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1199 For Lancman, Labor Divided in NY-6
Apr 13th - 8:09 am
Assemblyman Rory Lancman is days away from landing a powerful new ally in his quest for a House seat in NY-6.
The executive committee of 1199/SEIU voted unanimously this past Tuesday to endorse Lancman in what is now a four-way Democratic slugfest for the newly-drawn Queens district, according to a labor source familiar with the decision.
The health care workers union’s entire executive council still must meet and vote before a final endorsement is granted. That’s expected to occur within the coming days. The union’s spokeswoman, Leah Gonzalez, declined to comment pending completion of the executive council’s vote.
According to the labor source, this was “not a hard choice,” despite the obvious history-making aspects of Assemblywoman Grace Meng’s candidacy.
Meng’s acceptance of $7,600 worth of campaign cash from developer Sam Chang was definitely a factor in 1199′s decision, even though she has since returned the money.
Her for-it-before-she-was-against-it vote on Tier VI did not play much of a role, even though that’s a hot button issue with labor (particularly the public sector unions).
The die was cast largely due to a less-than-stellar interview Meng gave during the WFP candidate review process.
The labor-backed party eventually went with Lancman (I believe this is official and the Wilson Pakula was issued yesterday), though one of its major affiliates – the Hotel and Motel Trades Council – endorsed Meng just yesterday.
But the source warned not to underplay Lancman’s own record, noting that he has been very good on big 1199 issues – including publicly standing up to Gov. Andrew Cuomo during last year’s debate over the millionaire’s tax.
“We are all in for Rory,” the source said. “This is not a paper endorsement. We’re going to do everything we can yo make sure he wins.”
It’s unusual for 1199 and HTC to be at odds. The two are the cornerstones of the so-called “progressive” labor movement in NYC, and teamed up to successfully challenge a number of Queens Democratic Party-endorsed NYC Council candidates in 2009.
Now the Queens Dems are with Meng and 1199 again finds itself at odds with the party organization, while HTC is aligned with Chairman Joe Crowley.
There has been a lot of talk about the Jewish vote in NY-6 and the apparent attempt by people associated with Meng’s campaign to divert support away from Lancman through the stalking horse candidacy of newcomer Jeff Gottlieb. (Everyone and their mother has denied that).
There’s also speculation that the candidacy of NYC Councilwoman Liz Crowley, cousin of Chairman Crowley, was engineered by supporters of Meng to create a vote-splitting situation with Lancman with white voters, maximizing the Asian vote for Meng. (Also denied by all sides).
However, my source noted a significant presence of Latino voters in NY-6 – many of whom are members of 1199 or 32BJ, which has also endorsed Lancman.
Given the fact that the June 26 primary is early, it could be viewed as a sort of hybrid special election, which means it will have low turnout and could turn on which candidate has the best GOTV operation.
Between 1199, the WFP and 32BJ, Lancman has some serious GOTV juice. But HTC is no slouch at turning out the vote, either. Add to the mix the trades, who are largely backing Liz Crowley, and you’ve got yourself a labor slugfest.
DCCC Targets Buerkle With New Billboard
Apr 12th - 3:16 pm
The DCCC has been dogging Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle for months now with a combination of robocalls, billboards, radio spots and gas station advertising.
The latest billboard appears below.
It accuses Buerkle of choosing “Millionaires over Medicare” by voting “yes” on Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget plan. According to the DCCC, the billboard, located at 441 Washington & McBride, Syracuse, will be up for the next month to target the congresswoman for “voting to end Medicare for seniors and raise health care costs, while protecting tax breaks for the ultra wealthy and Big Oil.”
Buerkle is fighting a re-match with the Democrat she ousted in 2010, ex-Rep. Dan Maffei. As of today, there’s also a Green Party contender in the race, Ursula Rozum.
Buerkle fared better in redistricting at the hands of the court-appointed special master, Magistrate Judge Roann Mann, than she did in the plans proposed by the Senate and Assembly. Her new district has roughly 4,300 more enrolled Republicans than Democrats. Before redistricting, the Democrats had an enrollment edge of roughly 5,300.
