The holidays are over and campaign 2016 is now starting to rev up across the state.  With Connecticut on the sidelines until late April for the presidential primary season, focus is now on the state’s big race this year, the senate seat held by Senator Richard Blumenthal.

Three Republicans are eyeing the  Democrat, who’s been a fixture on the state political scene for more than a quarter century.  Former Olympian turned businessman August Wolf of Greenwich is the only announced candidate, and CNBC economist and radio talk show Larry Kudlow of Redding is said to be nearing a decision on a run.  Both men have appeared on Face the State to talk about a senate campaign, and this Sunday we were joined by a third potential candidate, Joe Visconti of West Hartford.

Visconti, a former town councilman and candidate for congress, also ran as an independent for governor in 2014, and was a vocal  critic of the two party system, that left him out of some debates with Governor Malloy and Tom Foley.

During a taping of Face the State set to air Sunday, Visconti criticized Blumenthal, as would be expected from a potential rival:

“He would make a great commissioner of consumer protection…ICBMs may be coming from Iran and he’s worried about training wheels on a bicycle…. he is not acting as a senator,  he is acting as an attorney general.”

Visconti said Blumenthal, Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party have told “lies, lies, lies,” and also had some harsh criticism of Governor Malloy, calling what the governor said during the campaign about not raising taxes “lies.”   I asked him if he really thinks the governor is a liar.

“Yes.  He lied, go look at the tape.  He lied twice, and it is not an easy thing to say.”

You can watch the entire interview this Sunday right here: http://www.wfsb.com/clip/12123963/visconti-discusses-possible-us-senate-run