Your Daily Spin by the Middletown Mess: Press Pulls Opinion Letter from Councilman Phil Pessina

Earlier today the Middletown Press published an opinion piece authored by Councilman Phil Pessina in which he criticized the Middletown Republican Town Committee for not re nominating him to the slate of candidates up for election to the common council this November.
 The three term incumbent called the Republicans "buffoons and clowns." Editor of the Patch Cassandra Day published excerpts from the letter yesterday, with the Press publishing the full letter today http://www.middletownpress.com/articles/2013/07/25/opinion/doc51f0020ad74ec560543897.txt. 

Google search showing link to Councilman Pessina's letter

 Councilman Pessina's original letter as it appeared
 on the Press's site earlier today.
 Click to enlarge.

The now defunct link.  If it comes back, will it be edited?
 Why was this letter pulled and 
who requested this?

A Google search for "Pessina letter to the editor Middletown Press" still turns up the cached url where the letter was posted most of the day. What is going on?

As of this evening, the Press it appears has pulled the Councilman's letter from it's website. 

Prior to this, we copied the letter to our site here: 

http://www.middletowninsider.com/2013/07/letter-to-editor-pessina-put-middletown.html

Guest Blog: Middletown Malloy Town Hall Meeting Was a Hoax

  Below is a guest blog sent as a letter to the Editor from resident Gail Whitwright. The essay reflects views and opinions not necessarily shared by the Insider staff, and is published as a courtesy to readers. Last week, Gov. Dannel Malloy came to Middletown for a one hour Town Hall style meeting at City Hall. Mayor Dan Drew was the MC. Many citizens who attended have expressed their disappointment to us at the brevity and the format of the the meeting which when publicized sounded more like it would be an open forum. Local media reported that those in attendance were invited to write down questions which were then pre-screened- by Malloy staffers and from which random questions were selected.  In his blog "Red Notes from a Blue State," write Don Pesci discusses this occurrence in his post titled " How to Pre-Edit a Town Hall Meeting." The Mess did an article in which the reported mentioned former Democratic Town Committee Chair  & current Registrar of Voters Lisa Santangelo asked about the repeal of the local car tax, however upon answering, Malloy gave no in mention of the proposed state car tax that is currently on the legislative floor.                          

  Below is a guest blog sent as a letter to the Editor from resident and founder of www.propositionusa.com Gail Whitwright. The essay reflects views and opinions not necessarily shared by the Insider staff, and is published as a courtesy to readers. Below, in Whitright's own words:
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 IN THE PAST THREE WEEKS I HAVE HAD MY RIGHT OF “FREEDOM OF SPEECH” STOPPED AT THREE DIFFERENT MEETINGS – OR SO CALLED “TOWNHALL” MEETINGS – THE DEFINITION OF WHICH STATES “EVERY BODY IN A TOWN COMMUNITY IS INVITED TO ATTEND AND VOICE THEIR OPINIONS” – IN EACH MEETING I AM USUALLY THE FIRST TO ARRIVE SO I CAN “SIGN UP” TO SPEAK –  AT MALLOYS “MEETING” IN MIDDLETOWN -   WE WERE TOLD WE COULD “WRITE A QUESTION” WHICH, OF COURSE, IS SCREENED – THE STOIC ATMOSPHERE OF COMPLIANCE  WAS FURTHER COMPOUNDED BY GUARDS WHICH I CALL THE “SQUEECH SQUAD” SO PEOPLE WON’T DARE  SPEAK UP – I WAS TOLD BY MALLOY THAT “HE WAS SPEAKING NOW” AND DAN DREW TOLD ME TO BE POLITE (WHICH IN DEMOCRAT LANGUAGE MEANS WE TALK BUT YOU CAN’T) – WELL DANNY  – IT IS MY CONSTITUTIONAL  RIGHT TO SPEAK – THE WHOLE THING WAS A HOAX…KIND OF LIKE THE ELECTION

AT CHRIS MURPHY IN NEW LONDON ON SATURDAY – THE SAME OPPRESSIVE PROCEDURE WAS USED – WE WERE ALLOWED TO “WRITE A QUESTION” WHICH WERE SCREENED AND READ BY HIS PEOPLE (I WAS TOLD MY QUESTION WOULD BE USED AND NEVER WAS) – AFTER LISTENING TO HIS SELF PROMOTING LECTURE  FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF (ZZZZZZZZZZZZ) – WE WERE BULLIED BY THE GROUP FROM WOODSTOCK ON HOW RUDE WE WERE BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY HAD THE AUDACITY TO SPEAK OUT DURING THE PROPAGANDA SESSION – AGAIN THE WHOLE THING WAS A HOAX…

