Air Como Attacks Addabbo On Taxes, Spending
Oct 25th - 8:17 am
Former NYC Councilman Anthony Como is out with a new TV ad that attacks his Democratic target, Queens Sen. Joe Addabbo (also a former NYC councilman), for voting “124 times” to increase taxes and fees while also going along with $14 billion worth of new spending in the state budget.
There’s nothing particularly surprisingly about the ad, which hews to the standard GOP talking points. The most noteworthy thing is that it exists at all, which underscores the fact that the SRCC thinks Como might have a chance at ousting the freshman Democrat. (Last week, the Republicans transferred $100,000 into Como’s campaign coffers).
Addabbo defeated veteran GOP Sen. Serf Maltese in 2008 to help the Democrats win their slim two-seat hold on the majority. He won decisively (by about 15 percentage points). But a lot has changed since then – most notably, Addabbo voted “no” on the gay marriage bill, which took him off the list of lawmakers the LGBT community is willing to help (although, oddly, he isn’t among those in the crosshairs for defeat, unlike, say, Sen. Bill Stachowski).
Conservative Ad Touts Paladino’s Policies, Not Paladino
Oct 25th - 7:58 am
The state Conservative party just released its first TV ad of the general election campaign that urges New Yorkers to vote Row D in the governor’s race if they want to “send Albany a message” about being “fed up with the political games.”
The press release says the ad, which will air statewide, is intended to remind voters that it “means more when you vote on the Conservative Party line for Carl Paladino.” But the Buffalo businessman makes no appearance in the ad, unlike the party’s pre-primary spots, which prominently featured its first choice for governor: Rick Lazio.
(If I recall correctly, the Conservative Party did at least two ads for Lazio, who, unlike Paladino, did not have his own funds to fall back on during the primary battle).
Instead, the ad focuses on some of Paladino’s broad-brush policy proposals like cutting taxes and forcing state lawmakers to fully disclose their outside income.
There has been some concern about reaching that all-important 50,000-vote mark among minor party leaders this fall, particularly since a judge declined to give the WFP and Conservatives the injunction they sought on the double-vote question.
Here’s the script of the Conservative Party’s ad:
“Fed up with the political games in Albany? This year say so. Vote on the Conservative Party line and tell the politicians you want to turn New York around.”
“Vote to cut taxes 10 percent across the board and create jobs. Vote to require drug-testing for welfare benefits. And vote to force lawmakers to disclose outside income and attack corruption. Send Albany a message. Vote on the Conservative Party line. Carl Paladino for governor.”
Vote Row D from Howard Lim, Jr. on Vimeo.
Here And Now
Oct 25th - 7:46 am
Andrew Cuomo granted a rare extended sit-down (and on-the-record) interview to the NYT and demonstrated he has learned some lessons from Eliot Spitzer and George Pataki. (He also has a slide show on how he’ll govern if elected).
Excerpts from Nick Confessore’s interview with Cuomo can be found here.
The gubernatorial frontrunner said he has sent each labor leader a copy of “The Man Who Saved New York” in hopes that they’ll see themselves as part of the solution, like back in Hugh Carey’s day.
WNY business leaders are unhappy with Cuomo’s absence on upstate issues.
Cuomo said the “dangers” of medical marijuana outweigh its benefits and he doesn’t believe the bill to legalize it will pass the Legislature.
Carl Paladino’s campaign manager made false claims about the candidate’s military record in Vietnam.
Cuomo will campaign in Niagara Falls today.
Transportation advocates say Cuomo’s plans on issues they care about (to the extent he has proposed any) come up short.
Residents of the Italian village where Paladino’s family roots are don’t care if he’s controversial; they adore him.
Paladino’s hometown paper (The Buffalo News) endorsed Cuomo for governor.
DECISION 2010: 2nd US Senate Debate
Oct 25th - 12:28 am
YNN is the sponsor of this debate between the candidates for U.S. Senate. Senator Charles Schumer debated his Republican challenger Jay Townsend Sunday evening at Marist College.
Schumer vs. Townsend, the live blog
Oct 24th - 6:44 pm
7:57 – Schumer and Townsend have warm so long, with the senator slapping his challenger on the back. Good night from Marist!
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7:55 – Townsend ends with another link of Schumer to Pelosi and Obama. Schumer, with a flourish and a nod to the state’s splendor, vows a fight for the middle class (energy, property tax, and innovative economy).
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7:53 – Final Question is on gun control and terrorism. Townsend, admitting he doesn’t know all the issues, says the second amendment is what it is, and then, in the night’s oddest exchange, claims Schumer has a handgun permit. (Schumer says that he does not, nor is he carrying a gun at this moment). Hmmm… Final statements up ahead…
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7:50 – Schumer is asked why he changed courses on same sex marriage. He says he was interested in that which could pass, embracing marriage equality when it became clear it could pass. He deflects charges of political opportunism. Townsend says he is no different than John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on civil unions — but won’t support anything that would compel the states to accept a federal mandate on same sex marriage.
