Who says Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley doesn’t have a sense of humor? Reflecting on the 2010 race for governor when he lost a squeaker to Democrat Dan Malloy after an appearance by President Obama led to an embarrassing ballot shortage in the city, Foley told a political gathering in Fairfield the other night he’s scouring votes in the state’s largest city, even bringing his infant children to the Registrar’s Office. Here’s what he cracked, courtesy of CT Post scribe Ken Dixon:
I’m a family man. I have a beautiful wife. I have two-and-a-half-year-old twins. It’s children that really make me the most concerned and interested in running for office and leading this great state. I want to make sure that the future that we leave for our children is at least as good as the one that our parents left for us. I’ve been working on this race for a long time. We came very close in 2010 and I am very grateful for the support in this community. I’ve been working so hard actually, trying to find votes that I took my two-and-a-half-year-old twins down to Bridgeport last week and tried to register them to vote. I went up to the registrar’s desk and I was a little concerned. They’re not very big you know … She looked at them and said ‘boy, they’re pretty young. How old were they?’ I said two-and-a-half. She said ‘fine. So would you like to have four votes or eight votes?’ I said what’s the difference? She said ‘one hundred dollars …’
Democrats, of course, responded, including the state’s chief elections official Secretary of State Denise Merrill:
“Though he may have intended his comments as a joke, it is definitely not funny. It is, however, an example of Tom Foley once again irresponsibly throwing out accusations without as much as a shred of proof. Comments like these have the potential to undermine public confidence in our election system, particularly at a time when we have done so much to improve voting and strengthening the integrity of our elections.”
Democratic State Chair Nancy DiNardo added:
“Not sure what’s more humorous, the fact that Tom Foley says he’ll appeal to voters in Connecticut cities when he’s against the state’s increase to the minimum wage, is actively courting the gun lobby, and even supported the Tea Party’s government shutdown … Or the fact that he repeatedly knocks Connecticut’s largest city in one breath, and then in the next says he’ll be the cities’ candidate.”
Hmm, anyone placing bets on a smooth election cycle?
Tom Foley doesn’t have a sense of humor. He has a foolish sense of entitlement based on the absurd idea his toddlers can vote.
He makes a mistake wherein he equates voting with money. After all, he outspent yet underperformed Governor Malloy in the quest for votes in 2010. Consequently, I encourage Mr. Foley to brush up on the Price Theory of American Capitalism because I might be using it to show his shortcomings in politics, business and Bridgeport.
If the dead and people registered at addresses that are vacant lots in Bridgeport can vote, I do not see your point.
Yeah, one hundred dollars is too cheap. Finch offered a $600 property tax rebate, Obama gave Obama care and a minimum wage increase, Malloy gave a $55 income tax rebate and a minimum wage increase. That is how you buy votes, with taxpayer money. At least Foley offered to use his own money. If the Dems believe so strongly votes aren’t equated to money then why fuss so much about the lifting of the unconstitutional cap on campaign contributions?
Not the first or only time he has used this illustration of how easy it is to steal and buy votes in Bridgeport. It actually got the biggest laugh at a Bridgeport event. Hey Merrill, why not do your job and really investigate and stop the voter fraud and absentee ballot complaints filed after every election so we no longer have this reputation? Hey DiNardo, why don’t you get your favorite godson Senator Musto to support and not STOP HB 5724 so we can actually have the ability to govern our city in our home rule charter written anti-conflict commonsense, fair and democratic way, just like other cities in this state. We deserve to be the butt of every politician’s joke because of the lack of enforcement of the rules that apply to everyone else but us.
Typical ‘progressive’ deflection, bring the do-nothing Musto into this conversation. This issue of false voter registration has been the cornerstone of the Bridgeport Democratic Party. Your best example here is the absentee ballot scandal. And it IS a scandal.
Here you have incompetent individuals signed up to vote who have no clue who they voted for and a supposed legitimate ballot is presented.
