Opinion follow the money – right into Democrats’ hands

Democrats like to preach from the moral high ground when they talk about money in politics, but they are just as willing as anybody else to take whatever money comes their way.

Exhibit A: Gov. Dannel Malloy is hoping some of the fundraising prowess that he displayed when he raised gobs of money for the Democratic Governor’s Association as the organization’s finance chair will be put to his own good use when he runs for re-election this November. But the DGA is afraid it will run afoul of Connecticut’s tough campaign finance laws if it spends money on his behalf.

So the DGA is suing the state for the right to spend its money to help Malloy, and he supports the action.

Perhaps the DGA is afraid that if it doesn’t get the go-ahead to support Malloy financially, money from cash-rich Fairfield County might dry up. As the lawsuit points out, “Donors from Connecticut have been particularly important in helping to fund DGA’s national programs and activities.”

Malloy plans to participate in the public financing system, which means he will have $6 million to spend on the general election. He’ll also likely have the state Democratic Party’s largess at his disposal, as well as money from many of the political action committees that support Democratic candidates.

Suzanne Bates is a writer living in South Windsor with her family. While traveling across the country as an Air Force spouse, she worked for news organizations including the Associated Press, the New Hampshire Union Leader, and Good Morning America Weekend. She recently completed a research fellowship at the Yankee Institute. Follow her on Twitter @suzebates.

See the complete story at CT News Junkie.