AT ESTYS TOWNHALL MEETING – WE WERE TOLD WE COULD “WRITE A QUESTION” – ULTIMATELY I SPOKE BUT WAS GIVEN THE BUMS RUSH BY THE STAFF MEMBER – WE ARE FIGHTING FOR THE SECOND AMENDMENT AND NOW WE ARE FIGHTING FOR THE FIRST AMENDMENT AS WELL…THEY DO NOT WANT THE TRUTH TO COME OUT…

I WANT TO SPEAK BECAUSE I WANT TO TELL AMERICANS THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS LET IN 2 MILLION ILLEGAL ALIENS AND EVERY DAY 25 AMERICANS ARE KILLED AND 8 AMERICAN CHILDREN ARE ASSAULTED

I WANT TO SPEAK BECAUSE I WANT TO TELL AMERICANS THAT POLITICIANS IN CONNECTICUT, TO ADVANCE THEIR SELF-PROMOTING STANCE, HAVE MADE CONNECTICUT A WELFARE HAVEN WHICH HAS DESTOYED EVERY CITY IN CONNECTICUT

I WANT TO SPEAK BECAUSE I WANT TO TELL AMERICANS HAVING SANCTUARY CITIES SUCH AS NEW HAVEN FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS (WHICH IS AGAINST FEDERAL LAW) WHO WERE GIVEN LICENSES LAST WEEK BY THE MAYOR JOHN DESTEFANO AS THEY WERE  GIVEN INSTATE  TUTION BY MALLOY -  ONE OF ILLEGALS  WAS GIVEN A RIDE HOME AFTER WORK FROM A WAITRESS FROM HAMDEN AND WHO THANKED HER BY RAPING HER, BEATING  HER AND LEAVING HER FOR DEAD

I WANT TO SPEAK SO I CAN TELL AMERICANS THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION WANTS GUN CONFISCATION NOT GUN CONTROL

I WANT TO SPEAK SO I CAN TELL AMERICANS THAT 170 MILLION PEOPLE WERE MURDERED THROUGHOUT HISTORY BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT DEFEND THEMSELVES

I WANT TO SPEAK SO I CAN TELL AMERICANS THAT 8,650 TIMES A DAY ARMED AMERICANS DEFEND THEM

I WANT TO SPEAK SO I CAN TELL AMERICANS OUR COUNTRY IS IN MORTAL DANGER

MY HEART HURTS…WAKE UP AMERICA! – NOT ONLY IS FREEDOM OF SPEECH MY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT  -   AMERICANS ARE DYING FOR THAT  RIGHT AS WE SPEAK…

We can't expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism,
but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism,
until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism."

                                                 Nikita Krushchev  1959

                                                 GAIL WHITRIGHT
                                                 MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT

Letter to the Editor: Drew's Savings Paid by Joe Taxpayer

Letters to the editor are published as a courtesy and do not necessarily reflect the views of Middletown Insider Staff.
The Insider has published blog pieces disputing the truthfulness and associated ALL of Drew's claimed accomplishments in the article published by the Middletown Mess today as a piece of pre-election season propaganda.

Reader David Greaves responds to the article in the Middletown Mess today that has Mayor Drew  bragging of all his accomplishments thus far. Most recently we explained the claim Drew magically got rid of dozens of grievances which is simply NOT true:
http://www.middletowninsider.com/2013/01/your-daily-spin-by-middletown-messwhen.html

Greaves, in his own words:

Drew also pointed to the senior tax relief program enacted recently,giving seniors a choice between a tax freeze, tax deferral, or tax credit. The program is expected to significantly help seniors on a
fixed income.
Don't get me wrong i'm all for helping out folks in need - But heck as Joe Taxpayer, were the hell is my "choice" ?
Every program, benefit, etc that the City of Middletown creates, regardless of who it benefits, has to be paid some way - The city isn't footing the bill.

