sounding stupid.
We need a tough, bare-knuckle approach to forging favorable relationships for Bridgeport in Hartford and Washington. They will never respect us until the agents of the Gold Coast who maintain the status of Bridgeport (to Bridgeport’s disadvantage) are voted out of office by the Bridgeport electorate.
Joe Ganim would be willing to lead Bridgeport in replacing these Gold Coast agents with representation who would respect and defer to an empowered Bridgeport electorate.
Bill Finch has proven he is an agent of the Gold Coast–his endorsement by the Blumenthal-Murphy-Himes-Malloy-Jepson Gold Coast Gang of Five confirms this relationship.
Mary-Jane Foster is a nice lady, but she isn’t going to confront the political establishment in any effective way for Bridgeport. Mary-Jane has never said a word about Bridgeport’s mistreatment by the Gold Coast-controlled political establishment. Indeed she had Malloy and Himes as keynote speakers at the past two UB graduation exercises.
Mary-Jane is of the Gold Coast and would not alienate her longtime, moneyed friends down county when push comes to shove should she be elected mayor.
Amen, brother Jeff.
Jeff, your post above is pure and utter bullshit containing very few facts.
Jeff–Your support of Ganim is so lame. What if I could prove to you Ganim’s corruption of the selection process for development/construction of the Arena cost City taxpayers $20,000,000? (Not yet reported by the media.) Or is this just another “mistake” of his 10-year lark of doing well at taxpayers’ expense? Let’s get serious about Bpt.