EXCLUSIVE INSIGHT INTO WHAT CRAIG EATON IS THINKING ABOUT THE BROOKLYN GOP IN THE SPRING OF 2015
In a recent lengthy meeting Craig Eaton spoke largely off the record and for background. For that reason, many of the details of the talk have been omitted; there are no direct quotes by Mr. Eaton; and as a heads-up to my readers: many of the snarkier propositions might not be exactly as put forward by Mr. Eaton [ but they are what I think he would have said if he were as intemperate and verbally incontinent as I].
Basically, Eaton said that he is ready to push forward with his plans to reorganize the Brooklyn GOP going into the 2015 organizing process that includes early-summer petitioning, mid-summer court challenges, a late-summer organizational primary and a mid-to-late September GOP County Convention. Part of Eaton’s reorganizing plan is looking toward doubling the size of an active Brooklyn Republican County Committee to be present or represented-at the 2015 GOP County Convention.
Acknowledging that several of the county’s district leaders are heading in various other directions, Craig Eaton has done the math and says that his plans to take the GOP forward will not only succeed in 2015, they will flourish like never before.
2013 IS PROLOGUE
All discussions must start from the fact that the majority of the GOP County Committee in 2013 was in a caucus that supported Eaton’s chairmanship; and Mr. Eaton predicted that in 2015, the majority of the GOP County Committee will be a caucus supporting Eaton’s chairmanship going forward. Any other rump groups, be they former allies or former opponents of Mr. Eaton are welcome to join in backing Eaton in 2015 or to attempt to cobble together something else on their own [at least one attempt by some of the "others" appears to have failed already, before any of the real work had started].The Brooklyn Republican County Chairman readily acknowledged that there are a hand-full of State Committee Members/ District Leaders that are off on various tangents, but none of those is capable of gravitating to or coalescing around a majority movement or coalition in 2015 — all these people individually want what they want, but they either won’t or can’t give the others similarly situated what they want.
THE MARTY GOLDEN FACTOR — THEN AND NOW
There was a very detailed discussion of the impact of the insurgency generated by State Senator Martin Golden and his operators inside the Brooklyn GOP in 2013. Eaton noted that even with what Marty Golden thought he had going for him in 2013, Golden completely failed to qualify and/or hijack anything near a majority of County Committee Members/ Delegates or Delegate proxies for the 2013 GOP County Convention.Eaton then compared the activities of the Golden faction in the 2013 with those so far in 2015. By this time in the 2013 cycle, Marty Golden and his people were everywhere; they were telling everybody about their version of Eaton’s problems as a GOP County Chairman; and they were pushing the narrative of their inevitable takeover of the Brooklyn GOP in 2013. All of that became very embarrassing to many Brooklyn GOP activists that supported both Marty as a State Senator, and Eaton as Chairman. In 2015, according to Eaton, we don’t see or hear much from Marty at all vis a vis the Brooklyn GOP. What it looks like is that many long-time Golden folks are working on an exit strategy — but who Marty is putting into the lifeboats and who he is leaving out are not making many of Marty’s supporters a happy crowd. In 2015, people have gotten to see what happens when Marty gets only some of what he wants; and also who Golden helps out or up when things are getting tough for them and for him.
However, don’t get the idea that Eaton talks about such things as a part of some gripe session. He points these things out to show how Marty Golden’s position as a perceived Republican power broker, both in Golden’s senate district and inside the Brooklyn GOP as a whole, has weakened between 2013 and 2015.
OUTSIDERS AND THEIR INFLUENCE INSIDE THE BROOKLYN AND NYS GOP
Eaton then turned his analysis toward people outside the Republican Party that are trying to pull the strings inside the GOP. Eaton was very blunt, people like Jerry Kassar and Grigory Davidzon, who aren’t Republicans and who are pursuing a non-Republican agenda have no business trolling and poaching inside the Brooklyn GOP, especially to benefit Democratic Office Holders and candidates. What these outsiders don’t understand is that real Republicans don’t like them and never have; and when they show up throwing their weight behind something, the real Republicans resent it and often work against it. (Much more was discussed, but that must await a future feature about the nascent “Reform Party” and Rob Astorino.)Eaton believes that if the 2013 game plans were followed in 2015, he would again be elected Brooklyn Republican Party Chairman. However, Eaton will be taking nothing like that for granted; on the contrary, Eaton assumes that many things will be different and plans to bring in between a thousand or two thousand new or newly active Republicans to qualify as members of the 2015-16 GOP County Committee. These new Brooklyn GOP folks will come from all over the county, and their names and other data will be on a special data base that is being prepared specifically for that outreach. Once that data base is ready, there will be an in depth and personalized social networking campaign, which in the final stages will be augmented by direct mail and, in many areas, also by personal Brooklyn GOP coordinators.
