The mask fell off state Representative Penny Bacchiochi with her attempted character assassination of David Walker, one of the Somers Republican’s rivals for lieutenant governor at this weekend’s party nominating convention. Bacchiochi made a wild accusation of racism against an opponent on Thursday’s Jim Vicevich WTIC radio show. Bacchiochi then told WFSB’s Susan Raff that the opponent is Walker. A firestorm ensued as Walker denounced Bacchiochi and the legislator/lobbyist disappeared, unwilling to explain provide details to sustain her charge.

From her bunker, Daily Ructions has learned, the wounded Bacchiochi has begun to back off her claim that that Walker’s campaign made disparaging comments about Bacchiochi’s husband, who is black. As the Bacchiochi campaign unravels hours before the convention convenes, Republicans should acknowledge their luck that Bacchiochi has revealed herself in May rather than September.

Reckless is the kindest characterization of Bacchiochi’s toxic tactic party officials will offer. Many are waiting for party chair Jerry Labriola to condemn Bacchiochi’s gambit. His statement to WFSB’s Dennis House provide a reminder that leadership is not a synonym for Labriola. Others are wondering who cooked up the Bacchiochi scheme that has holed her campaign below the waterline.

One of the ironies of the Bacchiochi detonation is that there’s been a broad consensus that one of the most popular figures on the campaign trail is her husband, Emil Igwenagu. Candidates, delegates, and town committee members like him far more than they do Bacchiochi. Her attempt to take down Walker by using her using her husband, who has been welcomed across the state, has left many Republicans sad and angry. Expect a stampede of delegates away from Bacchiochi as they recognize the risk she would pose to victory as a member of the party ticket.

Some of the candidates for statewide office will have choices to make tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday. One’s menu of options is on display in this fine medley of the late Miss Tammy Wynette’s hits. Stand By Your Man? D-I-V-O-R-C-E? Is You’re Good Girl Gonna Go Bad? Let Dolly and Tammy take you on a tour of convention possibilities. Tammy believed in keeping options alive. She maintained her cosmetology license until she died in 1998—because you never know.

One campaign will have the Republican version of Eddie Mush in its ranks this weekend. Here’s an enduring scene from A Bronx Tale. Note that the language is earthy.

Republican Tom Foley scored a big victory two days before Republicans will endorse a candidate for governor at their state convention. The former ambassador to Ireland announced Thursday that he has collected the $250,000 in contributions of $100 or less required to qualify for public financing. Foley’s two most competitive rivals, Danbury’s Mark Boughton and Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, have struggled with the small-donation fundraising. Foley’s crossing the threshold will impress wavering delegates.

Foley was a persistent critic of taxpayer financing of political campaigns during his 2010 bid for governor.

Chris Keating has more on Foley’s big day.

The poet Ravi Shankar had a day unlike any other Department of Corrections inmate Tuesday. Connecticut’s Board of Regents promoted the Central Connecticut State University faculty member to a full professorship at a regular meeting while inmate 396964 spent his fifth day in prison.

Shankar, who was convicted of giving the police a false statement in a credit card fraud scheme, has accumulated a jarring record of arrests. Read about them here and here. Criminal charges pending against Shankar in Connecticut include criminal impersonation, violation of probation, and illegal operation of a motor vehicle while under suspension. Some of the charges have appeared on the Superior Court docket 24 times in nearly 2 years. Shankar is due to return to court on May 22nd.

A spokesman for the Board of Regents seemed not to know late Tuesday that Shankar is in prison. If anyone had confidence in the Board of Regents, this latest incident would erode it.

You’d think Republican Tom Foley would be the most careful of gubernatorial hopefuls behind the wheel. The former ambassador’s political prospects have been damaged by reports of misuse use of automobiles to settle disputes dating to the early 1980s. On Monday night, Foley was stopped by a Connecticut State Police officer and cited for failure to obey the posted speed limit (Connecticut General Statutes Section 14-298) on Route 9 north near exit 8 at 8:24 p.m.

The Foley campaign says the candidate, who is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination at this Saturday’s convention, was driving about 80 mph.

Foley was operating a black Audi A4 with a “Don’t Blame Me I Voted for Tom Foley” sticker on the rear bumper.

The louche and heavily taxpayer-subsidized Back9Network has hired Washington lobbying firm Covington & Burling LLP, Politico reports. The controversial golf hijinks video company has received more than $5 million in assistance from the State of Connecticut. It also hired Jason Veretto, former postman and spouse of Governor Dannel P. Malloy’s chief of staff, Mark Ojakian.

Your tax dollars at work.

This is not very nice. Dr. Joe Bentivegna came undone at a Fairfield Republican Town Committee meeting this week. The 4th Congressional District Republican hopeful took strong exception to the notion that Fairfield delegates might switch their votes at the end of the first (and only) ballot. Bentivegna won the endorsement of the town committee, but that did not mean as much as he expected.

Bentivegna, Daily Ructions has learned, may to exit the race soon.

Popular former Torrington mayor Ryan Bingham will deliver a nominating speech for Danbury’s Mark Boughton at next weekend’s Republican state convention. Bingham was elected mayor of Torrington for four consecutive terms. He resigned last year on October 1st.

Bingham was 22 years old when he won his first two year term in 2005. The Torrington Republican also served as head of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities during a difficult period.

The Farmington delegation to the state Republican convention has a surprise member. Mr. John Healey is a super delegate, the locals have learned. Healey is better known as “Johnny! Johnny!” in the devastating Lawrence Cafero cash-in-the-refrigerator tapes.  You may recall that Federal criminal enforcement authorities revealed that tape at Robert Broderick’s spring 2013 criminal trial.

Many Republicans wonder what Healey’s role in the post-refrigerator investigation was. Conversations at the Officer’s Club with undercover agents are mentioned now and then. Healey was never charged with mishandling the thousands in cash that were deposited in Cafero’s office, returned, and converted to contributions to Republican House campaign committees from fake donors. Eight people went to jail in the contributions for legislation scheme that wrecked then-Speaker of the House Christopher Donovan’s congressional campaign.

Farmington Republicans are curious and dismayed as to how such a person got dropped into their delegation. Seems hopeless state Republican chairman Jerry Labriola appointed Healey as vice chair of the 5th Congressional District party organization, and that makes him a delegate. This will surprise few. Labriola called Lisa Wilson Foley–the convicted campaign finance schemer and Rowland accomplice–a “good Republican” in the aftermath of her guilty plea.

As if they were not suffering through enough aggravation, the Farmington Republican Town Committee endured a visit from candidate Martha Dean on Wednesday. The conspiracy theorist went into a dance when two innocuous questions were posed.  Would she pledge not to run as an independent if she is not the Republican nominee for governor? Will she support the winner of the Republican primary? Simple questions, you might think. Not for Dean. Her campaign rattled out of the meeting without providing answers.

UPDATE: Martha Dean has answered Farmington’s question. She’s withdrawn from the race for governor after seeing her paltry showing in today’s Q-Poll. Dean indicated she will support the Republican nominee. Candidates will scramble over her 9 delegates.