Joe Mondello - Serial Exaggerator

From the WFP blog...

"Joe Mondello Can't Count
Joe Mondello, Chair of the New York state GOP and of the Nassau County GOP, has a lot riding on the Feb 6 special election in the Seventh Senate District. It's the first election under his watch as chair of the state GOP, it's happening in his backyard, and it's a test of how the state GOP will respond to their drubbing in the 2006 Governor's race.So maybe that's why Joe chose to be a little, shall we say, extravagant with the truth. From a New York Times article on the race:
The campaign is off to a quick start. "We had 500 people going door to door last weekend, and we hope to have 700 this weekend," Mr. Mondello said. Democrats say they have an equally ambitious field operation. Their county chairman, Jay S. Jacobs, said that with an expected 10 to 15 percent voter turnout, "the ground game is the decider."
Yeah right.Now it is right that the ground game is the decider. And the Working Families Party is running an ambitious field operation, that's right too.
But there's no way the state Republicans have 100 people going door to door, much less 500 or 700. The thing about canvassing is, if you're out there canvassing for hours and the other side is out there canvassing for hours then each side's canvassers are going to run into each other. But I asked our 45 canvassers, who are knocking on thousands of doors every night, if they've seen a GOP door knocker.
The word from the Working Families Party canvass is that yesterday is the first day O'Connell had people on the doors, and it was only a handful of people."

Read the rest at http://wfpjournal.blogspot.com/2007/01/joe-mondello-cant-count.html

Newsday Spin Cycle Site Needs Full Disclosure

In a Newsday SpinCylcle piece today about the State Senate special election 'Balboni pick may speed third track' reporter William Murphy writes "Villages along the route oppose the project - and some village officials believe they lost their best chance of stopping it when they lost Balboni.
Those officials also note that Spitzer strongly supports Nassau Legis. Craig Johnson (D-Port Washington) against Nassau County Clerk Maureen O'Connell, a Republican, to succeed Balboni."
Johnson has allied himself with Spitzer's agenda," Mineola Mayor Jack Martins said in an interview. "I want somebody in the legislature who will represent the interests of the villages."
Newsday needs to be a little more clear about who is saying what and why. Even though Martins ran on the "New Line Party" for Mayor, he is a registered republican. And even though you can't tell by looking at her website or signs or commercials, O'Connell is the republican candidate.
Gee, who does Martins support?

Candidate Maureen O'Connell Gets Caught Fibbing About Stem Cells

O'Connell tried to defend herself against Craig Johnson as Newsday reports "Johnson, her opponent, has pounded O'Connell on her voting record, labeling the Nassau County Clerk's anti-abortion views as 'right wing.' In a recent radio ad Democrats continued the anti-abortion charges against O'Connell, which she denied in a statement yesterday.
'As a nurse, I began working with stem cells some 20 years ago so, I know from firsthand experience just how important this line of research is,' O'Connell wrote. 'This plan doesn't go far enough. Why wait a year for reform when we should be investing into a cure today.'

Too bad O'Connell has a record in the Assembly that can be checked.
Our friends over at The Albany Project report on State Senator Krueger recaling O'Connell's record.
Someone's pants are on fire....

Senator Krueger Calls Out Maureen O'Connell On Stem Cell Stance
Senator Liz Kreuger has just released a statement questioning the sincerity of state Senate candidate Maureen O'Connell's evolving stance on stem cell research. It's definitely worth a read.
STATEMENT BY STATE SENATOR LIZ KRUEGER ON REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE MAUREEN O'CONNELL'S SHIFTING STEM CELL RESEARCH STANCE
It was reported today that Maureen O'Connell, Republican Leader Joe Bruno's candidate to fill the Senate vacancy left by former Senator Michael Balboni, said efforts to fund a $1 billion stem-cell research plan do not "go far enough." Her statement implies that she fully supports the medical promise of stem-cell research.
Maureen O'Connell speaks a good game come campaign time, but she does not have the record to back up her rhetoric.
In 2004, then-Assemblywoman O'Connell sponsored legislation (A10256) that would have banned medical procedures necessary to conduct stem-cell research. In 2003 and again in 2004, she voted against the "Reproductive Cloning Prohibition and Research Protection Act." While serving on the Assembly Health Committee, O'Connell voted against A6300, which would have established a state-funded institute for stem cell research in New York State.
As the lead sponsor of legislation that would advance stem-cell research in our State (S433B), I find it disheartening that Maureen O'Connell is actively misleading the voters of the 7th Senate District. Despite being a registered nurse, O'Connell voted against legislation that is medically accurate, ethically sound, and economically wise."

Read more at http://www.thealbanyproject.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=248

Massapequa Park Village Elections: The Funny Party Name Edition

"Massapequa Park Mayor James Altadonna, Jr. announced his intention to run for another term, along with fellow Village Board members, Harry Jacobson and Joseph Pinto. The three elected officials have been nominated by the Village Peoples' Rights First Party"



Shouldn't there have been a little more thought into the name?
Seriously.

"Raise New York" Fundraiser for Craig Johnson featuring Governor Spitzer

From The Albany Project...

"We are very, very excited to announce "Raise New York", a "blograiser" for SSD-07 candidate Craig Johnson featuring Governor Eliot Spitzer! And when I say "we", I am referring to, amongst many others, The Daily Gotham, Rochester Turning, Democracy In Albany, onNYTurf, WNYMedia.net, Swing State Project and, of course, us here at TAP.
Raise New York will take place on Thursday, February 1st at Prey in NYC. The event will also be liveblogged here and at Daily Gotham and DailyKos. There will be photos, audio and video in near real time for those who for whatever reason can't attend in person. It's gonna be a hoot."

Democrat Craig Johnsons Campaign Commercial

O'Connell was first on the air with an ad but with very little quality.
Here is Craig Johnson's first ad with Governor Eliot Spitzer...
Hat tip to The Albany Project.

Dean Skelos Says Dumb Things

For the number 2 guy in the State Senate, Skelos sure says dumb things.
Skelos tells Newsday's Rick Brand in regards to the Democrats who put thier names in the ring to run for Balboni's empty seat "This is just another example of the Democratic dysfunction, like when they could not elect a presiding officer last year. It's embarrassing for the Democratic Party,"
Is Skelos that dumb?
Seriously.
The Democratic Party is "dysfunctional" because more than one qualified candidate wanted the nomination and the Democratic Party considered each one and made thier choice???
Sorry but the Democratic Party isn't like the Nassau GOP where you have to do enough favors and wait your turn quietly until Joe Mondello feels you earned it.
Poor GOP Legislator Nicollelo thought that maybe he would have a shot but wouldn't go the distance to get the nomination. Newsday reported "Nassau Legis. Richard Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park), who said Tuesday that he would like to run, would only be the nominee should O'Connell have to drop out, sources said."

Skelos's thought process is so "dysfunctional" he actually compares Democrats interviewing potential candidates and selecting one to a fight for leadership a year ago.
THAT is "embarrassing."
For Skelos.
And he's the next in line to run the Republican-dominated Senate?
Scary.

Who is the Democratic Candidate for the 7th Senate District?

That's an easy one... Nassau County Legislator Craig Johnson.
Why is that easy?
Because his literature proudly proclaims he is a Democrat.
See for yourself at the Working Families Party blog.

Who is the Republican Candidate for the 7th Senate District?

It might very well be Maureen O'Connell but you'd be hard-pressed to find her party affiliation on her website or in her TV ad.
Usually the Nassau GOP and its candidates make sure you know to "VOTE REPUBLICAN!!!!!" but not this time.
On her 'bio' page, O'Connell lists her past jobs and office but no party. "In 1998, Maureen was overwhelmingly elected to the New York State Assembly. She was the first woman elected to represent the state’s 17th Assembly District.."
"In November 2005, Maureen was elected Nassau County Clerk."
There isn't even a Nassau GOP logo on her site.
It's not even on her "endorsements" page.
Looking at her signs, there's no menion of party either.
What's going on here?
Sure, the Dems have a voter registration advantage in the district but Balboni had no problem winning as an advertised republican.

Happy New Year

Have a safe and Happy New Year.

Nassau GOP Watch will be back in a few days.

Who is Running?

Tis the season for the republican candidates to start getting thier pictures in the local papers.
The 2007 election season starts when the first republican challanger appears with a republican elected official at some sort of innocuous event.
What will the republican line-up be this year for the local elections?
The Town of Oyster Bay is all sewn up with republicans so its just the usual politicians who are up for re-election using Town funds to promote themselves.
In Hempstead, the challenger to Councilwoman Goosby should be appearing in the Herald newspapers shortly alongside Cullen or Huddes handing out a proclaimation.
Expect to see republican challengers for the county legislature to pop up too.
We'll be watching the local media to see if we can spot the new candidiates.

Republican Blogger Mondello Pile-on

Some people just don't want Joe to head the party.
Here are three posts from the blog 'Musings of a New York College Republican.'

"Monday, November 27, 2006
Sickening
Details are still coming in about the heavy-handedness that ended the grassroots candidacy of Bob Smith for the NYGOP chairmanship. Capital News 9 offered a disturbing observation:
The chairs said Joseph Bruno was putting pressure on [R]epublican leaders statewide that would keep their short-lived insurgency from succeeding. This is truly sickening. Only the most corrupt, out-of-touch politicos would fear open debate with such dread."

"Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Is this appropriate?
State committee is using party money to promote Mondello for chairman."

"Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Joe Mondello's Commute
Per Mapquest, if Joe Mondello becomes state chairman, he'll face a three hour commute (without traffic)."
If you look closely at the route, you can see a message spelt out: PART-TIME CHAIRMAN."

Read the comments section too.

More County GOP Chairs Oppose Mondello

From Capital News 9 "....But, a number of county chairs raised objections, citing Mondello's reluctance to give up his Nassau County post if he were to win the state party position.

“We really need a full-time state chairman, somebody who is going to be able to travel the state to help rebuild the party and get us built up for our local elections, the next cycle. And, we're always looking to the next cycle, '08, as well,” Wayne County GOP Chair Dan Olson said.
“This party, the republican party in New York, is in the deep wilderness now. And, it needs to have good leadership to get out of the wilderness. New York State needs to have a strong republican party,” former senatorial candidate Ed Cox said.
"Those challenging Bruno's choice decided to throw their support to former Onondaga County chair Bob Smith. Smith said the party is in desperate need of rebuilding—a rebuilding based on a return to its core beliefs.

“There are some things worth losing for. Our losses in this last campaign weren't worth losing because what we lost was our identity. We need to reestablish that. The grassroots in this state, grassroots republicans, are solid. They know where they're at. We have to put them back in power in the party and reestablish our position,” former Onondaga County GOP Chair Bob Smith said.
However, within a matter of hours, the Smith candidacy was withdrawn, and the challenge was dropped. The chairs said Joseph Bruno was putting pressure on republican leaders statewide that would keep their short-lived insurgency from succeeding.

The New York State Republican Committee meets on Thursday to formally vote on the party chairmanship."

Conservative Newsday Columnist Comes Out Against Mondello

Raymond Keating says Mondello is the wrong guy..."Republican Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Bruns-wick) has turned to Mondello to get things on the right track. But Mondello's record offers little evidence that he can turn the party around.
After all, the Nassau County Republican Party was a nationally recognized political machine when Mondello took the helm in 1983. But in recent times it has crashed and burned into a smoldering political mess. For example, Nassau Republicans have lost control of the county legislature, the executive seat, the district attorney's office, the comptroller's job and the assessor's position, as well as the North Hempstead Town Board and a congressional seat.
Yet, somehow the New York Republican brain trust figures that the best man to lead the state party out of the wilderness is the same person who played a key role in Nassau Republicans' losses. Does this really make sense to anyone outside of the political bunker where the New York Republicans apparently are hunkered down?"

I will once again say that I support Joe Mondello for State GOP Chair.
He did it in Nassau and he can do it in State-wide.

Mondello Has a Challenger for NYS GOP Chair

Elizabeth Benjamin writes in the Albany Times-Union "A battle is brewing for control of the state Republican Party, with Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno on one side and a former upstate GOP county chairman on the other.
Bob Smith, who led the Onondaga County Republican Party for five years, said Wednesday he is "very much leaning" toward running against Bruno's handpicked state chairman candidate, Nassau County GOP Chairman Joseph Mondello.
"Smith said his chief qualms about Mondello are that his candidacy originated at the top of the party, not with its grass roots, and that he wants to simultaneously serve as chairman of both the state and Nassau County parties.
"We certainly can't have a chair who serves two masters; that didn't work out so well the last time" said Smith, noting that outgoing state Chairman Stephen Minarik divided his time between the state and Monroe County GOP parties. Minarik presided over the party's loss of every statewide office on Nov. 7.
"The Republican state committee will vote for a new chairman next Thursday using a weighted vote based on turnout in the last gubernatorial election. Historically, Mondello himself has controlled the largest share -- 10.45 percent -- although the new weighted vote will be based on this year's election results and has not yet been finalized.
"We're confident that he has more than enough support to be the next state chair," said Anthony Santino, Mondello's spokesman.
"Some Republicans have also grumbled that Smith saw losses in local races while county chairman. But the same complaint has been made about Mondello, who in 2001 presided over the GOP's loss of the county executive's office to the Democrats for the first time in 30 years."

Happy Thanksgiving

As we count all the things we are thankful for, lets remember those who are just thankful for thier next meal or a roof over thier heads.

Please give if you can...

Long Island Cares - The Harry Chapin Food Bank

New York City Coalition Against Hunger

United Way of Long Island

Society of St. Vincent DePaul

Salvation Army

The Incredible Shrinking Nassau GOP

The decline of the Nassau GOP comes as voter enrollment for Democrats increases.
Here are a few numbers from the NYS Board of Elections

Nov 1, 2006
Reps - 354, 718
Dems - 326, 411

Apr 1, 2006
Reps - 358, 848
Dems - 325, 788

Reps lose 4130
Dems gain 623

From last year....

Nov 1, 2005
Reps - 358,848
Dems - 324,406

Reps remain steady while Dems gain 1382

From Nov 1, 2001 when the Democrats win the County Executive seat
Reps - 370, 397
Dems - 295, 191

From Nov 1, 1999 when the republicans lost the County Legislature
Reps - 368, 694
Dems - 269, 522

Since the election that pushed the Democrats to the top of the political structure in Nassau, Reps have lost 13,976 while the Dems have gained 56,889.
The Reps gained 1703 from 1999-2001 but dropped 11,549 from 2001-2005
From 1999-2001, Dems added 25,669 voters and added 29,215 from 2001-2005

The registration difference was in the republicans favor in 1999 by 99,172 voters.
By 2006, the difference was only 28,307.

The deciders of any election right now are the "blanks" who have 193,962 voters as of Nov 1, 2006.

An Interesting Take on a Mondello Chairmanship from The Community Alliance

NY Dems: Hold On To Your Lawn Signs. . .
. . . Here Comes Joe Mondello

When this blogger first got word that Nassau County Republican Committee Chair, Joseph Mondello (not only his picture is fuzzy), had his eye on the State's top GOP post (which, come January, will no longer be Governor), I both laughed and gasped at the same time. [Try doing that while standing on your head and drinking a Yoohoo...]
Joe Mondello, lynchpin of the Nassau County GOP machine; king over the fiefdoms at the County (and town) special districts; orchestrator of the near fatal dissent of America's wealthiest county into the financial abyss; the man who brought you Tom Gulotta, Kate Murray, and the two Peters (King and Schmitt).
Yes, that Joe Mondello. Losing it all but for his Svengali-like stranglehold over Town of Hempstead voters (who must all have brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, and fifth cousins three times removed somewhere on the Town payroll), and those entrenched State Senate seats that never seem to shift, come high tide or high taxes, Mondello would now do for the State of New York what he has done for Nassau County.
Hold on to your hats, New Yorkers. Better still, hold on to your lawn signs. Once Mondello takes the top GOP spot, as it appears he will (desperate times call for even more desperate measures), no Democrat is safe from having her lawn sign stolen or defaced, and no taxpayer's wallet secure from the smoke and mirrors politics that good old Joe is famous for here on Long Island -- the kind that willingly borrows, carelessly spends, and never raises taxes to cover the bet.

Read the rest at the Community Alliance blog...

