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John Blankley, Greenwich Democrat, has formed an exploratory committee toward a possible run at state treasurer.

John Blankley, Greenwich Democrat, has formed an exploratory committee toward a possible run at state treasurer.

Greenwich Democrat considers statewide run

GREENWICH Another of Greenwichs most prominent Democrats is setting his eyes on a position in Hartford.

John Blankley, a member of the town Board of Estimate and Taxation, has announced he has formed an exploratory committee toward a possible run for state treasurer in 2018.

Fundamentally, I have a strong desire to serve, Blankley said. I have a strong desire to give back to the community and the state. Life has been good to me and my family and Im fortunately in a position to do it. I want to do this.

Blankleys move comes on the heels of a similar one by Selectman Drew Marzullo, also a Democrat, who announced earlier in the week he has formed an exploratory committee toward a possible run for lieutenant governor.

Blankley said it is too early to say whether or not he actually will become a candidate.

It depends on the extent of the support I am able to get during the exploratory phase, he said. During this phase you can ask for money and ask for support. If its determined there is enough support, then you can turn it into a full candidate committee.

Blankley has run for office several times in Greenwich, including last year when he challenged incumbent state Sen. L. Scott Frantz, R-36th. That race, as well as previous ones for first selectman and state representative, ended in defeat, a fate common to Democrats in Greenwich, where they are significantly outnumbered by Republicans.

But the odds would shift significantly in Blankleys favor were he to get the Democratic nomination in a statewide race in blue Connecticut.

Blankley said he believes he is well positioned to serve as treasurer. He noted his years in the private sector working in high-ranking positions for large companies including BP North America, and as the head of the small business he formed, Flagship Networks, a successful IT company.

I had to ask myself, How best can I make a contribution? Blankley said. This position seems like a perfect fit ... running a treasury operation, managing bond issuance and overseeing investments are all the core activities of the big corporate jobs that I had over the years.

The treasurers position is a powerful place from which to advocate for ideas that will help the state solve its financial problems, he said.

Several Greenwich Democrats are encouraging Blankleys run, including former Selectwoman Lin Laverey, who said the state would be fortunate to have Blankley in Hartford.

He is well suited for this position, Lavery said. He has the financial expertise. Thats what we certainly need right now.

Greenwich Democratic Town Committee Chairman Jeff Ramer, who serves on the BET with Blankley, called Blankley the best of the best for the job.

The horrifying complexities and big numbers in Hartford are likely to be comparatively routine challenges to John, Ramer said. I have had the honor to work alongside John on the Board of Estimate and Taxation. For the town, just as he has as the CFO at major corporations, he greets these worrisome challenges with a calm and competence.

Blankley, who was born and raised in England, moved his family here in 1983, and became a U.S. citizen in 1997. He said he would likely make a decision on whether to run or not within the next six months. In the meantime, he has set up a campaign website at http://www.blankleyfortct.com.

Incumbent state Treasurer Denise Nappier has not announced whether or not she will seek another term. A Democrat, she has served as treasurer since 1999.

On Friday her offices Director of Communications David Barrett said no decision regarding another run has been made.

Blankley said Nappiers decision would have no bearing on his own interest in the office.

There will be other candidates, Blankley said. There has to be. Whatever she decides will make no difference to me. Its about what needs to be done in Connecticut and what I can bring to the table.

kborsuk@greenwichtime.com

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Greenwich Democrat considers statewide run - Greenwich Time

The much-anticipated Congressional Budget Office score on the GOPs American Health Care Act will be released on Wednesday. One day later, the polls will close in Montanas special election for the states sole House seat, which pits Democratic musician Rob Quist against Republican businessman Greg Gianforte. (A Libertarian Party candidate is also competing for the seat.)

For Democrats, the timing is ideal. Quist, a populist who is campaigning with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) this weekend, has aggressively run against the AHCA, dubbing it a tax cut for millionaires. Gianforte, who told The Washington Post last month that Republicans needed a majority to prevent debacles like the first failed AHCA push, was caught on tape telling donors that he supported AHCA though he had not taken an official position on the revised (and un-scored bill). And Quist, who announced this week that hed raised $5 million for a race that Democrats debated whether to compete in, is closing out the campaign with two ads about health care.

[Trump turmoil is spreading far beyond Washington to state and local races]

In Pre-Existing, Quist attempts to reframe the main Republican attack on him that hes left a trail of tax liens and debts by pinning his financial problems on health insurance costs. Half of all Montanans have a preexisting conditions; mine was a botched surgery, says Quist.

