Marist Poll Reveals NY Voters’ Great Unrest and Anger Against Albany
The Daily Politics blog recently reported what is likely obvious to those of you that have followed Albany politics for the past few months: New Yorkers are furious with Albany.
Why does this matter? The sheer number of voters displeased with Albany and convinced that Albany needs fundamental changes in order to function properly should send a message to the Brooklyn, city and statewide GOP: get ready for a potential shakeup.
In Brooklyn and New York City, such discontent could provide an extremely favorable atmosphere for statewide office-seekers hoping to unseat many local incumbents that are part of Albany’s problems.
Here’s the story:
Today’s Marist poll reveals something that should come as no surprise, but also should strike fear in the hearts of incumbents planning to see re-election next fall:
New Yorkers are not big fans of Albany.
Seventy-one percent of those polled said major changes are necessary at the state Capitol, while 11 percent don’t believe state government can be fixed at all.
If you look to the right side of this page, you will find the new Atlas Poll.
The poll asks: “What do you think about the new Brooklyn GOP website?”
Final Atlas Poll Tally Remains Steady As Supermajority of Voters Agree Eaton Should Resign
As we close the most recent Atlas Poll today, it appears that there’s one thing people agree about regarding Chairman Craig “The Duke” Eaton: he should resign his post.
With nearly 400 votes tallied, the Atlas Poll has ended today, and the news isn’t good for The Duke. Less than 25 voters agreed that he should not resign.
On the other hand, over 370 voters expressed their belief that Eaton should tender his resignation.
I must say, I don’t know everyone who’s reading Atlas, but there sure are a lot of you out there. We have seen days where sharp increases in hits have occurred, but this weekend was particularly impressive.
Nearly three weeks after the November elections, Atlas enjoyed a weekend of heavy web traffic, with hundreds and hundreds of viewers coming each of the past three days. The hits have been so good, we are approaching levels we’ve seen only a few times recently, most notably the day after the November elections and the day after the Brooklyn GOP County Committee Convention.
By midnight, we are on track to make this past weekend the busiest in Atlas’ short history!
The stories that grossed so many unique hits? Here they are:
DEVELOPING STORY – Taking Advice From Atlas, Brooklyn GOP Makes Moves To Renovate Derided Website
So they decided to listen to Dagny after all.
Since her post on September 18th, the Brooklyn GOP has maintained a pathetic website that was never updated or touched. It was, to put it simply, a disaster.
Now, nearly three weeks after the most crushing defeat the party has seen in decades, there is movement on the Brooklyn GOP’s webpage.
UPDATE: The site was being constructed yesterday afternoon and is currently in a dilapidated state, with a hideous image of Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig “The Duke” Eaton resting under one of the old website’s original cheap banners.
There are also some new additions the party has added, deliberately taking swipes at Atlas Shrugs in Brooklyn.
This also comes days after Atlas’ own Francisco D’Anconia released his piece, “With an Eye to Rebuilding The Party, Recent Events Demonstrate Eaton is No Longer Relevant in GOP Politics.”
Here’s the scoop:
Fledgling Brooklyn GOP Website Announces “No Prior Political or Government Experience Necessary” for Running For Office
If you were wondering what the word view is of the Brooklyn GOP leadership regarding elections, look no further than brooklyngop.com.
Here’s what the website (a work in progress, we’re hoping) says in it’s “Want to Run for Office” section:
There will be two dozen offices voted on in Brooklyn in the 2010 General Election, and the Republican Party is about to begin a major recruitment drive to find new candidates.
Among the positions are seats in the State Assembly, State Senate, U.S. Congress, and local judgeships.
The chief qualifications for these positions are: you must be a citizen, at least 18 years of age, and enrolled as a Republican voter.
No prior political or government experience is necessary — as Republicans, we believe strongly that citizens should serve in public office for a time, then step aside to allow others to serve.
Did I read that correctly?
Rasmussen has another targeted poll on New York. Apparently, many New Yorkers are very fearful of the madness going up in Albany and the effect it will have on the financial standing of the state.
Can’t say I’m surprised.
Here is the story:
New York voters aren’t very optimistic about the financial solvency of their state, but they’re also sending their elected representatives mixed signals. They oppose budget cuts in a couple key areas but are against tax hikes even more.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state finds that 56% of voters say it is at least somewhat likely that New York will be bankrupt by the end of the year. Twenty-one percent (21%) say it is very likely.
With the 2010 election watch in full swing, Atlas will be informing you on the various races to watch, both locally and for the party at large.
Most recently, Rasmussen has a piece by Larry Sabato that is very much worth reading.
Here is his conclusion: Democrats will almost certainly retain control of the Senate.
Here is his analysis:
Some bloggers aside, few of the top analysts on the Republican side question this conclusion. The GOP’s real hope is to cut the Democratic margin by a few seats, so that they can regain the power to stop legislation (assuming they stick together–a giant “if”).
I read a recent piece on Urban Elephants by frequent blogger and Atlas commentator Jay Golub. In it, he goes after former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, and her “$1.25 million memoir ‘Going Rogue”‘ (actually, the agreement was for closer to $8 million dollars). It is not apparent that he has actually read the book, which I recently purchased and have started reading (so far, I’ve enjoyed it immensely!). I expect such tactics from the lamestream media, but a fellow Republican? No, no.
I think his piece, which is fairly short and unfairly dismissive, deserves to be challenged.
In so doing, I will adopt Mr. Golub’s style of quoting a line from a text he is being critical of and then commenting on it.
Okey-Dokey 
, here we go.
The Associated Press is reporting what some had been whispering all day today: former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani is strongly considering a run for the Senate. This comes on the heels of his apparent decision to drop out of the race for governor.
Shruggers, we have come to the Twitscape.
Starting today, we will deliver reform to you via Twitter. Be sure to go to http://twitter.com/Atlasshrugsinbk to sign up and follow us! In the run-up to the elections, how can you not join?
