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Archive for May, 2011
A Conservative Dissenter
May 31st - 10:38 am
Erie County Conservative Chairman Ralph Lorigo, calling in to respond to my previous post, said he doesn’t intend to “draw a line in the sand” on gay marriage when local candidates seek his endorsement.
That puts Lorigo at odds with the state Conservative Party, which recently passed a resolution barring any candidate – either for state or local office – from running on its ballot line (Row C) if he or she doesn’t agree with the party’s opposition to same-sex marriage.
Lorigo, whose party endorsed Democratic Assemblyman Mark Schroeder’s Buffalo comptroller bid even though he has voted “yes” on gay marriage, said he personally has a “difference of opinion” on this issue with the assemblyman. But in this instance, Lorigo said, social issues take a back seat to fiscal conservatism.
“I don’t think he’ll be voting on gay marriage as comptroller,” Lorigo said. “Fiscally, he’s very responsible, and my body believes be’s entitled to our endorsement based on what he’s looking for in this situation.”
“…Different jobs have different responsibilities, and in my world, we have an economic crisis in the state of New York. It needs to be handled by people who are fiscally conservative, and that’s absolutely true of Mark Schroeder. He’s low man on the totem pole with (Assembly Speaker) Sheldon Silver. That should say worlds about this guy.”
Lorigo said he’s personally “strong in the conviction that New York should not pass gay marriage,” but added: “On the other side of the coin, I have no problem with the equal rights part of it. I have a problem with calling it ‘marriage’, I’m OK with the civil union part of it.”
Lorigo said he did not participate in the state executive committee vote on the gay marriage resolution. He’s had a bit of a communication breakdown with the state party since he primaried Long’s preferred candidate, Rick Lazio, for Row C in the 2010 gubernatorial race, the chairman said, although he allowed that might be due in part to the fact that he changed his email address after it was hacked.
Long: Schroeder Endorsement ‘Ill-Conceived’
May 31st - 10:04 am
A reader wrote in late last week to question the Erie County Conservative Party’s endorsement of Democratic Assemblyman Mark Schroeder for his city comptroller run, noting the nod runs counter to the state party’s recent passage of a resolution barring any candidate who supports gay marriage from running on Row C.
Schroeder not only voted “yes” on same-sex marriage in 2009, but also spoke in favor of the bill on the floor.
Erie County Conservative Chairman Ralph Lorigo told The Buffalo News: “There was not even a need for Mark to speak.” He noted the assemblyman’s longtime support from the party in both his county legislature and Assembly runs.
But state Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long told me this morning that the endorsement of Schroeder was “ill-conceived”, adding:
“If it was within the confines of my capability of saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’, and that of the state executive committee, (Schroeder) would not have gotten the endrosement.”
“..If you would call Ralph Lorigo, he would tell you the comptroller’s office has nothing to do with gay marriage. Number one, that’s not true. Number two, you can’t have it both ways. You can’t go dipping into the trough for patronage jobs and close your eyes to what an assemblyman did that was wrong.”
Long admitted he has “no authority” to do anything about this endorsement, since the office in question is located entirely within the confines of Erie County borders. (The state executive committee can only intervene if offices and/or districts cross county lines).
Here And Now
May 31st - 8:00 am
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is in Westchester County and Albany with no public schedule.
Mayor Bloomberg is in Brazil for a gathering of the C40 mayors he is spearheading with President Clinton.
The House is scheduled to vote on a “clean” debt ceiling-raising measure today.
It’s all but certain to fail because Republicans are insisting on spending cuts.
Michael Powell captures Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s need to control without questioning: “The state is his muscle car, and he’s not letting go of the steering wheel.”
Rep. Anthony Weiner has hired an attorney to look into potential civil or criminal actions in Weinergate.
He’s not getting the cops involved, however. Meanwhile, opponents are comparing Weinergate to the Craigslist scandal that felled ex-Rep. Chris Lee.
Weiner dismissed the incident as a prank and received support from his former boss, Sen. Chuck Schumer.
The lewd photo at the center of this uproar doesn’t match up with other images Weiner has Tweeted.
Peter Ingemi isn’t buying it.
Another alleged maid attack by a foreign executive.
Holiday Weekend Update
May 30th - 10:30 am
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is marching in the 92nd annual Staten Island Memorial Day Parade at noon and the 84th Annual Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade at 2:30 p.m. (Mayor Bloomberg will be at that second event, too).
Congresswoman-elect Kathy Hochul will be sworn in on Wednesday and will officially resign as Erie County clerk that same day.
Hochul’s spokesman says she’s interested in serving on the House Agriculture and/or Homeland Security committees. (No link).
The newest member of the House came from modest means.
