Jodi Rell Makes History in State's Top Post

MICHEL MARTIN, host:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News.

Later in the program we're going to mourn the passing of two important Americans: Democratic Congressman Julia Carson who became the first African-American and the first woman to represent the city of Indianapolis in Congress, and the actor, singer and activist Floyd Red Crow Westerman, a Native American who tried to convey the dignity and honor of his heritage in all of his roles.

We're reminded by Congressman Carson's passing that were still in the habit of marking firsts, because as barriers are coming down, they still exist. That's one reason that from-time-to-time we like to talk to women leaders from across the world and across the country.

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So joining us today is Connecticut's Governor Jodi Rell. Governor Rell has joined what was once a very small club, but slowly getting lager. She's one of only seven women governors, only two of whom are Republican. She's also a rare high-profiled moderate in a party whose top candidates are all vying for the conservative mantel. So in the middle of this heartily contested political year, we thought it was a good time to check in with her.

Governor Rell, thanks for joining us.

Governor JODI RELL (Republican, Connecticut): Thank you for having me.

MARTIN: Now you are recently elected to your own term after having been elevated from the lieutenant governor's chair after your predecessor was unable to finish his term. Is it different having been elected in your own right?

Gov. RELL: I didn't need to prove myself. I think I had already proven myself as governor when I took over after our former governor resigned. And so I had been governor for two and a half years, but in a running and winning and winning convincingly really, I think, helped me realize that now I have the support of the people of Connecticut.

MARTIN: I'd like to talk a little bit about you. I read someplace that you actually picked tobacco in the summers as a kid. Had that background come in handy in politics?

(Soundbite of laughter)

Gov. RELL: I did. I was born and reared in Norfolk, Virginia, but I spent my summers with my aunt and uncle on a farm in North Carolina.

MARTIN: You're a Republican, speaking of interesting backgrounds, but your positions are generally more moderate…

Gov. RELL: Moderate.

(Soundbite of laughter)

MARTIN: …than the National Republican Party. You're pro-choice, you support stem cell research…

Gov. RELL: Right.

MARTIN: …you support the state funding for stem cell research.

Gov. RELL: Absolutely.

MARTIN: You're opposed to the constitutional ban of same sex marriage. I just wonder, when you meet with other Republican politicians, do you feel out of step?

Gov. RELL: You know, someone asked me one time if I was a real Republican. And I had to laugh. I said, you know, I don't know what a real Republican is supposed to be. I believe in a lot of things that may not be, you know, have a label of Democrat or Republican.

In my household, growing up, my father was a Democrat. And in the south, a Democrat is very conservative, trust me. And my mother was the Republican and she was much more liberal on social issues. And I think that's where I sort of got my background.

And so, you know, when I take stands on issues, I think in terms of stem cell, I think how far we've come as a nation. I mean, 50, 100 years ago, people would've never thought about embryos and what we could do to help couples achieve their goal of having babies. And you know now it's just common practice. Of course I'm for something that will, you know, give people a better quality of life and give them the things that they want.

I just think that it's part of an on-going evolving nation that we need to continue whatever research we can. And if our state can do it, and our state has two of the finest universities - research universities, the University of Connecticut and Yale University right here, why not take that lead and take that example to our university and showcase that for the rest of the world?

MARTIN: But when you say - of course, I'm reminded of people who have very different positions who say, of course. What I'm curious about is that at a time when more people than ever before are willing to identify themselves as independent, suggest that they - they don't buy the prevailing orthodoxies of either party, either political party…

Gov. RELL: Right.

MARTIN: …that all of your national candidates are attacking right.

Gov. RELL: Right. And I think that you will see that, I think you'll see it on the Democrat side too that they seem to be going more to the liberal side, only because that seems to be what gets them to the first stage of polling and then to the next stage of actually getting to be a candidate. And the next stage of actually being able to get the nomination at their respective convention.

So when it comes down to it, it's - the person in the voting booth isn't going to choose a candidate based on whether or not that person has a favorable voting record, let's say, on pro-choice, but rather how do they feel about all of the issues combined.

MARTIN: Are you endorsing a candidate from your party yet?

Gov. RELL: I have not yet endorsed a candidate. Obviously, with the Super Tuesday coming up in February, I'm going to hold off a little longer. And I suspect I probably will before, if not before the first of the year shortly thereafter.

MARTIN: If you're just joining us, this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. And I'm talking with Governor Jodi Rell of Connecticut.

Governor, as a woman in an executive position, and you're not the first female governor of Connecticut.

Gov. RELL: Right.

MARTIN: Is this country ready for a woman president?

Gov. RELL: I think they're ready. I think it'll be, you know, if not this time around it'll be sometime. I think that women who have been seeking and gaining office over the last decade or more really have proven that they can do the job, and that men and women will support them. I think that, you know, it has to be the right candidate, and I think that it has to be the right woman.

And I have to say, you know it reminds me of recently I appointed a female to be the chief justice of the Supreme Court in Connecticut - it' the state court. The headline the next day read, Woman appointed to be Chief Justice. And I threw the paper down.

