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Malpass Launches Ad Attacking Gilibrand-Obama While Running on Reagan Mantle

Posted by: Robert Hornak in Untagged on Aug 20, 2010

David Malpass, candidate in the Republican Primary for US Senate to challenge Kirsten Gilibrand, has launched his first TV commercial. In it, he goes after the Gilibrand-Obama agenda as one destroying America and assumes the mantle of Ronald Reagan. Malpass served in the Reagan Administration as a budget official, and helped to craft Roth IRA's with then Sen. Roth.

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Republican Liberty Caucus Launching NYC Chapter

Posted by: Robert Hornak in Untagged on Aug 16, 2010

The Republican Liberty Caucus, a national organization of pro-liberty, libertarian-minded Republicans is launching a NYC chapter with a large networking and speakers event tomorrow night.

Featured speakers include Vast Right Wing Conspiracy author Mark Smith and NYC Councilman Dan Halloran.

The full invite is below the break.

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Frank Morano Resigns From "Party of Nothing" Lambasts Leadership of Frank MacKay

Posted by: Robert Hornak in Untagged on Jul 20, 2010

Lifelong Independence Party member and Party leader Frank Morano, who is also the producer of the Curtis Sliwa radio show on 970AM, has officially resigned from the IP's State Executive Committee and from the Party itself. The final straw he cites is the Party backing incumbent Assemblywoman Janele Hyer-Spencer over reform-minded GOP challenger Nicole Malliotakis in Staten Island's 60th district. Hyer-Spencer is widely seen as a proxy for Speaker Sheldon Silver, who has thwarted every effort to reform the State Assembly in spite of it being ranked the most dysfunctional legislative body in America.

I have personally known Frank for a number of years. He a very bright, committed and passionate person who truly believes in the tenets that the Independence Party was founded on. I can attest that his dissatisfaction with the IP and its leadership has been building for some time. The endorsement of Hyer-Spencer is part of a pattern in recent years where certain power brokers have dictated endorsements to the Party's Executive Committee. This year it has been Silver dictating to MacKay on many key Assembly endorsements, like in the 60th as well as in Queens 26th district, where GOP hopeful Vince Tabone was passed over in an open seat race (where he appears to be the favorite) for a Silver staffer, Ed Braunstein, whose father is also a powerful Albany lobbyist.

Where ever Frank Mornao winds up in politics, he will surely make his presence known. I wish him well, expect great things from him in the future, and extend an invitation to join with the reform wing of the NY GOP. We can use his passion and idealism to really shake things up in NY. His full letter is after the break.

Statement from Frank Morano, a longtime member of the Independence Party's State Committee and State Executive Committee:

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Gov Candidate Paladino Refuses to Abandon the Sinking S.S. Haggerty, Risks Going Down with Ship

Posted by: Robert Hornak in Untagged on Jun 14, 2010

With John Haggerty's indictment today for stealing $1.1 million from his billionaire candidate employer, you'd think that his current billionaire candidate employer would learn from Bloomberg's mistake and cut the controversial Haggerty from his payroll.

Well, as they used to say on Saturday Night Live, "But Noooooo!"

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State Conservative Party Meets: Endorse Townsend, DioGuardi, Donovan, Wilson and (Surprise!) Rick Lazio

Posted by: Robert Hornak in Untagged on May 31, 2010

On Friday, the NY State Conservative Party held their State Convention at the NY Sheraton to vote on endorsements for candidates looking to run for statewide offices this year. There were not many surprises, but a few endorsements were a mystery till the end.

Jay Townsend, who has been running for the nomination to face Chuck Schumer, in an increasingly crowded field, easily won the nomination with 60% of the delegate votes. The second place place candidate only got 20%. Townsend is also seen as the front runner for the GOP nomination this week, and added to his extensive list of endorsements on Saturday with State Assembly members Jack Quinn (Erie County), Dan Burling (Wyoming, Livingston, Allegany Counties), and David Townsend (Oswego, Oneida Counties).

