Independence Party snubs Assemblyman McLaughlin

MCLAUGHLIN

 

In his bid for a third term, Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin, R-District 107, is forced to wage a write in campaign for the Independence Party line.

Evidently, the party extended his Democratic opponent, East Greenbush Councilman Phil Malone, permission to run on its line but snubbed McLaughlin for the first time in three election cycles.

 An email sent by Troy Chairman Mark Wojcik asks a number of Republican loyalists to volunteer to collect a second round of signatures on McLaughlin’s behalf. The signatures gathered the first time were specifically for McLaughlin to run on the Independence Party line, but they are null and void without the party giving its permission, known as a Wilson Pakula. McLaughlin will now have until July 13 to collect at least 5 percent of registered Independence Party members within the Assembly District who voted in the last gubernatorial election to force an opportunity to ballot, or write in.

“If you can spare 1 or 2 nights we would really appreciate the extra effort for Steve,” Wojcik wrote.

If McLaughlin does get on the ballot – in the form of an OTB, which opens up the ballot for anyone to write in anyone’s name – he still faces an uphill, if not impossible, battle to win the primary in such a fashion against someone whose name already appears on the machine.

MALONE

The Independence Party – which is independent in name alone and infamous for giving (selling) its line to the candidate (bidder) who can give the most in return – is the third largest party in the state and coveted by any candidate. In the 107^th Assembly District there are 26,011 registered Republicans, 25,096 Democrats and 7,304 Independence Party members with 27,536 not enrolled in any party. There are also 3,734 enrolled Conservatives and 854 enrolled in the Working Families Party.

McLaughlin has had the Independence Party’s endorsement in his two successful bids for Assembly – even in 2010 when he unseated the only enrolled Independence Party member to ever get elected to the Legislature, Tim Gordon of Bethlehem. In other words, the Independence Party stands strong for nothing nearing a platform, value or belief.

CONNOLLY

Statewide, the Independence Party endorses Republicans and Democrats equally depending on which candidate has the best chance of success. But, since the party’s vice chairman is Tom Connolly, of North Greenbush, who a decade or so ago pledged his allegiance to the Democrats but now works for the GOP, there is only one reason a local candidate like McLaughlin didn’t get the line this time around – Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

McLaughlin has been the most vocal Republican Cuomo critic in the state, hitting he governor about everything from the SAFE Act to giving state workers time off to watch the USA play in the World Cup. The Melrose resident toyed with the idea of running for the state’s top elected office earlier his year but opted out and Westchester County Executive Rob Astornio took the plunge instead. McLaughlin, however, continues to make statewide news as the party’s defacto attack dog and is constantly nipping at Cuomo’s heels.

Also, the governor has much more to offer the Independence Party than a Republican from Melrose. And the state Republican Party has more important things to worry about - like trying to get Astorino at least a respectable showing as opposed to getting crushed in a landslide and holding onto a semblance of influence in the Senate.

CUOMO

If nothing else, the potential new ballot dynamic is going to make for an interesting race since Malone, already an elected official, will get the WFP line too and McLaughlin’s write in campaign is a longshot at best. That said McLaughlin is popular in his district. Two years ago he ran against Cheryl Roberts, a popular attorney from Columbia County who was backed by the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee to the tune of $300,000, and he beat her by more than 3,000 votes – but he had the I line. It’s unclear if DACC will throw its considerable resources behind Malone.  

The 107h Assembly District includes the majority of Rensselaer County, nearly half of Columbia County and the towns of Cambridge and White Creek in Washington County.

Sully is no dummy; councilwoman's change of heart is telling

SULLIVAN-TETA

Councilwoman Erin Sullivan-Teta peeled away from her two Democratic colleagues on Monday’s vote to issue subpoenas in the investigation into controversial demolition projects in the city.

I’ve never met Sullivan-Teta, but a week ago she stood by Councilwoman Lynn Kopka, D-At Large, and Councilman Gary Galuski, D-District 6, as Mayor Lou Rosamilia decried the investigation as a “witch hunt.”

Her change of heart is telling.

For starters, it reinforces what everyone involved Capital Region politics already knows – her brother, Mike Sullivan, is no dummy.

WILTSHIRE

Sullivan worked for former U.S. Rep. Mike McNulty for years and is now across the river working for Gov. Andrew Cuomo somewhere. He is a behind the scenes kind of guy but he knows the game as well as anyone – he learned from one of the best, Tom Matthews, after all - and I’ll be my house his consult was one reason his sister changed her mind.

Since Mike Sullivan, known as Sully, is no dummy, he must see the writing on the wall when it comes to Rosamilia. By that I mean the mayor is in such a weak spot on so many different levels that there is no way he runs again.

And if it’s not the mayor, then who from the camp of Chairman Tom Wade is left?

KOPKA

Kopka considered running when the nod went to Clement “Chappy” Campana more than two years ago and she is the next logical choice. But, she isn’t doing herself any favors by opposing the Council investigation into what is widely seen as a couple pretty big screw ups by members of the administration.

Then there is President Rodney Wiltshire. It’s no secret he has political ambitions and is thus far looking pretty good in what is a dicey situation. Thing is, he alienated the Wade crew by taking the Independence Party line from the Republicans and that helped knock Kopka, a Wade loyalist, out of the presidency last year.

