Labriola Faces Weekend of Long Knives.
Marooned Connecticut Republican activists will spend the weekend plotting to remove party chairman Jerry Labriola. The disappointed loyalists have been reviewing party rules in text, email and phone conversations as they seek to crawl out of the wreckage of Tuesday’s results in the race for governor.
The growing band of conspirators hopes to replace Labriola with a more sober and steady leader who will travel the state more and the nation less. Names mentioned include outgoing state Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, Tim Herbst campaign insider Catherine Marx, Dan Debicella campaign manager John Puskar, and Mark Greenberg campaign helmer Bill Evans. Expect more names to emerge as disparate factions begin their moves.
Updates as events require.
UPDATE I: Add Greenwich Republican Town Chairman Jim Campbell and party stalwart Liz Kurantowicz to the list of possibilities.
UPDATE II: A reader writes:
Mr. Rennie,
A friend just forwarded me your column and while I am flattered to be mentioned in it, I am going to go back to my business and most importantly my beautiful and tremendous wife and now 4 yr old son. I will be around to help the party in any way I can but it is certainly not in that role.
Bill Evans.
UPDATE III: Another reader, who claims to be Joe Visconti, sends this:
“Throw me in the mix for good measure”
UPDATE IV: Palin Smith asks for consideration, testing how far from the center right a concussed party would go. Hold on, Palin Smith suggests Wayne Winsley. He seems well-liked.
UPDATE V: Add Timtown’s J. R. Romano.
UPDATE VII: A reader nominates Cindy Cartier, an attorney and Guilford selectman with a distinguished name.
UPDATE VIII: William Landers tells Daily Ructions that he was happy to join a movement to draft Barkhamsted stalwart Juliana Simone. The field grows crowded. In addition, a name from the 20th century has been floated: Tom Scott.
UPDATE IX: State Senator Joseph Markley’s is being mentioned as one of a couple of consensus candidates. Party activists concluded during the weekend that the primary goal is to take out Labriola and replace him with a leader acceptable to a wide range of factions.