Primary Day

The race between Carl Paladino and Rick Lazio is really close, according to the polls.  I am not going to offer any predictions. Whatever happens, happens, and I’ll support the winner in November.

It’s been an interesting primary to say the least. Despite an aggressive smear campaign from the left-wing robots at WNYMedia, Carl Paladino has only done better in the polls. At least we learned about WNYMedia’s obsession with horse porn, which otherwise would have remained secret. Take that for what it’s worth.

Whether it is Lazio or Paladino, the winner has a uphill battle in making a dent in the ridiculously unfathomable lead in the polls by Cuomo. I really have no idea how a majority of voters could support another insider Democrat, but hey, if Cuomo wins, a majority of New York voters will have no right to complain about how nothing changes, and how the state keeps screwing us over.

I hope whichever candidate is not chosen by Republican primary voters will give their full support to the winner.  This is no time for a divided party. The New York Republican Party has a lot of shaping up to do so that we can actually fix the mess this state is in. Lord know Andrew Cuomo and the Democrats aren’t going to fix it.

UPDATE: Well, it’s 11 PM and the race is called for Carl Paladino.

SD-59: Paladino Snubs DiPietro?

Carl Paladino has come out endorsing former Erie County Republican Chairman Jim Domagalski for the 59th State Senate District, much to the shock and dismay of Domagalski’s primary candidate, David DiPietro.

According to DiPietro, Paladino is the one who urged him to run for the position.

DiPietro, the endorsed Tea Party candidate in the race, stood outside Erie County Republican Party headquarters during the news conference. He told reporters that Paladino had shown up at his house late last night to apologize for endorsing Domagalski after lending DiPietro his support for months.

“I said, ‘Carl, tell me this isn’t true,’” DiPietro recalled.

DiPietro said Paladino told him he owed the Erie County Republican Party for endorsing his candidacy, despite the fact Paladino has contributed to DiPietro’s campaign and the two men have been friends for several years.

He added that Paladino was the one who personally convinced him to run for the Senate seat and encouraged him to stay in the race even though DiPietro offered to withdraw if it would harm Paladino’s run for governor.

At the news conference, Paladino said he strongly endorsed Domagalski to replace retiring Sen. Dale Volker in a district that stretches across parts of four counties.

“He’s an attorney; he’s a talented man,” Paladino stated. “I need a guy like that by my side.”

This was a dumb move on Paladino’s part, for a lot of reasons. Assuming DiPietro’s account is true, what does it say about Carl Paladino to urge one guy to run then endorse another? I can’t imagine that there was any pressure involved or dealmaking here. Paladino has already been endorsed by the Erie County GOP for his gubernatorial bid, they jumped on the Paladino ship rather early. So if there had been a deal or pressure, I suspect that this endorsement would have happend a while back, to get more mileage out of it. Paladino was best to make no endorsement in this race if he had split loyalties. This endorsement, based on the information we have, says more bad things about Paladino’s character than good things about Domagalski’s candidacy.

Paladino’s Welfare Reform

He may not get points for political correctness, but he deserves credit for proposing something different than the status quo.

Republican candidate for governor Carl Paladino said he would transform some New York prisons into dormitories for welfare recipients, where they could work in state-sponsored jobs, get employment training and take lessons in “personal hygiene.” Paladino, a wealthy Buffalo real estate developer popular with many tea party activists, isn’t saying the state should jail poor people: The program would be voluntary.

But the suggestion that poor families would be better off in remote institutions, rather than among friends and family in their own neighborhoods, struck some anti-poverty activists as insulting.

Insulting?

“Instead of handing out the welfare checks, we’ll teach people how to earn their check. We’ll teach them personal hygiene … the personal things they don’t get when they come from dysfunctional homes,” Paladino said.

New York, like other states, receives a federal block grant to provide cash and other forms of welfare to very low-income residents. Federal law already requires welfare recipients to do some form of work to receive benefits.