In Half, the same footage is repurposed for Quist to tell his story and the stories of a half-dozen people at a campaign picnic. Were all thankful to be here, Quist says. Greg Gianforte says hes thankful for the new health-care bill, the one that eliminates protections for preexisting conditions and raises premiums on every Montanan who has one.

The AHCA would not eliminate the portion of the Affordable Care Act that bars insurer discrimination against people with preexisting conditions. It would, however, allow states to waive that portion of the law and toss affected patients into a high-risk pool a position that Republicans have struggled to sell back home.

Tellingly, Gianfortes ads barely mention health care at all. Closing spots from his campaign, the National Republican Congressional Committee, and the Congressional Leadership Fund all whack the Democrat over unpaid taxes, warning voters that hed be hard to trust with their money.

But the impact of the ads and the AHCA headlines is hard to gauge. Both campaigns have worked to gettheir bases to vote early, with at least 200,000 voters already having turned in their ballots by early Friday morning. Turnout has been slightly higher in Republican-leaning counties, though Quist, unusually for a Democrat, has worked to win his home base of Flathead County usually a conservative stronghold.

A Quist victory would shock Republicans, whove seen the race shrink to a single-digit dogfight despite plenty of money and campaign visits by Donald Trump Jr. and Vice President Pence. But a Gianforte victory of any size would allow Republicans to once again mock the minority party for its moral victories, and soothe some of the nerves that jangled during this weeks controversies.

I dont think the other guys take a hard look at investigating Trump unless they lose in Montana and Georgia, one Democratic congressman told The Washington Post this week.

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Montana Democrat closes with health-care message in closely watched congressional race - Washington Post

Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker is making a $1 million deposit in a black-owned bank in Chicago, taking a page from Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's playbook.

The issue led to back-and-forth attacks from the two campaigns centered on failures of financial institutions Rauner and the Pritzker family have been involved with in their careers.

Pritzker's planned deposit, like Rauner's three years ago in a South Side credit union, carry the goal of generating support from black voters.

Pritzker's campaign tried to draw a distinction between the two men's actions: the Democrat's money pledge was only announced on a Chicago radio show, while Rauner's visit to the credit union was a major campaign event.

Appearing on WVON 1690-AM Monday, Pritzker was asked by a caller named "Bob" if he could do what Rauner did and "make a commitment to put $1 million of the money in a black bank so we can have loans and hire people?"

Pritzker, a billionaire investor and entrepreneur, responded: "As a matter of fact I have made a commitment to do that, and we met with a number of African-American faith leaders who were very encouraging about that and felt like that's a very important way for us to create employment in the African-American community, so that's something I've already done."

The money is going to Illinois Service Federal Savings in Bronzeville, the Pritzker campaign confirmed Friday.

When Rauner campaigned in July 2014 for the governor's office, the wealthy former equity investor attended a South Side meeting of the group Black Wall Street Chicago, where he pledged to deposit $1 million in a black-owned institution.

Later, Rauner showed up at the South Side Community Federal Credit Union at 54th and Wentworth Avenues, scaling back his deposit to $800,000 and giving another $200,000 as a grant. That was because the credit union couldn't generate enough revenue to pay Rauner the interest due on a $1 million deposit.

Pritzker's decision to pick Illinois Service was first reported by Crain's Chicago Business. The bank reported losing $3.8 million for 2016, federal records show, but showed a slight profit in the first three months of 2017.

Early in the primary campaign, Pritzker and his chief rivals for the Democratic nomination have been working to pick up support in the African-American community, a dedicated Democratic voting bloc. Pritzker has among his African-American supporters Aldermen Pat Dowell, 3rd; Roderick Sawyer, 6th; Emma Mitts, 37th; and Michael Scott Jr., 24th, as well as city Treasurer Kurt Summers.

In a statement, Pritzker's campaign sought to draw a distinction with their candidate's actions and Rauner's, contending when the Republican got elected in 2014 he "left Illinoisans behind."

"Unlike Bruce Rauner, Illinois communities can count on J.B. to stand with them as governor because that's what he's done his entire career," the Democrat's campaign said. "J.B. will ensure Illinoisans have a seat at the table as he works to grow jobs, support small businesses, expand access to capital, and bring investment directly into black and brown communities."

Rauner's campaign responded by calling Pritzker's planned deposit "a drop in the bucket to the hundreds of millions Pritzker made peddling subprime loans to minority communities, while costing the taxpayers $300 million and ordinary depositors their savings."