Be sure to continue to read Atlas as we analyze the state of our party in the aftermath of the reelection of Chairman Craig “The Duke” Eaton.
It should be clear by now that a war is brewing in the Brooklyn GOP. It is a war against those in the establishment that would accept the status quo, make backroom deals with our Democratic rivals, and stifle. It is a war between the forces of the reform and those that are content to reap the limited benefits of stagnancy.
We call upon all Brooklyn Republicans, Republican-leaning Independents and Democrats, Libertarians, Conservatives, and all government reformists to demand change and promote it through action and words.
What do we want?
Atlas Shrugs in Brooklyn offers a platform for reform during this war of reform.
We have been urged by many of our readers to “follow the money.”
And so we shall.
Following off of my colleague Francisco D’Anconia’s pledge to explore Republican relationships with Democrats (see his Introductory piece to Détente With Democrats: The Golden Prince), Atlas is going to delve deeply into the financial records of our Republican leaders to expose any potential corruption in our party and clean it out. We bring this to your attention not to hurt our party but to promote reform.
In a mere 24 hours, our poll has already demonstrated the deep concerns Atlas readers have with the core reasons for Chairman Craig “The Duke” Eaton’s reelection last week at the Brooklyn GOP County Committee Convention.
Over 60% of Shruggers believe “threats, intimidation, and/or corruption” are the primary reasons for The Duke’s reelection. Around 30% attribute the support of Sen. Marty Golden (aka “The Golden Prince”) to The Duke’s victory.
This comes one day after Atlas reported the thousands of dollars given from The Duke and his law firm to The Golden Prince in recent years.
It has been said in Brooklyn politics that “Gerry O’Brien has done it all.”
Oh, that he has…
Political Consultant Gerry O’Brien has been referred to by one Republican who emailed us as “the most divisive person in the party by far, at the heart of all that’s wrong with politics.” O’Brien was involved in a terrible scandal this past summer, after which this blog called on the leadership to investigate him. So far, the party has been silent.
Atlas reiterates now, one week after last week’s Brooklyn GOP County Committee Convention, that O’Brien is too controversial to be on any political party’s payroll, and should be dismissed if no investigation is performed.
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce Midas Mulligan to the Atlas Shrugs in Brooklyn blog!
Atlas Shrugs in Brooklyn has been groundbreaking in New York Republican politics. There’s no other way to say it. In just two months, this blog has grown by leaps and bounds and has challenged Republicans and Republican-leaning Brooklynites to look at the framework of their party and say, with conviction, we can do better.
And we know we can.
Our party is a haphazard mess of sects and factions to rival the tribalism of Afghanistan. There aren’t just ideological differences of opinion in the party; there are deep functional deficits in both leadership and vision that have resulted in a broken political institution. Without an immediate change in direction, this ship is headed for an iceberg.
Atlas has demonstrated that.
In just a few days, the Atlas poll has taken a dramatic shift. The poll, which asks what the primary reason is for Chairman Craig “The Duke” Eaton’s reelection, now indicates Atlas readers are evenly split on the major reason for his reelection.
I previously indicated how many Republicans have currently the same question: how did we get here? What happened? To answer that loaded question, I stated that we must examine the structure of our party over the course of the past few years, the major players, and the major defeats. That has been my goal.
I now turn to the all-important debacle of the Brooklyn GOP’s support of Mayor Bloomberg for a third-term and their grant of a Wilson Pakula. How we went from a Giuliani-endorsed Republican mayoralty to an “independent” mayoralty…
And then there were none…
When I last ended, Congressman Vito “Don Giovanni” Fossella had decided to step down, the Democrats had put already anointed North Shore City Councilman Michael McMahon their candidate to replace him, and Bob “Hot Dog” Straniere had been chosen by the Staten Island Republicans to succeed the deceased GOP candidate Frank “Big Pockets” Powers. The only question left was whether Kings County GOP Chairman Craig Eaton would respond to Bob Straniere as a candidate.
If you have the stomach to continue, let us continue to examine how our party lost the 2008 13th Congressional District race…
And then there were none.
A reader recently emailed us a transcript of a recording of Craig Eaton’s speech from the Brooklyn GOP County Committee Convention. We thought we should share it with you along with analysis and commentary .
Some statements require translations, which are provided for you. Enjoy!
(From left to right: Assemblyman Alan Maisel, State Senator Marty Golden (aka “The Golden Prince”), Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, City Councilman Simcha Felder, City Councilman Domenic Recchia, former City Councilman candidate David Greenfield, Assemblyman Vito Lopez, and State Senator Carl Kruger.)
No, my friends, this picture is not photoshopped! That’s right. That’s a photo of our illustrious Republican State Senator…and the company he keeps.
At first, you might be startled to see The Golden Prince so close to so many Democrats. But, as Francisco first discussed with you all last week, the connections between Marty Golden and Democrats in our state are numerous and expansive.
The Golden Prince’s Support is the Primary Reason for The Duke’s Reelection: Atlas Poll
In a mere ten days, the Atlas poll has started to trend in one particular direction. The poll, which asks what the primary reason was for Chairman Craig “The Duke” Eaton’s reelection, now indicates Atlas readers believe the support of Sen. Martin Golden was the primary reason for he reelection.
As I periodically check our viewer statistics, I am pleased to inform you all that Atlas is continuing to draw many thousands of readers during and since the Brooklyn GOP County Committee Convention on September 30th.
The month of September saw a massive increase in our readership, and October is still drawing huge numbers daily.
Considering that, I thought I would disclose to you our five most viewed posts since Atlas began. For those of you that did not have a chance to read them, I encourage you to do so!
In case you missed the Wall Street Journal’s opinion piece by Fred Siegel and Harry Siegel, I thought I would share it with you all.
Can Bloomberg’s ‘Luxury’ City Survive?
