Congressman Chris Murphy is young, riding high in early polls, with loads of campaign cash for his U.S. Senate run. If Murphy wins the seat occupied by a retiring Joe Lieberman he’ll probably be there for as long as he wants it. His chief Democratic primary opponent Susan Bysiewicz has worked the Bridgeport political system relentlessly through the years, just like she works everything else. Does she know any other way? SuBy’s ambition, however, may not overcome Murphy’s greatest strength, as far as city pols are concerned: the scent of a winner.
The winner of a presumed Democratic primary will face either Linda McMahon or Chris Shays in the 2012 general election. McMahon and Shays appear headed for a primary collision of their own. Many city political operatives are saying let’s get behind Murphy now. Some local political sentiment exists for SuBy by virtue of her relentlessness. (Except when she calls for money: “Jesus, another fundraising call from Bysiewicz!”) The former Connecticut secretary of the state has been visible in the city for more than a decade and Democratic Town Chair Mario Testa likes her.
Bridgeport has a key role in this Senate race whether primary or general election with Barack appearing on the ballot next November. Remember what happened in 2008 and when he visited Bridgeport in October 2010, setting off a frenzied election-day ballot shortage.
Mayor Bill Finch and Testa backed Ned Lamont for governor in 2010 largely because of Ned’s money and Mario’s myopia toward Stamford pols such as Dan Malloy who swamped Lamont in the primary. Malloy was not without Bridgeport political support in that primary. Just about every member of the Bridgeport statehouse delegation supported Malloy. The mayor and Mario stepped up for Malloy in the general election and there now appears to be a decent working relationship. Finch and Murphy know each from their days in the Connecticut State Senate.
SuBy has a history of running primaries against endorsed candidates. It’s how she became the state’s chief elections official. But it sounds like she has some work to do–irrespective of her relationship with Testa–if she wants to prevent Murphy from snagging the largest chunk of city political support.
As far as I am concerned Susan bite-your-nuts can go whistle in the wind. She was leading in the early going for the governor’s seat and decided the headaches that come with that job were too much for her to handle, especially if her real goal is the Senate seat held by Lieberman.
There was her aborted attempt to run for attorney general which failed because she was not qualified.
Susan bite-your-nuts has had her time in the sun and it’s time to stay in the private sector.
Dr. Orman has since passed away, but not without the CT Post, the Courant, Fairfield Weekly and the NY Times writing glowing memorials. Sue B. didn’t give him the time of day.
Dear Secretary of State, Susan Bysiewicz:
As the Elected Chair of the Connecticut for Lieberman Party, I would like to formally ask your office to request an advisory opinion from the Attorney General of the State of Connecticut as to whether candidate Joseph Lieberman circulated a false petition in July, 2006. It is against state law to knowingly circulate a false petition and I believe Senator Joseph Lieberman did that.
On July 10, 2006 Senator Lieberman filed papers which said he had the intent to create a minor party in Connecticut called “Connecticut for Lieberman.” He had at least 25 people sign the organizing form to say that they would help Senator Lieberman form a new minor party in Connecticut.
On August 9, 2006 Senator Lieberman turned in the required signatures of people who supported Senator Lieberman’s promise to create a new minor party called Connecticut for Lieberman.
The Secretary of State accepted Senator Lieberman at his word that he would form a new minor party so he could get maximum ballot access to run for the U.S. Senate after he lost the Democratic primary in August 8, 2006.
Senator Lieberman went on to win the U.S. Senate race as a member of a new minor party in Connecticut. However, it has become clear that Senator Lieberman had absolutely no intent whatsoever, at any time, to join or form a new minor party in Connecticut. He remains a registered Democrat and he has never wanted to be a member of the CFL.
My legal question to you, which I hope you will ask the Attorney General for an advisory opinion, is, “Under Connecticut law, is it allowable for a candidate to promise the Secretary of State that they intend to do something, get ballot access, and then, come to find out, that candidate has absolutely no intention at all of ever joining or forming the party which he legally claimed he was forming?”
I think this is the very definition of a false petition, and I hope you see fit to ask the Attorney General, so we can settle this matter once and for all. Simply put, do candidates have to tell the Secretary of State the truth when they fill out official petition forms? I think they do, and I believe that Senator Lieberman did not. If you would be so dedicated, please ask the Attorney General for his opinion.
Thank you for your consideration,
Sincerely,
Dr. John Orman,
Professor, Politics, Fairfield University
Elected Chair,
Connecticut for Lieberman Party
July 10, 2007
Note:
He was the only person I know who the CT Post wrote a memorial for on their editorial page–along with an article and an obituary.
Dear Susan,
Go away. The voters don’t want you. The other flies and leeches who have been elected don’t want you. You used the SoS position for your own purposes and failed miserably in controlling the corrupt electorate in Bridgeport on several occasions, most notably by allowing an untested voting system for the Finch/Caruso primary. And that was a fiasco …
You’re a poster child for term limits.
Sue,
I fully agree you have done squat for Bpt. So just go away QUICKLY.
Here’s the scariest part -if it’s Susan Bysiebitch vs. Linda McMahon in November, Linda probably wins. I’m not a huge fan of Murphy, but I’ll gladly vote for him if it makes Linda McMahon go away once and for all.
*** As a Dem, I like C. Shays in this race! *** RESEARCH ***
Mojo: As a fellow Democrat, “I am curious (yellow)” why you “like C. Shays in this race”? Please “pry open the juicy stuff” for us at OIB on one reason or perhaps the string of reasons why a dedicated, deep-thinking and loyal Bridgeport Democrat like you “can’t get no satisfaction” from your current choices of Democratic candidates running to date? I’m befuddled and bedazzled by your *** RESEARCH ***. Help me out, por favor. “Can’t you hear me knocking?”
*** I guess it’s political personal reasons from when I was a councilman. Whenever I went to DC on a training seminar and had issues concerning Bpt in general, I would always stop in to visit Liebermen, Dodd & Shays. No one made me feel more welcomed & responded more than Shays! He’s got the knowledge & experience that could really help the state of CT in my personal opinion. *** Change ***
Mojo, you are right about Shays when you go to DC, as a union rep for the fire department the four times we visited his office he listened, he took notes and gave us a great tour. But his 14 trip to the war zone and his support of the war and his votes with the Right Wing of the Republican Party in his later years showed the residents of the 4th District he had to go. Well, nothing has changed.
*** Other than the Pentagon, no one had a better idea of what was happening in Iraq than Shays. Supporting the troops & a better Dem choice for Iraq did not hurt him more than the Obama political wave did! Also Shays seemed more Republican middle than right wing in many political decisions he made. I voted for him when he lost & will vote for him again if he’s still in the Senate race next go ’round. *** It’s not about the party, it’s about the person! ***