Though it didn't name the institution, the Rauner campaign was referencing the 2001 failure of Superior Bank, which involved the Pritzker family, heirs of the Hyatt Hotel fortune. The bank was chaired at one time by J.B. Pritzker's sister, Penny Pritzker, who went on to become Commerce Department secretary under President Barack Obama.

In December 2001, the Pritzker family and its business partner agreed to pay $460 million to the U.S. over the bank's failure and a decade later got a discount on remaining payments of the 15-year settlement by agreeing with regulators to pay off the balance early, Bloomberg News reported in May 2013.

The Rauner criticism of the Pritzker family's role in Superior prompted the Democrat's campaign to attack the Republican governor for what it said was profiting off of HomeBanc Mortgage Corp.

Rauner "drove the company into the ground, firing approximately 1,100 people, but making sure his CEO got a nearly $5 million golden parachute," said Pritzker spokeswoman Galia Slayen.

In September 2014, the Chicago Tribune reported on Rauner's involvement with HomeBanc, which was the subject of an attack ad then-Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn ran against his Republican challenger.

The equity firm Rauner formerly chaired, GTCR, partnered in 2000 to create HomeBanc Mortgage. While GTCR once held a majority stake, it reduced its holdings after a public stock offering and sold the last of its shares in September 2006, based on Security and Exchange Commission records.

GTCR's actions came just months before the sudden financial unraveling of the mortgage company in 2007 led first to the January firing of CEO Patrick Flood, followed by an August bankruptcy filing. But GTCR had no board members on the mortgage firm involved in its management since 2005, prior to Flood's firing and severance, and the bankruptcy filing. Records showed Rauner was not a board member of HomeBanc in the lead-up to its public offering in 2004.

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Pritzker, Rauner spar after Democrat pledges $1 million to black-owned bank - Chicago Tribune

That's what happens when you commit partisan treason.

Lieberman, a longtime Democratic senator, became a pariah in his own party in 2008 when he not only endorsed the presidential bid of his GOP buddy, John McCain, but lambasted his own party's nominee, Barack Obama, during a speech at the Republican Convention.

Now, it's Republicans, rather than Democrats, who are welcoming the news that President Donald Trump might nominate Lieberman to head the FBI. And it is Republican senators, and possibly a smattering of Democrats, who would most likely vote to confirm him.

"Joe Lieberman is probably the only person that could get 100 votes in the Senate," Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican who earlier this week took himself out of the running to be FBI director, tweeted Thursday in the kind of overstatement common in the capital these days.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and one of Lieberman's closest Senate friends, called him a "pillar of credibility."

But not all Democrats all see it that way.

"I don't think many Democrats in the Senate are going to take it very well," said veteran strategist Jim Manley.

A Senate Democratic leadership aide told CNN "the overwhelming majority" of Senate Democrats would vote against Lieberman.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said Trump should pick someone from law enforcement.

"I think that the political part of this is not the best part for the FBI," Feinstein said on CNN's "The Situation Room." "The FBI has to have someone that every member of that agency respect because they know their law enforcement, they know they're not going to cave to political whims, and they know that they're talented in doing the law enforcement job."

Perhaps it's not surprising that Trump, a nascent politician who never has adhered to party orthodoxy, would be drawn to Lieberman, a long-time officeholder who didn't either.

Like Trump, Lieberman never fit squarely into a box. And like Trump, Lieberman always did what he saw fit, critics be damned.

In 1968, Lieberman ran the Connecticut presidential campaign of liberal Democrat Robert F. Kennedy. Twenty years later, he ran for the Senate. And for much of his two dozen years there, he was a centrist who, like Bill Clinton, tried to offer an alternative to the liberal vision that long dominated the Democratic Party.

But Lieberman saw himself as a moralist. An Orthodox Jew who often invoked his religious upbringing, Lieberman took to the Senate floor in September 1998 to chastise Clinton for engaging in an extramarital affair with a White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. While he stopped short of calling for Clinton's impeachment, Lieberman branded the President's behavior "immoral" and "disgraceful" in a speech that many of his colleagues viewed as unnecessarily sanctimonious.

It turns out that upbraiding the President of his own party didn't hurt Lieberman. In fact, his star rose.

In 2000, Clinton's vice president and would-be successor, Al Gore, chose Lieberman as his running mate, making him the first Jew on a major-party ticket. Gore won the popular vote, but not the Electoral College. Some even blamed Lieberman after he botched part of the recount in an election so close it ultimately was decided by the Supreme Court.

