The latest buzz is that “Republicans for Change” are turning their petitions over to the Lhota Mayoral Campaign for filing — And, that Tim Cochrane will probably be their candidate for Kings County Republican Chairman

The final details of the Golden-backed petitioning effort apparently are being bumped-upstairs to the City-wide Lhota legal team; and Golden’s front group looks like it’s going for an apparent Eaton-clone to beat Brooklyn’s current GOP Chairman, Craig Eaton

While many Brooklyn Republicans are busy – cleaning, binding and filing their petitions, some of my Baker Street Irregulars report that the “Republicans for Change” faction is depending on the Lhota folks to file their petitions at the Board of Elections. If this is true, it shows a weakness in a key part of the organizing effort behind Golden’s frontal assault on the current Brooklyn GOP leadership team headed by County Leader Craig Eaton, who are binding and filing their own petitions.

Meanwhile, on another front in the war inside the GOP, it’s beginning to look like Timothy J. Cochrane is Golden’s choice to succeed Craig Eaton as Republican County Leader. I’ve been told that Tim Cochrane has made introductory calls to certain key Republicans active in the 2013 organizational races, and he told them that he might be seeking their support for the position of GOP County Chairman, if as expected, they are elected to the Republican County Committee.

Cochrane describes himself as a life-long member of the Republican Party, and that he has been chairman of the Kings County Republican Party Finance Committee and Vice Chairman of the Kings County Republican Party. In addition, in  2011, Tim Cochrane briefly put himself forward and  actively pursued the Republican nomination for the 9th district of New York. in a special-election run for congress for the seat vacated by Anthony Weiner, which was ultimately won by Republican Bob Turner; and in 2007 he actually ran for the congressional seat vacated by Vito Fossella.

What makes all of that a little odd is the fact that in 2011 Bay Ridgeite Cochrane didn’t live in the Weiner district, and that the Republicans and Conservatives in Queens were lining up behind Bob Turner, who had already run a strong race against Weiner, actually winning in Brooklyn, in the immediately prior election. More problematic than what Tim Cochrance did in 2011 was what Cochrane did in 2007; at that time Cochrane actually ran on the Conservative Party line AGAINST the Republican nominee in the special election to fill Vito Fossella’s seat. Because of that and other problems between the Republican and Conservative Parties in Brooklyn and Staten Island, the Democrats won the seat, making Michael McMahon the congressman.

Tim Cochrane is married and has four children. In addition, he has been active in a variety of civic activities, among them: as Development Chairman for Xaverian High School; as Trustee and Chairman of the Development Committee for Daytop Village; as Trustee of the YMCA Expansion Board; as a founding member of the Sisters of Life Advisors; as an officer in the Cathedral Club of Brooklyn; and as member on Community Board 10.

In business, Timothy J. Cochrane listed himself in 2011 as the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Empire Managed Properties, which he described as one of the New York area’s most innovative building management companies. Prior to that Cochrane had  a 23 year career on Wall Street, culminating in membership on the New York Stock Exchange and  a Partnership at Prime Executions Inc. Before Timothy J. Cochrane began his Wall Street career, he had completed a four year tour of duty in the United States Marine Corps, from which he received an honorable discharge in 1985.

In many ways it looks like Marty Golden is doing exactly what he did in 2007, when he pushed the current Republican Chairman Craig Eaton forward as his hand-picked candidate for Brooklyn GOP County leader. In many ways, Tim Cochrane is a virtual clone of Craig Eaton  —  a middle-aged Bay Ridge Catholic man, who is deeply involved in his personal business activities and a variety of community involvements that demand his time and attention.

This raises important questions about Golden’s efforts with “Republicans for Change”  —  what reason or justification has been put forward  by "Republicans for Change" for the removal of Craig Eaton as GOP County Leader ?  How does somebody like Tim Cochrane show any promise for improvement, or for that matter for change of any kind  whatsoever ?   How those questions are answered will go a long way toward determining whether Eaton stands or falls  —  at least among the undecideds..