FUNDRAISING
Eaton is frank that all of that requires money, money, money.... And Craig Eaton’s next order of business is to arrange a major Brooklyn GOP fund raiser. It will be built around the appearance of a GOP presidential contender, one who is in the “leading pack” in 2015. Whether that will be at the annual Kings County GOP “Lincoln Dinner” or as a stand alone is still to be worked out.Eaton closed by saying 2015 and 2016 will be all about building bridges inside the GOP to recapture the initiative and momentum of 2010; and EVERYBODY is welcome to join WITH HIM in that process.
70 comments:
In 2013, The Senator made a big deal out of alleged federal investigations that supposedly touched Chairman Eaton -- but nothing happened.
In 2015, we already know for a fact that The Senator himself is under federal investigation. That might explain the exit strategy of his top lieutenants to other jobs.
The NY GOP Presidential primary will have only one candidate on the ballot. Jeb Bush.
End of story.
Gale, how much is Craig getting from Cats, and how much does he plan to beg from other GOP candidates?
As long as Eaton has Gene and Russell on his side who can be against him?
Hahahaha.......
Where is the GOP County committee meeting now that the phone booths are gone?
Golden Eaton and their hack lieutenants have run the Brooklyn GOP into the ground. It is time for a fresh face who can unify the party and start building for the future.
Golden & Eaton ran GOP into the ground?
Not according to my sources.
Fred Panteleone. County leader?
Cuomo can be beat but not by Astorino.
If you need "sources" to determine who is to blame that just shows you need to pay more attention. 2013 Brooklyn GOP City Council Candidates had the worst showings ever! Gentile reelected by 30% difference over GOP Candidate. No prospects for the future either...Golden and Eaton giant egos and incompetent divisive allies have destroyed the Party.
Wasn't that the reason Joe Hynes left the Democratic reservation and became a Republican and ran on the GOP line? To help Quaglione get elected? I think that was Golden's excuse for pushing Hynes.
Whatever happened, Golden concerned only about himself, Eaton huge ego and a crew who couldn't get more than ten people to go to an event if they were giving out money for free. I don't know who it is but we need a leader who is not Golden's puppet and won't make the same mistakes as Eaton.Tall order though.
I seriously doubt Hynes reason for running was to help some idiot running for city council.
Hynes ran on the Republican line for years, 2013 was no different than those years. The only question is why did Hynes run so hard after he had lost the Democratic Party Primary.
It should have been obvious after the 2013 primary that both Joes, Hynes and Lhota, were not winning. What wasn't known was how bad they were going to lose in the November election.
As for John Quaglione, what he didn't know was that nobody cared about his campaign for City Council except for him and his family.
Golden and Eaton caused all this and if we don't find someone who can unify and reorganize the party we will soon find ourselves marginalized to the level the Bronx.
Georgea -- gone to a $150,000 job with a city agency.
Ray -- gone to a cushy community job with a local hospital.
Two of Marty's finest political operatives leave his staff ... and are replaced by a woman who sold Scandinavian trinkets.
Sounds like the Senator doesn't expect to be around long, and is getting gigs for his key people before he leaves (or is forced to leave).
Thank you, Preet!
The Brooklyn Republican party is already marginalized to the level of the Bronx. That's how Golden and Eaton both wanted it. Golden made his bed, and Eaton's ego is the size of China. Eaton will probably look to be chairman as long as Mao.
Everything that Craig Eaton has done is to try to build up the Republican Party in Brooklyn.
People like Marty Golden, Boris Pincus, Arnaldo Ferraro only want to have personal bailiwicks an fiefdoms where they can make their own deals for fun AND PROFIT with Democrats and other pretend power-players.
Eaton may mean well but he is very arrogant and he surrounds himself with people who are even more arrogant and totally incompetent. Another poster said something about meetings in phone booths, I know that is a joke but it is pretty sad that it has come to the point where we don't even have an office in all of Brooklyn.
Craig Eaton has run the Brooklyn GOP into the ground.
What did he do with all the Cats money he got?
Why didn't he support any candidates for city council in 2013 and last year?
Eaton tried without much success time for him to step aside and let someone else try. As for 2013 fiasco that was ALL Golden all the time. Golden provoked divisive leadership battle strong armed candidates who didn't want to support Lhota like Storobin and Sullivan and pushed Quaglione into becoming Hynes Lhota mascot with disastrous results. Funny thing As long as Golden in office he couldn't care less about Republican party in Brooklyn.
