Connecticut 2 Candidate

[mndemocrat_29]

This from RollCall:

http://www.rollcall.com/pub/49_56/atr/3667-1.html

Former Norwich City Councilman Jim Sullivan (D) will enter the race against Rep. Rob Simmons (R) by week's end, according to knowledgeable Democratic sources.

Sullivan joins former state Rep. Shaun McNally in the contest and is seen as the preferred candidate of national Democrats. Sullivan briefly ran for the seat in 2002 but dropped out in favor of former state Rep. Joe Courtney (D), who ran a disappointing general election campaign, losing to Simmons 54 percent to 46 percent.

Simmons has shown an ability to win the eastern Connecticut district despite its Democratic underpinnings.

He ousted longtime Rep. Sam Gejdenson (D) in 2000 even as then-Vice President Al Gore was carrying the district with 54 percent.

CT-2 is a must for the 2004 elections. It's one of the most liberal seats currently held by a Republican and if we want any chance of taking back the House, we have to take this seat.

[tsipple]

1. Agreed. A Very Winnable Seat.

I used to live in that district. To my Connecticut friends: Go get 'em!

[CTLawGuy]

2. that is my district

Though It seems Simmons is a moderate, it's still good to get as many Dems as possible in Congress.

[mndemocrat_29]

3. Exactly

We need to win all of the seats that lean Democratic, whether they are occupied by moderates or not.

As a resident, do you know if Sullivan is a good candidate?

[Larkspur]

4. Simmons is a Bush lap dog

He voted for IWR, the tax cuts, the Prescription Drug bill. When it comes to the really important bills, Simmons votes the way Bush wants. The only bills Simmons is opposes would be abortion related bills because Connecitcut is a pro-choice state and Simmons touts it as a way to show that he's not a lap dog of Bush. True, Simmons is not a rightwing ideologue, but he's an enabler of rightwing ideology and will help Bush drown our government in debt.

[Larkspur]

5. If Sullivan is the "preferred candidate of national Democrats"

then I'm very leery about him. I don't know him personally, but am lerry of local Dems favored by Washington elitist Dems.

I really liked Joe Courtney and helped on his campaign last year. He was a gentleman and worked hard on his campaign, but he could not get financing from the DCCC. The Washington Dems wrote off Courtney. They sent him a Washington consultant, who was an arrogant a*hole and who gave bad advice, like on IWR, but the DCCC sent no $.

Shaun McNally attended Killingly's "Meet the Candidates" dinner and gave a good, strong speech. It was the first time I met him. He also called our town's candidates the day before election to wish them well on election day. That was very thoughtful of him.

I don't know much about either Sullivan or McNally. Norwich is 20 miles south of my town, so never had any dealings with them.