This story was recently forwarded to me by our of our contacts. It is from SI Live and was posted this past Sunday. I thought I’d share it with you, given our prior coverage of the 13th CD race:
While some locals complained that GOP congressional candidate Mike Allegretti’s campaign kickoff last week was too heavy with Brooklynites, Staten Island types like GOP chairman John Friscia were in attendance.
Funny, we didn’t see Friscia at Republican Mike Grimm’s kickoff event the other week.
Thank You, Fellow Reformers.
Developing Story: Irrelevant Eaton “Hungry For Glory” As Democrat Kruger “Resolved” To Praise Him
(“The Duke” poses with his buddies: Catholic Bishop DiMarzio and Democrat Marty Markowitz)
Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig “The Duke of Bay Ridge” Eaton, whom this blog’s commentator Francisco D’Anconia branded as “no long relevant,” is apparently getting a chance to bask in a new bit of perceived glory. In fact, one emailer who is close to the establishment has referred to him as “hungry for glory.”
Now, Democratic State Senator Carl Kruger is putting forth the following “resolution” to commend The Duke for his community service award being bestowed upon him by St. Mark’s Parish Community.
Here is the resolution:
As you know, The Golden Prince (aka Sen. Marty Golden) has been a subject of interest on this blog recently. Well, we were recently emailed a letter from a concerned constituent of Marty Golden’s who had found our blog as asked if we could share it with you. I think the letter speaks for itself and sums up local criticism for the Senator in a way I cannot myself. For privacy concerns, we have shielded the writer’s identity.
As such, here is the letter (I’ve taken the liberty to bold and emphasize certain parts–hyperlinks for example):
Charles Schumer, politico extraordinaire of the Left, is now facing some not so comfortable criticism here in New York.
Here’s the story from the Times:
The usually unavoidable-for-comment, if-it’s-Sunday-here-is-my-press-release senior senator from New York is being a little tetchy about going on the record.
Senator Charles E. Schumer has had a not-so-hot run recently. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg accused him of failing to deliver enough federal health care dollars for New York, and the city’s titans of finance at a recent closed-door meeting accused him of being insufficiently pro-Wall Street; one indignant fellow stood up and demanded his donation back.
With nearly 100,000 visitors so far, I am happy to report Atlas Shrugs in Brooklyn has done very well for itself these past six months. Thanks to all of you for your continued support!
What does it say when you’re one check away from disaster?
Most Americans feel that kind of insecurity is something too dificult to handle. The thought of living paycheck to paycheck is scary.
For the Brooklyn GOP, that feeling is a reality.
Looking at the money the local party raised, one has to marvel at how little control the party leadership–Chairman Craig “The Duke of Bay Ridge” Eaton–has over its own destiny. Based on its financial disclosures, it’s no wonder the party sold itself to Bloomberg last year with such gusto. Bloomberg was the party’s only meal ticket.
(“It’s a new year,” as Golden shakes hands with Sen. Hiram Monserrate)
Our unscientific poll of our readers has thus far demonstrated that Sen. Marty Golden’s performance has not been very well perceived.
As you know, some of my colleagues have taken issue with Senator Marty Golden of Bay Ridge (aka The Golden Prince), who has, at the very least, engaged in some questionable non-Republican behavior as of late. He has appeared at an ACORN rally with controversial activist Bertha Lewis and has endorsed a liberal Democrat in the 44th City Council race over Young Republican leader Jonathan Judge.
Guest Commentary: Endorsement of Liberal Greenfield By Golden and Kassar Raises Serious Questions
I was asked by my friends at Atlas to investigate the mounting questions about the 44th City Council race. Because of this, I’ve been taking a close look at David Greenfield’s webpage. He’s the man Marty Golden and a few sycophantic politicians have endorsed. Most recently, Conservative Party Chieftan Jerry Kassar threw his weight behind Greenfield. But, after looking at Greenfield’s positions more closely, I am at a loss to understand why these two people (Golden and Kassar) have endorsed this character.
Firstly, without saying anything else, he’s a Democrat. He’s not a Conservative. He’s not a Republican. He’s not even a good Libertarian. He’s a stinking Democrat.
Yep, you heard right.
But even forgetting that, there is nothing particularly conservative or Republican about his “platform.” In fact, let’s talk about some of the campaign issues this liberal Democrat has “taken on.”
Education is a very big issue in New York, especially given the economic circumstances and the possibility of budget decreases in the near future. As such, I thought I’d share this article from the Times’ webpage about charter schools and what the future holds for them:
Next year will be the biggest year of growth yet for New York’s charter schools, with 29 due to open in New York City alone. But Seth Andrew, the founder of Democracy Prep, a successful charter middle school in Harlem, is already starting to turn his focus to another state. The political environment in New York, he fears, is shifting.
This month, a bill to double the number of charter schools ended in deadlock in Albany. Political opposition is nothing new for such schools, but this defeat was particularly jarring, coming even as other states have loosened restrictions on charter schools to improve their chances for a share of $4 billion in federal grant funds in the competition known as the Race to the Top. As the Race to the Top deadline came and went, New York did not act.
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.
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.
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.
The New York Times is reporting that the final legal challenge to the Atlantic Yards project has been defeated. Here is the story:
The last major obstacle to a groundbreaking for the $4.9 billion Atlantic Yards development in Brooklyn fell Tuesday when New York’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, dismissed a challenge to the state’s use of eminent domain on behalf of the developer, Bruce C. Ratner.
Mr. Ratner, whose 22-acre development has been delayed for three years by a flurry of lawsuits, the collapse of the credit and real estate markets and a glut of luxury housing, plans to begin selling tax-free bonds next month to finance the development’s cornerstone project: an 18,000-seat basketball arena for the New Jersey Nets at the intersection of Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues near downtown.
The Court of Appeals ruled that the state could exercise eminent domain in seizing the 22 acres, much of which sits within an urban redevelopment area, for Atlantic Yards. Critics of the project had argued that eminent domain on behalf of a private developer was improper and a violation of the state’s Constitution.
Well, things aren’t looking good for Russell Gallo.
The former campaign manager for City Council candidate Bob Capano and one-time aide to Sen. Marty Golden (aka “The Golden Prince”) remains in hot water for the comments he allegedly made under a false name here on Atlas Shrugs in Brooklyn.
After emailing Mr. Gallo, I am personally convinced that Mr. Gallo and the person who impersonated Brooklyn Young Republican President Jonathan Judge on this website are one in the same.
I just checked the viewer stats for Atlas, and I must confess, they are excellent.
In just the past few days, our unique hits have been in the thousands. I like to update you all periodically to remind you that we are many and we are not alone in our movement for reform and to restore our faltering party in Brooklyn.
I say so not to aggrandize myself or Atlas but to emphasize how this website is driven by all of you and your followship. Together, we have brought attention to the problems in our party and made change just by voicing our opinions and speaking our minds.
Bay Ridge Cabal Bankrupting Party: Disclosure Reports Detail Bank Account Empty in Wake of Severe Mismanagement
The Bay Ridge Cabal is designing its own self-imposed recession by spending massive quantities of money in further mismanagement of party funds, recent disclosure reports detail.
As a result, it seems the party is begging district leaders and other willing participants for a bailout to fill one of their accounts, which the party cleaned out this past year on frivolous expenditures.
The other account–once chock-full of Bloomberg money from the Mayor’s earlier purchase of a Wilson Pakula vote from the GOP–is dwindling and will likely dwindle even more when the receipts from the Brooklyn GOP’s much hyped holiday dinner come in.
The Best of Atlas: Atlas Contributors Choose their Favorite Posts of 2009 – Midas Mulligan
As we all pause to rest and recollect on the past year, your fellow Atlas writers, myself included, would like to share with you our favorite posts of 2009.
My favorite post was actually divided into two parts. It was Francisco D’Anconia’s two posts about the Brooklyn GOP County Committee Convention this past September. Up until recently, they were both the most read post on Atlas. I have merged them together for your convenience. This post continues to remind me of the serious issues of leadership facing our party and the threats to its security if we do not succeed in reforming it and cleaning out the flotsam. As we enter the new year, this post reminds us of why this party remains divided and the challenges we face in unifying it again…
As Vito Takes to the Airwaves, Bob Grant Says Staten Island is “Looking Forward” to Welcoming Him Back to Congress
“Vito Fossella: former congressman, and, I hope, one day, current congressman, I want to thank you…”
No, that line’s not from years past, folks.
