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Election Double Header II: The 5th District As A Prism (Or Petri Dish) For State Politics

http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Commodore%20Skahill/The%20Colin%20McEnroe%20Show%2003-20-2012.mp3

Baseball season puts us in mind of those great baseball names --  Van Lingle Mungo, Prince Fielder, Napoleon Lajoie, Nestor Chylack, Rabbit Maranville and Lancelot Phelps.

Actually ... Lancelot Phelps wasn't a baseball player. He was the first person elected to Congress from Connecticut's Fifth District. And since that time, the frequently redistricted Fifth  has elected Connecticut's only African-American member of Congress - Gary Franks - and a fellow named John Rowland.

This year, incumbent Chris Murphy is running for Senate, and the volatile nature of the district makes a lot of people think they have a shot. In fact, if you live in the Fifth and you're not running for Congress, it's almost unpatriotic.

So today, in the second half of our election double header, we peer through the keyhole of the Fifth and examine the role of money, power and politics in Connecticut state politics.

Leave your comments below, e-mail colin@wnpr.org or Tweet us @wnprcolin.

Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Colin can be reached at colin@ctpublic.org.

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