Dave Collins, a columnist for the New London Day, lately covered himself in glory by exposing some shenanigans related to a proposed development, to be called Smiler’s Wharf (developers always name things after what they’re destroying), in Mystic. Former terrible Congressman Rob Simmons, now terrible Stonington first selectman, and Heather Somers, who I am ashamed to say represents this district in the State Senate, both had their fingerprints on some fairly suspect things. Somers, for instance, was pushing for a $10,000,000.00 subsidy in the form of state bonds for the project. Obviously coincidentally, the developers were contributors to her campaigns. Collins’ series of columns provoked a widespread public reaction, all strongly against the project, and the developer has now pulled the plug on it. Let’s hope the plug stays pulled.
Collins has not always covered himself with glory. Back in 2016 he announced that political candidates should have to pass the “Trump Test” in order to earn anyone’s vote. In order to pass the test a candidate had to reject Trump, but somehow, though all our local Republicans failed the test, that fact never reached a large part of Collin’s audience, and Somers has continued to be endorsed by the Day, in spite of the fact that we have fielded superior, and obviously Trump-test passing, candidates against her.
So here’s a suggestion for Dave, as both a follow up for his Smiler’s Wharf accomplishment and as redemption for his Trump Test failure. The Republican Party in Connecticut still pretends that it is somehow different than the racist national Republican Party. There is, they like to imply, still some Rockefeller Republicans out there if you just look for them. For that reason, they keep the dog whistles down to a fairly low pitch, so low that even the dogs sometimes can’t hear them, until they blow them over and over. On the other hand, I haven’t heard any condemnation of the racist in chief from any of them. Now that he whose name I refuse to preface with the word “president” has blown a dog whistle than everyone can hear, it would seem appropriate for Dave to canvas our local Republican legislators and ask them for a reaction to Trump’s loud and proud racism. Granted, Somers probably won’t talk to him, as he exposed her seamy little deal, but he should still try. I, for one, would like to see what dodge she employs to refuse to answer the question. Will it be the “Democrats are the real racists because they were racist back in 1868” or some variant, or would it be an ad hominem attack on Collins. In any event, it’s a line of questioning to which every elected Republican in the country should be subjected, and no one better to do it in our neck of the woods than Collins.
Just noticed that Collins makes a start here, but not good enough. Get them on the record, Dave.
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