News Copy, New York

Dutchess GOP Chooses New Leaders

The Poughkeepsie Journal reported that the Dutchess County Republican Committee adjusted to the sudden resignations of its leaders by electing a new slate, one that seems to be on the same political page as the prior bunch.

Corinne Weber is the newly elected interim chairwoman.

"Tonight, everybody was in tune," said Weber, the committee's secretary who had stepped in as acting chairwoman when Brilliant bowed out. "Seven years ago, this party was a disaster — now we're striving to build on what Betsy has accomplished."

Newly elected interim chairwoman.  That sounds like code for "provisional government put in place right before revolution."

So what really happened?  A non-coup?  Will there be a further shake up after petitions for district leader are filed?

Also elected in interim capacities were Town of Clinton architect Mike McCormack as vice chairman, IBM executive Sue Buley as secretary and Pleasant Valley lawyer Tom Vasti III as treasurer.

Brilliant became head of the Dutchess Republican Committee in 1999 and had led the party to a stranglehold on local elected offices.

No one has clarified why Brilliant, an early supporter of former gubernatorial candidate William Weld, suddenly resigned and Brilliant herself has declined to say why.

But in last fall's local elections, Democrats made significant gains, picking up four seats in the county Legislature and winning numerous seats in towns around the county and the two cities.

Faso's plans to oust State GOP Stephen Minarik likely don't include Brilliant.

Brilliant's formal replacement and the replacement of other coup-related departures around the state (if there are many more) would be decided at September county GOP conventions.

Weber said she does not yet know if she'd run in the fall.

"I have to see how it all goes," she said.

The departure of Brilliant and other committee officers was tough for the county party but has opened a positive path, Weber said.

"What it's done is make us more cohesive," she said.

How many other county chairs are facing the same blade coming down?

Also, does this mean that the prime mover behind the Bill Powers-connected wrecking crew supporting Marc Molinaro for Assembly -- and those regularly antagonizing Patrick Manning -- has been John Faso?

That might be a stretch, depending on how close some of rogues remain to Congressman John Sweeney's circle.

Sweeney had little nice to say about Pataki's Republican Party in Esquire magazine, noted by Elizabeth Benjamin of the Albany Times Union blog, Capitol Confidential.

Much has been made of the fact that Sweeney, a former executive director of the state GOP, pronounced the entire state of New York to be “in play” when it comes to this fall’s midterm House elections.

Despite the fact that Sweeney won't put the word "Republican" on his literature, he's right.

Benjamin noted Sweeney's other problems with the Pataki regime.

Sweeney, once Pataki’s Labor commissioner, has been highly critical of the governor many times before. The two have been on the outs for a while, due to a host of things, including the fact that Sweeney is still firmly in the camp of Bill Powers, the former state GOP chairman ousted by the Pataki camp in 2001 in favor of Alexander “Sandy” Treadwell, who is widely believed to covet Sweeney’s seat in Congress.

It had been Dutchess County's own Patrick Manning who had assisted John Sweeney on occasion to antagonize and form a version of a coup (one that failed) against Treadwell.

The political lesson here is simple:

If you're going to challenge the king, you better be ready to take him.

Otherwise, you get your political rump kicked in.

Manning had also been the first statewide Republican to openly criticise Governor George E. Pataki's record as governor (the second had been Faso).

Sweeney and Manning were close, loyal and had enjoyed a healthy alliance.

So it baffled many political observers when operatives in Sweeney's circle were aiding Molinaro, though Sweeney's closest aides have privately insisted that they haven't wanted any part of the political rogues out of Columbia and Dutchess counties.  Sweeney's staff has claimed to divorce themselves from the Molinaro campaign, at times, though the same operatives close to Bill Powers keep showing up running political shotgun with the Tivoli mayor.

Those Powers' operatives, described by close Sweeney aides as "freelancers" and further characterized as a bane to the Congressman's existence, told News Copy right after Manning announced his re-election bid that they were "just in it for the money" -- as they actively sought out Marc Molinaro as a client.

The political lesson here is also simple:

Some traitors are only good for the treason.

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... Sweeney and Faso are also close.  I can imagine a mixture of the Bill Powers, Ed Cox, John Sweeney, Bob Smith and John Sweeney circles uniting to make someone State GOP chair.

