NY's only statewide political program
Reform
Samuels Drops LG Bid
Jun 5th - 11:16 am
In a move that doesn’t come as a big surprise, Bill Samuels will announce this afternoon that he’s suspending his campaign for lieutenant governor to focus solely on his New Roosevelt Initiative PAC’s efforts to elect reform-minded state senators.
Samuels, who announced his long-shot LG bid back in April, plans to un-announce this afternoon at a rally being held outside Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr.’s Mamaroneck home in mock celebration of the Senate coup’s one-year anniversary.
(Takeout sushi menus from the Bronx/Westchester Democrat’s favorite purveyor of raw fish will be distributed).
Espada is New Roosevelt’s first target. Jay Strell, a PR consultant who has worked with Samuels for some time, said the PAC will broaden his focus to include four or five other races. He declined to say immediately which incumbents will be in the crosshairs.
At one point there were two declared Democratic LG contenders – Samuels and Ramapo Town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence.
More >
Schneiderman Signs Koch’s Pledge
Jun 2nd - 3:25 pm
Taking a brief break from the GOP convention for a bit of news from the other side of the aisle: Sen. Eric Schneiderman has become the first statewide candidate to sign on to the reform pledge sent to every candidate running this fall by former Mayor Ed Koch’s PAC, New York Uprising.
Schneiderman, one of five Democratic AG contenders (all of whom were placed on the ballot at the party’s convention in Rye last week), released the following statement on his decision:
“As both an elected official and candidate for attorney general, I am proud to support this long overdue effort to reform state government from top to bottom.”
“Public trust is the most precious commodity in government, and restoring it in the state of New York must be our top priority. I applaud Mayor Koch for his leadership in fighting for redistricting reform, common sense budgeting and stronger ethics laws to give the people of New York the government they deserve.”
Koch’s First Pledges (Updated)
Jun 1st - 1:15 pm
Former Mayor Ed Koch has so far received 17 signed pledges from state legislative candidates and (a few) incumbent lawmakers who have all promised to support his New York Uprising PAC agenda of ethics reform, non-partisan redistricting and responsible budgeting.
Not surprisingly, the number of first time candidates outnumber the incumbents (10 to 7; the full list appears after the jump), and the highest-level elected to sign on is Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, who has been calling for many of these changes for some time and probably stands to gain if redistricting is indeed taken out of the hands of elected officials.
Not surprisingly, Sen. Liz Krueger, the reform-minded UWS UES emocrat, is one of the signees.
An eyebrow-raiser is GOP Sen. Frank Padavan, who hasn’t exactly been the poster boy for reform in Albany.
But, after nearing losing his seat to NYC Councilman Jim Gennaro in 2008, Padavan is facing a tough challenge this fall from former NYC Councilman Tony Avella – an outspoken advocate of change if there ever was one.
I spoke with Koch earlier today, and he called the first round of pledges “a good start,” although he acknowledged he wouldn’t “wax ecstatic about less than 20 people when what you’re looking for is 400.”
More >
Cuomo’s Validators
May 27th - 1:08 pm
The line-up of people who introduced AG Andrew Cuomo at the convention today was very telling and demonstrated how ethnic and geographic politics is alive and well in New York – no matter how much Democrats insist it’s on the wane.
First up for former NYC Comptroller Bill Thompson (pictured here doing a post-speech interview with local TV).
Not only is Thompson black – a subtle acknowledgement about the concern about the Democrats’ all-white statewide ticket – but he also was briefly touted as a possible statewide contender himself, either as LG or a primary challenger to state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.
Thompson ultimately took a pass on politics altogether this year, preferring instead to go into the private sector and prepare for his second attempt at the NYC mayor’s office in 2013. (It will be a trick for him to keep his name recognition up until then, which explains appearances like this one – and his visit to Somos el Futuro in Albany recently).
More >
Someone Missed The Memo
May 26th - 4:23 pm
Rick Lazio’s campaign pulled an unfortunate quote from Brooklyn Democratic Chairman Vito Lopez’s interview last night on NY1′s “Inside City Hall” that demonstrates not everyone has internalized the whole Andrew Cuomo-as-outsider theme.
Asked by Elizabeth Kaledin about the biggest “difference in style” between Cuomo and former Gov. Eliot Spitzer that might make the push for reform by the former more successful than what the latter tried to do during his truncated tenure in Albany, Lopez replied:
“You pass the bills in the Assembly and you pass them in the Senate and the Governor has to go along with it. That is how it works in Albany. No matter who you are, you are not going to change that.”
“And I believe Andrew knows that. He’s a product of Albany.”
“He worked closely with his father. He knows he has to sit down. And Shelly is very astute at what he is doing. So, I think it’s going to be an exciting year next year.”
Woops.
(Note: In case you’re confused…the quote was circulated in a press release from the Lazio campaign).
