Astorino running for Governor
Haven’t seen a formal announcement yet, but Rob Astorino’s intentions are clear:
RT @JessicaAlaimo @RobAstorino has officially filed to run for office with the Board of Elections.
— Capital Tonight (@CapitalTonight) February 4, 2014
#1
NYSRPA is now the largest State Affiliate of the NRA, topping the TSRA at #2 and CRPA at #3.
1%
Remember when Governor Cuomo had visions of himself as a national leader and was going to ride on a wave of gun control into the White House in 2016? Those days are long gone:
“… A new Quinnipiac University poll of Florida voters was anything but encouraging to Cuomo’s widely described interest in entering the 2016 presidential contest. The poll, released Friday, not surprisingly found Hillary Rodham Clinton the runaway favorite, at 64 percent, among Democrats asked to pick their favorite presidential contender. She was followed by Vice President Joe Biden, a distant second with 9 percent. What was surprising was that a “progressive’’ favorite, freshman Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, placed third, with 5 percent of the tally, and that Cuomo was in a three-way time for fourth, with a mere 1 percent, with Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and Virginia Sen. Mark Warner …”
This poll shows the Governor has problems with Democrats, not “extremist” Republicans. Perhaps his fellow party members have come to realize that Cuomo just doesn’t have what it takes to be President.
Voting For and Against the SAFE Act
What is there to talk about?
The Post-Standard reports:
“Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday invited Geddes Supervisor Manny Falcone to bring a small group of gun owners to Albany to talk about the NY Safe Act. Falcone opposes the state’s new gun laws, but set his opinions aside Wednesday when Cuomo came to announce $100 million investment of public dollars in an amphitheater and other major improvements to the town and village of Solvay …”
Why didn’t the Governor bother to do this before passing SAFE? Because he thought he was on the winning side of the issue. Oops.
“… Cuomo invited Falcone to bring a small group of gun rights advocates to sit down with him in Albany …”
NYSRPA’s office is literally right across the street from the Legislative Office Building. Why hasn’t he called us? Because we’ll tell him things he does not want to hear. Plus, I know why he is doing this and it is not out of the goodness of his heart.
A few weeks back Cuomo announced his support for legalizing crossbow hunting in the state. This is a blatant attempt to get the “sportsmen” back on his side. Nevertheless, he got a bunch of Fudds to go along with it and I am waiting for a press release to drop announcing what a great friend the Governor has been to hunters in the state because of it.
Now he wants to a meeting with gun owners. When 12,000+ gun owners showed up on his doorstep last year to protest he didn’t want to meet with any of them and made sure he was out of town that day. Two weeks ago he said in a radio interview that anyone who supports gun rights should leave the state. What has happened in the last few days to change his opinion of gunnies?
Two sentences
Gun control was not a big issue in the State of the Union address:
“… A year after making a call for his broad gun control agenda the emotional big finish, Obama devoted just two sentences to preventing gun violence … “Citizenship means standing up for the lives that gun violence steals from us each day,” Obama said, according to prepared remarks. “I have seen the courage of parents, students, pastors, and police officers all over this country who say “we are not afraid,” and I intend to keep trying, with or without Congress, to help stop more tragedies from visiting innocent Americans in our movie theaters, shopping malls, or schools like Sandy Hook.” …”
I guess Obama was following Governor Cuomo’s lead as his State of the State devoted only two sentences on gun control as well.
“… Gun control advocates … are left to be satisfied that Obama simply reiterated its commitment to reforms …”
But they’re not. Cuomo went all-in for gun control, betting his presidential aspirations on the issue. It’s clear that was not a good move. As Politico notes:
“… A year later gun control is deader than dead …”
So his Cuomo’s political career on the national stage. He chose … poorly.
SAFE support robocalls
It is my understanding that someone is doing robocalls in WNY asking if you would be more or less likely to vote for Senator Ted O’Brien (D-55) or Senator Mark Grisanti (R-60) because of their votes supporting the SAFE Act. I’m going to assume it is the incumbents behind the calls. They probably should have looked into this before voting in favor of SAFE.
It does explain this canned op-ed New Yorkers Against Gun Violence floated to a bunch of area newspapers claiming widespread support for the law. They’re trying to convince their constituents that they didn’t really screw them over.
S&W angry over California microstamping law
A cheap headline
Rob Astorino doing a little pandering for the gun vote at CCPAC.
"The SAFE Act was meant by the governor to get a headline, and a cheap headline," Astorino says.
— Capitol Confidential (@TUCapCon) January 27, 2014