Polls are now open in the 7th State Senate District. There is so much on the line today, for the 7th, for New York and even for the country. Don't believe me? Look at the pros. This race is now the most expensive state Senate race in the history of New York. The campaigns have now spent in excess of $5 million bucks and they've broken the old record in 30 days. When was the last time that a state Senate race drew two top tier presidential candidates in the same day? Talk about bringing out the big guns...
This one is going to come down to turnout and, let's face it, it's freaking cold. I'll be out in the district all day today with NYBri. Brian will be out knocking on doors and dragging folks to the polls and I'm going to be bringing you as much info from the ground as possible including any reports of voter intimidation and even election results tonight. Also, don't forget the Nassau Voter Protection site.
For those in the district, VOTE. For those who have friends or family in the district, call them and remind them to vote. For everyone else, drop by here for all the latest from the scene all day long.
(Important stuff from the field. Be sure to check out Nassau Voter Protection tomorrow for info on what's happening at the polling places and to report anything dodgy you may see. Also, I'll be blogging from the district all day tomorrow. I'll have interviews, pics, video, vicious rumors and as much about potential dirty tricks as I can muster. - promoted by lipris)
In response, the County Attorney's office instructed the Board of Elections to tell poll workers the special circumstances under the law where poll workers were to request identification:
"I am requesting that you immediately notify all special election poll workers and inspectors that they must not request identification of any person seeking to vote, unless there is an "ID" notification next to the bar code for the voter name on the registration poll ledger prepared by the Nassau County Board of Elections."
The Republican response to these instructions was to ignore the County Attorney's directive.
Now a Nassau County Supreme Court Judge is ordering Republicans to comply with election law and not intimidate voters in tomorrow's special election. The Nassau County police will deliver notice of the court order to every polling place in the Seventh State Senate district when the polls open at 6am on Tuesday.
OK, I've been trying to make heads or tails of this all day. As you may know, Maureen O'Connell claimed this morning that some voters in the 7th district received multiple misleading "robo calls" during last night's Super Bowl broadcast, a practice eerily similar to the multiple misleading robo calls placed by the NRCC and it's affiliates on behalf of dozens of Republican Congressional candidates last November.
On the one hand, her claim seems to be yet another tired Rovian ploy, much like her god-awful Bin Laden direct mail piece which was denounced today by the NJDC as "desperate and shameful" and on the other hand it seemed to be another roll of the dice by a struggling campaign to manipulate the media space the day before the election, much like Joe Lieberman's "bloggers broke my website" ploy from last August.
On the third hand, Maureen's website has posted what it purports to be a recording of the actual call. You can listen here.
A recent Craig Johnson campaign piece quoted you as saying that you need Craig to help bring real reform to Albany. Having looked over your reform agenda, I found that I can easily support it. In fact, as a member of the Assembly, I sponsored or voted in favor of similar reforms.
O'Connell, speaking before a crowd of several hundred cheering supporters at the American Legion hall in Williston Park, called Johnson "a sidekick" to Spitzer and criticized his support for the governor's property tax reduction plan, which she said actually would raise homeowners' taxes.
I really want to keep the focus today on what we can do to get Craig Johnson elected to the state Senate tomorrow, but this is important, too. This morning's Newsday contains a piece about the final days of the special election in the 7th District that quotes Senate Minority Leader Malcom Smith as telling a church congregation in Westbury yesterday that, should Craig Johnson win that seat, that AT LEAST two Gop Senators may be induced to switch parties.
Remark by Senate's minority leader that a Johnson win could mean a black majority leader irks Republicans
Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith told a Westbury congregation yesterday that, should Craig Johnson win the special election, at least two Senate Republicans could switch parties and he could become the first black State Senate majority leader.
...
Smith said in an interview after he spoke that there is a "zone of potential agreement" in which at least two GOP senators would switch parties, enough to give Democrats control of the Senate for the first time in decades because Lt. Gov. David Paterson would cast the deciding vote.
"There are a few that are floating in the ZOPA," he said. He would not give details about the Republican legislators who might switch.
Who are these two Senators? Why exactly would they be willing to flip? Should reformers welcome this move? Was John McArdle just born that way?
I'm posting this for Don Reed in California, who has a paralyzed son and is working tirelessly for those, like Craig Johnson, who support stem cell research.
New Yorkers, Kossacks for Craig, exhausted staffers and volunteers, stem cell warriors all: the final twenty-four hours are before you. The rest of the country can do nothing more to help you now. You are tired, but we know you do not rest. Your brains are fried and your bodies shaking from too much coffee and too little sleep, yet we ask you now for one last great effort: just one more day.
Craig Johnson (D-WFP) is setting a blistering campaign pace leading up to Election Day on Feb 6 as he campaigns for an open State Senate seat in New York's Seventh District on Long Island.
Starting this morning, Craig launched the "Moving New York Forward - 33 Stops in 33 Hours" tour. He's campaigning in every one of the 33 villages in the Seventh District from this morning until the election starts, leaving no stone unturned to Get Out the Vote. The tour will take Craig to morning bagel stops, religious services, Super Bowl parties, and popular lunch hour spots.
Governor Eliot Spitzer and U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer will campaign with Craig Johnson at different stops during the day.
On another post I asked whether the O'Connell ad featuring Osama and Balboni was at all legal, given its use of an image bearing the DISTINCT likeness of the NYS Homeland Security seal. Well, courtesy of Capitol Confidential, it looks like the answer is an emphatic NO:
Here's video of new NY state Democratic party co-chair Dave Pollak addressing the crowd at Thursday's blograiser for Craig Johnson. When Dave was named the new co-chair a month or so ago, it was seen by many of us in the net/grassroots as something of a nod in our direction. I immediately believed that his taking the job could lead to something really positive somewhere down the road, that maybe the state party would one day cease ignoring this movement. I had no idea that this move would start paying dividends so quickly. The man has hit the ground running, and while there is still much, much work to be done, I think he's off to a fabulous start. The future of the relationship between the state party and the activists that so often felt alienated by the whole party culture appears so much brighter than it did just a few weeks ago. I give Dave a great deal of credit for that.
Now even Michael Balboni, the same Michael Balboni pictured in Maureen O'Connell's totally nutty Osama Bin Laden flyer, doesn't want anything to with it. In fact, he "was not aware" of the mailing he says. Newsday has more.
A new campaign flier that pairs O'Connell with Balboni, the district's former Republican senator who resigned to become the state's homeland security chief, hit mailboxes Friday.
It features a photo of bin Laden and states, "As long as New York and Tel Aviv are targets for terrorists, we need Maureen O'Connell protecting us in the Senate." Inside, there is a photo of O'Connell next to Balboni in front of a mock-up of the state Homeland Security seal.
Balboni said he has not endorsed any candidate and was not aware of the mailing. "To the extent that it implies that there is a governmental agency supporting the candidacy of anybody, that is incorrect and inappropriate," he said.
State homeland security office spokesman Dennis Michalski added in a statement, "It is completely inappropriate for a political candidate to use a falsified state seal in the context of a political campaign."
National Jewish Democratic Council also blasted the mailing. "This is a desperate and shameful attempt to try to use Israel as a wedge issue," said deputy executive director David Goldenberg.
Whoa! Somebody is looking awfully desperate here and her name is Maureen. This is the mailer that her campaign is sending out, perhaps targeting Jewish households. Osama Bin Laden? The president of Iran? In a state Senate race? Are you effin' kidding me? Capitol Confidential has more.
Here's Republican 7th SD candidate Maureen O'Connell's latest campaign mailer, which seeks not only to scare voters into supporting her, but also to link her with the man who held the seat she's seeking: Michael Balboni, former chair of the Senate's homeland security committee and now Gov. Eliot Spitzer's deputy secretary for public safety.
The piece even includes a photo of O'Connell and Balboni together.
I'm not sure what "security expertise" they're talking about here. Last I checked, O'Connell was a registered nurse - a fact about which SEIU/1199, her biggest union backer, has been making much in the mailers and radio/TV ads it has produced on O'Connell's behalf.
The way this is written, with an emphasis on Israel and O'Connell's support of the Jewish community it seems likely it was sent to Jewish households.
If that's the case, however, it must have been sent out before her endorsement earlier this week by The Jewish Press, since that's not mentioned here.
This is the second time in less than a year that Osama bin Laden has played a role in a New York political campaign.
Last summer, former Yonkers Mayor John Spencer tried to paint his opponent, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, as weak on terror with an ad that juxtaposed an image of her with a photo of bin Laden.
They are scared. This just reeks of desperation.
Much more absolute freaking nuttiness on the flip...
Craig Johnson racks up another big newspaper endorsement today. The New York Daily News says "If you're registered in the 7th Senate District, vote for Craig Johnson."
Voters in northwestern Nassau County go to the polls Tuesday for a pivotal special election for a state Senate seat. They should cast their ballots for Democrat Craig Johnson, who outshines his opponent on the issues and is committed to reforming Albany.
A county legislator, Johnson is running for a spot vacated by a Republican who took a top job under Gov. Spitzer. Electing him would leave Majority Leader Joe Bruno two seats from losing his grip on the Senate and move New York closer to wholesale reforms in one house of the Legislature. That's why Spitzer is behind Johnson.
Johnson has detailed ideas on how to get Medicaid under control and takes mainstream positions in favor of stem cell research and abortion rights. His GOP rival, County Clerk Maureen O'Connell, parrots health industry propaganda that trimming Medicaid means tossing patients into the streets, dodges on past positions opposing embryonic stem cell research and refuses to release a draft audit that, one can only conclude, criticizes how she has run the clerk's office.
Johnson was part of the team that ousted Nassau's Republican machine and saved the county from near-bankruptcy. He could now play a similar role in state government. If you're registered in the 7th Senate District, vote for Craig Johnson.
We're at Prey in NYC for Raise New York, a "blograiser" for Craig Johnson, candidate for the state Senate in the 7th District special election. Governor Eliot Spitzer will be arriving soon as will Lt. Governor David Paterson, Senate Minority Leader Smith and most of the Democratic caucus in the state Senate.
If you are in NYC, COME ON DOWN! If you aren't, stick around here as we'll be bringing as much of the experience to you here as possible. We'll be posting tons of pics, audio and video. We'll even be asking you to CONTRIBUTE just like we're doing to the folks here at the event.
I so hope to see all of you tonight at prey for Raise New York, a blograiser for Craig Johnson. If you can't make it down to Prey, rest assured that we will be doing everything we possibly can to bring the experience to you now matter where in the world you are. You can follow the action here, at DailyKos or at the Daily Gotham.
Here's a message from Craig that we'll be showing tonight.
The Mayor of the Village of Floral Park uses the VILLAGE's Official website to endorse O'Connell. But who's paying for this website that he gets to use as a partisan soapbox? Looks like YOU did without your knowledge or consent!
The Repub Secret Senate Member Items granted the Village's Mayor $35,000 for "equipment", and the mayor uses the publicly paid platform to endorse the Repub candidate for Senate! Here's the grant, its on page 1055. 2005-2006 SENATE MAJORITY INITIATIVE FORM
Project Title: Floral Park, Inc. Village of
Location of Project: Floral Park
County: Nassau
Description of Project: the purchase of equipment
Funding Level: $35,000.00
Previous Funding: denied
Requested Agency to Administer Program: State
Program Contact Information:
Name: Hon. Phil Guarnieri
Title: Mayor
Address:One Floral Boulevard
Floral Park, NY 11001
Phone: 516-326-6300
Senator's Name: Senator Balboni
Date: 12/5/2005
Hey guys. I have a question about the blograiser. I have two friends who want to come, but, as of now, they don't want to contribute $$. However, I think if they show up, have a few drinks, talk to some people who are excited about the race, they'll relent and contribute.
Anyway, I just clicked on the "buy tickets" link and contributed $150. Having done that, can I get credit for having paid for my two friends to come, with the hope that, once there, they'll contribute as well?
Here's the third Craig Johnson for State Senate TV commercial. Jimmy Siegel directed the ad; see his first two ads for the Johnson campaign here and here. In the ad, titled "How to Save," five accountants from the Seventh Senate District take O'Connell to task for her record of raising taxes.
Whoa! Somebody is looking awfully desperate here and her name is Maureen. This is the mailer that her campaign is sending out, perhaps targeting Jewish households. Osama Bin Laden? The president of Iran? In a state Senate race? Are you effin' kidding me? Capitol Confidential has more.
