A telephone "push poll" unfairly slamming the legislative record and progressive stance of State Senator David Carlucci is making its rounds in Rockland and Orange Counties. The so-called poll comes from an anonymous source, and the pollsters flippantly misidentify themselves when pressed by residents they reach.
Eleven concerned Rockland County residents, all Democratic Commitee members, contacted Left of the Hudson today to complain about the poll, and several others have responded to an email query sent out by us this afternoon. Several recipients that asked the pollsters who they worked for were told the survey came from a company called either "National Research," or "Central Research."
According to several sources who were called, the poll begins with a live questioner asking respondents if they're satisfied with the direction New York is heading. If they answer "yes," the are promptly thanked for their time, if they answer "no," they're lead into a diatribe masquerading as a poll, which faults Carlucci for reaching across the aisle and then questions his progressive credentials. Worse yet, two people who have received the poll claim that it smacked of race baiting. They claim that questioner asked them if they it bothered them that Carlucci had turned his back on "the most influential African-American leader the State Senate has ever seen."
Legislative mastermind Brian Brown of National Organization For Marriage (NOM) has revealed the group's brilliant 4-year plan for undoing marriage equality in the Empire State.
Here it is:
Oh wait, that's not it. That's the Underpants Gnomes get rich scheme.
Maggie Gallagher and Brian Brown's get rich scheme fleecing ignorant and hateful people of New York after the fold.
So it looks like we have some time to kill before the Senate finally gets around to voting on marriage equality sometime late tonight. This gives us plenty of time to speculate wildly about how this might go down.
Earlier this evening, Senator Lanza of Staten Island revealed that he would be voting against the bill. This is tough news for those of us who really want to this bill to pass. Lanza had been one of the dwindling number of true "undecided" votes and many folks, myself included, had hoped that he might be the one to push this one over the top. Alas, that is not to be.
That really only leaves two publicly "undecideds" left, Saland of SD-41 up in the Hudson Valley and Grisanti the frosh from SD-60 in Buffalo.
Saland is and always has been something of a cipher on this issue, though he and the rest of the GOP caucus voted against the bill the last time it came up back in late 2009. Saland has that district pretty wired for himself and has easily fought off challenger after challenger for the last few cycles. That said, it's not entirely certain that he even runs again. In fact, the rumor that he will retire has been going around since at least 2007. The story I've heard many times is that Joe Bruno begged him to stay on at least one more cycle back about that time. He's old, cranky and I get the impression that he doesn't much like the Senate nor the other senators all that much. If he really is calling it quits this time, he may just do the right thing on the way out the door.
Or maybe he won't. He's really kind of a sterotypical grumpy old man and he may decide to stick it to the gays anyway. Guess we'll know soon enough.
What's more interesting, to me anyway, is what happens with Grisanti. As you may recall, Grisanti very narrowly defeated incumbent Dem Antoine Thompson in a drawn affair that lasted months past election day. Now, Thompson was seen (rightly, IMHO) by many folks in that pretty blue district as being something of an ineffectual dolt, a not very bright guy in way over his head.
Grisanti was able to knock off a sitting Dem senator in a fairly deep blue district in a GOP wave year. Can he repeat that feat in 2012?
Maybe. Maybe not.
I think it's safe to say that there are precious few senators with more riding on tonight's vote than Grisanti. He's a former Dem, but he's on the wrong team for SD-60. Yes, he's Italian and that helps with many folks there, but he's also going to be running as a Republican in a presidential year with Obama at the top of the ticket in a largely urban district.
Does he vote against equality and risk pissing off a good portion of the Democrats that he has to win over to win reelection? Or does he piss off Mike Long and make the job of squeaking by a second time all that much harder? Does he hope that the white ethnic Catholic vote bails him out of a "nay" vote? Or does he hope those same folks have moved past this issue already?
Grisanti says we'll learn his vote tonight from the floor of the Senate.
There will plenty of very interested parties paying very close attention when the freshman from Buffalo stands up to explain his vote.
Then there are the wildcards. The names I hear most often that could possibly move from no to yes are Hannon and Fuschillo. Fuschillo has ambitions beyond the senate, statewide ambitions, and Hannon came very, very close to losing his seat in 2008 to a newcomer. Hannon's district ain't what it used to be, though I'm sure his district is at the top of the "must gerrymander" list for the Senate GOP.