ROSAMILIA

So long as Wade is around, I don’t see Wiltshire getting the nod without a primary and he’s said he won’t primary Rosamilia. That was a while ago and things could change. If it comes down to a primary between Kopka and Wiltshire, the early money is on Wiltshire. Obstructing a Council investigation into what has been the most ineffective borderline corrupt administration in nearly two decades is not something to put on a palm card.

And then what happens to Wade?

I guess there are other Democrats who would made decent candidates like Legislator Peter Grimm, Legislator Cindy Doran, a registered Conservative, or even someone from a while ago like former Deputy Mayor Jim Conroy.

WADE

But, Troy voters, the majority of which are Democrats, have proven they will toss entire slates of either party if they don’t like what’s going on and I don’t see how anyone could like what’s going on right now. There are no less than three federal agencies and a state agency snooping around the Collar City.  

At this point he only thing the Democrats have going for them is the Republican Party. They have nobody, and there are some who would just as soon cross endorse Wiltshire instead of taking a pounding at the polls in November 2015.

Anyway, the vote to issue subpoenas passed by a 7-2 count and the method of issuing them passed 6-3 with Councilman Bob Doherty, D-District 4, voting against. Doherty may have a point in that a document signed by the majority of Council members as opposed to a formal public vote might not hold up to legal scrutiny. I honestly don’t know, and I don’t think anyone does until a judge rules, or if it will even goes that far. While I applaud Wiltshire for doing what he is doing, he is making it more complicated than it has to be. That said, he is plugging along.

"Boy," the Independence Party and cross endorsements

To old timers in Rensselaer County politics he’s affectionately known as “Boy.” To state wide politicians he’s known as vice chairman of the powerful Independence Party. To everyday state Senate staffers he’s known as “Who’s that guy?”

Of course, I’m talking about North Greenbush’s own Tom Connolly, who is again making news for alleged campaign finance shenanigans.

CONNOLLY

The reason they call him “Boy” is because he learned the art of political manipulation from legendary Rensselaer County Democratic Party Chairman Ed McDonough. “McDonough’s Boy” was shortened to just “Boy” somewhere along the line.

Since the McDonough days – when Connolly was routinely found “sleeping” on the couch in Democratic Party headquarters and when he gave a painting he stole from the City of Troy to newly elected District Attorney James Canfield – he climbed the party ladder and is now a statewide wheel, or vice chairman.

The last moniker is in reference to Connolly’s jobs in the state Senate. First he worked for Sen. Karl Krueger, a Democrat from Brooklyn with close ties to the GOP, making six figures as a “special project coordinator.” If anyone can tell me what a guy Rensselaer County knows about setting up special projects for a senator from Brooklyn please drop me a line. I’m told he is hardly ever at the Capitol or the LOB so either he was always in Brooklyn setting up special events or his salary could be tacked onto what the Independence Party line is worth.

After the Haggerty fiasco – and before Krueger pleaded guilty to accepting bribes – Connolly got fired and now works for state Sen. Phil Boyle, a Republican from Long Island, making $75,000 a year. One would think the Republicans may want the Independence Party’s backing to ensure they remain relevant in the Senate, but only a cynic would think Connolly’s job had anything to do with that.

This time Connolly finds himself in the crosshairs of Gov. Andrew Cuomo - who might want the Senate to stay status quo - and his Moreland Commission. While there are some questions with the commission appointed to weed out corruption in the state Legislature, it did find some compelling evidence to suggest the GOP was padding the Independence Party housekeeping account to use on individual campaigns. Using those accounts in such a way is illegal, but it’s a section of Election Law ignored by many and enforced by none.

To briefly re-cap, the commission found that the stat GOP “donated” more than $350,000 to the Independence Party housekeeping account, which in turn presumably spent it to lambaste Democratic candidates for state Senate during the 2012 election. E-mails between Connolly and a GOP operative indicate there is in the least collusion between the two parties though they do fall short of saying where the money actually came from to pay for the ads – the party’s housekeeping account or another account from which money can legally be spent on campaigns.

Yes, there are donation thresholds and other complexities supposedly targeted by the Moreland Commission and reformers across the board but they are beyond the scope of this post. One simple reform the state could accomplish with little or no controversy is abolishing the ability of minor parties to endorse major party candidates.

As I have written before, the party is little more than a money and power grabbing sham that tricks people into voting on the line because of a catchy name. And it’s not much different than the Working Families Party or the Conservative Party. Depending on your ilk, voters may want to see themselves as independent, part of a working family or conservative so they enroll or vote on that line not knowing any better. The WFP and Conservatives may have a philosophical bent to stand on but still rarely run their own candidates. The Independence Party, on the other hand, really stands for nothing.

Just think, without the ability to cross endorse candidates, the four-year long voter fraud scandal would not have happened in Rensselaer County. It cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to of public money to investigate and prosecute and who knows how much the individual players paid out. Wait … it provided me with nearly endless fodder for nearly four years so by all means, keep cross endorsements alive and well in New York state – it keeps lawyers and journalists in business.