What the Brooklyn GOP needs to do is exactly what it failed to do in 2014, run a full slate of candidates loyal to the Brooklyn GOP county leadership in all districts where there is a District Leader and County Committee Members.
In 2014 that would have meant running a candidate for State Senator against incumbent Marty Golden, because he was not loyal to the County GOP in 2013 and he still wasn't in 2014.
The same should be true for 2015 and 2016.
Marty Golden will leave his influence by getting John Quaglione elected when Gentile is term limited out of office or sooner. Eaton has no choice but to follow Marty and go with Q.
Wrongo! Out of touch with Bay Ridge breath.
Golden can't get anybody else elected. Or did I miss somebody?
John Quaglione hasn't shown any loyalty to the Brooklyn GOP, and let's see what he does in 2015. He also needs to be the candidate of the clubs and district operations, something that he hasn't done so far.
In a word, he's damaged goods and he's got a big job of rehab ahead of him.
John Q is out there more than any other GOP candidate or potential candidate in many years. Eaton and his crew will have no choice but to back Q & Golden on this.
Eaton and his lieutenants alienated just about everybody. It's their fault the Brooklyn Republican party is in the position it's in, Eaton and his lieutenants should do the right thing and step aside to let the party rebuild. No candidates who want to get elected will ever work with Eaton and his lieutenants again especially someone like John Q.
I agree with that point- and respect Q for that he is right.
Eaton made mistakes and surrounds himself with some incompetents and plain out of touch people full of themselves. Far worse can be said about what Golden has done to the Brooklyn GOP. Half his advisers are Democrats and the ones claiming to be Republicans are nasty to the rank and file. It's time to clean house across the board and unite what is left of the Party.
How long has Quaglione been a Republican? 4 years? 5?
There are plenty of qualified men and women who will step forward to run for City Council when Gentile's seat is open.
And even if Marty isn't in jail by then, there's not a damn thing he can do to stop them from running.
The only way the Brooklyn GOP can possibly salvage itself and gain some semblance of respect in local politics is to have a woman appointed chair of the party. You men have run the GOP like a freshman frat house. No goals for the community. And to think that there is no money in the coffers is alarming. If Cats gave you 10% of what he recently gave Bob Turner to re-invigorate the Queens GOP then you should have funds.
Lucretia Regina Potter would be the perfect woman to come in and fix the Brooklyn GOP. Her expertise would invigorate the party and actually engender some respect for Republicans throughout Brooklyn. Lucretia is the only Republican who has truly ever cared about the people of Brooklyn and the issues they face. It would be wonderful to see her take the reigns and straighten the party out.
Lucretia Regina Potter should replace Eaton without question.
If Sen. Golden is in jail, who is the future of the Brooklyn GOP? Quagilone may be, I think he should the next senator representing the 22nd District for the next 20 years.
If State Senator Golden is sent to jail, or even indicted, the Democrats have the 22nd S.D. until 2022. After that it disappears forever; and the only shot that the GOP ever has for a State Senate seat is in a Jewish/Russian district of some kind or other from Coney Island and Church Avenues running South and West, unless some of those neighborhoods change from their current ethnic/religious makeup.
Many people know John Q from all of his great work in the community, and he will make an excellent state senator or city councilman when the time comes. On top of that we need a fresh face for county leader, without question Lucretia Regina-Potter is one of the names on the list when it comes to rebuilding the party.
Too bad John Q has never chosen to get involved in Republican campaigns. He only gets involved in Golden campaigns. By now we know they are clearly not the same thing.
"Golden"... "Quaglione"... "Lucretia"... the FUTURE of the Republican Party in Brooklyn? Are you people all nuts? Doesn't anybody get it? The white-haired "Lucky Charms" people and the vowel people have had it in Brooklyn, along with their friends that all wish they were the real Athenian, Spartan and Macedonian descendants. It's over.
Earth to "Anonymous... 6:23 AM" -- Earth to "Anonymous... 6:23 AM"!
"Many people know John Q from all of his great work in the community..." -- You must have missed how many of those "in the community" people voted for Vinnie G. in 2013.
Besides, Republicans don't like "community organizer" types.
Marty G. and Craig E. are new-moneyed "Chamber of Commerce" types.
Most people would say the same thing about Eaton and his lieutenants not getting involved in any Republican campaigns. Wasn't the last campaign they worked on was Democrat Steven Cymbrowitz?
34% against Gentile in the most Republican area of Brooklyn hardly shows a rising star. A rising Marty puppet maybe but hardly a rising star of the party.
