NY to Rudy: Help!
While most New Yorkers spent the Fourth of July holiday with family and friends, every member of the state Senate was hauled back into the Capitol for yet another special session to figure out yet another solution to the ongoing Senate leadership crisis. While dysfunction continues, upstate New York suffers disproportionally. My home district’s state senator, Roy McDonald (R-Saratoga Springs), published an excellent piece in the area’s Saratogian newspaper yesterday, laying out the ramifications of the Senate power-struggle for upstate New Yorkers in particular: A good place to start would be the day the standstill began. Downstate Senate leadership was prepared to send $90 million into New York City, while rationing a meager $8 million to the communities across upstate New York. … At a time when transparency and accountability were key, downstate leadership allowed for the most secretive and closed door budget process that anybody has ever seen. What they passed directly hurt our communities, from health care to school funding and much more. Upstate was left out, plain and simple. … The real tragedy is that it has turned into a conflict of upstate versus downstate — we have become David and they have become Goliath. We’re realizing that it’s difficult to survive in the shadow of Goliath, and in the current system, nearly impossible to coexist. Star tax rebate checks have been eliminated, hurting upstate. But at the same time, downstate representatives forced the legislature to pass a Mass Transit Authority (MTA) bailout, sending billions downstate to prevent minimal fee increases for those traveling on the subway system. In Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County, they stole right out of our pockets, taking $3.3 million and $1.1 million from city and county VLT funding, respectively. In Rensselaer County, the budget slashed funding for the Van Rensselaer Manor nursing home in the amount of $1.5 million. These amounts are only the tip of the iceberg. Tax and... [Read More...]
The Palin Ploy: My Respectful Dissent to “Another Dead Horse”
Yesterday my faithful compatriot rj bemoaned the fall from glory of another Republican. I could actually feel his heart breaking in the tone of his voice. Why wouldn’t it be? The past eight months have been rough for Republicans all over this country. Instead of recovery and a renewed invigoration, we have for the most part seen an weak and unorganized party with plenty of infighting to boot with the Frum led Neo-Cons attempt to take over the GOP while the Reaganauts favor a movement back to the roots of conservatism. The recent escapades of the Governor of the fine state of South Carolina and now the announcement of Sarah Palin stepping down as Governor of Alaska have added to the concern of the current statue of the Grand Old Party. Members of the party of the “Rough Rider” and “The Liberator” are beginning to feel weak in a government dominated by Progressives and in all estimations have zero voice in the grand arena. rj’s current concern of course is that of Palin’s supposed fall from grace. That a potential unifier or at least fresh face in politics has given in and can no longer stomach the fierceness of the battle ground that is modern politics. I respectfully dissent. This is a Trojan Horse if I’ve ever seen one, my friend. I am of the position that there is a presidential campaign announcement headed our way in 12-18 months. Do not miss the forest for the trees here. This is truly a cunning ploy of which the fall out is the act of storing ammunition and not the destruction of her political career as the elitist media would have you believe. Her base is that of the disenfranchised, the down and out, the every man. The individuals sick and tired of being told how they feel and what they should believe by the Washington Beltway elite. Those individuals who crafted a false Palin under the McCain campaign and refused to define her as an intelligent leader, and allowed her to fall victim to painting her... [Read More...]
It’s (Almost) A Race In New Hampshire
Good news for New Hampshire Republicans has come out of the New Hampshire Union Leader <a href=”http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=AG+Ayotte+resigns%3b+eyes+Senate+run&articleId=21957806-a45d-4ac6-8166-bdd0c18e6281″>today</a>- Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, known in the state for her <a href=”http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Kelly+Ayotte%3A+Woman+of+convictions&articleId=15fb436f-8fa7-488f-b337-b9174f9cd2e3″>tough law enforcement views</a> and nationally for <a href=”http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/tomorrows-argument-ayotte-v-planned-parenthood-of-northern-new-england/”>Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England</a>, has resigned “to explore a campaign for the United States Senate.” This throws a whole new twist into the race- since former Senator John Sununu decided <a href=”http://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/0709/Sununu_not_running_for_the_Senate.html)”>not to run</a> for the seat last week, hope has been pinned primarily on Ayotte, since businessman Fred Tausch is <a href=”http://briefingroom.thehill.com/tag/fred-tausch/”>not well-known in the state</a> and<a href=”http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090628/OPINION/906280327&template=single”> supported President Obama last year</a>, and former Representative Charlie Bass has been very careful in describing where he would prefer to return to national politics, <a href=”http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/former-n.h.-rep.-bass-eyes-return-to-politics-2009-04-21.html”>whether in the House or Senate</a>. Bass does <a href=”http://briefingroom.thehill.com/tag/fred-tausch/”>poll well</a> against Hodes, and the anti-Republican mentality won’t be the same in 2010 as it was in 2006, but I think the fresh face of Kelly Ayotte would be... [Read More...]
