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Liz Benjamin
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Posts by Liz Benjamin
Canestrari: Silver’s Not Going Anywhere
Apr 11th - 2:55 pm
Retiring Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari said he believes Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver when he says he has no intention of following any of the chamber’s senior members into retirement.
“He and I have talked about it because we talked on a couple of occasions about my decision and his thoughts on that,” Canestrari told me in a CapTon interview that will air tonight at 8 p.m. and again at 11:30 p.m.
“He didn’t want to see me go. On the other hand, he said: How much golf can he play? And as much as he likes that activity and likes going to hockey games, his life couldn’t be that. He likes what he’s doing, and that sense of accomplishing and getting things done.”
“So, he won’t be retiring, I can’t imagine, for a very, very long time – if ever.”
That’s more or less what Silver himself told me during a sit-down in his office last month after news broke of the retirement plans of another longtime Albany Democrat, Assemblyman Jack McEneny.
“I like this job,” the speaker said. “I like the ability to be able to accomplish, and at the point when I no longer have that ability, that’s when I’ll think about retiring.”
Canestrari didn’t want to speculate on who might replace him as majority leader, but he did suggest it’s entirely possible Silver will break with tradition and go with someone from Long Island instead of an upstater.
Assemblyman Bob Sweeney, a Suffolk County Democrat, has been mentioned as a wildcard contender for the No. 2 spot. The odds-on favorite – at the moment – is Assemblyman Joe Morelle, who told Politics on the Hudson this afternoon that he trusts Silver to make the right decision, adding: “I don’t think this is a position you apply for.”
Stand Your Ground, Lack Of Microstamping Won’t Cost Senate GOP Bloomberg Support
Apr 11th - 2:42 pm
Mayor Bloomberg is in Washington, D.C. this afternoon to explain why, in his words, so-called “stand your ground” laws like the one in Florida made infamous by the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, are “antithetical to justice” and a “terrible idea.”
The mayor traveled to the nation’s capital to hold a press conference with the Rev. Al Sharpton, the NAACP, the National Urban League and other groups to announce a campaign to overturn these laws in states around the country.
He is expected to fund much, if not all, of the effort – much like he has almost single-handedly funded his Mayors Against Illegal Guns group and its offshoots, as well as other groups like Mayors for the Freedom to Marry.
Over the past several years, Bloomberg has launched a personal crusade against illegal guns, lobbying at both the state and national level in an effort to influence legislation he believes will stem the flow of illegal firearms into the hands of criminals.
He hasn’t had much success in Albany. As I reported yesterday, Mayors Against Illegal Guns spent $325,895 lobbying for microstamping in 2010, only to see the bill fail on the Senate floor – thanks to the GOP (mostly Sen. Marty Golden, a longtime Bloomberg ally).
The group spent $0 last year, even though it was still registered with JCOPE.
Despite the Republicans’ failure to deliver on this issue, the mayor quietly pumped close to $1 million into their campaign coffers in 2010 – a crucial year in which the conference successfully waged a comeback campaign to re-take the majority from the Democrats. Bloomberg later explained that the Democrats had been a “disgrace,” which is why he chose to maintain his status as the Republicans’ largest individual donor.
Now, the microstamping bill is being carried by a Democrat, Sen. Jose Peralta. But Bloomberg is nonetheless “supporting the GOP,” according to his spokesman Stu Loeser.
Prior to his departure for D.C., Bloomberg was asked at a Q-and-A in NYC about today’s DN story that the NRA has dropped more campaign cash in New York – focused in particular on the Senate Republicans – than in any other state. His reply offers some insight as to why he sticking with the Senate GOP despite the fact that he doesn’t see eye-to-eye with the majority on every issue.
“Well number one, the NRA is a single issue advocacy group – I am not,” the mayor said. “I look at a totality of things that people fight for, vote for, care about, and I’m not going to agree with any one person all the time.”
“And if I have that standard, you’d never support anybody. I thought Ed Koch said it very well – let me just paraphrase him – he said if you agree with him 80 percent of the time you’re brilliant, if you agree with him 100 percent of the time you should see a psychiatrist. But I think that really does say it, that you have to look at multiple things. And incidentally, people change their minds, so hopefully we can influence the dialogue.”
Bloomberg noted that while New York does not have a stand your ground law, Sen. George Maziarz has a bill that would establish one. Actually, the mayor said Maziarz “wants to introduce” the bill; it was introduced in 2008.