Q is someone who has spent his life working for the Conservative Party.
He only became a Republican to run for City Council. He's never been involved.
The most Republican area of Brooklyn is not Bay Ridge, and Bensonhurst, not even close. That being said Q will become senator or councilman when the time comes and there's nothing Craig Eaton can do about it.
The most Republican area of Brooklyn is Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and Bensonhurst. Are you kidding me? Bensonhurst is trending Republican, not Democratic.
Have you stepped into Bensonhurst or Bay Ridge lately? Apparently not.
From 18th Avenue to Bath Beach, it's really right-wing. C'mon. There's a lot of right-wing businesses in Bensonhurst.
How is Q's aunt doing?
You know the one -- she got the sweetheart deal from Hynes.
Borough Park is the most Republican part of Brooklyn. It is covered by the AD 48. The Hasidic community is increasingly becoming more Republican and BP reflects that. For example, back in 2010 when Donovan was running for AG he got 68 percent of the vote to Schneiderman's 32 percent in BP. It was the largest Republican vote for Donovan in Brooklyn. Carl Paladino even beat Cuomo in BP with over 55 percent. It was the only other area of Brooklyn where GOP line Hynes received a fairly respectable number of votes in 2013. But that had nothing to do with him being Republican so it doesn't count. Borough Park has strong Hasidic conservative Republican community leaders and they push the GOP candidates to schmooze there.
The idea that Bay Ridge is Republican truly is an anomaly since it is the Democratic Party that represents the interests of the mostly working class civil servant protected by unions families who call Bay Ridge their home.
In other news, Hillary visited Brooklyn today and she looked stunning and wowed the crowd.
Craig Eaton is an ineffective party leader, and his divisive personality along with his lieutenants have set the GOP back for years.
Until Craig Eaton steps aside for someone else, the GOP will never go forward. Craig Eaton and his lieutenants continue to push the GOP divisiveness as it allows them to stay in power by any means necessary.
Craig Eaton does not support any candidates who look to run for office, unless he and his lieutenants stand to gain from that candidacy.
Craig Eaton should do the right thing and step aside as county leader since he is responsible for the retraction of the Brooklyn GOP.
It is a catch 22. Eaton ineffective yes, surrounds himself with a questionable cast to put it lightly. But does anyone really want a Marty Golden puppet in there? It seems that without Craig you get the Marty Puppet...
Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst and Dyker Heights is a conservative enclave and will always be one. If Sen. Golden is ever indicted or in jail, the 22nd Senatorial District of New York should be in conservative-leaning hands. It's a conservative enclave.
Q doesn't want to work. People who are familiar with his work have seen him drop the ball.
Sitting at community meeting playing on a call phone while people are talking shows he doesn't have the personality to be a representative.
What did Quaglione's aunt do?
John Q has been out in the community for many years and John Q has been a great friend to our community. John Q will be councilman and state senator when the time comes.
Hiding a dead baby is a serious crime. Not to mention incredibly sick.
What happened to all the money the GOP got from Catsimatidis?
Whatever you think of Quaglione political future and yes 34% terrible, don't get personal Leave his relatives out of this. Whatever his aunt uncle cousin neighbor did is irrelevant and bringing this stuff up masks hidden agenda of some really twisted people. Don't get personal and this is indicative of circular firing squad that has wrecked Brooklyn GOP chances.
Unless, of course, Quaglione's political connections got her a sweetheart deal from District Attorney Hynes.
Anon above: If any member of the Quaglione family received a favorable benefit from the Office of the District Attorney based on John Quaglione's relationship with Marty Golden then that is very problematic and certainly warrants further review. One of the reasons why the criminal justice system in Brooklyn is viewed nationwide as corrupt is because of these types of quid pro quos that went in for twenty three years under Hynes. So yes if such allegations were to be true then his relatives are entirely relevant and no they should not be "left out of it." Exposing such corruption although alleged can only strengthen the political and criminal justice system.
RESPONSE: THE "AVENUE Q" EDITION
POLITICS SOMETIMES IS BLOODY --- IT'S EVEN BEEN CALLED A "BLOOD SPORT"
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A "REPUBLICAN" TO PLAY
Some people like to cross over to the ad hominem, with or without provocation; and others are ad nauseam from their opening remarks....
In any case, this comments thread is a good example of the above mentioned "Circular Firing Squad."
Caveat: Posts that might seem to deal with local intra-party matters often generate broader inter-party interest and commentary. This is intended to be a Republican blog; however, don't make the mistake of thinking that all of the comment makers on this thread -- or any other -- are Republicans, that they are from Brooklyn, that they have the interests of the Brooklyn GOP at heart, or that they are trying to advance any worthwhile debate.
