TF2

Shays Supports Bush Surge...stands against majority of Americans


That's right. The same Chris Shays who only months ago promised the voters that he was for a time-tabled withdrawal of troops from Iraq now stands with President Bush and his surge. Check out his website, house.gov/shays. You can watch Rep. Shays' speak against a non-binding resolution that opposes President Bush's surge. thefederalist does not support the cut and run tactics of the Obamas, Edwards, and Murthas of the world. However, one cannot help but wonder how 20,000 additional troops will help fix the mess in Iraq. It is clear that the power to fix this situation lies in the hands of the Iraqi people and their elected leaders.

thefederalist isn't going to pretend he has an in-depth knowledge about the complicated disaster (that's putting it lightly) that is Middle-Eastern policy. But, with a gun to my head, I would say that the best plan available for "success" in Iraq comes from the great state of Delaware's senator, and presidential hopeful, Joe Biden. With all the talk about '08, I couldn't help but browse nearly every candidate's website (yes, even Kucinich). What impressed me was that Senator Biden had a separate website, entirely devoted to his plan to fix Iraq. I would recommend that all of you go to , and get a good look at this for yourself. Biden calls for a federalization of Iraq, giving the three main ethnic groups (Sunni, Shiia, and Kurds) their own autonomous regions. These regions would have local control over some issues, while issues of national interest, such as military force and the distribution of oil profits, would fall under the jurisdiction of a national government. Hmm...a group of small states with local control over some issues under a national government with control over others...I've heard of this before but I can't remember where...

There are those who disagree with this plan. However, it would appear that Biden is the only candidate with an actual plan. Some Republicans support President Bush's troop surge (even while doubting its ability to succeed, just ask Rudy). Most Democrats simply say bring the troops home (Edwards, Obama, Kucinich). Even thefederalist understands that if we left Iraq today, we would eventually have to return, and possibly under worse conditions. And of course there are some candidates...well...there is Senator Hillary Clinton...who is just doing her best to mirror whatever the pollsters tell her.

There are many who think that Iraq will be divided, whether it's on our terms or someone else's. This could lead to trouble, especially if it divides into three completely separate nations. For example, an independent Kurdish nation in the north (what is no northern Iraq) border Kurdish Turkey, but also Shi'ia Iran. Iran could view this high concentration of Kurds (or possibly Turkey absorbing the new Kurdish nation) as a military threat, and respond in kind. Iran would also have substantial sway in a new Shi'ia nation, giving it more clout in the entire region. The last thing Americans should want is for Iran to gain more political power in the region (especially with its current leadership). A total break-up of Iraq almost assures this, reducing the United States to the drunken guest that caused the mess, while elevating the power of an Anti-semitic, power hungry, and dangerous regime.

We need to change course in Iraq. To federalize the nation is the best solution we have. Better for it to happen on our terms, not Iran's.







On a much lighter subject....

....with all the talk about '08 one can't help but think about '07. Seems like the Young/Klein election was only yesterday, and here we are, a mere 9 months away from doing it all over again. Of course, we're not quite sure of the players who will be involved. On the Republican side, two names come to mind: Peter Hovell and Flora Smith. The former head of the BOF, Mr. Hovell would certainly be the the choice between the two if it came to experience. This would also give the town a clear choice in November between First Selectwoman Klein's style of leadership and Hovell's (assuming Klein runs). Ms. Smith, however, clearly has the energy to run a campaign. She was an active supporter of the Young ticket in '05, and could decide that now is her time. Interestingly, someone told me that Ms. Smith formed an exploratory committee to look at a possible '07 run. thefederalist doubts this to be true, as it seems a little overboard...unless you are running for president.

And of course the next question...will our current First Selectwoman seek another term of office? On other CT blogs, some have speculated that Klein would make a good candidate to run against Shays. However, friends close to the First Selectwoman have told me that she has absolutely no interest in taking a political career to another level. This should make the people of our town feel good, as we have a leader with a focus on doing her job, not furthering her ambitions. But, one couldn't blame Klein if she chooses to sit this one out. There is no doubt that the Klein haters will be out in full force come the fall of 2007. But, we are nine months away, and it's a little foolish to be thinking that far ahead....


...which begs the question...why am I planning my next entry to be about the presidential election in '08?!

# posted by thefederalist @ 7:36 AM 4 comments

Out with '06, in with '07...my resolution? To try and post a little but more.

Today the first female Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi took her step into the history books. The 110th Congress began with an opening act filled with promises of civility and bi-partisanship. However, it is my opinion that the 110th Congress will prove to be one of the most divided sessions in recent history. The 2006 elections saw the defeat of many "moderate" New England Republicans in the House and Senate. With a lack of centrists in their ranks, the hard right members of the GOP will have more sway. The Conservative Minority will find little common ground with the moderate to liberal Democratic caucus that swept itself into power last November. If only we lived in Washington, DC we could get a better look of what promises to be an interesting session of Congress.

