Of course, when I made this same point about Tedisco last week, you and Ali told me I was being partisan. You see, the system itself is corrupt and illegitimate. Promoting someone from the system to another position of power is just plain dumb.

Have you read the Brennan Center report? I think it’s interesting that you point out that “Democrats rushed passage of the state budget without adequate debate”, when the better point is that we haven’t had honest and open debate on the budget in nearly forty years, regardless as to who is in power. Up until last year, Republicans controlled two of the three men in a room and no significant reform happened during that time period. Nor will it happen now, because they would rather have the citizenry haggle over the minuscule differences between New York Republicans and Democrats than agree and demand a slate of transparency and legislative reforms.

Making this a partisan argument does it a disservice, I think we can all agree that the system is incredibly broken here and both parties are equally responsible. Until we agree on that, no progress can be made.

2. Dennis Delano refused to speak with the press, refused to debate Stachowski, and refused even to be interviewed for the Buffalo News’ endorsement process. Why on earth should someone elect a candidate who can’t answer questions posed to him by voters, the media, or his opponent. Given what a longtime hack Stachowski is, it should have been easy pickings. It took special effort for Delano to blow his lead. Nice work there.

3. I am a registered Democrat, and lean Democratic but am essentially a centrist. I know you don’t comment on my site, but evidently you read it, so you’re aware that many of the views that I hold are not dissimilar from any typical Republican’s. One of the most important and biggest endorsements I ever made on my site was to elect Kevin Helfer mayor of Buffalo in 2005. Feel free to look it up. I’ve also taken sides occasionally in Republican races, picking DiPietro over Volker. Volker - incidentally, who has been in the State Senate since probably before you were born, and has nothing at all to show for it. Volker, incidentally, who - when he was in the majority last year - had a staff with an annual budget of $1 million.

Where, Matt, was your indignant outrage over Volker’s $1 million staff? Or is your outrage reserved only for Democratic malfeasance?

Because over at my site, where all I do is supposedly lick Democrats’ taints, I commented on the Stachowski staffer issue yesterday. I also criticized the spending in the state budget, and of the budget deal struck by Silver, Paterson, and Smith, I posted disapprovingly of it and commented that the budget was “as broken as the process that shat it out.”

That budget news came out just a few days after the anti-Albany tea party that you attended. The only thing you’ve posted about despite all the horrific news coming out of Albany is one thing with Stack’s staff that is, in the end, the same stuff your Volker’s been up to for ages.

So, that’s several posts just in the past few days where I have specifically disagreed and criticized something that my party is responsible for. Yet you posted three items in the past 7 days, one of which was Tea Party, one of which was Tedisco (who is equally hacky and wasteful a spender as Stackowski, Volker, or Silver, yet you supported willingly and enthusiastically), and now this. Apart from critiquing Delano’s campaign, I have yet to see you express disagreement with a Republican on much anything substantive.

If you’re gonna lecture anyone on being a party hack, it’d be helpful not to be such a party hack.

Dennis Delano did run a bad campaign. There were plenty of mistakes made… he was leading in the polls for a while, until Stachowski ran a smear campaign against him.

Ironically, you were critical of Dale Volker for how he attacked Konst… which wasn’t all that different from how Stachowski smeared Delano. You also supported Joe Mesi, who was arguably a poor candidate given his lack of knowledge on the issues… funny how certain qualities in some candidates are unforgivable, but in others is excusable… it just so happens the ones who get a pass from you are all in your party. At least admit that. To deny it would be intellectually dishonest of you.

I didn’t realize that Stachowski had free reign to be ineffective and useless since he didn’t get finance chair. Do you use the same excuse for Republicans who aren’t in leadership positions? Give me a break.

Again, it is time to be honest with yourself. That may be a bit tricky for a lawyer, but you might find the experience cathartic.

The New York State Senate has flipped to the Democrats, so Stachowski will now be the Chairman of the Finance Committee. Let’s hope he starts making some noise in Albany that brings about positive change for New York in general, and WNY in particular. He won this one - but it was close.

Dennis Delano ran an historically awful race and showed that hero cop does not a good candidate or politician make.

Stach didn’t, after all, become chair of the Finance Committee, and he didn’t make any noise about positive change for NY in general, or WNY in particular. This is a shame, but par for the course for just about every and any politician in Albany, including BTW your sainted Tedisco. So, I never said he was _going_ to bring about positive change. I said I _hoped_ he’d bring about positive change. Get your facts straight.

Incidentally, while Donn Esmonde was busy blowing Maziarz, did anyone look into how many people Maziarz has working for him, and how much they cost per year? Of course not, because that would be work.