The place is the Bob Grant Show on WABC. The speaker is Bob Grant. The date is December 27, 2009.
After disconnecting his call with Fossella, Grant stated:
Vito Fossella, ladies and gentleman…I have many, many friends and acquaintances, many contacts in Staten Island, and, I’ll tell you, Staten Island is looking forward to welcoming back Vito to the United States Congress…
It looks like the 13th Congressional race just got a whole lot more interesting…
In my last substantive piece, I discussed with you how the Brooklyn GOP’s disclosure reports demonstrated just how ridiculously mismanaged the party’s finances were this year. You saw how the party went from having over 20k in the bank to a mere $754.09.
Based on that, I told you that what this party needs is a dedicated financial plan–nothing complex or requiring an advanced degree–just a system that ensures that the party is actually serious about supporting its candidates. Candidates will never look to the party (and often don’t) if the party is running in and out of insolvency over the course of the year. And the party rarely volunteers to give money unless it has an agenda.
While I had originally planned on a post setting rules and guidelines for the Brooklyn GOP’s spending, I opted instead to write a series of posts on the Brooklyn GOP’s finances, much like my colleague Francisco D’Anconia’s And Then There Were None series. You’ll remember I began examining the party’s expenses back in the summer of 2009, when Atlas first started. Since that time, The Duke of Bay Ridge, Chairman Eaton, was reelected under a cloud of party division and we had seriously wounding November elections.
On behalf of my colleagues here at Atlas Shrugs in Brooklyn, I want to thank everyone who has come to our blog in the past few months. You are what makes this party great. Let’s continue to work toward reform and success in 2010!
This past October, I discussed how The Bay Ridge Cabal of the Brooklyn GOP was directing all party events to its local domain. In fact, it has been common knowledge for some time that the Brooklyn GOP is synonymous with Bay Ridge.
But we’ve come to realize here at Atlas Shrugs in Brooklyn that the network of Bay Ridge mavens is even more extensive than the party leadership itself. All of the major players in this network have one glaring connection, one link that stands out above all else.
They are all members of the Bay Ridge society known as The Cathedral Club. And as we’ve come to learn through our research, their tentacles likely run as far north as Bruce Ratner’s Atlantic Yards and Borough Hall, forming a multi-million dollar indirect consortium that connects charities with politicians.
Urban Elephants recently informed us readers of their blog that “Councilman Simcha Felder, one of the many conservative Democrats in City Hall may soon step aside and free up the seat” in the 44th City Council District. That has since been confirmed. Now, it seems, Brooklyn Young Republican Jonathan J. Judge will be seeking Felder’s seat. Now, this endorsement was recently sent out by the Fiorello LaGuardia Republican Organization:
At a recent special Leadership meeting of the Fiorello LaGuardia Republican Organization, Jonathan J. Judge, President of the Brooklyn Young Republican Club announced his candidacy for City Council in the 44th Councilmanic District in the upcoming Special Election.
“My neighbors and I have been deeply concerned about the direction in which our city and community is heading. Too many of our representatives in City Hall have stopped listening to the people on many key issues. These tough times require constant vigilance and someone who knows how city government works to keep our district running at its best for everyone. It is time for a true public servant to step up for the people of our district. My experience working in government and with our diverse community over the better part of the last decade would be a tremendous asset to our community as our City Council Member. Therefore, after much consideration and many kind phone calls and emails, I have decided to seek election to the New York City Council in the 44th District.”
44th City Council Race Presents Golden With Unique Opportunity to Send a Signal of Unity
Sometimes, politics presents the most interesting scenarios.
Take the 44th City Council race for example. Out of the blue, the exit of Councilman Simcha Felder could be exactly what the Brooklyn GOP needs to start to reconstitute itself from last year’s sadder happenings and divisions.
Jonathan Judge, a one-time critic of the current leadership of the Brooklyn GOP, is now running for the vacated seat. He was even once evaluated by this blog to be chairman of the party.
