Bristol Democrats are happy that Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is ready to leap into the U.S. Senate race now that embattled incumbent Chris Dodd is giving up on reelection.
Blumenthal “will make an outstanding U.S. senator,” said state Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat. “He will do the state of Connecticut proud.”
The departure of Dodd from the race, which the senator plans to announce formally at noon at his East Haddam home, clears the way for Blumenthal to go after the seat he’s long sought.
City Councilor Kevin Fuller, a Democrat, said that Blumenthal’s “background and love for the state of Connecticut” will help him win “and bring respect back to the position.”
Mayor Art Ward said that Blumenthal’s entry into the contest “represents our greatest opportunity to forge ahead with positive representation in the United States Senate and will receive my absolute support.”
Fuller said, “It is time to make our Senate delegation positions of honor and respect, which I feel has been lost in the last few years.”
He said that Dodd made the right choice given “all the controversy surrounding him.”
Nicastro said that Dodd obviously “realized it was time to make the decision and he made it.”
He said that when he saw Dodd in Bristol on Monday, the senator “was not the vibrant man I remember from years ago. He looked very, very, very tired.”
Nicastro said that Blumenthal has the capacity to bring the state together, to attract voters from across the political spectrum.
“I believe you’re going to see everybody come together and get behind Dick Blumenthal,” Nicastro said.
Ward said Dodd “has always been a staunch supporter of and advocate for the city of Bristol, the state of Connecticut and the nation” that he has “served with distinction” for years.
Dodd’s “bipartisan approach to the issues has resulted in decision which will benefit future generations, both nationally and globally,” the mayor said.
Blumenthal told the Associated Press he would announce his candidacy at Democratic headquarters in Hartford right after Dodd addresses the press.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
9 comments:
DO YOU HAVE NAMES OF PEOPLE ELECTED TO THE BRISTOL RTC AND DTC?
As a life long democrat I am torn between saving connecticut by voting for blumenthal or exposing the rest of the nation to his religious philosophy of destroying commerce .
On one hand with him gone , connecticut would finally have an opportunity to survive , BUT will I be able to rest comfortably with the knowledge that I have helped to place such an anti-business zealot in Washington .
Blumenthal is a grand-standing left-winger who's done virtually nothing productive for the state of Connecticut. He's neglected his duties as Attorney General to pursue publicity yet he's very popular (supposedly). It's puzzling.
But this whole situation is nothing more than the National Democrat Party telling Dodd to move along. He was going to lose and the Democrats may have lost their blue-state Senate seat. I wouldn't anoint tricky-little-Dickie yet though.
Steve, are these 2 guys you got to comment really the best you can do? They give no insight at all, just crappy, empty words.
I've been walking with Merrick Alpert most of the day, not soliciting comments on Dodd. I hope that some Bristol folks who can offer some insight will speak up. We'd all love to hear from them.
And now back to the city budget!
Does anyone think that Bloomie will resolve the CLP and Municipal Energy issue before he leaves office?
Costing Bristol big bucks as he twiddles.
Dodd or Blumenthal, what's the difference? Where's the pro-business, pro-taxpayer, pro-Connecticut candidate?
10:22 - yeah, all of them - and you don't -
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