Author: admin

Supporting Shelly (for now)

On: By: admin

Virtually all the Assembly Democrats are supporting Shelly:

“During the immediate fallout after the news of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s arrest, Assembly Democrats held a quick news conference to declare their support for the Manhattan Democrat—before even taking the time to read the complaint … Sources told City & State that Democratic members of the Assembly will close ranks around Silver on Monday and continue to support him …”

There are three reasons they are doing this:

  1. Shelly has stood by all of them and protected them no matter how egregious their behavior has been.
  2. They know what happened to Mike Bragman and do not want to cross him in case the legal charges do not stick.
  3. Shelly likely has dirt on many of them and they do not want him to use any of it an attempt to lessen the charges against himself.

Not happening

On: By: admin

Steve McLaughlin has an idea:

“… Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin, R-Rensselaer, renewed his calls today that Republicans and Democrats in the 150-member Assembly should work together and elect a new speaker.  And he said Morelle, D-Irondequoit, Monroe County, has the respect on both sides of the aisle.  They would need 76 votes …”

A similar arrangement was proposed during the Mike Bragman coup attempt fifteen years ago.  Two reasons it ain’t happening:

  1. Democrats will never give up absolute control of the Assembly.
  2. NYC Democrats will not tolerate having a Democrat from outside the five boroughs as their Speaker.

Legislative Report #2

On: By: admin

Legislative Report #2 is now online.

Arrested development

On: By: admin

Best political news I’ve seen in years, “Sheldon Silver, Speaker of New York Assembly, Is Accused of Taking Millions in Graft.”

“… Mr. Silver surrendered to Federal Bureau of Investigation agents early Thursday morning in Lower Manhattan, law enforcement officials said.  Mr. Silver, before entering 26 Federal Plaza, said, “I hope I’ll be vindicated.” …”

And I hope to win this week’s Powerball.

That statement does not express much confidence.

Here is a link to the complaint against him and here is a picture of Shelly handcuffed in the back of a cop car.

The question that immediately comes to mind is, how many people will Shelly roll over on to save his own ass? …..

The sound of silence

On: By: admin

Govenor Cuomo did not call for more gun control in his State of the State address.  There is just some self-aggrandizing BS about SAFE in his “2015 Opportunity Agenda” starting on page 253.

The Republican response was silence:

Nothing

On: By: admin

Obama invited a gun control advocate to his State of the Union speech last night and gave him nothing.

Trump was never going to run

On: By: admin

Donald Trump acknowledges he was never seriously considering running for Governor.

No kidding.

This is going to be a big surprise for some supposedly pro-gun “activists” in WNY who spent last spring pushing for Trump instead of getting behind Rob Astorino from the get-go.

Moderate Democrats could be key to reciprocity?

On: By: admin

From today’s Washington Post, “A small band of moderate Democrats could be key to the GOP Senate’s success“:

“Some of the most influential senators in the new Congress are neither in the majority nor among the longest-serving … they’re a pack of Democrats from mostly smaller, rural states who are inclined to work with Republicans on legislation President Obama doesn’t support.  They may even be willing to help the GOP override his vetoes … These moderate Democrats say they will cooperate if Republicans don’t use the Senate floor to score political points — as Democrats have done over the past several years … Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) … said he’ll support bills “that both Republicans and Democrats who sit down and talk to each other think will make things better for us …” …”

Will this include the CCW reciprocity bill?

Mitch McConnell needs to put that on the agenda.  Let’s have a floor debate on the merits of CCW because the arguments the antis will make will only help our side.

Protect us against our own stupidity

On: By: admin

Last August I was invited to speak at a history class at NYU.  I didn’t want to go and suggested some alternatives to the professor.  Scott Bach took him up on the offer and debated New Yorkers Against Gun Violence mouthpiece Leah Gunn-Barrett last month.  She made her position very clear:

“… ““You can be perfectly law-abiding one moment,” said Ms. Gunn-Barrett during the debate, “and then the next moment you can be a criminal and do something criminal and wrong, like shoot up a movie theater, or kill your spouse during an argument.” Regulation of people and behavior is needed, she said, “to protect us against our own stupidity and our own irrationality.” …”