Here is the Courant's Government Watch column for this week: 

Republican gubernatorial front-runner Tom Foley says that ex-Gov. John G. Rowland has been informally helping him to gather political support around Rowland's hometown of Waterbury.

In the same locale, but on the other side of state politics, Democratic Waterbury Mayor Michael Jarjura last month received $100 each from Rowland, his wife and three children - for a total of $500 - to help finance Jarjura's candidacy for the Democrats' nomination for state comptroller in the Aug. 10 primary, public records show.

As the summer campaign season has heated up, Rowland's name increasingly has been popping up - raising his statewide profile a bit, six years after a 2004 corruption scandal chased him from office and put him in federal prison for 10 months.

Rowland never disappeared completely. The Republican lives in Middlebury and works in Waterbury in a $90,000 city-subsidized job as economic development coordinator at the local chamber of commerce -all with Jarjura's blessing. But generally he's noticed mostly in his home area.

Lately, though, he's been seen and heard more - for example, by filling in earlier this month for radio talk-show host Jim Vicevich on WTIC 1080 AM. And now his name has surfaced in connection with Foley and Jarjura.

It's led some political insiders to speculate that Rowland is "working his way back" or, in other words, trying to "re-emerge" - not necessarily to become an active participant in politics again, but at least to build up a respectable image after his public downfall.

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.

Comptroller Nancy Wyman will face Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman on the radio today in the first formal debate of the season for the lieutenant governor candidates.

Wyman is running with former Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy, but voters will choose the candidates separately. For example, Malloy lost the 2006 gubernatorial primary against New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, but his running mate, who was Glassman at the time, won.

Glassman is now running with Greenwich cable TV executive Ned Lamont.

The debate will be from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m. today on WNPR radio. Longtime host John Dankosky will serve as the moderator on the "Where We Live'' program.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dannel Malloy put out this statement concerning a Courant story Monday morning that reported on a 2002 lawsuit against his Aug. 10 primary opponent Ned Lamont's cable TV company by an African American former employee.  No response yet from Lamont:

July 26, 2010 - 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. 

If there was any doubt about the viability of Rob Simmons' quasi-candidacy for U.S. Senate, this endorsement may put it to rest.

House Republican Leader Larry Cafero, one of Simmons' most steadfast supporters, is now backing the former congressman's Number One nemesis, Linda McMahon.

""I am proud to have been one of Rob Simmons' earliest supporters in his campaign for Senate,'' Cafero said in a press release circulated by the McMahon camp. "Rob has a long, distinguished record of public service, and I believe he will continue serving this state and our country for years to come."

But, Cafero adds, "If our Republican party hopes to beat the well financed Democratic front runner, Richard Blumenthal, we need a candidate who is positioned on August 11th to take this campaign to the November 2nd, Election Day finish line.

"I now believe Linda McMahon is that candidate. Throughout this campaign, Linda has demonstrated the grit to take the fight to a man who thinks he can win a U.S. Senate seat by hiding from the public and the press,'' Cafero said.

"Linda has the message, resources and the team to win in November. I am not casting my vote against Rob Simmons, I'm voting for Linda McMahon, as I believe she is the Republican Party's best hope for victory."

WikiLeaks.org today received a stern scolding from U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman for its massive dump of secret documents relating to the war in Afghanistan.

"The disclosure of tens of thousands of classified documents on the Afghanistan war is profoundly irresponsible and harmful to our national security,'' Lieberman said in a statement, adding that the Obama adminstration is right to condemn their release.

"Most of these documents add nothing to the public understanding of the war in Afghanistan. The materials - which cover the period from 2004 to 2009 - reflect the reality, recognized by everyone, that the insurgency was gaining momentum during these years while our coalition was losing ground,'' Lieberman said. "That is precisely why President Obama carried out a policy review in late 2009 and subsequently ordered a surge of forces to Afghanistan as part of a comprehensive civil-military counterinsurgency strategy that is now under way under the command of General Petraeus.

"We should give General Petraeus and our troops on the ground the time and support they need to succeed. Although we know that the path ahead is difficult, we also know that the consequences for our national security will be catastrophic if we abandon this effort and allow the Taliban and their allies to regain a safe haven in Afghanistan. That is the path back to 9/11."

Lieberman also questioned the political agenda of WikiLeaks, the online organization that defines its mission as disclosing unethical government and corporate behavior.

 "It is also important to recognize that Wikileaks is not an objective news organization but an organization with an ideological agenda that is implacably hostile to our military and the most basic requirements of our national security,'' Lieberman said. "Americans and our allies should be wary of drawing conclusions based on materials selectively leaked by Wikileaks, as it seeks to sap support for the Afghan war among the American people and our European allies."

Hearst Newspapers' Brian Lockhart has the definitive look at Vince McMahon, peeling back the layers on the man described by veteran wrestling writer Mike Mooneyham as "sort of an enigma.''

The Comptroller campaigns of endorsed candidate Kevin Lembo and challenger Michael Jarjura, both Democrats, were in Hartford Superior Court Monday arguing over whether Lembo should have been qualified for a $375,000 public campaign grant.

