Secretary of the State set the record straight to The Danbury News-Times

In light of Fred Lucas' inaccurate reporting regarding his "sore loser law" story, Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz sets the record straight to the News-Times.

(In what can only be described as arrogant, the News-Times titled Bysiewicz's letter "The sore-loser law is fair to voters")

I am writing to provide some clarification regarding the Nov. 15 article, "State official pushes for 'sore loser' law."

The Lieberman-Lamont race for the U.S. Senate provoked much passion on both sides this year. There were many who called my office angry at Senator Lieberman's plans to run as a petitioning party candidate after losing the Aug. 8 Democratic primary to Ned Lamont, and there were also many delighted that Senator Lieberman's candidacy remained viable even after losing the primary.

The August primary is a recent phenomenon. Prior to 2004, Connecticut's primaries were held in September and the deadline for candidates to submit petitions to run in November was early August.

However, when the legislature switched the primary date to August, it failed to keep the petition deadline consistent with the new primary date, which led to an unusual quirk in our elections calendar, highlighted by Senator Lieberman's candidacy this year.

I have discussed proposing legislation to realign our state's election calendar to make it as it was before 2004. If a candidate wishes to run in November, regardless of the outcome of a primary "" such as Senator Lieberman did this year "" that would still be possible, provided petitions are submitted to my office one month before the August primary.

This legislation would not have kept Senator Lieberman off the November ballot after he lost the August primary. The only difference would be that, under my proposal, he would have had to let the voters know before the primary that he did not intend to accept the results of the primary in the event he lost.

This bill is consistent with my long-time advocacy of encouraging ballot access and civic participation.

In order to ensure transparency of government, voters should have as much information about a candidate as possible when they are asked to make a choice.

Although Bysiewicz clarified her position, she didn't have to do this as it was clearly Fred Lucas who got the story wrong. As I stated in GREAT DETAIL on the 15th, Bysiewicz NEVER proposed a sore-loser law but simply wanted to fix a loophole that was created when the primary date was pushed back from September to August. She stated this numerous times even going as far as calling a press conference and stating that her proposal was not a sore loser law.

What is absent from this letter is a correction from Fred Lucas and/or the News-Times stating that they got this story wrong. Remember, this story made the front page of the News-Times with a misleading headline OVER A WEEK AGO and although several reporters at the News-Times read this and other blogs that reported on this error, they haven't made an attempt to admit to their error to this date.

Lets go back in time and take a look at Lucas article. The artcle starts off with a lie.

Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, one week after being re-elected to a third term, said Tuesday she still planned to push for a "sore loser" law that she talked about during the campaign.

This is a lie. Bysiewicz NEVER, EVER, proposed this during the campaign...what she did talk about is what Lucas quoted her as saying to her in the VERY NEXT PARAGRAPH.

"I am putting together a legislative package that includes moving the calendar for petitioning candidates to match that of a candidate petitioning for a primary," Bysiewicz said before speaking at Western Connecticut State University on Tuesday.

This is consistant with what Bysiewicz said later that SAME day at a news conference.

Although Lucas got the quote correct, he took it upon himself to call Bysiewicz's proposal a sore loser law and made his entire story based around this false claim.

The proposal is meeting skepticism among state lawmakers, who fear it could be undemocratic. The Connecticut General Assembly convenes in January.

After Lieberman lost the Democratic primary to Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont in August, he launched an independent candidacy and was reelected to a fourth Senate term last week.

If the law Bysiewicz is proposing had been in effect this year, it would have stopped Lieberman from running as an independent after he lost the Democratic primary to Lamont.

IF you watch the vide clip, you'll CLEARLY see that what Lucas is stating is outright wrong and as a political reporter, he should have known better.

This is not the first time the News-Times dropped the ball on a front page story as they ran a frontpage story based on a obvious bogus claim regarding FAKE neo-nazi organization several months ago. The reason why fell for the hoax was simple...they didn't fact check their information.

Lets go back in time and see what the Publisher of the News-Times said in his appology to readers (pay attention to the part in bold):

We were duped. There evidently is no "Grey Wolves" white supremacist group planning to disrupt a Christian organization's rally in Danbury this Tuesday.

A self-described idiot from Fairfield County admitted Friday the whole story was a hoax. The man concocted the neo-Nazi story because he's a strong supporter of the separation of church and state, a philosophy the rally organizers oppose.

[...]

