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Archive for August, 2010
Unshackle Grades Lawmakers On Performace
Aug 30th - 9:00 pm
For the past several years, a group of upstate business and trade organizations have teamed up to try and convince Albany lawmakers to pass legislation making it easier to do business. They call themselves Unshackle Upstate.
Despite their best efforts, they say things have actually gotten worse. And now, the group representing more than 70 thousand companies is fed up. For the first time, they are going to endorse candidates in this year’s election. But before they do that, they have released their scorecards for all the members of the state legislature.
Brian Sampson, the groups Executive Director, joined Liz Benjamin from Rochester Monday to talk more about the report.
The Non-Debate Debate With Carl Paladino
Aug 30th - 9:00 pm
As we’ve been reporting, we were expecting to bring you the third installment in our series of primary debates today.
Last week, the Republican candidates in each of the U-S Senate races went toe to toe on stage at Union College in Schenectady. We had hoped to be hosting the two Republicans running in the race for governor in a debate at Onondaga County Community College tonight, but only one of the candidates accepted our invitation. Rick Lazio informed us only last week that he would not participate. He cited scheduling conflicts and insisted there was unable to make time for to debate prior to the September 14th primary – more than two weeks away. And so, in fairness to the candidate who did agree to our debate.
Carl Paladino joined Liz Benjamin from Syracuse.
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Cox Trips Out On Altschuler
Aug 30th - 6:17 pm
Here’s the latest attack launched by NY-1 hopeful Chris Cox on one of his two GOP primary opponents, Randy Altschuler, in the form of an ad that reiterates all of the self-funding businessman’s negatives: He outourced jobs, he used to be a Green Party member, there’s a big gap in his voting history.
The ad will appear on News12 Long Island, FOX News, CNN, TNT, and The Discovery Channel, according to the Cox campaign.
Most of the mudslinging as the primary draws ever closer has been between Altschuler and Cox, which leads me to believe someone out there has some polling data that shows George Demos trailing. Also, recall that Altschuler has the much-coveted Conservative Party line, while Cox is trying to lay claim to the conservative mantle.
Extras
Aug 30th - 5:44 pm
Midnight tonight is the final fundraising deadline of the primary season. (No link).
Gov. David Paterson has no plans to take further action against David Johnson (suspended without pay) or Clemmie Harris *(still working as a special assistant to the governor).
Sen. Eric Schneiderman was endorsed by Equality Long Island over the weekend.
The four Democrats seeking to replace Sen. Eric Schneiderman will debate transporation issues on Sept. 7.
Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. handed out school supplies paid for with campaign funds and challenged a heckler to a fist fight.
Here’s NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio’s bad landlord list.
Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos’ opponent blamed the Long Island Republican for the LIRR’s recent delays.
US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is taking heat back home in Nevada for accepting fundraising assistance from Mayor Bloomberg.
The 14th CD primary is boiling down to Wall Street, Wall Street, Wall Street.
Rep. Anthony Weiner Tweeted how he really feels about Republicans.
The UFT has lost some 2,000 members, which translates into $2 million in dues.
Nassau County DA Kathleen Rice wants to be a “green AG.”
Nick Confessore is a brave man.
David Dinkins and de Blasio praised ATU candidate Larry Hanley.
The New Roosevelt Initiative endorsed Francisco Moya for Assembly against expelled ex-Sen. Hiram Monserrate. (No link).
Sen. Brian Foley was endorsed by PEF. (No link).
The Seneca are trying to dial down the tensions surrounding the impending start of collection of taxes on cigarettes sold to non-tribal people on Indian land.
Espada gave an extended sit-down interview to Gerson Borrero.
The WFP has an anti-hydrofracking bumper sticker.
Paladino: Obama Not A Christian ‘In His Heart’, ‘Worships Himself’
Aug 30th - 5:17 pm
GOP gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino told me in an extended “Capital Tonight” set to air this evening that he does not believe President Obama is a practicing Christian “in his heart.”
That comment came in response to a question I put to the Buffalo businessman during a mock lightning round, which we would have done in a two-man debate – had Paladino’s primary opponent, Rick Lazio, agreed to participate. I later asked him to elaborate, which sparked this exchange.
CP: “I think it’s part of the theater of Mr. Obama. I’m not quite, I’m not saying he’s anything else, but I think Mr. Obama is about himself. I think any religious beliefs that he advocates are part of the theatre to make himself look better to the American people.”
LB: “So, you’re not specifically saying that he is not a Christian. You just don’t believe him when he says he’s a practicing Christian?”
CP: “I don’t believe he… No, I think he worships himself. He’s a very condescending person.”
The topic of Obama’s faith has been on the front burner since an Aug. 19 Pew poll found one in five Americans believe the president is a Muslim – an increase from 11 percent in March 2009 – and 43 percent had no idea what religion he practices at all.
A Newsweek poll last week pegged the number at one in four.