New York’s welfare rolls have grown slightly during the recession, while food stamp eligibility has almost doubled, according to the state.

We should all be able to agree that the welfare system isn’t working.  Paladino’s ideas do have some merit. Welfare, as it is right now, does not do enough to get people off welfare.  If the state is going to be in the business of welfare, then it’s goal should be make itself obsolete.

Now, I heard some ridiculous rhetoric on the radio this morning, likening Paladino’s ideas to “labor camps” for poor people – I don’t know whether that was a comparison to Nazi labor/death camps or Franklin D. Roosevelt’s internment camps, but who would have thought free room and board, plus training and education was such a terrible thing? Imagine that, instead of just cutting checks to untrained poor people, the state provides them with housing and education so they can make it on their own. Holy crap, Paladino must be a bigotted, anti-poor, racist, rich white Republican!

It’s time the far left put an end to their rhetoric. Instead of pointing fingers and shouting “racist” or “bigot” or “insensitive” they should come up with their own ideas on how to fix the system without flushing more money down the toilet. Right now, we continue to throw money at the problem and nothing changes.

It’s time to end the era of taxpayer-funded entitlement and begin an era of empowerment. Paladino’s plan does more to empower the poor to improve themselves than anything any Democrat has proposed.

Paladino Questions Obstruction of Church Rebuilding at Ground Zero

Polls show a clear majority of Americans disapproving of build the Cordoba Ground Zero Victory Mosque, but those who still support it (the far left, the mainstream media, Obama) really have no good argument to justify why this mosque has to be built right there, in that spot. Especially since the idea has enraged Americans on both sides of the aisle.

The phony “religious freedom” argument is weak and irrelevant.  That’s like saying a person who shouts “fire!” in a crowded theater is protected by his or her First Amendment rights. Hogwash. This is about right and wrong, as S.E. Cupp accurately explains.

And further adding to the ridiculousness of the “freedom of religion” argument is a point Carl Paladino has been raising in recent days: What about rebuilding the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at Ground Zero? While the far left pushes for this mosque to built, they have zero concern or interest in the “religious freedom” of Christians whose church was actually damaged in the 9/11 attacks. (more…)

Another Upstate GOP Committee Goes For Paladino

Interesting news today as the Niagara County GOP became the first local party to rescind its endorsement of Rick Lazio in favor of Carl Paladino.

The endorsement was announced outside Lockport City Hall with a delegation of Niagara County Republicans at Paladino’s side. They included State Sen. George D. Maziarz of Newfane, Lockport Mayor Michael W. Tucker, North Tonawanda Mayor Robert G. Ortt and Wheatfield Supervisor Robert B. Cliffe.

“Niagara County’s endorsement proves confidence is growing among leading Republicans who know it is time to rid Albany of the ruling class and bring good government back to the people of New York,” Paladino said today.

Norris joins four other Republican county chairmen who have endorsed Paladino, and the campaign indicated more leadership endorsements are imminent.

This news, along with two recent endorsments by county GOPs suggests to some a sense of momentum for Paladino’s campaign and a sign of his strength. You could arge that. There might be a hint of truth to it. Polls show he’s improving. But, let’s consider his endorsments.

Carl has, according to the latest count, four County GOP Committees backing him now: Erie, Niagara, Gennesse and Cayuga. If you don’t have a map handy, I can tell you they are all upstate. This is Paladino’s area.  It’s hardly surprising for him to have support from the areas that actually know who he is.

Let me say that I’m not merely trying to poo-poo these endorsements. I am just offering some perpsective…  looking at the big picture. Lazio still has a comfortable lead in the endorsement count.

I’ll support whichever candidate wins the primary, but I am worried that Carl’s efforts are actually dividing the party when it needs to be strengthened. If Carl can prove that he can get support statewide, not just in Western New York and the Finger Lakes Region, then maybe I can put more weight on these recent endorsements.