America's Persons Of The Year

Our Troops

The year 2007 may end up being looked at as one of the better times in Iraq. The Iraqis have been trained to secure their country, and the threat of terrorism has reduced. Some say that General David Petraeus should have been named TIME Magazine's Person of the Year because of his leadership this past year.

I have decided not to go with him however because it is the American troops that have made the difference. Ever since this war started the mission has remained the same to them, and everyday they have gone out and proudly fought for the United States of America.

Things have been looking up in Iraq, mainly because of the surge, and those brave men and women who have risked their lives for us, deserve so much respect. They are the ones that go out and defend our nation no matter what the circumstance may be.

Success could not be seen in Iraq without the courage and commitment of our military forces. Based on that, our troops are America's 2007 Persons of the Year.

Connecticut's Persons Of The Year

Fighting Forty-Four

The 2006 election resulted in the Connecticut Democrats getting veto-proof majorities in both the house and senate. So, going onto the 2007 session looked like Democrats would get mostly what they wanted with little competition. This ended up not being true.

There were only forty four Republicans in the House of Representatives, but they made their voice heard, and it was loud. They did not agree with the tax increases that were being proposed, and they didn't even like everything about their own Governor's budget proposal. They decided to make their view heard, and ended up being successful.

The Republicans in the house call themselves, the fighting forty-four because though they may be a small group they will never give up without a fight. They were determined to make sure that this year's budget would not include any tax increases, and because of their leadership taxes were not raised. The public also seemed to accept the Republicans proposals as a Quinnipiac poll showed back in the spring.

Based on the fact that they were highly outnumbered, but still fought for the Connecticut people in an overall successful manner, makes the Fighting Forty-Four Connecticut's 2007 Persons of the Year.

Danbury's Person Of The Year

Mark Boughton

On Election Day this year, Republicans did very well. They kept their 14-7 majority on the Council, and kept the top three seats. One person excelled above the rest, and that is Mayor Mark Boughton.

Mayor Boughton was elected with an overwhelming sixty-six percent of the vote, the biggest win of his political career. It was a very impressive victory, and he helped not only get himself re-elected to a fourth term, but helped lead his party to a very good showing and many victories.

Boughton was criticized for a variety of issues, however he showed the critics that his policies are accepted by the majority of citizens in Danbury. His vision was wanted back in office, as the people felt comfortable with him, and overall approved of his record.

He was re-elected by a huge margin, in a city that has more registered Democrats than Republicans. He has become the first Republican Mayor in Danbury to have been elected to four terms.

Based on his impressive victory and approval by the voters, Mark Boughton is Danbury's 2007 Person of the Year.

McLachlan Considers Run For Senate

Michael McLachlan , Mayor Mark Boughton's chief of staff, is highly considering a run for the 24th State Senate seat next year. You can read the article here.

The seat is currently held by David Cappiello, who is running for Congress next year. He has held the seat for the past ten years, and Republicans have held it for a dozen years.

This should end up being a very interesting race to watch. There are a lot of people speculating on which Democrtas may take a shot at the seat, which is in play for them to pick up. Also, we''ll have to see if McLachlan is the only Republican who decides to run.

Our One Year Anniversary

It is hard to believe that today marks the one year anniversary of this blog. I never imagined that it would get the type of support it has, and raise some very valuable opinions. I want to thank you all for the support and expressing your views in a mostly respectful way.

Here's to another wonderful year filled with surprises!

What A Year!

The following are a list of events that happened throughout the year and I posted about. Enjoy the recap.

January

3: Governor Rell is sworn in for her first full term in office. State legislators were also sworn in, which started their session.

4: History is made in Washington as Nancy Pelosi becomes the first female speaker of the House.

23: President George W. Bush delivers his State of the Union Address in front of a Democratic Congress for the first time.

February

7: Governor Jodi Rell gives her budget address to members of the General Assembly. It was looked at with mixed views.

20: Former City Clerk Helena Abrantes announces that she plans on challenging Republican Mayor Mark Boughton. Some felt others may also try to be the one to challenge Boughton, however she ended up being the only one.

March

6: Mayor Boughton presented his budget proposal to the Common Council.

13: Danbury Democrats officially endorse Senator Chris Dodd for President. Dodd is still in the running, but polling around only one percent.

23: Congressman Chris Murphy votes for a withdrawal date for troops in Iraq.

April

3: The Common Council passes Mayor Boughton's budget.

12: The Judiciary Committee passed a bill that would allow gay marriage in Connecticut, however it is never taken further.

21: It's reported that our State Senator David Cappiello will run for Congress against Chris Murphy.

May

6: Congressional candidate David Cappiello appears on Fox 61 and expresses his views on the Iraq War publicly for the first time.

18: The General Assembly passes a bill that would allow illegal immigrants to pay in state tuition.

