07/30/10 WESTPORT BRIEFING:Senator Boucher honored with ConnCAN Tip Of The Cap Award

This Just In To The Westport Roundup Newsroom .......

Senator Boucher honored with ConnCAN Tip Of The Cap Award (New Canaan News-Review)

Senator Boucher was presented with the ConnCAN Tip of the Cap Award by Alex Johnston , a nationally recognized education reform advocate and CEO of ConnCAN.

Westport Tea Group Meets Again (Westport Now)

Mention WestportNow and get 10% discount R ex Marine Center 203-831-5236 203-604-1295 www.rexmarine.com About two dozen persons attended a meeting tonight of the Westport Tea Group at the Westport Public Library.

Westport Police Arrest Three for Credit Card Fraud (Westport Now)

R ex Thursday, July 29, 2010 An alert liquor store clerk's call to police today led to the arrest of a New York trio on credit card fraud and identify theft charges, Westport police said.

Pay as You Go: New Sewer Fees Called Equitable (Westport Now)

Mention WestportNow and get 10% discount R ex Marine Center 203-831-5236 203-604-1295 www.rexmarine.com By James Lomuscio Should a single person pay the same sewer use charges as an active family of six despite obvious discrepancies in the number of showers, loads of laundry and toilet use? Users of the town's water pollution control facility will ...

Club to hear talk about Earthplace (Thehour)

WESTPORTJohn Horkel, executive director, Earthplace, will be the guest speaker at the Westport Sunrise Rotary Club breakfast meeting on at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 30, at Bobby Q's Restaurant, 42 Main St.. With Earthplace having celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008, Horkel will give a . . .Full Story

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Westport Man Held By Fairfield Police on Drug, Other Charges (Westport Now)

R ex Thursday, July 29, 2010 A Westport man with a long history of run-ins with police was arrested by Fairfield police early today on drug charges.

Comings and Goings: Fleece Opens on Main Street (Westport Now)

For all of your painting and wallpapering needs. Call George now for a free estimate: 203-241-8922 Mention WestportNow and get 10% discount R ex Marine Center 203-831-5236 203-604-1295 www.rexmarine.com Westport - Gorgeous OFFICE SUITES for lease by owner.

Westport Officers Graduate From State Police Academy (Westport Patch)

Five Westport police officers completed their police academy training with the 328th Basic Training Session of the Connecticut Police Academy this week.

Farmers' Marketsa Not Just for Farmers (Westport Patch)

A The thought of a Farmers' Market conjures up images of fresh-off-the-farm vendors selling just-picked fruits and vegetables off the back of their trucks on a sunny summer day.

Drop off food donations at Westport FD for statewide collection (Westport News)

Westport Fire Department headquarters will be one of the food collection points Saturday for a statewide "Day of Caring & Compassion " declared by Gov.

Man arrested for failing to answer larceny charge (Westport News)

Jeffrey Guadalupe, 29, of Bridgeport, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of first-degree failure to appear.

07/29/10 We Report You Decide: Did Stamford Fire and Rescue Chief Robert McGrath Get His Promotion After Working On Dan Malloy's House?

Robert McGrath was a Stamford firefighter working three days on, three days off.

On Robert's days off he operated a small heating and air-conditioning business to make ends meet.

Then this Stamford fireman got his big break....

Robert got the chance to do heating and air-conditioning duct work on the120-year-old barn that Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy was transforming into a house.

Robert also did many jobs for several of Dan Malloy's brothers.

Dan Malloy chose to use Richard who was on the Stamford City payroll to work on his future home even though there are hundreds of Heating And Air- Conditioning contractors with in a 30 minute drive of his home.

A short time after that Richard was promoted to Assistant Stamford Fire And Rescue Chief and then soon after that was appointed as the Stamford Fire and Rescue Chief.

Stamford Fire and Rescue Chief Robert McGrath later told Stamford Advocate reporter Louis Porter that the work on Dan Malloy's home did not have anything to do with his advancement to Assistant Fire Chief and later Fire Chief.

Another contractors who did work on Dan Malloy's Ocean Drive East house was Rick Sharper.

Rick told The Associated Press he got the job and dealt with Marc Lyons, a friend of Malloy who was involved in hiring city employees and contractors to work on then Mayor Dan Malloy's house.

Rick said after he did work on the mayor’s house Marc Lyons later arranged a lot of work for him at city high schools.