By Fred Siegel and Harry Siegel
New Yorkers take pride in their city’s ability to reinvent itself, as witnessed most recently in the bubble-aided recovery from the 9/11 attacks. “While any city may have one period of magnificence,” journalist A.J. Liebling wrote of New York in 1938, “it takes a real one to keep renewing itself until the past is perennially forgotten.”
But as next month’s mayoral election approaches, the city faces an economic downturn and a political reordering that augur badly for the future. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a two-term incumbent running against Bill Thomson, a lackluster Democratic challenger all but disavowed by his own party, has already spent at least $70 million funding 336 times as many TV ads as his rival through late last month. Yet the incumbent can barely break 50% in the polls.
Hey, Shruggers. Hope you’re all having a great weekend. Just wanted to be sure you all saw this article in the New York Post today:
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani seized on familiar themes like fighting crime and the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks as he returned to the trail today to campaign for his successor, Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The failed Republican presidential candidate, who embraced more conservative views as he burnished his GOP credentials nationally, gets mixed reviews among New Yorkers, who are overwhelmingly Democratic.
But Giuliani is popular in some parts of the city. And as Election Day nears, Bloomberg is seeking to energize those voters as part of a get-out-the-vote effort after months of coverage that portrayed him as the inevitable winner.
Previously, my colleagues Francisco D’Anconia and Midas Mulligan began a series with an examination of the curious and frankly bizarre relationships Sen. Marty Golden (aka “The Golden Prince”) has forged with various powerful and controversial Democrats.
Yet, as we begin to dig deeper into the financial records and the governmental bestowals of The Golden Prince, the sheer breadth of his influence and ability to generate money in a Democratically dominated state had been unparalleled.
Now, however, with the recent coup in Albany, it seems The Golden Prince’s ability to doll out pork to his constituents has hit an astounding new low, raising the question of whether his power has finally come to an end. Moreover, his financial ties to The Duke continue to raise eyebrows.
CBS News is following the recent increase in appearances and open support on behalf of former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani. In case you didn’t see it, here’s the story:
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani seized on familiar themes like fighting crime and the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks as he returned to the trail Sunday to campaign for his successor, Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The failed Republican presidential candidate, who embraced more conservative views as he burnished his GOP credentials nationally, gets mixed reviews among New Yorkers, who are overwhelmingly Democratic.
But Giuliani is popular in some parts of the city. And as Election Day nears, Bloomberg is seeking to energize those voters as part of a get-out-the-vote effort after months of coverage that portrayed him as the inevitable winner.
The recent Bloomberg-Giuliani love fest has been sharply criticized by Giuliani biographer and historian Fred Siegel in a recent interview with the Politicker. You can read the story here. Here’s a copy of the article:
Fred Siegel, a historian and Giuliani biographer, said the former mayor’s appearance on the campaign trail “is a very good idea but the way he’s been used is not a good idea.”
Siegel was referring to Giuliani’s appearance with Michael Bloomberg in Borough Park yesterday where the former mayor warned about a return to New York’s high crime era circa 1993 if Bloomberg weren’t re-elected.
Atlas Poll: After 15 Days, Intimidation, Corruption, and Golden Top List of Reasons for The Duke’s Reelection
After just 15 days up, the Atlas Poll has now closed. The final votes are in, and the results don’t look too good for the recently reelected Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig “The Duke of Bay Ridge” Eaton.
The poll asked what you believe the primary reason was for The Duke’s reelection as Chairman.
Here are the results:
From now until just before election day, a new Atlas Poll is up. We invite all of you to vote and inform us and your fellow readers of your opinion.
Here is the poll question:
CBS News has released a story on the President’s recent shout-out (however tepid it was) to Bill Thompson, calling him a “friend.” That can’t make Bloomberg or the Brooklyn GOP leadership too happy! Here’s the story:
President Barack Obama was in New York on Tuesday to raise money for national and local Democrats — except the one challenging Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
William Thompson Jr. got a shout-out from Obama during a speech and a quick backstage meeting, but the president saved his time and political power to raise money for a state assembly candidate and events benefiting the Democratic National Committee and health care reform.
The only way Thompson got any recognition from Obama was by attending a health care rally in Manhattan, where tickets started at $100. Backstage, they met for a minute, a Thompson aide said.
Obama told Thompson to “keep working hard.” Thompson responded “I am, every day.”
The Brooklyn GOP’s upcoming pre-election events demonstrate the party leadership is not interested in holding events in any place BUT Bay Ridge. Chairman Craig “The Duke of Bay Ridge” Eaton, Primate of the Church of Political Failure, has clearly decided in the wake of his controversial reelection that he is unwilling to hold Brooklyn GOP events anywhere further than two miles from his holy see.
A friendly reader has submitted a copy of a recent email from The Duke with a schedule of upcoming events. Reading the email, one would think our borough party is in fact a third party organization with a serious Shore Road syndrome.
The fact is Chairman Eaton is living up to his nickname and all of the pathetic and embarrassing jokes that are made about the party by proving in recent days that the Brooklyn GOP is a crumbling Bay Ridge cabal.
Here is the email:
My story from last evening seems to have touched a few nerves. It appears a large number of Atlas readers were deeply offended by The Duke’s recent email highlighting the party’s upcoming pre-election events, all of which are within his realm of Bay Ridge. The email demonstrates that Chairman Craig “The Duke” Eaton is severely out of touch with his constituents from outside his neighborhood and that he intends to take a Bay Ridge-centric agenda into his second term.
Yet, in a sign that The Duke has continued to pour salt on the wounds from his controversial reelection, Atlas has recently received a scathing review of Mr. Eaton’s tactics from Lucretia Regina-Potter, candidate for the 49th Assembly District.
(Image, from Left to Right, of Bob Capano, Michael Bloomberg, and Sen. Martin Golden (aka The Golden Prince) looking chummy)
It has already been established that the vote to give would-be third-term Mayor Michael Bloomberg the party’s line was deeply contentious. Even our politically schizophrenic Chairman Craig “The Duke” Eaton admitted before he flip-flopped that the GOP’s support of Bloomberg could divide the party.
Now, however, 43rd City Council District Candidate Bob Capano, who was at one time evaluated to be chairman of the party, is taking a huge political risk advertising his connection with Bloomberg in a city in which the mayor is highly controversial.
With over one-hundred voters thus far, it seems Atlas readers are not sure what the outcome will be for the Brooklyn GOP after the November election, but two potential outcomes are currently leading the pack.
The Shore Road Syndrome: Brooklyn GOP Expenditures Benefit Bay Ridge, Eaton, and Golden
I have been compiling some numbers, and the evidence is clear that the Brooklyn GOP and its Chairman, Craig “The Duke of Bay Ridge” Eaton, have benefited only organizations that are in Bay Ridge or that have a connection to The Duke or his Golden Prince, Sen. Martin Golden. This follows on the heels of an email sent out by The Duke indicating his decision to put all pre-election Brooklyn GOP events in and around the Bay Ridge area, which Francisco D’Anconia reported earlier this week.
It is now beyond a shadow of a doubt that the party and its leadership have and will continue to maintain a Bay Ridge-centric attitude and thus have forsaken the rest of the borough.
Let’s get to the numbers.
NYO: Thompson Gives a ‘Major’ Speech on Term Limits; Ferrer Calls Bloomberg ‘Sleazy’
I just read this story on the New York Observer’s website, and I thought I would share it with you all:
In an auditorium at Hunter College last night, in front of a few hundred supporters waving “Eight is Enough” signs, Bill Thompson delivered what his campaign was billing as a Major Speech on Term Limits.
But the event felt more like a rally than a Major Speech. Before Mr. Thompson appeared, a surrogate prepped the crowd with some lukewarm chants of “Eight is enough!” and a call-and-response that went “Respect! Democracy!”
When comptroller nominee John Liu emerged from stage left, he got a warm response and did his best to fire up the crowd. Then public advocate Bill de Blasio gave a more sobering account of why the term limits change was so “troubling.” (But, as with so many of Mr. Thompson’s supporters, Mr. de Blasio included a caveat that he “respects” Mayor Bloomberg, if not his term-limits decision.) “This is the referendum we never got to have,” Mr. de Blasio told the crowd.
For those of you interested in the development of the Gowanus Canal, the Bloomberg Administration’s handling of the situation, and the state of affairs regarding this Brooklyn blight, The New York Times Magazine has an upcoming article. Here’s a preview:
THE GOWANUS CANAL runs one and a half miles through brownstone Brooklyn, cutting a disreputable gash between two of the most desirable residential neighborhoods in New York City. Sunken below street level, no more than 100 feet across at most points, the canal does not really flow — it skulks. On sunny days, its waters take a greenish hue and are clear enough to afford glimpses of rotting bulkhead timbers, mud-caked tires and other submerged detritus. When it’s overcast, the water turns an inert gray. In the lawless old days, industries along the canal’s banks fouled it with all kinds of pollution. Today, the canal is mostly disused, a corridor of warehouses and razor wire, and the most enduring reminders of its colorful past emanate from several underground deposits of coal tar, which belch up oily bubbles. The residue forms a prismatic sheen on the canal’s surface, reflecting shimmering visions of the landscape.
I just read this story on NBC’s website about the catastrophic blunders of the Thompson campaign. For those of you who support either candidate (since so many Republicans are voting against Bloomberg), here is the story for your review:
It can be tough to run a campaign against a billionaire incumbent mayor if you chronically show up late to campaign events or turn out press releases spelling your own name wrong.
That’s the case with Democratic Mayoral Candidate Bill Thompson, The New York Times reported today.
Capano’s Campaign Manager Threatens “Regime Change” Retaliation in the 49th AD on Day of Debate
Fellow Atlas reader and commentator “Atlas Shrugger” notified us that City Council candidate Bob Capano’s chief aid, Russell Gallo, has echoed the threat of Chairman Craig “The Duke” Eaton and has called for “regime change” in the 49th Assembly District. As you know, 49th AD powerhouse Arnaldo Ferraro attempted to unseat The Duke and received over one third of the vote within five days of announcing his candidacy.
Gallo, who is also the 47th Assembly District Leader, made the comments early this morning on our very own blog.
This is all happening the day of Capano’s debate with rival City Council incumbent Vincent Gentile, bringing unwanted scrutiny to what some commentators are calling a very “winnable” race.
Francisco does it again.
Now, add Hank to that list.
In our short history as a blog, Atlas Shrugs in Brooklyn has seen periods of huge growth in viewership and has maintained a very consistent following.
But yesterday, Francisco D’Anconia and Hank Rearden’s most recent posts broke all previous records. Francisco’s received the third most views in a day since his prior post on The Duke’s reelection (which currently holds the record for most viewed Atlas post), while Hank’s post became the fifth most viewed post of Atlas‘ in just one day. This is all thanks to the hundreds and hundreds of visitors to Atlas in just the past two days.
The New York Times has begun authoring a series of editorials examining the political and structural crisis in the New York State government. Their most recent editorial is very much worth reading. Here it is:
Extortion, bribery, racketeering — those are just some of the crimes that have sent members of the New York State Legislature to jail in the last five years. The good news is that the authorities caught up with them. The bad news is how easily and how long they were able to exploit the system, and New York’s long-suffering citizens, before they were caught.
The most recent example surfaced last week when federal prosecutors released a sentencing document for Anthony Seminerio, the former assemblyman who resigned in June and then pleaded guilty to fraud. The Queens Democrat spent 30 years in the Legislature, collecting a paycheck from taxpayers. For a good part of the time, he used his elected position to solicit “consulting fees” from two hospitals, the Long Island Rail Road and other clients, all with important business before the Legislature.
The party has released new ads (cheap, colorless newspaper ads) identifying the (underfunded) candidates it is endorsing. The Brooklyn Republican Party is advertising these endorsements in local newspapers. Ironically, given the grave state the party is in, the endorsements can be seen beneath images of tombstones in these newspapers…
Morbid…
I’m thinking R.I.P Brooklyn GOP. Epitaph? Chairman Craig “The Duke” Eaton left it in pieces…
Forgive me, I digress.
This is only part of the story.
In an entirely unexpected and stunning development, absent from the ad is an endorsement of citywide Republican Public Advocate candidate Alex Zablocki.
The reasons for this lack of an endorsement are highly suspect given the previous reports provided to you on Atlas, especially “The Cannibalism of Brooklyn GOP Consultants.”
Earlier this week, The New York Post put out an article discussing the closely watched race between Vincent Gentile and Bob Capano for CIty Council. The title of the piece, Last gasp of the GOP in Bay Ridge?, indicates just what might be on the line for the GOP in this election and what is in store for the party if they lose…
Here’s the article:
The battle between a Democratic incumbent and a Republican upstart isn’t just a race for Bay Ridge’s Council seat — it’s a litmus test for conservatives in the borough’s longtime right-wing stronghold.
In the so-called “Fray by the Bay,” one-time grocer, longtime community activist, and current adjunct professor Bob Capano is attacking Councilman Vince Gentile (D–Bay Ridge) for his sometimes adversarial relationship with the mayor, his allegiance to slush-fund-tarnished Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and even the recent reduction in garbage basket pick-ups on commercial streets.
The Wall Street Journal today has a piece on the travails of NYC Mayors in their political aspirations after serving the city. It’s an interesting piece, and I thought you would all like to read it. Here it is:
Two years before the end of the 19th century, in a faraway land, a mostly forgotten former New York City mayor named John T. Hoffman was stricken by a fatal heart attack.
His remains arrived in New York a month later. In a coffin covered almost entirely in flowers–cut roses at the foot, lily sprays in the middle, wreaths of ivy and palms at the head—he was committed to the ground in a family plot at Dale Cemetery in Ossining, N.Y., surrounded by local dignitaries, family and friends.
Along with him, they might as well have buried the political hopes of New York mayors ever since.
It looks like a dreary Halloween weekend for the Brooklyn GOP as they endeavor to levitate corpses—I mean, candidates—in the run up to Tuesday’s elections. In so doing, it seems the party has turned to trusted GOP ghoul and Merlin of Malice Gerry O’Brien to alert the “masses.”
Thanks to a fellow Atlas reader devoted to reform, Atlas Shrugs in Brooklyn has received a copy of an email sent by the Brooklyn GOP in its usual selective and clandestine manner. The email is a digital version of the recently released and controversial newspaper ads put out in newspapers this week. As we reported to you earlier today, the party has decided not to endorse citywide GOP Public Advocate candidate Alex Zablocki in these ads. This must come as a shock after the Staten Island Advance issued a glowing endorsement of Zablocki this week.
Not to be outdone, the party has duplicated this egregious “un-endorsement” advertisement and submitted it in email form to its “selective” email list (as you know, the party only sends emails to Republicans it likes) this week.
To accomplish this, it appears they turned to sometimes GOP Party Warlock Gerry O’Brien.
Here is the email:
The Capano campaign has sent out the following press release:
Bob Capano (R-I-C), announced that former Mayor Rudy Giuliani has endorsed him for New York City Council in the 43rd District (Brooklyn).
Rudy Giuliani said, “Bob Capano is an experienced leader who has worked with Republicans and Democrats throughout his life to improve the quality of life in Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, and Dyker Heights. Bob Capano will fight to cut taxes and stand up for the middle class at City Hall. I know that Bob Capano will work to continue the progress our city has made in reducing crime and improving education. I strongly urge the residents of the 43rd District to cast their vote for Bob Capano on Tuesday.”
An orgy of evidence now conclusively demonstrates that the Brooklyn GOP has absolutely no shame and no intent to change their dirty tricks.
A fellow Shrugger recently informed Atlas Shrugs in Brooklyn that Bob Capano has enlisted controversial Democrat and political consultant Dr. Jeffrey Kraus to assist him in his campaign activities, and it is unclear if Kraus has been involved from the beginning.
This all comes just days after the party released email and newspaper endorsements for all candidates except citywide Public Advocate Candidate Alex Zablocki.
I want to remind everyone to vote today!
As for who to vote for, that is your decision ultimately. As Republicans, we are often told (well, the party doesn’t tell us anything, but someone in our family might) to down the line.
I can only speak for myself and tell you that unlike years past, I’m voting my conscience today.
THOMPSON BEATS BLOOMBERG IN BROOKLYN AS ALL BROOKLYN GOP CANDIDATES LOSE IN STUNNING DEFEAT; CHAIRMAN EATON MUST NOW RESIGN
There were those that doubted whether the inadequacies and failures of the Brooklyn GOP were true. There were those that stood by the party establishment and said “it can’t be that bad!”
After tonight, that all changes.
It is beyond doubt now that the Brooklyn GOP is broken and ineffective.
Atlas has crunched the numbers in Brooklyn, and it is clear from the results of the election that absolutely no Brooklyn GOP-backed candidate–not even Mayor Bloomberg!–won in Brooklyn.
As all the newspapers and blogs have reported, as as we reported to you early this morning, Bob Capano lost his bid to unseat Vincent Gentile for a City Council seat. Here is the article from The Brooklyn Paper:
While southwestern Brooklyn is often a political minefield, the expected battle for the City Council seat in the 43rd district never reached that level, with the Democratic incumbent, Vincent Gentile, scoring an easy victory over his Republican opponent, Bob Capano.
