When you’re alone and life is making you lonely, you go downtown with the lobbyists you’ve been working with for decades. That’s if you’re beleaguered House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero (R-Brown Rudnick).  Cafero will announce that he’s not seeking re-election on Wednesday. He will then retreat to a lobbyist-heavy dinner at Max Downtown for a dinner, Daily Ructions can report. Expect the evening to feature tales of Cafero “taking care” of those saluting him at the $75 a ticket dinner.

It’s an unhappy end for Cafero. The FBI camped out at the LOB for two days last month, making public federal investigators’ interest in House Republican campaign practices. Cafero’s longtime chief of staff George Gallo resigned on the second day of the aggressive FBI intrusion. Cafero was also the unhappy star of a political fundraising and legislation corruption trial last year. The Norwalk Republican was caught on video as an FBI informant put $5,000 in cash in Cafero’s office refrigerator. The illegal dough was later turned into contributions to House Republican campaign committees through straw donors.

Cafero has worked for more than a decade as a “contract partner” for the Hartford office of the Brown Rudnick law firm and its lobbying business. There was a time early in the charade when Cafero protested that he did not know who Brown Rudnick’s clients were. Like Cafero’s denials of knowing anything about cash in his refrigerator, evidence shredded the eleven-term legislator’s claims.

Wednesday night Cafero and his diminishing crowd will try to forget all his troubles and forget all his cares, as they wonder what’s waiting for him.

What a difference nine years make to Sergeant Blumenthal (D-Saigon). The Greenwich millionaire was on WFSB’s Face the State this weekend supporting chimpanzee victim Charla Nash’s effort to win legislative approval to sue the state for its role in her horrific injuries.

In 2003, Blumenthal intervened to thwart a Watertown animal control officer who had ordered an aggressive dog put down after it had bitten an injured a boy. Two years later, Max, a golden retriever, struck again, biting and clawing a 7 year old Southbury boy. In the aftermath of the second attack, Blumenthal had no regrets. The then-attorney general shared with The New York Times his compassionate notion of sovereign immunity when he was on the firing line:

In a telephone interview on Wednesday, Mr. Blumenthal added that he was not sorry he got involved with the case.

”I have absolutely no regrets about mediating an agreement, which was based on expert veterinary advice and the best of intentions on everyone’s part,” he said.

Mr. Blumenthal said he doubted that the state could be held liable for the attack.

”We live in a free country where anyone can sue anyone, but the chances of a suit against the state succeeding are close to zero,” he said.

FBI agents returned to the Legislative Office Building Wednesday in the continuing investigation of ties between a Florida-based Republican direct mail firm and former House Republican chief of staff George Gallo, Daily Ructions can report. Today’s visit included Senate Republican chief of staff Jack Shannon. Agents appear not to have set up shop in the LOB, an aggressive tactic employed for two jarring days in February.

Brett Cody, spokesman for the Senate Republicans, provided this statement:

“Two federal investigators met briefly with Senate Republican Caucus Chief of Staff Jack Shannon in the Legislative Office Building this morning as part of an inquiry first reported in the news last month when subpoenas were served on the House Republican Office, the House Republican Campaign Committee and the Office of Legislative Management. Jack answered the investigators’ questions and was told he is not a focus of the inquiry. No subpoenas have been served on the Senate Republican Caucus, or any entities related to the caucus. We will not be commenting further out of respect for the integrity of the investigation.”

The investigation, thought to be the seeds of the federal government’s inquiry into the intersection of campaign contributions and 2012 legislation on roll your own tobacco stores, continues.

Republican gubernatorial hopeful Tom Foley will not participate in pre-convention televised debates with his gaggle of opponents. The former ambassador, whose been in the political equivalent of a witness protection program for the past three years, is concentrating on sleepier Republican town committee forums. According to campaign spokesman Chris Cooper, Foley has declined invitations to take part in two debates, one sponsored by The Hartford Courant and Fox61, the other by NBC Connecticut.