Marc Lyons, who was a Malloy family friend was the construction manager at Stamford High School and after the Mayor's house was completed he became manager of all of the city and school facilities in Stamford..

Stamford Board Of Finance Member Joesph Tarzia was quoted in the press saying, "The Malloy administration has reduced controls over city purchasing. Malloy dismantled the internal audit department”

Related articles that you might be interested in:

• Lamont Leads Malloy in Connecticut (politicalwire.com)
• Hartford mayor convicted of corruption (msnbc.msn.com)
• 2 Conn. firefighters killed at scene of house fire (dailycaller.com)
• Polling and political wrap, 6/3/10 (dailykos.com)
• Eddie Perez, Connecticut Mayor, Found Guilty On Charges Of Corruption, Bribery, Larceny By Extortion (huffingtonpost.com)
• These primaries are sure to heat up summertime politics (chron.com)

07/29/10 Dan Debicella And Rob Merkle Left Holding The Bag As Ron Paul Endorses Republican Rick Torres To Take On Congressman Jim Himes

Ron Paul Endorses Rick Torres Westport Friends, It is with great honor that today I accept the endorsement of Congressman Ron Paul. I have spoken to Congressman Paul several times over the course of the Campaign and I look forward to working with him after I defeat Jim Himes this November. Please read the Endorsement from Congressman Ron Paul: "I am proud to announce that I have endorsed Rick Torres for Congress in the Connecticut's 4th district. Rick is a real Liberty lover and has a tremendously inspiring story. Here is a video he made about his background Again, please consider supporting Rick in any way you are comfortable – whether it is financially, with your time as a volunteer and, most importantly, with your vote. Big things are happening across the Country, and Connecticut has a great opportunity to tell Washington that we demand free markets, sound money and common sense, Pro-America foreign policy. I hope you will join me in supporting Rick Torres." Dr. Paul's Endorsement is key to us winning this primary. With 12 days left I do need your financial support.In these final days I need your financial support of at least $50 to ensure that we can effectively get out the vote. Our polling shows that we are rapidly gaining on the presumed frontrunner. Your donation of $50, $200, or $500 will allow us to effectively get our message of liberty out to the voters and win. With your financial donation today I know that we can defeat my big government Republican opponents. If we let them win then voters in my district will have two big-government choices on the ballot in the fall. I am willing ready and able to stand with Congressman Ron Paul and defend our natural rights in Washington, but I need your financial commitment in these final days to help me do so. Sincerely, Rick Torres for Congress P.O. Box 3311, Bridgeport, CT 06605.

New Comment On "The Founder And Owner Of Management Recruiters In Westport Is Busted For Drug Possession In Florida"

Reverend Barbara Sexton has left a new comment on the post "07/14/10 The Founder And Owner Of Management Recruiters In Westport Is Busted For Drug Possession In Florida":

Your comments about Rob Merkle are SO LAME! It has often been said that 'what we hate most in others is that which we hate in ourselves'. (That's not POT ON YOUR BREATH, IS IT??

:::kidding::::

Most of the 'Progressive Libs' I know are totally on board with the legalization of pot, even in a manner which scares me as far as the well-being of our children are concerned! But never mind that--YOU are talking about ANCIENT HISTORY with Rob and are only revealing more and more about your 'anonymous' self. If you had any substance, you would be open and reveal your yourself.

You do realize how petty and nit-picky you look, don't you? You're emphasizing something most DEMOCRAT PROGRESSIVE LIBS would rather you DID NOT bring to anyone's attention with your LAME pot argument!

Most Progressive Libs are INTO gay sex (for themselves or others), for gay marriage and for the legalization of marijuana. Everyone knows this. I guess we all better learn to live with this, hypocrisy notwithstanding.

Anyway, here's another article for you by ME on this fine young man, Rob Merkle. I pray it will distract you enough from whatever YOU are up to to make a difference this next election cycle:

http://dearoneshealingministry.blogspot.com/2010/06/greenwich-stamford-tea-party-patriots.html

Quote me anytime you want, the more the better for our TEA PARTY PATRIOTS movement, as long as you quote me honestly. Fail to do so and I WILL NOTICE!

God Bless You,

Reverend Barbara Sexton

Lately of the UCC-United Church of Christ (the Obama/Reverend Jeremiah Wright church)

www.DearOnesHealingMinistry.blogspot.com

(P.S. Pardon me if I don't trust you to publish this...so I think I'll just put it up on my Stamford blog in case what I submit to you "gets lost in your mail".

