by Matt, July 3rd, 2008 at 07:24am
…comes from Hillary Clinton’s remarks in Syracuse yesterday:
“It’s wonderful. It is so wonderful. It was the only part of campaigning that was kind of challenging. I really missed New York. I missed actually, physically being in the state and having a chance to see my friends and see a lot of what I care about around the state. So I’m back doing work that I love, and I feel very good about what we are going to be able to accomplish..”
by Matt, July 2nd, 2008 at 12:59pm
Business First reports on his prediction:
Despite New York’s political reputation as Democratic stronghold, the head of Sen. John McCain’s Empire State presidential campaign team believes the Arizona Republican can win the state, including Upstate and Western New York.
Edward Cox, a partner in the New York law firm of Patterson Belknap Webb & Tylerand son-in-law of former President Nixon, made that prediction during a meeting at Business First.
Cox was in Buffalo to take part in a fund raiser for Christoper Lee, who is running for the suburban Republican congressional seat currently held by Rep. Tom Reynolds, who is retiring, and to meet with McCain supporters as prelude to the candidate’s scheduled July 21 day-long visit to the region.
Cox said when Sen. Barack Obama became the presumptive Democratic Party nominee in this year’s presidential race, edging out U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, that changed the race’s dynamics.
“New York is more in play now with Obama than it would have been with Mrs. Clinton,” Cox said. “Obama is much more of a mystery (to Buffalo).”
While many will probably write this off as wishful thinking, the story does note that Obama only has a mere 6-point lead in the polls for New York. The state could very well end up in play this year as voters learn more about Obama and his positions and recognize his total lack of experience and qualifications. Considering Obama’s resume is so thin that he has to embellish his own credentials, I can see things looking significantly better for McCain in November, not just in battleground states, but states normally considered safe for Democrat candidates, like New York.
by Matt, June 30th, 2008 at 10:29pm
I got back from the Chris Lee for Congress fundraiser at the Buffalo-Niagara Marriott in Amherst a little while ago. It was a big event with lots of people and campaign officials tell me it was a huge success.
Yours truly was in attendance at the fundraiser for both the VIP Meet & Greet and the reception that followed.
There were quite a few local party leaders and Republican candidates there this evening, and I was fortunate to meet quite a few of them. Jim Domagalski, chairman of the Erie County Republican Party, Henry F. Wojtaszek, chairman of the Niagara County Republican Party, and Ed Cox, the New York State chairman of Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign.
As for the candidates, I had really good conversations with Dan Humiston, who’s running for congress in the 27th District (my district) and Detective Dennis Delano, candidate for the State Senate.
Also there this evening was Congressman Tom Reynolds. There were a lot of people who wanted to speak with him, so I only talked to him briefl
y, but I expect to be conducting an interview with him for The Buffalo Bean sometime in the near future.
Of course, the man of the hour was Chris Lee. Congressman Reynolds introduced Lee to the VIP Meet & Greet, praising him for “understanding Western New York and its values.” He called Lee a “new voice in the next generation of leadership,” and after describing Lee’s background in business and his family, said that Lee “brings strong conservative values and principles to the aspect of what [being in Congress] needs and is about.”
Later, at the reception, Reynolds once again introduced Chris Lee to the larger crowd. He began by saying that he truly believes the saying that “all politics is local” and that he practiced that his entire career. He explained, “Chris Lee brings [in his life experience] … an experience of business, [and] a native aspect of being a Western new Yorker,” and of being the father of a three-year-old.
Reynolds hinted at the success of the fundraiser by revealing that it was “a record setting fundraiser for an inaugural candidacy for anyone running for the United States House of Representatives.”
Then he welcome the next congressman for the 26th district, Chris Lee.
Flattered by the large crowd and enormous enthusiasm, Chris Lee promised to work for the people of his district, he recognized that the people in this room that he’d be working for, “you’re paying my salary if I’m fortunate enough to get there.”
“The partisan bickering that goes on in Washington is at an all time high,” Lee explained, “and at the end of the day what people want are decisions to be made, though decisions, and it doesn’t matter what side of the aisle you are or what party you represent. We gotta get things accomplished in Washington. People are frustrated and they want real change. They want true accountability…”
“If you listen to people, you find the answers.” He told the crowd.
Donate to Chris Lee’s campaign today!
UPDATE: Joe Illuzzi from PoliticsNY.net was also there and he’s posted a write up of the event as well.
by Matt, June 29th, 2008 at 03:50pm
Jon Powers, the self-described fiscal conservative, has received the endorsement of the New York State AFL-CIO.
Democratic congressional hopeful Jon Powers received a major boost to his campaign Friday when the New York State AFL-CIO took the unusual step of offering an “early endorsement” to his candidacy.
