Air Coffey Re-Launches (Updated)
Jun 23rd - 8:39 am
Sean Coffey, who is so far the only one of the six AG candidates to hit the airwaves with a TV ad, has re-launched a downstate version of the upstate bio spot he released in advance of the DRC straw poll in early May.
Coffey revealed the new buy during an interview last night on NY1′s “Inside City Hall.” His campaign refused to say how much cash he had dropped, other than to say that the buy was “significant.”
The ad is pretty much identical to the one that appears after the jump, except for the part at the very end when Coffey says: “I’ve tried to fight for the little guy who may have run across a tough stretch, but believes there can be justice.”
That has been replaced with a line about needing an attorney general who is seeking justice, not another politician seeking office, Coffey’s campaign confirmed. (I haven’t yet seen the new ad, but am told its release is imminent).
UPDATE1: The actual line: “Yorkers don’t need another politician seeking office. We need an Attorney General seeking justice.”
Here And Now
Jun 23rd - 8:12 am
Gen. Stanley McChrystal will meet with an angry President Obama today and learn whether he gets to keep his job. He has already reportedly prepared a letter of resignation.
The Post is on McChrystal’s side.
Gov. David Paterson insists his June 28 deadline is firm, and is contemplating putting the soda tax, the sale of wine in grocery stores proposal and hospital taxes in the next extender bills if there’s no deal by Friday.
The governor is again raising the specter of a government shutdown.
Paterson unveiled a new property tax cap proposal that would impact local governments, but not school districts.
Legislative leaders did not embrace the new cap proposal.
A major sticking point in the budget negotiations: Paterson’s insistence that his proposal to overhaul the state university system be included in the final product. The Assembly Democrats are balking.
Also yet to be resolved: School aid and cutting, delaying business tax credits, and, of course, borrowing.
Suspended Paterson aide David Johnson reportedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right and is refusing to answer investigators questions about his alleged domestic violence incident and the governor’s involvement in the case.
The autism bill passed by the Legislature this week will require insurers to cover screenings, diagnoses and treatment, and is sure to increase premiums.
Nassau County DA Kathleen Rice unveiled her reform plan, modeled after the proposals of the man she hopes to replace, AG Andrew Cuomo, in City Hall News.
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Extras
Jun 22nd - 5:21 pm
Gen. Stanley McChrysal has reportedly submitted his resignation in the wake of some very ill-advised comments he made in an extensive Rolling Stone interview.
Writer Michael Hastings got more time than he expected with McChrystal thanks to the Iceland volcano eruption.
Hillary Clinton is pretty much the only person in politics McChrysal likes.
Maggie Haberman finds the Mayor Bloomberg connection.
The budget battle forced the Senate Democrats to postpone a Washington, D.C. fundraiser tomorrow.
Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer are holding steady in today’s Q poll.
Assemblyman Greg Ball calls for a crackdown on the “black market economy” of illegal immigration in a new campaign Web ad.
Adam Lisberg thinks Bloomberg should have called Chicago Mayor Richard Daley for advice before he gave $25K to then-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
HuffPo picks up the story of AG Andrew Cuomo’s youthful pot smoking.
Former state Sen. Marc Coppola is shunning minor party lines as he mounts a comeback bid for his old seat.
Harold Ford will be at DL21C on June 29.
Disgraced lobbyist jack Abramoff has a new job: Pizza man. (H/T Ben Smith).
Jon Voight is very unhappy with President Obama.
NT2 doesn’t like Rick Lazio’s “Kiss” Web video, saying it’s “too clever, too cute.”
NYC high school grads will hear from a number of celebrity speakers this summer.
Housing Works is suing the city and state over proposed cuts in AIDS services.
Here’s NYAGV’s second flyer hitting Sen. Marty Golden for being conveniently absent during the Senate vote on microstamping.
What Part Of June 28th Don’t You Understand?
Jun 22nd - 4:46 pm
Here’s Gov. David Paterson after the second leaders meeting earlier today, expressing frustration with legislative leaders who keep insisting they are close to a budget deal and insisting he’s really not kidding about that all-or-nothing June 28th deadline.
“I am not inside their brains; I don’t know what they take seriously and what they don’t,” Paterson said. “I think there’s a lot of fantasy around here about what’s going to happen. But I tell you what, when we get to next Monday, we’ll see who’s telling the truth then.
“…I said June 28 and the next thing I heard was: Why June 28th? Why not tomorrow? Why June 28th and not a half hour from now? We’ll be done in five or six days.”
“…But let me just say that budget is going to get passed on Monday. I heard people talking about being here July 4th. If they’d like to be here July 4th they can come by the mansion. We have a nice fireworks demonstration every year; they can come and watch it.”
“But there will be no discussion of budget on July 4th because it will have already been addressed on June 28th.”
A One-Man Crusade Against 3rd Parties
Jun 22nd - 3:51 pm
A reader forwarded me a link to a fascinating Buffalo News story that I missed in Here and Now this morning on former state Sen. Marc Coppola’s refusal to accept minor party lines in his bid to return to Albany and pledge to end so-called “fusion” voting in New York.
