IM: WHUSDJ
CURRENT SHOW
The Modern Medley
This week on The Pundit and the People, airing on WHUS every Wednesday at 6 PM, I will (by request) be discussing the national debt—it only seems appropriate given that earlier in the day Governor Dannel Malloy will (finally) be unveiling his budget. If you have would like to share topic ideas, commentary, or be a guest on The People and the Pundit e-mail punditpat@gmail.com. Now back to the matter at hand.
In preparation for its grand unveiling, Malloy has been busy sprinkling breadcrumbs of the budget to the press so they can share it with the public. But unlike the “criminal” WikiLeaks, where occasionally public officials must suffer through the public who elected them gaining insight to how they do business; MalloLeaks is a thinly veiled opportunity for the Governor to use the bully pulpit for spin-control. Don’t get me wrong--I loved that education announcement-a press conference complete with the mayors of Connecticut’s largest cities behind him; but it was nothing more than political theatre (albeit an off-Broadway production). Never mind that the mayors of New Britain and Windham, two of Connecticut’s three poorest cities according to the 2010 US Census, were not standing behind the Gov-that’s not the point. (Apologies Mr. Rowland-but I can only refer to the sitting Governor as the Gov)
The point is that the Gov is taking advantage of an opportunity that President Obama failed to realize in the debate about healthcare reform. Before his budget is announced the Gov is proud to bring you MalloLeaks: where certain information (absent the kind of nitty gritty details that would be required for reasoned criticism) is “leaked” to the press. Malloy is taking advantage of the opportunity to share pieces of his plan –pieces that are likely to be popular and get public support behind them, but absent a substantive discussion about the trade-offs they require. So a tip of the hat top the Gov; who apparently realizes our media environment creates a world where distortions and lies are packaged into neat four second soundbites, for getting out in-front with his version of the truth. To be fair I suppose I should say part of the truth--except without specific details.
I must say I am almost as interested in the effectiveness of his 1 week head start in the media as I am in the real details of his proposed budget. Almost.
Pat-the-Pundit
Host The Pundit and the People airing every Wednesday at 6 PM on 91.7 fm and whus.org