Stranger things have happened.
Got any other wild speculation about the vote? Let us know in the comments.
After an all day marathon of closed door conference, Majority Leader Skelos just released this statement:
After many hours of deliberation and discussion over the past several weeks among the members, it has been decided that same sex marriage legislation will be brought to the full Senate for an up or down vote.
The entire Senate Republican Conference was insistent that amendments be made to the Governor's original bill in order to protect the rights of religious institutions and not-for-profits with religious affiliations. I appreciate the Governor's cooperation in working with us to address these important issues and concerns.
As I have said many times, this is a very difficult issue and it will be a vote of conscience for every member of the Senate.
Of course Skelos claimed it was a conscience vote last time and we all know how that went down. That said, I have a good feeling about this one. Honestly, I think the whole chamber would rather have this bill behind them for good, though the all day conference had me worried for a bit.
My guess is that marriage equality finally passes this time. Then it's off to the courts where the NOMs of the world will certainly challenge it.
UPDATE: Seeing credible reports that Lanza is a "nay." That hurts. He was one of the undecideds that I though we had our best chance with. No dice.
Anyone who has followed Greg Ball over the years probably saw this coming. Ball, who has spent the last 10 days or so doing everything he possibly can to make the marriage equality fight in Albany all about himself, even going so far as to cynically troll for twitter followers by polling their opinions on the matter (who else's civil rights should I poll my twitter followers about today?), is apparently still going to vote "no" on the bill, even after putting himself square in the middle of trying to get exemptions (that largely already exist) for religious institutions.
Why? Because Greg Ball is a preening diva prick that doesn't give a rat's ass about anyone but Greg Ball. He's kind of always been that way. The only thing missing (so far, that is) from his little dog and pony show has been a fundraising pitch, fundraising being the only thing in the entire world he enjoys more than being the center of attention. If only he could have found a way to get the gays on horseback...
Like I said, he's an asshole.
That said, he believes that the bill will pass anyway and I think he's probably right. That statement means that the bill will almost certainly get a vote this evening. If it does, look for Saland, Lanza, Grisanti or Hannon - or some combination of all of them - to push this one over the top.
Let me make this as simple as possible for you. Either you believe that LGBT New Yorkers are full and equal citizens, worthy of all the rights, protections and responsibilities of full citizenship...or you do not. It really is that simple. Everything else, the ridiculous exemptions (which already exist) for religious institutions, the chants, the hymns, the signs outside the chamber, all the commentary for and against - all of that stuff - is just noise.
Either all New Yorkers are deserving of full citizenship rights or they aren't. Period.
I've been awfully busy lately with doctors and job interviews (honestly) but I am happy to say I am back. And just in time! The New York State Senate has FINALLY decided what our official state rock should be. WHEW!
The state Senate today passed a bill that would designate the Herkimer Diamond as the official state mineral.
Sponsored by Sen. James Seward, R-Milford, who represents Herkimer County, where the doubly-terminated quartz crystal is found, the legislation passed unanimously.
"The Empire State has a proud tradition of recognizing and trumpeting the features that make it unique. Certainly, the Herkimer Diamond is one of those rare treasures well deserving of 'official' statewide status," Seward said in a news release.
He noted that New York's Legislature has previously designated an official gemstone (garnet), fossil (sea scorpion), shell (bay scallop), bush (lilac), salt water fish (striped bass), and reptile (snapping turtle).
An identical version of the bill is pending in the Assembly.
So glad we FINALLY have a state rock! Awesome!
Marriage Equality, fracking, rent regulations...all that stuff...will just have to wait.
Municipal clerks in New York may refuse to issue marriage licenses to gay couples or refuse to marry them, whether or not additional "carve out" provisions are inserted into the upcoming Marriage Equality bill.
Under proposed language specified by GOP State Senator Greg Ball of Putnam County, clerks and other municipal officials can hide behind a "religious protections" clause if they find gay marriage an affront to their beliefs.
The addendums that Ball wants to insert in the bill are unclear and ambiguous, perhaps purposely so. They could provide a loophole for mayors, supervisors, clerks, and county executives to act in contempt of their sworn duties, and keep gay marriage in the courts for years to come.
Well, well, well. This is interesting, though I'm not terribly surprised. The New York Times is reporting that three of the "nay" votes from the last time a marriage equality vote made it to the floor of the Senate have now flipped and become "yeas."
