RTC Invites Newtown To Rub Elbows

With Political Hopefuls

By John Voket

As longtime Newtown Republican Town Committee member Barbara O’Connor pointed out, once state and national level political campaigns hit their stride, it becomes more difficult to get a good sense of the candidates.

All the more reason, she says, to consider attending two upcoming RTC forums hosting a number of state and national political contenders...regardless of your political leanings.

“It’s a chance to really spend a few minutes getting to know each candidate face-to-face,” Ms O’Connor said this week, ahead of a February 24 forum that is scheduled to feature all the GOP candidates for the Connecticut Senate seat currently held by Christopher Dodd.

Sen Dodd has announced he will not seek reelection to the seat he has held since 1981.

According to Mitch Bolinsky, who is helping to organize the forums, the format of the evenings is non-confrontational by design, and the speaking order will be determined randomly as selected by an informal drawing at the start of each evening.

“The forum is not set up as a debate,” Mr Bolinsky wrote in an advance. “Rather, it will afford each candidate the opportunity to speak for ten minutes about issues most important to them, what makes them the best person to represent Connecticut in the US Senate and what makes them individual best suited to defeat [Democratic candidate and state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal].”

Mr Bolinsky said after everyone speaks, there will be a moderator-directed Q&A session followed by an opportunity for concluding comments, coffee, and a casual meet and greet. 

Nearly 100 people, mostly party faithful, attended the first forum in January, which featured candidates for Connecticut’s Fifth District Congressional race who are out to unseat Democrat Christopher Murphy. Justin Bernier, Sam Caligiari, Bill Evans, Mark Greenberg, and Kie Westby were all on hand.

While Ms O’Connor said, in her view, the Fifth District candidates “...all pretty much agreed on just about everything,” she and others in attendance were pleased to hear a uniform front on proposed term limits.

“I thought it was really interesting that all five supported term limits,” Mr Bolinsky concurred. “Their idea was, if you can’t get the work you need to done in 12 years — two Senate terms or six congressional — that you should get out of Washington and give someone else a chance.”

Republican town Registrar Karin Aurelia said the candidates’ uniform agreement on term limits resonated with her as well.

Ms O’Connor and RTC member Barbara Bloom both took note that during the question period, when asked whether they were pro-choice or pro-life (they were given the option of not answering) four of them immediately said pro-life.

She said Mr Bernier did not really answer the question. “He said adoption should be expanded.”

Ms Bloom said on her take, Mr Bernier was not ready to reverse Roe vs Wade, “he just wanted to reduce [the number of] abortions.”

Her husband, Dennis, who is positioned to assume local leadership of the RTC next week, said he thinks any resident could come away with some valuable insight by attending one or both of the upcoming forums.

“They are much more down to earth than the forums and debates you see on TV,” Mr Bloom said. “I hope we get more attendance at the next one — these forums are good for Newtown residents, regardless of their political affiliation.”

Ms O’Connor agreed.

“We had a good crowd that night but these [candidates] should have a bigger audience,” she said.

Besides the February senatorial forum, a third forum is set for March 24 featuring the GOP candidates for governor.

Mr Bolinsky said because the field is still developing with more “exploratory committees” than campaigns, the list of attendees “should firm up before our March event.” He said confirmed guests include Lieutenant Governor Mike Fedele and Ambassador Tom Foley.

Other possible guests may include House GOP Leader Larry Cafero, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, Newtown’s state Senator, Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, and Oz Griebel, who has served as the leader for two of the state’s largest urban business and economic development agencies.

Both upcoming forums begin at 8 pm and are being held in the multipurpose building and Senior Center in Sandy Hook. There is no admission, and the February 24 forum will be preceded by a brief RTC meeting.