The Niagara Falls-area Republican has come under fire for this from Democrats, who asked him to withdraw the measure. He refused, but a spokesman Majority Leader Dean Skelos has indicated it’s not coming to the floor any time soon.
NOTE: I did ask the Bloomberg folks is “support” = cash, and if so, how much. No word yet, but if history is any guide, the answer is “yes”.
Buffalo Bristles At Anderson Cooper’s Dyngus Day Slight
Apr 11th - 10:30 am
The co-founder of Buffalo’s Dyngus Day celebration, which took place Monday, did not take kindly to the fact that the event made the “Ridiculist” Anderson Cooper 360 last night and was deemed “so stupid, really so stupid” by the CNN host.
“We take Dyngusing very serious in the Dyngus Day Capital of the World,” said Eddy Dobosiewicz. “Sure it’s a great party filled with spirited adult revelry, but Polish Pride and the celebration of Easter are at the center of the day which is a highlight on the Buffalo social calendar.”
Dobosiewicz invited Cooper to attend Dyngus Day 2013, and said it would be “only appropriate” for him to be named “Pussy Willow Prince” for the day, since it falls on April 1. Dobosiewicz also promised Cooper a ride on the historic Fireboat Cotter, the world’s largest Dyngus Day squirt gun, if he accepts this invite.
The invitation to Cooper and the title of the “Pussy Willow Prince” will be sent to Cooper the form of a box from BuffaloFoods.com featuring Redlinski’s Polish Sausage and pussy willows.
Considering Cooper’s prolonged giggle fit during last night’s segment, and his comment that Dyngus Day “sounds like a bunch of waterlogged drunk people hitting each other with sticks,” the outlook for his attendance at next year’s event doesn’t look good. But I guess you never know.
Turner: NY Should ‘At Least Start Trying’ To Frack
Apr 11th - 8:22 am
ICYMI: Rep. Bob Turner, who is on an upstate campaign swing and headed today to Binghamton – the heart of New York’s hydrofracking debate – shrugged off environmental concerns about the controversial natural gas drilling process during a CapTon interview last night, saying the state should “at least start trying it.”
“The DEC has found safe ways to do this,” Turner said. “We can look to Pennsylvania, across the border, where they have 70,000 people employed.”
“This is an important step for us to take. I think we ought to at least start trying it. There are some places to hydrofrack that are better than others. Let’s start.”
When I asked if the environmental problems experienced across the border in Pennsylvania didn’t give him pause, Turner replied:
“…Let me say that a lot of the problems would be more manufactured. I don’t think we’ve had a serious, uncorrectable problem.”
“And every time we’ve come up with something, we’ve learned from it. The techniques and procedures get better and better. And I think that’s just the fact.”
Turner, one of three Republicans who will face off in the June 26 primary for the right to run on Row B against Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand this fall, is making his first return upstate since last month’s GOP convention in Rochester when he, attorney Wendy Long and Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos were all voted onto the ballot.
While in Binghamton, Turner plans to make one of his now-signature gas station stops where he will call on Gillibrand to drop her opposition to the Keystone pipeline, arguing this will help bring gas prices down. (10 a.m., in front of Manley’s Mighty Mart, 77 Main St.)
At 5:45 p.m., Turner is scheduled to be back home in Queens, where he’ll present 93 year old WWII veteran Anton Dietrich Jr. with the Purple Heart.
Also expected to attend the ceremony at the Sgt. Edward Miller VFW Post 7336 in Glendale are Commissioner Terrance Holliday from the NYC Mayor’s office of Veterans’ Affairs, Cpt. Christina Mouradjian from Fort Hamilton and state Commander Frank Cassella from Disabled American Veterans.
He’ll also
Here And Now
Apr 11th - 7:27 am
NOTE: It’s 8:35 a.m. and there’s no public schedule yet from Gov. Andrew Cuomo. He could be anywhere. We’ll let you know when he lets us know.
At 8:45 a.m we received an updated public schedule for the Governor. He is going to be making an “Announcement Regarding Flood Recovery” at 12:30 p.m in Middleburgh.
And at 8:50 a.m. the administration announced that Agriculture Secretary Darrel Aubertine is going to be in Keene at 10 a.m., to also make a flood recovery announcement.
A tsunami warning was issued for the entire Indian Ocean and individual countries – including Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India – after a massive 8.7 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Indonesia.