Now that the elections results have demonstrated that the party has completely lost in Brooklyn, we have opened a new poll for Atlas readers.
The Atlas Poll asks a very simple question: Should Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig “The Duke” Eaton Resign?
Atlas has received a copy of a press release issued by the 49th Assembly District ’s Fiorello LaGuardia Club. Apparently, at a special meeting of the Fiorello LaGuardia Republican Organization, former Republican Assemblyman Arnaldo A. Ferraro, who previously ran against current failed Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig “The Duke of Bay Ridge” Eaton, issued the following statement:
“In view of the catastrophic election results for the Republican candidates in Brooklyn, I am openly and officially calling for the resignation of Mr. Craig Eaton as Chairman of the Kings County Republican Party. This disastrous election of abysmal proportions by far surpasses any previous election for the candidates of our beloved Party in Brooklyn. His voluntary resignation in front of an Ad Hoc convened and constituted convention would indicate Mr. Eaton’s failing approach in handling the affairs of our Party in Brooklyn, and reflects his lack of experience and expertise in political matters. It would also go a long way in restoring the confidence and loyalty of many good Republicans that have distanced themselves from our Party because of its continuous failures and defeats.
The New York Observer recently posted this story, which is worth a comparative look with a Brooklyn GOP perspective. Here is the article:
How did Queens end up electing three Republicans on Tuesday?
The first was Eric Ulrich, who held his seat in the Howard Beach, Rockaway section, which is pretty blue-collar and the kind of place Rudy Giuliani did well. Which is why the former mayor campaigned there with Republican Eric Ulrich. But Ulrich could have held the seat on his own. He’s young and a talented public speaker who first won the seat in a special election after the front- runner was knocked off the ballot. On Tuesday, Ulrich was helped by the fact that Michael Bloomberg carried the district…
With over 125 votes counted so far, Atlas Readers have uniformly condemned Chairman Craig “The Duke” Eaton in light of the catastrophic loss suffered by the Brooklyn GOP.
Over 90% of readers that have voted would like to see The Duke abdicate his throne. Just around 10 voters so far support Eaton to stay in power.
This Veterans’ Day, Atlas Shrugs in Brooklyn takes a moment to honor the heroic efforts of those who serve and have served our great nation. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Today, take a moment for our veterans, whether it be by thanking those you know, saying a prayer or by charity.
We all must honor the devotion and service of all of our nation’s bravest today.
“Tear Down This Wall”: Atlas Marks 20th Anniversary of the Collapse of the Berlin Wall
As we come to the twenty year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, numerous discussions have arisen over the reasons for the fall, its place in history, and the perspective it provides us for the future. In case you didn’t get to see today’s New York Times, I thought I would share this article with you all about the event and how it is viewed around the world:
The Legacy of 1989 Is Still Up for Debate
PARIS — The historical legacy of 1989, when the Berlin Wall fell and the cold war thawed, is as political as the upheavals of that decisive year.
The events of 1989 spurred a striking transformation of Europe, which is now whole and free, and a reunified Germany, milestones that are being observed with celebrations all over the continent, including a French-German extravaganza Monday evening on the Place de la Concorde.
But 1989 also created new divisions and fierce nationalisms that hobble the European Union today, between East and West, France and Germany, Europe and Russia.
Some of the intensity of those divisions is evident in the tug of war, in both Europe and the United States, over the achievements of 1989 — whether they owe more to the resolute anti-Communism of Ronald Reagan or its inverse, the white-glove embrace of the East by many in Western Europe.
If you’re in business, one of the first things you do after a bad day is try your best to make the most of what happened. Think about any corporation or company. When something devastating happens, the CEO is right out there, reassuring the consumers and the shareholders, managing the crisis and demonstrating leadership.
Yet, after last Tuesday’s election, one would think the party leadership of the Brooklyn GOP spontaneously died or something. Nothing public was announced. Nothing! No email or video statement on the part of…anyone. At least not one that can be easily located. Whether you go to the defunct Brooklyn GOP webpage or the website of Bay Ridge’s favorite son Bob Capano, it’s as though time stood still on Novemeber 2nd.
As a result, a vacuum has formed in the absence of any word from Brooklyn GOP Corp.’s failed CEO, Craig “The Duke of Bay Ridge” Eaton.
I have taken note of the comments that a few of you have made, and I would like to talk about something every GOP reformer in Brooklyn is thinking about: the future.
What things will come? Can the party be saved? Is this the end of the Brooklyn GOP?
Some of you think that the Republican Party is over in Kings County.
That is not so.
The fact is the Brooklyn GOP can be saved and resurrected. It will not be an easy process, but no great task ever is. Let us begin discussing how this must be done.
For those of our readers interested in the continuing developments (or lack thereof) in the Coney Island area, I thought I would alert you to this story in today’s New York Times:
After a year of ultimatums, threats and stop-and-go talks, the Bloomberg administration has agreed to pay $95.6 million to a developer for seven acres in the heart of Coney Island, according to executives on both sides of the negotiations. It is a crucial step forward for the city’s vision of turning the faded and mostly dormant seaside amusement district into an exciting destination reminiscent of its heyday.
The city’s deal with the developer, Joseph J. Sitt, capped a long standoff between the two sides, with each claiming it had the best plan for the revival of the fabled playground, but neither able to bring its plan to fruition in a deadly real estate market.
The city will announce the deal on Thursday, but the reality of a revived Coney Island remains a long way off.
Bruno’s Pearl in Jack’s Oyster House: Albany Corruption At Pol Haunt
The GOP’s former bigwig Joe Bruno, once the State Senate’s divo-in-chief, is currently being tried for his alleged corrupt dealings. The Times has an interesting profile of the former Senator’s supposed activities at a local haunt for Albany politicians. The types of corruption alleged are very serious, and should be carefully considered by any current GOP state senators and any prospective candidates seeking office in Albany. Such corruption has no place in our party.
