Whether you are deliriously happy, incredibly sad, or still uncertain about how you feel about what has emerged from the House this weekend, it's probably safe to say that one thing everyone is...is sick of the whole thing.
Of course, we're far from done-but just to give us all a break, I'm going to abruptly change the subject.
I have a Flip Video camera-which I am still getting used to-and last night we ran up the hill to Snoqualmie Pass, Washington, ostensibly to test the camera's low-light capabilities...but really so we could drive around in all the fresh new snow.
There's plenty of time to get back to the political wars in a bit; but for right now let's head up the mountain, see some cool stuff, talk about what the camera can-and can't-do, and, just for fun, we'll answer the age-old Seattle question: "how long does it take to find three places that sell espresso at the top of a mountain pass in the middle of nowhere?"
NY Teabag Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long made an appearance on Hardball this Friday and did his best Sarah Palin impersonation, i.e. not saying anything of substance about ANYTHING.
After Albany Common Councilman Corey Ellis gave Mayor Jerry Jennings the hardest challenge to his authority of his career last month, it remained to be seen whether or not this small defeat could be turned into a greater victory. Or a repeat of history. The usual thing to do against an incumbent like Jennings after even a narrow Democratic Primary defeat is to step aside and just let the Mayor win.
After some weeks of "mulling" whether or not to continue the campaign on the Working Families Party line, leaving progressives wondering what October would bring, and after some fundraising efforts were made, supporters of change in Albany got their answer as to what October will bring today. The Ellis campaign announced the following today:
As Corey Ellis continues his campaign for Mayor through to the General Election on Tuesday, November 3rd, he is urging people to join with him as he addresses Albany City budget issues. Corey has advocated the need for transparent and accountable government throughout his campaign for Mayor. The budget presented by the Mayor last week makes it clearer than ever that we need a change in leadership in Albany.
The first opportunity to be involved is to attend the Albany Common Council caucus today, Monday, October 5 at 5:30 PM in the 2nd Floor courtroom in Albany City Hall.
Now, another key to strengthening education, entrepreneurship, and innovation in communities like Troy is to harness the full power of the Internet, and that means faster and more widely available broadband, as well as rules to ensure that we preserve the fairness and openness that led to the flourishing of the Internet in the first place. So today, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is announcing a set of principles to preserve an open Internet in which all Americans can participate and benefit. And I'm pleased that he's taking that step. That's an important role that we can play, laying the ground rules to spur innovation. That's the role of government -- to provide investment that spurs innovation and also to set up common-sense ground rules to ensure that there's a level playing field for all comers who seek to contribute their innovations.
So today, my administration is releasing our strategy to foster new jobs, new businesses, and new industries by laying the groundwork and the ground rules to best tap our innovative potential. This work began with the recovery plan that we passed several months ago, which devoted well over $100 billion to innovation, from high-tech classrooms to health information technology, from more efficient homes to more fuel-efficient cars, from building a smart electricity grid to laying down high-speed rail.
But our efforts don't end there. For this strategy is about far more than just recovery -- it's about sustained growth and widely shared prosperity. And it's rooted in a simple idea: that if government does its modest part, there's no stopping the most powerful and generative economic force that the world has ever known, and that is the American people.
Our strategy begin where innovation so often does: in the classroom and in the laboratory -- and in the networks that connect them to the broader economy. These are the building blocks of innovation: education, infrastructure, research.
The weather was indeed fine today. Started out a little chilly as appropriate for mid-September but warmed up nicely. And Hey! No rain!
Much has been made already of the normally obligatory and non-noteworthy introductions. President Obama opened by recognizing the various New York pols in attendance. But given White House intervention in state politics, specifically asking Gov. Paterson not to run for re-election, these introductions tell their own story.
We've got some special guests here that I want to acknowledge, in addition to Jill. First of all, a wonderful man, the governor of the great state of New York -- David Paterson is in the house. (Applause.) Your shy and retiring Attorney General -- Andrew Cuomo is in the house. (Applause.) Andrew is doing great work enforcing the laws that need to be enforced.
It's long folks but... He's the Man! So it is worth it.
11:57 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you! Hello, Hudson Valley! (Applause.) Thank you very much. Everybody, please have a seat. Thank you. Thank you very much. What a wonderful reception. It is great to be here. Thanks for whoever organized the weather. (Laughter.)
I want to, first of all, say thank you to Jill Biden, who has been a teacher for almost three decades and she's spent most of that time in community colleges. She understands, as all of you do, the power of these institutions to prepare students for 21st century jobs, and to prepare America for a 21st century global economy. And that's what's happening right here at Hudson Valley Community College. So give yourselves a big round of applause. (Applause.)