However, my very own wishes of moving down south were put on reserve this evening as I drove through our very own town of Darien. No matter what your political beliefs, the downtown has improved for the better over the past few years. Driving by lots that promise Brooks Brothers, Panera, and Ole Mole (just to name a few) made thefederalist smile about all that is to come. A new senior center, a new library, and possibly a Whole Foods all show just how much our town is progressing, not to mention the great new Darien High School that opened last Fall. While all the cameras are tuned in to the DC action, on January 4th, 2007, this federalist is happy he lives in Darien, Connecticut!



thefederalist hopes you all had a great Christmas and wishes you all the best in 2007.

Looks like the seniors in town got an early Christmas present. By a 5-0 vote, the Board of Selectmen approved the building of a new senior center.
Most seniors love the senior center, and advocated for improvements to the current building at most. However, the Board of Selectmen got it right. Selectwoman Santarella and First Selectwoman Klein put it best in today's Darien Times, stating that this decision was made with future seniors in mind. Today's crop of seniors really shouldn't complain too much either; they'll be getting a brand new facility.
On the political side of things...
With 2007 just around the corner one can't help but think of the race for First Selectman. While we are still months away from the first Tuesday in November, it's always fun to make some New Years speculations. One can only assume that the RTC will work hard to take the top spot back for the first time in four years. Many have speculated that the RTC decision to have Paul Hendrickson replace Kevin Newman on the BOS was a move to prepare him for a run at the top spot in '07. Mr. Hendrickson's resume is very impressive, but his performance on the Board of Selectmen hasn't been much to write home about. Another Republican name that comes to mind is Peter Hovell. While thefederalist hasn't heard anything out of Mr. Hovell's mouth about running, it wouldn't be too suprising to see the streets of Darien peppered with "Elect Hovell" signs next Fall. However, after being swiftly (and suprisingly) booted out of office one can't help but question Mr. Hovell's political capital. Does he have enough support around town to return to Town Hall? Only time will tell.
On the Democrat side...all fingers point to Evonne Klein. In talking to people around town, one gets the impression that the current First Selectwoman could have her job for as long as she wants. She's already beaten a well known incumbent, blown out an electoral challenger, and has been delivering for the people of Darien along the way. From what thefederalist has heard, nobody knows whether First Selectwoman Klein has made a decision about whether to run or not. Should Mrs. Klein choose not to, the Democrats may find themselves in a spot of trouble: Mrs. Klein is very popular and the rest of their bench is very thin. The first name that comes to mind is Callie Sullivan, former candidate for State Rep. in 2004. Perhaps with Klein's support, Mrs. Sullivan would be able to hold the seat for the Dems. It is the opinion of thefederalist that she would benefit from a tour of duty as a regular member on the Board of Selectmen.
What about regular members on the BOS? Don't be suprised if you see names like David Bayne and Jeff Williams pop up. Both are young, smart, up-and-coming members of their parties who both could one day run for the seat in the middle.
Prediction: Susan Young and Barbara Thorne will not run for re-election in 2007. Selectwoman Thorne has been at it for a long time, and one can't expect her to stay there forever. While it should be assumed that Selectwoman Thorne would continue to stay involved at the local level, serving on the BOS has to get tired sometimes.
Selectwoman Young, the RTC's candidate for First Selectwoman in 2005, will not run again in 2007. I feel bad for Selectwoman Young, because I did give her a tough run in the '05 election cycle, and she does give a lot to our town. However, she just doesn't appear to be made for the political arena at any level (which is OK, not many of us are). Her performance on the Board of Selectmen has left much to be desired, especially for someone who was running for the top position. While this may sound rude, many Republicans who are serious about taking back Town Hall sometime this decade are already mulling over a younger replacement to one day run for the top spot.

So what about thefederalist?? Well, my local electoral wish this year is....KLEIN vs HOVELL 2007. Klein and Hovell, one last time...I'm excited for November already.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and we'll talk in 2007.

Apologies for the delay between posts. During Thanksgiving thefederalist is too busy with family, food, and football to worry about blogging, and I would hope the same goes for all of you.
Anyway....
While our eyes have been focused on the national arena, the winds of change have blown through Darien politics. Peter Hovell is out as chairman of the Board of Finance. Mr. Hovell was a prominent member of the Darien Republican party, and a major power player at Town Hall. How did he find himself on the outside looking in?
From what thefederalist sees, there are two possibilities. The first is that the other members of the Board of Finance had just had enough of their old leader. The vote to remove him from his leadership position was rather one-sided. While this incident was clearly a negative for the former chair, the uniting of Democrats and Republicans on the BOF for a common cause could be a sign that further inter-party unity is on the way.
However, one cannot forget the RTC. I don't care if what I'm about to say is polite or not: Peter Hovell was a Donald Rumself-esque thorn in the side of the RTC. He was one of the cornerstones that the 2005 Young campaign was built on. He was also the man who predicted that the town would find itself in the middle of a financial storm during First Selectwoman Klein's time in office (in case anyone is interested we now have a surplus). Was Mr. Hovell's prediction simply wrong? Or was this warning simply a scare-tactic to further his own political interests?
There are some good people on the RTC, and perhaps Jack Orchulli is one of them. As the leader of the RTC, Mr. Orchulli very well could have seen the harm that Mr. Hovell was doing, not only to his party, but to the town as well. Mr. Orchulli is not an idiot, and he could have corralled the Republicans on the Board of Finance to vote Mr. Hovell out.
Note: thefederalist knows none of this to be absolutely true. This is only speculation, and I'm only human. For all we know Hovell could have just been tired of the job and told the members of the BOF to kick him out!

