Susan Bysiewicz with Face the State producer Malinda Govoni  

The election is 21 months but already campaign 2012 is underway in the race for Connecticut’s U.S. Senate.  Our guests for this Sunday’s edition of Face the State are the two declared candidates for the Democrats: former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz and Congressman Chris Murphy.   Those hoping for a first debate will be disappointed.    The two appeared separately with Bysiewicz on the program first by virtue of the fact her campaign is a few days older the Murphy campaign.

The questions for the two were different, because their issues and backgrounds are different.    Both spoke highly of the other, calling each other “friends.”     Both seem to agree the field of candidates will grow beyond the two of them.

For Bysiewicz we talked about the tough year she had in 2010, specifically regarding the state elections enforcement issue, and whether her setbacks and problems from last year will impact her candidacy now.   We crammed as much as we could into the 11 minute segment.  Ditto for Murphy.

These are experienced politicians and both are adept at getting their talking points across regardless of the question.

I asked both if there was a senator they emulated or see as a role model.  Murphy doesn’t have one, and Bysiewicz quickly named Barbara Mikulski of Maryland. 

Murphy was also complimentary of the man he hopes to succeed, Senator Joe Lieberman.    He listed a few of Lieberman’s contributions to Connecticut and said the senator’s stance on the war in Iraq and health care should not “blot out his record.”

I also asked him how his “Buy American” campaign would go over with supporters who drive a Toyota Prius, which rolls off an assembly line in Japan. 

You can the entire interviews with Bysiewicz and Murphy this Sunday at 11AM.     

If you think this campaign is starting early, you’re right.   Also on Face this weekend, we dig into the Channel 3 archives to hear from Senator Chris Dodd back in January 1998, when he said 9 months before the election was too early to start campaigning against his challenger Gary Franks.