Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig Eaton is being put on the spot to decide whether to back a candidate with strong Republican support or again to go against his party’s rank-and-file to back an "outsider" against the real Republican choice in the race
At the moment it doesn’t look like the Borough Park Orthodox Jewish Community is united behind City Councilman David Greenfield, a Democrat, who occasionally makes some conservative-sounding noises. At the same time for reasons related to the internal GOP politics of State Senator Martin Golden and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, the Conservative Party, under the cramped and servile leadership of Golden’s Chief of Staff Jerry Kassar, has put its marker down for Greenfield. Reports by Colin Campbell and Paula Katinas, and even the Conservative Party blog indicate that the “Conservatives” have already endorsed Greenfield ( See “SUGGESTED READING – Morning Read: ‘Biding My Time, Laying in Wait Like a Fox’,” by Colin Campbell, 1/13/13, NY Observer/Politicker [politicker.com/2013/03/morning-read-biding-my-time-laying-in-wait-like-a-fox/]; “Conservative Party backs Greenfield’s re-election bid,” by Paula Katinas, 3/13/13, Brooklyn Daily Eagle [http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/conservative-party-backs-greenfield%E2%80%99s-re-election-bid-2013-03-13-205000]; “Brooklyn Conservatives Nominate City Councilman David Greenfield Endorsing Re-Election,” by Ross Brady, 3/12/13, Brooklyn Conservative Party Blog [http://brooklynconservativeparty.com/]).Here’s where the rubber is going to meet the road for the Chairman of the Kings County Republican Party Craig Eaton. For the first time, he has an opportunity to be his own man and actually back a solid Republican candidate in the Borough Park-Midwood Orthodox community. The alternative is to appear twice as servile as his Conservative Party counterpart, Kassar by backing the Democrat Greenfield or trying to put another GOP “organization hack” into the race with no real purpose other than to frustrate and antagonize the independent Republicans in the 44th Conc. Dist., many of whom are Orthodox Jews. ( Here’s a little bit of background, the last time this council seat was in play, Eaton did not back the strongest local Republican in the race, Jonathan Judge, but instead backed an out-of towner named, Kenneth Rice, who racked up an embarrassing 2-3% of the vote (with fewer than 315 votes out of over 12,000 votes cast) in the special election in the 44th Counc. Dist. against Greenfield and another Democratic candidate; then as now Greenfield had the support of Kassar and his boss Golden).
Btw, how can the Conservative Party explain the haste that attended its endorsement process in 2013, other than as a gambit intended to leave Craig Eaton and the Brooklyn GOP with myriad fait accompli across the borough.
In the era of Craig Eaton’s Brooklyn GOP regime, it seems always to be interesting times.
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UPDATE: on the heels of endorsing Democratic Councilman David Greenfield for reelection, Brooklyn’s Conservative Party, just did the same for Brooklyn's D.A. Joe Hynes, another Democrat. Unlike Councilman Greenfield, Hynes is again facing a Democratic primary in 2013. Mr. Hynes gladly accepted the Conservative's endorsement saying, "I am enormously honored by the Conservative Party’s recognition of my office’s role in making Brooklyn streets safer. I am very proud of our record and gratified by the {Conservative] Party’s endorsement” ( See "Morning Read: ‘My Statements Were Unfortunately Distorted’," Colin Campbell, 3/15/13 NY Observer/Politicker [http://politicker.com/2013/03/morning-read-my-statements-were-unfortunately-distorted/]).
Wasting no time, both of DA Hynes' Democratic opponents, Abe George and Ken Thompson pounced on the Conservative Party's nomination of Hynes and Mr. Hynes' acceptance of that endorsement (See "Ross Barkan @RossBarkan @abegeorge2013 "; "Ross Barkan @RossBarkan
Ken Thompson blasts Joe Hynes for accepting Conservative Party endorsement in Brooklyn DA race"; Ross Barkan's Tweets, 3/15/13 [https://twitter.com/RossBarkan]).
FURTHER UPDATE: At about Twelve-Thirty on Friday afternoon, Colin Campbell reported that Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes was being attacked by one of his opponents in the 2013 Democratic Primary for getting the endorsement of the Kings County Conservative Party. By about Two-Thirty, Campbell had done his own update to include the remarks of the other Democratic candidate in the race for Brooklyn DA (“ENDORSEMENTS – Rival Roasts Joe Hynes for ‘Apalling’ Conservative Party Endorsement”
by Colin Campbell, 3/15/13, NY Observer [http://politicker.com/2013/03/rival-roasts-joe-hynes-for-apalling-conservative-party-endorsement/]).
Here’s some of what Democratic establishment lawyer Kenneth Thompson had to say about it, “It is appalling that DA Hynes would accept the endorsement of a fringe right-wing group which opposes a woman’s right to choose, gun control and a minimum wage increase, supports the racial profiling of suspects, and sought to remove President Obama from office.... ” The third man in the Democratic race for Brooklyn DA, Abe George, said this, “ “Brooklyn Democrats want a District Attorney who reflects their values.... Charles Hynes says he is a progressive Democrat, yet he is ‘honored’ by the support of a party that opposes gun control and marriage equality and supports racial profiling. As District Attorney, I will fight crime, protect civil liberties, and help move Brooklyn forward, not backwards.”
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