Room Eight | New York. Politics.

When Pigs Fly

Gatemouth | September 11, 2008

“John McCain says he’s about change, too — except for economic policy, health care policy, tax policy, education policy, foreign policy and Karl Rove-style politics. That’s just calling the same thing something different.”

Laughs. “You can put lipstick on a pig; it’s still a pig. You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change; it’s still going to stink after eight years.” —Barack Obama

Please, can we retire this cliché about porcine cosmetics?

Barack Obama’s obviously has had it on the tip of his tongue for a long time. In fact, he’s previously used it to describe a supposed change in our Iraq strategy, long before he’d first heard of Governor Palin.

My Challenge to the Editors of Room Eight New York Politics

Rock Hackshaw | September 11, 2008

For almost three years now, I have unsuccessfully requested that you institute a different methodology than the one in use presently, for those who want to comment on the columns here. I requested this because of what I deemed to be constant abuse (to which I have been subjected at times), which has been rather vile and deliberate. Many times you chose to delete the sickening things said, or printed; and I always told you to leave them for posterity; so I lost those battles. And now this week -in the comment section of my last piece (Eric Adams)- the crude, vulgar, vile and racist comments and caricatures reappear. And for those who want to better understand what I am talking about here, please go to the comment section of that column now: you will be shocked.

Any Real People Reading This Blog?

Larry Littlefield | September 10, 2008

When the number of placard holders was released, we found out how many people were in the deserving “middle class.” About 150,000 people qualified, as I recall. The rest of us are the serfs. Courtesy of this election, we not also know the number of "real people" and who have "real needs." It is 6,743 — Sheldon Silver's vote total. Anyone who has read enough of my posts, and downloaded the data and looked at it themselves, know what our state government has done during the time Mr. Silver was one of those in charge: handed out more and more benefits to those who already have a host of privileges, and passed the cost, usually deferred, onto everyone else, including the less well off. “This campaign was about real people with real needs,” he said. “It was about results.”

How To Beat An Incumbent – Move To Flushing

Jerry Skurnik | September 10, 2008

While many more State legislators lost in Tuesday’s Primaries – 4, it’s still true that incumbent Senators & Assembly members are still extremely difficult to beat.

Except in the 22^nd Assembly District!

The 22^nd AD was created in the 2002 Legislative re-districting and in centered in Flushing.

Is Two A Trend?

Jerry Skurnik | September 10, 2008

The New York Times in reporting on Tuesday’s Primary results claims that it might forecast good news for the Republicans in the State Senate –

All Republican senators running for re-election won their primaries, suggesting that the G.O.P. may be more tightly unified going into the November election.

Senator Eric Adams calls for term limits in Albany (just as in New York City)

Rock Hackshaw | September 9, 2008

There are a few black electeds in this naked city who are courageous souls: Eric Adams is one of them. But then I have known this of Eric long before he got into elected office. I knew it back when he was tackling police-brutality issues, with one of the organizations he helped build: “100 Black Men in Law Enforcement”. In fact I knew it even before then; but that’s another story for another time.

Last Sunday, State Senator Eric Adams, stood up with a few dozen people from various organizations that are committed to fight against the reversal of term limits -being contemplated by the city council and the current mayor: Michael Bloomberg. Adams went farther than this present imbroglio, to announce that he supported term limits for legislators in Albany also (both Senate and Assembly). It was not the first time he showed courage under fire since being elected to office in 2006.

“For The Time Being”

Gatemouth | September 9, 2008

I ‘d like to congratulate Congressional candidate Kevin Powell; few candidates for any office have been as explicit in making clear their policy views as Powell has in his magnum opus: “THE PLAN: A New Agenda for the 21^st Century.

Unfortunately, “THE PLAN” arrived on line a little late in the campaign, at a point when we’d already stopped taking Kevin seriously. This is sad, because its 58 pages contain a potential goldmine of material for the political private eye, and come tonight at 9:00 PM, it will surely be cast upon the dustbin of his history along with its “author”.

A Few Last Minute Endorsements

Gatemouth | September 8, 2008

State Senate (Queens):

SD 10: Two years ago, voters in the District did the State a favor by ousting the deeply disturbed Ada Smith for the adequate Shirley Huntley, significantly raising the State Senate’s level of mental health. This year, Huntley is being challenged by former Councilman Allen Jennings (who managed the miracle of making Tom White look preferable to something). Compared to Jennings, Ada Smith looks like Dr. Phil. Despite the fact that my specialty is writing humor, I beg voters here to return Huntley.

SD 15: This is a crucial pick-up target for Senate Dems; Republican Serf Maltese must go. Albert Baldeo has spared us the agony of a primary by dropping out, but he did so too late to get his name off the ballot. Vote for Joe Addabbo now, and again in November.

Lillian Hellman Squadron (AKA Scoundrel Time)

Gatemouth | September 8, 2008

“Every word she writes is a lie, including ‘and’ and ‘the.’”– Literary lioness Mary McCarthy commenting on the highly overrated Lillian Hellman

I’m taking the day off, so I decided to compile a partial list of the lies spread by State Senate candidate Dan Squadron. I apologize that the list is incomplete, but a day has only 24 hours.

As has been previously documented, State Senate Candidate Dan Squadron has lied, amongst other things about:

1) His opponent, State Senator Marty Connor’s position on Congestion Pricing (http://www.r8ny.com/blog/gatemouth/decongestant.html)

2) His own position on Congestion Pricing (See Above)

A Wartime Consiglieri

Gatemouth | September 8, 2008

This November, for the first time since 1965, the Democrats are set to take control of the New York State Senate, and Democrats are set to take undivided control of the New York state government for the first time since the 1930s. For some it’s a scary process. Republicans and pillars of the establishment fear social change; Democrats fear accountability.

I’ve spent my political life on and off since 1982 working towards that goal. My fear is different; I fear they will fuck it up.

As reported in the New York Post, Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm Smith recently got up at a Senate Democratic golf outing and told the assembled lobbyists they should think of his fund-raising event as being like an IPO, an initial public offering, telling them they should get in early because then it doesn't cost as much, and the longer you wait to get in, the more it will cost, and if you don't get in at all, it would be painful after November.

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