June

1: State Senator Lou DeLuca is arrested on accounts of conspiracy.

14: DeLuca resigns as minority leader, as State Senator John McKinney is chosen to replace him.

23: The General Assembly passes the state budget, weeks late however.

26: Governor Jodi Rell vetoes a bill that would have given illegal immigrants in state tuition.

July

6: I write the first post analyzing the fifth congressional district race.

11: former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson passes away at 94.

19: Danbury Democrats and Republicans nominate candidates for the local election.

August

2: Senator David Cappiello calls on fellow Republican Lou DeLuca to resign.

5: The weekend of the Italian Festival which many local candidates attended.

September

9: The Taste of Danbury and Irish Festival is held, while the local campaign starts getting in full swing.

12: Mayoral candidate Helena Abrantes releases a radio ad.

18: Council candidates Lynn Taborsak and Chris Halfar show support towards the "Danbury 11".

October

3: Mayor Boughton expresses his support for Mitt Romney's Presidential campaign, becoming his campaign's Connecticut co-chairman.

28: The race for Mayor starts to heat up with major newspaper articles written.

30: Former Congresswoman Nancy Johnson endorses Rudy Giuliani for President.

November

1: The News-Times endorses Mark Boughton for a fourth term as Mayor.

6: Election Day 2007! Mayor Boughton has a huge win, along with impressive wins by incumbent Treasurer Dan Jowdy, City Clerk Jean Natale, and Town Clerk Lori Kaback. Republicans also keep the majority on the Council.

13: Senator Lou DeLuca announces his resignation effective November 30th after months of speculation.

December

8: Former Republican State Representative Tony Nania announces he plans on opening an exploratory committee to run for the fifth congressional district. Nania would face David Cappiello in a primary if he goes through with this.

14: Mayor Boughton gives his State of the City Address.

17: Senator Joe Lieberman endorses Republican John McCain for President.

TIME Magazine names a person of the year, so I thought that this blog would do the same. However, we are going to go a little further and name a person of the year in Danbury, Connecticut, and America. On Saturday we will reveal Danbury's Person of the Year. Stay tuned!

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. Have a good holiday with your friends and family. Enjoy!

The Unpredictable Race

The race for President is becoming harder and harder to predict. A few weeks ago I said that it appears as if the Republican race is between just Romney and Giuliani. However, that has completely changed. Mike Huckabee has become a serious contender, John McCain is making a comeback, and rumor has it that Fred Thompson is creeping up in Iowa.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton has now lost her lead in Iowa and slipping in New Hampshire. Barack Obama has been doing very well, and even John Edwards is polling well in Iowa.

I don't think anyone has ever seen a Presidential election like this one. Both sides are unpredictable. I once believed we would see Hillary vs. Rudy, but I don't know if that's the case anymore. Giuliani has barely been able to hold on to his national lead, and while Clinton has a big lead nationally she has lost big leads in early voting states.

If I was running, I would either want to be Barack Obama or John McCain. Obama has a lot of momentum and has taken advantage of Hillary's campaign mistakes. McCain has come back and doing very well in New Hampshire, picking up many newspaper endorsements. With less than two weeks until the Iowa Caucus, who knows what's going to happen.

Rell May Run Again

Governor Jodi Rell says she likes what she has accomplished as Governor, and may consider running again in 2010. You can read the article here.

Rell was elected to her first full term last year crushing New Haven Mayor John DeStefano. Many believed that she would not run for re-election in 2010, however she has now said she may open an exploratory committee next month to consider the option.

House Speaker Jim Amann announced that he has interest in running for the Democratic nomination for Govrnor. Other names that have been rumored are DeStefano, Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz, and Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who is considered the front runner.

If Rell decides not to run, some Republicans that have been rumored as candidates are Lt. Governor Mike Fedele and former Congressman Rob Simmons.

Lieberman Endorses McCain For President

Presidential candidate John McCain got a big boost in his campaign today. After getting the endorsements of many early voting state newspapers this weekend, he received the endorsement of Senator Joe Lieberman, the Democratic candidate for Vice President in 2000.

After a terrible start to his campaign, McCain has gotten a lot of momentum in the last month or so. Lieberman's endorsement is also very big in New Hampshire because McCain is trying to attract unaffiliated voters there to vote for him in their primary on January 8th. This is how he won the state's primary in 2000.

What should be interesting is how active Lieberman will be in supporting McCain. Also, remember our other Senator, Chris Dodd, is running for President, but Lieberman is not supporting him. This, and the fact that he is supporting a Republican, could be the thing that goes to far for Democrats, as they may abandon him even more.

Another interesting circumstance is what if McCain is not the nominee. Lieberman said he plans on attending the Republican Convention if McCain is the candidate nominated. However, how could he support one of the Democratic candidates when they are so far off on his foreign policy views. I could see him supporting Rudy Giuliani, but Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, or Fred Thompson could be more of a stretch. Though, Lieberman could end up being a good keynote speaker at the Republican Convention.

