Upgrades and open thread

Whoa, what a busy time it's been here and I think it's time for CONNECTICUTBlog to get a facelift. I haven't done a major upgrade in some time and I think it's long overdue. If you haven;t notice, the blog roll is getting longer as I'm receiving emails from other bloggers who have asked me to check out their site. Keep the emails coming, it shows that I'm not doing this thing for nothing and it's letting me know that people like what they read here.

I'm taking alitle break this weekend so I can focus on local political stuff at my other site HATCITYBlog as things are heating up on the political scene in Danbury and election day is two weeks away.

Till I post again, consider this a open thread and thanks again for all the support!

-ctblogger

New London City Council reverses decision over NLDC

I guess the public outcry was too much for the New London City Council to handle.

From the New London Day

Bowing to pressure from state officials, the New London City Council will rescind its motions severing ties with the New London Development Corp., but not before receiving assurances that the agency's leadership will change.

That change, several people familiar with the conversations between city and state have said, could involve the resignation of the NLDC's chief operating officer, David M. Goebel.

In a meeting at the headquarters of the Department of Economic and Community Development, Mayor Jane L. Glover said the council would convene a special meeting today to formally repeal its vote of Monday night, when councilors unanimously voted to terminate the NLDC's control over the Fort Trumbull project. The vote was taken amid discord over the agency's failure to keep the city apprised of its actions.

State officials, taken aback by the council vote, immediately asked the city to reconsider and apparently offered new assurances that the state supports the city in its effort to force a change in the NLDC's leadership.

The council will back off its earlier motion, City Law Director Thomas J. Londregan said, “with the expectation that the concerns and demands and regrets of the city will be addressed.”

If those are not addressed, Glover said, the council would consider voting on the same motions at the regular meeting of Nov. 7.

State officials have consistently declined to directly address the city's most pointed demand: that Goebel and NLDC President Michael Joplin must step aside. But on Thursday, they threw themselves firmly behind the city in its dispute with the agency.

“We're not going to say what they need to do,” said James F. Abromaitis, the DECD commissioner. “I think it was obviously clear today that they need to change the way they do business, and I think a component of that probably can and should be a leadership change.”

My new favorite site

Check it out often. It should be full of juicy information by next week.

Ready to go to level red at any second

Quick, go buy the duct tape.

(hat tip again to AMERICABlog. They're all over this story!)

Did Rob simmons just flip-flop over the CIA Plame case?

It sure seems like he did and he got caught by Democratic challenger Joe Courtney.

Oh, how the times have changed.

From the Hartford Courant October 2003

"But the re-emergence of naming names clearly makes the usually measured Simmons uneasy and animated.

"I hate it," he says. "We all hate it. It not only places the agent and his family at risk, it places the asset at risk."

Asset is a CIA term for contacts. "In most countries, cooperation with us is tantamount to treason," Simmons explains.

"It goes to the issues of sources and methods. Methods!" he says. "Even though a lot of sources are long gone, you just don't want others to know how you operate."

And that's why the Wilson/Plame case should be regarded as far more than a domestic political embarrassment for the administration.

"Anytime an agent's cover is blown," says Simmons, "it's a very serious matter. Maybe a matter of life and death."

Since the focus of the Plame cse has focused on the White House, Simmons has a changed on heart.

And Rep. Rob Simmons, R-2nd District, a former CIA officer, called the Rove blowup "much ado about nothing."

Needless to say, Joe Courtney went into attack mode over Simmons' flip-flop.

Courtney on Monday pounced on a comment Simmons was reported to have made last week that the Justice Department investigation into the Plame leak was "much ado about nothing."

He accused Simmons of "parroting his minders at the Bush White House in an effort to save Rove's job."

"It's disturbing and disheartening that Rob Simmons' convictions seem mushy as best," Courtney said, referring to Simmons' previously reported statements that the exposure was "a very serious matter" and "may be a matter of life and death."

Courtney continued the offensive today, arguing that "the only thing that's changed from the beginning is the fact that we now know Karl Rove was involved.

"It's clear that Simmons has shifted from his original comment, talking about collateral damage to assets and life-and-death consequences," he said.