Another Dead Horse Around the Waterhole…
There are times where I cannot help but feel like I’ve led many equines to water, and they die of thirst. This happened quite frequently in my college days (which I will unconsciously refer to as my Rousseauian days from time to time), where I would be approached by one of my two friends for help regarding relationships (contain your laughter), classes, or whatever dilemmas and quandaries normal people face. Usually, as is generally the case in almost all of these types of situations, the person being helped already knew the best course of action, because we are all too aware of that idea of “common sense.” Nevertheless, people choose to ignore it, or seek further council to help his/herself solidify what it is they will do, and carry out that plan. Unfortunately, many people do not heed the advice given unto them because it tends to be the least convenient means, the way forward that calls for the most self sacrifice. I am beginning to harbor similar feelings regarding our Republican brethren (and sisters). Of course, there have been an increasing number of hecklers from within the ranks of the Republican Party and conservative movement, who use their platforms to mask their attacks under the guise of ‘constructive criticism’ as if harking entirely on the negative aspects and name-calling were constructive. I must touch upon this subject, because they are attempting to do that which I am trying to do: better the political movement of which I belong. They do so through constant humiliation and scrutiny, as if the father that beat his boy mercilessly for not living up to his expectations actually succeeded in making his son into a better man. No, the boy grows into that which he knew, and perpetuates the cruelty. I don’t wish to become one of those antagonists; but there is something about recent events that lead me to need to speak out. In the summer of 2008, I will admit to being swept up by the Sarah Palin fanaticism. ... [Read More...]
Pawlenty: The Real Winner in Minn. Senate Race
The Minnesota Supreme Court has awarded the Senate seat to Al Franken and Norm Coleman has conceded the race. Yet there is a more important story: the brilliant way Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty handled this race, both politically and ethically. Pawlenty was under great pressure a couple months ago to make a decision regarding Franken- however, the risks involved were tremendous. On the one hand, if he ran for governor again, he risked losing if he supported his fellow Republican, Coleman. On the other hand, if he supported Franken, he risked losing a lot of support with the Republican Party on the national scale in the 2012 race for the Republican presidential nomination, as that would have given the Democrats a filibuster-proof 60 votes in the Senate. By holding back the way he did, he let the legal system work, and showed an ability to appear above partisan politics. Politically, it was brilliant. Emblematic of the ethical and political risk Pawlenty overcame was his statement Sunday, where he said it “…would be a dereliction of my duty” to not sign Franken’s certificate if the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in favor of Franken. Fortunately, Norm Coleman has taken this decision out of Pawlenty’s hands by conceding, but to me the important thing in the governor’s consistent position on this election was that of a legal one for the state of Minnesota. Beyond the political game he masterfully played, his consistent message was one of legality and his duty to his constitutents, something that is rare on both sides of the aisle. Pawlenty is not the ardent conservative many Republicans would prefer, but he is young, charismatic, articulate and talks of the future of the Republican Party with great hope. In short, he’s the Republican Party’s version of President Obama, except with a legitimate resume (among other things, he went eight years as governor without raising taxes) and clear electability in a state Republicans will need in 2012. -dustin Read More →
Democracy in Albany 2
The past week and a half in Albany has been one for the history books. Not because of any major legislation the Republicans would’ve introduced after their surprise Senate takeover; quite the contrary. As a result of the June 8th Senate floor coup, New York’s government has come to a complete and total standstill. To begin, the bipartisan “Senate Reform Coalition” established last Monday is no longer the majority caucus (or even all that bipartisan). One of the two Democrats that had defected to the GOP’s coalition, Queens Senator Hiram Monserrate (the one who slashed his girlfriend), has been wooed back home. The sides are now evenly split, 31-31, without a lieutenant governor to break a tie. In other words: because of one man’s frantic indecision, the New York State Senate is now suffering worse gridlock than Times Square at rush hour. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that this week’s public enemy was last week’s celebrity. Between Monday 6/8 and Monday 6/15, Sen. Monserrate was arguably the most important man in New York. The other Democratic defector, Pedro Espada, Jr. of the Bronx, was openly appreciative of his new role as Senate Pro Tempore and clearly had no ambition of undoing his switch. Monserrate was different. Thus, the Democrats and the GOP were forced to spend an entire week sucking up to one of the sleaziest men in the Empire State. After all the panic-driven lobbying, personal phone calls, private meetings and Lord-knows-what-else, Monserrate jumped ship for the second time in seven days. Monserrate’s reason for re-defection is twofold. First, the main source of his personal aggravation with the Democrats, Senator Malcolm Smith, is no longer their conference leader. Smith has been replaced by Senator John Sampson from Brooklyn, who publicly called Monserrate “my brother” earlier this week. (Last week, Smith’s spokesman called him “a thug.”) Second, it’s widely assumed that the Democrats convinced Monserrate that even... [Read More...]
Democracy In Albany
Sheer drama took center stage in Albany yesterday. The elements of surprise, betrayal, insurrection and resurrection were in full play as the Republicans retook control of the New York State Senate in what can only be described as a Hollywoodesque coup. The Democrats were just about to approve (or so they thought) the state’s annual pork barrel spending resolution, according to the Albany Times Union, “in which they took the lions share of money.” Just then, Sen. Tom Libous (R-Binghamton) stood up to demand a vote on a measure that will affect the course of New York politics for some time to come. The motion at hand was simple but stunning: the immediate election of new Senate leadership to reflect the startling new majority caucus, including now-“independent Democrats” Hiram Monserrate of Queens and Pedro Espada Jr. of the Bronx. Then the chaos ensued. Presiding Senator Neil Breslin (D-Albany) awkwardly tried his best to stop the motion from being passed and a roll call from even being cast. He even attempted to adjourn the Senate without concurrence from the floor. Eventually, Libous threatened to have Breslin removed from the dais by security lest he refuse to relinquish the chair that would no longer be his. See the drama unfold here and here. As flustered Democrats stormed out of the Chamber, hoping (assumingly) to invalidate the impending vote for new leadership by their absence, one of the Democratic Senators pulled the light switch. It wasn’t the Republicans, however, that were left in the dark. The New York Times reports: Asked by a reporter what was occurring, Senator Malcolm A. Smith, leader of the Senate Democrats who was huddled in the hall with his staff, responded, “I’m trying to find out right now.” A spokesman for Mr. Smith, who lost the titles of majority leader and Senate president in the shakeup, issued a statement later saying that Democrats would challenge the vote, but it was not clear that they had grounds to do so. There was... [Read More...]
NY Governor’s Race – Winnable, but Not by Lazio
The 2010 race for Governor of New York has begun. Its participants are still being sorted out. Now that former New York Rep. Rick Lazio is seeking to run for Governor of New York, the question is not whom he’ll face in the general—unless something seismic occurs this year, that’s going to be Andrew Cuomo. The real question is who may stop him in a potential GOP primary. Thus, countless New Yorkers from both parties have been asking themselves, “Will Rudy run?” At the New York GOP’s Annual State Dinner last month, Newt Gingrich admonished the Republicans in attendance to “start running against Cuomo.” The reason is obvious and well known. With a dismal 19% approval rating, Governor David Paterson is increasingly irrelevant and intensely unlikely to remain in office past January 1, 2011. The recent Marist poll explains New Yorkers’ icy feelings: 68% disapprove of his “handling of the economic crisis,” 71% disagree that he’s “changing Albany for the better,” and only 34% believe he “represents all regions of the state.” In many ways, David Paterson is now in worse shape with his state than George W. Bush was with his country in the final months of his presidency. But unlike for Bush, Paterson’s party and its other members in New York don’t seem to be taking a hit. Despite the Governor’s unpopularity on Election Day, the Democrats still took over the state Senate for the first time in 40 years. Just last month, now-Rep. Scott Murphy trumped Jim Tedisco for now-Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s old congressional seat. And most recently, a Siena poll revealed that Cuomo, the state’s popular Attorney General who crushes Paterson in a hypothetic primary match-up by 53 points, would potentially beat Rudy Giuliani by 53 to 39 percent. A lot can change between now and 2010, but a lot can stay the same too. If another year of taxes and budget cuts is what awaits New York, then the state’s voters may end up coming around to hate the whole currently... [Read More...]