Driven by city elected, have a job with the city Democrats, Musto single-handedly stopped this bill. Getting city employees out of office per our charter is a big first step measure to reign in this type of AB abuse–one cannot access the senior or low-income housing unless one is a city employee or related to a city employee. Both parties having access and the ability to hold candidate forums in these venues just might stop the suspicion there is abuse.
Tom Foley was looking for votes in Bridgeport while speaking in Fairfield. It’s not wise to disrespect the city whose votes you will soon seek.
I wonder who his campaign manager is because based on Foley’s job experience, I’m surprised we’re not at war with Ireland.
You are going to get gags like this–and deserve them–as long as:
— Absentee ballot shenanigans are considered legit
— Voter lists are not purged honestly and regularly
— The Registrar of Voters office or some interested, non-partisan group (not the League of Voters) promotes regular voter education.
The voting issues today are not much different than in the past. The ‘dead’ were not being voted years back, but people who had moved were. It was documented names were registered to lots or vacant buildings in the past. I think the residence issue–people moving around–is legit and a pickle to handle for HONEST people (and not just those trying to win an election).
Giving the Registrar’s office the benefit of the doubt for a moment, they have to make sure they are completely up to date on electronic voting issues. They have to be able to make sure their budget is sufficient to run elections–and tell the mayor or whoever to go screw if it is not and holler to the secretary of state.
It is in the interests of the Democratic Party to keep things loose. It is in the interests of the Republican Party to tighten things up. The Democrats hurt their cause by claiming nothing is wrong. The Republicans hurt their cause by claiming everybody is cheating.
Where is your concern about spending public money for private charities? Your outrage? Please comment on the comments to the City Council in an accompanying article … for the record. It is not a joking matter if you are a taxpayer. Time will tell.
How dare you use John Marshall Lee’s handle, whoever you are?
When JML gets back, he’ll tell you a few things about your short commentary. We know you’re an imposter by your syntax!
Let him have it, JML!
I found two dead people still on the voters list while campaigning last February. Why not let the Foley twins take their spot? I can bring the absentee ballot applications for them and have them fill them out with crayons. I would then wait for Sam Adorno to knock on the door and let him take the applications and throw them away, like he did with one of the applications I was scheduled to pick up. He really wanted the two absentee ballots from the two seniors of the same house. Good thing they had mailed them.
I would then look for empty, boarded-up apartments around Bridgeport and put in absentee ballot applications. If it worked on the boarded-up apartment at P.T. Barnum, it shouldn’t be a problem. I would then get together with Foley and show him it’s cheaper to charter some buses to the casino for all those who support the Republicans. Perhaps Martha Santiago, Bonnie Roach, Bill Finch and Americo Santiago can join us so we can pool our resources, get a better deal on the buses and throw in free Port Jefferson Ferry trips. Why do you think the Democrats don’t want a Bridgeport Indian Casino nor the ferry co. to leave Bridgeport?
When you see this man walking around wearing a shirt with an “S” on the chest, remember the “S” is for Sharpton.
time.com/53389/al-sharpton-informant-fbi-mafia/
I must agree with the comments by Jennifer, Joel and Jim (three posters who use their name).
Perhaps Foley should hire a better joke writer, it may be the only way the media will mention questionable activities in Bridgeport.
Regardless of Foley’s poor attempt at humor, we must admit some of the recent and selective oversights in the Democratic Registrar’s office have been rather shady. Realistically speaking, is there anyone among us who doesn’t know where their own child lives?
The only person who had anything to gain by Sandy Ayala’s failure to order enough ballots was Tom Foley himself. She almost cost Malloy the election. I was working at the call center for the Democratic GOTV effort that day and can tell you if Sandy Ayala had walked in there the conversation would have gotten very ugly very quickly.
I can’t say whether Sandy’s actions were incompetence or corrupt activity to benefit Mr. Foley, but her actions certainly didn’t benefit any Democratic candidates, particularly Gov. Malloy.