Foley had only close finishes in 2010 after abandoning a race for the U.S. Senate for the contest for governor. He eked out a victory on the first ballot at the Republican convention during the dubious switch period. Foley had a long night as ballots were counted during the August 2010 primary, as he maintained a narrow lead over surging Michael Fedele. That year’s fall contest was in doubt for several days as vote totals shifted and moved in and out of the shadows. Foley concede six days after election day drew to a close.

Debating was not one of Foley’s strengths as a candidate. Some spring training might assist him for the main event in the fall, should he be the Republican nominee. Republican delegates and primary voters might conclude that a timid nominee is not the right choice to lead the party, unaffiliated voters, and thousands of disaffected Democrats into the bruising fall campaign to reverse the state’s decline.

The one on the right is going to prison.

What is it about the attorney general’s office that attracts a menagerie of ambitious oddballs? Convicted fraudster and Democratic stalwart Genevieve Salvatore concocted a last minute bid to challenge George Jepsen for the party’s 2010 nomination.

The Milford Democrat has been a generous supported of chronic candidate Susan Bysiewicz. Bysiewicz sued herself in 2010 when questions were raised about whether she met the statutory qualification to serve as the state’s chief civil law officer. On May 17th, a few days before the nominating convention, the state’s highest court knocked the three-term secretary of the state and two time gubernatorial hopeful out of the race for attorney general.  Salvatore, who had lost a 2009 race for mayor of Milford, hatched a scheme to challenge Jepsen. She stumbled at the starting gate. Some suspect Salvatore enjoyed the encouragement of Bysiewicz in the gambit.

In the 2012 election cycle, Salvatore, who was convicted this year of participating in a $2.49 million real estate scam, donated $1,000 to Bysiewicz’s failed U.S. Senate campaign, $800 to U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro, and $250 to U.S. Representative John Larson.

Salvatore holds severe views on humor that offends certain sensibilities, as she told Mr. Colin McEnroe in a 2010 comment on his Courant blog.

She begins her two year sentence on July 11th.

Newtown’s remarkable Patricia Llodra has endorsed Trumbull First Selectman Timothy Herbst for the Republican nomination for state treasurer. Daily Ructions would be jammed with posts if it conveyed each candidates highlight in a niagara of releases that will only grow between now and the May convention followed by August primaries. Llodra is different. Her leadership of Newtown in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook killings was never less than exemplary. She owns the respect and affection of all who know her well or from a distance. Loodra’s endorsement carries meaning.

The Herbst press release announcing the endorsement include this:

“Tim has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in Trumbull,” said Llodra. “He brought to the role of First Selectman solid analytical skills, as well as an understanding of how to move and change government processes to address present and future needs.”

Llodra noted that Herbst was able to bring the town’s finances under control, hold tax increases to less than the rate of inflation and improved the Town’s pension fund, resulting in the Town’s credit rating recently being upgraded. She said Herbst would bring those skills to the state treasurer’s office.

“Our state pension funds are notoriously unstable and underfunded,” said Llodra “Tim will bring the necessary experience and commitment to redress the serious concerns with our pension funds, improve our state’s fiscal health and improve Connecticut’s overall investments profile.”

Herbst faces C. Robert Eick and Jack Orchulli in the contest for the Republican nomination to face incumbent Denise Nappier in November.

Brace yourself, and then click here.

Southbury Republican Kie Westby is said to be on the verge of a bid for the Republican nomination for attorney general. The former Marine major made a thin bid for his party’s 2012 nomination for the United States Senate. He sought the 2010 Republican nomination for Congress in the 5th District.

Westby, 62, practices law in Thomaston.

The late William Gallagher was a prominent Connecticut lawyer for decades. His December obituary was crowded with recitations of the honors he collected and committees he served. News that authorities are investigating allegations of significant missing funds from the New Haven practitioner’s client trust account has begun making its way around the state’s 35,000 lawyers. The investigation has stunned the state’s legal establishment.

Gallagher enjoyed the high honor of leading the Connecticut Bar Association in 1999-2000. He was a member of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers.

State Senator Toni Boucher told Farmington Republicans Wednesday night that Republicans need to unite behind a candidate for governor. Since that unifying candidate is not the energetic Boucher, the Wilton Republican will soon leave the crowded field of  hopefuls. Boucher let Farmington Republicans know that she expects to make an announcement in the next week.