Once again, Lieberman went on to live another life back in the Senate. But he edged farther away from the center of his party. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Lieberman supported President George W. Bush's plans to create the Department of Homeland Security. He also was one of the Democrats' staunchest supporters of the Iraq War.

In 2004, Lieberman launched his own presidential campaign, but by then the war was unpopular and, apparently, so was he -- particularly within his own party. When he ran for reelection to the Senate two years later, Lieberman lost in the Democratic primary. That's when he became an independent, a strategic move that allowed him to win back his seat.

This time, when he returned to Washington, Lieberman no longer fit in. He caucused with Democrats, but was something of an outsider.

It was during the post-9/11 years that Lieberman linked arms with Republicans Graham and McCain, two other hawks who, like their Democratic friend, were known to thwart their party. The trio traveled the world together and became known as the "Three Amigos." So high was their mutual regard that McCain reportedly wanted Lieberman to be his 2008 running mate, though he eventually succumbed to pressure to pick conservative Sarah Palin instead.

Still, Lieberman stood by his friend.

"In the Senate, during the three-and-a-half years that Sen. Barack Obama has been a member, he has not reached across party lines to ... accomplish anything significant, nor has he been willing to take on powerful interest groups in the Democratic Party to get something done," he said at the 2008 Republican convention.

Democrats viewed that speech as blasphemy.

"He could have given a speech defending John McCain, but instead he went on the offense and blistered Obama over his lack of foreign policy skills, which were a major Republican talking point," said Manley, a long-time senior aide to Harry Reid, the former Democratic Senate leader. "It caused a lot of ill will."

After the election, Democratic senators pressured Reid to kick Lieberman out of the caucus and prevent him from chairing the homeland security committee. Reid resisted, however, saying it was better to keep Lieberman in the fold.

And now, Lieberman might start another new life in Washington, courtesy of a Democrat-turned-Republican, a president who also has charted his own path.

This time, however, the senator who so often crossed party lines would have an entirely different role. He would be part of no party.

This time, he truly would be on his own.

Original post:
Why Democrats don't like Joe Lieberman - CNN

President Trump has started his first foreign trip and to navigate his way through, he's getting help from an unexpected source a Democrat.

California Representative Ted Lieu posted to Facebook, "As a Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I created this simple cheat sheet for President Trump's first overseas visit."

And it reads:

- "DON't leak classified information"

- "Israel = ally"

- "Russia = not ally"

- "G-7 is NOT a golf reference."

- "DON'T talk about a muslim ban with the Saudis. Actually don't talk about banning Muslims ever again."

- "Heads up for Pope Francis meeting: He knows climate change is real, hates your proposed wall, and is not a fan of locker room talk."

RELATED: Trump takes first foreign trip to Saudi Arabia

8 PHOTOS

President Trump in Saudi Arabia on his first foreign trip

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Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (C) welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump (2nd L) with a coffee ceremony in the Royal Terminal after he arrived aboard Air Force One at King Khalid Airport International in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 20, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (C) welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and first lady Melania Trump (R) to a tea ceremony in the Royal Terminal after they arrived aboard Air Force One at King Khalid Airport International in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 20, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih (L) arrives to attend the Saudi-US CEO Forum 2017 ahead of the arrival of the U.S. President Donald Trump, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 20, 2017. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (C, in brown and white) welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and first lady Melania Trump (top, 3-R) with a military honor cordon after they arrived aboard Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 20, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive aboard Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 20, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump as they arrive aboard Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 20, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

White House senior advisor Jared Kushner (C) and his wife Ivanka Trump walk on the tarmac after arriving with U.S. President Donald Trump aboard Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 20, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

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Numerous reactions followed with some actually wondering if this was real or a joke. Most, however, went along with the humorous post and provided their own ideas.

For instance, one Twitter user noted, "Can you add, 'Nobody cares about your electoral college win or the size of your inauguration crowd?'"

Another said, "I'm not even Catholic, but I am fervently praying that he doesn't try to give the Pope that shoulder-dislocating bully handshake!"

More from AOL.com: Under fire at home, Trump launches first foreign trip in Saudi Where is Trump going on his first foreign trip? President embarks on journey to Middle East, Europe Madeleine Albright doesnt want Trump to tweet on his foreign trip

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Democratic representative tweets 'cheat sheet' for Trump's foreign trip - AOL