Gun Politics New York

You knew the GOP/IDC deal in the State Senate wasn’t going to last forever:

“… In a joint statement released Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state Sen. Jeff Klein, Senate co-leader and head of the chamber’s Independent Democratic Conference, announced that the IDC’s five members will end its partnership with Senate Republicans and form a majority coalition with the Senate Democratic Conference after the 2014 elections …”

What’s Dean Skelos’ response?

“… the governor showed a lack of inner strength and character by capitulating to the Working Families Party and the radical left agenda …”

The very same agenda Dean and his LI counterparts were happy to rubber stamp.  This is why one of Rob Astorino’s staffers called Skelos a “prison punk.”

Even better was Mark Grisanti’s response:

“… “I can’t figure it out,” Grisanti said of Cuomo’s off-again, on-again, off-again public rhetoric about Senate Republicans. “It’s kind of a shock to me,” adding he found Cuomo’s involvement in the effort “a bit of a disappointment.” …”

It’s simple: Act like a bitch, get slapped like a bitch.

So, does this mean Republicans are going to run candidates and challenge Democrats?

“… Onondaga County’s Republican Committee is upping its efforts to find a candidate to challenge Sen. David Valesky after news that the breakaway Democrat’s conference plans to partner with Senate Democrats next year …”

No.

“… One of Central New York’s Republican senators said today he thought his party should concentrate on winning other, more competitive state Senate seats rather than the one held by Democratic Sen. David Valesky.  “I’m not interested in doing that,” DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse, said today …”

They’re holding out hope they can cut a deal.

Nassau County D.A. Kathleen Rice won her primary yesterday.  She will face Republican Bruce Blakeman in the fall in the race to succeed Carolyn McCarthy in CD-4.  As with the Senate Republicans, this race stinks of a backroom deal.

In her 9 terms in Congress McCarthy never once had a serious challenger, despite the fact district demographics indicate it should be one of the more competitive in the country.  A couple of stinkers would be understandable, but nine times in a row?

Now with McCarthy retiring, who do the Republicans put up?  A rich guy with more money than brains who has already tried and failed twice to run for public office.  Rice has plenty of problems (ex. 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) and failed miserably in her run for Attorney General back in ’10.  I believe the GOP could take this seat if they put up a serious, creditable candidate.  That ain’t Blakeman.

Something is rotten in Nassau.  I see Rice walking away with the seat in the fall.

I have thought about this for awhile, but it is becoming too obvious: Senate Republicans are supporting Gov. Cuomo for re-election, not Rob Astorino.

I’ll go a step further and say I believe they have a backroom deal to keep themselves in power. Thus far I don’t see any serious Democrat challengers to sitting GOP Senators. I do not believe that is a coincidence.

Poughkeepsie Mayor John Tkazyik seems to have gotten the message that he is not going to be the next State Senator from SD-41.  I would like to take some credit for ending his campaign and hopefully his entire political career.

Let’s review some of the fun we’ve had over the years with him:

• Tkazyik joins MAIG
• A little short
• Meet the candidates for SD-41
• Shootings up in Poughkeepsie? Impossible.
• When MAIG membership becomes a liability
• Telling Tkazyik he’s getting an “F”
• MAIG members attack one of their own
• Even more MAIG membership fallout