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.
House Dems Disappointed By Redistricting
Apr 10th - 8:26 am
ICYMI: Two members of New York’s Democratic congressional delegation – Reps. Brian Higgins and Paul Tonko – expressed disappointment in separate CapTon interviews last night with this year’s redistricting process, which put their respective fates – and those of their colleagues – into the hands of a court-appointed special master.
Both congressman spread the blame around, declining to put the onus solely on Gov. Andrew Cuomo for failing to intervene when the Senate and Assembly failed to get a deal on the House lines after redrawing their own districts.
There have been some reports (including here on SoP) of national Democrats predicting that Cuomo’s refusal to lobby on behalf of his delegation during redistricting will come back to bite him should he run for president in 2016 as is widely anticipated.
Here’s what Tonko had to say when I put that question to him:
“I would have liked to have seen the issue resolved by the Legislature and the governor.”
“I think that, you know, there’s a familiarity with the cultural differences and the dynamics that exist within the communities. And I think that building a map of commonality is, I think, understood by those forces.”
“If you weren’t going to have some sort of independent body that would have had the time to invest in that effort, to hand it over to the judicial branch with a little bit of time to absorb all the nuances was difficult.”
Higgins, who actually fared quite well at the hands of the special master, noted that he and his two WNY colleagues – Reps. Kathy Hochul and Louise Slaughter – had submitted their own plan that differed sharply from what Magistrate Judge Roann Mann came up with.
Both Hochul and Slaughter saw significant changes to their districts that have put them in a precarious position as they seek re-election this fall.
I asked Higgins if he regrets having spent at least $55,000 (as of late February – more than any other member of the delegation) on a lobbyist (Pat Lynch) to represent his interests in Albany during redistricting when, as it turns out, lobbying the Legislature was a moot point.
“I still feel as though I made the right decision with respect to that,” the congressman replied. “Again, this is a process that really has no method.”
“Here’s what I know: Everybody that speculated about this process, they were wrong…Everybody was wrong. All these assumptions about what seats are going to be eliminated, what seats are going to stay, everybody was wrong.”
“So, I looked at it this way: It was out of my control, and I liked my consultant, who was engaged in the process throughout, and the outcome wasn’t all that bad for me.”
“So, I think I did the best with what I had, and what I was able to do in influencing a process that really isn’t controlled by anybody other than the three leaders in Albany and – if they don’t come to an agreement – a special master.”
During a stop in Utica yesterday, Cuomo was asked to react to the disappointment in various corners with the way redistricting turned out.
“You know, when you draw a line in the sand, some people are on one side or the other,” Cuomo replied.
“We just went through a process called redistricting where they drew a lot of lines on a map. Some people are happy, some people are unhappy. That’s what happens when you draw lines.”
“But the law says you have to draw lines. Some people in my party are unhappy, some people are in my party. Some people in the other party are unhappy, some people in the other party are happy. It means it probably worked out fine.”
Maloney: $310K On Hand (Updated)
Apr 9th - 2:08 pm
Democratic House hopeful Sean Maloney reports today he’s raised more than $320,000 and promises “key endorsements from labor groups” and elected officials.
Maloney, one of three Democrats vying to take on Rep. Nan Hayworth in November, says he has $310,000 in the bank.
“These numbers prove that strong enthusiasm and momentum are with my candidacy,” said Sean Patrick Maloney. “We’re going to have the resources to hold the Congresswoman accountable for voting to end Medicare as we know it.”
Maloney, along with Wappingers Falls Mayor Matt Alexander and Cortland Councilman Richard Becker, is one of three Democrats vying to take on GOP Rep. Nan Hayworth.
Though he was the last of the three to enter the race, Maloney has lined up support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and, as Liz noted earlier, the national party is attracted to his candidacy because of Maloney’s fundraising ability.
And while he pledged to roll out big endorsements in the coming days, his news release doesn’t mention any potential for local party committees backing his candidacy. Maloney does not live in the newly drawn NY-18, but promises that he’ll move his family there after he’s elected.
Maloney has worked in the Clinton administration and was one of several Democrats who ran for attorney general in 2006. He landed in the Spitzer administration and was a holdover for Gov. David Paterson.
Updated: Barry Caro of the Becker campaign issued a statement that was skeptical of Maloney’s numbers:
“Sean’s press release today raises more questions than answers. Here are three that jump to mind.
1) How much money did Sean raise from inside the 18th District? That number will be a clear sign of how much support Sean is getting from Democrats in the district. By way of comparison, as of the last round of FEC filings Dr. Becker had raised 86% of his donations from Nan Hayworth’s constituents.
2) How much of Sean’s money can actually be spent on the primary, versus the general election?
3) How much money is Sean’s campaign spending on paid canvassers to get him on the ballot, and how much of that is in this report? Our campaign has been overwhelmed with volunteers and has not had to spend any money on the petitioning process beyond the costs of printing and distributing petitions.
Sean Maloney seems to be counting on a financial advantage in this race; if so, he’s going to be in for a rude awakening later this week.
Who’re You Calling ‘Orphan’?!
Apr 9th - 1:42 pm
Former Assemblyman Tony Casale, chief of staff to state GOP Chairman Ed Cox, bristled just a little when I called to ask about POLITICO’s report that the national Republicans have started investing in states with battleground races where the local party operations are perceived to be in “disarray,” seeking, as Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns put it, “to head off the possibility that local mismanagement could cost the party control of Congress.”
New York was right up there with other so-called “orphan” states like California and Illinois, where state-level GOP organizations will be the beneficiaries of between $10 million and $15 million that the national party has set aside to try to blunt the dominance of well-funded Democrats and their allies.
Casale said the final amount that New York will receive has not been “firmed up” yet, but he believes it will be “separate and above” the usual Victory Fund cash that the national Republicans spend to help the state with GOTV.
He also suggested that the real reason the NRCC and the RNC are interested in helping New York is because Republican congressional candidates have actually managed to win here in recent years, and, thanks to the court-appointed special master, US Magistrate Judge Roann Mann, just might be able to do so again this fall.
“We sent the largest number of freshmen Republicans – more than any other state – last time (in the 2010 midterms), and then we added the (Rep. Bob) Turner victory,” Casale said. “And if you look at the maps that the judge has provided, we have some serious potential of picking up two, three, maybe even four seats.”
“…I won’t break my arm patting myself on the back here, but I think we’ve come a long way in making New York State much more relevant than it was in previous years. And the national committee, including Chairman (Reince) Priebus and Speaker (John) Boehner recognize that we do make significant contributions.”
“For years and years, they thought of us as New York as just this giant ATM machine, and now they’re actually paying attention to us and consulting with Ed – not just on state issues, but on national issues. He’s on the phone constantly with the chairman, and he’s consulting with Boehner’s people and (Senate Minority Leader Mitch) McConnell’s people on a regular basis.”
Casale mentioned a number of Democrats that he believes are now vulnerable, thanks to Mann’s maps: Reps. Kathy Hochul, Bill Owens and Louise Slaughter. He didn’t mention several Republicans who are viewed in similarly precarious positions, including Reps. ann Marie Buerkle, Michael Grimm, Nan Hayworth and Chris Gibson.
Casale also took issue with POLITCO’s noting that the party only had $54,000 in its federal account as of the end of February. He pointed out that, unlike other states mentioned in the article, New York’s GOP has no debt.
He also noted that tickets for the April 19 GOP dinner are still being sold. Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrichw, whose respective presidential campaigns are more or less on life-support at this point, have agreed to attend. Frontrunner Mitt Romney is being “encouraged” to make time in his schedule, but hasn’t yet committed to being there, according to Casale.
Casale said Cox is also working on raising money from some “very big” donors, and asking members of the party’s finance committee to recommit. Finance committee members agree to raise or contribution anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 apiece.
Turner Headed Upstate
Apr 9th - 12:16 pm
Rep. Bob Turner is using the House Easter/Passover break to take his US Senate bid on the road, embarking on a three-day swing through Western New York that will be his first return to upstate since the March 16 GOP convention in Rochester when he (and two fellow Republicans) were voted into a three-way primary battle by rank-and-file party members.
