Sounding like Bush, Rell ducks questions

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Sounding like Bush, Rell ducks questions

October 12, 2006

New Haven Register Editorial

An accountable governor should answer on even awkward subjects.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell needs to be more candid with the state's voters. Her disconcerting evasion of two simple questions at Monday night's gubernatorial debate was only partially offset by the eagerness with which John DeStefano Jr., the Democratic challenger, pounced on her failure to answer.

The first question that left Rell tongue-tied was who she supported as a candidate for U.S. Senate: Alan Schlesinger, Ned Lamont or Joe Lieberman. She refused to answer the question. The best she could offer was that "they all bring something different to the table."

In a normal election year, the obvious answer would be her party's candidate, Alan Schlesinger. But the national Republican strategy is to quietly support Lieberman, who lost the Democrats' primary to Lamont. It is an awkward bit of political maneuvering that the governor found impossible to explain in public.

Rell also ducked another simple question, what was her biggest mistake as governor? Like President Bush, who told a press conference he could not think of a single mistake during his presidency, Rell could not think of a single mistake in two years in office.

In contrast, DeStefano had no trouble listing what he considered his biggest mistake as mayor of New Haven, backing the construction of a regional mall at the intersections of Interstates 95 and 91.

And to the help the governor along, his campaign released a list of her top 10 biggest mistakes the morning after the debate. At the top of the list was the fund-raising scandal in the governor's office. It would have been good to hear Rell explain why her chief of staff still has a job after soliciting contributions to Rell's re-election campaign from 16 state commissioners. The department heads and their deputies are forbidden by state law to contribute to campaigns.

A popular incumbent with a large lead in the polls, Rell may feel she can afford to duck some questions and limit appearances with her opponents. But, the state needs a governor who is fully accountable. In the only other debate with DeStefano alone on Oct. 18, we hope she is more forthcoming.