Mary E. O’Leary, Register Topics Editor
07/15/2005

NEW HAVEN — In a hint of things to come, Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s ties to her corrupt predecessor are being raised in the 2006 gubernatorial campaign, even before she officially enters the race.

Mayor John DeStefano Jr., who’s seeking her seat, has sent 2,000 DVDs to the Democratic Party faithful showing an image of former Gov. John G. Rowland with a reference to his prison number, fading to a photo of Rell.

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"John Rowland may be in jail, but the same old leadership with the same old policies are still in charge," says a voice near the beginning of the 20-minute campaign piece.

Rell, who is leaning toward running for governor, was Rowland’s lieutenant governor for 10 years until she assumed the top job when Rowland resigned in 2004.

Rowland is three months into a 10-month jail term for trading access to his office for $100,000 in chartered jet flights, vacations and gifts.

"Over the last 11 years, Connecticut has been led by the team of John Rowland and Jodi Rell, but the corruption of the Rowland-Rell years has not simply been a corruption of leadership, but of lower expectations," claims the pitch.

The video mainly elaborates on DeStefano’s successes in New Haven and his vision for the state.

William Hamzy, GOP party chairman, said tying Rell to scandal won’t fly.

"Jodi Rell has proven that she is her own person. She has been through a legislative session and has experienced successes of her own. I think the public likes what they have seen and respects her for what she has done," he said.

Rell’s staff had no comment on the video Thursday because she is not in the race.

Political scientist Arthur Paulson of Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven said DeStefano’s approach with the primary electorate and active Democrats will do no harm.

"But, if he (DeStefano) were to take that more broadly … that probably wouldn’t do him a lot of good," Paulson said.

On the other hand, "to say that the administration in the state is still fundamentally Rowland’s administration, I think that would be reasonably useful to do," Paulson said.

Shonu Gandhi, DeStefano’s campaign manager, said that’s their message.

Anyone running for office has a record, and Rell’s record is being a part of the Rowland administration for a decade and being governor for the past year, she said.

"If we examine that record, we look at policies still in place today that continue to fail Connecticut’s families," Gandhi said. "That’s unacceptable, and that’s what the DVD is pointing to."

She didn’t think it was unfair to drop the word corruption into the pitch.

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The video says Connecticut has lost thousands of jobs in manufacturing and insurance and ranks 43rd out of 50 states in attracting new employment; it’s failed to make health care affordable and property tax increases are hurting homeowners.

Rell had an 80 percent approval rating in a spring poll conducted by Quinnipiac University, the highest ever for a statewide leader.

Hamzy said if it were up to him, Rell would already be a candidate, and when the time comes, she will prove to be a tough contender.

"If she wasn’t a strong candidate, do you think John DeStefano would take time out of his own DVD to try to paint her in an unflattering light?" he asked.

©New Haven Register 2005