Turner & co. are headed out to WNY today. (I caught his campaign spokeswoman, Jessica Proud, en route to the airport). He’ll be stopping in Buffalo, Allegany, Rochester and possibly Elmira. Along the way, he’ll hold press conferences and meet with local GOP leaders.
Proud said Turner would have liked to return to upstate earlier, but votes in D.C. kept him from hitting the hustings. She couldn’t say whether this will be his first visit to Buffalo, but did note that Turner traveled quite a bit during his private sector career and managed to see a lot of New York in the process. UPDATE: After speaking to Turner, Proud informs me that he has indeed been to the Queen City “a number of times.”
The congressman is scheduled to make his first public appearance tomorrow morning at a Valero gas station in Tonawanda where he will ask Erie County residents to call his Democratic target – US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand – and other federal officials and demand that they, as his press advisory puts it, “stop block projects that would lower gas prices.”
The escalating gas prices is an issue with which Turner and his fellow Republicans are making considerable hay. (In fact, Turner held his first Senate campaign public event after getting onto the ballot at a gas station).
The main focus was initially the Keystone pipeline, but Turner has broadened that to include off-shore and on-land projects he says would increase domestic oil production that Gillibrand does not support.
After President Obama’s decision to fast-track the southern portion of the Keystone pipeline’s construction – a move Turner applauded – the congressman unveiled a “flip-flop sweepstakes,” calling on supporters to bet when Gillibrand would follow the president’s lead and change her position on this issue. The prize for whoever comes closest to pinpointing the date and time of her turnaround: A free tank of gas.
Slaughter Transferred To Strong Memorial
Apr 8th - 8:20 am
Rep. Louise Slaughter’s office released a statement yesterday announcing she has departed New York City, where she fell and broke her leg last week, and is now undergoing rehabilitation treatment back home at Rochester’s Strong Memorial Hospital.
The statement includes a comment from Stephen L. Kates, M.D., professor in the URMC Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, who says he expects Slaughter to make an “excellent and functional recovery,” adding that there is “an excellent chance she will be discharged within the week.”
Slaughter’s office said in the wake of her injury that she hoped to return to work when Congress is back in session on April 16 after its Easter/Passover break.
The rest of Kates’ comment is notable as he went out of his way to stress that the broke leg is all that’s wrong with Slaughter.
“Because the Congresswoman has no other health conditions to contend with, she can focus solely on her broken leg and will quickly be able to return to Washington to deal with the important issues facing our nation,” the doctor said.
Slaughter expressed happiness to be back in Rochester. She thanked her constituents for the “outpouring of support,” which she said has been “truly been humbling and is a reminder of how fortunate I am to represent the wonderful people of my district.”
“I am well on the road to recovery and have begun undergoing rehabilitation so that I can continue fighting for the hardworking families of Western New York,” the congresswoman said.
“…Like all of you, I’m looking forward to spending this holiday weekend with my family. There is a tremendous amount of work to be done both in Washington and here at home, including our work to support American businesses on trade issues, grow our economy and create middle class jobs, and end the overuse of antibiotics in meat and poultry production, which gravely jeopardizes public health.”
“The President’s signing of the STOCK Act, while certainly a proud moment, is just a part of my continued efforts to bring reform to Washington so that our government reflects the principles of integrity and trust that the American people deserve.”
“I look forward to the opportunity to speak with all of you in the very near future to discuss how we’ll be moving forward with this and other important initiatives in the weeks and months to come.”
Duffy Hints At Involvement In Slaughter-Brooks Race
Apr 6th - 8:34 am
ICYMI: While making a budget victory stop in his hometown of Rochester, LG Bob Duffy weighed in – albeit briefly – on the local clash of the political titans congressional race between Rep. Louise Slaughter and Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, and hinted he might get involved sometime down the road.
The former Rochester mayor-turned-LG said he left a voicemail on Slaughter’s cellphone after learning form the local news that she had fallen and broken her leg earlier in the week.
