We think this is called getting while the getting is good. It’s amusing that a politician expresses such frustration with the process sounding like a purist, and then turns around and tries to pork up himself. And they wonder why voters have such a cynical view of politicians.

HARTFORD – On a recent day at the Capitol, state Rep. Terry Backer lamented the amount of business the General Assembly is trying to pack into a short legislative session.”There’s simply no discipline among any of us,” said Backer, D-Stratford.

A few minutes later, Backer – who runs Soundkeeper, a Norwalk environmental group – was co-hosting a news conference touting a $2 billion bill to create a Connecticut Department of Clean Energy.

That summarizes how lawmakers from both parties approach the short session, which began Feb. 6 and ends May 7. It is supposed to focus on tweaking the two-year budget adopted last year, but everyone is squeezing in other initiatives.

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