This caused the White House to send out a statement reiterating that Obama “is a committed Christian, and his faith is an important part of his daily life.”
In an NBC interview with Brian Williams that will air tonight, the president said:
“The facts are the facts…There is a mechanism, a network of misinformation that in a new media era can get churned out there constantly… I can’t spend all of my time with my birth certificate plastered on my forehead.”
Doheny On The Attack
Aug 30th - 4:58 pm
Things are getting ugly in the North Country, where GOP congressional candidate Mott Doheny is out with an attack ad that accuses his primary opponent, Doug Hoffman, of profiting from his campaign in NY-23.
Reporters (at least those outside the district) were alerted to the existence of the ad by the Hoffman campaign, which sent out a press release slamming the spot and calling it a “a desperate attempt by Matt Doheny to save his floundering campaign.”
Hoffman campaign spokesman Rob Ryan called on Dohney to apologize for “hurling mud” and take down the ad.
Dohney Attack Ad from Liz Benjamin on Vimeo.
Nov. 2 Special Election In Queens
Aug 30th - 4:36 pm
Mayor Bloomberg just called a special election on Nov. 2 (to run concurrent with the November general) in the 28th NYC Council District in Queens to fill the vacancy left by the death late last week of Tom White, who lost a battle with cancer at the age of 71.
Here’s the announcement:
“Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced that a special non-partisan election will be held in the 28th Council District on November 2nd, the date of the regularly scheduled general election, to fill the vacancy created by the passing of Council Member Thomas White, Jr. Pursuant to the City Charter, the nomination of candidates in the election will be by independent nominating petition, rather than through a party primary.
The newly elected Council Member will serve until December 31, 2011. A second election to fill the remainder of the term will be held on Election Day in November 2011.
UB President To Retire Following Albany’s Failure
Aug 30th - 3:44 pm
University of Buffalo President John Simpson announced this afternoon he is retiring as the college’s President effective of January 15.
In a press release, he states that his motivation is mainly because he wants to be closer to family, but he adds that “the difficult decision has been made somewhat easier by Albany’s failure to give UB and SUNY policy tools.”
“UB’s promise, and its potential to transform this community, have been threatened severely by repeated budget cuts and, most recently, by the latest setbacks from Albany,” Simpson said.
This past session state lawmakers failed to pass SUNY empowerment legislation that would have allowed campuses to set their own tuition, to an extent, and also give them power to make purchases without prior approval from the state legislature.
The project grew out of a pilot program that was proposed for the University of Buffalo, called UB2020. The idea being that by the year 2020, University of Buffalo would be a state of the art medical campus.
Following Albany’s failure to pass SUNY empowerment legislation, Simpson sent an email to colleagues suggesting it would be optimistic to think that project could be done by 2030.
Park51 And The 20th AD
Aug 30th - 3:28 pm
A reader forwarded as link to the Aug. 27 edition of the 5 Towns Jewish Times, which features (on P. 36) a Letter to the Editor from Democratic Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg announcing that he opposes the Park51 mosque/Islamic center project proposed for construction near Ground Zero.
Weisenberg, a former police officer and 21-year veteran of the Assembly, opens by saying he is “absolutely opposed to the construction of a mosque in the shadow of the site where the towers fell,” while also noting that the Muslim community has a constitutional right to build.
“We simply cannot build an institution on this sacred ground that is associated with so much pain and violence,” Weisenberg wrote. “…Those behind this project have said they hoped it would foster tolerance and healing. But the wounds are too fresh, the project is simply too divisive.”
The assemblyman proposed building a multicultural, interfaith community and education center on the Park51 site, which, interestingly, is the same thing Community Board 1 Chairperson Julie Menin – who voted “yes” on the project back in May – suggested in a DN OpEd that ran this morning.
Weisenberg is being challenged in a primary by former Nassau County Legislator Jeff Toback. His decision to write this letter to an Orthodox Jewish paper is an interesting one, politically speaking.
Orthodox Jews tend to be more on the conservative side – particularly when it comes to issues of public safety – and they tend to vote in a bloc. Their support could prove very helpful to the assemblyman come primary day, assuming he manages to sway them in his direction.
Paterson’s Walk Back
Aug 30th - 3:09 pm
Here’s a copy of the letter Gov. David Paterson referenced earlier today in which he sought to “clarify” his statements about “almost Westernized” Muslims behind the Park51 project.
He sent the letter to the Muslim Public Affairs Council (not to the people behind the project, as I had originally thought). An excerpt:
“I wanted to communicate – to an audience that has often been provided limited exposure to the diversity of Islam – what I found unique about the interpretation of Islam guiding the Park51 project and the activities planned for it, such as providing opportunities for non-denominational prayer.”
“In no way did I mean to draw a distinction among the various Muslim sects as to their legitimacy or their right to build and operate a place of worship in New York State. To the contrary, I firmly believe that all people of faith are free to lift their voices in peaceful worship in the State of New York.”
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