Month: January 2015

Pete King for President

On: By: admin

Congressman Peter King (R-2) has visions of running for President in ’16:

“Most presidential candidates have reasons and rationales about why they are running … Peter King, the gruff congressman from Long Island, has an anti-vision.  He doesn’t so much want to be president as he wants to keep some of his Republican colleagues from being president … “My main thing first of all is to take advantage of the opportunity with my name being mentioned to get out and speak about issues I care about, and secondly to make sure that the Rand Paul and Ted Cruz types don’t take over the Republican Party.” …”

King is one of the last of the Rockefeller Republicans.  Running to the left of Governor Christie, he’d like the national GOP to be more like the New York GOP.  The fact that the state committee is a joke and has been on a downward spiral for decades precisely because it has been run by people like Pete should be enough to discredit him.

“… Some of the wounds of King’s image are surely self-inflicted … There was the time, in the wake of the shooting of Congressman Gabby Giffords, he proposed a bill that would have barred anyone from carrying firearms within 1,000 feet of an elected official (the rest of us, apparently, would be left to fend for ourselves.) …”

Because politicians are closer to God than the rest of us.  He’s been pushing gun control schemes for years:

“… In 2006 and 2008, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence endorsed King on its website … King has been a vocal proponent of expanded background checks and has introduced stricter gun control measures, particularly in the wake of mass shootings …”

Fortunately I cannot see his campaign getting any traction.

Preet’s next target: Dean Skelos

On: By: admin

Media reports are saying that Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos is under investigation.

Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Hopefully Preet Bharara will expand the investigation into the whole corrupt Nassau GOP.

Details are important

On: By: admin

This article is making the rounds, “Shouting match leads to gun confiscation, forfeiture“:

“… The suit, Weinstein v. Krumpter, et. al., alleges that on Feb. 25, 2014, the plaintiff, Marc Weinstein, in his home, engaged in a dispute with his adult son “regarding the use of a washing machine. There was shouting between them but no violence, no threats of violence, and no brandishing of weapons” (emphasis mine).  The elder Weinstein’s wife called the Nassau County, Long Island Police Department. That turned out to be a big mistake …”

What the author of this piece leaves out is the fact the police were responding to a legitimate domestic violence call.  Don’t expect the courts to weigh in on any constitutional issues because of this important little detail.

He’s out

On: By: admin

Sheldon Silver’s reign as Assembly Speaker has come to an end.  Current Majority Leader Joe Morelle will be acting Speaker until there is an election on February 10.

Don’t count on him keeping the job.  The NYC Democrats do not want someone from outside their home turf.

Circling the drain

On: By: admin

Despite the denials, Shelly Silver is going down:

“Leaving the Capitol shortly before midnight, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said he has not resigned, and plans to attend a Tuesday conference where his Democratic colleagues will begin discussing his successor.  “I am the speaker,” Silver told reporters, flanked by two press aides as he left the Capitol. “I will be in the conference. … I have not told anyone that I am resigning.” …”

We past the point where his opinion on the issue matters.  What is keeping him there right now is that a successor has not been settled on yet.

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: