President Barack Obama announced his support for gay marriage Wednesday, telling Robin Roberts of ABC News, “I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.”

“I’ve stood on the side of broader equality for the LGBT community. I hesitated on gay marriage in part because I thought civil unions would be sufficient,” Obama said. “I was sensitive to the fact that for a lot of people, the word ‘marriage’ evokes very powerful traditions, religious beliefs.”

But he said he felt the time had come for his self-described “evolution” to finish.

Read more from Politico’s Jennifer Epstein

Tags: gay marriage, Obama, dh

An openly gay Connecticut elected official wrote a letter to Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz Wednesday to express his concerns about the party holding it national convention in a state that just banned gay marriage.

Continue reading "Lembo Calls On DNC To Respond To Vote In North Carolina" »

In his first day as de facto Republican Presidential nominee, Mitt Romney came to Hartford to tout his business credentials and woo female voters. It is a classic trick of the campaign trail to make a decent-sized crowd look huge by cramming them into a tiny space and it worked well on Wednesday. Staged in the biggest room of a small print shop, people — including plenty of well-placed ladies — were virtually hanging from the rafters to get a glimpse of the potential president.

Continue reading "OP-ED | President Dannel P. Malloy?" »

Tags: Malloy, Obama, Malloyalists, Andrew Doba, Morning Joe, heath w. fahle, dh

Former President Bill Clinton avoided weighing in on this year’s presidential election Friday night in favor of a speech vaguely centered on “embracing our common humanity.” But he got a few laughs along the way at the sold-out Bushnell theater.

Continue reading "Clinton Avoids Politics, But Gets A Few Laughs" »

Tags: Bill Clinton, president, Connecticut Forum, Bushnell

An expected request by President Barack Obama for a new round of military Base Realignment and Closures will be “dead on arrival” in Congress, according to a statement from members of the Connecticut Congressional delegation.

Continue reading "CT Delegates: Request For More Base Closures ‘Dead on Arrival’" »

Tags: New London, Courtney, Lieberman, Blumenthal, submarines, obama

At a press conference commemorating the 39th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, state officials and women’s rights activists vowed to fight any attempts to threaten women’s reproductive rights.

Continue reading "Roe v. Wade Turns 39 As The Battle Over Access To Contraception Heats Up" »

Tags: roe v. wade, abortion, women's rights, wyman, merrill, planned parenthood

More than a year ago healthcare advocates were criticizing the state for increasing premiums and allowing low-income children to drop out of the state’s health insurance program, but this year the state is receiving a $5.2 million performance bonus from the Obama administration for enrolling more children in the program.

Continue reading "State Awarded $5.2 Million Performance Bonus From Obama Administration" »

Tags: Medicaid, medicare, federal assistance, husky, malloy, wyman, Hugh McQuaid

President Barack Obama addressed a Joint Congress Thursday evening and urged them no less than 17 times to pass his jobs proposal.

Democrats in Connecticut like Gov. Dannel P. Malloy praised Obama’s remarks saying the proposal will benefit residents in the state.

“The President’s proposals will be a direct benefit to Connecticut residents and businesses,” Malloy said. “For example, by investing in infrastructure his proposal would put people to work; by funding education he will avoid layoffs of teachers and increased class sizes; and by extending unemployment insurance he will keep out of poverty the approximately 78,000 Connecticut workers who will have exhausted their unemployment benefits by the end of this year.”

Republicans in Connecticut, like GOP Chairman Jerry Labriola Jr., said the speech was “rich in rhetoric” in a reelection year.

“Rather than proposing to lift the job destroying spending and oppressive over-regulation that have become a hallmark of his Presidency, Obama repackaged the same broken promises and platitudes that filled his campaign. Fourteen million unemployed Americans deserve better,” Labriola said.

You be the judge.

Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery. And here is a fact sheet compiled by the White House outlining what the “American Jobs Act” will do.

Continue reading "President Obama Urges Congress To Pass His Jobs Bill" »

Tags: Obama, jobs, speech, pass the bill, Democrats, Republicans

(Updated 10:38 p.m) Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is considering closing roads to all non-emergency vehicles during the height of Hurricane Irene, which was moving slowly up the East Coast toward Connecticut on Saturday after making landfall in North Carolina.

—PHOTOS & VIDEO: Inside the Eye of Irene

Continue reading "Connecticut Prepares for Irene’s Arrival" »

Tags: Hurricane Irene, connecticut, weather

-Immediately enacted 10-year discretionary spending caps generating nearly $1 trillion in deficit reduction; balanced between defense and non-defense spending.

-President authorized to increase the debt limit by at least $2.1 trillion, eliminating the need for further increases until 2013. 

-Bipartisan committee process tasked with identifying an additional $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction, including from entitlement and tax reform. Committee is required to report legislation by November 23, 2011, which receives fast-track protections. Congress is required to vote on Committee recommendations by December 23, 2011.

-Enforcement mechanism established to force all parties – Republican and Democrat – to agree to balanced deficit reduction. If Committee fails, enforcement mechanism will trigger spending reductions beginning in 2013 – split 50/50 between domestic and defense spending. Enforcement protects Social Security, Medicare beneficiaries, and low-income programs from any cuts.

1. REMOVING UNCERTAINTY TO SUPPORT THE AMERICAN ECONOMY

-Deal Removes Cloud of Uncertainty Until 2013, Eliminating Key Headwind on the Economy: Independent analysts, economists, and ratings agencies have all made clear that a short-term debt limit increase would create unacceptable economic uncertainty by risking default again within only a matter of months and as S&P stated, increase the chance of a downgrade. By ensuring a debt limit increase of at least $2.1 trillion, this deal removes the specter of default, providing important certainty to our economy at a fragile moment.

-Mechanism to Ensure Further Deficit Reduction is Designed to Phase-In Beginning in 2013 to Avoid Harming the Recovery: The deal includes a mechanism to ensure additional deficit reduction, consistent with the economic recovery. The enforcement mechanism would not be made effective until 2013, avoiding any immediate contraction that could harm the recovery. And savings from the down payment will be enacted over 10 years, consistent with supporting the economic recovery.

2. A DOWNPAYMENT ON DEFICIT REDUCTION BY LOCKING IN HISTORIC SPENDING DISCIPLINE – BALANCED BETWEEN DOMESTIC AND PENTAGON SPENDING

-More than $900 Billion in Savings over 10 Years By Capping Discretionary Spending: The deal includes caps on discretionary spending that will produce more than $900 billion in savings over the next 10 years compared to the CBO March baseline, even as it protects core investments from deep and economically damaging cuts.

-Includes Savings of $350 Billion from the Base Defense Budget – the First Defense Cut Since the 1990s: The deal puts us on track to cut $350 billion from the defense budget over 10 years. These reductions will be implemented based on the outcome of a review of our missions, roles, and capabilities that will reflect the President’s commitment to protecting our national security.

-Reduces Domestic Discretionary Spending to the Lowest Level Since Eisenhower: These discretionary caps will put us on track to reduce non-defense discretionary spending to its lowest level since Dwight Eisenhower was President.

-Includes Funding to Protect the President’s Historic Investment in Pell Grants: Since taking office, the President has increased the maximum Pell award by $819 to a maximum award $5,550, helping over 9 million students pay for college tuition bills. The deal provides specific protection in the discretionary budget to ensure that the there will be sufficient funding for the President’s historic investment in Pell Grants without undermining other critical investments.

3. ESTABLISHING A BIPARTISAN PROCESS TO ACHIEVE $1.5 TRILLION IN ADDITIONAL BALANCED DEFICIT REDUCTION BY THE END OF 2011

-The Deal Locks in a Process to Enact $1.5 Trillion in Additional Deficit Reduction Through a Bipartisan, Bicameral Congressional Committee: The deal creates a bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Committee that is charged with enacting $1.5 trillion in additional deficit reduction by the end of the year. This Committee will work without the looming specter of default, ensuring time to carefully consider essential reforms without the disruption and brinksmanship of the past few months.

-This Committee is Empowered Beyond Previous Bipartisan Attempts at Deficit Reduction: Any recommendation of the Committee would be given fast-track privilege in the House and Senate, assuring it of an up or down vote and preventing some from using procedural gimmicks to block action.

-To Meet This Target, the Committee Will Consider Responsible Entitlement and Tax Reform. This means putting all the priorities of both parties on the table – including both entitlement reform and revenue-raising tax reform.

4. A STRONG ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM TO MAKE ALL SIDES COME TOGETHER

-The Deal Includes An Automatic Sequester to Ensure That At Least $1.2 Trillion in Deficit Reduction Is Achieved By 2013 Beyond the Discretionary Caps: The deal includes an automatic sequester on certain spending programs to ensure that—between the Committee and the trigger—we at least put in place an additional $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction by 2013.

-Consistent With Past Practice, Sequester Would Be Divided Equally Between Defense and Non-Defense Programs and Exempt Social Security, Medicaid, and Low-Income Programs: Consistent with the bipartisan precedents established in the 1980s and 1990s, the sequester would be divided equally between defense and non-defense program, and it would exempt Social Security, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, programs for low-income families, and civilian and military retirement. Likewise, any cuts to Medicare would be capped and limited to the provider side.

-Sequester Would Provide a Strong Incentive for Both Sides to Come to the Table:  If the fiscal committee took no action, the deal would automatically add nearly $500 billion in defense cuts on top of cuts already made, and, at the same time, it would cut critical programs like infrastructure or education.  That outcome would be unacceptable to many Republicans and Democrats alike – creating pressure for a bipartisan agreement without requiring the threat of a default with unthinkable consequences for our economy.

5. A BALANCED DEAL CONSISTENT WITH THE PRESIDENT’S COMMITMENT TO SHARED SACRIFICE

-The Deal Sets the Stage for Balanced Deficit Reduction, Consistent with the President’s Values: The deal is designed to achieve balanced deficit reduction, consistent with the values the President articulated in his April Fiscal Framework. The discretionary savings are spread between both domestic and defense spending. And the President will demand that the Committee pursue a balanced deficit reduction package, where any entitlement reforms are coupled with revenue-raising tax reform that asks for the most fortunate Americans to sacrifice. 

-The Enforcement Mechanism Complements the Forcing Event Already In Law – the Expiration of the Bush Tax Cuts – To Create Pressure for a Balanced Deal: The Bush tax cuts expire as of 1/1/2013, the same date that the spending sequester would go into effect. These two events together will force balanced deficit reduction. Absent a balanced deal, it would enable the President to use his veto pen to ensure nearly $1 trillion in additional deficit reduction by not extending the high-income tax cuts.

-In Securing this Bipartisan Deal, the President Rejected Proposals that Would Have Placed the Sole Burden of Deficit Reduction on Low-Income or Middle-Class Families: The President stood firmly against proposals that would have placed the sole burden of deficit reduction on lower-income and middle-class families. This includes not only proposals in the House Republican Budget that would have undermined the core commitments of Medicare to our seniors and forced tens of millions of low-income Americans to go without health insurance, but also enforcement mechanisms that would have forced automatic cuts to low-income programs. The enforcement mechanism in the deal exempts Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare benefits, unemployment insurance, programs for low-income families, and civilian and military retirement.