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Archive for May, 2010
Can Erie County Rally Support for Paladino?
May 31st - 9:00 pm
With only about 7 percent of the weighted vote, Erie County is currently Carl Paladino’s only support going into the state Republican convention this week.
County Chair Nick Langworthy says with four candidates in the race for governor, it’s still possible for Paladino to hit the 25 percent threshold to get on the ballot and avoid the petition process.
Conservative Chair Defends Party’s Early Convention
May 31st - 9:00 pm
State Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long responds to questions that there might be a challenge to his leadership by the Erie County Chair Ralph Lorigo.
Could Meier Be Next State GOP Chair?
May 31st - 9:00 pm
Although he wouldn’t say if he’s interested in the job, former State Senator Ray Meier had plenty of criticism regarding how Ed Cox is handling party business going into this week’s convention.
Extras
May 31st - 4:20 pm
Albany County GOP Chairman John Graziano is sounding a lot less pro-Steve Levy as he heads to Manhattan.
Carl Paladino received an enthusiastic welcome home at the end of his Erie Canal trip.
What does Google know that we don’t?
Here’s a gubernatorial contender you might not have heard from yet.
The Belmont is being overshadowed by the mess that is racing in New York.
A lightning storm cut short President Obama’s Memorial Day observance.
Is AG Andrew Cuomo the next Al Smith?
Cuomo did some parading today.
Jennifer Senior looks for midterm lessons in the results of the 1994 elections.
NYC libraries are on the chopping block.
National Grid is trying to exploit the upstate-downstate divide.
Watertown Mayor Jeff Graham sent the photo below and writes: “I wanted to give you all a new New York in 1998….while not successful…clearly ahead of Andrew.”
![0528102007[1]](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4657418830_bf11701595.jpg)
Levy: I’m Not Dropping Out
May 31st - 3:31 pm
Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy called in this afternoon to “nip in the bud” speculation that has been building over the past week or so that he is being encouraged by some GOP leaders to drop out of the governor’s race as it appears he lacks sufficient support to get onto the ballot at the convention.
“It’s totally untrue; it’s ridiculous,” said Levy, adding: “We’re in it all the way. We’re down on the ten-yard line. We expect to bring it over the goal line…I switched parties; I put my neck on the line. Why in the world would I stop now?”
Levy blamed his opponents, whom he deemed “desperate candidates creating mischief” and trying for a “Hail Mary” in advance of the convention, and also rejected my suggestion that he has been AWOL from the campaign trail of late.
He insisted the only event he skipped was the state Conservative Convention, which he saw “no purpose in going to” because Rick Lazio was the clear favorite of Chairman Mike Long.
“We’re as gung-ho as we’ve ever been,” Levy continued. “This is to be expected by candidates who want to place doubt in the minds of our supporters so they switch, but that’s not going to happen. They’re all solidly behind us.”
Long: GOP And Conservatives ‘Owe’ DioGuardi
May 31st - 2:49 pm
The tension between the Republicans and Conservatives is not limited to the governor’s race, and there’s now a distinct possibility that the erstwhile allies could end up running different candidates in three statewide contests.
A lot of GOP county chairs have been scratching their heads about the Conservatives’ decision last Friday to give their line to little-known consultant Jay Townsend to run against Sen. Chuck Schumer and former Rep. Joe DioGuardi to challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
Most Republicans have been expecting both economist David Malpass and former Long Island Legislator Bruce Blakeman to receive sufficient support at this week’s convention to get onto the ballot, setting up a two-way primary.
DioGuardi wasn’t believed to have enough support to get on the GOP ballot, although he may have the inside track with the Independence Party. Now that he has landed the Conservative line, however, it could cause some county chairs to take a second look.
More >
Meier: Get Ready For A Messy Convention
May 31st - 2:21 pm
Former state Sen. Ray Meier, whose name has been floated as a potential replacement to Ed Cox as state GOP chairman, had no reservations about criticizing the party’s lack of organization going to this week’s convention during an interview that will appear on “Capital Tonight” this evening.
“Some people have suggested it’s going to be the equivalent of a political Gallagher concert,” Meier told Liz this afternoon.
Meier, who is headed to the Sheraton as a Rick Lazio delegate, wouldn’t say if he’s interested in the chairman gig. But he was more than willing to question many of Cox’s decisions over the past few months – including the endorsement of Democratic Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy to run for governor as a Republican.
“I don’t think on the eve of the kind of election where opportunity is so apparent that you go courting someone who is still a democrat and will still be a democrat come election day,” Meier said.
Meier said it’s also possible Cox was behind M. Myers Mermel’s abrupt decision to end his LG run and join the already crowded governor’s race, causing even more turmoil within the party.
“This does, let’s face it, play out against the backdrop of some discontent and some feeling that we should have been better organized, that we should have had a more organized approach to coalescing around two US Senate candidates,” said Meier.
“We should have been better organized in terms of striking some type of understanding with our friends in the Conservative party about a possible coalition ticket. So these are things that are going to play out over the next few days in New York.”
Paladino’s Ask
May 31st - 12:44 pm
Over the weekend, Carl Paladino’s campaign sent out an e-mail blast asking New Yorkers to contribute to his long-shot gubernatorial bid, arguing that even the $10 million of his own money that he has pledged to spend won’t be enough to beat the Democratic nominee, AG Andrew Cuomo.
“I can’t do it alone,” Paladino wrote in the on-line missive, which a source connected to his campaign said was sent to one million voters.
“Democrat Andrew Cuomo has $20 Million dollars in special interest campaign contributions filling his war chest. Observers expect him to raise another $30 Million from the lobbyist, bankers, investment houses, Wall Street insiders, law firms, insurance companies and all those interested in maintaining the status quo in Albany.”
“While I have pledged to spend up to $10 Million of my own money, it will take far more if we are going to defeat the entrenched liberal special interests who have a stranglehold on our government.”
(Snip).
“Together you and I can rally those New Yorkers who are fed-up and ready for radical reform. My campaign must raise an additional $200,000 in the next two weeks to keep our campaign plan on schedule.”
Can Erie County Rally Support for Paladino?
May 31st - 12:32 pm
With only about 7 percent of the weighted vote, Erie County is currently Carl Paladino’s only support going into the state Republican convention this week.
County Chair Nick Langworthy says with four candidates in the race for governor, it’s still possible for Paladino to hit the 25 percent threshold to get on the ballot and avoid the petition process.
Here’s more on what Langworthy had to say:
You can catch the full interview tonight at 8 and 11:30 on Capital Tonight
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