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Recent posts
- News alert: Thompson might run for something again one day
- Suozzi's lead down to 107 (unofficially)
- Top state environment adviser joins Obama administration
- Naked Ambition
- Flashback to last Sunday: Suozzi karma in Long Beach
- Did Conservative candidate rescue Suozzi -- or fail to?
- D'Amato & family contribute campaign $ via PAC
- Prominent Nassau Conservatives sound boot-Bogsted call
- State senator rejected for Suffolk college presidency
- CWA, challenging major Suffolk municipal union, backs demo
- Election loss brings return of Zwirn to Suffolk executive office
- Bishop bargains with Pelosi on health bill
- Nass. Conservative chair/consumer commish faces static
- Scripts of the new Paterson ads
- Paterson takes to the airwaves in bid to build 2010 support
- Bloomberg's sad sum: Three fourths of enrolled were no-shows
- Civic leader says Dems miss the Nassau Assessor
- Missing the wave in Nassau
- Suffolk lawmaker: Outreach by pols means turnout for Democrats
- A tale of two Nassau bosses -- and the role of a third
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News alert: Thompson might run for something again one day
Considering he was out-funded, out-polled and up against an incumbent, Bill Thompson did pretty well challenging Mayor Michael Bloomberg, with single-digit placing next to the billionaire.
Considering the Democrats have an enormous enrollment advantage over Republicans, however, it's kind of odd that for the fifth straight time in 16 years, the party lost City Hall to a Democrat-pandering Republican -- most recently to a guy who changed the rules so he could run.
But losing is a prelude to winning, as many professional elected officials know. Alan Hevesi was the last city comptroller, and after losing disastrously in a mayoral primary in 2001 he bounced back the following year to become state comptroller.
(Never mind that within a term Hevesi then bounced himself right out of the powerful job and right into a felony conviction, and still faces investigation regarding other matters).
Thompson said during the mayoral campaign that he will not try the Hevesi route, from mayoral loser to state comptroller victory. That might be some assurance to Nassau's own Tom DiNapoli, who intends to run for his first popular election to the post next year (he was picked by the Legisalture after Hevesi imploded).
But now the buzz is that he could challenge U.S. Senate appointee Kirsten Gillibrand, fellow Democrat, in a primary. Why not? Keeps the name in the news in a way that has nothing to do with "pay-to-play" aspersions cast by his opponent or which Brooklynites he hired for the city comptroller's office. Getting yourself mentioned can be a part-time career in itself.
Tags: William Thompson, Kirsten Gillibrand, Democrats, Republicans, Michael Bloomberg, New York City, state comptroller, Thomas DiNapoli
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Suozzi's lead down to 107 (unofficially)
County Executive-for-now Tom Suozzi's lead over challenger Edward Mangano is down to 107 out of a quarter-million cast after Nassau elections officials did an unofficial recanvassing of the machine count Friday night, Democratic Elections Commissioner Bill Biamonte told our Sid Cassese.
Elections officials have received 7,159 still-uncounted absentee ballots, with about 400 more of those coming from voters registered Republican than Democratic, leaving Suozzi facing a potentially bleak scenario. Tuesday is the last day absentee ballots can be received at the Board of Elections, they must have been postmarked by Nov. 2.
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Top state environment adviser joins Obama administration
Judith Enck, Gov. David A. Paterson’s top environmental advisor and a longtime capitol
fixture, will be leaving Albany soon for a new gig with the federal Environmental Protection Agency.The agency announced last week [Nov. 5] that Enck had been selected to oversee EPA’s Region 2, a swath of territory that includes New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and seven tribal nations.
Enck will begin the new job next month at the agency’s offices in New York City, she said in an email.
A former environmental advocate, Enck served as policy advisor to former Gov. Eliot Spitzer and spent eight years in the New York state attorney general’s office. Prior to that she was worked at the New York Public Interest Research Group and the group that preceded Environmental Advocates of New York.
Paterson congratulated Enck in a statement last week, calling her “a critical leader in our efforts to protect our natural environment” through initiatives such as an expanded bottle deposit law and a regional cap-and-trade scheme to limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.
Last winter Enck was said to be a favorite for the EPA post, which was vacated in January by Bush appointee Alan J. Steinberg.
Tags: Judith Enck, U.S.E.P.A., David Paterson, Albany, New York City
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Naked Ambition
Which was the most fevered lunge for self-promotion?
1. After key election victories in his home county, Nassau GOP Chairman Joseph Mondello saying, “I have been kicked around very unfairly.”
2. Democratic New Jersey Senate President Richard Codey revealing that Gov. Jon Corzine nearly aborted the re-election bid he lost Tuesday.
3. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara calling it “a sad day when the former chief law enforcement officer of New York City (Bernard Kerik) pleads guilty to eight federal felonies.”
Last week’s (unscientific) “winner”: GOP Congressional candidate Dede Scozzafava endorsing her Democratic rival Bill Owens after dropping out.
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Flashback to last Sunday: Suozzi karma in Long Beach
Just to catch up:
Politicians and power brokers abounded a week ago, Sunday night, among the 700 attendees at the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce annual dinner at the Sands at Atlantic Beach.
There were Democrats and Republicans at the same table. Rep. Pete King (R-Seaford) sat near Democratic Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, both of whom had nice things to say about Democratic Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, who sat across from them, on the verge of Election Day.
Former Long Beach Democratic leader and current chairman of the chamber board, Larry Elovich, lavishly praised Suozzi, seeking his third term, then said: “We (the chamber) don’t make endorsements,” and paused before adding “but make sure you vote for him (Suozzi).” (Editor's query: Did this help? ).Suozzi was the recipient of the chamber’s Edmund A. Buscemi Public Service Award, named for the late city leader who had been its Police Commissioner and, later, City Council president.
