Hillary Clinton Robocalls For Wagner, Gipson
Oct 30th - 1:47 pm
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has recorded robocalls for two state Senate Democratic candidates running in hotly contested races.
The campaigns of Sen. Terry Gipson, a freshman lawmaker who represents the Poughkeepsie area, and candidate Justin Wagner, who is running for an open seat, announced the robocalls simultaneously on Thursday.
Clinton has been active in a variety of races, mostly at the federal level, around the country as she considers a run for president in 2016. Last week, she rallied with Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his running mate, former Rep. Kathy Hochul.
But the push for Senate this year is taking on added resonance for liberals, who are frustrated with a chamber that has majority Democratic lawmakers, but is controlled by a coalition of breakaway Democrats and Republicans.
Clinton’s push for Gipson and Wagner come as a coalition of liberal organizations, labor groups and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio push for Democrats to have full control of the state Senate next year.
Cuomo has endorsed Democrats in swing districts (save for Buffalo’s 60th Senate district) but has kept his appearances on the campaign trail with Democratic candidates to a minimum was he runs for re-election. Cuomo today will appear at a campaign rally at 1199 SEIU’s headquarters with former President Bill Clinton.
Gipson faces Republican Dutchess County Legislator Sue Serino, while Wagner is running against Yorktown Councilman Terrence Murphy for the seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Greg Ball.
“Justin’s a Democrat who shares many of the values that are important to me and my family,” Clinton says in the Wagner call. “He believes everyone deserves a fair shot at the American dream, and he’ll work to protect the environment, create more good jobs, and grow the middle class again.”
She gets more specific in her call for Gipson, praising his support for Lyme disease research, raising the state’s minimum wage and fighting against the “rising tide of outside money in politics.”
“Two years ago Terry promised to deliver results and he has done just that,” Clinton says. “He has fought against the rising tide of outside money in politics. He has reach across the aisle to secure funding for Lyme disease research and treatment. And now he is fighting to raise the minimum wage and make sure homeowners get property tax relief.”
NYSUT Makes New, Last-Minute Push In Key Senate Districts
Oct 30th - 1:08 pm
The New York State United Teachers is making a renewed media push in key Senate districts across the state, filings with the Board of Elections show.
Filings show the latest round of media and mail spending will reach $276,007.
The statewide teachers union’s VOTE-COPE continued to look to Long Island’s third Senate district, where Republican Tom Croci faces Democrat Adrienne Esposito for an open seat being vacated by GOP lawmaker Lee Zeldin.
NYSUT is spending $46,338 on mailers in the district to oppose Croci, the Islip town supervisor. At the same time, NYSUT is spending an additional $29,669 backing Esposito in mail pieces.
In Buffalo’s 60th Senate district, NYSUT is spending $50,000 on radio ads supporting Democrat Marc Panepinto, who hopes to unseat Republican Sen. Mark Grisanti, who lost his GOP primary to Kevin Stocker last month, but retains the Independence Party ballot line.
The biggest chunk of spending will be in the 46th Senate district, which stretches from the Mohawk to Hudson valleys around Albany. The union is spending $150,000 on TV ads blasting Republican former Assemblyman George Amedore, who is running a rematch race against Democratic Sen. Cecilia Tkaczyk.
NYSUT’s independent expenditure campaign has come under fire in recent days for mailers opposing Republican candidates that feature the image of a battered woman.
Nevertheless, the mainline Democratic conference’s leadership — including Sens. Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Mike Gianaris — are not rebuking those mailers.
Romney Robos And Emails For Zeldin
Oct 30th - 12:45 pm
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney recorded a robocall and sent a GOTV email for Republican congressional candidate Lee Zeldin, a state senator who is running to unseat Democratic Rep. Tim Bishop in Suffolk County.
In the email, the 2012 Republican presidential candidate praises Zeldin as “exactly the type of person America needs in Washington at this critical time in our history.”
In the robocall, Romney calls Zeldin a “man of honor and integrity” while also touting his time in Albany.