Surprise it's paid by Joe Tax payer - so the question has to be asked - What is in it for me? Where is my choice? Where is my perk for being a home owner and resident of Middletown?

David Greaves,
Middletown, CT

Election Guide 2012 & Superlatives!

Staff at the Insider would like to provide readers with the following election guide in the form of superlative awards we have selected for some of our favorite people active the community this past election cycle!

Journalism Awards:
Most Unbiased & Equal Middletown Media Coverage: Cassandra Day Editor of Middletown Patch
Most Biased, Poorly Quoted "Coverage": Viktoria Sundqvist, Middletown Mess
Best Hair: Eye reporter  FishMuscle Devoto
Best Sense of Humor: Middletown Insider for our "jejune-ness"

Candidate Awards:
Candidate with Best Traffic Updates and Gratuitous Press Releases: Matt Lesser
Most Humble & Least Likely to Sleep Ever if Elected Candidate: Deb Kleckowski

Candidate Most Likely to Become an Air Traffic Controller based on hand signal usage when speaking: Rosa DeLauro
Most Handlers & most in need of handlers: Rosa DeLauro
Best Speaker with the Most Common Sense: Wanye Winsley

The Duh Duh Um Um Ahhh Distinguished Speaker Award: Big Dan "Call Me Dannel" Malloy
Most Likely to Hold  Press Conference Based On Lies: Lil' Dan Drew

Best Entrance for Crashing said Press Conference: Senator Len Suzio

Most Likely to Receive Endorsements from People Whom Never Met Him: Matt Lesser

Most Likely to be Recast as Roseanne Barr's character in the remake of the 1989 film "She-Devil": Dante Bartolomeo

Most Likely to campaign on City/Tax-payer funded Time & get photographed doing so: tie- Mayor Dan Drew and Serracrat Cousin Dir. of Water & Sewer Guy Russo

Honorary Awards:
Most Family Oriented: tie- Councilwoman Hope Kasper, for Hiring her Unqualified Son in Law a Job at the BOE Administration, Councilman Tom Serra, for insisting hired employees "worship" here and fulfil his incestuous fantasy of having only "chosen" individuals in every city department. Also for hiring a City Attorney who worked for the National Democratic Committee, whom then upon moving to town can become a Dem Town Committee member and well, you get the picture....

The Clinton Couple in Politics Award For Most Dynamic & Least Understood Marriage: Councilman Bob Santangelo and wife Registrar of Voters/Co-Mayor Lisa Santangelo

Your Daily Spin by the Middletown Mess! Lesser than Perfect

Now that the parent company of the Middletown Mess is in bankruptcy again, it appears to the Insider that while they wait perhaps for their government bail out that have stooped to new lows to plug their democratic friends. In a pitiful attempt to save face from his joy ride with Mayor Drew to the DNC in NC, and prove to citizens although on the road, he still "cares" or at least  remembers some land marks of where Middletown is ,candidate and Representative Matt Lesser for the 100th District is now giving traffic updates for the daily papers to ensure his name appears daily in print. Hey- shouldn't the unions over at D.O.T. take issue with someone doing their jobs?? Just curious.

"MIDDLETOWN — State Rep. Matt Lesser, D-Durham, Middlefield and Middletown, is alerting residents that utility work will require the closing of the Route 9 south Exit 14 (DeKoven Drive) off-ramp in Middletown beginning Monday, Sept. 10..."


We aren't even going to bother to link readers this time, it is just too pathetic.

Candidate for the 100th Distict Deborah Kleckowski

The Insider attempted to call his opponent - who by the way actually matriculated from Wesleyan ( like for reals) and has held real word jobs
(mom, professor,social work professional etc) instead of grooming herself to be a career politician (evident in any interview with Matty who hates to talk term limits)- Middletown resident & candidate challenging his seat in the 100th, Deborah Kleckowski to see if she would say cover weather or something for the Insider. While, we did not try to reach Kleckowski for comment,  we can imagine she is busy covering real issues.