Don’t Forget: It’s A ‘New’ Democratic Party
May 25th - 11:51 am
Democratic Party officials have a overarching campaign message this year: Reform.
And, in case any delegates didn’t get the memo, hundreds of posters branding the “New Democratic Party” are lining the walls of the Hilton in Rye Brook.
State Party Chairman Jay Jacobs, who has held that position for about six months, joked that he already modified his business cards to reflect the change.
Liz adds: Jacobs told me on “Capital Tonight” yesterday that the party will approve a resolution at the convention this week calling for ethics reform in Albany.
Basically, it’s a codification of AG Andrew Cuomo’s reform platform, which includes restructuring of the campaign finance system, nonpartisan redistricting and an independent oversight body for the state Legislature.
I’m sure the resolution will pass without a hitch here in Rye Brook, but that doesn’t necessarily mean all the Democrats are embracing Cuomo’s agenda with open arms.
Silver: It Takes Three To Tango In Albany
May 24th - 3:55 pm
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver today responded to AG Andrew Cuomo’s criticism in his usual inscrutable way, taking a few subtle shots at the newly-announced Democratic gubernatorial hopeful while also insisting the two “can work together” just fine and dandy if and when Cuomo is elected governor.
“He’s been my candidate for governor for quite a while,” Silver said of Cuomo, whom he endorsed yesterday (via press release).
“He was my constituent. I’ve worked with him I do believe that he and I can work effectively together in terms of governing New York.”
“…Since his father, there have been three governors of this state,” the speaker continued. “And most of the time people look at the governor and how they lead this state. I think that’s what’s happening now and that’s what Andrew wants to change.”
“So, I think in all of his criticisms, he – and most of the press reports – probably omitted the fact that there was a governor or two involved in that as well.”
Silver did note that Cuomo doesn’t get to vote on who the speaker is. (The AG himself said as much at the Israel Day parade yesterday), and also declined to address the issues specifically outlined in Cuomo’s book, saying: “I have not had the privilege of having an autographed copy.”
As for whether he will sign Cuomo’s reform pledge – or any other pledge, for that matter – Silver said: “I don’t sign anybody’s pledges. Pledges are fixed in time, usually, and they really don’t mean much.”
Silver said as much when he was asked about former Mayor Ed Koch’s New York Uprising pledge, which, incidentally, has been sent to all the legislative candidates.
Koch’s Seal Of Approval
May 23rd - 6:40 pm
Former Mayor Ed Koch offered a strong endorsement of gubernatorial hopeful Andrew Cuomo and his exhaustive policy book today, a fascinating completion of a circle that started back in 1977 when Koch defeated Mario Cuomo in the NYC Democratic mayoral primary.
Andrew Cuomo offered a shout-out to Koch and his push for redistricting reform during his announcement outside the Tweed Courthouse yesterday.
Today, the former mayor is returning the favor, saying:
“This is an extraordinary book laying forth Andrew Cuomo’s proposals should he become governor.”
“It’ll take an enormous amount of energy and intellect to execute them and I believe he has both.”
“I’m particularly happy that he emphasizes the need to end gerrymandering and have the Legislature provide for an independent redistricting commission to do the job of reapportionment.”
“I overwhelmingly support his program and enthusiastically support his campaign to become governor. “
The Cuomo-Koch history goes back decades.
More >
Samuels Pushes Redistricting Envelope
May 19th - 8:58 am
As Democratic insiders speculate on who AG Andrew Cuomo will pick as his running mate, Bill Samuels is forging ahead with his LG run and keeping the heat on the Senate by calling for “immediate passage” of a bill to create an independent districting commission.
Samuels released a detailed proposal for taking the politics out of the redistricting politics last night at a forum where the topic was hotly debated by himself, attorney Richard Emery and NYC Civic founder Henry Stern, who also co-founded the reform group New York Uprising with former NYC Mayor Ed Koch.
The event also featured a screening of the film “Gerrymandering,” which recently debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival and includes an appearance by Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries.
Samuels’ ultimate goal is a constitutional amendment that would make redistricting reform permanent and not subject to the whims of the Legislature, which could amend at will any statute passed to change the system.
Emery agreed, calling the commission bill, sponsored by Sens. Dave Valesky and Craig Johnson “a promise that cannot deliver.”
More >
Another Day, Another Reform PAC
May 11th - 10:46 am
A press release landed in my in-box this morning announcing the creation of yet another PAC that aims to reform Albany, this one entitled “New Dawn” and headed up by Orange County resident Colin Schmitt.
According to the Middletown Times Hearld-Record, Schmitt is a college student who has been politically active since he was 12, campaigning for Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt and the Orange County GOP.
“New Dawn” strikes me as a potential vehicle for an ambitious, young politically active New Yorker to raise his profile.
The PAC’s spokesman Alex Smith said Schmitt “saw a desire from people across New York State, but especially those folks in Orange County and the Hudson Valley for something new, something fresh.”
More >
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.