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Greg Sargent, in his new side-gig at TPM Cafe, reports that gazillionaire George Soros will be hosting a Hamptons fund-raiser in August for the DNC.

His analysis:

"You may recall that Soros pledged to raise $75 million to defeat George Bush in 2004, a vow which inspired much muttering on the right about Soros's alleged desire too buy his way into a role as the Democratic Party's secret radical puppet-master. Apparently he hasn't given up on his dark designs."

-- Josh Benson

July 18  03:55 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

thekiss.JPG

Pin from a Ned Lamont supporter.

- Jason Horowitz

July 11  04:15 PM | Comments (11) | Permalink

So there's this announcement from the state Democrats that's kind of dramatic in an Inherit the Wind, Twelve Angry Men, My Cousin Vinny kind of way.

DEMOCRATIC CHAIRMAN TO PREVIEW CASE AGAINST FASO WEDNESDAY

Democratic Chair Herman "Denny" Farrell, Jr. will offer the Party's outlook and assess the candidacy of longtime colleague John Faso

I, for one, can't wait to see what damning exhibits Farrell plans to unveil.

But the last line of the release is a little strange: "Meanwhile the Democrats emerged from their convention unified behind Eliot Spitzer as its candidate, who won the delegates' vote by acclamation."

Isn't it the Republicans who are down to one candidate now?

Or was that a different red-haired man holding Faso's hand at a press conference earlier today?

Full release below.



June 06  03:28 PM | Comments (6) | Permalink

The State Democratic Convention kicks off in Buffalo on Monday, and the Republican State Convention kicks off in Hempstead on Tuesday. Here's a taste of the proceedings, full schedules after the jump.

Republican schedule highlights include a salute to outgoing Governor Pataki on Wednesday night at the Grand Ballroom of the Garden City Hotel and a party with the NY GOP at the hotel's Posh Lounge.

The Democrat's schedule highlights include Eliot Spitzer's Convention Kick-Off Event at Dunn Tire Park; Denise O'Donnell's reception at the Century Grill; Mark Green's reception at D'Arcy McGee's Restaurant; Andrew Cuomo's reception at the Pearl Street Grill; and Late Night with David Paterson at the Ellicott Square Building Atrium on Monday. Friends of Hillary will host a breakfast on Wednesday at the Buffalo Convention Center.

—Nicole Brydson



May 26  12:48 PM | Comments (9) | Permalink

New York's heavy hitters are coming out tomorrow night to help Democrats pick up a key Congressional seat across the country in California.

Congressman Charles Rangel, Richard Holbrooke and Les Gelb (the Council of Foreign Relations head who wants to decentralize power in Iraq) will be hosting a fund-raiser at the Core Club tomorrow night for California's Democratic Congressional Candidate, Steve Filson. Filson is one of several candidates trying to unseat Republican Richard Pombo, the conservative chairman of the House Resources Committee and the bane of environmentalists. Pombo may be especially vulnerable these days. He received campaign contributions from Neil Volz, a top aide to Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio. Mr. Volz on Monday admitted to trying to corrupt public officials in connection with the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.

We're guessing Charlie is going to have something to say about that.

--Jason Horowitz

May 10  04:01 PM | Comments (8) | Permalink

Ben Smith, over at The Daily Politics, has an interview with David Yassky, running for the 11th congressional district in Brooklyn.

Yassky continued on with his message that the racial issue is more present "among the politicos and the politicians then among voters," who, he believes, "want the person who will do the best job for them."

On the issue of the targeted campaign flyer posted here last week, Ben asked Yassky if he gave up a color blind high ground in a campaign with a strong racial component.

"Our community doesn't mean just the Jewish community," he said. "I don't think it gives up on the high ground more than advertising on Spanish language radio gives up on the high ground or advertising on radio stations that are thought to play more to an African American listenership, both of which I will certainly be doing and candidates throughout New York City do all the time. I'm going to campaign and bring my message to every corner of this district, literally every block of the district, and will certainly be trying to reach voters in every way we can; and some of that means trying to target to people who will be listening to a particular radio that caters to a certain ethnicity."

Later today, Ben will have a podcast with Carl Andrews, one of Yassky's opponents.

—Nicole Brydson

April 27  10:44 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

At the Democratic state convention coming up next month, the Politicker has been told, candidates without 25 percent of the vote will not be able to speak or have a place on the Democratic primary ballot in September (unless they petition to do so).

Andrew Cuomo could have been a victim of this rule in 2002 (he bypassed the convention and went straight to petitioning) when he ran against Carl McCall for the gubernatorial nomination.

Four years later, as front runner for attorney general, it seems he will be the beneficiary of it. When running for governor, Cuomo was quoted telling his backers, "I want to be the candidate who was placed on the ballot by the people, not by the party."

In another blast from the past, something that could trouble the leading Democratic candidates in this year's AG race is if Denise O'Donnell can coalesce her support as Karen Burstein did when she ran against G. Oliver Koppell, Charles Hynes and Eliot Spitzer in 1994, effectively splitting the primary ticket in her favor even though she lost the general.

