NY's only statewide political program
Archive for November, 2011
Rev. McGuire Discusses Same-Sex Marriage Lawsuit Latest
Nov 29th - 8:55 pm
Judge Robert Wiggins denied the state’s request to throw out a lawsuit aimed at blocking the same-sex marriage law. The lawsuit was brought by New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedom, and it questions how the law was passed. Reverend Jason McGuire discusses the impact of this latest decision.
Extras
Nov 29th - 4:57 pm
Herman Cain still has the support of his home state GOP chairwoman, Arizona Sen. Lori Klein, who said that in the 12 years she’s known him, he’s “never been anything but a gentlemen – and I am not an unattractive woman.” (Klein is quite quotable, also saying that in politics “we want a virgin to do a hooker’s job.”)
In his first, decidedly low-key campaign ad, President Obama asks voters to “do me a favor” and support his re-election bid.
Rick Perry apparently isn’t interested in the youth vote.
Allies of Rep. Maxine Waters, a veteran Congressional Black Caucus member, are vowing “Armageddon” if her seniority does not land her retiring Rep. Barney Frank’s ranking seat on the House Financial Services Committee. She faces a potential challenge from Rep. Carolyn Maloney.
The WFP is pressuring Maloney on a bill it says will make the so-called “swaps” market more transparent.
A Manhattan judge granted the developer of the so-called Gound Zero mosque an injunction preventing ConEd from evicting him for violating a Sept. 14 default notice.
NYC Councilman Larry Seabrook’s 71-year-old ex-girlfriend, a key prosecution witness in his corruption trial, says she’s receiving treatment for the early stages of dementia. She didn’t bother to tell federal investigators that fact.
Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb wants the governor to call special elections ASAP to fill the four seats that will be vacant come Jan. 1.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was the official organizer of a new joint political action committee called “Moderate Senate 2012,” formed for a fundraiser to benefit seven of the 23 Democrats up for re-election next year. A spokesman said this was likely a one-time-only event.
When he was first starting out, Mayor Bloomberg landed meetings by bringing along free coffee to the people he hoped to sit down with.
Meghan McCain likes Hillary Clinton because she’s a “woman that kicks ass in politics.”
Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer on whether he prefers teaching or politics: “I would have preferred to be a politician who’s also a teacher, but that’s…such is life.”
Alan Chartock on why AG Eric Schneiderman should watch out for Cuomo, who certainly has no intention of letting his successor suceed him as the state’s top executive.
Sen. Chuck Schumer is headlining a fundraiser for Rep. Tim Bishop, who’s on the NRCC’s top target list (again) in 2012.
More Occupy Albany protestors walked free after Albany County DA David Soares again refused to prosecute them for trespassing.
Three NYC Council members, including Ydanis Rodriguez, who was arrested and injured on the night of the Zuccotti Park raid, have drafted a resolution in support of Occupy Wall Street.
Former NYC Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith finally landed a private sector job.
Why Democrats should fear a third party 2012 run by Bloomberg.
The IG and Tomkins County DA announced the arrest of one former and three current youth detention facility employees, alleging they smuggled cellphones in to residents detained at MacCormick.
Bloomberg is hosting a fundraiser for Republican Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar at his Upper East Side townhouse next week.
‘The Birth Of Something Incredibly Beautiful’
Nov 29th - 3:17 pm
Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy was sanguine today in his assessment of the competitive regional economic development council process, saying the job-creation plans are just the start of an ongoing process.
“I think what you’re seeing is the birth of something incredibly beautiful,” Duffy said.
The 10 regional councils are competing for $200 million in economic-development funds and incentives in exchange for job-creation ideas. Officials from around New York are in Albany this week to discuss the finalized plans.
Only five of the councils will receive the aid based on their plans. Duffy, who chairs the super council overseeing the process, said the work of the regional councils will continue into the new year.
“While the competitve process is one part of it, I think what we’ve seen already is the true value is the way people come together and form these regional partnerships and bonds,” Duffy said.
While some lose out on the aid, the importance of the partnerships formed by the committees shouldn’t be dismissed, Duffy said.
“Nobody wanted to get to together and collaborate. This council brought them together. In almost every sector you’re seeing that. Regardless of the outcomes of the competition and however that is gonig to be managed in the end, I think all 10 regions are incredible winners… The most important thing is this is just the beginning. The councils don’t go away Dec. 1.”
The Cuomo administration seems to be training its fire and attention on reviving the state’s economy, particularly after perceived dysfunction on the federal level has been blamed for the inability of the country to turn the corner in the Great Recession.
Boyland Charged Again (Updated)
Nov 29th - 2:14 pm
Just over two weeks after he was found not guilty in a federal corruption case, Assemblyman William Boyland Jr. has been slapped with a new set of charges – this time accused of soliciting some $250,000 from a carnival promoter and two FBI agents he believed were out-of-state real estate developers.
UPDATE: As per NY1′s Josh Robin, who is covering this case: Boyland was arraigned, but not formally indicted today. That will occur within the next 30 days. He has to pay a $100,000 bond, which he is expected to do before the day is out, and surrender his passport.
