Take Back Congress - New York

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Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Leon Koziol Fails the Contact Test: FromTake Back New York's24th

I didn't want to write this article. I've waited for there to besomething other for me to say. But, I've waited long enough, andthere isn't anything better I can say:

Prospective Democratic candidate Leon Koziol has failed thecontact test.

Much was made at the end of 2005 about a possible campaign for

the Democratic nomination in the 24th District by attorney LeonKoziol. Since then, there has been relative silence. A few namerecognition ads for Koziol have apparently run on television, but Ihaven't been glued to the tube enough to catch them. Discussionof Koziol, in the newspapers and online, has dropped down topractically nothing.

So, I was curious. Was Koziol still considering a run for Congress,or had he thought the better of it? I found the telephone numberfor Koziol's office on a PDF of a legal letter he had written for hiswork with Upstate Citizens for Equality , and gave him a call.

When I got through to Mr. Koziol, he confirmed that he would berunning for Congress. He said he was still crafting hisannouncement speech, and would formally enter the race withinthe next two weeks (moving ahead now, that time frame wouldbe some time in the next week). He says he has a campaigncommittee, and is working on a web site.

Then, I asked him how he was different from the otherDemocrats, how he planned to position himself as a candidate forthe Democratic nomination. He seemed stumped. "I guess I reallyought to have an answer for that question," he told me.

I was floored. How could someone contemplate running forCongress without considering how they would be different fromthe other candidates? How could someone seek the Democraticnomination without knowing what kind of Democrat they are?How could a candidate begin putting television ads on the airwithout knowing what the theme of his campaign would be first?

After a couple of minutes, Koziol recovered, and summoned up atrial answer.

"I'm a moral traditionalist," he said. I asked him what that meant.He talked to me about how he regards himself first and foremost

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filing deadline, primary, and general election? If Koziol'sassistants can't be bothered to get back in touch with aprospective constituent offering free publicity, how accessiblewould he be as a member of Congress?

Leon Koziol failed the contact test. Although he may still make anannouncement that he is running for Congress, and may wage acampaign of some sort, I wouldn't expect much more than a fewsporadic fits and starts.

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From Take Back the 24th

posted by 24thIndependent at Tuesday, January 31, 2006 | 3 comments

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We've Got Numbers!

And the Financial reports are officially in :Palomma Capanna - raised $22,744, spent $2,373, Cash

on Hand $20,371Dan Maffei - raised $100,403, spent $4,014, Cash on Hand$96,388

Jim Walsh - raised $298,005, spent $253,187, Cash onHand $508,704

Ken Howland - report not available or none filed

Dan Maffei has raised an impressive sum for only being in therace for a short while. Palomma Capanna will need to increaseher numbers next quarter if she expects to be competitive. Mr.Walsh raised a lot, but he also spent a lot, he must be worried.More later after I've had time to look through the reports.

Crossposted at The Walsh Watch .

posted by The Watcher at Tuesday, January 31, 2006 | 0 comments

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The Walsh Watch

I began my blog The Walsh Watch a few weeks ago in order tohold Jim Walsh accountable. Mr. Walsh has lost touch withCentral New York and sold us out by voting with out of touchspecial interest and the Republican Culture of Corruption first and

his constituents a distance second. I post there daily, sometimesmore, and I will be crossposting most of them at this blog as well.So please check out my blog . Here are some blog entries thatmay interest you:

Culture of Corruption Connection:Jim Joins Team CorruptionJim Hearts TomCan't Shake the StankThe Hits Just Keep On Coming

And here are Jim Walsh's potential opponents:


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Dan MaffeiPalomma CappanaKen Howland


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Another Corrupt Lobbyist

This time it's a New York local. The Times Union's blog CapitolConfidential has this to say:

More trouble is coming down the track for Cooperstown short-linerailroad head Walter Rich, whose fundraising and gift-giving areunder scrutiny by the state lobbying commission.

A book is about to be published by Rich’s former railroad policechief, David K. Butler, called “Railroaded in Cooperstown.'’ The bookwill detail alleged safetycover-ups, corruption and fundraisingscandals led by Rich.

Of course, Mr. Walsh has accepted money from. It's time to giveback the dirty money, Jim.

Crossposted at The Walsh Watch .


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Take 19: Back to work....

Well, it's been six long weeks since Congress went out on recess.But all good things have to come to an end eventually and SueKelly and her colleagues are headed back to the hallowed halls of Congress. What's on the agenda for the second session of the109th Congress? Here's a brief look at two key votes:

--Sue gets another shot at voting to cut $40 billion from the

budget. This would cut $12.7 billion from federal student loanprograms -- the largest cut ever -- at a time that college costsare rising sharply. Medicaid would be cut by $7 billion andfunding for Medicare and child support enforcement would also becut sharply. The House is voting on this again because the Senatemade several changes to an earlier budget bill. Sue's alreadyvoted twice here and here in favor of these drastic cuts, so it'sunlikely she'll suddenly have a change of heart the third timearound.

--More tax cuts for the wealthy. The House will vote on extendingtax cuts on capital gains and dividends, even though those taxcuts are not set to expire for another two years. Kelly voted toapprove this once before. There's no reason to believe she won'tdo it again.

With these types of irresponsible votes, maybe we're all better off when Sue is on vacation.

posted by take19 at Tuesday, January 31, 2006 | 0 comments links to

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Walter Rich to Become New York's Abramoff? - FromTake Backthe 24th

It looks like the 24th District's congressman, incumbentRepublican Sherwood Boehlert, may soon be joining the likes of Randy Cunningham, Bob Ney, and Tom DeLay - as a suspect in arapidly spreading corruption probe.

This corruption scandal does not have a direct connection to JackAbramoff - yet. In this case, the corrupt lobbyist underinvestigation is Walter Rich, a railroad boss who is underinvestigation by the by the New York State lobbying commissionon possible corruption charges.

The commission has asked Rich to turn over records of who

stayed and ate at his mansion and in other lodgings he arrangedaround Cooperstown during a Baseball Hall of Fame event, andgot free tickets to local events. It is against New York State lawfor lobbyists to give public officials gifts of over 75 dollars inworth, as the lodgings, meals and tickets surely were. Theseevents will likely prove to be the New York State equivalent of Jack Abramoff's golf vacations in Scotland given to publicservants.

It is widely expected that Sherwood Boehlert's name will beamong those who were given illegal gifts by Walter Rich.Sherwood Boehlert is among those who are known to have held


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fundraisers in Rich's mansion.

These allegations come at the same time that David Butler, aformer railroad police chief who worked for Walter Rich, ispreparing to release a new book, Railroaded in Cooperstown.Butler's book promises to reveal chronic safety violationcover-ups, corruption, and illegal political fundraisingorchestrated by Rich.

It is alleged that Walter Rich required his employees to givepolitical donations to politicians, possibly including SherwoodBoehlert. Was that kind of corruption the secret behind SherwoodBoehlert's fundraising machine?

The commission will hold a public meeting Feb. 8. Look for moreinformation then.

Thanks to Capitol Confidential for the tip.

----

Postscript:

Republican political cannibals who are eager to profit fromSherwood Boehlert's apparently imminent downfall might want tolook at the connnections their own prospective candidates. StateSenator James Seward, who has been named as a possibleRepublican successor to Sherwood Boehlert, is also named inDavid Butler's book, and may soon become the subject of acorruption probe himself.

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From Take Back New York's 24th

posted by 24thIndependent at Tuesday, January 31, 2006 | 2 comments

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Monday, January 30, 2006

FromTake Back the 24th: Sherwood Boehlert Rumored to BePulling Out

Tom Grace of the Daily Star over in Oneonta dropped a bomb onthe 24th District congressional district this weekend with hisarticle suggesting that incumbent Republican CongressmanSherwood Boehlert is likely to quit the race, and not seekre-election in 2006. Sam Marchio, a spokesman forRepresentative Boehlert, has said that there will be anannouncement sometime in March, when the House of Representatives is in recess.

Grace cites Boehlert's strong challengers within the RepublicanParty, and Boehlert's apparent difficulties gathering donations forhis campaign. With Boehlert losing the chairmanship of the HouseCommittee on Science, his ability to bring money into the districtis greatly diminished, and donors appear to doubt that Boehlerthas the clout necessary to gain another influential chairmanship.


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Republican Brad Jones, former mayor of Seneca Falls, is alreadychallenging Sherwood Boehlert for the Republican nomination,and has raised about 90,000 dollars. Republicans who areconsidering running for the GOP nomination, assuming SherwoodBoehlert's retirement, are state senators James Seward andRaymond Meier.

Whether or not Boehlert continues his re-election campaign, it

looks like the race is wide open on the Republican side. Chancesare increasing that the Republicans will nominate a right wingideologue, making it more difficult for the Republicans to holdonto this seat in the general election.

From Take Back New York's 24th District

posted by 24thIndependent at Monday, January 30, 2006 | 0 comments

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From Take Back the 24th: Bruce Tytler Conspiracy?

This morning, someone calling himself of herself "Tytlerwatcher"left the following message at the Take Back the 24th Blog :

"You should check out the speculation about Bruce Tytler at theSyracuse.com Cortland County Forum. It appears he is destined torun for Congress, gather donations, drop out of the race and givethe money to the Cortland County Democratic Committee that can't raise money under Bill Wood.

Tytler was the one term Mayor of Cortland who spent his entire termtied up by a battle with the Water Board and accomplished nothing."

Rumor has it that Bruce Tytler is currently considering acampaign for the Democratic nomination to oppose Republicanincumbent Representative Sherwood Boehlert in this year'selection. Rumor, apparently, also has a bit else to say aboutBruce Tytler.

I have seen this kind of idea discussed elsewhere on the web,perhaps by the same person, perhaps by someone different. Atthe discussion boards at Syracuse.com, for example, I found thefollowing comments:

"Rumors abound that Mr. Tytler running for congress is nothingmore then a ruse to raise money for the politcal party locally. Therumor is that Mr. Wood and his reputation have reached the tipping point where anything with his name on it can't garner any real support. Political gamesmanship and his Pyric Democratic Committee aside, he can't get the real party faithful to give him thetime of day muchless a monotary donation. The ruse is to have Mr.Tytler "run" for this congressional seat but only go through themotions, so as not to spend all the donations he has taken in.Before the primary takes place it is rumored that he will bow out of the race, finally realizing what any politcal student already knows, aDemocrat can't win this seat. With the money he has left in hiscoffers, he can by law, legally donate that money back to the local


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Democratic Party i.e. one Mr. William Wood. The joke will be on all of those who thought that Bruce was a candidate of substance and principle and once again, Mr. Wood like a theif in the night thwart all people of any decency. Remember, this is just a rumor however,heard while dinning at a local eatery in the first block of Main St. at the begining of the one-way section."

Is there any evidence for some kind of conspiracy by Bruce Tytlerto defraud campaign donors? I haven't seen any. What there isevidence for is a coordinated, but underhanded, attack in thestyle of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

This looks to me like a desperate maneuver by a supporter of oneof the other Democratic candidates who is afraid that a BruceTytler candidacy would take away valuable attention. The attacksare clearly coming from a resident of Cortland who has a grudgeagainst Democratic Committee chair Bill Wood.

To this attacker, I say: Whatever your agenda, this is not the wayto promote it. If Bruce Tytler is not fit to represent the 24thDistrict Democrats in the general congressional election this year,

we will find that out when he starts campaigning. If Bill Wood isnot to your liking, then gather up a group of Democrats who willsupport you, and make a run for his position.

Democracy works best in the open, not under the veil of whispercampaigns.

From Take Back New York's 24th

posted by 24thIndependent at Monday, January 30, 2006 | 0 comments

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Saturday, January 28, 2006

Take Back Congress - New York is Begun

The project of Take Back Congress is simple, but not easy: Toserve as a center for news about congressional campaigns to takeback the Congress from corrupt Republican rule across New YorkState.

Take Back Congress - New York is not intended to be the work of just one person, but rather, the cooperative project of otherwiseunassociated progressive bloggers across New York State. Thisblog is not a replacement for those blogs, but instead to be a

place that helps those blogs that are dedicated to the electoralstruggles in particular congressional districts gain moreprominence.

This blog also is intended to serve as an easy to follow resourcefor readers who are interested in the latest news aboutcongressional races across New York State, and the progressiveefforts across New York to be part of the nationwide effort toreplace the Republican majority in Congress with a more stable,less corrupt alternative that can begin the long process of bringing America back to its traditional place of liberty, justice,and the rule of law for all - no matter how weak or how powerful.


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If you have a progressive or Democratic blog that is dedicated tocovering a congressional race going on somewhere in New YorkState, or if you know of one that we ought to add, leave us anote in the comments section, and we'll send you informationabout how to become part of this collaboration.

Look to see the first content for Take Back Congress - New Yorkin just a few days from now.

It's going to be an exciting year.

posted by 24thIndependent at Saturday, January 28, 2006 | 0

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