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Archive for September, 2010
Here And Now
Sep 30th - 8:05 am
The Sagamore Smackdown has gone national, thanks to the Associated Press. (It’s also morning talk show fodder, I hear, but haven’t seen any video yet).
The altercation between The Post’s Fred Dicker and gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino sparked over Paladino’s allegation that Andrew Cuomo had extra-martial affairs when he was married to Kerry Kennedy – a claim for which he said he’ll offer proof “at the appropriate time.”
“You send another goon to my daughter’s house and I’ll take you out, buddy,” a furious Paladino said to Dicker.
In response to questions about Paladino’s allegations, Cuomo campaign spokesman Josh Vlasto said: “We have not and will not descend into the gutter with Paladino, Caputo and (his advisor Roger) Stone.”
Paladino campaign manager Michael Caputo told the AP The Post tried to take a picture of the candidate’s daughter through her bedroom window and she’s been crying about it ever since.
Last night’s near-fight capped a day that saw the governor’s race grow increasingly heated and dirty.
State Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long still thinks Paladino is dangerous “to the liberals of this state and to the dysfunction of Albany.”
Paladino is a fan of Italian food, and a frequent diner at a number of Buffalo restaurants and a big tipper.
The Syracuse Post-Standard calls on the candidates for governor to stop “sniping” and start debating.
LG candidate Greg Edwards is on the move.
It’s Good To Be Rich
Sep 30th - 7:30 am
Here’s Mayor Bloomberg telling David Letterman last night that he has no problem at all with his status as one of America’s wealthiest men.
When Letterman brought up the issue of the billionaire mayor’s worth, noting he’s No. 10 on the Forbes list (surpassed as NYC’s richest resident by Tea Party-funder David Koch this year), he said the topic must be “embarrassing”. The mayor deadpanned: “That’s not embarrassing.”
Because if you’ve got it, why not flaunt it? Or, spend it on what was the most expensive political career in history – until Meg Whitman came along.
DN City Hall Bureau Chief Adam Lisberg has a full report of the mayor’s appearance.
Business Council Hears From Paladino
Sep 29th - 9:00 pm
No matter where you go in New York, the top concerns are: Jobs, jobs, jobs. Unemployment is at roughly 9 percent, and there are countless stories of businesses leaving because the taxes are too high – or sons and daughters forced to move out-of-state to find work.
This campaign season, the Business Council is hoping its calls for lower taxes and less state regulation will finally resonate – both with candidates and voters.
Liz Benjamin spoke with Council President Ken Adams Wednesday about the importance of this election what his members think of the featured speaker: Carl Paladino.
Cox Trying To Unify GOP
Sep 29th - 9:00 pm
While the left is trying to make abortion a wedge issue in the campaign – Republicans have been trying to make the race a referendum on Albany and its Democrat-dominated leadership…
Tuesday, the GOP launched a statewide ad that slammed so-called “single party rule” and reminded New Yorkers of the scandals that have beset their colleagues on the opposite side of the aisle. The Grand Old Party is visiting voters across the state in a bus they’ve dubbed the “tax-less Express.”
Now that the primaries are over and his alliance with the Conservatives has been re-established, state Republican Chairman Ed Cox is preaching unity – even though not everyone’s on board with standard-bearer Carl Paladino.
Cox joined Liz Benjamin from New York City Wednesday.
D’Amato On Crossing the Political Aisle
Sep 29th - 9:00 pm
Say the words “GOP powerhouse” and the name “Alfonse D’Amato” is sure to spring to the lips of veteran watchers of New York politics. Back in 1994, the Long Islander was in the US Senate and at the top of his game, helping to propel a little-known former mayor of Peekskill – George Pataki – to an upset victory in the governor’s race against liberal lion Mario Cuomo.
Now, 16 years later, Pataki is long gone, and Democrats control the state – including D’Amato’s old seat (now occupied by Chuck Schumer). But D’amato continues to make his presence known, endorsing candidates and raising them campaign cash. Except now, his efforts extend to contenders on the opposite side of the aisle…including Mario Cuomo’s son.
Liz Benjamin caught up with D’Amato Tuesday to ask him about his political change of heart.
Fight!!!
Sep 29th - 8:27 pm
CapTon’s Kaitlyn Ross just sent this explosive video shot with her cell phone outside the Business Council’s annual meeting in Bolton Landing tonight.
As Kaitlyn reported at the top of Capital Tonight, the exchange is between Carl Paladino and NY Post State Editor Fred Dicker, who nearly came to blows and had to be separated.
The candidate for governor and journalist are shown having a confrontation over Dicker allegedly sending a photographer to follow around the 10-year-old daughter Paladino fathered outside his marriage. The Buffalo businessman called Dicker a “stalking horse” for his Democratic gubernatorial opponent, Andrew Cuomo.
Michael Caputo, Paladino’s campaign manager, tried to diffuse the situation with some levity, saying: “Fred, you’re out of line, you’re off the Christmas card list.” (That’s a reference to Caputo’s response to Joy Behar’s criticism of his candidate on “The View” earlier this week).
But then Caputo continued to lay into Dicker, accusing him of “working for Cuomo” and calling him a “terrible journalist.” Caputo also said Dicker would no longer be receiving any more communications from the Paladino campaign.
Before Paladino and Dicker were hauled off to their separate quarters, the Post Albany Bureau chief was pressing the candidate about an interview he gave to POLITICO, in which he accused Cuomo of being unfaithful to his ex-wife, Kerry Kennedy.