"It's not partisan for the CIA to make a referral to the Justice Department for an investigation," Courtney added. "This thing was not started by Joe Wilson, a Democrat, it was started by the agency, and Simmons should know that better than anyone else."

Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post called Simmons to get a comment on the Plame matter and how people inhis district feel about the matter and this is what Simmons had to say.

Two other targeted House members -- New Mexico Rep. Heather Wilson and Connecticut Rep. Rob Simmons -- did not return calls seeking comment on what they may have heard from constituents regarding the Plame investigation

Here's the mugshot

Sweet!

Too bad he doesn't have numbers around his neck like this.

You can read his arrest warrant here.

Hat tip to Smoking Gun and AMERICABlog for the pics.

Audrey Blondin steps out of the race

Susan Bysiewicz forces another Democrat to drop out of the Secretary of State race Wednesday.

From the Register Citizen

Audrey Blondin is out of the race for Secretary of the State.

The township woman stepped away from the race Wednesday.

"This is the right decision for the (Democratic) party and the right decision for me," Blondin said.

Blondin, an attorney in Torrington who also runs an eye care mission in Nicaragua with her husband Matthew, set her sights on the office held by Democrat Susan Bysiewicz last year.

Bysiewicz had announced her intention to run for governor, and Blondin sought to fill the open spot as secretary of the state.

Bysiewicz, however, dropped out of the governor’s race in September and has decided to run for re-election instead.

That decision would leave Blondin in a primary battle with the incumbent.

"I would have to raise between $500,000 to $ 1 million," Blondin said.

Blondin said the picture within the party is now clear, and she wants to do everything she can to help her party win as many seats as possible this year and next year.

"I faced a choice," Blondin said, "I have endorsed her (Bysiewicz) and the entire Democratic slate."

Bysiewicz said Blondin notified her of the decision Tuesday night.

"I think very highly of Audrey," Bysiewicz said Wednesday night, " I’m very grateful to have her support."

DeLay arrest warrant

Mugshot to come soon.

Furture for Democrats in Danbury=bleak

Without cash, you can't get your message out to the people and with Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton outfundraising Dean Esposito by a margin of 10 to 1, it seems like the challenger has a big problem on his hands.

From the News-Times

Dean Esposito is finding that it is tough to be the challenger.

First, you need a message you believe in. You have to be willing to work hard to meet lots of people. And you need money.

Esposito is losing the money vote.

With the election 20 days away, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton has $40,249 on hand, compared with Esposito's $3,604.

That 10-to-1 ratio has held true throughout the campaign.

[...]

In the period from July 1 through Sept. 30, Boughton raised $20,269 and spent about the same amount.

Esposito took in $4,850 and spent $3,313.

Most of the money pays for advertising, printing, postage and similar expenses. Both Boughton and Esposito said what they have on hand and what they can raise from now on must carry their message through to the voters.

n total, Boughton has raised $74,064 as of Sept. 30, the end of this filing period. Esposito raised $7,610.

Money is central to politics, said Chris Kukk, an assistant professor at Western Connecticut State University who teaches social studies and worked on a political campaign in Massachusetts.

"It sounds superficial, but this is crunch time. People remember who they saw on TV. People remember who they heard on the radio. People remember what they saw in their mailbox," Kukk said. "If you spend more money than your opponent, you are more likely to win the seat."

Let me add my two cents in being that I live in Hat City.

Money is one thing but when you don't lay out your vision for Danbury, peole don't notice you and that is exactly what happened here.

Esposito's constant attacks on Boughton's record is one thing but when you don't explain how you would address Danbury's problems mayor, then why would anyone take you seriously let alone give money to your campaign? Most people never knew where Esposito stood on the issues because simply, he never explained himself. Being negative in one thing not expressing your vision and explaining how you would run the city differently, you're never going to raise enough money to properly challenge a two time mayor who people are familiar with. This is the thing that will come back to haunt Esposito and the Democratic party in the end.

Simply but, the Democrats were not really serious about this election or else they would of tried harder to get their message out to a public that was upset with the preformance of Boughton. They had their best chance to gain seats on the Common Council and make a real run at the top-job but with three weeks to go, it seems like the Democrats are going down in flames.

Ask yourself this. How many Boughton ads have you seen in the NewsTimes (check their webpage). How many ads have you received from Boughton and the Republicans versus Esposito and the Democrats (for the exception of Lew Wallace)?