Jarjura, Waterbury's Mayor, sued Friday claiming Lembo, the state Healthcare Advocate, failed to meet qualifying criteria and was erroneously awarded the public campaign money by the State Elections Enforcement Commission.

In the meantime, the Jarjura campaign posted an Internet attack site. View it here: 

http://www.lembolies.com/

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont issued a response late Monday afternoon to the statement released hours earlier by his Aug. 10 primary opponent, former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, concerning a Courant story Monday morning. The Courant's Monday story reported on a 2002 lawsuit against Lamont's cable TV company by an African American former employee.

In responding, Lamont's campaign threw back at Malloy the same headline that the ex-Stamford mayor had put on his statement earlier in the day.

The headline used by Malloy on his earlier statement was:  "Malloy Says Courant Story Raises Questions Lamont Should Answer."

The headline on Lamont's response was: "Lamont Campaign says Courant Story Raises Questions Malloy Should Answer."

Here is Lamont's statement: 

New Haven, CT -- 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.

The three Republican candidates for governor are preparing for Wednesday night's debate in New London.

The debate at the Garde Arts Center - a traditional spot for debates - will be shown live on  "MYTV9" (WCTX DT), which is channel 9 on many cable systems, including in Hartford.

A live stream will also be on the Internet on www.wtnh.com  In addition, the debate will be rebroadcast at 4 p.m. Sunday on "News 8,'' which is channel 8 on most cable systems, including Hartford.

Republican front runner Tom Foley of Greenwich will be facing off against Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele of North Stamford and longtime business executive Oz Griebel of Simsbury. Foley has been leading both candidates for several months by at least 25 percentage points in the Quinnipiac University poll. The latest poll in mid-July showed Foley ahead of Fedele by 35 points and ahead of Griebel by 41 points.

Hartford Courant columnist Rick Green weighs in on the campaign season, which is heating up quite a bit in advance of the August 10 primaries.

http://blogs.courant.com/rick_green/2010/07/the-summer-races-quicky-turn-u.html

Democrat Kevin Lembo won a court ruling late Tuesday afternoon when a judge denied an injunction sought by his opponent in the state comptroller's race.

Lembo has been locked in an increasingly nasty battle with Waterbury Mayor Michael Jarjura as they seek the position that is being vacated by longtime state comptroller Nancy Wyman.

A state Superior Court judge denied the request for the injunction, which could have stopped Lembo from spending $375,000 in state campaign finance money.

Jarjura's campaign has established a web site at www.lembolies.com that has been criticized by Lembo.

A Superior Court Judge Tuesday evening denied Waterbury Mayor Michael Jarjura's efforts to block the state from providing public campaign money to Healthcare Advocate Kevin Lembo, Jarjura's opponent in a nasty Democratic primary for state Comptroller.

"I'm happy," Lembo said. "It's a win. It will allow us to engage now in a full debate on the issues."

Jarjura, is challenging Lembo, the party-endorsed candidate, in the Aug. 10 primary election.

On Friday, Jarjura filed a suit contending that the State Elections Enforcement Commission, which administers the public financing of campaigns for state offices, improperly awarded Lembo a $375,000 campaign grant last week. Jarjura said Lembo failed to raise the $75,000 needed to qualify for the grant by the July 16 deadline.

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In an ongoing battle of endorsements, former Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy was endorsed Tuesday by a large association of nursing home owners.

The board of directors of the East Hartford-based Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities is unanimously supporting both Malloy and state comptroller Nancy Wyman, his running mate in the August 10 Democratic primary.

The trade association represents 110 nursing homes that care for nearly 14,000 residents, and the association's longtime members cannot remember any time when the 81-year-old organization had endorsed any candidate in a primary.

"The CAHCF board of directors believes that Dan Malloy and Nancy Wyman have distinguished themselves in the campaign as the only candidate in either party to articulate a clear understanding of Connecticut's long-term care system and the needs of nursing homes and their residents in the continuum of care," said Matthew V. Barrett, the group's executive vice president.  "Dan Malloy and Nancy Wyman have made senior care issues a centerpiece of their campaign---yes from the central perspective of the residents and their families, but also from the angle of the operators and the employees."

In an interview, Barrett said the endorsement was "one of the few examples'' where the nursing home owners and the unionized nursing home employees have agreed on an issue. The union workers in District 1199 previously endorsed Lamont this year.

"Usually, the industry is going in a different direction than the employees,'' Barrett told Capitol Watch.

Regarding Malloy, Barrett said, "This candidate has put senior care issues in the forefront of his campaign. He addressed the board of directors, and he came again and talked to our executive committee.''

Malloy said in a statement: "It's no secret that the relationship between Connecticut's health care facility operators and the people they employ has been contentious.  It doesn't have to be this way, because the truth is both sides have been let down in recent years by administrations that have refused to properly fund the cost of providing care, and have refused to make the necessary reforms and adjustments to support our seniors and the people who care for them.  Connecticut can do better, and under my administration - it will."

Lamont said Tuesday night that he and Malloy do not have the same positions on nursing home funding. 