The complaint against the Brooklyn Democrat, which appears after the jump, is really worth a read. Although keep in mind: Boyland essentially got off last time because a jury couldn’t, as one juror put it, definitively “connect the dots” between a no-show job the assemblyman retained with a health care organization and his advocacy on that organization’s behalf up in Albany.
Boyland apparently accepted thousands of dollars worth of bribes from the unnamed carnival promoter (referred to as “CW”), with whom he met – along with oneof the undercover agents – on multiple occasions starting in August 2010 to discuss how he could secure locations in his district and help obtain necessary leases and permits.
During one of those chats, Boyland said he had the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (also known as HPD) “locked up,” adding: “We got HPD…we’re there.”
After Boyland was charged with bribery by the US attorney’s office in the Southern District (a case that also involved Sen. Carl Kruger and lobbyist Richard Lipsky, among others), he and a member of his staff contacted one of the undercover officers to solicit a direct $7,000 payment to “solidify some attorneys,” according to today’s complaint. The assemblyman allegedly said he wanted the payment in cash and would be willing to travel to Philadelphia to get it.
Last August, Boyland was caught during a recorded conversation in a hotel suite in Atlantic City, NJ soliciting a $250,000 bribe from the two FBI undercovers. Boyland allegedly proposed a scheme that called for the two “developers” to purchase a former hospital in his district for $8 million, obtain state grant money to renovate the hospital, and resell it to a non-profit organization that Boyland claimed to control for $15 million.
The assemblyman allegedly said he would arrange for the sale, take official action and use his influence to secure state grant money to allow for the hospital to be renovated and then sold to his organization for a profit.
“As detailed in the criminal complaint, the extent of the charged corruption is staggering,” said US Attorney Loretta Lynch. “The defendant had a strong political legacy, the trust of his community, and the privilege of serving it. Not content with these many benefits, the defendant is alleged to have auctioned the power of his seat in the Assembly to the highest bidder, for his own personal gain and to the potential detriment of the voters who elected him to office.”
“Fortunately for his constituents and the people of New York, in this instance the ‘bidders’ were working for the FBI. The message of this case is clear – we will utilize all available resources to protect the public’s right to government free of corruption.”
Lynch made clear that the government’s investigation is continuing. If convicted, Boyland faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
SU Chancellor Cantor Talks Fine Case
Nov 29th - 2:04 pm
Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor, in Albany today for her role in the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council, stuck to a tight script when asked about the future of longtime iconic basketball Coach Jim Boeheim’s future with the school.
“Coach Boeheim is our coach and he’s getting the team ready for tonight,” she told reporters in her first public comments in the wake of Bernie Fine’s dismisal amid child sexual abuse allegations. “I’m very pleased with what he statement he made Sunday night.”
Asked if she was confident in Boeheim’s future with the team, Cantor again stuck to the same line.
“Coach Boeheim is our coach and he’s getting the team ready and he made a statement Sunday night,” she said.
Syracuse plays East Michigan tonight, the first game since Fine’s departure.
Boeheim, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and coach of the team for 36 years, is under fire in the wake of the Fine allegations. He initially supported Fine, but after a recording of a conversation between Fine’s wife and an accuser surfaced, backed off.
The case has drawn comparisons with the Penn State scandal, after Defensive Coordinator Jerry Sandusky was charged with child rape. Longtime head coach Joe Paterno was fired by the university in the wake of the scandal.
Earlier today, Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler issued a lengthy statement “clearing up some misconceptions” about the case. Fine has not been charged.
Cantor defended the college’s role in the case, saying the school has been “candid.”
“We’ve been very straight forward and candid with this process,” she said. “We felt that it was important both for Bernie Fine and the university to move forward.”
Occupy Christmas
Nov 29th - 1:43 pm
Continuing a tradition here. Political numbers crunchers extraordinaire Jerry Skurnik and Stuart Osnow have settled on the design for their annual holiday event and forwarded it to us here at CapTon. The invite is something we look forward to because it always features a clever political verse. In case you’re not on their A-list…enjoy!
Skelos For Romney
Nov 29th - 1:01 pm
Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos just announced his formal support of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for president, saying the businessman “has what it takes to create private sector jobs and fix the country’s ailing economy.”
The Long Island lawmaker said his decision to back Romney came after “extensive” discussions with his 31 fellow Republican senators. This nod is not a collective one from the entire conference, however.
“Mitt Romney’s priorities are our priorities – getting the economy moving again and creating jobs,” Skelos said in a statement released by the SRCC.
“Of all of the candidates running for President, he is the one most uniquely qualified for this moment. Mitt Romney’s policies will translate into more private sector jobs and more opportunities…Nine percent unemployment is unacceptable, and it’s time for our leaders in Washington to start working together to reverse our current economic course.”
“We need lower taxes, less regulation and a more business-friendly environment so companies here can compete and grow. Mitt Romney knows what it takes to create jobs, to meet a bottom line and to balance a budget in a responsible way. Those skills will serve him well in the White House.”
