"Hi Old Friend"
Boy-o-boy. The Watch hopes someone is holding Governor Jodi Rell to her words of embrace and friendship to former Governor John Rowland now that JRG is heading to the Big House. "'Hi, old friend,'" Rell said as the two former colleagues embraced," writes Hartford Courant Capitol Bureau chief Chris Keating on December 14th at a party for out-going OPM boss Marc Ryan. Eighteen days later: "Today,the state of Connecticut was humiliated, and I, as John Rowland's former running mate and colleague, feel personally betrayed. When I first heard the news, I felt like I was punched in the gut," Rell said. Hello Old Friend, indeed.

Seremet Slobbers Over Mikey Rell
Hold on to your breakfast, Hartford Courant Java columnist Pat Seremet is partying with Mike Rell this morning. Seremet notes the 30 year-old Rell "just bought his first house in Wethersfield, an act that is making him feel all grown up, suddenly." (Watch Note: on Senate Republican salary?) Hows the first Mom Mikey? "She's unbelievable," Rell tells Seremet. Any suggestions for the First Mom Mikey? "Make sure you kiss your husband in the morning and kiss your husband at night. Find time for dad."

"Chicken" Sullivan
Think you're hot these days? How'd you like to be 18 year old Max Cummings of Old Lyme who has been hired by Democratic 2nd CD candidate Shaun McNally to wear a chicken costume. At issue is Democratic party endorsed candidate Jim Sullvan's unwillingness to debate McNally. "We've been trying to have a debate with him since the convention," McNally told The New London Day. "Their strategy has been to ignore this campaign."

The 18th District Bellweather?
You'd be hard pressed to find a more competitive state senate race than the race Republican incumbent state senator Cathy Cook finds herself in with Democratic Stonington Borough warden Andy Maynard. Yesterday Maynard said Cook did "virtually nothing" over the past eight years to see that the Norwich Hospital property was developed. Today, The New London Day reports Maynard as saying that Cook is late to the base closing party and is "playing catch up" in calling for Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell and Rhode Island Gov. Donald L. Carcieri to work together as the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission gains steam.

Second District Campaign Ads
If you live in the Second Congressional district, it's likely that you've seen both primary candidates on the tube. Here's the latest from Democratic party endorsed candidate Jim Sullivan and his primary challenger Shaun McNally. (Watch note: Does McNally look like Con O'Leary or what?)

Jail Time For Rowland?
New York Post Page Six columnist Richard Johnson reports today that former Governor Rowland, "who stepped down in disgrace as governor of Connecticut before the state legislature could impeach him — will soon cop a plea to tax evasion, sources say." Johnson writes "The Republican has yet to be formally charged. "A deal has been made," said one insider. "The feds originally insisted he do 11 months in jail, but have agreed to five." When the five-month figure was run past another well-connected insider, the power-broker said, "Even less."

Race In The Fourth Heats Up
While fourth district Congressman Christopher Shays is not looking over his shoulder yet, he no doubt knows he's in a race this year with Westport first selectwoman Diane Farrell. "It's become almost a bellwether in Washington," notes Cook's Political report staffer Amy Walter. The Hartford Courant reports Farrell has raised $725,000 to Shays' one million and notes, from Pelosi to Dean, the Dems "have sent her a steady stream of fund-raising headliners to coax donations from Fairfield County Democrats." Still, Shays remains the odds-on favorite in November and Walter, too, said Shays "is still a tough guy to beat."

Note To Editors
You can stop the Rell profile puff pieces now. In today's installment of a long list of painful "meet Jodi" pieces, Waterbury Republican-American reporter Trip Jennings continues the fawning. Jennings notes Rell describes herself as an "ordinary person who inherited the state's most powerful office and is "quiet, deliberative and camera shy." Gosh. And boy, it's been busy for Rell, Jennings writes as she "speaks wistfully of returning constituents' phone calls as a state representative, which she was 1985 to 1995, or of finishing that Harry Potter novel she's been listening to on CD for time now." Stop the maddness.

Spada Speaketh
Nothing like leaving quietly, at least not for outgoing Top Cop Art Spada who continues to ring-up reporters on the way out. Today, Hartford Courant reporter Tracy Gordon Fox carries Spada's water. Among the tidbits Fox wrings out of Spada is that he didn't talk to Rowland much. "If I spent four hours talking to him in four years, that's a lot. I played one round of golf with him," Spada tells Fox. Spada spends a great deal of time patting himself on the back calling his role as State Police commissioner "the second-toughest job in the state - like riding a wild bronco without a saddle." Geeze.

Kevin Sullivan: Jodi Lite
Well that didn't take long. It took just over a week to convert Former President of the Senate Kevin Sullivan into a true Lt. Governor, as yesterday he asked Connecticut residents to donate blood. Giving blood at the Red Cross offices in Farmington, the Associated Press reports Sullivan hopes to bring attention to the blood shortage at hospitals across the state and throughout the country.

A Loose Moose; Rocque Takes No Chances
Think departing DEP Boss Art Rocque is going to take any chances making decisions on his own with a new governor in charge? Nope. In an interview with Governor Jodi Rell, Associated Press reporter Susan Haigh writes "in a meeting last week with her advisers, Rell was interrupted by a call from the state Department of Environmental Protection. They told her of a moose on the loose in Eastern Connecticut, and Rell had to decide to have the animal tranquilized and moved elsewhere." No word from Haight on the fate of the Moose or the tense moments leading up to Rell's decision.