Duffy said he “wanted to wish her the best.” He hasn’t yet heard back from Slaughter, although he didn’t expect to, adding: “I sense she will recover very, very quickly; she’s tough…knowing her she will bounce back.”
The LG gave a shout-out to President Obama for being a “class act” and giving credit to Slaughter for pushing the STOCK Act even though she couldn’t make it to the signing ceremony.
When asked about Slaughter vs. Brooks, Duffy replied:
“I think the best thing I can do at this point is focus on serving the governor and let those races evolve. As always, I think people get involved when it gets closer to the election. It’s not quite the crazy season yet for politics, we’re still early on.”
“I have so much to do, I think I’ll keep my attention and time focused on that. At some point, I’m sure we’ll get involved, but probably not at this point.”
The Cuomo administration has been judicious and sparing in its political involvement since the governor took office last January.
There were a lot of endorsements by press release during last year’s political races, and a few in-person appearances by the governor (on behalf of Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, who defeated Republican incumbent Chris Collins, widely viewed as a potential Cuomo opponent in 2014, and also for Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone).
Cuomo recorded a video endorsement for Rep. Kathy Hochul in last year’s special election, but left it to Duffy to travel to WNY do the personal appearances.
The governor recorded a robocall for Assemblyman David Weprin’s failed special election bid in NY-9 last fall. He reportedly was set to record TV and radio spots, too, but I don’t believe that ever actually occurred, although there was a mailer.
Cuomo notably didn’t lift a finger to assit NYC Councilman Lew Fidler, who’s locked in a incredibly tight battle with Republican David Storobin over former Sen. Carl Kruger’s Brooklyn seat – a pretty good sign, along with his signing over the GOP’s redistricting plan, of where his sentiments lie in the upcoming re-match over control of the majority.
All this is to say that it will be quite interesting to see where Cuomo decides to get involved this year – particularly when it comes to the House races, of which there are arguably a few – including the Slaughter-Brooks battle – that might not have occurred had the governor heeded calls from national Democrats not to let the special master’s redistricting maps go unchallenged.
In the end, Cuomo did not get involved on behalf of the Democratic delegation – much to the chagrin of certain House members.
As a result, the Democrats are defending some vulnerable members in a state where they expected to pick up seats (and still might, given the presidential election year dynamic).
Buerkle: Maffei Criticism Of Ryan Plan ‘Irresponsible’
Apr 5th - 7:54 am
ICYMI: In response to my question on last night’s CapTon about how she plans to prevent this year’s rematch with the man she ousted in 2010, ex-Rep. Dan Maffei, from descending into a mud-slinging festival, Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle…went on the attack.
I prefaced the question by noting that Maffei had written an angry letter to the Syracuse Post-Standard, lambasting the recently passed budget plan proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan (which Buerkle supported, as she did last year), saying it would “end Medicare as we know it.”
Maffei went on to echo the privatized voucher program argument that worked so well for the Democrats during Rep. Kathy Hochul’s special election campaign – and eventual win in a GOP-dominated district – last year.
The congresswoman did not take kindly to her opponent’s criticism, saying:
“I thought that his letter to the paper was irresponsible, because if you don’t like this plan, tell us: What is your plan? What is your alternative?”
“When you have the Medicare actuaries telling us that Medicare Part A is going to go bankrupt by 2024, we as legislators need to be responsible and have a discussion.
And he knows that this proposal does not effect those 55 years and above. They don’t have to worry about their Medicare program being changed or altered or cut.”
What he failed to say is that the health care law does cut Medicare, and that’s a discussion that anyone who voted for the Affordable Care Act is afraid to have, because that, in fact, does cut Medicare, and that is the law. And that is, in fact, what seniors are going to be feeling and seeing in 2014.”
When pressed on how she will prevent this race from devolving into a finger-pointing festival, Buerkle said she plans to run on her record and focus on serving the district – both her current constituents, and the new ones she inherited in the redistricting process.
She also refused to provide a sneak preview of her first quarter fundraising numbers.
When I noted that fundraising has not been her strong point or her focus in the past, the congresswoman replied that she will never make fundraising a primary focus, viewing it as an unfortunate – albeit necessary – distraction from her job.
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