Then you can call me a liar.

Blessings,
Rev. Barbara Sexton
"The Biblical Biochemist-Where Science Meets the Cross"
www.DearOnesHealingMinistry.blogspot.com

COMMENT:

Dear Reverend Barbara,

You appear to be a wacky reverend with a wacky website that supports a candidate who likes wacky tabacky.

Just what is a biblical biochemist?

And why are you Lately of the UCC-United Church of Christ (the Obama/Reverend Jeremiah Wright church)?

Does Robert "I Got High And Forgot To Vote" Merkle attend your church and get spiritual advice and counseling from you?

PLEASE SEE:

07/20/10 Hypocrite: Congressional Candidate Robert Merkle: “I Forgot To Vote, But Be Sure To Vote For Me”

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07/27/10 Connecticut Gubernatorial Democrats Stuck On Stupid As They Ask,'Who Is The Biggest Racist?"

Why In The World Would Dan Malloy

Want To Play The Race Card?

In this day and age it is almost inevitable that a campaign will stray from policy issues to questions of character and conduct.

Greenwich resident Ned Lamont recently became a target of such scrutiny and said the negative attack was planted by a desperate and trailing Dan Malloy.

Mr. Malloy who is trying to benefit from playing the race card, argues that this is a means of assessing an opponent's temperament and morality.

Whether Mr. Malloy's attempt at playing the race card will be decisive in assessing the ability of Ned Lamont to govern is ultimately up to each individual voter.

In the current race to become Connecticut governor front runner Ned Lamont has taken a hard "nonpolicy" hit.

Mr. Malloy is hoping that his race card maneuver will cause the popular Ned Lamont's to have an increase in "negative numbers".

The race card is a proven campaign method of narrowing a race.

In articles and press releases printed below, you will read about Ronald Keene, a former executive vice president of Lamont Digital Systems Inc., who sued Mr. Lamont in 2002.

Mr. Keene alleged his firing and failure to gain stock, bonuses and commissions from sales were the result of racial discrimination. Lamont denied the allegation of bias and the parties settled the case the following year.

Mr. Keene's contention of a racial factor could be accurate, erroneous or the result of a misunderstanding.

Mr. Keene's racial allegation could also have been just a legal tactic to gain the upper hand in an employee termination lawsuit. It would not be the first time that something like this has happened in America.

Businesses often find legal settlements to be the least costly course of action.

There is clearly no pattern of racial lawsuits at Lamont Digital Systems, this was a one time event.

However, Dan Malloy's Administration has been named in over 100 Connecticut Commission on Human Right's And Opportunities's complaints, as well as, scores of Federal lawsuits filed by Stamford employees.

The Republican Gubernatorial Opponents Are Enjoying Every Minute Of Dan Malloy's Attempt To Play The Race Card

If Former Stamford Dan Malloy's Desperate Maneuver Succeeds,

Then The Republican Party Will Probably Use The Race Card On Him In The General Election

Former Lamont Employee Claimed Racial Bias In 2002 Lawsuit

By JON LENDER

Hartford Courant

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont, locked in an Aug. 10 primary battle with former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, was sued in 2002 by a black former executive in his cable television company who claimed that he'd been mistreated on the basis of race, federal court records show.

Ronald Keene — executive vice president in the Delaware corporate office of Lamont Digital Systems Inc. for less than two years ending in mid-2000 — sought at least $1 million in U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania. Keene claimed he was "maliciously" fired after being denied stock, bonuses and commissions from sales activity. The mistreatment was "because of plaintiff's race, which is African American," the suit said.

Lamont, a Greenwich multimillioniare entrepreneur, denied Keene's allegation of bias as well as other claims, such as eligibility for sales commissions. The case was settled in September 2003, months after a judge denied Lamont's motion to dismiss the suit and moved it toward trial, documents show.......

Then Dan Malloy Quickly Fired Off This Press Release:......

Responding to a story in today's Hartford Courant in which it was revealed that Ned Lamont was sued for racial discrimination, and that he settled the suit privately with a confidentiality agreement, Dan Malloy, the Democratic Party's endorsed candidate for Governor, released the following statement:

"Since the beginning of this campaign, I've said that my experiences as a prosecutor and Mayor are why I'm confident I can do the job Connecticut's next Governor needs to do. Ned has said time and again that he should be the next Governor because of his business experience. That's why Ned needs to answer the questions raised in today's Hartford Courant story - because they're about his business.

