Was it politics or policy?
Tom Foley, a Republican candidate for governor, discussed a plan for Connecticut's cities at an event put on by the think tank he founded.
The Connecticut Policy Institute says they are non-partisan but Democrats believe it was a political event.
Foley himself insists he's no longer actively involved with the group.
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"I help them with fundraising," he said. "I help introduce them to people if they need introductions but I'm not involved in the development of any policy."
CPI laid out a detailed urban policy agenda focussing attention on Connecticut's cities.
It calls for things like tax breaks for cities, developing workforce training programs and making urban areas more livable.
The institute hopes Democrats and Republicans use their recommendations.
"My attitude as far as candidates adopting this is, the more the merrier," said Ben Zimmer, the executive director of the Connecticut Policy Institute.
Foley has said that he intends to focus on cities in his campaign for governor but he stopped short of endorsing the entire report.
"This is a good framework to start from but we will be picking and chosing from these after we get feedback from the people in the communities," said Foley.
The Connecticut Democratic Party said the press conference on Friday was 'purely political'.
Spokesman James Hallinan pointed out the fact that the Foley sent out a media release with campaign letterhead.
Governor Dannel Malloy, who has yet to announce his plans for 2014, has made numerous public appearances of late to highlight big policy initiatives. His most recent was a rally with President Barack Obama to push for a higher minimum wage at Central Connecticut State University.
Hallinan said there is a difference between what the governor has been doing and what Foley did on Friday.
"The Connecticut Policy Institute and the President of the United States are two very different things," said Hallinan.
A Quinnipiac University Poll released this week shows Malloy and Foley are tied at 42 percent.