We've got some special guests here that I want to acknowledge, in addition to Jill. First of all, a wonderful man, the governor of the great state of New York -- David Paterson is in the house. (Applause.) Your shy and retiring Attorney General -- Andrew Cuomo is in the house. (Applause.) Andrew is doing great work enforcing the laws that need to be enforced.
Various local and state politicians came wandering in. State Senator Neil Breslin, Assemblyman Jack McEneny, Albany Mayoral Candidate Corey Ellis, Former Congressman Mike McNulty, Assemblyman Ron Canastrari were among the early arrivals.
11:06 and announcement that the program will begin momentarily. In come various politicians that had been at the airport waiting for the President. Congressmen Maurice Hinchey, Paul Tonko, and Scott Murphy. Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings, State Senator John Sampson, Governor David Paterson and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.
Paterson and Cuomo sat near each other but with a couple folks between them. I did not see them speak with each other but it is possible I missed it from the angle I had.
Interesting thing about the President of the United States...
Walking onto the campus of Hudson Valley Community College it appeared to be just another day on campus. The school has grown a lot since I took a couple night classes there roughly 20 years ago.
I parked off campus and walked a few blocks to get there. Williams Rd along the south side was blocked off. Rt. 4 along the front was moving along slowly. Police presence was obvious but not overwhelming.
Lining up along both roads were plenty of pink t-shirts and more than a few friendly faces I know in the area. Only as I entered the campus did I see one obvious teabagger wearing a "Tyranny Response Team" jacket and carrying some sort of banner not yet unfurled.
This is an odd-numbered year and for most people elections are the farthest thing from their minds. Even for those intently following the health care debate, the elections that 'matter,' i.e., those that can affect the principals of the debate are another year away.
The Democratic Primary for Mayor in our state's capital city is mere days away. In the final days of the campaign, both Mayor Jerry Jennings and challenging Councilman Corey Ellis are making the final rounds before the only poll that matters is conducted on Tuesday.
That includes, as the Times Unionreports today, the ubiquitous community block party.
ALBANY -- Mayor Jerry Jennings and Councilman Corey Ellis made a final push Saturday to win supporters by visiting block parties, sporting events and ribbon-cuttings ahead of Tuesday's Democratic primary.
Most of their campaigning, though, was low-key. No dramatic speeches or bullhorns. Just old-fashioned handshakes and pats on the back
Today was no different as both candidates continued their final push and made preparations for Primary Day. I decided to check out one of these block parties after attending some poll watching training for the Ellis campaign.
Little did I know as I set out that I would be able to get a first-hand look at both candidates' styles - and substance - when both Jennings and Ellis showed up at the same block party. For a moment, I smelled tension in the air.
By the end, I smelled something else...change in the air. More on the block party scene and some campaign finance news below the fold...
Unfortunately Scott Murphy's congressional website is undergoing redesign, and his schedule for this weekend is not yet posted there. However, there is an event in Pleasant Valley, this Saturday, September 12, that is open to the public and will likely be targeted by the Joe Wilson fringe fanatics. September 12 is a major symbolic day for them.
I have spoken with Murphy's Saratoga Springs office to confirm the details of the Congress at Your Corner for that day. Sorry to say I won't be able to make the event--I truly enjoyed the event in Clifton Park this past Monday--but I would like to see a big turnout there to counter the reform obstructionists.
In the city for which this website is named, a potentially historic election is about to take place in only one week. Next Tuesday, four-term incumbent Jerry Jennings will face his toughest primary challenge in first-term councilman Corey Ellis.
But the story here is bigger than that, and in the next week, I hope to aid in keeping that bigger picture in mind. Things tend to get caught up in too many specifics and whatever is most attention-grabbing in the final days. Below, I'll compile the best of what's been reported on the race thus far.
For starters, Metroland has just printed the premier piece of journalism on the subject. Chet Hardin's cover story this week is appropriately titled The Contender, avaible here to be read in its entirety. Here is where the story reveals itself to be a true story, told in all it's context and subtext, a never-ending tale of rising and falling powers and spirits, the vicious cycle that must be tamed in order to make progress in American politics.
Below the fold, I hope to synopsize this and other recent pieces on the race, compiling them in one place for ease of information gathering as this potentially historic primary fast approaches....
Congressman Scott Murphy has a series of events over the Labor Day Weekend. I am not aware of any of these events being targeted by the lunatic fringe, but I would encourage everyone to try to attend one or more of these events--our presence needs to be felt. I am going to go to the Clifton Park Price Chopper event on Monday morning.
A complete list of Labor Day weekend events is below the fold.
With Joe Mondello stepping down from his post as chairman of the New York State Republican Committee, Ed Cox has been considered the front-runner for the post. Cox is a lawyer from Suffolk County who is also best known for being Richard Nixon's son-in-law.
But there is another man seeking the seat. Henry Wojtaszek, the current chair of the Niagara County Republican Committee, has started to campaign and has already netted five endorsements from Western New York counties. He also sent a letter to all 62 county Republican committees outlining his plan that he would use as chair.