Here is the story:
ALBANY — For decades, Jack’s Oyster House has been a favored haunt of the capital’s political elite, serving up healthy portions of gossip and deal-making along with its signature dish, sautéed calf’s liver.
But two weeks into the federal corruption trial of Joseph L. Bruno, Jack’s has achieved a less savory distinction. It was over lunch at Jack’s in January 1994 that Mr. Bruno, then a rising Republican member of the State Senate, was first introduced to Wright Investors’ Service, the investment firm that went on to pay him millions of dollars over the years to win business from union pension funds.
Azi Paybarah had this article online on the New York Observer’s website. I thought you would appreciate it, given the chatter on this blog in the past about the 13th Congressional District.
At a press conference at City Hall, supporters of the federal health care legislation that narrowly passed the House this weekend singled out Rep. Mike McMahon for opposing the bill, and said he may have “political problems with his base” if he keeps opposing it.
McMahon, a freshman, is the first Democrat to represent the 13th congressional district, which includes the Staten island and parts of Brooklyn, areas that are notably more conservative than the rest of the city. McMahon’s opposition to the bill is, arguably, a way of holding onto those voters in what could be a tough general election (possibly featuring his predecessor, Republican Vito Fossella).
With over 200 votes counted as of midday today, the Atlas Poll has demonstrated just how frustrated Atlas readers are with Chairman Craig “The Duke” Eaton after the disastrous results of the 2009 elections in Brooklyn.
Over 90% of voters thus far have indicated that Chairman Eaton should resign his chairmanship. Less than 10% believe he should remain.
“Bay Ridge GOP” Used Stealth Tactics, Undermined Sunday Health Care Rally With First Hints of Retaliation
We have received numerous reports from individuals that are deeply disturbed they were not notified of the Brooklyn GOP’s “Rally Against Socialized Healthcare” planned for earlier today.
One fellow reformer said: “I didn’t hear about it until I saw it on Urban Elephants…and I’m on their [the party's] mailing list–or at least I thought I was.”
Another person said, “He [Eaton] took me off the list. I haven’t received an email in months. I’ve been working with this party and have dedicated so much of my life to Brooklyn GOP politics. Eaton has been taking people out that don’t follow lockstep with him.”
All in all, the evidence is mounting that Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig “The Duke of Bay Ridge” Eaton has been cutting people off from receiving information about major party events.
These tactics are diminishing the possibility for healing and reforming the party in the aftermath of the most disastrous election the Brooklyn GOP has seen in decades.
You may recall I previously referred to the Brooklyn GOP website as “a disgrace.” If you log on to their site (Democrats would laugh, Republicans would cry–and then laugh), you’ll understand why. Still, two whole months after I wrote that post, the party has still done nothing to change the site or taken obvious, affirmative steps to do so. At this point, even if they do change it, it seems the damage has already been done.
But now, I can finally smile.
One Brooklyn GOP organization has at long last taken it upon themselves to restore the reputation of Brooklyn Republicans in the internet arena.
That organization is the Brooklyn Young Republican Club, and they have come out swinging against those who thought that reform was dead in Brooklyn. Whether they keep their promise is a separate question, but they have certainly sent a powerful message within just days of launching a new image and a new website.
As Bloomberg and Giuliani Clash on Terror Trials, Brooklyn GOP Establishment Nervously Watches
Sometimes you almost have to feel sorry for our poor failed Chairman Craig “The Duke” Eaton and his Bay Ridge Cabal.
First, Eaton divides the party and fails to heal the wounds from his contentious re-election. Then, he sees the 2009 elections kick the life out of the Brooklyn GOP like never before, having failed to see even one GOP candidate win in Brooklyn.
Now, Eaton, Sen. Marty Golden, and the rest of the Brooklyn GOP “leadership” are caught the in the middle of what is becoming an extremely controversial and high profile debate about 9/11 and the legality of trying terrorists in American courts–more specifically in our home city of New York.
Two men that Eaton and the establishment have supported very openly and publicly–former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and current Mayor Michael Bloomberg–are at odds over what could be the issue of the coming year. But one question remains: what is the Brooklyn GOP’s stand on these trials?
In case you missed Sunday’s Daily News, here is an article about the most recent developments in the race to replace Congressman McMahon in the 13th CD:
Ex-undercover Mafia buster, Michael ‘Mikey Suits’ Grimm, seeks Staten Island congressional seat
Lots of people run for office vowing to clean up Washington, but very few are former FBI undercover agents who have actually put dirty pols,Wall Street fat cats and mobsters in jail.
Meet Michael Grimm, 39, the Republicans’ newest hope for recapturing Staten Island’s congressional seat, won last November by Mike McMahon, the district’s first Democrat in 30 years.
A decorated Marine whose FBI record often reads like a “Sopranos” script, Grimm is unquestionably the only congressional hopeful who’s ever had a fake wise-guy name – “Mikey Suits,” in honor of his always-dapper dress.
Well, it appears Bloomberg alienated a great many individuals and groups in this most recent election, especially after his controversial decision to influence term limits to his benefit. An interesting study was reported in the New York Times about New York’s very important Hasidic community. Check it out:
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg was getting an earful. “He created this crisis so that he can take credit for fixing it and get our votes in exchange,” one commenter wrote on a Brooklyn blog, Vos Iz Neias, Yiddish for “What is News.” Someone else remarked, “I got to my store I got 2 tickets from the Sanitation police. I sure deserved it Bloomie. I will NOT vote for you.”
The writers were reacting to the news late last month that Mr. Bloomberg would restore money for an after-school voucher program that is popular among Orthodox Jewish families. But some scorned the move as blatant political expediency days before the election.
Without question, Mr. Bloomberg was eager to woo the city’s Hasidic Jewish voters. He met behind closed doors with influential rabbis, courted their congregations, and gave an eight-page interview to an Orthodox magazine, describing the challenge of growing up Jewish in an Irish and Italian neighborhood.
