Malloy, labor leaders endorse Esty for Congress

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (AP) — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy weighed in Friday on the closely watched 5th Congressional District race, urging voters to support former Democratic state Rep. Elizabeth Esty and help combat the "radical" agenda of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan.

"This is the most radical Republican agenda we have ever seen," said Malloy, who joined a group of fellow Democratic politicians and labor leaders at a senior center in New Britain to endorse Esty, the winner of the Aug. 14 primary.

"This is a clarion call to Democrats, independents and right-thinking Republicans to rise up and say, 'Not in our state, not at this time. We stand for something. We stand for a middle class. We stand for our senior citizens. We support Medicaid. We support Medicare as the single program that keeps more people out of poverty, more senior citizens out of poverty than any program in the history of America,'" the Democratic governor told the crowd.

Malloy and others on Friday tried to link the GOP's presidential ticket to state Sen. Andrew Roraback, the moderate Republican from Goshen who won the Republican 5th District primary. At several times, speakers referred to the "Romney, Ryan, Roraback" plans for the federal budget or changes to Medicare.

Esty acknowledged Roraback "is a good guy," but she said his policies and priorities are wrong for the middle class and he'd likely support House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, for another term as speaker, allowing Boehner to call up Ryan's controversial federal budget proposal for consideration.

"That sets the dance card," Esty said. "That sets the agenda."

Esty criticized the Ryan budget for its proposal to reshape Medicare for future retirees and lower tax rates, including for the wealthy. She said she believes the priorities of the national Democratic Party appeal to voters in the 5th District more than the GOP's agenda.

Roraback said he doesn't plan to be in lockstep with anyone in Washington if he's elected.

"I'm a Republican. But the theme of my campaign is, while I'm a Republican, I'm an American before I'm a Republican," said Roraback, accusing Malloy and Esty of being partisan. "The only people I'm going to support as a member of Congress are the people of the 5th District. And when my party's ideas are right for the 5th District, I will support my party. And when my party's ideas aren't right for the 5th District, I'll buck my party, as I've done in Hartford, to represent the people I work for."

The 5th District is considered the most politically balanced congressional district in the state between Republicans and Democrats.

Esty defeated House Speaker Chris Donovan in the primary, but he can still run for the open seat because he was also endorsed by the Working Families Party. Donovan hasn't yet said whether he plans to remain in the race.