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7:43 – Schumer is asked how you have changed. He says he is more focussed on the economy after a solid 10 years. Townsend pounces, says that the economy has long lagged in new york.
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7:35 – Fireworks! Townsend says Paladino’s disparaging words are no different than Schumer’s insult to a flight attendant who told him to shut off his phone. I’m not sure I will write the actual word the senior senator was alleged to have used.
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More >
The Weekend That Was (Updated)
Oct 24th - 3:53 pm
The NYT definitively declares the GOP is “poised to seize the House, if not the (US) Senate.”
Paladino’s campaign is trying to get Cuomo’s “defamatory” TV ad that slams three of his aides off the air.
Democrats are warning against apathy on Election Day.
Newsday endorsed Cuomo.
Tom Precious documents his difficulties with the Cuomo campaign.
Cuomo is rejecting Albany as a concept, but embracing his knowledge of how state government works.
There’s actually science behind Paladino’s smelly anti-Albany mailer.
Patricia Ritchie has changed her mind about Paladino.
Federal auditors say Cuomo oversaw a “poorly planned” overhaul of personnel at HUD.
BTW, there’s an LG race, too.
Some SNL fun with a fake Jimmy McMillan:
The Battle For Upstate, AG Edition
Oct 24th - 2:54 pm
The AG contenders continue to slug it out over the upstate vote.
Sen. Eric Schneiderman landed two upstate endorsements today – one from the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle and the other from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand – that could help boost the Manhattan AG hopeful in a region where he’s currently trailing his GOP opponent, Staten Island DA Dan Donovan.
The D&C praised Schniederman’s “comprehensive plans and record of achievement,” saying Donovan also had good ideas, but was “less ambitious” in his view of the AG’s office.
But Donovan also received some upstate nods of his own today, picking up the backing of the Kingston Freeman, which praised him for being an “Albany World outsider” and The Watertown Times, which lauded his “temperament and experience.”
The last Siena poll showed Donovan leading Schneiderman by 12 percentage points among upstate voters. The senator had a very comfortable 30+ point lead in NYC, while the suburbs were a battle ground.
A Siena/Newsday poll today found Schneiderman leading among Long Island voters.
Paladino Returns To Williamsburg
Oct 24th - 2:37 pm
GOP/Conservative candidate Carl Paladino is scheduled to return to Williamsburg this afternoon to meet with Hasidic leaders, although the controversial rabbi responsible for at least one version of the anti-gay remarks the Buffalo businessman delivered during his last visit to the neighborhood is not involved in this trip.
A source close to Paladino said this event, which is closed to the press, was organized by a Buffalo real estate investor who lives in Williamsburg.
It takes some chutzpah for Paladino to go back to Williamsburg after his last experience there was so negative. As you’ll recall, he took so much heat – even from within his own family and party – for saying children shouldn’t be “brainwashed” into believing that homosexuality is a valid lifestyle option that he was forced to apologize.
Paladino later said his comments had been “well-directed,” but he regretted his choice of words.
That did nothing to mollify Rabbi Yehuda Levin, who very publicly rescinded his endorsement of Paladino following the candidate’s apology. But that was one vote Paladino probably could well afford to lose.
Cuomo Hits Paladino’s Team
Oct 24th - 12:14 pm
As Liz B reported yesterday, the Cuomo campaign has launched two ads calling into question the background of some of Paladino’s aides.
The only difference between the two is that the first one takes a shot at Paladino, calling him a capitol insider. The second one instead takes a shot at State GOP Chairman Ed Cox, for his relationship to Richard Nixon.
The ad is in response to negative attacks by Paladino tying Cuomo to Steve Rattner, Andrew Farkas, and Pedro Espada Jr.
“[Michael] Caputo can dish it out but can’t take it. Typical,” source inside the Cuomo campaign told CapTon.
Redlich’s Honorable Mention
Oct 24th - 9:36 am
The Glens Falls Post-Star endorsed Democratic frontrunner Andrew Cuomo for governor, calling him the only candidate in the field with the “good ideas” and “experience” to fix state government and declaring bluntly: “This is no time to be messing around.”
The paper’s editorial board members said they “admire Carl Paladino’s rage against the machine,” but worry his administration would be “four years of stagnation.”
They also were “particularly impressed” by the Libertarian candidate Warren Redlich, an attorney and Guilderland Town Board member, echoing something I’ve heard a number of people say – that he turned in a strong performance at last week’s seven-way debate.
“(Redlich) distinguished himself at the lone gubernatorial debate with reasonable, well-considered, educated responses to discussion of the state’s problems,” the Post-Star stated.
“He is willing to be specific about how he will eliminate several state agencies, end corporate welfare, and cap public sector pay and pensions as a way of stopping the state’s wasteful spending practices.”
“With more governing experience and by broadening his voter base, Mr. Redlich could become a serious statewide candidate in the future. If you’re casting a protest vote, Mr. Redlich is your best choice. But now is not the time to install a newbie in the governor’s office, even an articulate one with good ideas.”
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