"There's no question we have to adequately fund our nursing homes, and we haven't been doing that,'' Lamont said in a telephone town hall with voters. "I have a slight difference with Dan on this. I'm less likely to throw money at the existing system. ... I support more home healthcare options. ... As I look around the country, I look at Oregon. I look at Florida. ... It saves those states a fortune in tax dollars.''

If they did, he says, he'd be at the front of the pack.

"If the voters knew I was a candiate I think I'd have this election in the bag right now,'' Schiff told reporters after tonight's Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations debate at Trinity College.

Schiff says he the alternative if voters "don't want to vote for Rob Simmons, who's been a career military [and had] a lifetime public [of] service.'' 

"And I believe it's time for something different,'' Schiff added, invoking McMahon's campaign slogan.

"If people want a business person, an outsider, somebody with real business and economic experience and not a career politician, how can anyone vote for Linda McMahon with me in the race? It makes no sense to me. The only reason that they could is because they don't  know they have a choice.''

Yup, he's running.
 
Rob Simmons, the former congressman and intermittent candidate for U.S. Senate, stated unequivocally at the start of a debate Tuesday night that he is in the race -- even though he curtailed his campaign and released his staff shortly after losing the GOP endorsement to Linda McMahon at a party nominating convention in May.
 
"I am running for the United States Senate because I love my country and I don't like where it's going,'' Simmons told an audience at Trinity College. "I don't like the bailouts, I don't like the unemployment, I don't like the rising deficits, I don't like the foreclosures and in particular, I don't like the unsustained spending that threatens to bankrupt out country."

McMahon spokesman Ed Patru said Simmons "abandoned this primary weeks ago and he's been erratic ever since. I think it's becoming clearer by the day why Republicans are overwhelming backing Linda McMahon."

Simmons joined fellow Republican Peter Schiff and independent candidates John Mertens and Warren Mosler at the debate, which was organized by the Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations.
 

The candidates running for U.S. Senate from Connecticut -- at least the four who participated in Tuesday's debate -- all agreed that same-sex marriage is not a matter for the federal government to decide.

The candidates were asked what they thought of the topic -- and, weirdly, for their view on homosexuality. "I guess I'm not a homosexual,'' Republican Peter Schiff said. "Not that there's anything wrong with that, for you Seinfeld fans.''

"I don't think it's an issue in this campaign, I think it's completely irrelevant,'' Schiff added. "Sexuality is an individual choice. I'm running for United States so it's none of my business."

Republican Rob Simmons agreed with Schiff that the issue is a matter for the states, not the federal government. He used the question as an opportunity to reiterate his opposition to the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.

"As a military officer and as a commander of a unit, I found that policy very offensive,'' Simmons said.

When Michael Fedele's family arrived on the shores of the United States when he was 3 years old, they had virtually nothing.

They had risked everything by leaving Italy, and they needed help from friends and relatives to find jobs and establish themselves in a new country. But they worked hard and survived, an experience that formed Fedele as he developed his philosophy of life.

Today, more than 50 years later, Fedele mentioned that philosophy in explaining his recent court battles against Greenwich multimillionaire Tom Foley, who tried unsuccessfully to block Fedele from receiving $2.5 million in public money in the Republican primary for governor. Through four appeals in state and federal courts, Fedele said he was confident he would prevail.

"I have always believed that if you do the right thing in life, and you're honest and have integrity, that that will come back in spades,'' Fedele said.

The twists and turns of his life's journey have included 10 years as a state legislator from his hometown of Stamford, founder of a successful computer company that now employs about 100 workers, and election to the state's second-highest position as lieutenant governor.

Though known for being mild mannered in the tough business of politics, Fedele has taken the gloves off lately with stinging criticisms of Foley and even former Stamford Mayor Dannel P. Malloy - his high school classmate in Stamford in the Class of 1973.

Five decades from his family's arrival, Fedele says he has the same beliefs regarding honesty and hard work. As he campaigns for the Aug. 10 Republican primary, he cites what he calls the three C's: competency, courage and character.

"One of the key components in this election is not only the qualifications that the candidate brings and the courage they're going to have to make the change, but the character of that individual -- the integrity and honesty and transparency that we need in our next governor,'' Fedele said. "When I speak to groups and I talk about the three C's ... I'm the only candidate that fulfills all three of those C's.''

House Republican leader Larry Cafero always speaks his mind.

And he says bluntly that many voters are not focused on the upcoming primaries on August 10 - despite detailed coverage in some newspapers and on some blogs.

A longtime Norwalk resident, Cafero went door-knocking last week in his district and got a first-hand lesson about how citizens are distracted by any number of issues. He said they're thinking about everything from getting a root canal to firing up the casserole.

When they log onto their computers at work, Cafero said, "They see Lindsay Lohan's picture in the corner, and she's doing 90 days in jail. They're not focused now.''

Some citizens were dumbfounded when Cafero, who is seeking re-election, showed up on the doorstep.

"Some of these people are not expecting someone in July to be knocking at their door,'' Cafero said.