The fake Nazi didn't pry money from unsuspecting readers, but he did cause local law enforcement to waste time and energy trying to avoid a confrontation. He also caused anxiety for the organization that planned the rally and scrambled to distance itself from the Grey Wolves.

Regrettably, The News-Times played a part by publishing the man's claims. The story started innocently enough, with details of the rally appearing on our Web site, NewsTimesLive.com, Wednesday afternoon.

The news landscape has changed and, like many media outlets, The News-Times sometimes posts information on its Web site before it appears in print. The man from Fairfield County read the story online and called the newspaper, claiming to represent the neo-Nazi group.

He answered questions and followed with an e-mail; his comments appeared in the print story published Thursday. After the city of Danbury acted quickly by pulling the organizer's rally permit, the hoaxer confessed and apologized.

The idea of a white supremacist group in the region was plausible enough. The Connecticut White Wolves, a white nationalist skinhead organization, has grown in recent years.

In hindsight, we should have checked the man's claims more thoroughly.

That's easy to say now. There will be those who chalk this up as further proof of some grand conspiracy.

In reality, it's a reminder of the need for skepticism because, for some people, lying comes far too easily.

At the time I gave the Publisher props for coming clean but now I see that I was wrong because in reading this again, he's putting more blame on an idiot who called in a fake claim than the reporters and editors who failed to hear the numerous from this the bogus tip (you can read all about that here).

It's fairly obvious that the same editors who brought you the frontpage neonaxi hoax didn't learn their lesson when it comes to doublechecking information from their reporters.

To be clear:

1. A sore loser law is about keeping a candidate off the ballot if he or she loses a priamry.

To be clear:

SoS Bysiewicz proposal had NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS. She only proposed fixing a loophole which was created when the primary date when moved back from September to August.

To be clear:

Fred Lucas accurately reported on Bysiewicz's proposal and put his spin on the story to make it seem like Bysiewicz was proposing a sore loser law. The News-Times DID NOT fact check his story before going to print and ran a misleading headline claiming that Bysiewicz was proposing a sore loser law.

It's now been two weeks and the News-Times is STILL silent on the matter. Not only did the News-Times mislead the public, but they mislead the politicians that they called from a comment on this story. Instead of reporting on local government issues which goes under the radar, they spoonfeed the public yet another misleading story that received a great deal of feedback from readers.

This is wrong.


TELL THE NEWS-TIMES TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT:

Reporter Fred Lucas: State house, politics (203) 731-3358 flucas@newstimes.com

News & Editorial (203) 744-5100 editor@newstimes.com

Jacqueline Smith Managing Editor/News (203) 731-3369 jsmith@newstimes.com

Eric Conrad Editor (203) 731-3361 econrad@newstimes.com

CTLauryn a week later

Blame this person on the lack of posts.

Don't say DeStefano didn't warn you

He told you so and now it's come true.

Don't look at me, I wasn't fooled by "no-issues" Rowland-Rell...

Anita O' Day

Another great singer has passed away.

What day is it, what is she crying for now and...what's that smell?

Oh, am I tired. The newest member of my family CTLauryn is keeping her daddy VERY busy at night. Between learning the difference between a "I'm hungry" cry versus a "I have a present in my diaper for you" cry, I haven't really had time to do any serious blogging.

That doesn't mean that I haven't kept on top of the news (or laugh at Joe Lieberman's pathetic interviews on FOX), it's just that with the holidays, I think my time is beter served holding my daughter and being thankful for having her in my life.

I'll be back on the scene very soon with more information on Chris Dodd's crusade to dismantle President Bush's attempt to throw away Habeas Corpus.

Ah, fatherhood!

Wanna join team Joementum?

Do you want to work for one of the worse senators in Washington? Thankfully, the Carpetbagger gives the details so I don't have to.

The Senate Employment Bulletin is routinely used by Senate offices to announce job openings, but most of the time, staffers are vague about which senator it is. You'll frequently see descriptions such as "Midwestern Republicans seeks..." or "Southern centrist Democrat is looking for..."

Here's an actual listing from this week's Bulletin. See if you can guess which senator is hiring.

LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT - Northeastern Independent Democratic Senator seeks Legislative Assistant to handle economic, budget, tax, and trade issues. This LA is responsible for monitoring pending legislation, drafting amendments and bills, meeting with constituents and lobbyists, preparing briefing material for the Senator for floor presentation, speeches, office meetings, and state events. Law or other advanced degree strongly preferred. Expertise in tax and economic policy, knowledge of Senate Floor procedures, and strong Hill experience preferred. Individual must possess a broad vision of overriding economic challenges of the 21st century, and an entrepreneurial ability to initiate and develop major projects with an impact on global competitiveness and economic issues. Other characteristics and skills should include an ability to analyze issues, strong oral and written communication skills, sound political judgment, and the ability to work under pressure. Interested candidates should fax cover letter indicating job referral number with resume, and writing sample to (202) 224-9750. Please do not submit resumes by email. No phone inquiries please.

If you want to share a room D.C's famous assclowns The Bull Moose and the great DANGERstein, you know what to do.

New York Times goofs on Lieberman's new man

Oh man, now this is a great read.

Senator Joseph I. Lieberman announced Tuesday that he had hired a new spokesman, which is not in itself that noteworthy, except that the said spokesman, Marshall Wittmann, is one of the great career vagabonds, ideological contortionists and political pontificators ever to inflict himself on a city full of them.

To say that Mr. Wittmann defies classification is like saying Paris Hilton defies modesty. But in his peripatetic soul, he is a Washington Original, a man without a political country going to work for a senator without a political party.

Mr. Lieberman, a longtime Democrat of Connecticut who was re-elected as an independent and calls himself an "Independent Democrat," has not ruled out becoming a Republican.

Mr. Wittmann, meanwhile, is a Trotskyite turned Zionist turned Reaganite turned bipartisan irritant turned pretty much everything in between - including chief lobbyist for the Christian Coalition, the only Jew who has ever held that position.

This article is a gem and a must read if you want to learn more about the inner psyche of Joementum and his band of DINO morons.

Oh Joe, please, please become a Republican before 2008 so the Democrats can do the right thing and throw you under the bus for good.

Mo' money, mo' money!

Can we now get rid of the state income tax...

The state budget surplus for this fiscal year has more than doubled to an estimated $486.5 million from last month as an improving economy brings in more tax revenue, Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Tuesday.

The estimate by the governor's budget office jumped from $220.1 million last month and is more than half the $940.5 million surplus compiled in the year that ended June 30.

Lieberman hires new mouthpiece

ANother spit in the eye of Democrats. From LIEberman's press release:

Lieberman Announces Appointment of New Senate Communications Director Marshall Wittmann

Senator lauds Wittmann's diverse background, independence

WASHINGTON
- Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) announced today he has appointed Marshall Wittmann, formerly a Senior Fellow at the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) and Communications Director to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), to replace Senate Communications Director Casey Aden-Wansbury, who left Lieberman's office last month to join the Children's Defense Fund (CDF).

"There is no better person to take the helm during this new time in my Senate career than Marshall," Lieberman said. " Marshall has been a trusted outside advisor to me for some time now and I'm glad he will be bring his experience and wisdom to my staff. Those qualities, along with his independence and diverse background, make him the ideal captain of my new Senate Communications team."

Wittmann, a registered Independent, has a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education and a Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan. Since 2004, he has been a Senior Fellow at the DLC. Prior to that, he served as Communications Director to Sen. McCain from 2002-2004. From 2000-2002, Wittmann was a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute. (Colin notes: Current Hudson scholars include Norman Podhoretz and Scooter Libby.) During the 1990's, Wittmann did stints as Legislative Director for both the Heritage Foundation and the Christian Coalition. A native of Waco, Texas, Wittmann began his career by working as a social worker in Ann Arbor ,Michigan.

"It is both an honor and a privilege to have this opportunity to join Senator Lieberman's staff," Wittmann said. "The people of Connecticut and indeed all of America are fortunate to have his independent leadership in the Senate. I look forward to being part of his team."

Swtich over to the Republicans already.

Contact Fox-61 and tell them NO to OJ

Well, I guess I don't need to even start this post. Seems like shameless Judith Regan came to her senses.

After a firestorm of criticism, News. Corp. said Monday that it has canceled the O.J. Simpson book and television special "If I Did It."

"I and senior management agree with the American public that this was an ill-considered project," said Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. chairman. "We are sorry for any pain that his has caused the families of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson."

Well, isn't that nice. The real sick part is that Regan and Murdoch wanted to go through with the deal in the first place.

UPDATE:In case you wanted to know what Fred Goldman, father of ROn GOldman, had to say about OJ and his "fictional" book...

Tarnished legacy

Click here and read all about it.