“Lee has a proven track record as a State Senator of cutting taxes, eliminating wasteful spending and protecting taxpayers,” Romney says. “I know that he’ll be a great leader in Congress, fighting everyday to end the era of fiscal insanity and DC dysfunction.”
The first congressional district is one of a handful of tossup House races to be decided next week.
Zeldin isn’t the only candidate Romney is backing this year.
He endorsed Republican Elise Stefanik, who is running for the open seat in the 21st congressional district in the state’s North Country.
Romney also signed his name to a fundraising email for Rob Astorino, the GOP candidate for governor.
Cuomo For Recchia
Oct 30th - 12:12 pm
One day after standing with Staten Island Rep. Michael Grimm on the two-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, Gov. Andrew Cuomo endorsed his Democratic rival, former city Councilman Domenic Recchia in a statement.
“Domenic Recchia was a strong voice for New Yorkers while a member of the City Council, and I believe he will represent New York well as a member of Congress,” Cuomo said in a news release. He continued, “I am pleased to support Domenic’s campaign and look forward to our work together when he is a part of New York’s Congressional Delegation to create jobs in New York State and strengthen our communities.”
This is the first endorsement by Cuomo of a congressional candidate during the general election.
Recchia is running to unseat Grimm, a two-term representative who faces a host of federal fraud and tax evasion charges.
Despite Grimm’s legal troubles, the race is considered to be extraordinarily close in the district that includes Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn.
“I’m grateful to have the endorsement of Governor Cuomo. One of the most crucial duties a congressman is tasked with is the responsibility to work with elected officials of every level, and I look forward to continuing my relationship with the Governor to push New York forward,” said Recchia. He continued, “We have a number of issues to address in this state from the allocation of Sandy relief to improving our transportation and infrastructure. I appreciate the Governor’s support and I know that together we will fight to get New Yorkers what they need and deserve.”
Cuomo’s statement this morning comes as former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani endorsed Grimm, as did the Staten Island Advance.
Cuomo: Vote Women’s Equality, Get Them To 50K Votes
Oct 30th - 11:56 am
As new public fissures open up between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the labor-backed Working Families Party, his re-election campaign is urging supporters to vote for him on the Women’s Equality Party ballot line.
In an email sent this morning, Cuomo writes that a vote for him and his running mate, former Rep. Kathy Hochul, sends a message about backing the Women’s Equality Agenda.
“We have demanded equal rights at the top of our lungs,” Cuomo wrote in the email. “But the Conservative party and other ultra-right-wing forces are out there shouting at the top of theirs to drown us out. Together, we need to speak loudly enough to cut through the clamor. That’s why we need the Women’s Equality Party.”
Cuomo adds that his goal is to get 50,000 votes for the Women’s Equality Party — a ballot line he formed this year — in order for the party to have automatic ballot status in the next election cycle.
More from the email:
“Yes, I’m a man. I’m a man who has seen Albany disregard women, and I’m sick of it. I have made it my mission, as a father, as a governor, and as a human being, to do everything I can to make sure the women I love, and every woman or girl in New York, is every bit as equal under the law as any boy or man anywhere.
That’s why Kathy Hochul and I are putting our names on the ballot on the Women’s Equality Party line. It’s time for a party whose singular goal is equality for women, a party that knows women work as hard as men do and is committed to getting them equal pay. A party where protecting a woman’s right to choose is a priority, not an afterthought. A party that believes women deserve to stand at the front of the line.
The appeal — which includes a very WFP-like ask for signing a petition that also happens to collect email addresses — comes as the Working Families Party is pushing hard for votes this election cycle.
The party’s leadership has been openly skeptical of the Women’s Equality Party and has released two videos over the last several days calling on liberals to vote for the governor on their ballot line.
The concern for the WFP is that it could lose its ballot position (currently Row E), between the competition from the Women’s Equality Party and a surging Green Party candidate, Howie Hawkins.
On Wednesday, the WFP’s director, Bill Lipton, knocked Cuomo in a statement after the governor pledged to break up the public school “monopoly.”
Cuomo had to fight for the Working Families Party’s endorsement in May, which considered running Zephyr Teachout on their ballot in his place.