(Soundbite of laughter)

Gov. RELL: And I thought, a couple of days earlier I had announced that there was going to be new man who is going to be taking over as commissioner of public safety, did the headline read, another man is appointed as commissioner?

We've got to get past the stage of putting down women as women are elected or a woman was chosen or a woman will be. Give me credit for the job that I do.

MARTIN: It's interesting, though, that people have different opinions about that. I mean some people feel that their gender is kind of just so much a part of how they see the world. It's just - it's an added perspective. It's interesting, gender and, like, and race are similar in the way we think about them. Some people say look, you know, there is no such thing as being as not noticing race.

Gov. RELL: Absolutely.

MARTIN: You're just not being honest. And some people say it's fundamental to the way you see the world. It's an asset or whatever. And if you - for some people if you do notice that they're mad, if you don't notice that other people - if you don't notice that they're mad, is your vision that at some point it will be all…

Gov. RELL: I don't…

MARTIN: …irrelevant?

Gov. RELL: …envision it at all. I - certainly, I hope that when people see me walking to a room they know that's a female governor, obviously. But I think what I really want to them to say is, you know - and you can ask does being a female change your views or alter your views or does it help you in making short decisions? And sometime the answer is yes. I mean, I think can identify with certain issues, and I also think I have a different style than a lot of my male colleague. So I don't want to dispute or even to discount the role of gender, race or anything else in being a person in power, if you will, but I don't want to be labeled.

MARTIN: When you dealt with breast cancer, for example, three years ago - now certainly men get breast cancer.

Gov. RELL: Sure.

MARTIN: But many, many more women do. And I think it means something to women in the way that it doesn't might not come in in the way that perhaps maybe prostate cancer might mean something to men. Do you see my point, I mean…

Gov. RELL: I do.

MARTIN: …when you as a women in such a visible position of struggling with an issue like that that kind of goes into the heart of your femaleness, did you feel, I don't know, did any special…

Gov. RELL: Different?

(Soundbite of laughter)

MARTIN: Yeah, different.

Gov. RELL: You know there is a silver lining in everything. And because I was such a visible person, and because I made such a profound statement to the public at large, hey look, it happened to me it could happen to anyone. But thank goodness early detection was on my side. And so it gave me an opportunity to be able to speak from the pulpit, if you will.

MARTIN: Well, congratulations on the recovery.

Gov. RELL: Thank you.

MARTIN: I'm sure everybody is very happy in your family and your state. I want to ask - and please don't take offense of the question - but I do wonder if you ever feel, as a woman, a special need to demonstrate your toughness on issues like crime or…

Gov. RELL: Sure I do.

MARTIN: …you know, whatever, to say look, you know…

Gov. RELL: Sure I do. And I think, sometimes, and especially, when you talk about crime, of course, we had a horrendous crime here in Connecticut this summer. And…

MARTIN: Just for folks who weren't aware of this, there was a terrible assault in Cheshire.

Gov. RELL: Exactly.

MARTIN: A terrible assault on a suburban family by two ex-cons, I think. Three of the women in the family were killed and the husband was the only survivor.

Gov. RELL: Right.

MARTIN: It was horrible.

Gov. RELL: It was horrible. And I think when you ask about having to show your toughness, I think that on one hand, you felt that way, but what really came through for me was you have to do what you think is right. And at that time, these two offenders - both of them, by the way, were out on parole and both of them were never classified as violent offenders. They had no record of violence in their past. So you really would not have known that they could have committed such a violent act.

And so the first thing I did was I said, okay, that's it. Right now, until we get squared away, we're going to temporarily halt the parole for all violent offenders. Now, I've taken a little flak for that and I can understand why. But at the same time...

MARTIN: Well, because I think people would argue that that's an overreaction to an isolated incident. Is that really good - is it really a god idea to make policy based on one event, however terrible?

Gov. RELL: Absolutely. And that's why I said, I think of it as - it has to be understood that it is temporary in nature and that what we have done is, I have put together a task force to look at the process. How do you arrest someone? What is the sentence that they get? What are they charged with? And what types of things are they eligible for parole? So we have two task forces going simultaneously and will be reporting back to us by the end of the year and looking for legislation for the next legislative session.

MARTIN: Well, Governor, you've been generous with your time but one has to ask because governors historically run well on a national stage. So inquiring minds want to know - do you have any ambitions for another office?

Gov. RELL: Right now, I just want to be the best governor possible. And if anything else, I would love to be governor again. I'm not looking at the national thing right now.

MARTIN: Why not?

Gov. RELL: I'm just not interested. I love what I'm doing and I love the people in Connecticut. And I honestly believe that I've made a big difference. And people look up to what we have accomplished. And I think that's what, you know, I'm proud of that and I want to continue it.

MARTIN: Governor Jodi Rell is a Republican from Connecticut. She spoke with us from her office.

Governor, thank you so much for speaking with us today.

Gov. RELL: You're very welcome. Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.