“As a result of Jon’s long-standing commitment to the ideals of working people, he has received substantial support within the local labor movement in the 26th Congressional District,” state AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes said.
It is expected the state federation will coordinate an aggressive grass-roots field operation and initiate mailings, phone bank operations, work site fliers and door-to-door visits to union households on behalf of the candidate.
Well, there’s another special interest Jon Powers will be beholden to if he wins.
by Matt, June 29th, 2008 at 03:06pm
Wow, after all that, Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch will get a mere $100 fine for his hit-and-run “accident.”
Bills running back Marshawn Lynch’s actions showed “a reckless disregard of human life or property,” an administrative law judge ruled today in revoking Lynch’s driver’s license and accepting his guilty plea in a May 31 hit-and-run accident.
During an approximately six-minute hearing in the Traffic Violations Bureau downtown, Judge Thomas L. Gagola also fined Lynch the maximum $100 for the traffic infraction of failing to use due care toward a pedestrian. Lynch also paid a $50 surcharge.
“I will, under these circumstances, impose the maximum fine of $100,” Gagola announced from the bench, before revoking Lynch’s New York license and his vehicle registration.
“He is not to drive in New York State until he is authorized to do so,” Gagola said.
Lynch’s full statement can be view here. Of course, his license will only be temporarily “revoked.” So, I’m sure we all can’t wait for him to one day be driving on the road again.
by Matt, June 26th, 2008 at 11:10pm
Wow, now that she’s effectively ended her campaign Hillary Clinton is actually doing something for the city of Buffalo.
In a letter sent to David Ogrean, the Executive Director of USA Hockey, Inc., Senator Clinton enthusiastically supported our fair Buffalo as a potential candidate for hosting the 2011 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Under-20 World Championships.
Senator Clinton highlighted Buffalo’s charm with shout-outs to Shea’s, the Zoo, nightlife, the Albright-Knox, Niagara Falls, and many more. Adding to Buffalo’s credentials, Senator Clinton did not fail to mention the great success the city has had in hosting other large-scale events. Events such as the recent Winter Classic, along with the NCAA basketball tournament, New York’s Empire State Games, The World University Games, the NCAA Frozen Four, and the National Hockey League Entry Draft.
In her letter, Senator Clinton states, “Given its location, amenities, and enthusiastic hockey fans, I believe Buffalo, New York is the ideal location for the 2011 IIHF Under 20 World Championships.”
OF course, after the bloody campaign she’s been through, with the Clinton Brand virtually destroyed, I’m not sure Hillary’s the one to be fighting on behalf of Buffalo.
by Matt, June 26th, 2008 at 01:08pm
And I’m sure this makes Jon Powers and his supporters upset:
Millionaire congressional candidates like Jack Davis cannot be treated differently under campaign finance laws than less wealthy candidates, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled this morning.
Deciding Davis’ challenge to the so-called “Millionaire’s Amendment,” which loosens fundraising restrictions on candidates facing off against self-funded opponents, the high court agreed with Davis that the amendment infringes on the First Amendment rights of wealthy candidates.
“The unprecedented step of imposing different contribution and coordinated party expenditure limits on candidates vying for the same seat is antithetical to the First Amendment,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the court’s majority opinion.
The justices voted 5-4 on the issue of the constitutionality of the Millionaire’s Amendment, with Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas joining in the opinion.
Other justices concurred with the majority’s opinion that Davis had standing to bring the case, but argued in dissents that the Millionaire’s Amendment is constitutional.
“The Millionaire’s Amendment represents a modest, sensible and plainly constitutional attempt by Congress to minimize the advantages enjoyed by wealthy candidates vis-a-vis those who must rely on the support of others to fund their pursuit of public office,” Justice John Paul Stevens wrote in a dissent that was joined by Justices David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer.
The amendment allows the opponents of candidates who contribute more than $350,000 of their own money to their campaigns to raise $6,900 — three times the typical limit — from individual donors.
UPDATE: Shortly after I posted this, I got another solicitation from the Powers campaign:
Dear Matt,
Today the Supreme Court struck down the ‘millionaire’s amendment’ which was intended to prevent millionaires from buying their own seats in Congress.
Jon’s opponent has said he will pay $3 Million to run against Jon. With the Court ruling today in favor of millionaires, there is nothing stopping our opponent from writing his own check now. Jon’s opponent also released his financial disclosure form which revealed he owns up to $35 million in Big Oil and energy stocks. This is just more of the same. Our opponent is running to represent Big Oil, not the people of the 26th district.
Of course, the plea for money is misleading. Davis has pledged to use $3 million of his own money for the congressional race… not $3 million specifically to oppose Powers.
