To the Editor:

If only Rob Simmons had his "Hammer".

Rob Simmons was a recipient of former House Majority Leader, "the Hammer" Tom De Lay's ARMPAC (Americans for a Republican Majority) campaign contributions to the tune of almost $40,000 dollars.

De Lay is now being prosecuted on charges of felony money laundering of campaign finances and conspiracy to launder money. De Lay's close friend and partner in crime Jack Abramoff was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of more than $21 million dollars.

Tom Delay was called "The Hammer" for his enforcement of party discipline in congressional votes and his reputation for taking political retribution against party members who did not march lockstep with his and President Bush’s Neo-Conservative agenda.

The ramifications of "The Hammer’s" tactics were that opposition was crushed and no dissent of any kind was tolerated within the Republican Party. Democrats were shut out of key commities and few if any Republicans dared to oppose "The Hammer" for fear of financial retribution during their next campaign.

Even more disturbing was that in the 1990s, Tom Delay started the K Street Project, which is still an effort to pressure lobbying firms to hire only Republicans to top positions.

This type of arm twisting caught the eye of Carl Rove and eventually spilled over into mainstream Government. President Bush, Dick Chaney and Carl Rove in turn pushed for the instillation of unqualified Republican Political operatives into key highly responsible posts in the CIA, FDA, FEMA, the EPA and many others government agencies.

By installing political operatives into key posts the "Hammer" and the Bush Administration had hoped to limit decent and cement Republican control of government for years to come. Unfortunately career employees began leaving these agencies in droves leaving behind unqualified political operatives to run these newly politicized agencies. One result of this practice was the incompetece demonstrated during hurricane Katrina by FEMA’s former director Michael Brown.

Rob Simmons has demonstrated time and again that when pushed as he was by "The Hammer" he would back down every time. Party loyalty for Rob trumps the needs of the people of Connecticut.

The Day newspaper has stated that Joe Courtney "had a reputation in the state legislature for working hard and taking principled stands." And that Joe Courtney possesses the qualities of "integrity, intelligence, and good nature."

The editorial board of the Day acknowledged Rob Simmons' role as an advocate for the Groton submarine base, but stated that his staunch support of the Bush Administration's foreign policy "has eroded the ability of the country to sustain the Navy's fleet, submarines included."

The Administration's $120 billion per year war in Iraq is "one of the reasons the Navy is reluctant to move ahead with building two submarines a year," stated The Day.

"The simple presence of Rep. Simmons' name in the Republican roll-call, regardless of how often he votes for or against his party, helps sustain the number of bodies the Republicans need to maintain control of the House," wrote the editorial staff of The Day.

Joe Courtney has now earned the endorsements of the Hartford Courant, The Day, the Providence Journal, and The New York Times.

Please cast a vote for our soldiers in the field who are bogged down by the incompetent leadership of Rob Simmons and his failure to stand up to George Bush and "The Hammer".

We must restore the checks and balances needed for our Government to function once again and end the corruption that has been so long overlooked. The theocracy of "The Hammer", Rob Simmons and the Neo-Conservatives at the top is so greatly flawed.

Vote for Joe Courtney this Tuesday.

Tim Withington