—Nicole Brydson

April 12  11:26 AM | Comments (143) | Permalink

murtha1.jpg

Today John Murtha spoke at the Community Church of New York, at a town-hall meeting convened by Rep. Carolyn Maloney.

April 10  02:25 PM | Comments (8) | Permalink

Jerry Skurnik tries to inject some data into the arguments over how much it matters to be the official "designee" of a political party, which means getting 50% of the vote at that party's convention. The conclusion: Who knows? But certainly, it's no guarantee of victory.

Also on Room Eight, the well-sourced Beadie Markowitz hears talk of a major-party pushback against the little guys, in the form of a bill "requiring a political party to nominate one of their own members only, and ending New York's tradition of cross-endorsements."

April 04  02:18 PM | Comments (8) | Permalink

So how is Hillary going to run up the score this year?

The spokesman for the State Democratic Party, Blake Zeff, confirmed to me that they're rolling out a nascent field program called "Neighborhood Network," under which volunteers around the state focus on bringing around their own communities in a kind of neighbor-to-neighbor, Amway-style political marketing most recently associated with, say, the Bush campaign in Ohio.

So far, the volunteers are on the phone to Democrats in their areas, asking about their concerns. But asking people to convince their neighbors is the new-new-thing in political organizing, after the whole college-kid-with-PDA thing didn't work out so well for the Democrats in 2004.

Running the program is a longtime organizer named Kenny Diggs, who ran the field operations for the labor-backed Voices for Working Families.

March 30  02:42 PM | Comments (3) | Permalink

So just when the Democrats look like they have an issue to help them retake the State Senate, the most vulnerable Republican Senator -- Nick Spano -- gets a group hug from fellow Democrats, including Richard Brodsky, that basically neutralizes it.

"Gotta love party unity," emails a disgusted Dem.

March 30  12:05 PM | Comments (12) | Permalink

This Friday’s brief edition of this not-so-regular feature brings you Blake Zeff, a former Chuck Schumer press guy who is now the prolific spokesman for the New York State Democratic Party.

BENOBSERVER: So I theorized in the paper this week that you’re part of a plot to make John Spencer the GOP Senate nominee. Confess!
ZEFF: yes, and john spencer theorized that we’re part of a plot to make KT McFarland the candidate
ZEFF: so many plots, so little time
ZEFF: what’s a man to do?
BENOBSERVER: you got in a "million little pieces" reference the other day, amid the tide of press releases.
BENOBSERVER: had you actually read the book?
ZEFF: sadly no
ZEFF: the original plan was to release a list of top ten things kt mcfarland did not write
ZEFF: "a million little pieces"
ZEFF: the SNL "lazy sunday" rap
ZEFF: and of course, the "star wars" speech
ZEFF: i think the seinfeld "puffy shirt" episode was in there, as well
BENOBSERVER: did it get vetoed
ZEFF: nah, i had to focus on a john sweeney corruption release and then bill weld flip-flopped again
ZEFF: so i had to get on that
BENOBSERVER: a hard life you have
ZEFF: (i should specify that was rep. john sweeney, not the labor leader)
BENOBSERVER: do you feel that having worked in Chuck Schumer’s press office, you’ve become his clone?
ZEFF: physically?
BENOBSERVER: mentally. there’s a theory that young chuck aides become chuck. You, Stu, Josh Isay, all the many others. All body-snatched.
ZEFF: don’t forget rodney
ZEFF: yeah there’s definitely a familial bond all schumer staffers share
ZEFF: i still get mistaken for anthony weiner from time to time

March 24  04:31 PM | Comments (5) | Permalink

A supporter of Bill Perkins' bid for state senate tells the Politicker that he'll be endorsed Sunday by three Council Members who serve the Harlem senate district: Robert Jackson, Melissa Mark-Viverito and Miguel Martinez.

March 17  04:55 PM | Comments (15) | Permalink

This Sunday in Crown Heights, Dov Hikind is expected to endorse Carl Andrews in his bid for congress.

As of the last filing in January, Andrews had $191,427.07 on hand, second to David Yassky, who had $503,783.74. But Andrews is piling up the endorsements, which he lists prominently on his website. There is no trace of such a list on Yassky's site.

—Nicole Brydson

March 16  04:24 PM | Comments (56) | Permalink

Consultant Hank Sheinkopf has a very funny turn as the voice of the Democratic establishment in this clip from the Daily Show about Paul Hackett (click the "Couldn't Hackett" link.)

"He didn't fit the matrix," says Sheinkopf.

March 16  12:01 PM | Comments (13) | Permalink

Truck driver Merrill Keiser, Jr. is floating a few very controversial ideas in his candidacy for U.S. Senate in Ohio. Controversial is probably the least accurate way to describe his positions, and yes, Keiser is running in the democratic primary. He has said, "he wouldn't be against making homosexuality a felony punishable by the death penalty."