Theses endorsements add to the growing list of Assembly members and State Senators who have come out in support of Townsend, including State Senators Bill Larkin (Orange, Ulster), John Bonacic (Delaware, Sullivan, Ulster, Orange), Steve Saland (Dutchess, Columbia), George Maziarz (Niagara, Orleans, Monroe), Jim Seward (Tompkins, Cortland, Chenango, Herkimer, Otsego, Schoharie, Greene), and Assembly members Marc Molinaro (Dutchess, Columbia), Annie Rabbitt (Orange, Rockland), Joel Miller (Dutchess County) and Nancy Calhoun (Orange, Rockland).

In another highly contested race, Joe DioGuardi secured the nomination to run against Kirsten Gillibrand. The Republican nomination in the race is expected to be very contentious, with support being split between DioGuardi, former Reagan economist David Malpass, and Bruce Blakeman, who has had Al D'Amato working his connections with GOP chairs in an effort to secure his place on the ballot.

The Blakeman-D'Amato connection has many committee members worried, however. With D'Amato's close relationship to Gillibrand, many see Blakeman as D'Amato's puppet, looking to secure an easy reelection bid for Gillibrand, who has known D'Amato her entire life through her father. They are rumored to be so close that D'Amato had a prime spot on the dais at the press conference announcing Gillibrands appointment to the Senate...

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Carville on Obama and the Oil Spill

Posted by: Robert Hornak in Untagged on May 27, 2010

This is a fun video to watch. James Carville, the "Ragin Cajun," best known as the guy who helped elect Bill Clinton and then married George HW Bush's campaign manager, has ripped one into Obama over his failure to act on the BP oil spill. Watch and enjoy...

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Townsend Continues Lining Up Endorsements in Lead Up to Conventions

Posted by: Robert Hornak in Untagged on May 26, 2010

Jay Townsend, the frontrunner in the race for the Republican and Conservative nominations to challenge Sen. Chuck "I want to be majority leader" Schumer, has continued with his streak of endorsements from both Republicans and Conservatives in the final days leading up to both Party conventions.

Yesterday, Townsend was endorsed by Oswego Conservative Party Chairman Leonard Schick, Tioga County Conservative Chairman Bruce Ludwig and Ulster County Conservative Chairman Ed Gaddy.

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Sen. Candidate Townsend to Announce Support of Monroe, Orange, Putnam and Columbia County Conservative Chairs UPDATED

Posted by: Robert Hornak in Untagged on May 24, 2010

With the Conservative Party convention later this week and the Republican Convention coming next week, expect a flood of endorsements to come this week, as committees make their decision on who to support at those events.

We caught word last week that Jay Townsend, who is looking for Republican and Conservative Party nominations to run against Sen. Chuck Schumer, will be rolling out some important Conservative Party endorsements today. Those will be from Monroe Conservative Party Chairman Tom Cook, Orange County Conservative Chairman John DeLessio, Putnam County Conservative Chairman Jim Maxwell and Columbia County Conservative Chairman Matt Torrey.

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Schumer Challengers Update - Some No-Shows at Conservative Party Dinner

Posted by: Robert Hornak in Untagged on May 21, 2010

Last night the NY State Conservative Party held their big annual fundraiser at the NY Sheraton. As one would expect, all the candidates seeking the Republican Party nomination for statewide races were in attendance. Almost all, anyway.

Both Jay Townsend, who officially declared his candidacy on May 1st, and George Maragos, the newly elected Comptroller of Nassau County, were there working the crowd. Conspicuously absent were two of the four candidates said to be interested in challenging Sen. Chuck Schumer.

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WEEKLY CAPTION CONTEST - Week of May 17, 2010

Posted by: Robert Hornak in Untagged on May 19, 2010

Post your caption in the comments section and we will choose the top two captions at the end of the week. First place gets 2 points and second place will receive 1 point. Enjoy!!