"There's another reason he needs to answer them: the Governor. We just saw Gov. Rell try to fire a commissioner and enter into a confidentiality agreement with the employee. It blew up in her face, and it should've blown up in her face. Government doesn't work when it's secretive. It only works when it functions in the open, in a way that everyone can see.

"Here are the questions he should answer:

· Why is the statement confidential?

· What did he or his company acknowledge doing?

· Were certain employees denied benefits that other employees of similar seniority and status received?

· How much money was the employee paid in order to keep quiet?

· Why does a Connecticut-based company have a corporate headquarters in the State of Delaware?

· Is there a tax benefit to doing so?

· What happened to all of Ned's employees? He's said numerous times that he hired "hundreds and hundreds" of people, yet the company today has only 36 employees, including just 8 in Connecticut.

"I know what Ned will say in response: 'this is an unfair, desperate attack.' That's wrong. He's asked tough questions of me, and I've answered every one of them. Campaigns are tough, and they should be tough - because the job we're seeking is a tough job. You get asked tough questions in a campaign, but you get asked tougher questions when you're Governor. If you can't answer questions in a campaign, how will you answer them as Governor?

"I think Ned should answer these questions, and I'd prefer that he do that in a debate with me. Ch. 3 and CPBN want to have Ned and me debate on August 3 - and if Ned doesn't show up, the debate is going on without him. Most candidates would probably be thrilled. While I'm grateful for their offer, I'm not thrilled to be there alone. I'm more than happy to give up half that time if Ned will show up.

"One more thing: Ned's been saying he doesn't want to debate me because debates are only about '1 minute canned response.' My response to that is, let's not do that. Let's just have a conversation between the two of us. A civil conversation in which we ask each other questions, and challenge each other's responses.

"Back in May I said I wanted this to be a campaign filled with substantive debates where we both answer tough questions. We don't have much time left, but there's still time for that debate to happen.

"I hope Ned will change his mind."

This Caused The Lamont Campaign To Fire Off This Press Release .....

Lamont for Governor campaign manager Joe Abbey released the following statement regarding Dan Malloy's missive from earlier today:

"Dan's long list of questions today betrays an outright ignorance and hostility toward Connecticut small businesses. That press release was clearly written by someone who has never worked in small business or created jobs in the private sector.

"Dan has said time and time again that his years of experience running for political office entitle him to be governor. But throughout the nearly 10 years running that he's been running for governor, serious questions have been raised about his performance as mayor and the manner in which he talks about it. He should answer those questions.

"There's another reason he needs to answer them: Governor John Rowland. As Connecticut continues to try and erase the stain of a pay-to-play scandal in the governor's mansion, transparency and accountability in government are critical to our future. That is why it is so important for Dan to respond to the following:

• How many of the 55 civil rights complaints and 37 federal lawsuits were filed by employees reporting directly to you, or to your senior staff members?(Source: Greenwich Time -- http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Sunday-print-exclusive-Racism-in-Greenwich-508827.php and public records).

• When did you first learn that three of your employees, two of whom you named employee of the month, were embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the city on your watch, as reported by the Courant? (Source: Hartford Courant -- http://articles.courant.com/2010-07-23/news/hc-stamford-arrests-fedele-malloy-07220100723_1_stamford-mayor-dannel-malloy-criticizes-michael-fedele)http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Sunday-print-exclusive-Racism-in-Greenwich-508827.php

• Why do you continue to advance claims about your record on jobs that have been fully debunked by the Courant? (Source: Hartford Courant --http://www.courant.com/community/stamford/hc-malloy-jobs-0628-20100628,0,480540.story)

• Is it true that Stamford lost a net of 8,000 jobs during your term as Mayor?

• After you were investigated in 2004 for awarding lucrative no-bid contracts to companies that contributed to your political campaigns, did you continue to accept contributions to your previous or current campaign from companies that either held contracts with the city or aspired to do so? (Source: New York Times --http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/23/nyregion/23stamford.html?scp=3&sq=Stamford&st=nyt)

"I understand why Dan was so defensive in his statement saying, 'I know what Ned will say in response: 'this is an unfair, desperate attack.' That's exactly what it was.

"I hope Dan will address these questions on Thursday when he and Ned appear together in Windham, but in the meantime let's have that civil conversation on the issues Dan's always talking about."

All Of This Reminded Greenwich Roundup About the Incident That Made Him Wonder What Values Dan Malloy Taught The Fruit Of His Loins ......

