The Gateway (Hangover Edition)

Thompson was in trouble, and Sampson made the right choice.

That being said, let's not forget WHY Thompson was in trouble. The Inspector General's report on Aqueduct said that AEG was encouraged by the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee to pour money into Thompson's campaign. That, and that alone, is the primary reason why Thompson was and is in trouble (and trouble it is, the EDs yet to be counted are from Grand Island, and will surely put his opponent ahead).

Further, while Brian Foley would have gone down anyway, and the Aqueduct scandal was not the PRIMARY factor in Craig Johnson and Suzie Oppenheimer's problems, it was probably enough of a factor to make the difference in races with razor thin margins, and may yet do so in both of theirs.

So, while I owe Sampson an apology, he, Malcolm Smith and Eric Adams owe an apology to every Democrat in NYS, especially our Congressional delegation, and to the Congressional Democrats nationally, for their failures may well further hurt Democrats in reapportionment, where they are already severely injured. The Big Three Senate Races | Politics on the Hudson polhudson.lohudblogs.com AND http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2010/11/republicans-optimistic-about-r.html

A Silver Lining Moment:

Howie Hawkins, Green 56,868 – 1 per cent
Warren Redlich, Libertarian 44,696 – 1 per cent
Jimmy McMillan, RITDH 39,850 – 1 per cent
Kristin Davis, Pussy for Pay 22,775 – 1 per cent
Charles Barron, Freedom 20,717 – 1 per cent

Still, as nauseating as that prospect is, I will admit to being amused by the fact that McMillan’s showing may take the wind out of Charles Barron’s far more sophisticated effort at empowering another Statewide hate group (because McMillan and the Newman-Fulani faction of the Independence Party do not by themselves represent the full spectrum of political Anti-Semitism).

For once in his life, Barron was too subtle, communicating by dog whistles, and snide asides, he sounded too much like an insider to connect (and the most slippery of the insiders to boot–even Cuomo didn't dodge the same sex marriage question the way Barron did), while McMillan roused the rabble.

Charles Barron may be an ex-Panther, but compared to McMillan, he’s a de-clawed pussycat. Did Charles Barron ever spend a campaign traveling the state on foot, and getting himself expelled from the state Democratic Convention after he heckled Mario Cuomo? Was Barron ever found during a campaign at the side of the Belt Parkway tied to a tree, blindfolded, and doused with gasoline? Did Barron ever climb a cable on the Brooklyn Bridge, until he was finally coaxed down by police, and then hospitalized?

Azi's Twitter feed says the WFP spin is that "Tom DiNapoli would not have won without the votes he received on the WFP line"

I suppose that may be technically true, but yesterday, in my very Democratic poling place, the WFP paid someone to approach voters who were already voting straight Democrat to try to persuade them to vote for the same candidates on the WFP line instead.

To brand such votes as being earned by the WFP is a bit of a Ponzi scheme. Instead, those bodies should have been sent to Staten Island and the North Shore of Long Island. But, that might not have maximized the WFP's gubernatorial vote, and we know where their real priorities are.

CBS asks whether Andrew Cuomo's girlfriend should be spending the night in the Governor's mansion on the taxpayer's dime.

Poetic Justice Watch:

Padavan should worry less about election law and more about the laws of mathematics. Frank Padavan Will Not Go Quietly Into That Good Night www.nydailynews.com

A victory for the NY State Senate Democrats–unfortunately it's for a City Council seat in New Jersey. Democrats sweep two council seats – NorthJersey.com www.northjersey.com