Also, some believe that McCain and Lieberman could possibly run together for the White House, either as Republicans or possibly on an Independent ticket if McCain isn't nominated. Lieberman says he has no intention of doing that.

To conclude, it has been a very big couple of days for John McCain. He is building momentum, and a win in New Hampshire could make the Republican race even more interesting.

State Of The City Address

Yesterday, Mayor Mark Boughton gave his State of the City Address. You can read the article here from the News-Times.

Boughton talked a lot about downtown and the homeless, along with many other issues. The following are a few points raised directly from his speech. You can read that here.

On the economy:

"As I speak to you here today, Danbury is experiencing strong economic growth and has the lowest unemployment rate in the State of Connecticut."

On the re-evaluation:

"One challenge that we will address is the recent reevaluation which has shown dramatic increases in the value of our residents homes and your businesses. We will address this challenge by using every tool in our toolbox to minimize the impact of the new assessments."

On immigration:

"Currently there is a proposal to enroll our Police Department in a program that will provide additional training to some of our officers in immigration law. After careful analysis and review, and based on the recommendations from our Chief of Police, our Corporation Counsel, and with approval from the Common Council, the City will participate in this worthwhile program."

On downtown:

"Within the next thirty days I will be appointing a task force of individuals to develop a plan for our downtown that is visionary and far reaching."

On the homeless:

"We are going to ask that people who use the shelter contribute to the city by requiring they complete some community service in exchange for staying in our shelter or contribute to themselves by enrolling in a program to get back on their feet."

Just to note, Governor Rell and President Bush will give their addresses in either January or February of 2008.

Poll Results

Our latest poll question was whether or not you agreed of the past election results. Here's what you said:

Yes: 24 (83%)
No: 5 (17%)

Thanks for all those who voted. I put two new polls up. Make sure you take them.

Another Republican Candidate

Former State Representative Tony Nania, a Republican, announced that he is exploring the option to run for Congress. You can read the article here.

If he does go through with it, Nania will face State Senator David Cappiello in a primary. Cappiello has started raising money ever since his announcement in April, and has received much recognition from National Republicans.

They both want to face Congressman Chris Murphy, who was elected to his first term last year. It should be interesting what happens with this, as Murphy has already raised close to one million dollars. Cappiello has raised around 270 thousand. Nania will now start raising money, with hopes of getting 1.5 million within the next ten months.

If there is a primary, it will occur in August.

Pearl Harbor

"A date which will live in infamy"

Today marks the 66th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. It was an event that brought the United States into World War II, and a day that will never be forgotten.

Youth Likes Rudy, Obama

A new poll has come out that shows young voters are favoring Rudy Giuliani and Barack Obama for President. You can read it here.

The poll asked voters between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four, if they planned on voting in the primaries and general elections.

Thirty-one percent of Republicans said that they support Giuliani, while John McCain was second with fifteen percent. Fred Thompson came in third with nine percent. Mitt Romney and Ron Paul were tied with six percent, while Mike Huckabee registered four percent. Thirty percent said they were undecided.

On the Democratic side, thirty-eight percent support Obama, with Hillary Clinton gaining thirty-three percent. Coming in third was John Edwards with seven percent, and Dennis Kucinich got three percent. Thirteen percent said they were unsure.

Now, Obama leading is not surprising because he attracts very well to the youth. Giuliani's lead is a little more impressive, possibly showing Republicans that he may be the most electable. The youth vote may become very influential in the general election. Democrats usually always get this vote, however if the Republicans put up a candidate that can do well, then they could make this more interesting.

The Fifth District Race

The News-Times had an article yesterday about State Senator David Cappiello's campaign for Congress. You can read it here.

The article points out that our fifth district race could gain national attention, and be very competitive. Cappiello will be facing incumbent Democratic Congressman Chris Murphy.

Murphy has raised a lot of money in his quest for a second term. He has raised about one million dollars for the race. Cappiello is down in the fundraising, as he has raised about 270 thousand. However, Cappiello did not raise money during the first quarter since he wasn't an announced candidate, and his third quarter numbers were low because he didn't focus on fundraising with the birth of his second child.

The article was mainly centered around Cappiello's campaign, saying he is upset with the Washington relationship to the American people. Also, he touts his record in Hartford as being an independent voice, and going against his Republican Party when he believes it is necessary to do so. He was the first Republican to ask former Governor John Rowland and Senator Lou DeLuca to resign, who were both Republicans.

The article did mention that Murphy is well known and liked. He has been very active in the district, as he has held many town hall meetings, and started a "Congress on Your Corner" tour. People like to see their elected officials out in the public so that they can have the chance to talk directly to them.

This should be a very interesting race to watch, as both Murphy and Cappiello are very good campaigners.