Tributes continue to pour in for former Connecticut governor M. Jodi Rell, who died Nov. 20 following a short illness. She was 78. Her funeral is set for Dec. 3.
Larry Cafero knew her well. He's executive director and general counsel for the Wine and Spirit Wholesalers of Connecticut. But, at one time, he served as Republican minority leader in the Connecticut House for part of Rell's term as governor.
Cafero spoke with Connecticut Public Radio. Here are highlights from his conversation:
John Henry Smith
Larry, Gov. Rell gets credit for restoring faith in Connecticut government after her then-boss, Gov. John Rowland, resigned in a corruption scandal. What kind of fortitude did it take for her to take the reins and succeed under those conditions?
Larry Cafero
There is no other person that could have gotten our state — our party — out of those dark days better than Jodi Rell. She was a terrific person, a very strong person internally. I guess she hails from Virginia. She had that sort of Virginia strength, if you will. She was not a braggadocio, flashy person. She was one who believed we’ve got to get the job done, and she certainly did so.
John Henry Smith
I've seen Gov. Rell referred to as the GOP’s version of “Mary Poppins,” the reference to the fictional character who took charge of a dysfunctional family and set them on the right path. She earned a modern Connecticut record 63% of the vote when she was re-elected in 2006. What about her governing style made her so popular, so beloved?
Larry Cafero
Well, I think everyone identified with her, and certainly when she so bravely and courageously came through her bout and fight with breast cancer without really showering attention on herself. And people never forgot Jodi Rell at that podium, coming back very, very soon after having a breast cancer surgery. People were just in awe. Their hearts swelled for her and people identified with her and they loved her for it.
John Henry Smith
You know, Rell was a socially moderate Republican. She supported abortion rights, and she signed legislation making Connecticut the first state to institute same sex civil unions. Do we today undersell how hard it was for her, even back then, to occupy that space?
Larry Cafero
Listen, nothing is easy. You’re governor of a state, and some called her at that time, before she won the term in her own right, “the accidental governor.” So, you know, there was a lot of eye rolling, like, "we're gonna steamroll her when she gets into her own term." Didn't happen, and that was the beauty of Jodi Rell. She had an inner strength. She had a strength within her party, so that we stood by her side at various difficult times. And she had the public on her side. She was able to prevail on some very difficult issues because of who she was and how she governed and how she was perceived.
John Henry Smith
Finally, can you leave us with a personal remembrance of your friend? Something that really captures the essence of who she was.
Larry Cafero
I remember the day she got sworn in as governor. It started off as a dark, cloudy day, and literally just around the time she took the oath to become our 87th governor, in those ugly circumstances, the sun started to come out! I will never forget it! I was there on the grounds of the Capitol, and it was somewhat symbolic that it's OK. She told us things are going to be OK. Remarkable woman. Classy person. Certainly, I consider it, at age 78, just a tragedy that we lost such a treasure.
