Wednesday, October 22, 2014

More threats for Congressman Grimm’s re-election than Recchia’s lackluster campaign to date — Many Brooklyn Republicans openly will oppose Grimm’s re-election before Election Day


With only two weeks until Election Day  —  Several Brooklyn Republicans are putting the squeeze on Michael Grimm  —   Many in the Brooklyn GOP are not impressed that Grimm is the Republican-Conservative Candidate for Congress from Staten Island and West Brooklyn

Brooklyn Republican social conservative activist  Joseph Hayon just sent an “Open Letter” to Congressman Grimm, Brooklyn GOP Chairman Eaton and others demanding that Congressman Grimm adopt specific positions, make public commitments and issue a particular statement of support for the "Marriage Amendment"  —  as a necessary condition for support in 2014  —   AND TO AVOID OPEN OPPOSITION TO GRIMM’S RE-ELECTION

Brooklyn Republican Party Secretary Russell Gallo, normally an opponent and antagonist to Mr. Hayon inside the Brooklyn GOP,  made a similarly hostile gesture against the hard-pressed GOP Congressman

Grimm’s almost invisible Brooklyn campaign is largely being run by Brooklyn Conservative Party, Grimm’s few Brooklyn GOP staffers and some of State Senator Marty Golden’s loyalists  [And, yes, there is a lot of overlap there]



Politically, as far as the Republican Party is concerned, it’s usually Staten Island that is caught up in some kind of xenophobic fugue.  This time around,  it’s the Brooklyn GOP’s turn to push back with some intense parochialism of their own; and GOP Congressman Michael Grimm and his 2014 campaign for re-election are right in the middle of that.

Ole Sarge Gallo giving new meaning to  “Behind Enemy Lines...” ?


It has been previously reported on this blog that Russell Gallo had published a “selfie” type photo of himself and the Democratic Party candidate for Congress from the 11th C.D.,  Domenic Recchia.  Picture of Gallo and Recchia was first put up on Twitter by Mr. Gallo and then picked up and re-published on a conservative Republican oriented blog run by Russell Gallo and Gene Berardelli (See my 10/21/14 comment “UPDATE & BACKFILL: THE “SOMEBODY HAS SOME WELL-PETRIFIED, ROCK-HARD WOOD GOING FOR CONGRESSMAN MICHAEL GRIMM” EDITION” to my 10/19/14 post, “The Daily News Editorial  —   ...what the News thinks about Domenic Recchia as a candidate” [comment and post both below on this blog]). Whether that is the limit of what Mr. Gallo intends to do vis a vis Grimm remains to be seen. Lately, Gallo has been working for other GOP candidates in Staten Island and other parts of Congressman Grimm’s district  —  but definitely not FOR Congressman Grimm.

Another precinct heard from...


I have just received an “Open Letter” by Email from Brooklyn social conservative activist Joseph Hayon and former Brooklyn Tea party President, who is currently an appointed “Executive Member” and elected County Committee Member of the Kings County Republican Party. In that letter, Mr. Hayon strongly conditioned his support for Congressman Grimm’s re-election on Grimm’s adopting specific social conservative positions AND making open statements to that effect. The principal item for which Mr. Hayon demands Grimm’s immediate attention and action is that the Congressman quickly announce his support for “ The Marriage Amendment.”

Mr. Hayon’s letter starts off like this:
“Dear Congressman, ***   I am your constituent for the last two years.  I am a member of the Kings County Republican Committee since 2009.  I am active in supporting all types of candidates and while I may not bring much to the table, I bring more than 2 votes. ***  When I called your office many times, no one ever returned my call.  You[ ] voted to diminish the rights of our religious freedom by supporting ENDA....”

And so it goes  —   from there, Hayon gave a detailed list of grievances against Congressman Grimm and urged that if necessary Grimm change his heart; and more important, that Grimm change his posture on specific items before the Congress of the United States. Mr. Hayon also noted that he had not yet voiced any active opposition to the Congressman, even after so many had already “... thrown Grimm under the bus...”  However, Hayon was equally clear that all of that was about to change presently.

Hayon’s Email made it clear that if Grimm did not quickly and formally comply with his demand, Hayon would actively oppose Grimm, although he also made it clear that he would not be endorsing Domenic Recchia, a Democrat and a long-time supporter of the liberal social agenda.

This blog had been informed previously that Joseph Hayon has been in contact with insurgent Republican Richard Bell, who is mounting a write-in  campaign for the 11th C.D. seat as a protest against the re-election of incumbent Congressman and current GOP candidate Grimm. Mr. Bell has reassured Hayon that he strongly supports the family values and other social conservative positions that are at the root of Hayon’s problems in supporting Congressman Grimm, including support of adding a “Marriage Amendment” to the U.S. Constitution.
___________________________

The Joseph Hayon “Open Letter” was formally sent to Congressman Grimm through his campaign website's “Contact Us” system and procedure. Various others, including yours truly, the Kings County Republican Chairman Craig Eaton and local papers and columnists were cc’d through normal Email systems and procedures.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like Addams Family values to me.

Anonymous said...

Michael Grimm just got my vote.

Anonymous said...

I will vote for anyone Gallo opposes. Grimm just got my vote as well.

