Old boss to intern: Don’t challenge Dodd

Merrick Alpert might want to tweek his campaign roll-out strategy. No sooner did the the businessman announce his intent to challenge Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) in a primary than his old boss told him to bow out.

Joe Pelto, a former state representative and long time Democratic operative in Connecticut, told the Hartford Courtant that Alpert, his former intern, should reconsider.

“I’m surprised, even a bit stunned, that my former intern Merrick Albert is interested in running against Chris Dodd, let alone that he believes he is prepared to serve as Connecticut’s United States Senator.

“I’ve known Merrick for more than 20 years. He worked as my legislative intern when he was a student at Trinity College and later helped with various political campaigns. Always eager and ambitious, everyone who has ever worked with Merrick knows that he’s always wanted to run for political office. Hopefully, he’ll reconsider this strange decision and focus instead on getting his political career underway by running for a position that he is more qualified for like state representative or state senator.”

So Alpert is ambitious, unqualified and has wanted to be a politician his whole life. Not the endorsement you want from your former boss the day you announce.