GATE REPEATS HIS ENDORSEMENTS (and adds a couple):
Congress 9th CD: David Weprin
Assembly 23rd AD: Phil Goldfeder
Assembly 27th AD: Michael Simanowitz
Assembly 54th AD: Jesus Gonzalez
Assembly 73rd AD: Dan Quart
City Council 28th CCD: Clifton Stanley Diaz
Civil Court, Kings County: Cheryl Gonzales
Democratic District Leaders 64th AD Part C: Paul Newell & Linda Belfer
Democratic District Leaders 64th AD Part D: Herbert Kee & Jenny Lam Low
Democratic District Leader 66th AD Part B: David Reck
Democratic State Committee 45th AD: Boris Pincus [LOL!]
Republican State Committee 28th AD: Bart Haggerty (And yes, there is a subtext here; you figure it out)
Least Offensive, Best Written Republican Blog in Kings County: “Atlas Shrugs in Brooklyn” (Welcome Back, Guys)
Query: I want to call once more for throwing Dov Hikind off the Democratic State Committee—this time for his conduct in the Weprin/Turner race, but I can't answer the question of how I could do so without also calling for throwing off Lincoln Restler and Chris Owens for their conduct in the 54th AD.
Any ideas?
Perhaps I could also call for throwing Vito off, for his 2009 conduct in the 34th CCD—but if we threw off everyone who ever did this, we could probably hold the Executive Committee meeting in a large closet (which will be today's only Carl Kruger reference).
Rock: In the race for the 54th AD, I am going to make a late endorsement for Deidra Towns. I know Gatemouth may slap me around for this trite endorsement, but let me say this: I feel it is an opportunity to get the state another female legislator; and we do need more women in Albany. So yes I am playing the gender card.
I comment only because he brings the matter up. I don't think it's a slam-dunk that Jesus Gonzalez is more qualified than Towns (or a stronger challenger to Espinal), so Rock's entitled to come to a different conclusion.
But for a guy self-righteous enough to sometimes accuse those who disagree with him of insensitivity towards women and minorities, he seems blithely unaware that East Brooklyn Latinos have their own longstanding grievances about underrepresentation.
I agree with Rock, we do need more women in office.
We also need more Latinos.
Since women comprise a majority in virtually every AD, and Latinos only in a few, I think that if we are going to endorse based on identity, then there is a far more compelling case here for a Latino.
I'll add that, though Rock was not one of the unnamed bloggers I called out last night for not doing a piece on the Brooklyn Civil Court race, it's nice that someone else finally decided to cover it–even if the story of this year's Screening Panel remains untold. ALWAYS INTRIGUE IN BROOKLYN’S JUDGESHIP RACES (PLUS SOME OTHER JUICY STUFF) | Room Eight www.r8ny.com
Q: Who in the 54th AD raised the most funds in the district?
A: No one in the 54th AD has any money. The Brooklyn Politics Blog www.thebrooklynpolitics.com
Against all odds, someone proves Deidra Towns' foundation really exists (and it's an opponent). Teacher: Assembly Hopeful Diedra Towns Stiffed Me On Pay For Tutoring At Family Foundation www.nydailynews.com
A phony "newspaper' created to advance someone's political agenda.
Is this really news in a City which hosts the NY Post? The Brooklyn Politics Blog www.thebrooklynpolitics.com
Gonzalez accused of helping sex offenders flick their Bushwick, as Espinal wags his Willie (Horton).
All I can say is "JESUS." The Brooklyn Politics Blog www.thebrooklynpolitics.com
The 9th in a nutshell:
Public Policy Polling: If Turner wins on Tuesday it will be largely due to the incredible unpopularity of Barack Obama dragging his party down in the district. Obama won 55% there in 2008 but now has a staggeringly bad 31% approval rating, with 56% of voters disapproving of him. It's a given that Republicans don't like him but more shocking are his 16% approval rating with independents and the fact that he's below 50% even with Democrats at 46% approving and 38% disapproving….Weprin has been much maligned as a candidate but he actually has positive favorability numbers too with 39% of voters rating him positively and 36% negatively. Over the last few years there have been very few races we polled where a candidate had a postive net favorability spread and still lost. If Obama's approval in the district was even 40% Weprin would almost definitely be headed to Congress. He's getting dragged down by something bigger than himself.
The issue of Israel does appear to be having a major impact on this race. A plurality of voters- 37%- said that Israel was 'very important' in determining their votes. Turner is winning those folks by an amazing 71-22 margin. With everyone who doesn't say Israel is a very important issue for them Weprin actually leads 52-36. Turner is in fact winning the Jewish vote by a 56-39 margin, very unusual for a Republican candidate. This seems to be rooted in deep unhappiness with Obama on this issue- only 30% of voters overall approve of how he's handling Israel to 54% who disapprove and with Jewish voters his approval on Israel is 22% with 68 of voters disapproving. That has a lot to do with why Turner's in such a strong position. Turner poised for big upset – Public Policy Polling www.publicpolicypolling.com
The White House says the 9th race is not a referendum on Israel.
With all due respect to the White House (and a lot of respect is due), though the voters of the 9th CD may well be delusional and short-sighted, they and they alone get to choose whether or not to make this election a referendum on something, and they also get to choose what that something is (and frankly, Mr. President, you might prefer Israel to some of the other choices). Shocker: White House Spox Says NY-9 Special Is Not A Referendum On Obama's Israel Policy www.nydailynews.com
Although I love Mary Alice, this piece is full of minor errors (not all of them her fault–Chris Owens should really know that the Brooklyn/Staten Island Judicial District no longer exists).
But the real problem is the premise.
While Latinos and Asians are underrepresented in the elected Brooklyn Supreme Court bench, blacks are now represented in rough proportion to their population. If we are to address numerical disparities, this will surely come at the expense of blacks as well as whites–more so as the future goes on.
Further, the present informal quota system being objected to is almost entirely a product of minority demands.
Finally, while I believe that having a bench reflective of its County is in some measure part of the question of "merit," sometimes choosing the best is going to come into conflict with addressing other worthy goals. Chris Owens and the others seem to want to ignore this, or pretend they are one and the same. Upcoming Judicial Convention to Decide Supreme Court Nominees | Room Eight www.r8ny.com
Look who Israel owes thanks to. Thanks on Israel – Ben Smith www.politico.com
Sully makes the strong case that Obama is a strong leader. The Lethal President andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com
Circumsized dildos, including an 18 inch model called "Chai Cock" The oy of sex online www.nypost.com