In doing so, Cuomo pledged to help Democrats take full control of the state Senate and enact a host of liberal measures, including a faster increase of the state’s minimum wage to $10.10.
In a policy book released this month, Cuomo said he backed a minimum wage hike, but left it unspecified.
Gianaris Declines To Rebuke NYSUT Mailer
Oct 30th - 8:44 am
From the Morning Memo:
The chairman of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee on Wednesday would not repudiate a mailer from the statewide teachers union that depicts a battered woman and accuses Republican candidates of blocking domestic violence legislation.
The mailer has become a controversy in key races for the state Senate, where the New York State United Teachers has mailed the fliers in the 60th Senate district in Buffalo, and two Hudson Valley races.
In an interview on Capital Tonight, DSCC Chairman Mike Gianaris of Queens declined to criticize the mailer, saying that what was important was the message. He also claimed Republicans have sent out similar mailers and TV ads with controversial images that are “equally gross if not worse” though he did not offer any examples.
“That was sent out by an independent expenditure, not something the conference put out. I could show you a big stack of mail or show you a lot of TV ads that were just blatantly grotesque or full of lies that the Republicans have sent out,” Gianaris said in the interview. “We’re in that season now, as it happens every two years. We can pick at one or the other, but I think the more important thing is to focus on the message of that mailer which is Republicans have stood in the way of protections for women.”
Sen. Mark Grisanti of Buffalo, a Republican running on the Independence Party ballot line next week, was a target of the mail piece, and on Wednesday appeared with former Sen. Marc Coppola who rebuked it.
At the same time, Gov. Andrew Cuomo also blasted the mailer in an interview with The Buffalo News, calling it “disgusting.” (Cuomo is not on the best of terms with NYSUT, and he has declined for now to endorse the Democratic candidate in the race, Marc Panepinto).
The mail piece comes as Democrats focus this election cycle on women’s issues, and in particular the passage of the 10-point Women’s Equality Act, which has stalled in Albany over a provision aimed at the codification of Roe V. Wade.
Cuomo has gone to lengths this election season to court female voters and has a large lead among women over Republican Rob Astorino according to polling in the race.
Here and Now
Oct 30th - 7:18 am
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is in New York City.
At 7:20 a.m., Westchester County Executive and GOP gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino will be a guest on 91.1 WFMU JM in the AM with host Nachum Segal.
At 8:05 a.m., Chemung Country Sheriff and GOP LG candidate Chris Moss appears live on “Good Morning Westchester” on WVOX 1460 AM.
At 9 a.m., Brooklyn elected officials will speak to the media about why Prop. 1, a constitutional amendment revising redistricting, should be rejected by the voters on Nov. 4, Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon St., Brooklyn.
At 9:30 a.m., Moss appears live on “Binghamton Today” on WNBF 1290 AM.
At 10 a.m., Green Party gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins and his running mate, Brian Jones, will conduct a conference call with with reporters, discussing their disgust with Cuomo’s latest attack on public teachers and public education.
Also at 10 a.m., P.S. 203Q, Queens Councilman Mark Weprin and other elected officials welcome a delegation of mayors, superintendents, principals, school administrators and municipal assistants from the Republic of Chile, 53-11 Springfield Blvd., Queens.
Also at 10 a.m., Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., state Sen. Gustavo Rivera, Assemblyman Victor Pichardo and others celebrate affordable housing groundbreaking, 2247 Walton Ave., the Bronx.
At 10:05 a.m., Moss appears live on “Live from the State Capital with Fred Dicker” on Talk 1300 AM Albany.
At 10:40 a.m., Astorino will be a guest on WOR radio with host Mark Simone.
At 11 a.m., Astorino will host a meeting with African American and Hispanic clergy members, Royal Coach Diner, 3260 Boston Rd., the Bronx.
Also at 11 a.m., 49th SD GOP candidate Terrence Murphy addresses allegations that NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio is funneling cash into key state Senate races, Yorktown Courthouse, 2295 Crompond Rd., Yorktown Heights.