Three wavering Democratic lawmakers in the State Senate have agreed to support legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in New York, several people with knowledge of the negotiations said on Monday, marking a potential turning point for the long-debated measure.
The three senators - Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Shirley L. Huntley of Queens and Carl Kruger of Brooklyn - all voted against the measure in 2009, when it failed by a wide margin. Their switch to the yes column leaves all but one Senate Democrat supporting same-sex marriage -and the fate of the legislation in the hands of the Republican majority in the chamber.
Republican senators voted unanimously against same-sex marriage two years ago, but several have indicated in recent weeks that they are undecided. Speaking with reporters on Monday, Dean G. Skelos, the Senate majority leader, said that if a same-sex marriage bill came to the floor, each Republican senator would be free to vote his or her conscience, but he added that he had not formally asked his members where they stood.
The announcement, just days from the end of the legislative session next Monday, signifies the first clear advance in months for advocates of same-sex marriage and a victory for John L. Sampson, the Democratic minority leader, who has spent weeks coaxing a consensus out of his oft-fractious conference.
This is certainly good news and I think if Skelos actually means what he says about a conscience vote, I believe that it may actually pass this time, perhaps even comfortably. That said, Skelos told the Dem leadership in 2009 before that last that he would free his conference to vote their consciences and he, well, he flat out lied and punk'd Sampson (and LGBT New Yorkers) something good. And let's not forget the three closet cases that voted against equality last time out....
I have a feeling it may be different this time though. I just don't think the issue is as much of a winner for the haters as it used to be and the number of Dem "nays" is down to only one, the gay hatin', single issue abomination that is the Rev Ruben Diaz. (By the way, what on earth does Diaz do after this is no longer an issue? Seriously, what will he do with himself then?)
So, my fingers are crossed. I think this is the best shot we've ever had to extend full citizenship rights to all New Yorkers. But, I'm still a realist. If you want this as much as I and millions of others do, hit the phones and let your state senator know how you feel. Now is the time to make your voice heard.
The organizations listed below will be protesting on these issues in front of State Senator Marty Golden's Brooklyn Office on Saturday, June 11th.
Redistricting
Rent Regulations
Marriage Equality
Please scroll down to see who is conducting and supporting this protest and information on time, etc. Also, please forward this to anyone you know that might be interested in attending:
District Office
7408 5th Avenue 1st Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11209
BYD
QCYD
YDRC
Downstate NYSYD
New Roosevelt Initiative
NYDLC
NYDLSC
DFNYC
Greater New York for Change
New Kings Democrats
Tenants and Neighbors
The plan is to gather at 12:30 on this Saturday June 11. The rally will start at 1pm. We should wrap up about 2pm latest.
National Organization for Marriage has dusted off the same playbook from California, Maine and elsewhere. They never have anything new. Same shit, new state.
This week, New York. Their ad is out, and it's the nothing new. From them, or from the opponents of LGBT equality, dating back to the days of Anita Bryant.
Glad to see my former colleagues still working hard to use new media tools to bring more people into the process, especially on this issue. From the Wall Street Journal:
New Yorkers long fed up with the behavior of politicians in Albany are expected to get a chance to tweet their opinions on a myriad of bills aimed at cleaning up state government.
New York's Senate Democrats plan what they claim will be the first ethics discussion in Albany in which New Yorkers will be able to comment through the Internet. Wednesday's forum will use a technology that will likely include Twitter to allow New Yorkers statewide to comment on the Democrats' proposals.
The bills include creating a nonpartisan commission to redraw election district lines, stripping convicted elected officials of their pensions, and restricting the use of campaign funds.
Democratic Sen. Daniel Squadron of Manhattan said the Democratic minority called the session because the Republican majority has so far refused to grant them a public hearing on ethics bills.
"It will be the first forum that will be interactive," Squadron said. "When you talk about reform, we're taking the bull by the horns, because the Republicans won't take it up."
The forum is scheduled for noon Wednesday in Albany.
I've got a pretty full plate tomorrow, but I'm going to try and host the Livestream and tweet some questions (and I've got plenty of them.) I hope you'll also have some time to make your voice heard as well.
State Senator Carl Kruger and seven other defendants pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to corruption charges in what federal prosecutors described as a "broad-based bribery racket."