“Minor parties and their leaders have a disproportionate amount of influence in New York State politics and our government,” Coppola said in a press release.
“It has proven to be a pay-to-play system and a breeding ground for corruption. New York is one of only several states in the country that allows the tail to wag the dog and the voters and residents of this state deserve better.”
In his release, Coppola also notes that “several minor party leaders are now under investigation for alleged illegal activities.”
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Silver: Deadline? What Deadline?
Jun 22nd - 2:59 pm
Well, leaders meeting No. 2 didn’t go so well.
Gov. David Paterson said he thinks the Democratic legislative leaders are being overly optimistic about how close they are to a budget deal (Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver put them at a “three” on the 1-to-10 doneness scale, with 1 being darn near over), and reiterated his June 28-or-else threat.
That didn’t sit well with Silver, who told NY1′s Erin Billups:
“First of all there is no deadline. The deadline was April 1st. Obviously we didn’t make that deadline. It’s the only deadline I know.”
But Silver also said in no uncertain terms that he doesn’t intend to have to pass yet another round of extender bills (the 13th, for those of you keeping count) come Monday.
The sticking point appear to be (surprise, surprise) education aid, which Paterson wants to cut by $1.3 billion and the Assembly Democrats want to restore – at least to some degree.
Another issue: Property tax relief. Paterson has floated a 3 percent cap on localities that would leave school disitricts alone, but the leaders aren’t thrilled about that idea, either.
Medical Marijuana Not Likely To Be In Final Budget
Jun 22nd - 2:52 pm
It doesn’t appear the legalization of medical marijuana will be a reality this legislative session, according to a Senate Democratic spokesman.
Back in March, the Senate included the measure in its proposed spending plan. However, with about 30 percent of the budget left to be passed (the rest has already been approved via extender bills), it does not look it will be included in the final days of negotiations.
Cannabis advocates were once again in the Capitol today hoping to convince lawmakers to get the measure passed in the budget or on its own as a stand-alone bill.
They have an ally in Sen. Eric Adams, a Brooklyn Democrat who is sponsoring the bill in his house and insists he hasn’t yet given up hope.
“We’re still pushing. We’re going to make it happen,” said Adams.
Lieber To Steel(?): Get Ready To ‘Work Your Butt Off’
Jun 22nd - 2:30 pm
Here’s Robert Lieber, NYC’s soon-to-be-former deputy mayor for Economic Development, talking to CUNY-TV’s “Citywide” host Ken Fisher about what his replacement should expect on the job.
Mayor Bloomberg is expected to soon announce that Lieber’s replacement is Robert Steel, a former Wall Street banker who served as under secretary for domestic finance in the US Treasury Department during the financial crisis in 2007 and 2008.
(A Bloomberg spokesman refused to confirm Steel’s appointment, which has been speculated for some time now. Partnership for NYC President Kathryn Wylde called Steel “a terrific choice”).
Lieber, the replacement for Bloomberg’s first economic development czar, Dan Doctoroff, announced last month that he would return to the private sector at the end of June.
He told Fisher whoever replaces him in the administration should be ready to work his “butt off” and hire good people. Lieber also said it’s “brutal how hard it is to get stuff done” in the public sector.
DiNapoli: Payroll Processed
Jun 22nd - 1:57 pm
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli just released the following statement on the status of the paychecks for some 153,000 public employees who appeared likely to get paid late this week due to the Senate’s belated passage of the budget extender bills yesterday.
“The state’s payroll was processed yesterday after the Legislature passed the latest budget extender bill. As a precaution, we are urging state workers to verify that their local bank has transferred their direct deposits into their bank accounts before making their usual expenditures.”
“Checks are being distributed. Any employee who has a question or concern should contact their agency’s payroll office.”
“The budget delay in Albany needs to stop. This piecemeal budget making is causing havoc in too many corners of the state. And it is wrong that state workers are being constantly used as a bargaining chip to simply get another extender bill passed.”
“It would be outrageous if we have the same problem next week. Now is the time to adopt a complete budget.”
Bloomberg Can’t Recall Who Asked Him To Give Blago Cash
Jun 22nd - 1:35 pm
Mayor Bloomberg insisted earlier today that he has no recollection of who asked him to contribute $25,000 to now-disgraced ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich – one of the largest political donations he received for his successful 2006 re-election bid.
“I don’t really remember, but I made lots of campaign donations at that time,” Bloomberg said during his Q&A with reporters, including NY1′s Bobby Cuza. “His was less than to some of the others.”
“He was pro-choice, he was helping us on the mayor’s coalition against guns, he was helping us in trying to get Canadian drugs – pharmaceuticals – cheaper for people here. And there was never any scandal about him in those days, and so I supported him.”
At the time the mayor sent his check, Bradley Tusk, who had worked for Bloomberg and then went to serve as a top deputy governor to Blagojevich, was still working in Illinois.
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