But Judge’s prior criticism of the party leadership in September at the County Committee Convention might be water under the bridge–or is it? You see, just before his announcement, State Senator Marty Golden endorsed a Democrat for that seat, David Greenfield. It’s unclear whether Golden was aware that Judge, also the Brooklyn Young Republican organization’s President, was running.
If not, Judge’s run might be just what the Senator needs to establish that unity is possible in the Brooklyn GOP after last year’s difficult losses and divisions.
But the pressure is on. But by not supporting Judge, it seems, the party would be in for quite a ride.
DEVELOPING STORY: In Stealthy Last Minute Release, The Bay Ridge Cabal Will Host Republican Candidates for Governor
In a stealth move that no one saw coming, the Brooklyn GOP will be hosting the two major candidates for the Republican nomination for New York State governor. Former Congressman Rick Lazio and County Executive Chris Collins will speak at the Bay Ridge Manor of State Senator Marty Golden (aka The Golden Prince)
We here at Atlas were surprised to learn about this fact, since the announcement that the two candidates would appear was released the DAY BEFORE Lazio and Collins are expected to appear. The release was sent by email from the Brooklyn Young Republican Organization, which was forwarded to us not long ago.
In what seems to be either a late, haphazard notice from the party or a a sudden, last-minute decision to host the candidates, the Bay Ridge GOP leadership has opened the Bay Ridge Manor to the public.
I continue to be amazed by how inept the Brooklyn GOP leadership remains. At their recent pow wow in, of all places, Bay Ridge–where else?–the Bay Ridge Cabal met with an astoundingly low turnout to welcome Rick Lazio and Chris Collins to the borough.
With some e-mailers telling us the number of attendees was as low as 30 and some saying it was as only as many as 40, the Bay Ridge GOP failed to amass a group of spectators at the Lazio/Collins meeting worthy of a gubernatorial election.
Also, rumor has it irrelevant Chairman _______ “The Duke of Bay Ridge” _______ of the Cathedral Club went off on a member of the Brooklyn Young Republicans with the belief that she would be reporting to the blogs about what took place.
Careless Conservative Chieftain Kassar Attacks Atlas (Sort Of…) in Brooklyn Spectator–Thanks!
Well, we’re flattered!
On behalf of my colleagues, I would like to thank Conservative Party Chairman Jerry Kassar for subtly going after Atlas Shrugs in Brooklyn in a recent story he wrote in the Brooklyn Spectator periodical.
In a piece that said more about the state of the Conservative Party than about…whatever it is he was trying to say, Kassar uses delicate overtures to go after Atlas while discussing the 44th City Council race.
The recent financial disclosures of the Brooklyn GOP are so remarkably telling, it will take a whole series of posts to fully detail just what they all mean. But I’m leaving that to my colleague Hank Rearden.
To me, one of the biggest and most egregious facts we’ve learned today is that the Brooklyn GOP has continued to give thousands to Party Warlock and Merlin of Malice Gerry O’Brien, a man who has done nothing but incite controversy in the party. This all without an investigation into Mr. O’Brien’s alleged actions last summer.
The following was printed in Courier Life:
Democrat poised to take out Golden
State Senator Marty Golden – the borough’s lone Republican in its Albany delegation — may have had no opponent the last couple of go-rounds. But, this year, it’s looking increasingly likely that his name will not be the only one on the ballot in the 22nd Senatorial District.
Bay Ridge Democrat Brian Kieran, who was recently elected vice chair of Community Board 10, told this paper that he is seriously considering taking Golden on.
We were notified by a fellow emailer that the Brooklyn Young Republicans will be hosting 13th Congressional District candidate Mike Grimm.
This comes months after Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig “The Duke of Bay Ridge”Eaton exclaimed: Well, let me tell you, ladies and gentlemen, next year, we’re going to run our own horse in that race… Mike Allegretti….
Fellow Republicans paying attention to the NY Senate race should take not of this recent poll:
There’s an old political axiom: You can’t beat somebody with nobody. At least not in real life. But nobody comes pretty close in a new Rasmussen Reports survey of one of New York’s two U.S. Senate races this year.
Thirty-nine percent (39%) of likely voters favor incumbent Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, while 34% opt for an unnamed generic Republican candidate. Ten percent (10%) favor former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr., now a Manhattan investment banker. Seventeen percent (17%) are undecided.