So warned, please, have at it.
Give me a break. If you are so concerned that others who may or may not be registered Republicans have ulterior motives toward the GOP and not have its "best interests" at heart - whatever that means - then change the privacy settings on your blog. Make it visible to members only. Unless and until then assume that statements posted are subject to being challenged as well they should be. It is the basis of what discourse in the public square means. If you have a problem with that then remove your blog from the public sphere. And make it available only to those who you deem worthy of reading. But this all begs the question: does this blog have the Brooklyn Republican Party's best interests at heart? Even a casual reader would see that it tears down the GOP leadership at every turn. And who are you to question an individual's fidelity to Brooklyn because well, be careful folks I hear that person doesn't even live in Brooklyn?? I assure you there are readers here from the other outer boroughs whose life's work and that of their families has been entirely toward service to the poor and minority communities of Brooklyn. So get over yourself and step down from your righteous high horse Gale.
Some people got very touchy when talk turned to favorable treatment of a politically connected person who hid a dead baby.
The circular firing squad mentality brought upon by the Brooklyn GOP leadership has put the GOP in the position it's in. The circular firing squad tactic is used by the Brooklyn GOP leadership to distract from the fact the Brooklyn GOP leadership has no interest in building the party or ever working with anyone outside the very small Brooklyn GOP leadership.
The circular firing squad mentality brought upon by the Brooklyn GOP leadership will stop at nothing to personally destroy opponents of the Brooklyn GOP leadership there families and friends.
Until the Brooklyn GOP leadership steps aside or is forced out. The circular firing squad mentality brought upon by the Brooklyn GOP leadership will continue against all opponents of the Brooklyn GOP leadership until they are destroyed.
Was the baby in the center of the firing squad?
Is that why its death was covered up?
To the person disgustingly peddling stuff about Quaglione's Aunt: I do not think Quaglione is ready for prime time he did a terrible job in the 2013 campaign but please stop bringing up his personal life based on things that his Aunts Uncles Cousins Neighbors Pets people who are friends of friends may or may not have done. If you have proof that he interfered with Justice on her behalf bring proof otherwise seek psychological counseling for your viciousness.
We are long past the point of the Brooklyn GOP leadership needing psychological counseling.
OVERALL RESPONSE: THE "I LIKE BEING ON MY [YOU LEFT OUT BAY RIDGE] 'RIGHTEOUS HIGH HORSE'" EDITION
THE GIST OR GRIST OF MY LAST COMMENT WAS SIMPLY THIS "DON'T ASSUME..." ANYTHING ABOUT ANY GIVEN COMMENT OR COMMENT MAKER
"Anonymous... at 8:41 AM" -- I think you've been hitting the cooking sherry or the sacristy wine a little too much lately... If you feel the need to be "hammered" I recommend suds in the afternoon or single malts at night.
The real import of what "Anonymous... 11:48 AM" had to communicate, can/should not be gainsaid in any way.
Whoever wants to hammer John Q --- HAMMER HIM --- not those near and dear to him, nor even those far and away.
Otherwise, everybody seems to be getting along kind of nicely, don't you think....
The jig is about to be up on some of these "comment makers." There/their/they're and then/than are hallmarks of one old chap that used to go by the moniker AAA.
John Q is the future of the Brooklyn Republican Party. His election for state senate or city council in 2017 or a special election this year if Gentile wins on May 5th will be the death knell for Craig. Craig does not have the organization or candidate to put up & beat Q.
The open secret- and joke- is Eaton has NEVER got "his own" candidate elected to any office. Everyone he takes credit for was with Marty Golden's support.
I heard that Craig and Q were talking the other night and seemed to be very friendly. My sources tell me that Eaton is in fact a Q ally.
Makes one wonder who is trying to drive a wedge here. Who would benefit?
I wish Quaglione was a Republican.
Lucretia Regina-Potter can give Q a run.
Eaton may get along with Q but even he can't really be that naive to think that anyway you cut it Q would be a win for Marty G. NOT him and all would see it that way.
Gentile not winning congressional race in a district 2/3 Staten Island when his opponent won almost 70% of vote last time he ran for relect DA. And Quaglione couldn't break 34% despite Golden and team going all out for him. Team Eaton would fare even worse. Just the facts. Time to clean house and look to new faces maybe those closer to Golden's age who haven't been involved for a while. No idea who exactly but enough of Marty's Puppets and Eaton's weirdos.
That's just crazy talk
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