The Conn. Game

Hartford Courant's Kevin Rennie writes:

To Connecticut Republicans, it seems like Rudy Giuliani is always there in a crisis. Republican Rob Simmons was happy on Friday to receive $5,000 from Giuliani’s Solutions America to help pay recount costs. The Giuliani contribution has engendered much goodwill and stands out as the only one received so far by the Simmons campaign from a potential presidential candidate. Simmons fell 167 votes behind Democrat Joe Courtney out of the 240,000 votes cast in the Democratic district. Most towns in the sprawling district will recount their votes on Monday. The process will be completed by Wednesday afternoon.

Republicans and Democrats from DC have descended on the district to instruct partisans and monitor developments. As of Friday, however, Simmons had still heard nothing from Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell, re-elected in a landslide without coattails on Tuesday. Simmons was never a favorite of the Rowland-Rell administration, but most governors would have offered a word of encouragement and some troops as soon as a recount became inevitable.

Recriminations will have to wait until Thursday.