Lee Explains His ‘No’ Vote On Zadroga
Sep 29th - 7:21 pm
Republican Rep. Chris Lee was the only member of the New York congressional delegation to vote “no” on the Zadroga bill that passed the House earlier today.
(His fellow GOPer, Long Island Rep. Peter King, was a sponsor of the bill and voted “yes” after taking it on the chin from Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner when members of his conference refused to provide sufficient support to reach the majority’s two-thirds requirement back in July).
Lee issued the following statement to explain his decision:
“The men and women who ran into the towers on 9/11 and who spent countless hours aiding the recovery at Ground Zero are true American heroes. I’m an original cosponsor of the 9/11 health bill and believe we should support our first responders who sacrificed so much on 9/11 and in the time that followed.”
“In a $3.5 trillion budget, there were a number of ways that Speaker Pelosi could have chosen to pay for health care for these heroes without the bill’s massive, job-killing tax hikes that will send U.S. jobs overseas.”
“I offered an alternative plan to remove these job-killing tax hikes and finance the bill with spending cuts. It is unwise and unnecessary to pit 9/11 heroes against 15 million out-of-work Americans, and we could have and should have protected both in this bill.”
Paladino Gets Personal
Sep 29th - 7:09 pm
GOP/Conservative gubernatorial nominee Carl Paladino did not take kindly reports about the spotty personal histories of his campaign staffers and the coverage of the daughter he fathered outside his marriage, accusing the Democrats who have sought to capitalize on these stories of playing dirty.
Not surprisingly, Paladino blamed his Democratic opponent, Andrew Cuomo, for the negative coverage.
“Oh boy, how nonsensical is that? He’s reached down to the bottom of the barrel,” Paladino said of Cuomo, whose LG running mate, Rochester Mayor Bob Duffy, issued a press release questioning his selection of campaign aides. (State Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs went one step further and called for the four to be fired).
“Obviously his clip is empty,” Paladino continued. “He doesn’t have much more to go on, so he’s chasing around a bunch of his campaign workers. It doesn’t make any sense to me at all. He’s welcome to take his shots at me if he wants, but he better stay away from my family, and I think it’s disgraceful he has to go chase campaign workers and put them on the front page of the New York Times.”
Also, Paladino tried to turn the tables on Cuomo during an interview with POLITICO, in which he said:
“Has anybody asked Andrew Cuomo about his paramours? When he was married – or asked him why his wife left him or threw him out of the house? Has anybody ever done that? What are they doing intruding on my life?”
(Odd. I thought family was off-limits. Perhaps only current members of the family, not exes. Those, it appears, are fair game).
Extras
Sep 29th - 5:33 pm
In accepting the NARAL endorsement, AG Andrew Cuomo called Carl Paladino “frightening.”
Paladino accepted the Conservative Party’s endorsement, saying: “I had a great team before I walked in here, and now I’ve got the greatest team.”
Abortion rights are also an issue in the Gillibrand vs. DioGuardi race.
Paladino got into a heated discussion on immigration with a Fox-5 reporter.
It’s an LG candidate brawl!
Rep. Chris Lee was the only New York House member to vote “no” on the Zadroga bill.
Mayor Bloomberg and Rupert Murdoch will testify on Capitol Hill about immigration reform.
Rudy Giuliani thinks the Tea Party is a “movement grounded essentially in fear of big government.”
Bloomberg and Giuliani are at odds over the Maryland gubernatorial contest.
The 40th SD makes the DLCC’s list of essential legislative races in 2010.
Nat Hentoff fires back at Tom Robbins over the Park51 project.
Robbins delves into Staten Island DA Dan Donovan’s mob-related campaign cash.
The “Hevesi factor” is at play in the state comptroller contest, and Harry Wilson is all over that.
GOP/Conservative LG candidate Greg Edwards on Paladino and Lazio: “They’re both very unique people.”
House Republicans are expecting to re-establish their toehold in the Northeast this fall.
Advice to Cuomo from a WNY blogger: “Forget about Western New York; you’re not going to win here.”
Bloomberg insisted – yet again – he won’t run for president in 2012.
Congratulations to Maggie Haberman and the rest of this year’s “40 Under 40.” (Chance Haywood thinks the list is light on women).
The CBC wants the governor to veto a bill that would require NYC firefighters be provided an additional 80 hours of training on the Buildings and Fire Codes.
GOP Senate candidate Bob Cohen released his second TV ad.
Kauffmann For Cuomo
Sep 29th - 4:12 pm
Peter Kauffmann, the former communications director for Gov. David Paterson who resigned in the wake of the Yankees tickets scandal, has taken a leave of absence from his nonprofit post to work as a senior advisor to Andrew Cuomo’s campaign.
He’ll be joining another former Paterson spokesperson who quit her job due to the outgoing governor’s ethics troubes: Marissa Shorenstein.
A source forwarded me the following e-mail, which was sent this afternoon to staffers at the College Board, where Kauffmann went to work as vice president for communications in April. The note is signed by Gaston Caperton, a former two-term governor of West Virginia who is president of the College Board.
“I want to share with you the news that Peter Kauffmann will be taking a one-month leave of absence from the College Board. Peter has been asked to serve as Senior Advisor on Andrew Cuomo’s campaign for governor of New York.”
“This is a tremendous opportunity, and while we will miss Peter during his time away, I know you will all join me in wishing him well.”
“Over the past several months, we have started to build strong momentum in raising the profile of the College Board in the media and I am confident we will continue on that path over the next month and when Peter returns after Election Day in November.”
I have a call in to Kauffmann, who has so far not gotten back to me.
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