No vision, no message, no cash=no winning in November. I take no pleasure in saying this but I said in the past, the Democrats have no one to blame but themselves when they lose again.

Arrest warrant issued for DeLay

How embarrassing.

A Texas court on Wednesday issued a warrant for former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's arrest, and set an initial $10,000 bail as a routine step before his first court appearance on conspiracy and state money laundering charges.

Travis County court officials said DeLay was ordered to appear at the Fort Bend County, Texas, jail for booking, where he'd likely be fingerprinted and photographed. DeLay's lawyers had hoped to avoid such a spectacle.

Put the braclets on him.

He knew and he lied

From the NY Daily News

Other sources confirmed, however, that Bush was initially furious with Rove in 2003 when his deputy chief of staff conceded he had talked to the press about the Plame leak....

A second well-placed source said some recently published reports implying Rove had deceived Bush about his involvement in the Wilson counterattack were incorrect and were leaked by White House aides trying to protect the President.

"Bush did not feel misled so much by Karl and others as believing that they handled it in a ham-handed and bush-league way," the source said.

So lets examine this.

1. Bush KNEW when Rove leaked Valerie Plame's name to Novak and others when he said that he would fire anyone in his administration who was involved in leaking a CIA covert operative name to the press so...

2. The President lied to the public!

Liar and if the President lied to the grand jury, he should be impeached.

AMERICABlog has more

From the White House's own Web site:

Q Given -- given recent developments in the CIA leak case, particularly Vice President Cheney's discussions with the investigators, do you still stand by what you said several months ago, a suggestion that it might be difficult to identify anybody who leaked the agent's name?

THE PRESIDENT: That's up to --

Q And, and, do you stand by your pledge to fire anyone found to have done so?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes. And that's up to the U.S. Attorney to find the facts.

Bush's comments border on obstruction of justice. He went public and made clear that he didn't know who the leaker was - he said he'd fire anyone found to have been involved, he hadn't yet fired Karl, so clearly he was saying that he had no evidence that Karl was involved. Bush was trying to cover up the fact that Karl was the guy. That's obstruction.

Now that we know that Bush knew Karl was the leaker in 2003, I want folks to scour the Web for any White House comments, from Bush, McClellan, Mehlman, anybody from 2004 until today who says that we don't have all the facts, that Karl is innocent, etc. Remember, the quotes must be dated 2004 or 2005. This is obstruction of justice territory - let's prove that they intentionally misled the public when they already knew that Karl was the leaker.

Connecticut approval of Bush: 32 percent

According to a new SurveyUSA poll, Bush popularity in Connecticut has fallen from 36 to only 32 percent with a 66 percent of residents disapproving his preformance.

Here's some interesting analysis from DailyKos

Bush is above 50 percent in only six states -- Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Alaska, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Utah, at 61/36, is the only state above 60 percent. In May, Bush was above 50 percent in 13 states. In September, it was 10 states.

25 states are below 40 percent. Rhode Island, Vermont, and Massachusetts are all under 30 percent. Bush is 29/70 in Rhode Island.

Overall, Bush is at 38/59.

Insiders spreading runor that Cheney might resign

Rumors are beginning to spread in D.C that VP Dick Cheney might resign due to the CIA leak case. Seems like Fitzgerald has Cheney in his crosshairs and all the Republican Washington insiders are VERY nervous right now.

Cheney out-Condi in? That would be interesting...

From USNews and World Report

Sparked by today's Washington Post story that suggests Vice President Cheney's office is involved in the Plame-CIA spy link investigation, government officials and advisers passed around rumors that the vice president might step aside and that President Bush would elevate Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

It's certainly an interesting but I still think highly doubtful scenario," said a Bush insider. "And if that should happen," added the official, "there will undoubtedly be those who believe the whole thing was orchestrated – another brilliant Machiavellian move by the VP."

Said another Bush associate of the rumor, "Yes. This is not good." The rumor spread so fast that some Republicans by late morning were already drawing up reasons why Rice couldn't get the job or run for president in 2008.

"Isn't she pro-choice?" asked a key Senate Republican aide. Many White House insiders, however, said the Post story and reports that the investigation was coming to a close had officials instead more focused on who would be dragged into the affair and if top aides would be indicted and forced to resign.

