Tuesday Clippage: Craig Johnson, $trippers, Stem Cells, Silver Linings Edition

Foes in State Senate special election take to airwaves using political allies to get their messages out

Nassau Legis. Craig Johnson invokes Gov. Eliot Spitzer's name so often, it might seem as if last fall's gubernatorial campaign were still going. And in a television ad set to begin airing today, Spitzer returns the favor.

The ad features Spitzer speaking while a montage of black-and-white images of "Johnson for Senate" yard signs and photographs of the governor and Johnson together flash across the screen.

"On Jan. 1, we offered a new vision of reform outside the state Capitol," Spitzer says to close the commercial. "Now we need the votes in the state Capitol."

Stem cells and silver linings on the flip...

The real value is that if New York is involved, you suddenly have an
ability to make a leap in progress across the country's best minds," said
David Bluestone, a spokesman for Americans for Stem Cell Therapies and
Cures, a national advocacy group. "You never get advances from one lab in
one state. You need this to be happening across all the states with the best
research institutions. California can't go it alone."

The initiative, a centerpiece of the Spitzer administration's economic
development agenda, would have to meet the approval of the State Senate and
Assembly before it could go before voters. Lt. Gov. David A. Paterson, a
former state senator, is to be in charge of shepherding that effort through
the Legislature.

Besides the bond measure to pay for stem cell research, the administration
has proposed a law to ensure the legality of the research within New York
State.

Polls commissioned by supporters of the embryonic research show that
overwhelming majorities of New York voters support state financing for it.
But the administration may still face significant hurdles in the Capitol,
and beyond.

Several times, the Democratic-controlled Assembly has passed legislation to
finance embryonic stem cell research and ensure its legality.

Similar legislation proposed in the Senate in previous years by two Democrats from Manhattan, Mr. Paterson and Liz Krueger never made it to the Senate floor, where legislative business is tightly
controlled by the Republican majority leader, Senator Joseph L. Bruno.

Many members of Mr. Bruno's caucus, however, support such research, especially senators from upstate cities desperate for the public and private investment it could spur.

And finally a silver lining for the NY GOP...

Last November's election was not particularly kind to the
Republicans in New York State. Republican leaders were taken aback by the breadth of their
statewide defeat and saw losses in some areas where they once confidently
reigned.

But there is one area in New York City where the Republicans have dominated
and show little sign of losing control: Staten Island.

In that borough, United States Representative Vito J. Fossella Jr. withstood
a particularly vigorous challenge from a Democratic insurgent, while
Democratic candidates gained ground in House seats in the state.

Andrew J. Lanza, a Republican city councilman, easily won in a State Senate
race to succeed the longtime legislator John J. Marchi. Assemblyman Vincent
Ignizio, a Republican representing a district on Staten Island, is expected
to succeed Mr. Lanza on the Council in a special election on Feb. 20. And
Staten Island Republican leaders say that they will find well-prepared
candidates to succeed Mr. Ignizio in the Assembly, should he move to the
Council.

"The last dozen years or so have been good to the Republican Party on Staten
Island," said Mr. Fossella, who was first elected 10 years ago. "I think
it's because our principles seem to be in line with those of the people
here. We talk about lower taxes and solutions to overdevelopment and the
closing of the Fresh Kills landfill. That resonates with people."