NH Register: State police union backs DeStefano

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NH Register: State police union backs DeStefano

The New Haven Register August 03, 2006

By Gregory B. Hladky

Hartford - The president of the 1,100-member Connecticut State Police Union said Wednesday that the organization endorses Democratic gubernatorial candidate John DeStefano Jr. because of his "history of supporting law enforcement."

DeStefano said the state police union's backing was particularly meaningful for him because he is "the son of a cop."

"I'm standing in good company today," said DeStefano, mayor of New Haven.

DeStefano pointed out that he also has the endorsement of the union representing New Haven police, and that his opponent in Tuesday's primary for the Democratic nomination for governor, Stamford Mayor Dannel P. Malloy, didn't get the support of his local police union.

"He (Malloy) doesn't stand with working families," said DeStefano.

Malloy's campaign manager, Chris Cooney, downplayed the state police union endorsement by saying that DeStefano "has union executives on his side, but we think Dan has a lot of rank-and-file police on his side." Cooney said those rank-and-file union members would make a major difference in the primary voting regardless of formal union endorsements.

Cooney also said Malloy, as a former prosecutor, has a crime-fighting record "second to none, and certainly better than John DeStefano's."

Meanwhile, Malloy filed a formal complaint with the state Wednesday charging that DeStefano has failed to provide key information about a complex form of campaign accounting involving joint expenses by candidates for governor and lieutenant governor.

According to a statement from Malloy's campaign, that information is "essential in tracking who was paid for work by the DeStefano campaign."

DeStefano's campaign has previously made similar accusations about Malloy's campaign but didn't file a formal complaint with the state Elections Enforcement Commission.

But DeStefano dismissed the accusation against his campaign as "not accurate" and said Malloy is "trying to create an issue where there is none" in the final days of the primary campaign.

DeStefano also joked about the latest Malloy television campaign ad in which DeStefano's head is superimposed upon the bodies of a pregnant women and a woman holding a baby.

The Malloy ad is an attempt to attack DeStefano for allegedly ignoring key medical procedures affecting women in proposing his health care program. DeStefano insists his opponent is distorting his position and that such procedures for women would be addressed by his plan.

Asked Wednesday if he was offended by the latest Malloy TV ad, DeStefano replied: "I think I have better legs."

"I have a hard time taking it seriously," DeStefano said of the campaign commercial showing him as a woman in a dress, adding that he doesn't believe such negative campaigning works with voters.