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A message from Dave Pollak

by: Michael Bouldin

Mon Nov 01, 2010 at 08:05:59 AM EDT

[Note: Dave was co-Chair of the NYSDC during the Spitzer administration and previously led DL21C, the well-regarded activist group. This landed in my inbox last night, and I think it's quite on point enough to share.]

An urgent appeal from Dave

Friends, there is a very important election Tuesday that could decide the path of our Country for years to come. There are many critical races here in New York, but there are two I want to highlight for you.

Two great Democrats, Tom DiNapoli and Eric Schneiderman are running for State Comptroller and Attorney General. If we allow these seats to fall into Republican hands, the new occupants - no matter how moderate they might seem, will be high-profile all-stars for the Republican Party nationally. The Republican Party will use these spots to raise money for Republican candidates for Congress and the RNC, to promote a right-wing agenda nationwide.

We must must MUST keep these seats in Democratic hands!

Michael Bouldin :: A message from Dave Pollak

NY State Comptroller

Tom DiNapoli was appointed to the State Comptroller's office in the wake of the pension scandals. He has been a tireless reformer and a great Comptroller. His staff's work on issues like Corporate Governance has been a national model. Tom has also reformed the pay to play regime by refusing to take ANY money from any persons who do business with the office. This has left him at an enormous fundraising disadvantage to his Republican opponent.

Tom is one of the finest, most dedicated, intelligent and principled men I have ever met. I am proud to call him a friend... and would be so even if neither of us were involved in politics and public policy. New Yorkers are TRULY privileged to have Tom DiNapoli serve us in Albany.

If the State Comptroller's office falls into Republican hands, it will open the spigot for Republican fundraising from New York.

Tom has been endorsed by a diverse coalition of elected officials: from Bill Clinton to Ed Koch; from John Liu to Carl McCall. He has been endorsed the Empire State Pride Agenda, NARAL, the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters. Tom has been endorsed by Progressive newspapers like Newsday, the Jewish Press and the New York Observer.

Please make sure EVERYONE you know votes for Tom DiNapoli!

NY Attorney General

My friend Eric Schneiderman is running for Attorney General. He is running against a conservative Republican who OPPOSES A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE! We must not let the New York Attorney General be an opponent of women's rights. I have known Eric for nearly 20 years, and he is everything we would hope to have in a public official.

Eric is smart, caring, and passionate and has been a tireless advocate for reform and progressive public policy. I have had the pleasure and honor of supporting - and in many cases working with - his efforts in the areas of crime prevention, environmental advocacy, education finance, drug and alcohol treatment, campaign finance reform, gun control, and sweeping reforms to the notoriously unfair Rockefeller Drug laws.

He has been endorsed by nearly every media outlet and progressive organization statewide. He will be a GREAT Attorney General!

This is so urgently important! Please make sure and vote for Democrats... we cannot allow our State and our Country to fall into Republican hands!!

Tags: New York, 2010 Elections, Tom DiNapoli, Eric Schneiderman, (All Tags)

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A message from Dave Pollak | 4 comments

I wholeheartedly agree with Dave's comments. (4.00 / 2)

His praise of both DiNapoli and Schneiderman are spot-on. I agree that we couldn't have finer candidates.

I also agree with his observations of what is at stake.

I only wish that both candidates had thought more about campaigning upstate, where the voters don't know who they are. We as activists can only do so much. We can only reach so many people. Having some kind of hint as to the exceptional caliber both of these men possess could be the difference in whether an apathetic, disaffected voter makes the effort to go out and vote--or even votes for those down-ballot candidates.

Upstate support DOES make a difference. I fear that leaving upstate out of the campaign stops will have a chilling effect on the results.

I really hope I'm wrong.

by: leftigurl @ Mon Nov 01, 2010 at 14:26:49 PM UTC

by: you @ soon

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Agree (4.00 / 2)

Schneiderman special anti-fracking literature just arrived here, 2 days before the election, 2 weeks after we began making lit drop bundles, and a day after the lit was dropped.

by: robinia @ Mon Nov 01, 2010 at 22:58:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

We received one Schneiderman sign (0.00 / 0)

for each town in our county. Last week.

I've had DiNapoli signs since May, so plenty of them got out.

by: leftigurl @ Tue Nov 02, 2010 at 01:49:58 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yes (4.00 / 1)

When Tom DiNapoli was selected, I was outraged. The process was disgusting, with Speaker Silver reneging on a deal he made with Governor Spitzer. Furthermore, there were serious questions as to DiNapoli's fitness for that office.

Since then, he has proven a willingness to investigate his own office, a desire to correct problems publicly, and an ability to move forward, both in managing the state's pension fund and in dealing with the insanity that is the budget process.

In short, DiNapoli has, by his actions, turned me around; I am supporting him.

**************

I've known Eric Schneiderman for years; he has always been a fighter for progressive reform. He has always been willing to take on corruption, whether across the aisle or within his own party. He has real solutions to the problems we face, including fixing the Rockefeller drug laws, reforming our entire sentencing system, and generally doing the kinds of things that add up to being smart on crime.

I'm happy to support Eric.

**************

Finally, notice that these are positive comments, rather than the kind of negativity ("I'm voting against candidate X's opponent.") that usually pervades our election season. It's a refreshing change.

by: Dan Jacoby @ Mon Nov 01, 2010 at 15:09:35 PM UTC

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A message from Dave Pollak | 4 comments

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