Former Rep. John LaFalce on Hochul: “She will automatically have stature. She comes in with far greater capacity than almost any other freshman congressman I can recall.”
The fact that Cuomo didn’t send a congratulatory statement to Hochul and didn’t stump for her in person during the NY-26 special election race did not go unnoticed.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos rarely speak, but when they do, the senator’s hearing loss might be a factor in their troubled relationship.
The woman who received a lewd photo from Rep. Anthony Weiner’s Twitter account says she’s never met him.
Nicola Cordova said she’s been a target for an on-line stalker since she signed on to follow the congressman on Twitter and he followed her back.
“Anthony’s accounts were obviously hacked,” Dave Arnold, a spokesman for Mr. Weiner, told The Associated Press. “He doesn’t know the person named by the hacker, and we will be consulting on what steps to take next.”
DCCC Chairman Steve Israel abruptly issued a statement that his marriage is over.
Eight state senators are undecided on gay marriage. They include three Republicans: Jim Alesi, Steve Saland (both of whom voted “no” in 2009) and freshman Greg Ball.
Coy Giuliani Shrugs Off 2012 Poll
May 28th - 7:44 pm
Rudy Giuliani shrugged off the CNN poll released Friday that found he is leading the field of would-be GOP presidential candidates, insisting he hasn’t yet made up his mind whether he’ll run in 2012.
“When you’re not a candidate, you’re always leading,” the former NYC mayor said prior to delivering the commencement speech at Cornell earlier today. “I learned that many, many times, running for mayor and other, other positions. So I don’t pay much attention to that.”
“It’s a very good field of candidates, and I want to make sure the Republican candidate has the best possible candidate to run. And if at some point along the way, I think it’s me, then I’ll decide to one. If I think it’s someone else, then I’ll support them. I don’t gauge myself. I let other people do that.”
Giuliani, who is headed to New Hampshire next week, sidestepped questions about his “very good friend” Rep. Pete King, who re-ignited the Giuliani trial balloon by insisting the failed 2008 contender is in fact “very close” to launching a second White House bid. (King also said he would run if Giuliani doesn’t, and the former mayor returned the favor, praising the Long Island Republican to the skies).
“Would I endorse Pete King? I’d endorse Pete King for anything…He is probably one of the most pre-eminent members of Congress,” Giuliani said. “Probably one of the biggest experts on national security that we have in the country. A man of intense integrity. A tremendous patriot…A remarkable public servant.”
Asked what is going to factor into his final decision – whenever that comes – Giuliani replied:
“I would have to make a decision about whether I think there is a Republican who would be a really good opponent for President Obama that could win. If I thought there was, I’d support that person. If somehow I came to the conclusion that it would be me, then I would probably do it. That’s not on my mind right now.”
Weinergate?
May 28th - 7:28 pm
Conservative bloggers are having a field day at the expense of uber-liberal Rep. Anthony Weiner, who is claiming that someone hacked his Twitter account and send a (headless) picture of a man in his underwear sporting an erection to a woman who is not the congressman’s wife.
Weiner, a prolific Tweeter known for his inventive use of hashtags, married Huma Abedin, a longtime aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in the summer of 2010.
Gawker – the site responsible for breaking the Craigslist scandal that tanked former GOP Rep. Chris Lee – has the timeline of the inappropriate Tweet, which was first reported by Andrew Breitbart.
The woman to whom the picture was sent has since deleted both her Facebook and Twitter accounts. Very odd.
The photo was sent in the midst of some very mundane Tweeting by the congressman about hockey and Tivo.
Shortly before 1 a.m. this morning, Weiner Tweeted: “Tivo shot. FB hacked. Is my blender gonna attack me next? #TheToasterIsVeryLoyal.”
Hours later, he added this: “Touche Prof Moriarity. More Weiner Jokes for all my guests! #Hacked!.”
Weiner, a (usually?) savvy user of social media, has run one unsuccessful NYC mayoral campaign (in 2005, he bowed out to avoid a runoff for the Democratic nomination), took a pass on the 2009 race and is eyeing 2013.
Holiday Weekend Open Thread
May 28th - 9:40 am
Stay safe out there. We’ll be checking in from time to time. Have fun. – LB
IDC Members Discuss Top Issues
May 27th - 8:55 pm
Nick Reisman sat down with the four members of the Independent Democratic Conference- Senators Jeff Klein, Diane Savino, David Carlucci and David Valesky- about their decision to break away from the rest of the Democrats.
Business Leaders Push for Tax Cap Passage
May 27th - 8:21 pm
Brian Sampson, Executive Director of Unshackle Upstate, and Mike Durant, New York Director of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, want to see a property tax cap passed soon- before it gets watered down.
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