No I Am Not Talking About The Malloy Boy Arrested For Dealing Drugs

No I Am Talking About The Other Malloy Boy

Racist threats case filed by Stamford High student settled for $37,500

The lawsuit, filed in May, accused the city of "failing to act in part because one of the callers is the son of Stamford Mayor Daniel Malloy."

The exact amount the Board Of Education paid the family of Candace Owens, now an 18-year-old Stamford High graduate, was made public yesterday after The Advocate filed a Freedom of Information request last week.

The Board of Education spent an additional $25,000 on legal expenses, including representation by a Hartford law firm, Shipman & Goodwin LLP, school board spokeswoman Sarah Arnold said.

The case was terminated two weeks ago at a settlement conference, according to court records. As part of the settlement, the Board of Education denied any wrongdoing and liability.

The school board has 30 days from the settlement date to pay the Owens family by check to their attorney, Norman Pattis. The entire $62,500 tab will come out of a $375,000 legal fund.

"The case was resolved to the mutual satisfaction of both parties," said Patrick Fahey, one of the attorneys who represented the Board of Education.

He declined to comment further.

Neither Pattis nor Robert Owens, the father of Candace Owens, returned phone messages.

The Board of Education attempted to keep the terms of the settlement from being disclosed because of a confidentiality clause. But the Freedom of Information Commission said that any settlement funded by taxpayers is public record unless it is sealed by the court.

The settlement marked the end of a yearlong controversy that stoked racial tensions and political drama.

Last February, at least one of five teenagers sitting in a car left messages threatening to kill Owens, who is black, and repeatedly used a racial epithet. In one of three messages, one of them referred to her as "dirty" and threatened to burn her house down and tar and feather her.

The group included Malloy's youngest son, Sam Malloy, then 14. The mayor released a statement in March saying his son cooperated with police and did not know the alleged ringleader, Evan Kopek, or Owens before the night of the calls. He has declined comment since then.

Kopek, now 18, was a former friend and classmate of Owens. Two days before the phone incident, they had a shouting match during class. School officials suspended Kopek for that but would not discipline him and the other boys for an incident committed off school grounds unless the police made an arrest, which drew criticism from the state National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Owens left school for six weeks, saying it was traumatic to attend with the alleged callers. She returned after Kopek was arrested in late March. Another teen was arrested later that spring. School officials would not say whether they disciplined Kopek after the arrest.

The lawsuit said the decision to delay suspensions amounted to a failure to protect Owens. The suit accused the city of violating the federal Title IX rule banning discrimination in schools that receive federal funding. The school system has "continued to do nothing to protect Ms. Owens from repeated harassment and intimidation by the young men and their friends," the suit stated.

None of the students involved in the case attends Stamford High any more, Arnold said.

Candace Owens was arrested in an unrelated harassment case in October. In November, Kopek pleaded to being a youthful offender and had his case sealed. He will have no criminal record. He faced charges of first-degree harassment and second-degree intimidation by bigotry or bias.

It is not known whether Malloy's son was charged because he is a juvenile.

What Other Bloggers Are Saying:

Derogatory Dan Strikes Again

My Left NutMeg

by: BranfordBoy

When the media tried to use the arrest of three Stamford city employees on embezzlement charges to start a cat fight between Ned Lamont and Dan Malloy, Lamont chose not to take the bait and declined comment.

Why? Presumably because the allegations, absent any evidence that Malloy was complicit in their alleged crimes, had zero bearing on the governor's race.

But Dan Malloy isn't stupid enough to be gracious.

Today the Courant reported on a 2002 lawsuit against Lamont Digital alleging racial discrimination. ("Hold the presses! Breaking news!!)

In less time than it takes to write $505,000 worth of checks to pay for renovations on your $2-million dollar mansion, Dan Malloy released a statement in which he, a former personal injury lawyer of all things, expressed shock -- SHOCK! -- that lawsuits get settled out of court with confidentiality agreements attached....

