There’s a real good reason for state House Speaker Chris Donovan
to be worried about his chances of winning in Connecticut’s 5th
Congressional District race, and it has nothing to do with the
FBI investigation into campaign fundraising.  Donovan’s biggest
hurdle may in fact be history: Connecticut legislative leaders
suck as candidates for higher office. And the reasons concern
complicated stuff like ego and the willingness to compromise and
who you’ve stroked or pissed off to get to that high-ranking
legislative spot.  Think about it. None of our sitting U.S.
Senators or U.S. Representatives went directly from being a top
leader in the General Assembly to Congress.  (Yes, Joe Lieberman
was a state Senate majority leader at one time, but he lost the
year he ran for the 3rd Congressional District seat, later
successfully ran for state attorney general, and then won his
U.S. Senate election. John Larson was a top state Senate leader,
but gave up that spot in 1995, lost his bid to be governor in
1996, and didn’t