Anonymous said...

Gale, why do you give more words for Hayon than Gallo. That is reverse discrimination!

Anonymous said...

And where were all these Republican anti-Grimm zealots during the Primary season?

Anonymous said...

According to Ashleigh Owens at the Recchia campaign, they never even heard of a Russ Gallo and his name is not listed as a volunteer. And not for any event support. When told of his past public history of anti-gay, anti-Catholic, and anti-semitic blogging, the camoaign was clear that he has no part in any way as a volunteer. Anyone can post a selfie and pretend they are involved in a campaign. And to quote the email from the campaign "any other blog can repost the same misinformation.

Galewyn Massey said...

RESPONSE: THE "[SIC] [SIC] COMMENT" EDITION

HOW COULD WHO SAY WHAT AND WHY ?

According to Galewyn Massey, that's me, at this computer, I never heard of Ashlegh Owens, and her name is not in my book of sources, although I bet that the writer of the comment above at 2:03 PM probably is...

I am not aware of any anti-gay, anti-Catholic or anti-semitic activity or blogging by Mr. Gallo.

As for the part that says, "...the camoaign [sic] was clear that he has no part in any way as a volunteer. Anyone can post a selfie and pretend they are involved in a campaign. And to quote the email from the campaign 'any other blog can repost the same misinformation. [sic]" --- nobody at the Recchia campaign can possibly make such a ridiculous statement regardless of what powers of observation, records or crystal balls they might be using to come up with that so-called information. Also, I never said that Russell Gallo was a Recchia volunteer, or doing anything for the Recchia campaign.

Gallo posted a picture of himself and Domenic Recchia taken after Superstorm Sandy with some interesting hashtags --- that's it.

btw, for those keeping score, the comment above was a [sic] [sic] comment. But, please, no wagering !

Anonymous said...

Does the commenting person whose above Gail's comment or the Ashley person for the Recchia campaign seriously want us to think that they wouldn't welcome the support of Gallo and Hayon if it was offered by them to Recchia? Ashley your campaign needs all the help it can get.

I read the letter said...

Hayon said that Recchia provides better constituent services than Grimm.

Someone please contact Owens and find out if they accepted Hayon's endorsement.

Galewyn Massey said...

RESPONSE: THE "NICELY DONE COMMENT" EDITION

I READ THE LETTER TOO... OF COURSE I DID, I WROTE THE POST ABOVE...

That is a very good suggestion to call AO -- but I don't have a phone.

But thanks for playing... and I hope there is no wagering going on out there.

VOTE AGAINST PROGRESSIVES said...

How exactly do you propose Congress to put forth a Marriage Act when we have a Democratic U.S. Senate and a Democratic President ? No offense but Domenic Recchia has not one aspect of Republican nor Conservative value in him. Oh and to point out Congressman Grimm has been in Congress since 2010 a total of 4 years. Congressman Grimm is always there when you need him and he largely fights for Brooklyn issues just as equal as Staten Island issues as well. Just look at Domenic Recchia's Record he's a Crook and will set out this seat to every Ulta-Progressive throughout Congress and the 5 boroughs. What don't you understand ? Congressman Grimm is th eonly federal politician in the 5 boroughs of NYC he was targeted Domenic Recchia is a WRECK just look at this facebook page that was made by one of his previous constituents of South Brooklyn https://www.facebook.com/DomenicWRECKIA

Galewyn Massey said...

RESPONSE: THE “ ‘MULTI-YEAR PLAN’ AS OPPOSED TO THE ‘ONE YEAR PLAN’ ” EDITION

REMEMBER FOR SOME REPUBLICANS A VOTE AGAINST GRIMM CAN BE A TWO-FER OR EVEN A THREE-FER

In the 11th C.D. the 2014 election stands for so much more than Election Day 2014, so giving a snapshot of the makeup of Congress and the Executive right now doesn’t mean anything.

Does anybody believe that Grimm will be a Congressman very long in 2015. If elected, he doesn’t deserve to be seated. Even if he’s seated, it won’t be long before he is convicted, simply because he is obviously guilty – and he has all but admitted to it repeatedly. After months of saying he wanted his day in court, now he’s trying to play the clock with pointless motions aimed at the prosecution. Republicans need to wash their hands of Michael Grimm ASAP.

All that stuff about what he's done for four years - what nonsense....

BTW, nobody mentioned anything called a “Marriage Act.” The Federal “Marriage Amendment” (FMA) (also referred to by proponents as the Marriage Protection Amendment) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution, which would limit marriage in the United States to unions of one man and one woman. Its passage would be far more difficult than any Act of Congress to be signed by a President or passed over a presidential veto.

The purpose of the Marriage Amendment at this stage is as a score keeping device by social conservatives, like Joseph Hayon. So far, it looks like Grimm is about to shut himself on that front. He's an adult, Grimm can do whatever he wants and consequences are consequences.

Also, Republicans in the House don’t need him or want him there anymore; their numbers will increase without him. But Republicans need to remember, in 2014 a vote against Grimm is not only a vote against Grimm; it’s also a vote against those personally dependent on him, like the Brooklyn Conservative Party and a few other Golden folks — so it can be a two-fer or even a three-fer if Grimm loses.