Author: Yoda

AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes just released a statement of support for Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, R-Brunswick, saying the senator has “proven himself time and again to be a man of honor and unquestionable integrity.”

Prediction – Joe Bruno will not be Senate Majority Leader when Alan Hevesi's replacement is selected.

Now I know that if a person in found not guilty by a jury, we are supposed to act like he or she is innocent.

But shouldn’t at least ONE New York City newspaper have mentioned that Governor Pataki has nominated a guy who was accused TWICE of engaging in illegal patronage scams?

Will any Democratic State Senator make a stink?

From the Troy Record:

Zwack was elected county executive in 1995 to serve the remainder of John Buono's unfinished term after Pataki appointed Bruono to head the Thruway Authority. He was elected to a full term in 1997.

By 2001 two separate scandals, dozens of indictments and two trials forced him to resign.

In August, I wrote an entry criticizing John McCain's flip-flop on the issue of Ethanol under the headline –

John McCain – Just Another Pol

This week's New York Magazine has Bloomberg doing the same –

"He even singled out John McCain, whom he generally respects, for abandoning his position against ethanol subsidies as he prepares to curry favor in 2008 with Iowa caucusgoers."

Now that Al Sharpton has once again let it be known that he's thinking of running for President, allow me to remind everybody of some facts.

These facts, I'm sure, will be ignored by NY1, which has already I presume scheduled their usual weekly series of interviews with Rev. Al where they will treat him with a straight face like he really is a serious candidate.

Here are the facts.

Two years ago when Al claimed to be running for President,, Sharpton lost the black majority District of Columbia primary to Howard Dean, finished 3rd with less than 10% in South Carolina where Blacks were 50% of the turnout and lost badly to “soul brother” John Kerry in both of Central Brooklyn’s Congressional districts.

Saturday's New Yost Post editorial quoting Mayor Bloomberg, in defending his decision to approve the City Council raises, as saying –

"All legislative bodies at the federal, state and city levels have a similar situation [with lulus]. It is the ways that the head of the legislative body . . . [controls] the members, pulling them together, getting them to vote as a bloc so you don't have chaos."

One problem.

That's just not true.

Congress does not give extra pay to Committee Chairs. And neither do the legislatures of the 2 biggest states – California & Texas. I didn't check the other 47 states or the thousands of other City Councils but somehow I doubt that Idaho or Duluth are paying lulus to Committee chairs.

In the past, I have posted some comments questioning how pro-choice, pro-Gay, anti-gun Republican Rudy Giuliani could campaign for various right-wing Republicans around the country.

But now, I found one who Rudy probably felt very comfortable campaigning with.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani appeared at an event for Rep. Jim Gibbons, the Republican candidate, while on the other side, retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark stumped for state Sen. Dina Titus.

Giuliani spoke to Gibbons' supporters only for about two and a half minutes before being whisked away to a private fundraiser. He urged them to do everything possible to get their candidate elected.

Saturday’s Robert Novak column included this whopper –

“Recipients of mail from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) were surprised this past week to receive a fund-raising appeal signed by former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright.”

“Secretaries of state, by tradition, stay away from partisan politics while in office. Former holders of the position generally follow the same practice. Nobody can remember fund-raising solicitations from Colin Powell, Warren Christopher or Henry Kissinger.”

Vanderhoef proposes sales tax hike for 2007

By SARAH NETTER THE JOURNAL NEWS

You can read all about it, here.

Is it irresponsible to speculate about who might replace Alan Hevesi if he is forced to resign after being re-elected?

Sure, but let’s do it anyway.

Based on the last time a Comptroller quit, the next one will be picked by 2 men – the Governor & Assembly Speaker.

Who they pick will serve in the job for the rest of Hevesi’s term until the end of 2010.

Assuming the next Governor is Eliot Spitzer and Shelly Silver is still the Speaker and assuming they will pick someone with some qualifications for the job, would be a good candidate to run for re-election and is someone they both get along with, here are some potential candidates I came up. I also assumed that ethnic, gender & geographic considerations would be considered. I’ve added some comments where I think it’s appropriate.