Mondello Chairmanship Faces Alot of Republican Criticism

With Mondellos reputation of losses, this is hardly a suprise.
We of course reiterate our whole-herated support for Modello and his bid to be NYS GOP boss.
From the NYSun "Some Republican county leaders around the state say they are uncomfortable with Mr. Bruno's choice of Joseph Mondello to run the party's headquarters in Albany, and they are criticizing the Senate leader for not consulting them before announcing his support for Mr. Mondello.
While the unrest among Republicans at this point is not seen as a serious threat to Mr. Mondello's bid to become state chairman, the complaints against Mr. Mondello are proving to be the first real test of Mr. Bruno's ability to dictate the direction of the state party since he emerged on Election Day as the one surviving Republican force in Albany.
"Still, a number of Republicans are questioning the wisdom of choosing as its state chairman a leader of a county that has come to symbolize the Republican Party's implosion in New York. Under Mr. Mondello's watch, Nassau Republicans have lost control of the county executive and district attorney offices and the county legislature, as Republican enrollment has stagnated.
Republicans say they are also concerned that Mr. Mondello is refusing to give up his post as county chairman if he's elevated to the top party position. One of the major criticisms of the outgoing state party chairman, Stephen Minarik, who also doubled as a county party chairman, was that he failed because his local work took greater priority than his work as state chairman."

From republican blog Musings of a New York College Republican "They said Bill Weld would be our nominee, too
The Sun is reporting increased resistance to the efforts by L'Establishment to shove Joe Mondello down the throats of the remnants of the NYGOP. Thank God. Onondaga Chairman Bob Smith had this to say of the cinematic magic being attempted by Albany:
"Somebody in Albany says they've made a decision, we're going to write a script and hand it to you," Mr. Smith said. "I'm not sure we're going to let that happen."
NYCR operatives across the state report increasing resistance to the move, as more and more chairmen have been apprised of the decay that the Nassau GOP has experienced under Mondello's watch. Concern is also growing over speculation that Mondello will pull a Minarik and refuse to step down as the Nassau GOP chairman. Let's face it: we don't need another part-time chairman, and that's what Joe Mondello would be.Just remember: there was a time when these thinkers who constitute the Establishment said that Jeanine Pirro would be our nominee for US Senate. They said it was unthinkable to imagine anyone besides Bill Weld getting the gubernatorial nomination. And now, they say we're powerless to determine who gets installed as our next party chairman. With courage and determination, we can keep their losing streak going. Call your county chairman today, and tell them that if you want Joe Mondello to be your chairman, you'll move to Nassau County.

Mondello Gets Backing to be New York State GOP Boss

The Albany Times-Union is reporting that Mondello has the support of out-going Chairman (and complete failure) Minarik and State Senate Majority Leader Bruno.


Minarik/Bruno Formally Back Mondello
November 13, 2006 at 11:46 am by Elizabeth Benjamin
State GOP Chairman Stephen Minarik and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, R-Brunswick, have released a joint statement formally announcing their support of Nassau County GOP Chairman Joseph Mondello as Minarik’s replacement at 315 State Street (where Web site updating has clearly not been a top priority since Nov. 7).
Bruno praised Minarik’s work in the chairman’s post since 2004, and said: “We could not have maintained our Republican majority in the state Senate without him.”
Minarik said he is leaving with “mixed emotions,” but knows the party will be “in good hands.”
As for Mondello, Bruno said that “no one is better suited” to lead the party’s rebuilding effort.
“He has lead the Republican Party in Nassau County for over two decades, he is a strong leader with tremendous ability to organize and energize the party in good years and in tough ones,” Bruno said.
“Joe Mondello is clearly the best person to lead the rebuilding of the Republican Party in New York State, to help strengthen our majority in the Senate, add seats in the Assembly, take back seats in Congress and win races at the local level throughout the state.”
Bruno’s selection of Mondello - which is not a done deal and won’t be until the GOP state committee members get together and vote on Nov. 30 - is being viewed in certain circles as a move by the senator to insulate himself from a potential power grab by state Sen. Dean Skelos, a Nassau County Republican who has long coveted the majority leader’s job.
Skelos, I’m told, isn’t even in the state - he’s relaxing in St. Martin and wasn’t planning any immediate coups.
Making Mondello state chairman could also be seen as a win for former U.S. Sen. Alfonse D’Amato, another Long Island Republican.