Still, his share of the vote fell sharply in Brooklyn’s largest Hasidic enclaves on Nov. 3, and the decline was one of the sharpest among any group of voters.
The soon to be third term Mayor Bloomberg (who unsuccessfully ran as the GOP candidate in Brooklyn but won citywide by a razor-thin margin) must be crestfallen over the City Council’s recent parking fairness doctrine. Here’s the story:
The City Council overwhelmingly approved a bill on Monday that would provide a five-minute grace period to drivers who are late to feed a meter or move their cars on street-cleaning days, setting the stage for a showdown with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who vowed to veto the legislation.
Despite Mr. Bloomberg’s criticism of the measure, which he said was misguided and would lead to chaos, the Council approved it by 47 to 2, a vote well in excess of the two-thirds support needed to override a veto.
Residents have long complained about what they say are overzealous traffic agents who are too eager to write up tickets without offering any opportunity for understanding. Many have come to perceive the agents’ actions as a ploy to raise revenue at a time when the city is short of money.
The grades are in, and they are mixed. Nearly a quarter of the 281 city high schools that received grades for the last two years dropped a grade or so, demonstrating that GOP-backed Mayor Bloomberg’s education developments have been less fruitful than had been hoped. Here’s the story:
In releasing the third annual round of A through F grades for New York City high schools on Monday, the Education Department produced a rather murky picture: The number of schools receiving A’s on the city’s report cards increased this year, but more schools received C’s and D’s. And just one school received an F.
The Bloomberg administration has made the school report cards a central part of its accountability system, and the grades are likely to provoke renewed anxiety among large, struggling high schools in the city, which could be shut down for poor performance. The schools chancellor, Joel I. Klein, has moved to close 28 schools, including 9 high schools, since the city began issuing the grades in 2007.
State education officials have also said that they plan to close the bottom 5 percent of schools statewide to comply with guidelines for a competitive federal grant that will award billions of dollars to states making strong efforts to improve schools.
We’ve received a few emails about the unpublicized Brooklyn GOP event (held in–where else?–Bay Ridge) advertised as a rally against “socialized health care.”
Having drawn a “small crowd,” according to Courier Life, the rally provided little direction about what exactly should be done to address the healthcare debacle. While the GOP’s opposition to the bill is clear, the party seeking to unseat the 13th CD’s Democratic Representative McMahon could not provide any alternative message, it seems, to what has been out there.
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle gave its usual positive coverage to Brooklyn GOP events, calling it a “Teen Led GOP Rally.” This is somewhat misleading, as one emailer disclosed to Atlas that the event was led by one lone high school student (who, the emailer said, was a “better speaker than the GOP establishment figures that attended”). Very few young people actually attended, it seems.
Otherwise, the event was largely uneventful and unsuccessful. This is unsurprising, given the lack of notice provided by the party and its failed Chairman Craig “The Duke of Bay Ridge” Eaton.
In case you haven’t heard already, it is being reported that former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani is not seeking the office of Governor.
Here is the story:
Former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani has decided not to run for governor of New York next year after months of mulling a candidacy, according to people who have been told of the decision.
His decision is a blow to many Republican leaders, who had viewed Mr. Giuliani as the strongest potential candidate in a year in which voter anger and anti-Albany sentiment appeared to be swelling.
With an Eye to Rebuilding The Party, Recent Events Demonstrate Eaton is No Longer Relevant in GOP Politics
In our early months, Atlas was dedicated to reporting to you the problems with our party, how we got to where we are today, and suggestions on how to reform those problems. Then, our focus shifted as a sad state of political events and revelations unfolded during the course of the summer. It became clear that the leadership—failed Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig “The Duke” Eaton—was either ignoring serious problems in our party or was the source of them.
Next came the controversial reelection of Chairman Eaton, which seemingly divided the Brooklyn GOP. For a month, Eaton dedicated himself to Bay Ridge events and ignored the rest of our borough, in spite of having a slate of borough-wide and non-Bay Ridge candidates running.
Finally, came the horrible and tragic elections of this month, which all but shattered the Brooklyn GOP. No GOP backed candidate—not even the Mayor—won in this borough.
After these events, I believe that the following conclusion is clear: Chairman Craig ”The Duke” Eaton is no longer relevant in GOP politics.
Read this on The New York Observer:
ALBANY–So what’s a Rudy Drafter to do now?
“I’ve heard from one of his former commissioners when he was in City Hall that, in fact, Rudy has decided not to run for governor,” said Craig Eaton, the Brooklyn Republican chairman. “I’m disappointed, because I was one of the first people to start that draft Rudy campaign. But there are other qualified candidates out there.”
“I’m disappointed and sorry to hear that he’s not going to be running, but I guarantee that we will have a competitive race,” he said. Rick Lazio is currently the only declared Republican candidate for governor; Erie County Executive Chris Collins is contemplating a run, and his spokesman Grant Loomis said that “when we hear that officially from him then the county executive will take a step back and evaluate a possible run based on what is best for Erie County and the state of New York.”
With Eaton No Longer A Relevant Player in GOP Politics, Atlas Poll Indicates Resignation is His Best Course
As Atlas’ own Francisco D’Anconia makes the case that Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig “The Duke” Eaton is no longer relevant in Brooklyn GOP politics, the Atlas Poll has remained consistent.
Around 94% of voters have made their voice very clear: Chairman Eaton should resign.
The Fiorello LaGuardia Organization, based out of the 49th Assembly District, has issued a press release confirming the rumors swirling around the Brooklyn GOP (aka “Bay Ridge GOP”) and their stealth health care rally last Sunday.
The press release, issued by Dr. Arnaldo Ferraro–who unsuccessfully challenged Brooklyn GOP Chairman _______”The Duke” _______ last September–issued the following strongly worded statement:
