Former Connecticut Democratic Party chairman John Droney is sending a message to President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: don’t come to our state to campaign for state Democrats. During a taping of “Face the State with Dennis House,” Droney (filling in for party chairwoman Nancy DiNardo) suggested their appearances on Nutmeg turf could hurt Democrats’ chances at the ballot box.
The spurning of a President who won this blue state in a landslide in ’08 is a sure sign local Democrats fear a voter backlash at Washington could be percolating here in the land of steady habits.
According to the last poll, the President’s approval rating in Connecticut is at 50%, down from 72% just over a year ago, and is under 50% in two congressional districts. In the 4th district, Republican state senator Dan DeBicella is already planning to link freshman congressman Jim Himes to the White House. In the 2nd, where the President’s approval rating is the lowest in the state, 46%, former television news anchor Janet Peckinpaugh plans to launch a similar assault against Congressman Joe Courtney. In the 5th, state senator Sam Caligiuri has been telling voters Congressman Chris Murphy has more in common with Pelosi than Connecticut. Just four years ago, those three congressional seats were all held by Republicans.
While Droney may be saying “no thanks” to the President and House Speaker, state Republican party chairman Chris Healy is eagerly rolling out the welcome mat. “I hope the President comes to campaign for Dick Blumenthal,” Healy said during the “Face the State” taping.
Later, party chairwoman Nancy DiNardo told the Hanging Shad’s Pat Scully and the Greenwich Time’s Neil Vigdor that Droney was speaking for himself and not the party. Still, there was no outrage from the party faithful over Droney’s comments.
My preview of the show posted late Thursday night has become one of the most read blog posts I’ve ever written. Clips of the interview have been seen across the country, courtesy of realclearpolitics.com and has made the rounds locally, namely on WTIC AM 1080’s “Sound off Connecticut.” http://radioviceonline.com/former-connecticut-democrat-chairman-to-obama-and-pelosi-ummm-stay-home-please/
In case you missed the program, here is part 1 http://www.wfsb.com/video/24813866/index.html
Here is part 2 http://www.wfsb.com/video/24814064/index.html
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Dennis House 
We like it when Obama comes to Connecticut. Democrat heads roll soon afterwards! On the night of Nov. 2 the sound will be like Bowlarama on league night!
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Playing off of people’s emotions and not the facts are what republicans excel at most. It saddens me that Droney is falling into that trap.
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Murphy should have Pelosi campaign for him. He appeared with her at the left wing bloggers convention where both pushed for A continued push of the progressive agenda. The voters need to know just how far left Murphy is in backing Pelosi. He has voted with her numerous times including for the stimulus, auto bailout and teacher bailout. All those have rewarded unions. Murphy-Pelosi, it is all the same.
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Please. John Droney should crawl back under whatever rock he’s been lurking behind while the rest of us have been working our asses off to elect more and better Democrats in recent years. He certainly doesn’t speak for me. What a cowardly, fear-based, Liebermanesque position.
The vast majority of people in Connecticut were proud to support a stronger Democratic majority in Congress and happy to move our country forward, at least a couple of steps, in a positive direction by electing Barack Obama. What poll numbers suggesting growing disapproval of the two of them show is not uniformly a growing disaffection with a more progressive agenda; it is for many of us a reflection that we feel that Pelosi and Obama have moved far too slowly to really help working families in America, have been too cowed by Republicans to do the right thing.
What we don’t need are more namby-pamby mealy mouthed self-hating Democrats like John Droney. We need more proud, forthright, and honest progressives.
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Maybe if people would pay attention to the issues and not the hate Obama rhetoric that Healy and the rest of the Republicans are tryiing to spread we would get somewhere. These peopole are really over the top. I am sure that when Democrats get the word out CT will remain a blue state.
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I’d bet my paycheck that Droney hasn’t voted for a Democratic gubernatorial candidate since O’Neill. It’s a joke to suggest that there’s any difference between Healy and Droney. Rowland, Ritter, Malchinsky, DiBella, Healy, Sullivan, Droney, LeShane, Ellef, Ciatto, Moody, etc, they have all supped from the same trough with the aid of sycophants like you Dennis. “Hartfordite” could suggest some one committed to a better future for our capitol city but it appears to represent someone who would prefer to highlight and hang out with the vultures who enrich themselves by picking on the bones of what’s left. If “journalist” is still in your resume, you may want to consider an update.
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Was this supposed to be Democratic leader vs. Republican leader? John Droney does not qualify as a spokesman for Democrats anymore. In the 1980s, yes. Pairing him and Healey makes you look like Fox “News” — “fair and balanced” means Republicans debate former Democrats.
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Your post suggests that Mr. Droney was officially representing the Democratic Party and put him on the same show with the same billing as the official Republican Chair. That would be unfortunate and not the first time Droney has been made a party leader on your show when he is no such thing.
His associations and past touting of the right-wing Democratic Leadership Council within the Democratic Party disqualify him as the official party spokesman you have made him. More trash talk about the President on Face the State? Disappointing.
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The people who voted for Obama have been taken for a ride as has this state which depends on Democrats. THe Dems have sadly left this state down. We have the 2nd highest utility rates in the country, and the 3rd highest gas tax. Only 32 % of the gas tax goes for transportation and the Dems want tolls. The representative in Congress are only able to get us back 69% of every dollar we send to DC. THe Dems have failed us miserably. The question is are the people smart enough to see it. Blumy will rubber stamp anything Obama wants and Obama has destroyed our economy with over regulation, taxes, stimulus to payback unions and a healthcare bill no one wanted. Blumy loves to regulate and has overstepped his authority numerous times, putting companies out of business or leaving the state. It is no wonder that in every business friendly poll, CT ranks near the bottom.
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