I can also imagine them chasing each other around in circles, damaging each other and making treason upon each other the rule of the day.

Everyone shoots at each other.  No one will be left standing.

Then Ed Lurie walks into the politically bloodied party to take over after Election Day.

Long-Time GOP Strategist Could Be Next State Boss

With John Faso securing an endorsement from the Suffolk County GOP, reported by the Associated Press, expect a lot of contradictory information from varying sources about what is coming next.

For example, the following story covered by the AP was never true to start with -- but Nancy Larraine Hoffman had her fun pretending that she was being considered for Lt. Governor.

Urban Elephants noted that Tim Delmer is also a reported candidate for Lt. Governor (though how do you make yourself a candidate for Lt. Governor?) -- and some have even claimed Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef could be someone's running mate.

A more likely pick for John Faso is Hempstead Town Supervisor Patty Murray but we are hearing that he wants someone from Westchester County.  Also confirmed as a Lt. Gov. candidate is newly elected Larchmont Mayor Liz Feld, a former Reagan White House aide who apparently declined and then opened the discussion on Tony Colavita.

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Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef decision not to run for State Comptroller had caught some party leaders by surprise, reported The Journal News, including Rockland GOP chair Vincent Reda and Onondaga County GOP chair Bob Smith.

Both men have been mentioned as possible replacements for Stephen Minarik, though Smith's ascension might not be the preference of those within 315 State Street.

The New York College Republican blog noting that Smith's announcement last week that he is departing as a county chair means he is the next State GOP chairman.

Not so fast...

Bob Smith is a friend of News Copy -- and certainly in the running as a reform pick to run 315 State Street -- but we're no longer certain what has materialized.  Smith started out helping Randy Daniels and has been helping John Faso.  It's do-able to see him ascending but we're hearing other paths to power are being pursued by much heavier hitters.

If one believes the heavy hitters will get the political brass ring this go round -- or even want it.

Smith can't be counted out.

There is speculation on the delegate count, the next State GOP chairman and the gubernatorial running mate craze to hit a fever pitch by Tuesday's State Conservative convention.

Everyone's guessing at this point; Republican delegates can suddenly go to someone else, statewide candidates can change minds at last minute -- and anything's possible when it comes to 315 State Street.

Our story on Eastchester Town Supervisor Anthony S. Colavita being at least "vetted" for Lt. Governor -- among others in Westchester and Long Island -- has been confirmed but naysayers will so their best to dispute even county endorsements at this point.

Urban Elephants has calculated that Faso now has nearly 35 percent of the weighted vote but we're hearing estimates closer to 45 percent (that's when you add in the counties who supported Randy Daniels and those counties controlled by Joe Bruno).

News Copy has heard this from enough high-ranking sources to know the following is true.

New State GOP Leader Waiting In Wings?

Joe Bruno is making a clear play for control of the State GOP, sources close to Governor George E. Pataki confirmed this morning.  It's not going over well with some county chairs, since it would further feather the State Senate Majority Leader's patronage nest, but Bruno's choice for State GOP chairman has many key leaders smiling.

Ed Lurie, the executive director of the New York State Senate Republican Campaign Committee, could replace Stephen Minarik if the the State GOP chairman steps down after the Republican convention.

By the way, there is no word of a political coup -- but Faso is certainly now in a position to dictate a thing or two.  However, we're also being told that this transition has nothing to do with Faso or any sea change in New York's Republican party.

Faso's pick might be outgoing Onondaga Republican chair Bob Smith.

Sources out of 315 State Street were quick to explain officially that Chairman Minarik would leave after Election Day -- and that such a change would be done on his terms (as News Copy previously reported).

Sources close to Minarik also confirmed that Lurie is indeed one of the individuals in the running for the top GOP job.  News Copy was also reminded that Joe Bruno is very close to Steve Minarik, so this is no coup.

We will have more from multiple sources in the coming hours.

Then again, our sources keep whispering coup coup coup but then some Punch or Judy bashes us over the wireless mouse to remind us December 12, December 12, December 12.

This is a different and better Team Faso.

The horses will be running at the State GOP convention... right off the track.