“There is hope,” Labriola said. “Our comeback as a party began last night … this small little statehouse race is the canary in the coal mine.”

Read the story.

As the legislature dawdles toward adjournment, addressing bed bugs, creating another task force and pondering more gambling, the two party chairs are offering a repetitive drama that’s pretty much like that old Miller Lite commercial: “You don’t have a budget,” the Democrats say. “Your budget is a big secret,” Republicans respond.

State Republican Chairman Jerry Labriola stopped by the Capitol Thursday afternoon to tee-off on the Democratic-controlled General Assembly and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy:

“We have a conveyor belt churning out a boatload of radical liberal legislative items.”

State Rep. Penny Bacchiochi announced — in a 5 .a.m. email! — that she might very well like to be the state’s next lieutenant governor. She’s got a website, too.

She says the reason is because government is getting in the way of recovery. As the #2 person in charge, presumably [...]