The Malloy Transition Bobble.

Democrat and Working Family Governor-Elect Dannel Malloy made a mistake this week when he failed to check his own statements before appointing felonious former Governor John G. Rowland loyalist and defender Ross Garber to his transition team.

In 2005, Malloy’s campaign manager let loose with a stream of pointed criticism at Governor M. Jodi Rell for putting Garber in an advisory position in her campaign for a full term.  Chris Cooney said that fall, ”It would be very difficult for Jodi Rell to disassociate herself from this scandalous legacy of John Rowland if she has as one of her top advisors the person whose job it was to defend and basically guide him through the corruption scandal.”

That scandalous legacy continues.  During the recently concluded campaign, Malloy accused Rowland of running a criminal enterprise as governor.  The governor-elect was Sanforized long ago.  He expresses his opinions in a forceful manner that will be a distinct change from the surly, aggrieved final Rowland years and the cheerful deceits of the Rell administration.  Malloy’s prosecutorial manner makes reverses difficult in his world of certainties.

Roy Occhiogrosso, Malloy’s longtime advisor, told me yesterday that the sores of the Rowland years were still raw in 2005.  Since then, he suggested, Garber has done good works in public life, though he couldn’t think of any.  In any event, Malloy won the election and is entitled to put whomever he wants on his transition team.  But he has to know that it will draw comment, probably less fierce and pointed than the opinions Malloy offers when he sees an opportunity to score some points against an adversary or detractor.

As telling as Malloy’s whitewashing of Rowland’s corruption was the rounding on Democrat Jonathan Pelto, who raised the issue on his Facebook page.  New media is a growing force, but to disparage Pelto in such personal terms over a Facebook entry revealed a disdain for fair comment that will make the trials ahead more difficult if it’s carried forth to governing and budget balancing.