Before the weekend break, a definition:
Abstain-to refrain deliberately from an action or practice

While the subject of "Beach-Chair-Gate" has been beaten like a dead horse, there is something aside from the utter stupidity of that debate that bothered me. As we all know, Selectwoman Young took issue with a set of gifted chairs due to a "safety issue." While this might seem ridiculous to most, Selectwoman Young seemed very adiment about these safety concerns, which brings me to my question: If Selectwoman Young felt so strongly that the safety of our community would be put in jeapordy by these chairs why didn't she vote against them? While her stance against the gift seems silly, it is her decision to abstain from the vote that should be of greater concern.


A final word: Congradulations to the 2006 Darien Football Blue Wave. While the season ended on a low note, watching the Boys in Blue go 4-0 earlier this year and play toe to toe with some of the best teams in the state was great. In fact, the Blue Wave wasn't eliminated from state playoff contention until they lost to Greenwich, which was the second to last game of the season. The Blue Wave also scored more points against the Cardinals than any other team in the FCIAC...not bad for a team that admittedly struggles offensively. In my opinion, the Darien Football Blue Wave was 2-3 games better than their 5-5 record.

What I thought about Tuesday...
...As Democrats across the country breath a collective sigh of relief, and the rubble of a nasty November campaign begins to clear, pundits from every side of the isle begin to rise up to explain what happened and why.
If you read the DailyKos you'll be lead to believe that a majority of Americans have had enough with Bush and his neo-conservative agenda, and have begun to turn to liberalism as a solution to our nation's problems. However, if you turn on the radio, you'll hear the likes of Mark Levin and Sean Hannity saying that the reason why Republicans lost is because they weren't conservative enough. These hard liners advocate that those Republicans who survived the purge return to their "Reagan principles."
thefederalist believes both the liberal blogs and the conservative radio hosts to be wrong. Tuesdays win wasn't a smashing endorsement of progressivism, nor was it a complete repudiation of conservatism. Tuesday's results were a victory for moderation.
If you ask most Americans what their political beliefs are, you won't hear many people saying "I'm a hard-core neo-con" or "I'm an extreme liberal." Most people set up political shop in the middle. These "independent" voters, like many of us, are tired of business as usual on Capital Hill. To these folks, extremism is not the answer.
Whether it is reality of perception, the Republican party led by President George W. Bush came to embody an unapologetic extremism that a majority of voters believed was leading America down the wrong path. Democrats appeared to be more moderate than their Republican counterparts for three reasons: a)they stood against the failing policy of the Bush administration b)they supported "blue dog" candidates that took conservative stances on social issues and c)they (and their leadership) are not as well known as those Republicans who are tied to President Bush.
Liberal Democrats should pay close attention to the second reason. While they were able to knock off "moderate Republicans" such as Nancy Johnson, Democrats owe their newfound majority in the House, and especially in the Senate, to blue dog Democrats. These moderately conservative, moderately progressive candidates were the ones who carried the day in places like Virginia, Montana, and who were able to win a majority of governorships and state legislatures.
No, extreme liberalism is not on the rise, and you haven't heard the last of conservatism either. Whichever political party is able to call the middle of the spectrum as their home will not only hold the most victory celebrations come November, but will be the most able group to move America forward.

A request...
...I ask you all to vote. I ask you all to understand that what happens tomorrow will change the course of this country. Tomorrow, Americans have a very clear choice to make. Know that your choice will have a direct effect on the future of this nation.
It is my firm belief that as of this election eve, there is something very wrong with this country. There is something very wrong when disagreement is looked at as treason, when soldiers are used as pawns to fight political battles, when an entire nation is split for political gain, when one man and one party hijack the laws and traditions of two hundred years answering to no one, apologizing to no one.
Yes, there is something very wrong with this country. But we the people have the power to fix it. YOU have the power to right the wrongs of an administration that has failed our soldiers, failed our founding fathers, and has failed Us.
Tomorrow we can turn the tide. We can restore respect for the principles that this country was founded on. We can reclaim our place as the example of liberty and justice for ALL. We can stand up and say NO! to those who wish to rule with fear and polarization. We will stand up against the hypocrites, the self-righteous, who do good when it is politically convenient, returning to their self serving, self celebrating behavior all too soon.
In a matter of hours, those who have been a door mat for failure will discover whether they have survived this political storm or not, and tonight thefederalist prays for the latter. Vote them out


Every single one

Remember remeber the 5th of November
the gunpowder treason and plot
I see of no reason why gunpowder
Treason should ever be forgot
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes , 'twas his intent
To blow up the king and Parliament
Three score barrels of powder below
Poor old England to overthrow:
By God's province he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, make the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the king!
Hip hip horrah!