Your Daily Spin from the Middletown Mess!

http://www.middletownpress.com/articles/2012/07/13/news/doc50009aff73c07837963433.txt

Middletown Insider graphic inspired by Delauro own words
 as quoted in a NY Times article,  Oct. 11 2005

Your Daily Spin from the Middletown Mess is becoming a regular feature of the Insider! Take a moment to read the above article from the Middletown Mess. Since candidates vying for State Representative offices around CT declared their candidacy in May, Rep. Rosa Delauro has had 6 separate articles written in the Mess of her paling around our fair City with Mayor Dan Drew. These fluff pieces have been written under the guise of visiting local businesses, seeing plays, a Womens' Health Conference at a local congregation ( where she was the ONLY politician invited to speak mind you), and a visit to NEAT's Farmer's Market. All of these "outing" are written from the view point that this was a spontaneous encounter, not a crafted part of the campaign process. All politicians campaign- Candidate Linda McMahon visited Middletown less than two weeks ago and visited local businesses on Main Street, yet no fan fare from the Mess or other media outlets- outside of it being mentioned on her own website occurred. The Insider does pretend to be privy to the inner workings of the McMahon campaign on whether the lack of coverage was planned or not, but we at the Insider have repeatedly noticed the  predisposition of the Middletown Press to always cover when a Democratic Candidate goes to a public function, or more obvious releases a press release; and rarely if ever cover when an Independent, Green, or Republican does the same or even something more attention worthy.  While the most recent article touts NEAT's wonderful outreach program, which we too at the Insider applaud and think is wonderful, it is clear from the author's word that the focus of the article is mainly on getting quotes from the politicians. The article would have been much better if the visit from the politicians was not included and focused more on the NEAT's program.

Your Daily Spin from the Middletown Mess!

Isn't it ironic that when the Middletown Mess posts a letter from a Democrat supporting a Democratic candidate for office that there is no Editor's note at the bottom of the letter indicating the author's party position? We already know that the Press bias against local conservatives; this proof can be seen in the shear number of articles posted about Democratic candidates vs. Republicans and others. Take into consideration, Congresswoman & candidate Red Rosa DeLauro visits Middletown  and has paraded around with Mayor Dan Drew & Rep. Joe Serra greasing palms, 3 separate articles alone this summer have been written. Republican Candidate Linda McMahon has hit the street in town as well, and no articles were written. Republican Candidate Wayne Winsley, a veteran,  has attended veteran ceremonies in town with no hullabaloo. Incumbent Candidate Len Suzio holds monthly coffee hours at Rise and Shine Cafe in Middletown and has done so through out his career in office and gets no write up, yet Rep. Matt Lesser decides to meet a select few for at a Dunkin Donuts, and the Mess practically holds a Press conference.

Should Republicans be offended? Well, there is the old adage that true good Samaritans need no praise, and that perhaps calling attention to one's self so frequently is a sign the Democrats are in trouble and are running on shaky platforms that need constant bolstering in the media. Or that the Democrats are just the trendy new phrase "attention whores." This November, voters will decide whose message is best, but the Insider is concerned that the Republicans aren't being given a equal billing especially from media sources such as the Press and the Courant and alike that claim to be "unbiased." At least at the Insider, we where our hearts on our sleeves and tell it like it is.

On July 6, 2012  local Middletown town Democratic Chairman Dan Pickett "wrote" a letter to the Editor published by the Middletown Press praising his choice of Democratic candidate for the 13th District and slamming incumbent Republican Len Suzio- shocking!. Those of us who follow politics know this was most likely a canned letter written by an adviser to the party and published with Mr. Pickett's name, at least we hope for his sake, it came from an intern advisor and not from the pen of Pickett judging from the poorly
 constructed analogies and reasoning behind  arguments against the reelection of Suzio. It should be noted in the article available here, that this article does NOT have an Editor's note displaying Pickett's political affiliation. The reader is supposed to believe this is an Average Joe citizen who wrote this on his own accord. There have also been 3 articles since May "informing" the public that this Democrat is challenging Suzio in the 13th district, all patronizing to the challenger and not the incumbent Suzio, and all a poorly disguised rewording of the same facts.

So what you say? Fast forward to the subsequent letter published in the Press today from Cromwell Republican Town Committee chair and selectman Enzo Faienzo. How do we know who the author is? There is a note form the Editor at the end of the article announcing the a fore mentioned affiliation because the Press wants the public to assume the opinion is biased because it is written by a fellow active Republican.

Bottom line: If voters want the true picture of what candidates are doing around Middletown, do your own research. Know the mainstream media is biased. Republican & Independent candidates are out there doing great things. It's not what you read in the local paper, its what you don't read! People, do your own homework before the November elections.