Rick Santorum’s departure from the GOP presidential race created an “anticlimactic” moment for Mitt Romney, but he now has a clear path to this party’s nomination.
The NYT says Santorum’s departure deprives the race of “its most divisive and most sincere candidate.”
The National Organization for Marriage is set to endorse Romney today, which should help him in one of his most urgent tasks: Consolidating support among the conservatives who were backing Santorum.
Despite Santorum’s exit and Romney’s near inevitability, state GOP Chairman Ed Cox still believes New York will play a major role in the former Massachusetts’ governor’s campaign – if only to fill his coffers.
Cuomo made an unscheduled visit to Suffolk County after declaring a state of emergency due to wildfires that burned for 24 hours and swept thousands of acres. The flare-ups have now been contained.
AG Eric Schneiderman is keeping a 2010 campaign promise and reviewing NYPD stop-and-frisk data and weighing whether to issue a formal report, setting up a potential battle with Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and Mayor Bloomberg.
The DN accused Schneiderman of playing politics with the NYPD.
Schneiderman is also creating a Conviction Review Bureau to investigate criminal cases in which conviction has been called into question. It’s the first statewide initiative by a law enforcement agency to address potential wrongful convictions.
During his first public appearance in almost two months, Rep. Charlie Rangel spoke about a “virus” that had complicated his healing from a back injury. He did not elaborate, and aides couldn’t prove information about his diagnosis.
Rangel, again seeking to dispel the mid-term retirement rumors, said: “There’s no one that I love dearer more than (Assemblyman) Keith (Wright), he’s worked hard, but elections are elections. I wish people would not infer that I’m crooked and I plan to develop some plan where you vote for me and you’re going to get Keith in the morning. I mean, that’s not right.”
The congressman called his top primary challenger, Sen. Adriano Espaillat, a “good man” and said he believed the senator’s choice to take him on was a difficult one.
In a statement, Espaillat’s campaign said the senator is “glad to learn that Rangel is up and about, because this must be a campaign where we vigorously debate ideas and issues.”
Extras
Apr 10th - 5:10 pm
Reid Pillifant writes: “The suspension of Rick Santorum’s presidential campaign this afternoon means the state’s April 24 primary is back to its customary level of importance, which is to say, almost none.”
With Santorum out, state GOP Chairman Ed Cox insists New York is now the “most important non-swing state.”
Public employees are working in cities and counties across the state under expired contracts, and critics say the Triborough Amendment gives them incentive to stall instead of negotiate at a time when local governments can’t afford raises.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for Suffolk County to allow the state to better coordinate and respond with local governments to fight ongoing wildfires.
Rep. Charlie Rangel is using a walker.
Hillary Clinton met the founder of the hot new Tumblr “Texts from Hillary” and autographed her own submission to the site.
Chris Bragg owns the NY-6 “sham” candidate story. More here.
The candidate in question, Jeff Gottlieb, issued a statement indicating he’s a real candidate and not a stalking horse for the Queens Democratic Party to boost its endorsed NY-6 contender, Assemblywoman Grace Meng.
Gottlieb devoted much of his statement to slamming Assemblyman Rory Lancman, who called for Meng to apologize to voters and fire the operative who encouraged Gottlieb to get into the race.
Gawker has a FOX News mole, who posted a video of Mitt Romney and Sean Hannity chit-chatting about horsebacking riding and male grooming before taping of a February interview.
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is likely to remain the only African-American in the country who is a governor or a US senator after this election cycle.
Assemblyman Harry Bronson thinks Assemblyman Joe Morelle would make a good majority leader – the post Assemblyman Ron Canestrari will give up when he retires.
The Turner campaign is visiting Binghampton tomorrow…I’m not sure where that is, exactly.
The Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, which has been under fire (thanks largely to the NYT’s Danny Hakim), launched a new, “user-friendly” website.
The Canaan GOP endorsed Sen. Roy McDonald based on his record as Wilton town supervisor. It’s his second endorsement from Columbia County, which is new McDonald territory, thanks to redistricting.
Rangel’s Return
Apr 10th - 4:49 pm
After spending close to two months out of the public eye – and in and out of the hospital – to receive treatment for a back injury he reportedly sustained while moving furniture for his wife, Rep. Charlie Rangel appeared at a small business/entrepreneurs event earlier today.
