I don't begrudge the $30,000 — as taxpayers' money goes, this hardly signifies — but why'd they hire a hot dog vendor outside the Capitol to try his hand at art for the first time?

Outgoing (thank God) Governor Malloy has unveiled his official portrait, when he should probably have kept it hidden under its blanket, and it’s a doozy. The viewer is left uncertain what he’s seeing: Dannel being fitted for a funeral suit? A stiff, immobile cast on the man’s right arm, the unfortunate result of a skiing accident? The mind boggles.

Connecticut has suffered under a continuous chain of poor governors since at least Lowell Weicker’s tenure, so Malloy’s coming and going isn’t a moment of much importance, but it’s a shame he’s leaving this cartoon behind.

On the other hand, I suppose it’s fitting.