Nassau’s county executive talked about having considered leaving public service after he lost the party’s 2006 nomination for governor before continuing in what he said is a family tradition of public service.
“I love it. I love trying to solve problems to help people,” he said.
Other speakers at the table with kind words for Suozzi were former Republican U.S. Senator Alfonse D’Amato and State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
Among the leaders at the table, who did not address the group, was Nassau’s chief administrative judge, Anthony Marano.
Tags: Long Beach, Nassau, Peter King, Thomas Suozzi, Steve Levy, Alfonse D'Amato, Thomas DiNapoli, Anthony Marano
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Did Conservative candidate rescue Suozzi -- or fail to?
For a closer analysis, here's an assessment by Newsday's Bill Murphy of the C-line-siphon-for-Suozzi issue:
"The Conservative Party candidate for Nassau county executive, Steve Hansen, may not have accomplished his perceived mission of drawing enough votes away from Republican Edward Mangano to allow Democrat Thomas Suozzi to be re-elected.
"At first look, Hansen did make the difference. He drew 9,552 votes on the Conservative line, according to preliminary results, and Suozzi is ahead by several hundred votes, although a machine recount and tally of the paper ballots may change that. If Mangano had the Republican line, most of those 9,552 votes would have gone to him, according to conventional thinking.
"But Hansen was reviled by some members of the Conservative Party who thought he was allowing a tax-and-spend, same-sex-marriage liberal Democrat like Suozzi get re-elected. And nearly half the voters who pulled the lever for Conservative candidates last Tuesday did not vote for county executive at all.
"Republican County Clerk Maureen O’Connell drew 17,385 on the Conservative line, Republican comptroller candidate George Maragos drew 16,892 on the Conservative line, Republican DA candidate Joy Watson got 15,942 Conservative votes, and Republican candidates for the Nassau County Legislature drew a combined 16,375 Conservative votes.
"Contrast that to Hansen’s 9,552. If he had drawn anywhere near as many votes as O’Connell or Maragos, Mangano would likely be the clear loser, down by thousands of votes that still-to-be-counted paper ballots could not offset.
"Hansen might have to pay for his failure to deliver more votes. If Suozzi loses in the recount, Hansen will more than likely lose his job as deputy county attorney with the county’s Department of Consumer Affairs.
"Also out would be Consumer Affairs Commissioner Roger Bosted, who got Hansen to run in what many saw as a favor for Suozzi, much like the 2005 favor when he ran Robert Bruno on the Conservative line against Suozzi.
"Suozzi later appointed Bruno to a judgeship."
Tags: Thomas Suozzi, Steve Hansen, Conservative Party, Republican Party
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Prominent Nassau Conservatives sound boot-Bogsted call
While votes for Nassau executive are reviewed, State Conservative Party Vice-Chairman Allen Roth of Rockville Centre and activist George Marlin, author of "Fighting the Good Fight: A History of the New York Conservative Party," have begun to agitate for Roger Bogsted’s removal as county chairman. Bogsted, who’s incumbent Democrat Thomas Suozzi’s $119,820 consumer-affairs commissioner, torpedoed Republican executive candidate Edward Mangano by pushing nominee Steve Hansen, they say. Bogsted in part defends himself by disputing GOP claims to fiscal conservatism.
Marlin and Roth, who headed Conservatives for (GOP candidate Edward) Mangano, stated in a jointly-signed letter to Nassau party leaders:
“Bogsted betrayed the Party’s founding principles to advance political ideas first and to counter the liberal domination of the state’s political establishment.”
“Bogsted abandoned the party’s traditions and lost his political and moral compass. He used the Party to preserve his high-salaried patronage job in liberal Tom Suozzi’s administration.”
“This year the shameless Bogsted directed the Conservative nomination for
County Executive to Suozzi employee Steven Hansen solely to siphon votes from the true conservative candidate, Ed Mangano.”
“While the efforts of Conservatives for Mangano and scores of hardworking Conservative Party volunteers succeeded in suppressing Hansen’s county-wide vote, which totaled 9,000 versus County Clerk Maureen O’Connell’s 15,000 votes received on the Conservative line, nevertheless, this should not diminish the gravity of Bogsted’s
actions.”
“Because Roger Bogsted put power, patronage and perks ahead of principles and has severely damaged the Nassau County Conservative Party’s reputation, he has forfeited his right to lead and Party leaders should unite and demand his immediate resignation. The Party should immediately strip Bogsted of his $2,000 monthly payment from Party
coffers.”Tags: Conservative Party, Republicans, Thomas Suozzi, Edward Mangano, George Marlin, Allen Roth, Democrats, Nassau
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D'Amato & family contribute campaign $ via PAC
Lobbyist and former U.S. Sen. Alfonse D’Amato and family provided major support to a political action committee that contributed to a mix of regional and state candidates this year, election records show.
The entity “Renew New York” received, since August 2008, at least $52,000 combined from: D’Amato, wife Katuria D’Amato, brother Armand D’Amato, and son Christopher D’Amato. The committee also received tens of thousands of dollars from real-estate bigs David Mack, Douglas Durst, Donald Zucker and others.
Recipients included Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Nassau Executive Thomas Suozzi, Suffolk Executive Steve Levy, Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice, and state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. The committee, formed in the 1990’s, disbursed $41,250 from January to July 2009.
Separately, ex-Sen. D’Amato contributed $5,000 to the state Conservative Party; $2,000 to Islip Councilmember-elect Trish Bergin; another $10,000 to Rice on Oct. 30 and $2,500 to the Nassau Democratic Committee last Monday. Earlier, the D’Amatos gave the Nassau Republicans $2,000 and contributed to other local GOP committees.