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07/27/10 Senate Candidate Linda McMahon Points Out:That Democrats Are In Trouble

In Case You Missed It: Economy Erodes Election Hope For Democrats

Economy Erodes Election Hope For Democrats Americans by a large majority believe President Barack Obama has not focused enough on job creation, as economic fears threaten Democrats ahead of November 2 congressional elections, a Reuters-Ipsos poll found on Tuesday. Reuters By Steve Holland In a sign of trouble ahead for the Democrats, the poll found evidence of a sizable enthusiasm gap with Republicans more energized about voting in the elections. Americans expressed deep unhappiness with the direction of the economy, which in the poll they identified overwhelmingly as the country's top problem. The U.S. unemployment rate is at a stubbornly high 9.5 percent and Obama has spent much of the year on issues like Wall Street reform and healthcare in addition to jobs. People were more negative about Obama's performance on the economy than on any other question surveyed. Satisfaction was dropping more sharply on the issue than on any other question. Only 34 percent approved of Obama's handling of the economy and jobs compared to 46 percent who deemed it unsatisfactory. This is a sharp decline from early 2009, shortly after he took office, when more than half of those surveyed approved of Obama's handling of the worst financial crisis in decades. Overall, the July 22-25 national poll of 1,075 adults gave Obama an approval rating of 48 percent, a small decline from a June survey that had him at 50 percent approval. This is in line with other polls showing his approval rating under 50 percent and evidence that for all the country's problems, Obama remains generally well-liked. "People still feel insecure about their future," said Ipsos pollster Cliff Young. "They are spending less and saving more. They're not buying a larger house or car or other luxuries because they're worried -- and that worry also manifests itself on the political side." U.S. presidents often lose support in midterm elections. The Republicans are hoping to win control of the House of Representatives in November and pick up seats in the Senate. That could prevent Obama from winning any more major successes in Congress in the second half of this term. 'COMMON GROUND' Obama pushed the Senate on Tuesday to pass legislation intended to benefit small businesses and generate jobs. "I hope that in the coming days, we'll once again find common ground and get this legislation passed. We shouldn't let America's small businesses be held hostage to partisan politics and certainly not at this critical time," Obama said. The poll provided evidence that Americans are unhappy that Obama and the Democrats chose to devote their energies to overhauling the U.S. healthcare system and financial regulations instead of dwelling exclusively on job creation. It found that 67 percent of poll respondents said Obama has not focused enough on job creation compared to healthcare and regulation of banks. Obama has argued that those reforms are vital building blocks to a strong economic recovery. "They think he should've focused much more on the economy rather than healthcare and financial regulation," said pollster Young. "From a voter perspective, they don't see the economy improving. They don't think the administration has given due attention to that problem." The Reuters-Ipsos poll was dismal news for Democrats as they seek to hold off Republicans in November elections in which Americans will elect 435 members of the House of Representatives and 37 of the 100-seat U.S. Senate. Republicans hold a 46-44 percent lead over Democrats when participants were asked which party they planned to support in November. And 72 percent of Republicans said they are certain to vote on November 2, compared to 49 percent of Democrats. "Republicans are charged up because they think they have a chance," Young said. The economy is still recovering too slowly to improve Obama's political fortunes. U.S. consumer confidence sank in July to its lowest since February. Figures to be released on Friday are likely to show that growth in the U.S. economy slowed in the second quarter amid a cooling in consumer spending and a wider trade deficit -- but they will mark four straight quarters of expansion. INDEPENDENT VOTERS Not all was dire for Obama as 52 percent of independent voters approved of his job performance. Independents are closely watched because they often make the difference in close elections. Obama, when accused by Republicans of driving up government spending and debt with an $862 billion stimulus plan, has made the point that he inherited a $1.3 trillion U.S. budget deficit from his unpopular predecessor, Republican George W. Bush. But the poll suggested there are limits to this argument. It said 70 percent of Americans think the deficit has increased under Obama, and 75 percent said it grew under Bush. Although U.S. troops are on their way out of Iraq, only 34 percent approved of Obama's handling of the Iraq war, down from 51 percent early in his term. With casualties rising in Afghanistan, 33 percent approved of Obama's handling of the Afghan war, down from 47 percent shortly after he took office. More Americans approved than disapproved of Obama's efforts toward energy independence, 39 percent to 32 percent. But, again, the approval rating is down from the 56 percent approval he received on this subject in February 2009. This comes as Obama grapples with BP Plc's Gulf of Mexico oil spill and pushes the need for more clean-energy jobs. The poll had a margin of error of 3 percentage points. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish and the data weighted to ensure that the sample's composition reflected that of the actual U.S. population according to U.S. Census figures. LINK

For more information, contact the Linda McMahon for Senate Press Office, 860-244-2010. Linda McMahon for Senate 2010 973 Farmington Avenue | West Hartford, CT 06107