Rangel, who is on the cusp of 82, sat throughout the event. His aides shooed reporters from the room in an attempt to avoid having video/still photos shot of the veteran Harlem lawmaker using a walker to exit the room.
However, our sister station, NY1, got some footage of the congressman on his way in. He’s looking quite chipper, as you can see, but leaning heavily on the device.
Early this morning, one of Rangel’s primary challengers, Vince Morgan, who also ran against the congressman in 2010, announced he was ending his campaign and throwing his weight behind Sen. Adriano Espaillat. Rangel called Espaillat a “pretty strong” opponent who has “done a lot of good work for the community,” but he seemed unconcerned- and even energized by – the prospect of a hard-fought primary.
Santorum Will Stay On NY Primary Ballot
Apr 10th - 3:01 pm
Despite his decision to suspend his presidential campaign, former Sen. Rick Santorum’s name will appear on the ballot when New York Republicans go to the polls on April 24, the state Board of Elections confirmed.
Board spokesman John Conklin told me Santorum’s campaign has until seven days before the primary to send a certification that he is withdrawing from the race. If he does that, any votes that he receives on primary day will be “null and void.”
The ballot was set quite some time ago, however. It was certified by the board on March 1, and the order – determined by lottery – will be Rep. Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich (who’s hanging on by a thread at this point), Mitt Romney and then Santorum.
Counties “theoretically” can reprint their ballots if they so choose, Conklin said, but they don’t have to. (And why they would go for the added expense – especially when they’ve got so many elections to pay for this year and are already stapped for cash as it is – is beyond me).
Ballots were printed long ago because they had to be sent to military and overseas voters 45 days before the primary date.
Since we’re on the topic, let’s review the rules of how New York’s 95 convention delegates will be allocated.
All but three of them will be up for grabs on April 24.
Fifty-eight district delegates are bound to presidential contenders based on the primary results in each of the state’s 29 congressional districts (using the congressional districts in effect in 2010 per the 2000 Census reapportionment). Each congressional district is assigned two delegates.
In each district: If no presidential contender receives 20 percent or more of the vote, the party will elect two delegates without considering the results of the primary.
Otherwise, the candidate receiving the greatest number of votes receives both delegates. These delegates are slated by the candidates prior to the primary.
Thirty-four at-large delegates are bound to presidential contenders “winner-take-most” based on the statewide primary results. These delegates are elected by the GOP’s state committee members.
If a candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, that candidate receives all 34 delegates. Otherwise, the delegates are distributed proportionally to those candidates receiveing 20 percent or more of the vote.
Golisano For President Closer To Reality?
Apr 10th - 1:39 pm
Former Independence Party member and Staten Island gadfly Frank Morano claims he has made some headway in his long-shot campaign to draft retired Paychex CEO and ex-New York resident Tom Golisano to run for president as a (small i) independent.
Morano, who first started pitching on Golisano’s behalf in February, sent out the email that appears here last week.
Oddly, it forwarded to me by GOP consultant Roger Stone, who has a Golisano connection – he worked on the billionaire’s third and final gubernatorial bid in 2002 – but is backing his own independent White House contender, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson.
Morano followed that up with another email this past weekend that touted the efforts of Americans Elect – the organization that is petitioning to secure ballot access in as many states as possible for a yet-to-be-named independent presidential candidate who will be chosen in an on-line caucus process.
“It seems as if people are either suffering from Obamney fatigue or they or just bored to tears with the existing candidates,” Morano wrote. “Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be this way.”
“There will be another choice. Americans Elect is currently in the midst of an online Presidential primary, in which ANY voter regardless of party can vote. If you haven’t done so already, you can become a delegate and cast your vote for anyone you like at Americanselect.org.”
“My choice for President is Tom Golisano. I think his business experience, sensible centrist positions, philanthropic history and compelling personal biography make him the ideal candidate to go toe to toe with The President and the eventual GOP nominee in November, but to do so I need your help and we’re running out of time.”
“We have only 29 days left to qualify Golisano for the next round, that’s why I’m asking you to add your support for Tom Golisano today. You can do so by going to draftgolisano.com, filling out your information to become a delegate and adding your support. I’m asking you to do this as a personal favor to me, even if you don’t ultimately vote for Golisano in the general election. Why not give the voters a real third choice?”
Morano added that he had received some “very exciting news about Tom Golisano and the Americans Elect process” that would become public in the coming days. When I emailed to ask what that might be, he responded:
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