DeStefano ad airs today...is Gov. Rell's "One Voice One, Number" ad campaign fair?

If you want to see it, watch your local television because accoring to the Courant, it's only going to be aired today and tomorrow.

Form The Hartford Courant

With the election 13 months away, Democrat John DeStefano Jr. intends today to air the first television commercial of the 2006 campaign for governor.

But viewers will have to watch carefully to catch the 30-second spot: The ad introducing the New Haven mayor will be on the air today and Wednesday only.

DeStefano, who is competing with Stamford Mayor Dannel P. Malloy for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, said the early commercial is a signal to Democrats.

"Clearly this is a message, and not just to the general public, that our candidacy is going to be aggressive and is not going to pull any punches," DeStefano said.

[...]

The spot was done by DeStefano's media consultants, Squier Knapp Dunn Communications of Washington, D.C. The firm represented President Clinton in his 1996 re-election campaign. One of its biggest current clients is a Republican: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

"Unfortunately, John DeStefano is doing exactly what Gov. Rell thought he would do - tear down the state just to build himself up," said Adam Jeamel, the spokesman for the Rell campaign.

Malloy's campaign questioned investing in television commercials so far in advance of the Democratic primary in August and the general election in November 2006.

"It's so odd, frankly, we were wondering if our recent momentum" was the cause, said Chris Cooney, Malloy's campaign manager.

Malloy raised more money than DeStefano in the three-month period ending Sept. 30, but DeStefano has the overall financial advantage, with $1.86 million cash on hand to Malloy's $1.1 million.

Cooney said Malloy was the biggest beneficiary of Attorney General Richard Blumenthal's recent announcement that he was not running for governor. Blumenthal once represented Stamford in the legislature.

Neither Malloy nor Rell are planning to join DeStefano on television anytime soon, their campaigns said.

Gov Rell isn't doing any television? What do you call Gov. Rell's 285,000 One Voice, One number three month ad campaign?

Democratic State Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo -- citing a $285,000 state advertising blitz -- is charging that Gov. M. Jodi Rell is using taxpayer dollars "to promote her image as she gets ready to announce that she's a candidate for governor."

DiNardo said Monday that the state's "One Voice ... One Number" campaign, which touts state incentives and subsidies available to companies that do businesses in Connecticut, is "an inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars because it's more about promoting Governor Rell than it is about promoting business and job growth."

DiNardo called the three-month print, television, and radio campaign that the Republican governor unveiled three weeks ago "politics as usual."

"It's especially cynical of the governor to be doing this at the same time she claims to be on a mission to clean up the way political campaign are financed in Connecticut," she added.

DiNardo also protested that the campaign doesn't require Rell's image to be used.

"There are plenty of other ways -- more creative ways -- the same goal could have been accomplished for either a lot less money or without the governor taking part in the campaign," she said.

New London City Council sever ties with NLDC

What happens to the Fort Trumbull project now?

From The New London Day

The City Council voted unanimously Monday night to sever its ties to the New London Development Corp., plunging the Fort Trumbull redevelopment project into uncertainty.

The council voted 6-0 to adopt three motions drafted by the city's director of law, Thomas J. Londregan, even as Londregan urged them to postpone any final action for two weeks so he could better gauge the effect that passage of the motions would have on the city's relationship with the state, which has paid for virtually all of the $73 million project.

The council, in effect, would attempt to take ownership of the former Naval Undersea Warfare Center at Fort Trumbull, which was transferred by the U.S. government to the NLDC, not the city.

There also were unresolved questions about the NLDC's outstanding contracts, including its exclusive agreement with the developer for the project, Corcoran Jennison. Earlier Monday night, the council resolved that Corcoran Jennison has defaulted on that contract.

Several councilors noted the proximity of the fall elections in denying any political motivation for their votes.

Londregan said the council's votes might force the NLDC board into replacing its president, Michael Joplin, and chief operating officer, David M. Goebel, as the council had earlier demanded.

But barring that, councilors said, the seven-year odyssey of the quasi-public agency and its battles with the city was likely over.

“I don't think you can continue a partnership where there's only one partner saying, ‘I'm willing to go back and forth,' and the other's saying, ‘I've heard you, but I'm going the other way,' ” Councilor Rob Pero said.