A “Golden” Opportunity Squandered As Conservative Party Endorses Democrat In 44th City Council Race
First we saw State Senator Marty Golden endorse a Democrat (again) for the 44th City Council Race just months after attending an ACORN rally.
Now, his employee Jerry Kassar, who also happens to be the Chairman of the Conservative Party in Brooklyn, is endorsing that same Democrat in the Special Election to replace Simcha Felder.
This comes after Mr. Kassar made blind intimations that Mr. Judge was a contributor to Atlas Shrugs in Brooklyn (which we have denied).
This week, controversial moves on the part of New York State Republican Chairman Ed Cox have drawn him into the spotlight. Specifically, he has been criticized for meeting with Long Island Democrat Steve Levy to discuss a potential run for governor:
State GOP chairman Ed Cox confirmed this morning his recent meeting with Democratic Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, who is considering a run for governor, saying Levy has impressed some GOP chairmen and that “we’re going to consider all potential candidates for all positions.”
Well, another Southern-bred politician is standing in our backyard preaching politics. First, it was Madame Clinton of Chappaqua. Now, it’s Harold Ford Jr.
The Tennessean-turned-New-Yorker recently wrote a piece in The New York Times affirming that the recent election of Scott Brown was, in fact, nothing more than a repudiation of the president’s first-year ambitions.
Then, following the publication of his piece, he said of his competition for U.S. Senate, Sen. Gillibrand, that New Yorkers don’t need “parakeets” as their leaders. Looks like the gloves are off in this battle of the Democrats.
DEVELOPING STORY: New Democratic Challenger Steps Into The Fray to Face Golden Prince
I guess it’s true what they say: when it rains, it pours.
With one candidate already announced against State Senator, now a young Democrat has declared he’ll also challenge the Senator. His reason? The Senator has fallen “out of touch with the issues of the middle class.”
So it seems that Golden, who has not been challenged in either a primary or general election since 2002, will now face one of two potential Democratic challengers this year. This all begs the question (or indeed “the question begs”): is Senator Golden’s assumed political omnipotence dissolving?
The answer appears to be yes.
Well, it’s an election year, and we’re always interested in your opinion.
Recently, some of my colleagues have taken issue with Senator Marty Golden of Bay Ridge (aka The Golden Prince), who has, at the very least, engaged in some questionable non-Republican behavior as of late.
Recognizing that the Senator is up for reelection this year, we wanted to gauge your opinion of him using the Atlas Poll.
Times are tough in New York, we all know. Now, the budget is about to reflect the times even more.
Here’s the story from the Times:
Declaring grimly that the city’s finances were “between a rock and a hard place,” Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg unveiled a $63 billion budget proposal Thursday that would eliminate 20 fire companies, increase commercial parking rates in Manhattan by 50 cents and close swimming pools and a 24-hour homeless drop-in center.
Another story I hope you all saw was Bloomberg’s recent terror trial flip-flop. Maybe he was reading back posts of Atlas and decided to make the change 
.
Or, more likely, he saw the poll numbers and the increasing skepticism of the Obama Administration’s plan to try terrorists in civilian courts.
Whatever the reason, the change was noticed:
The Obama administration on Wednesday lost its most prominent backer of the plan to try the self-described mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks in Lower Manhattan when Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said the trial should not be held in New York City.
Since before the new year started, the readers of Atlas expressed their personal hopes for the party in 2010 in our prior Atlas poll.
With over 400 votes having been cast, the Atlas Poll demonstrates two major issues top our readers’ priorities for the Brooklyn GOP. As you may recall, this is largely unchanged from the trends that presented themselves from the very beginning.
We’ve been fortunate to have such a faithful following since our little blog started almost a half a year ago. In fact, next Thursday will mark the six month anniversary of Atlas Shrugs in Brooklyn.
I just wanted to say that the winter has been good to us in terms of viewers. Some days we have well over one thousand unique hits. In the past week alone, we’ve had almost 10,000 visitors.
Not bad for a little local Brooklyn blog.
As always, my colleagues and I wish to thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts with us. We have many important events coming up in the coming year, and there is so much work to be done for our party to be cleansed and restored.
Given all that, just want to offer a preview of what’s coming in the next few weeks.