The defendants remained largely silent during the 20-minute hearing in Federal District Court in Manhattan, as their lawyers entered pleas on their behalf. Some of them told Judge Jed S. Rakoff that they were considering asking for separate trials for their clients.
One lawyer has already filed papers asking that his client receive a speedy trial. But Mr. Kruger's lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, asked the judge for extra time to prepare for the case, saying that discovery materials were expected to include 100,000 pages of documents and recordings of 30,000 intercepted conversations.
After the hearing, Mr. Kruger declined to comment, but Mr. Brafman denied that his client had ever accepted bribes or abused his position.
In early March, federal prosecutors charged Mr. Kruger, a Democrat from Brooklyn, and the seven others with participating in a scheme in which Mr. Kruger accepted bribes in return for favors. Last week, the United States attorney's office in Manhattan filed a superseding indictment that expanded on the original charges. Some of the new charges were derived from assertions by prosecutors that the defendants had used interstate phone calls, e-mails and money transfers while engaging in bribery, but they offered few new details about the case.
It really looks like the feds have him pretty well nailed and you just know the thought of spending the next decade or three in prison has got to be weighing rather heavily on his bald, fleshy head...
On the same day that the energy industry lobbyists were clamoring for an expedited review process so that they get to work faster on pumping billions of gallons of toxic crap into the ground, the Senate's Environmental Conservation Committee killed a bill by Senator Liz Krueger (D-Sanity) that would require the energy companies to actually disclose what the hell is in that fracking fluid after all.
A bill by Sen. Liz Krueger, D-Manhattan, to require the state Department of Environmental Conservation to make companies disclose the fluids used in hydraulic fracturing and to prohibit fluids that pose a health risk was rejected this morning in the Senate's Environmental Conservation Committee.
Democrats are knocking Republicans' rejection of the bill, saying they are standing with "big oil and gas companies" instead of New Yorkers' health.
The bill required eight votes to move out of committee to be considered on the Senate floor, but it only mustered seven. All five Democrats on the committee-Sens. Tony Avella
Adriano Espaillat, Bill Perkins, Jose Serrano and Andrea Stewart-Cousins-voted in favor of the measure, but six Republicans were no votes-Sens. Owen Johnson, Carl Marcellino, George Maziarz, Betty Little, Cathy Young and Tom O'Mara.
Two Republicans voted "aye with recommendation"-Sens. Mark Grisanti and Kenneth LaValle. Their votes would have allowed it move to the Senate floor for a vote, but they needed one more Republican on board.
Krueger ripped Senate Republicans for rejecting the bill. She said her GOP colleagues talked during the meeting about the need to create jobs in upstate New York, where the drilling would take place.
"It's jobs and the environment. Not one of the other," she told Gannett. "I'm sorry, you're not allowed to create jobs for short-term gain while destroying clean water in the state of New York for the future."
So, let's get this straight. The energy companies are telling everyone - despite all evidence to the contrary - that fracking as a process is safe and that the fluids they use are safe, though they and their bought and paid for GOP senators don't want you to know exactly what it is they want to blast into our land and water. They also want to speed up and shorten the review process because, well, all this concern about the future of the drinking water supply for tens of millions of people is simply misplaced.
This just doesn't add up, folks. If the process is safe, we have nothing to lose by a process that tells us so definitively, even if that takes some time. If the fluids themselves are safe, then the energy companies should have no problem telling the public what exactly those fluids contain. Period.
Or maybe the energy companies and their wholly owned legislators in the New York State Senate are full of shit.
Carl Kruger has got to be feeling the heat this morning as the Daily News revelas that the FBI listened in to 30,000 of his phone calls and collected over 100,000 pages of documents in his corruption and bribery investigation. In fact, I'm pretty sure Carl isn't the only one getting a little twitchy in Albany today...
Determined to nail state Sen. Carl Kruger, the FBI intercepted a mind-boggling 30,000 calls during the corruption investigation, it was disclosed Monday.
Manhattan federal prosecutors said they amassed 100,000 pages of documents during the probe, which culminated in the arrest of Kruger, fellow Brooklyn Democrat Assemblyman William Boyland and six others on corruption charges.
Prosecutors said Kruger often spoke cryptically, at one point, warning his co-defendant, lobbyist Richard Lipsky that he was "anti-mail ... emails are never innocuous ... even the weather report."
That's quite a bit of documentation, folks. It looks more and more like the feds have Kruger right where they want him, which is sweating a long stretch in prison.
Given how Kruger has played footsie with both parties for so long, all while being a corrupt scumbag, I'd say that the chances that there are more than a few folks in Albany sweating bullets this morning is pretty good.
I'll just say that a man accustomed to living the way that Kruger has over the years, what with a mansion and a Bentley and all, probably isn't too keen on spending the rest of his natural life in the Big House...
This has got to be some sort of new land speed record, no? The newly formed Independent Democratic Conference has apparently just given up. I mean, they seem to be not even trying anymore.
A couple of weeks after watching Senator Valesky, the man who was previously the Democratic conference's most engaged member on the issue of redistricting and the man who introduced the independent redistricting bill now being carried by freshman Senator Gianaris, vote, along with the three other IDC members, for Skelos' "we have to amend the constitution and it will (conveniently) take a decade" bill, we now see three of the four voting for Skelos' latest "eff you" to democracy, a fresh batch of rules changes that cement just that much more power in the Majority Leader's hands.
Hours after the joint conference committee hearing put a cap on the budget agreement, Senate Republicans sprang a surprise rules change on their Democratic colleagues by giving themselves more representation on two vital committees: Rules and Finance.
The changes, which were approved late Monday night with all Republican members and three Independent Democratic Conference members voting "yes," would give the majority the ability to move bills from the Finance Committee to the Senate floor without having to go through the Rules Committee first. The changes would also allow a committee to sub in members an hour prior to meetings if any member were absent that day.
....
"I don't think I've ever heard of any process for establishing committees where you move the members on and off, with an hour's notice," said Sen. Liz Krueger, who called the proposed change, "fundamentally dangerous."
The last fight over a rules vote took place in early February, the day before Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed his budget. That vote stripped Lt. Gov. Bob Duffy of his ability to cast a tie-breaking procedural vote.
Sen. Dan Squadron said that to propose a rules change on a day when the Senate should have been tying up the lose ends of the budget violated an existing rule requiring 48 hours notice prior to voting.
"This is in contradiction to good faith and transparency," he said.
Um, how does one defend that, Senators Klein, Savino and Valesky? Do these changes promote better government? More transparency? Do they empower members and help them better represent those for which they work?
Or did you just sign off again whatever bullshit Skelos wanted to ram through, leaving all your reformer cred in tatters...again?
I sincerely had hope for the IDC. I thought the formation of the conference, for a number of reasons I shan't really expand upon, was a healthy and necessary development. I really like Savino. I like Valesky for the most part. The election of Carlucci (and Rivera) was the high points of a disappointing election cycle, in my opinion. And say what you like about Klein - he's an asshole - but, I'd always been kinda glad that he was our asshole.
But this is really not what I think most reformers were hoping for with the IDC. My first thought when I heard that they had voted en masse for GOP's redistricting sham was that it was quite possibly the stupidest thing they could have done because then they weren't special anymore.
The events of last night just seem to solidify that perception in my mind. Who exactly is supposed to be supporting the IDC now and why? They aren't reformers. In fact, one could now very easily make the opposite case. They aren't terribly "independent" now either. They've proven themselves to be fairly reliable votes for unpopular bullshit when Skelos needs to cover his ass, even when those votes seemingly run counter to what were supposedly deeply held convictions just a few short months ago. (Senator Valesky, I'm looking at you.) What exactly are they trying to accomplish as an independent conference now and, perhaps most importantly, why should anyone care?
The IDC once, just a short time ago really, seemed like a potential breath of fresh air, a chance for some promising Democratic pols to do things differently - apart from the internecine squabbles and shortcomings of such a NYC-centric conference.
Now they appear to be - sadly - just yet another cog in Albany's enduring Suck Machine.
Now that everyone has some time to digest the complaint against Carl Kruger, there's a lot more information on what he and the others are accused of as well some more info on just what genuinely odd fellow Kruger is.
Like Joe Bruno, Carl Kruger and William Boyland were charged by federal prosecutors with corruption and "theft of honest services." But while Bruno's conviction is being appealed after a Supreme Court ruling that many believe will lead to its overturning, experts familiar with both cases argue that Kruger is not likely to have the same legal grounds to push back.
....
In Skilling vs. United States, the Supreme Court nullified certain applications of the "honest services" law, but left in place those applying to "bribery and kickbacks."
Federal prosecutors appear to be targeting Kruger on these exact charges, legal sources say.
"The Skilling decision specifically allowed prosecutors to continue to go forward on bribery cases and kickback cases," said one person close to the Bruno case. "That's exactly what Kruger is being charged with here."
....
"Over the course of time, there were individuals involved in business and lobbying that basically had Senator Kruger on the payroll to do their bidding, while they were supposed to be serving the interest of the public," Bharara said, arguing that the pattern of abuse set Kruger apart.
But there was something unusual about Mr. Kruger. He rarely socialized with fellow senators, seemed uncomfortable in crowds, frequently took his lunch alone in the drab Capitol cafeteria and, in an age of ubiquitous cellphones, could be spotted whispering into public pay phones.
On Thursday, federal prosecutors unveiled a 53-page criminal complaint against Mr. Kruger, 61, that unlocked many of the mysteries of his life - but deepened others. It portrayed a man who had amassed at least $1 million in bribes in return for political favors: helping hospitals seeking to merge, obtaining state money for real-estate developers, expanding the business hours of liquor stores.
And it revealed, prosecutors say, that the seemingly measured senator was using the bribes to bankroll a lavish lifestyle, financing a four-door Bentley Arnage and a $2 million waterfront home originally built for a boss of the Luchese crime family.
...
Despite listing his official residence as his sister's home on Avenue L in Mill Basin, Mr. Kruger had all but moved in with the Turanos in their 7,000-square-foot home, which towers over others in the neighborhood and features ostentatious sculptures of frolicking children and soaring seagulls.
....
And it was Michael Turano, the complaint said, who established shell companies to conceal the bribes, and later used the money to finance the Bentley, pay credit card bills and make mortgage payments on the house. One of the accounts bore the name "Bassett," the name of the street on which they lived.
....
He has also faced unusually intense criticism from gay rights activists for his 2009 vote against a Senate bill legalizing same-sex marriage. Activists traveled last year to the Turano residence and the Brooklyn home of Mr. Kruger's sister, protesting loudly and saying Mr. Kruger himself was gay. Mr. Kruger has said he is not gay.
Um, he's gay. Duh. (He was one of the "three men in a closet" who voted against marriage equality, by the way. He was the only Dem in that group. I'll leave it to you sort out who the other two were.)
Not sure what exactly his sexual orientation has to do with him likely being a crook, but the Post...goes there anyway.
Closeted Brooklyn state Sen. Carl Kruger, a Democratic powerhouse, traded political favors for more than $1 million in bribes over the last five years -- which his live-in boyfriend helped launder, the feds charged yesterday.
Kruger and his secret longtime companion, Manhattan gynecologist Michael Turano, were among eight men arrested in a sweeping government "pay-to-play" corruption scandal.
....
Neighbors said that Kruger clearly lived in the massive Mill Basin home owned by Michael Turano, while neighbors of Kruger's "official" residence in the Georgetown section of Brooklyn said either that they did not recognize him or that he was rarely, if ever, there. The feds, meanwhile, said Boyland accepted a no-show job that paid him $177,000 over five years from health-care provider MediSys in exchange for trying to secure millions of dollars in grants to its hospitals.
....
The criminal complaint revealed that on Monday, FBI agents raided Lipsky's Upper West Side residence, where they found $102,000 in cash from a safe in a closet and $4,000 "in crisp, large denominational bills from the pocket of a suit belonging to Lipsky."
At about 9:54 a.m. that same day -- as the search was ongoing -- a call was made from Kruger's phone, which was tapped by authorities, to Lipsky's phone, the complaint said.
....
"Immediately afterward," the complaint said, "26 calls were placed from the Kruger phone to the Lipsky phone every few minutes from approximately 9:55 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. These calls were unanswered."
Seven minutes after that last call -- and right after Kruger was told by a "known New York state political operative" that Lipsky had asked that Kruger stop calling him because the FBI was at his house -- Kruger called Michael Turano and told him about the raid, the complaint said.
"I suggest you don't answer the door until I find out more about what's going on," Kruger told Turano, the complaint said.
A telephone "push poll" unfairly slamming the legislative record and progressive stance of State Senator David Carlucci is making its rounds in Rockland and Orange Counties. The so-called poll comes from an anonymous source, and the pollsters flippantly misidentify themselves when pressed by residents they reach.