The last straw, he said in a brief interview, came Friday, when the NLDC's own general counsel, Mathew H. Greene, quit the agency after unsuccessfully urging Goebel to step aside for the good of the project.

[...]

The council's three motions first revoked the designation of the NLDC as the city's “implementing agency” for the Fort Trumbull development, then revoked the resolution that allowed the NLDC to take ownership of the abandoned Naval facility, and finally demanded that the NLDC transfer title to all its real estate in the project area to the city of New London.

Londregan had drafted the motions at the council's request. He urged the six councilors present not to approve them until they had heard definitively from the state Department of Economic and Community Development on the practical effect they would have, and how they would be perceived by state officials.

The council's seventh member, Beth Sabilia, who gave birth to her second child late last week, was absent. She has been a sharp critic of Joplin and Goebel.

In a conversation earlier that day with Ronald Angelo, the deputy DECD commissioner who has helped oversee the Fort Trumbull project, Londregan told councilors he was told that “taking these motions at this particular time, without consulting with DECD, is going down a dangerous path.”

“The state has a 70 plus million dollar mortgage on the (affected) property,” Londregan wrote in a memo also provided to the council. “We need to hear from them.”

But even councilors who had supported the NLDC in the past said their frustration with that agency had reached its end following a pattern of behavior they said had flouted the city's rights as a development partner and the wishes of the community itself.

The NLDC's refusal to replace Goebel and Joplin resulted in the council's threat in September to dissolve the city's relationship with the agency in one week.

Monday, the councilors appeared to follow through on a threat past due.

“I think we're divorced,” Mayor Jane Glover said, reminded of the metaphor she used a month ago in a conversation with Angelo. “It's over.”

Cheney is trouble?

It sure looks that way.

As the investigation into the leak of a CIA agent's name hurtles to an apparent conclusion, special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald has zeroed in on the role of Vice President Cheney's office, according to lawyers familiar with the case and government officials. The prosecutor has assembled evidence that shows Cheney's long-running feud with the CIA contributed to the unmasking of operative Valerie Plame.

In grand jury sessions, including with New York Times reporter Judith Miller, Fitzgerald has pressed witnesses on what Cheney may have known about the effort to push back against ex-diplomat and Iraq war critic Joseph C. Wilson IV, including the leak of his wife's position at the CIA, Miller and others said. But Fitzgerald has focused more on the role of Cheney's top aides, including Chief of Staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, lawyers involved in the case said.

But wait. It gets uglier because someone in the White House has flipped and is now helping the Justice Department in their investigation.

The New York Daily News is set to report in Tuesday editions that a well-placed source interviewed by the newspaper believes a senior White House official has flipped and may be helping the prosecutor in the case, RAW STORY has learned.

The Daily News will reveal that a top source believes that based on the questioning of Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald and his other contacts with the investigation, someone in the White House has turned.

All eyes are on Dick Cheney, the News says, as the investigation wraps up.

The piece follows on the heels of on a story by Bloomberg News and an article by RAW STORY last week confirming that the prosecutor is probing the Vice President.

I can't wait to see how this all unfolds...

Cafferty on Rove: Orange Jump Suits

You gotta love Jack Cafferty. I miss him on American Morning but he and Wolf Blitzer are great together on The Situation Room.

From Crooks and Liars (w/ video)

Jack: He might want to get measured for one of those orange jump suits Wolf, because looking at old Karl, I'm not sure that he- they'd be able to zip him into the regular size...

Wolf: Well he's actually lost some weight...

Tom DeLay mugshot coming soon

Priceless

Rep. Tom DeLay will likely be booked in a Texas county jail this week despite attempts by his attorneys to bypass the fingerprinting and mug shot process.

The former House majority leader was forced to step down from the post last month when he was indicted by a Texas grand jury. DeLay initially was charged with conspiracy to violate the election code and days later was indicted on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to launder money in an alleged illegal scheme to funnel corporate money to Republican Texas legislative candidates.

DeLay's arraignment is set for Friday before state district Judge Bob Perkins in Travis County, Texas.

"Perkins believes that if God was charged with a felony, he would have to go through the booking process, too," said D'Ann Underwood, court coordinator for the judge.