How To Win Again
As a young conservative I find myself very concerned about the way the country is going- in fact, I’ve been so since the middle of 2006. Obviously I didn’t expect the blowout in 2008, nor the economic circumstances we find ourselves in, but the concerns were building. Now, the Republican Party finds itself in dire straits after the departure of Arlen Specter. Since November, and peaking yesterday and today, many liberals and Democrats have declared the Republican Party dead — and one could find reasons to agree with them. I, however, have great hope for Republicans. As Ed Feulner, The Heritage Foundation’s president, said when I was an intern at Heritage, “…there are no permanent victories in Washington.” Below is what I see as at least part of the path back to power for the Republican Party. 1) We need a leader– not necessarily a hard right-wing conservative, but a qualified, successful leader who is at least moderately conservative in the traditional fashion of small government, low-spending, low-tax, strong national defense conservatives (two examples are Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani). Few Republicans agree completely with either man, but Romney is amazingly successful in politics and business, and Giuliani did a good job as associate attorney general, as mayor and in business. This part will happen eventually- I just hope sooner rather than later. 2) We need to stay away from gay marriage. If asked, we should be honest about our opinions, but most of the moderates and independents that we must attract disagree with us on this issue, and many young people (including myself) who are against it believe it’s the 50th or 100th important issue facing the country. Why should we concentrate on a losing issue that’s not going to solve the greatest problems facing the nation, especially when it’s nearly impossible to say, “I’m against gay marriage, but still think a gay person is no less of a valuable person than I am.” It’s how most conservatives... [Read More...]
After Ny-20, No Excuses For The Gop
The dust in NY-20 has finally, officially settled and state Assemblyman Jim Tedisco has lost the first election of his 26-year career. By virtually all accounts, this special Congressional race had all the ingredients for a decisive GOP victory. The district had more Republicans than Democrats—70,632 more. Tedisco was a popular conservative commodity, while Democrat Scott Murphy was unknown, flawed, and liberal, unlike his Blue Dog predecessor Kirsten Gillibrand. Furthermore, by the start of the race a slew of liberal legislation had been signed by President Obama and was wholly embraced by Murphy—a surefire blunder in the eyes of conservative upstate New Yorkers, right? Wrong. To begin, voters in NY-20 actually like Barack Obama, who enjoyed 65% of their approval at the time of last month’s special election. In fact, they supported Obama over John McCain (not to mention Gillibrand over well-known Republican challenger Sandy Treadwell) last November. This is not an excuse for the GOP’s recent loss. In fact, it is yet another layer to a distressful truth that the party must still face. Furthermore, despite his new status as Congressman-elect, Scott Murphy was not a very impressive candidate, and least in the traditional perspective. And unlike for many races in New York, this Democrat wasn’t “destined to win” anything. It’s worth recalling that upon being introduced to his future constituents less than three months ago, only 25% of voters preferred him over Jim Tedisco. This was not shocking. Against a challenger with household name status and a record of public service to his fellow upstate New Yorkers, Murphy had neither. In a time of populist resurgence in close-knit rural American settings exactly like NY-20, Murphy debuted as a rich businessman who made his fortunes elsewhere. Right out of the gate, Republicans exposed him as a tax delinquent ala Geithner, Daschle and Rangel. Later on, his anti-ROTC activism at Harvard was revealed while a radio host... [Read More...]
