Gov. Jodi Rell
All Smiles at a Signing Ceremony
Photo credit: UConn Health Center
Posted 6/7/10
It is bill signing season for Republican Gov. Jodi Rell, the last such season before her governorship comes to an end next January. Governors may invite reporters in when they actually put pen to paper, signing significant pieces of legislation into law, but often there are “ceremonial” signings, occurring days after the actual inking, so staff can find a date when all key players in a bill’s history can attend.
However they happen these days, bill signings and other “feel good” events help Rell stay relevant, as the spotlight swings away from her to focus on the campaigns to elect the next governor or the next U.S. senator.
The governor knows her time at the top is waning, and she seems to be sticking to a lower profile on purpose, so others can shine. That is not to say she is disappearing. No incumbent with a pulse really wants to be invisible or considered irrelevant.
Rell still has the power to veto bills passed in any possible special legislative session that might occur from now until January, and she has broad executive authority in time of crisis—natural or fiscal.
Though Rell has retained most of her popularity, she is not expected to play a major role in this year’s political campaigns. That is due in part to Republican strategy and in part to her own decisions.
The governor avoided making an endorsement in the race for the GOP gubernatorial nod before the party nominating convention back in May. Last November when Rell announced she would not seek reelection, Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele told reporters he’d run for the top job, and stuck his neck out by saying he expected Rell’s endorsement soon. That didn’t happen in November or May.
Fedele tried to be gentlemanly whenever asked about the lack of direct backing from Rell, but on the day he lost the GOP convention endorsement to political newcomer (and millionaire) Tom Foley, Fedele’s feelings surfaced. “There’s always a disappointment whenever people you work with don’t endorse you, however, I think the governor may have her reasons,” said Fedele. “I think that’s something the governor will have to answer as time goes on.” Ouch.
GOP sources also indicate Rell is not likely to be in demand on the campaign trail for Republican legislative candidates. GOP legislative leaders have moved away from Rell in the past two years, though some of them might say Rell distanced herself. The governor, in quest of accords with the Democrat-controlled legislature on deficit and budget issues, has had to be flexible. Some GOP lawmakers feel she strayed too far from Republican fiscal principles.
In any case, Republicans who hold just 37 of the 151 House seats, and just 12 spots in the 36-seat Senate, are adamant about making significant gains this fall. If you are asking voters to make a big change from what’s gone on in Hartford for the last two years, you can’t walk arm-in-arm with Rell at campaign stops, because Rell’s been part of the deals with Democrats that GOP lawmakers have opposed.
So what’s a governor to do? Rell, whose nicknames have included “Snow White” and “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm” has always tried to avoid being painted the bad guy in political events. So it’s likely she wants to cruise into the political sunset without sullying her image.
Last Friday, Rell signed into law the $362 million dollar package to rescue the financially-challenged UConn Health Center. In her remarks, Rell said the plan could create thousands of jobs, boost the stature of the UConn Health Center, and provide medical and dental students with state-of-the-art facilities to help ready them for valuable careers in the health professions.
The governor was asked if she views the UConn project as a key piece of her legacy as chief exec. “This isn’t about a legacy, it’s about finally getting this (project) right, and getting it passed,” said Rell. “So, legacy,” she said, “it’s nice, but I think what we will see long-term for the state and for John Dempsey Hospital, that says it all, and that’s more than enough legacy.”
That may be true, but it doesn’t hurt to see yourself on TV rescuing a health center, or signing a bill to boost public safety by banning “texting” while driving, or any of a dozen other measures that provide positive press.
For a governor who was said to have won the hearts of Connecticut voters simply because “she’s not John Rowland”, (her predecessor who went to jail for corruption), Jodi Rell surely wants to be remembered for something more.