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Buffalo Pundit has given a great summary of the career politician talking point that Republicans in Erie County are using against their Democratic opponents (all of whom are incumbents).
Erie County Comptroller Mark Poloncarz, who has butted heads with Erie County Executive Chris Collins - the man helping push this notion of "career politicians" by putting forth his own slate of candidates - is one target of such labeling. Collins was asked who he thought was a "career politician" in his mind. One of the names? Mark Poloncarz.
Here's the Collins definition of career politician: "It starts with somebody who sees politics as a career path. It is someone who caters to the special interests in order to advance or preserve their career.
"It is somebody who makes decisions based on the political ramifications, not based on what's in the best interest of taxpayers. It is typically someone who does not have a lot of history of other experiences, meaning private-sector experiences."
He agreed that career politicians nest on both sides of the aisle.
Collins, a Republican, easily rattled off a few Democrats in county government he thinks qualify: Reynolds. Legislature Chairwoman Lynn M. Marinelli. County Comptroller Mark C. Poloncarz, who is completing his first term and made his living as a lawyer before seeking office in 2005.
The one item in the piece that sticks out is when Collins was asked about what Republicans are career politicians. When asked about Senator Dale Volker, who has been in office for over three decades, Collins gave this response:
"I don't want to get into name-calling necessarily."
So if he has to name Democrats who are career politicians, he is willing to do so to fit his political agenda. But once he has to name Republicans, he refers to it as "name calling" and dodges the question. Convenient dodging by a man who wants to run for governor next year. Talk about career politicians.
In Erie County, the problem with the "career politician" label is that it is being thrown around by, well, those who themselves could be affixed with the "career politician" label. Collins, for example, has served as county executive since 2008 and is already talking about seeking higher office. His name has been mentioned as a possible GOP gubernatorial candidate in 2010 if Rudy Giuliani doesn't run, which is a possibility.
But from there, it only gets worse for Erie County Republicans.
Kevin Hardwick, the Republican challenger to Michele Iannello in the 10th Legislative District, has labeled his opponent a "career politician." Yet, a look at Hardwick's record shows who the real career politician is.
That isn't the only instance where the Republican accusing the Democrat of being a career politician is actually a career politician (or more of one) than his or her opponent. Republican Shelly Schratz is calling her opponent a "career politician" even though she has more years of experience as an elected official and also has sought other offices unsuccessfully.
It is an interesting strategy for the Collins Republicans. They are calling their Democratic foes "career politicians" in an attempt to make them seem like they are old, stale and just warm bodies in chairs at the Legislature Chamber. But these are candidates who have served many years in office. They have also ran for other offices unsuccessfully (Hardwick ran twice for Legislature and lost in the early 2000s).
But the troubling part, from Collins, is that he couldn't name a single Republican. Even though he said that there was career politicians on both sides, he wasn't willing to throw a member of his party under the bus. That tells you what kind of guy Collins is. It's no secret he wants to run for governor. It's no secret these candidates running against incumbent legislators and Poloncarz are his candidates. His hunger for power is so massive I can hear is stomach growling from here in Orleans County.
You can't think of a single Republican? And when Dale Volker, a man who has served 36 years as a New York state senator, is put in front of your face you say you don't want to engage in "name-calling"?
Name-calling isn't okay when it's someone of your own party AND someone who, as a senior Albany Republican, surely would help to have on your side should you run for governor in 2010. But name-calling is acceptable if you're trying to take down the Democrats.
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