(Hartford, Connecticut)  — The Connecticut Democratic Party today released the following statement from Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo in response to comments made by GOP Chair, Jerry Labriola.

“Let’s take a look at what the Republican Party has been up to these days.

Two of their leading candidates for Governor – Senator McKinney and Representative Cafero – have steadfastly refused to put forward a budget alternative of their own, claiming they won’t be ‘baited’ into telling the people of Connecticut what they think.  So much for courage, backbone, and leadership.

One of their other leading candidates for Governor – Tom Foley – has taken so much heat for refusing to take a position on the common sense gun safety bill that he seems to have disappeared into the Witness Protection Program.

The fact is that it is Governor Malloy and Democrats in the Legislature are leading because the voters asked them to lead.  Time and again over the past few years, the Republican Party has had the chance to make its case to the voters.  Instead of stepping up, they have chosen to sit on the sidelines.  Why?  Because they have no ideas.  All they do is complain, whine, hold press conferences at which they complain and whine, and then they run for the hills when they’re asked what they would do.

This budget won’t be perfect, and Governor Malloy and the Democrats will be the first ones to tell you that.   There are things in there no one wants to do.  But guess what?  After 16 years of Republican governors driving this state deep into a ditch, Democrats are left with very few options.

As for the budget process itself, the Republican Party has worked itself into something of an extreme lather.  The vast majority of this budget was debated in endless public hearings over many months, and they know that.  During all that time the Republican Party didn’t issue a single press release about the Republican budget.  Know why?

Because there isn’t one.

If the GOP wants to have a real debate – a substantive debate – then they ought to call on Senator McKinney and Representative Cafero to put out a budget of their own.  Then we can debate whose ideas are better.  For now, there is no debate: it’s Democratic ideas against…nothing.”