So it’s no coincidence that the new CAPITOL REPORT website is the typographic clone of the DRUDGE REPORT.   Creator Tom Dudchik, former deputy chief of staff for Gov. Lowell Weicker, wants it to be news heavy and without additional comment.

 ”I believe that too many political sites offer too much commentary,” he says. “I want the news. I’ll make up my own commentary, thank you.”

Also, since he isn’t all that computer savvy, he hired  techies to do his design. I guess they looked to Drudge for inspiration.

Anyway, Dudchik knows his politics. He is a former state legislator from Ansonia, and served as a deputy commissioner of the DEP.  “I’ve worked for Weicker in D.C. as well, ” he says. 

He is also no stranger to The Courant and its former stars. Steve Grant and Michele Jacklin both helped him develop his site with some useful feedback, he said, and Bob MacDonnell took his photos.

Dudchik is of the opinion that most readers don’t have time or patience for “long-form” journalism, but here’s how he operates:

My links are edited. I read each story, and find the interesting stuff that headline writers may have missed, and slug my stories in a way that I feel might interest my readers. It’s not an RSS feed, or an aggregation of links. There is thought that goes into the link, photo and its position.

In other words, he’s an editor of value; and should be on the radar of anyone who wants to keep up with the work of many local papers, columnists and even blogs like this one.