There are a few ways to look at the Republicans' tug-of-war for the chair. There is an obvious old guard versus new guard feel. Wojtaszek is more of the new guard, although he still has plenty of connections to the old guard. One of Wojtaszek's commitments is to develop a new media plan for the state GOP, which has lagged behind the efforts of the Democrats (and progressives) in New York. We have the blogs. We know how to use Twitter, Facebook and other social networking mediums. The Republicans? They might have some people that know, but the party as a whole? It's hit-and-miss at best.
There is also a clear upstate-downstate divide here. For a party that has pushed such a divide, they sure haven't tried to dodge the bullet themselves. The Republicans have strong forces upstate and are particularly weak downstate. For those reasons, Wojtaszek would look like the obvious choice. But since Cox might have the bigger name and comes from a larger county (Suffolk and Niagara counties don't compare), the Republicans will probably go with Cox.
Why talk about the Republicans? Because they recycle the same talking points here in New York to try and run against us. The Republicans are always upset about the high taxation in this state, yet from 1995 to 2007 when they held the Governor's mansion and the New York State Senate, they did nothing to remedy the problem. Wojtaszek wrote in his letter that the citizens of New York are "crying out" for conservatism. Nothing could be further from reality, which is why no matter who becomes chair, the Republicans will lose.
A friend pointed out to me last night that it was the Democrats, not the Republicans, who had a smooth power shift. That is surprising considering all of the usual battles we have with primaries or issue-based debates. The Republicans are now in a bit of a power grab. Cox is grabbing up as many endorsements as he can while Wojtaszek tries to persuade some of those endorsers to change their minds.
If Cox becomes chair, it won't be any different than what we saw under Mondello. If Wojtaszek becomes chair, the same will be true. If the best the Republicans have is Rudy Giuliani, they are in trouble.
We need Kossaks to appear for a town hall meeting, Tuesday August 25 at 5:30PM. NY-21 is a district in the Albany Metropolitan area. Its Representative, Paul Tonko, is a Democrat. The event will be held at Elm Street Park on Route 32, in Bethlehem/Delmar.
I've heard (but don't remember where) that this meeting is a 'must demonstrate' event for teabaggers.
More "below the fold."
Or Congress-in-your-coffee-shop as this one happened to be.
Democratic Representative Scott Murphy has been holding a series of events around his sprawling 10 county rural district. These events are not specifically health care events rather they are what he would have been doing anyhow picking up a particularly successful practice of his predecessor Kirsten Gillibrand by energetically spending his home time travelling the district meeting constituents in small local venues.
Saturday's event in Valatie has already been well diaried here. This one was held at a much smaller venue in a more rural hilltown area. It also happened to be in my beautiful neck of the woods in eastern Rensselaer County.
Robert's diary discussing the possible candidates for the soon-to-be-vacant NY-23 seat illustrates how much of a favorite Senator Darrell Aubertine would be for the Dem nomination in NY-23. However, Aubertine or his fellow Senator David Valesky taking the seat could be a potential disaster for the NY Dems.
Last year we finally managed, through the sweat, hard work, and money of grassroots volunteers and donors to wrest the Senate from Republican control after 40 years. 40 years! Furthermore, with Andrew Cuomo's announcement that he will not challenge Paterson in the Gubernatorial primary, it appears that Paterson will have the nomination for Governor in 2010.
Let's just say that I am not optimistic about Paterson's chances, or his coattails. A political comeback is always possible, but short of finding bin Laden and slaying him in televised hand-to-hand combat, I don't see what Paterson could do to win. If Paterson gets drubbed by the GOP in the 2010 election, I could easily see the GOP picking up 1 or 2 Senate seats. We just cannot afford to lose even a single seat before 2010. Both Aubertine's and Valesky's districts are trending blue, but they are still red districts and while a non-incumbent Democrat could retain one of them, it's not a chance I think the Senate Majority is worth betting on.
For this race, we should take the long view. If we hold the Senate in 2010, we control redistricting for both the Legislature and the House after the next census. While I personally oppose partisan redistricting, I have resigned myself to it's continued presence in New York and if the Dems control the Legislature after 2010, we would redraw the lines to make the Senate majority much stronger and NY-23 much bluer. Aubertine or Valesky would then be able to run in a much more purple NY-23 and we wouldn't have to worry so much if a Republican recaptures one of their old Senate seats.
So with all due respect to Sens. Aubertine and Valesky, the Dems should nominate one of the area Assemblymembers or Mike Richter.
A small town Memorial Day should be a parade, picnics and fun. But here in Pound Ridge, NY (just north of NYC) the GOP-dominated Town Board had decided to throw politics into the mix and is honoring local boy and torture apologist Ari Fleischer.