At 11:30 a.m., de Blasio will join New York Road Runners at a press conference in the Javits Center to kick off the 2014 TCS New York City Marathon, 2nd Floor, 11th Avenue and West 35th Street, Manhattan.
Also at 11:30 a.m., Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver attends news conference announcing technology initiative, Westinghouse, 20th Floor, 150 Broadway, Manhattan.
At noon, Cornell University environmental science professor Toby Ault delivers the keynote address at Business Council’s annual environment conference, The Saratoga Hilton, 534 Broadway, Saratoga Springs.
At 12:30 p.m., Astorino will be a guest on WYSL/Rochester & WKAL/Utica with host Shannon Joy.
At 1 p.m., Astorino will hold a press conference to “criticize the disdain Cuomo repeatedly shows state employees and pledge to treat employees with respect as the next governor,” Tweed Courthouse, north side, 52 Chambers St., Manhattan.
At 2:15 p.m., US Kirsten Gillibrand will tour the Oneonta Job Corps Center and meet with students there, 21 Homer Folks Ave., Oneonta.
At 5 p.m., Astorino will be a guest on WBEN with host Tom Bauerle.
At 5:30 p.m., former President Clinton appears at a rally with Cuomo and Democratic LG candidate Kathy Hochul, 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, 310 W 43rd St., Manhattan.
At 6 p.m., LG Bob Duffy delivers remarks at the 43North Finalists Awards Ceremony, Shea’s Performing Arts Center, 646 Main St., Buffalo.
At 6:30 p.m., Astorino will be a guest on the Kris La Grange Show, 94.3 The Shark.
At 7 p.m., Democratic AG Eric Schneiderman and his GOP opponent, John Cahill, face off in their first and only televised debate, hosted by TWC News, Hilbert College, 5200 S Park Ave., Hamburg.
Also at 7 p.m., Astorino will attend a Nassau GOP Rally, Levittown Hall, Levittown Parkway, Hicksville.
At 7:30 p.m., Hochul speaks at a New Castle Democratic Committee rally, Mount Kisco Country Club, 10 Taylor Rd., Mount Kisco.
At 8 p.m., Moss appears live on “Political Party Night” on WSKG TV and Radio Binghamton.
Headlines…
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s first use of the Moreland Act to investigate failures of electric companies in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy foretold the fate of the short-lived corruption-busting panel he created, meddled with, and the abruptly shut down.
The US health care apparatus is so unprepared and short on resources to deal with the deadly Ebola virus that even small clusters of cases could overwhelm parts of the system, according to an AP review of readiness at hospitals and other components of the emergency medical network.
As Bellevue Hospital Center goes into its eighth day of treating Dr. Craig Spencer, who had worked with Doctors Without Borders in Guinea, some of its employees are feeling stigmatized — a harsh consequence of being at the first hospital in the city to deal with an outbreak that has killed about 5,000 people in West Africa.
Facing increasing pressure to publicly outline specific for their mandatory Ebola quarantine policy, New Jersey officials were moving quickly to finalize a detailed set of protocols for handling people returning to the US from Ebola-stricken nations.
With less than a week before the general election, Cuomo stressed his “special relationship” with the Orthodox Jewish community during a visit to Borough Park, Brooklyn last night.
If Syracuse wants a billion-dollar taxpayer-financed economic development package like its Buffalo neighbor, then local officials, academics and business officials need to put together a large-scale job creation proposal with committed private investment, Cuomo said.
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli penned an OpEd against Prop. 1, saying it would “maintain the worst aspects of the system we have now and prevent the strong action necessary to create a more fair and transparent redistricting process.”
The Staten Island Advance endorsed embattled GOP Rep. Michael Grimm, though it lamented “the choice we have in making an endorsement in a race that could not be much uglier.”
In the final month leading up to Election Day, Grimm’s Democratic opponent, former NYC Councilman Domenic Recchia, has been all but invisible to reporters on the campaign trail, rarely sending out official campaign releases or holding press events.
The Journal News endorsed Democrat Justin Wagner in the 40th SD, saying he “demonstrates a dedication to (the district) and its residents, and a willingness to work for them and not for party alliances.”
Extras
Oct 29th - 4:59 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he’s asking the state’s hospitals to recommend incentives that the state could offer doctors, nurses and other health professionals who go to Ebola-stricken regions.
Kaci Hickox, the Maine nurse who traveled to West Africa to care for Ebola patients, said that she won’t self-quarantine for 21 days, setting up a possible legal battle with the state.
The WFP turned on Cuomo, its endorsed candidate for governor, for his comments comparing the state’s public school system to a “public monopoly.”
Democratic activist Bill Samuels says it will be Cuomo’s fault if the Senate Democrats don’t succeed in taking back the majority.
Cuomo called criticism of his handling of the Moreland Commission “a lot of political baloney,” and took a swipe at US Attorney Preet Bharara.
GOP gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino is putting off a visit to a Pennsylvania drilling site designed to highlight the benefits of fracking until after the election.
Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani is appearing in a TV ad for GOP NY-24 candidate and fellow former prosecutor John Katko.
Cuomo appeared today with GOP Rep. Michael Grimm, and insisted he’s supporting Grimm’s Democratic challenger, Domenic Recchia, but wouldn’t commit to campaigning for him.
NRCC Chairman Greg Walden and his deputy will appear at a GOTV rally for GOP NY-18 candidate Nan Hayworth tomorrow.
GOP NY-26 candidate Kathy Weppner says she carries a gun every day. (But not when she visits a school).
As she tries to unseat the only openly gay member of Congress from New York, Republican former Rep. Nan Hayworth has a new TV ad featuring an emotional testimonial from her gay son.
Rep. Nita Lowey is among the House Democratic conference’s senior members who are tens of thousands of dollars short on their DCCC dues.
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio won’t be voting on the Women’s Equality Line.
David Denenberg and his criminal defense attorney insisted he still is not campaigning despite a press release that said the community “supports Dave Denenberg for New York State Senate.”
The New Yorker’s Family Research Foundation has rleased its 2014 general election voter guide.
Sales of Cuomo’s memoir fell by more than 43 percent to 535 copies in its second week on shelves.
WNY Assemblyman Dave DiPietro is having a Second Amendment/Sportsmans fund-raiser with lots of guns as door prizes.
The Rothenberg Report changed the ratings for four New York House races in the GOP’s favor – NY-1, NY-11, NY-18 and NY-24.
Cuomo announced New York State has been honored with the title of “Wine Region of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast magazine.
Citizens Union released a white paper that shows the deepening effects of partisan gerrymandering in this year’s election cycle.
Long Island Assembly candidate Todd Kaminsky, a Democrat, has his great-uncle Mel Brooks robo-calling on his behalf.
A coalition of business groups that support the Common Core says it would cost the state $280 million to repeal the learning standards, as Astorino has promised to do.
The lawsuit over public school funding in eight small upstate cities has a new trial date – Jan. 21, 2015 – and a new judge, state Supreme Court Justice Kimberly A. O’Connor. (No link).
Maffei Ad Defends Family Against ‘Personal Attacks’
Oct 29th - 3:27 pm
On the heels of a poll that shows he has lost the lead in his re-election bid, Democratic Rep. Dan Maffei has released a new TV ad featuring his wife and newborn daughter that slams his Republican opponent, John Katko, for making “personal attacks on my family.”
“Rep. Dan Maffei grew up in Central New York, on the East Side of Syracuse, and is committed to making the middle class in Central New York stronger,” said the congressman’s campaign manager Kane Miller, campaign manager. “He couldn’t be more proud of his wife Abby, her career, and their daughter Maya. He will continue to stand up for his family and middle class families across Central New York, and will never allow personal attacks from John Katko or anyone else about his family.”
The decision by Maffei and his wife to purchase a $700,000 home in the D.C. suburbs this past spring, coupled with the fact that Abby Maffei split her time between Syracuse and D.C. for her job at CARE, an international humanitarian group that fight global poverty, and that the couple’s daughter was born in a D.C. hospital have all become fodder throughout the campaign for Katko, who has questioned the congressman’s dedication to the district.