More from the Advocate:

He also suggested making "conversion to Christianity" part of the "war on terror," to "teach Muslims the error of their choice in religion." Keiser added that if a person believes in evolution, he or she "has no rights."

Does this make John Spencer a moderate?

—Nicole Brydson

March 08  01:59 PM | Comments (9) | Permalink

The surprises were on the margins at the straw poll of the Democratic Rural Conference today.

A reader notes:

"Tasini got more votes than Suozzi.

"And O'Donnell beat two guys (Green and King) who have WON the DRC straw
poll in past years."

March 04  09:54 PM | Comments (52) | Permalink

Today the Senate voted overwhelmingly to reauthorize the Patriot Act, 95-4, with one abstention. Senators Schumer and Clinton voted for it. Russ Feingold was one of the "no" votes.

—Nicole Brydson

March 02  04:10 PM | Comments (3) | Permalink


So who gets hurt by a labor corruption scandal? Municipal labor in general, one thinks. And the Democrats, and their standard-bearer, Eliot Spitzer.

Down the ticket, Andrew Cuomo got Brian McLaughlin's very early, strong support, the value of which diminished sharply today.

March 02  12:23 PM | Comments (29) | Permalink

"We are entirely capable of bungling this opportunity to regain control of the House and Senate and the trust of the American people," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said to scattered applause. "It will take some doing, but we're in this for the long and pointless haul" ...The Onion reports.

"Some rising stars with leadership potential like [Sen. Barack] Obama (D-IL) and [New York State Attorney General Eliot] Spitzer have emerged, but don't worry: We've still got some infight left in us," Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said. "Over the last decade, we've found a reliably losing formula, and we're sticking with it."

March 01  02:23 PM | Comments (9) | Permalink

Jeffrey Plaut, partner at Global Strategy Group, will join the campaign team of 11th congressional district candidate, Senator Carl Andrews. Another of Plaut's clients is running for governor.

—Nicole Brydson

February 28  01:19 PM | Comments (23) | Permalink

Andrew Cuomo's website has gone up.

First photo to pop up on the homepage: Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Cuomo.

—Nicole Brydson

February 23  02:54 PM | Comments (14) | Permalink

The aftermath of Paul Hackett's withdrawal from an Ohio Senate race seems to be putting a real division between the Senate Democratic leadership -- notably Chuck -- and the Democratic left and netroots.

Mother Jones reports that the efforts to push Hackett out included a Swift-Boat style, apparently false rumor of photos of the candidate abusing prisoners in Iraq.

February 17  10:23 AM | Comments (12) | Permalink

Over on the West Side, one of the Assembly candidates, Charles Simon, has a couple of mailings that perfectly illustrate how hard it will be for the state Democratic Party establishment to extricate itself from a lobbyist-heavy political culture. The central problem being that the establishment is composed in no small part of lobbyists.

Here's one mailer (.pdf), highlighting Simon's call to "ban gifts from lobbyists," his refusal to take donations from lobbyists (it helps to have your own money), and his general disgust at their proliferation.

And here's one with headshots (.pdf) of a couple prominent Simon supporters; one is Ethan Geto, identified as Howard Dean's New York campaign manage. In his day job, Geto is ... a lobbyist and P.R. man whose clients include major real estate developers.

February 16  02:49 PM | Comments (20) | Permalink

There was something a bit odd about this story the AP moved yesterday, slamming the state Democrats for attaching the phrase "excerpted per AP policy" to excerpts on its Web site, when in fact the AP's policy (under seige by the Web) is that they sell news, don't give it away. This was compared to the Weld campaign passing off cleaned-up excerpts as full stories, which seemed a little odd; the question of whether the Democrats mis-stated Associated Press excerpting policy seems of interest only to Associated Press salespeople.

State Party consultant Howard Wolfson was diplomatic on Fred Dicker's radio show in Albany this morning: "Earlier this year the AP called the state party and said that they were unhappy with the fact that the state party was placing their stories in full, that it was in violation of AP standards or what the AP was happy with...The AP contacted the state party yesterday with concerns that the stories were excerpted, and I think probably the best thing for the state party to do at this point would be to not run any of the AP stories on their website."

Next: A lengthy Poliitcker analysis on the Daily News policy on crediting other news organizations. A matter of wide public interest today.

February 16  11:30 AM | Comments (4) | Permalink

...who gets a bit tangled up talking about same-sex marriage.

Howard Dean was in town earlier this week at a gay-and-lesbian-oriented meeting, and one participant paraphrased his stance on marriage thus:

"His personal commitment to full marriage rights is intact, but he does not seem to think it's appropriate to be out front on the issue in his role as chair of the party. However, he does think that full civil rights for everyone is an important element of the party's platform (which he implied includes marriage rights, without actually saying it)."

Crystal clear.

(via 51st State, the (temporary, I bet) new home of Azi Paybarah)

February 15  05:06 PM | Comments (20) | Permalink



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