The Long Arm of New York Politics
By Michael Boyajian
Most voters would be surprised to learn that the government of the State of New York is being run out of a small liquor store in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. The owner of the store is the head of the New York State Conservative Party, Mike Long, and when he is not hawking Thunderbird and Night Train he is pulling the levers of power in Albany.
It is a testament to Long’s power that a party that has just one or two voters in each electoral district can control politicians across the state. A few years back Long appeared on NY 1 and stated in no uncertain terms that anyone who supported same sex marriage would be denied the support of the Conservative Party. He shocked the gay community by going on to compare same sex marriage to bestiality and other sexual deviations. The bill immediately died in the Republican controlled state senate.
Republicans whispered that they were pressured by the Catholic Church knowing that the Church could no longer project that kind of power after its child molestation scandals. In reality Republicans were too afraid to point the finger at Long choosing instead to suffer the wrath of innocent Catholics.
It should be noted as an aside that when NY 1 seeks a Republican viewpoint for their television broadcasts they often turn to Mike Long as an invited guest rather than an official from the Republican Party.
Democrats are equally adverse to confrontation with Long. One group of state agencies sharing common office space went into a paralyzing fearful panic upon learning that Long’s daughter worked at the location. These were not your average Democrats mind you, they were steamrolling Spitzer Democrats who acted like a deer in headlights upon learning of the presence of Long’s daughter.
Former Governor George Pataki was elected with GOP support created by momentum gained from early bold support from Brooklyn Republicans who thwarted a primary challenge by Herb London. Rather than reward his Republican supporters in Brooklyn Pataki gave away most patronage to Long and his cronies. It is remarkable how Pataki was able to maneuver the buzz saw of New York’s media as a moderate when in fact his strings were being pulled by Long and the Conservatives.
Coming out of the Sheraton Center Hotel in Manhattan with Long after a political fundraiser one year then Senator Al D’Amato paused to nervously toss a coin into a fountain that used to be there. Mike Long didn’t even break his stride over this act. Perhaps because he knew that luck doesn’t work in New York politics only the support of Long and his Conservative Party.
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