"Corrupt-icut" Thursday Evening Edition

Connecticut's embarassament continues. When these sharks taste blood they don't back off.

The Thursday edition of the New York Times, focuses on Rowland's plea for forgiveness. To the Times, Rowland Drew a line in the sand when he stated that he "never - 'not once' - took any action in exchange for gifts he accepted from state aides and contractors."

Why anyone would make such an assertion during the same six minute speech in which that person admitted that he lied, is beyond me.

The Times correctly observes:

All of Mr. Rowland's decisions are now being viewed through the prism of that admission, which not only threatens to skew Mr. Rowland's legacy as governor, but could put him in legal jeopardy as well. Having conceded one half of a potential quid pro quo, lawyers say, the governor has made himself vulnerable to those scrutinizing his every step during nine years as governor.

According to the Times, Michael R. Sklaire, a former assistant United States attorney who helped successfully prosecute Bridgeport Mayor Joseph P. Ganim last year, said:

To make a criminal case you've got to link the gifts to something the public official has done, and you do that through circumstantial evidence.

The Times offers as an example of an "official act" that could now be examined in a different light, the "1998 legislation proposed by Mr. Rowland to suspend construction of new asphalt plants in Connecticut." According to the Times, some opposed the legislation saying it would create a virtual monopoly for O&G Industries and Tilcon Connecticut, road-building companies. What no one knew at the time is that O&G, a construction conglomerate that builds highways and office complexes, installed a patio at Mr. Rowland's lakeside cottage in 1997 and performed other work there as recently as last year. In addition, Tilcon's chairman was Angelo Tomasso, whose family controls other companies that provided workers at Mr. Rowland's cottage and are at the center of the federal investigation into his administration. Despite Mr. Tomasso's involvement, Tilcon was not related to the Tomasso companies that are part of the investigation.

The Times acknowledges that no evidence suggests that Rowland took action in exchange for a specific gift, but the Time is suspicious of the fact that he is known to have taken steps, as governor, to help friends who have helped him.

If we were discussing this a year ago, I would think that a governor taking steps to friends, especially friends who helped that governor is what friends and, heaven forbid, politicians do. Because Rowland violated our trust by lying to us, everything he says and does will be suspect.

Thank goodness the rest of the national media failed to pile on today. We don't need the national media because the local press is relentless. The New Britan Herald, reports that Rowland is trying to ‘Clintonize’ himself. Yes, Rowland has apparantly sunken that low.

The Herald reports:

Gov. John Rowland made reference to President Bill Clinton’s impeachment at least four or five times while meeting with lawmakers Wednesday, according to state Sen. Don DeFronzo (D-6).

[. . .]

"He didn’t talk in detail about the charges, only that he made mistakes and was looking forward to rehabilitating himself with the voters," DeFronzo told The Herald. "He made it very clear he had no intention to resign or step aside. He must have said that at least four or five times."

[. . .]

"Rowland said he had been studying the chronology of Clinton’s impeachment. From the time Clinton denied having sex with Monica Lewinsky to the time he admitted it, seven months passed. During that seven months, Rowland said Clinton was able to govern effectively and maintain fairly high ratings in the polls," DeFronzo said.

To DeFronzo, Rowland’s message was that he could continue to govern effectively and rehabilitate himself while regaining the public’s trust.

"It seems to me he’s trying to ‘Clintonize’ himself," the senator said, "using that whole episode to manage the current crisis."

It is truly amazing how little support there is for Rowland at the moment. No one I know has a kind word to say for him. The press, tasting blood, is extremely persistenant. I can't imagine how Rowland can distract them.

Meanwhile back in the blogoshpere, Steve, at Absit Invidia, has also entered another post about "Corrupt-icut."

Steve, hits the nail on the head when he posts: The main issue, but by no means the only issue, is whether Rowland's acceptance of thousands of dollars worth of Summer home improvements from business and political friends constitutes corruption. Connecticut ethics laws forbid the acceptance of gifts valued at more than $10 from people having business before the state. Critics say Rowland violated that law; Rowland maintains that although the gifts were well in excess of the $10 maximum, no political favors were granted as a result of the donor's generosity. There are, of course, whispers of tax evasion because the governor never claimed the improvements as income.

Rowland just might fall like Capone, income tax evasion is a bad thing. Amended return anyone?