Before Friday, DeLay, a Republican from Sugar Land, Texas, will likely spend about an hour being fingerprinted and photographed, she said. He'll also be required to state his attorneys for the record.

Sweet!

View John DeStefano's new ad

John DeStefano released a new television ad which will hit the airwaves this week on all the Connecticut television stations. I guess this ad is coming out now to counter the press Gov Jodi Rell has received over the last couple of days since she announced her intentions on running for governor.

If you don't want to wait, I just posted the commercial and you can download it now.

UPDATE: You can now view the ad on DeStefano's website by clicking here


Genghis at Connecticut Local Politics comments on the ad and I totally agree with all of his points.

So here's the progression of the ad (and the basic theme of the campaign):

1. Connecticut is in crisis. Even if you don't know it yet, it is.

2. But there's hope! Things can change.

3. Our candidate has a great background. He's a family man. He's like you.

4. He's done great things in New Haven. New Haven is a lot better than you remember.

5. He'll do great things for us, too.

No real substance yet, but it's early. A little negative for a first impression. People don't have to be told when there's a crisis: they figure it out for themselves. If a candidate pushes crisis too hard when the public doesn't feel there is one, that candidate becomes vulnerable to charges of negativity. That's the route the governor is going.

Otherwise it's a solid campaign piece. I do think, however, that people are going to be surprised to see it on the air a year before the election. Then again, the ad is meant more for the party base than anyone else. It lets them know that the Democrats are alive and kicking, and that this campaign will be hard-fought. As a message to the base, it succeeds very well indeed.

This is why Genghis is the man as he nails it. This ad is aimed at the Democratic base and not for the entire state. I think (like his DVD) that this is a smart move by DeStefano as the ad could take some of the attention off of Gov. Rell and serve as a reminder to DeStefano's base that the Democrats are in this race also.

Courant slams Johnson in Friday's editorial

I'm alittle behind on things right now (it's been a very busy weekend) and I know I'm playing catch-up but this editorial from Friday's Courant is too good not to bring up.

Nancy Johnson's trip to Ecuador is another example of politicians accepting gifts and favors from lobbyists and special interests groups and Democratic and Republicans voters can't stand it when politicains do things like this (remember how the public turned on Ernest Newton when he accepted gifts for favors).

From the Hartford Courant

When corporations and nonprofit groups pay for trips taken by member of Congress, they usually expect something in return - such as favorable legislation or federal grants.

Yet such junkets are entirely legal. An example involves a trip this past summer by U.S. Rep. Nancy L. Johnson of New Britain. The nonprofit Nature Conservancy, based in Arlington, Va., picked up the $17,900 tab to fly Mrs. Johnson and her husband to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands to observe the organization's work.

The Conservancy receives about $42 million in federal grants each year for its conservation projects around the world. Mrs. Johnson and three other House members, along with their spouses, were invited because they are members of a pro-conservation congressional caucus. The trip tab came to more than $64,000.

It should be obvious that the Conservancy potentially has a lot to gain from having Mrs. Johnson and the others as friends at budget time.

Mrs. Johnson and her colleagues ought to have paid their own way to avoid any hint of conflict of interest.

If, as Mrs. Johnson claims, the trip was educational, it would qualify as a legitimate public expense to be covered by Congress - with spouses, of course, paying their own way.

Accepting all-expenses trips from corporations, trade groups and nonprofits has been a routine - if unsavory - congressional practice for too long.

Since 2000, members of Congress have been showered with a whopping $16 million worth of such trips. Mrs. Johnson is one of the chief recipients - the beneficiary of more than $70,000 in air travel, meals, lodging and other expenses.

Chris Murphy fundrasing generates impressive numbers

Seems like we might have a contest for the 5th Congressional seat if Chris Murphy keeps up his fundraising pace.

The State Senator released his fundraising totals for the third quarter last week and it shows that he collected $254,165 in the last four months which is quite impressive seeing that the election is still a year away.

Nancy Johnson should be concerned as it seems like she will have a real fight on her hands. Her ties to Tom Delay and lobbyists is common knowledge and her free trip to Ecuador has generated some bad press. With the money Murphy is generating at this early point in the race, expect him to have the cash on hand to attack Johnson hard on the airwaves.