In spite of it’s negative effect on the overall GOP-Conservative Party effort to hold onto the NYS Senate, Long is speaking out against the incumbent supported by the GOP State Senate leadership, and instead he is backing the “third party candidacy” of a place holder running only on the Conservative Party line
Why won’t Mike Long apply the same standard to his own State Senator, Martin Golden ?
According to a post by Liz Benjamin on the State of New York Politics blog, “State Conservative Chairman Mike Long weighed in on one of the state’s most hotly contested Senate races, urging conservative voters to reject GOP Sen. Mark Grisanti’s long-shot re-election bid on the Independence Party line. *** During a [Capital Tonite] interview last Friday night, Long said he is “no fan” of Grisanti’s, accusing the senator of “breaking faith” with conservatives when he voted “yes” on same-sex marriage and the SAFE Act...” (See “Conservative Chair: Vote ‘No’ On Grisanti” by Liz Benjamin, 10/13/14, State of Politics NY
[http://www.nystateofpolitics.com/2014/10/conservative-chair-vote-no-on-grisanti/]).
The Conservative Party candidate is Tim Gallagher, who was selected to run on the Conservative Party line in May. At that time, Gallagher, who is a lawyer, was believed to be a merely a placeholder, but the party has made no effort to remove him from the ballot, even by the last minute tactic of running him for a judgeship. In fact, Chairman Long recently has spoken out strongly in favor of the Gallagher candidacy, saying this: “I would encourage Conservatives to send a very clear message for Albany – conservative-minded Democrats, conservative Republicans – vote for the Conservative Party candidate for state Senate, vote for someone who believes in the principles that they believe in.”
According to Liz Benjamin’s report, Long’s comments are a blow to the Senate Republicans, whose leader, Sen. Dean Skelos, has endorsed Grisanti, despite the fact that the senator lost the September GOP primary to Kevin Stocker, who is running as the candidate on the GOP line.
IN SPITE OF HIS DUAL STAB IN THE BACK TO THE LOCAL GOP AND THE GOP LEADERSHIP IN THE STATE SENATE, LONG SAYS HE GENERALLY SUPPORTS THE REPUBLICAN-CONSERVATIVE EFFORT TO TAKE OVER THE STATE SENATE
With the Republican Kevin Stocker running a campaign without strong GOP support, Grisanti running on the Independence line and Gallagher running on the Conservative Party line, Democrat candidate Marc Panepinto has have a very good shot at taking the Grisanti seat.
According to Liz Benjamin, “Long insisted that he supports a Republican takeover of the Senate, saying it will be a ‘very dark-looking state if the Democrats gain control, total control of the Senate.’ *** ‘I believe we have a shot to win the Senate; I believe we can do that without Grisanti,’ the chairman said. *** ‘I’m doing everything I can to help any candidates throughout the state of New York that’s running on the Conservative-Republican line.’...”
NO EXPLANATION FROM LONG WHY HE SUPPORTS OTHER GOP STATE SENATORS WITH BAD VOTES LIKE GRISANTI’S
Several NYS Senators made votes similar to Grisanti’s. Nonetheless, Mike Long supports all of those that also have his party's endorsement and are running on the Conservative Party line.
One of those is Mike Long’s own State Senator, Martin Golden.
In spite of intense lobbying by many conservative minded groups, Senator Golden voted for the so-called “Cuomo SAFE Act,” a comprehensive gun control law, which was rammed through the State Senate and signed into law. When that act passed, not only did it restrict the Second Amendment rights of all citizens in the state, it made many, perhaps even most, of the guns and magazines of police and other law enforcement officers throughout the State of New York illegal.
Mike Long has never explained why the legislators supported by his party, like Marty Golden, were not then, and are not now, punished for their “breaking faith” with conservatives when they voted “yes,” just like Mark Grisanti did, on bills that quickly were made into laws like Cuomo's SAFE Act.
Sometimes last year Mike Long called on New York State to pass a law that would impose term limits on New York State Senators. The head of the Conservative Party said this would help fight corruption, and he said that twelve years was the limit that any state senators should serve.
ReplyDeleteGuess what, Long’s state’s senator, Martin Golden, has been a New York State Senator for twelve years and he is now being investigated for corruption. I guess that Long was right, at least when it comes to Marty Golden.
How is it that Long and his Conservative Party are still supporting Golden for the State Senate ? Gale, as you have sometimes said when these kinds of unanswerable questions come up, YOU TELL ME !
Mike Long another shill for Joe Hynes' disgraceful Republican run last year. He too should be ashamed of his actions in that race.
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