Found: Susan Bysiewicz's Secret Diary

This is both hysterical and such an embarrassment too - and sort of like a scene out of the movie "Mean Girls" when the "Burn Book" was found and exposed, and everyone got to see what Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams the other girls were saying in this book about other people in school. Some pages were definitely not appreciated.... and O.K. Susie B's comments weren't quite as mean....

"Bysiewicz's List", a taxpayer funded database no less, of 36,000 names with special notations by people's names and even notations regarding ethnicity (straight from the Democrat colorblind and ethnic blind diverse world), makes for interesting and somewhat amusing reading. Susie B calls it an "essential" resource for serving the public. That list is now under investigation by the Attorney General's office. There are many questions, one of which is whether or not this taxpayer funded database had notations that were in essence, being used for political purposes by the Secretary of State.

The Courant reports:

"...it contains thousands of what are labeled "special notes" on people's political connections and personal characteristics. It even has a category headed "Ethnicity," which identifies 2,431 people as either Polish, Greek, African American, Hispanic, Native American or Jewish.
.....
•It says Kevin Donohue of Columbia is "Bill Curry's Cousin; Influenced by Edith Prague; Works in Windham." Curry is a former Democratic state comptroller who ran unsuccessfully for governor. Prague, a Democratic state senator from Columbia, when told of the notation Tuesday said, "That's hysterical."

•It contains this description of a now-dead Democrat who held municipal office in the Naugatuck River Valley: "White beard; Former teacher; Likes attention ..."

•It says former New Canaan Councilwoman Ruth Smithers "loves George Jepsen." Jepsen is now one of Bysiewicz's opponents for the Democratic nomination for attorney general — an office being vacated by Blumenthal, who is running for U.S. Senate.

•It says that a child of one politician "has issues" — an apparent reference to problems with the law. It mentions a rabbi who "Doesn't shake hands he bows" and "likes Blumenthal." It says a town selectman is a "Retired Teamster" and "has had a kidney transplant."

•It describes James J. Giulietti, a North Haven lawyer, as "influenced by Chris Duby; friend of Ganim; former town chair; 2003: Running for P & Z." A decade ago, Christopher Duby was chief of staff to Democratic Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim, who later went to prison.

On Tuesday, Duby, now a lawyer in North Haven who rents office space from Giulietti, said he didn't know how such information would get into Bysiewicz's database. He said it sounded outdated and somewhat inaccurate; for example, he laughed at the idea that he could influence "one of the hardest-headed guys I've ever met." Duby said "Friend of Ganim" must apply to him, not Giulietti, who couldn't be reached.

Such subjective and superfluous-sounding entries abound in the database, with more than 100 of them saying who is whose friend in politics, or who, in one case, "likes to go door-to-door" in campaigning.

It is the kind of information politicians keep to help them prepare for visits with local politicians to avoid saying the wrong thing and to make a good impression. Such local politicos' support is sought by candidates such as Bysiewicz when seeking a statewide nomination. The locals often are convention delegates, and the database noted that many of them had actually served in that political role.

Some of the database's personal notations drew mixed reactions when The Courant contacted the people who were referred to.

One person called Bysiewicz to ask that a notation be removed, and she complied.

Then there was Rocky Hill Democratic Town Committeewoman Lois Morton, who, according to Bysiewicz's database, "wears hats a lot." ... She acknowledged Monday that she long has worn "classy hats," although not so much anymore. She added: "I don't know why that was in" the database. "That's funny," she said. "My claim to fame is I wear a hat."

Active Democrat James Throwe of South Windsor, a lawyer and a longtime general in the National Guard, was listed as having had "treatment for a pre-cancerous condition." Throwe said Monday that his continual bouts with skin cancer are not a secret; the former lifeguard has spoken in news reports of the dangers of exposure to sun. "I'm not offended, but I'm just curious about what that has to do with the database she keeps," he said. "I don't see it."

... The 36,000-name database contains about 9,900 e-mail addresses.

... In her written response to Courant questions about the database, Bysiewicz said Tuesday, "The collection of specific information from constituents is important and relevant when assisting the thousands of people who ask me for help on a yearly basis." She said many constituent contacts are "made when our agency does outreach with community groups and organizations. ... References to personal situations also remind me about someone's health or other issues when I see or speak to that person."

"This data is collected by me personally or my staff, and often provided by the constituents themselves. It is then entered by staff into the database," she said.

Now let's see, do you suppose the time she took to compose and notate this list counts towards her time in practicing law?

Is this the type of record keeping antics you'd like to see in the Attorney General's Office if she "heaven forbid" gets elected? This woman shouldn't even get close to any other government office with the way in which she has tagged and classified constituents along with how she has manipulated the intent of statute to claim she is qualified to be CT's next Attorney General.

If Susan Bysiewicz had an ounce of integrity she would abandon this quest for office and just retire already.

I can think of many other candidates who would be a better Attorney General as well as a better Secretary of State.

And you can notate that.