So far, only a handful of New York Republican elected officials have chosen sides in the 2012 race. Rep. Nan Hayworth recently endorsed Romney, too, and NYC Councilman Eric Ulrich was tapped yesterday to lead Romney’s NYC campaign.
I think Skelos backed former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani in 2008, along with most – but not all (state GOP Chairman Ed Cox, neutral this time around due to his party post, was a John McCain man in ’08; Rick Lazio was with Romney then, as he is now, I beleive) – of the state’s Republicans.
New York’s presidential primary will be held April 24 (who knows what will happen with the congressional and state primaries – that’s still an open question being fought over in court by the DOJ and the Legislature). The contest is no longer winner-take-all, which means candidates will really have to work to get delegates.
Cain Cancels NY Media Dinner
Nov 29th - 12:43 pm
As GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain’s woes mount and he starts “reassessing” his campaign following an Atlanta woman’s claim she had a 13-year affair with the former pizza magnate, he has abruptly cancelled a private dinner with New York’s media elite planned for this Sunday, NY1 reports.
Cain had reached out to New York Post columnist Cindy Adams to host a gathering at her Park Avenue apartment so that he could meet some of New York’s top journalists and politicians.
Among those on the guest list were Barbara Walters, Matt Lauer, Bill O’Reilly, Lesley Stahl, Senator Chuck Schumer and Greta Van Susteren who recently interviewed Cain and his family on Fox News. Van Susteren’s husband, lawyer John Coale is a friend of Cain’s and serves as an advisor to him.
Cindy Adams tells NY1 she received a call this morning from Coale after Cain asked him to cancel the dinner in case he drops out of the race. NY1’s Roma Torre was also invited to the event.
Syracuse Police Chief Tries To Set Record Straight On Fine Case
Nov 29th - 12:15 pm
The Bernie Fine child abuse case has done no favors for the Syracuse Police Department’s reputation.
Between Bobby Davis’ claim that he was basically blown off when he first made allegations against the now former SU basketball coach back in 2002 and (now settled) squabbling with the Onondaga County DA’s office over control of the case since ESPN brought this mess back to life two weeks ago, the department has simply looked terrible.
That has not been lost on Chief Frank Fowler, who issued a lengthy statement today in the interest of clearing up what he called “some misconceptions” that have surfaced in the media about how the department handled Davis’ initial allegations 10 years ago – as Fowler put it, “under a previous Syracuse Police Department Administration.”
“It is my belief that the public has the right to know who knew what and when in 2002 and 2003,” said Fowler.
“The Syracuse Police Department will continue to work diligently with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Secret Service and the Onondaga County District Attorney to fully investigate all allegations,” he continued.
“I was not the chief in 2002 and I cannot change the procedures in place at that time or the way this matter was then handled. But what I can and will do as Chief today is ensure that moving forward all reports of sexual abuse are formally documented.”
“I have ordered a review of all Syracuse Police Department policies and procedures regarding the documentation of sexual abuse allegations made over the phone and appropriate changes will be made accordingly.”
Fowler’s detailed account of what happened when Davis first contacted the department follows after the jump. What’s most interesting is his claim that Fine contacted the department via phone, but never met with anyone there in person. Fowler says the department had no contact with any alleged victims until just this year when two came forward with “new evidence.”
He didn’t get into specifics, but that might be the recording made by Davis of his conversation with Fine’s wife, Laurie, in which she seems to acknowledge her husband had engaged in sexual abuse. Although the Syracuse Post-Standard and ESPN had copies of the recording since 2003, Fowler says the department did not, and heard nothing about its existence over the past eight years.
Judge Won’t Dismiss Same-Sex Marriage Suit
Nov 29th - 10:27 am
Foes of same-sex marriage scored a win after a supreme court judge in Livingston County refused to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the new law that took effect this summer.
Judge Robert Wiggins writes in a ruling filed on Nov. 18 that the state’s arguments are “disingenuous.”
From the ruling:
“Logically and clearly this cite by the Governor is disingenuous. The review of such concept altering legislation for three days after generations of existing definitions would not so damage same-sex couples as to necessitate an avoidance of rules meant to ensure full review and discussion prior to any vote. Nonetheless, this Court is reluctantly obliged to rule that that the message of necessity submitted by the Governor was accepted by vote of the Senate, and is NOT within this Court’s province to nullify.”
“It is ironic that much of the State’s brief passionately spews sanctimonious verbiage on the separation of powers in the governmental branches, and clear arm-twisting by the Executive on the Legislative permeates the entire process.”
New Yorkers For Constitutional Freedoms, a religous-conservative organization based in Rochester, filed the suit after New York approved the law in June.
The group argues that the Legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo violated the state’s Opening Meetings Law, violated Senate rules and charged that deep-pocketed donors promised campaign cash in exchange for a yes vote. I’ve been skeptical of their arguments, which requires a court to rule on the goings on in an independent legislative body.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office has said the suit is without merit.
Take Capital Tonight and the State of Politics blog with you everywhere you go with our iPhone app! The mobile application features our blog posts, interviews, and a report news tool to send us your political news tips.