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David Walker, the on-again-off again Republican, does enjoy the ability to comment on internet posts. He famously promised on the essential Only in Bridgeport website to sell his Bridgeport home if Tom Foley was not elected governor three years ago. Foley lost and Walker is still here–a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor.

Walker took to the Bridgeport site to contest rival Tim Herbst’s recent list of endorsements of the excitable Trumbull Republican candidate’s public supporters. Walker writes that at least one person on the Herbst list is holding a fundraiser for him, Walker. If history is any indicator, one suspects that we will be hearing more from Walker on this.

After becoming a Republican to run for lieutenant governor in 2014, Walker came third out of three candidates in the Republican primary that Heather Somers, now a state senator, won. Walker was not gracious in defeat. The Alabama native studied accounting at Jackson University. He later received a certificate from Harvard’s Kennedy School.  The 66 year old account may have to cutback on mentions of Harvard now that the school has added the preposterous and malignant Sean Spicer to its faculty.

Updates as they become available.

Energy generator Dominion has let legislative leaders know that its 1,200 jobs in Connecticut may be a casualty of the state budget, Daily Ructions can report. The nuclear power producer has been warning for months that it needs more flexibility in how it participates in the regional energy market. Dominion has been warning policymakers that it will consider ceasing operations in Connecticut if it does not get some relief from the state’s byzantine energy rules.

Legislative leaders will have to confess they were warned if the day arrives when the no-carbon generator announces it is leaving the state.

State Democrats cannot resist the urge to tax. Their budget proposal adds a $1 month to cellular plans–including, it seems, phones and tablets. If passed, the new tax will be added to the long list of state-imposed costs that businesses examine when deciding when to stay or, in the rare instance, come to Connecticut.

Anyone want to gamble on how long the tax stays at $1 a month?

Democrats may find themselves trying to explain how this proposal comports with the federal prohibition on state taxes on data plans.

To:             House Democratic Legislators

From:        Speaker Joe Aresimowicz

Majority Leader Matt Ritter

Date:          September 1, 2017

Re:             House Democratic Caucus

In preparation for the session on Thursday, September 14, there will be a House Democratic Caucus to discuss the budget onWednesday, September 6, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. in Rm. 207A of the Capitol.

Legislative Assistants, please contact your Legislators with this information immediately.

Thank you

Waterbury’s Democratic mayor Neil O’Leary wasn’t billed as the headline guest at beleaguered Bristol Republican Ken Cockayne’s August 29th re-election fundraiser, but he was the most unexpected.

Manchester Republican Matt Corey is a candidate for the 2018 Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. If nominated, Corey will face Democratic incumbent Chris Murphy.

Corey ran for the House of Representatives in 2012, 2014, and 2016 against longtime Democratic incumbent John B. Larson. Corey ran as an independent in his first race against Larson and then as a Republican in the next two.

Corey owns a window washing business and McKinnon’s Irish Pub in Downtown Hartford. You can read Chris Keating’s 2016 profile of Corey here.

You don’t have to be a veteran of New York politics to know you cross Andrew Cuomo (or any other governor of the Empire State) at your peril. Former Bridgeport mayor Bill Finch, who had fatal trouble figuring out how to get his name on the ballot in 2015, didn’t understand that he was not in Connecticut anymore.

Finch, who lost a bitter Democratic primary for mayor to Joseph Ganim two years ago, is out as head of the New York Thruway Authority after failing to bring appropriate enthusiasm to Governor Cuomo’s proposal to convert to cashless tolls.

Politico New York has the story. 

Whiskey Patriot J.R. Romano, who also serves as the chairman of the Connecticut Republican State Central Committee, has some dubious associates. One of them is fellow Whiskey Patriot Kyle Reyes, who posted this astonishing video on Facebook admitting to “a dark thought” on the Neo-Nazi violence in Charlottesville on Saturday. “These protesters were not the people we were lead to believe they are,” Reyes states as he opines on events from the front seat of a car. “None of this adds up.” The video is bizarre on its own. That these are the thoughts of a video partner of the Republican state chairman is chilling. The bizarro fringe is no place from which to lead a major political party.

Here is the link to the provocateur Reyes’ Facebook video.

You can find Whiskey Patriots videos here and here.

Take note. Candidates will find this is much harder to accomplish than they expect when they embark on a race for governor.

State Senate leader Len Fasano will not seek the Republican nomination for governor, the North Haven Republican announced Wednesday morning. The announcement diminishes the odds of a Republican victory in 2018 and deals a blow to the state’s chances to reverse its economic decline.

Fasano has lead a revival of Republican fortunes. Under his leadership the Republicans added three seats to their caucus in the 2016, tying and disorienting the Democrats, who have held the majority since 1997. Fasano had thought he could wait until after a state budget was enacted to make an announcement. Democrats, however, refuse to vote on a budget, any budget, especially the one proposed by the Senate Republicans.

Here is Fasano’s statement:

“Today I want to announce that after considerable thought I have made the decision that I will not seek the Republican nomination for governor in 2018. I want to thank the many individuals who contacted me and encouraged me to run. I also want to thank my family and friends for their constant support as I came to this decision. My family has always encouraged and motivated me to work hard serving our state and would have supported my decision either way. This was a very difficult decision but in the end the impact to my family, who depend upon me and count on me every day, ultimately was the foundation for my decision.

“My original intention was to wait until the state budget was resolved to make a decision about running for governor. But as the budget process has persisted, and it does not seem likely that a vote will take place before the end of the month, I knew it was time to choose my path and let others know where I stand. It is only fair to the other hard working candidates, delegates, the party and the public to be upfront so that others can make important decisions to move the election process forward.

“I firmly believe Connecticut needs a Republican governor. Connecticut is a great state, but it is in trouble. People are suffering every day from huge financial burdens and the effects of a fiscally unstable state government. We need to move Connecticut in a different direction to create stability and restore confidence so we can grow opportunity for all people. We need a Republican leader in the governor’s seat who brings political parties and people together, who is sensitive to the needs of all economic levels, who understands the importance of supporting our cities, and who can grow a stable economy so we can fund core programs that are important to this state. Connecticut is ready to overcome our challenges and ready to change.  I look forward to ushering in that change.

“I will continue my efforts to build a better future for our state through my work in the state Senate. I am truly blessed and honored to serve our great state and its people every day and I thank all those who have chosen me to represent their voices in Hartford.”

Republicans hope to pick up additional seats in 2018. If so, Fasano would be in line to become president of the legislature’s upper chamber.