Maffei took issue with this line of attack during a TWC News debate in Syracuse this week, saying his wife and daughter should be ”out of bounds” - even though he has included them in his campaign literature and ads (like this one, for example). The congressman said the birth of his daughter in D.C. enabled him to “make every single vote for this congressional district while I was being a good father.”
He said the baby is now in New York, where he is spending all of his time campaigning to keep the seat he first won in 2008, lost in 2010 (to former Republican Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle) and then won back (from Buerkle) in 2012.
Here’s the transcript of Maffei’s new ad, which starts airing this week on stations across NY-24:
The WFP Vs. Cuomo
Oct 29th - 3:18 pm
The Working Families Party’s attitude toward Gov. Andrew Cuomo has publicly taken a sour turn in the last week.
Now, the labor-aligned party finds itself in the unusual position of trying to get voters to in essence rebuke Cuomo by supporting him on their ballot line.
The WFP on Wednesday released a statement criticizing Cuomo for calling public education a “monopoly” in a meeting with The Daily News editorial board.
In a statement — which was first provided to Capital New York — WFP Director Bill Lipton suggested a vote for Cuomo on Row E would send a message to the governor.
“We endorsed the governor because of his commitments to raise the minimum wage, fight for public financing of elections, the full Women’s Equality Act, the DREAM Act, and decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana,” Lipton says. “But we’ll never hesitate to criticize him when he’s wrong, as he is on this issue. A vote on the WFP line for Governor is a vote to get those crucial progressive policies passed and to strengthen the WFP.”
Of course, the WFP needs Cuomo to do well on their ballot line. After all, the party is facing some competition this election cycle.
In April, Cuomo allies in a conference call with WFP leaders sought to make the case that the governor was on their side.
As the party considered the unprecedented step of backing a stand-alone candidate, Cuomo supporters — including Assemblyman Keith Wright and 1199 SEIU political director Kevin Finnegan — pointed to a host of liberal friendly accomplishments over the last four years.
It was in that conference call that the idea of Cuomo backing a Democratic takeover of the state Senate was raised.
At the same time, Finnegan warned WFP leaders that not endorsing the governor would lead to the party losing leverage with Cuomo in his second term.
Cuomo staved off a challenge from Zephyr Teachout at the WFP’s convention later that month.
Emboldened, Teachout nevertheless launched her primary bid on the Democratic line, creating a headache the governor did not want.
But after securing the party’s nod, Cuomo created a new ballot, the Women’s Equality Party. While feminists and liberals are scoffing at the need for a gender-based party, the focus on women’s issues is a boon for Cuomo this election season, who is crushing his GOP opponent among female voters.
With the rival ballot line comes the concern, however, that the WFP could sink in prominence on the statewide ballot.
Combined with liberal unrest for Cuomo that’s been simmering over the last four years and surging Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins (who has a former WFP staffer running his campaign) the WFP has made a concerted effort to remind liberals to back their ballot, if not the governor.
Indeed, it would be fascinating to see what would have happened had Teachout received the WFP nod.
The party last week released a video featuring prominent women in politics to promote the WFP. Today, the party released another video highlighting its support from Latinos.
Cuomo himself has been less than effusive about voting for the WFP, saying the women-centric ballot line is just one of several options for voters this election season.
The governor and left-leaning advocates have rarely seen eye-to-eye on economic issues. Cuomo believes most voters are with him on his spending caps, an education policy that emphasizes results not more cash and a liberal social agenda.
Cuomo this week blasted the statewide teachers union’s mail campaign aimed at helping Senate Democrats.
He hasn’t ruled out supporting a Republican lawmaker in Buffalo who lost his GOP primary and is running in a district the mainline conference wants to flip (Cuomo is even appearing in an independent expenditure campaign’s mail and TV ad being run on Grisanti’s behalf).
What did the WFP get for their endorsement of Cuomo? Mainly, a general election focus on preserving their ballot position.
