Hillary Clinton and the Baltimore Riots: Hillary repeatedly says the riots are "Heartbreaking..." --- BUT LOOK AT WHAT COMES NEXT FROM MRS. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON --- THE CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT

"The violence has to stop....   But more broadly, let’s remember that everyone in every community benefits when there is respect for the law and when everyone in every community is respected by the law....”   ---   HILLARY  SOUNDS OK THERE, BUT LOOK OUT FOR WHAT SHE REALLY MEANS

A Radical Ultra-Liberal monster emerges:  ---   HILLARY CLINTON THEN SAYS:   America's criminal justice system is the cause of the riots; and as a result,  HILLARY PROPOSES  a large-scale release of prisoners  and lesser sentences for criminals

IT LOOKS LIKE THE REAL UBER-LIBERAL, OR EVEN RADICAL, HILLARY CLINTON FINALLY SHOWS-UP AFTER OVER TWENTY YEARS OF HIDING

>>>  BUT <<<  The Times writers also pointed out that much of the nation's anti-crime policy was implemented during the administration of Bill Clinton, and while Hillary supposedly was Bill's closest adviser

Earlier today, in a speech at Columbia University for the first time Hillary Clinton delivered a substantive policy address in a campaign that, up until now, had  drawn more attention for the Democratic candidate’s head-nodding and note-taking at round-table campaign events in Iowa and New Hampshire than substantive policy.

Hillary signaled that today's speech would be a big deal yesterday in another speech to some of her money people.

YESTERDAY, HILLARY WAS TAME ENOUGH  ---  BUT SHE ALL BUT WARNED US  ---   HOLD ONTO YOUR SEATS TOMORROW

According to  a CNN report,  "Hillary Clinton told an audience of about 150 campaign donors on Tuesday the Baltimore riot was 'heartbreaking'....   Clinton, the Democratic Party's frontrunner for the 2016 presidential nomination, added that once order is restored 'we have to take a hard look as to what we need to do to reform our system.'...   The comments came at Clinton's third and final New York City fundraiser of the day...  'It is heartbreaking. The tragic death of another young African-American man. The injuries to police officers. The burning of peoples' homes and small businesses....  We have to restore order and security. But then we have to take a hard look as to what we need to do to reform our system...."  (See "Hillary Clinton calls Baltimore riot 'heartbreaking' by  Dan Merica, 4/28/15,  CNN [http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/28/politics/hillary-clinton-baltimore-riot-2016/]).   Then the CCN coverage of her Tuesday speeches  added that Clinton said she will be "speaking about this more tomorrow"

BOY DID SHE EVER  ---   CHANNELING HER INNER AL SHARPTON, HILLARY DECRIED THE "OUT-OF-BALANCE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ON DISPLAY ON THE SMOKE-FILLED STREETS OF BALTIMORE"  

According to the New York Times, "In an unusually impassioned speech, Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered a pointed assessment of race in America on Wednesday, lamenting the recent deaths of young black men and calling for overhauling the “out-of-balance” criminal justice system on display on the smoke-filled streets of Baltimore...."  ( See "Clinton Address Baltimore Riots in Impassioned Speech" by Amy Chozick  & Michael Barabro, 4/29/15, NY Times/ Politics [http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/30/us/politics/baltimore-forces-presidential-hopefuls-to-confront-a-jarring-crisis.html?_r=0])

Sounding more like a race-baiter with each sentence, Hillary went on,  "...  “From Ferguson to Staten Island to Baltimore, the patterns have become unmistakable and undeniable....”
Then Hillary Clinton took her Sharpton-like pitch to angry blacks and married it to a message aimed at her bed-rock base of non-discriminating women, with this chestnut:  "Not only as a mother and grandmother, but as a citizen, a human being, my heart breaks for these young men and their families....”   Then the Democratic Candidate said,  “We have to come to terms with some hard truths about race and justice in America....”

AFTER A RE-CYCLED  AND FAILED 60's LIBERAL  ANALYSIS OF THE "CYCLE OF PRISON AND POVERTY IN BLACK NEIGHBOHOODS..."  ---  HILLARY CALLED FOR  LESSENING OF THE BLACKS' PRISON POPULATION  ---  THROUGH "AN END TO THE ERA OF MASS INCARCERATION" AND "A REVIEW OF SENTENCING MEASURES"

Ticking off a litany of problems with the criminal justice system and the cycle of prison and poverty in black neighborhoods that 'tears at your soul,' Mrs. Clinton said there is something 'profoundly wrong' when 'yet again brave police officers have been attacked in the line of duty' and when 1.5 million black men are 'missing' from their communities because of incarceration and premature death.  ***   She called for an end to 'an era of mass incarceration' and for a review of sentencing measures.  ***   'We have allowed our criminal justice system to get out of balance,' she said...."

NOT SO FAST HILLARY

The Times team of Chozick and Barbaro put Hillary into a brief time-out to think things over with this:  "Mrs. Clinton faces a similar burden [to the Republican candiates for President] — in her case, by association. Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, signed the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, the most significant crime legislation ever passed and a measure that critics say contributed to a climate of police abuse [Uh-oh, what to do, what to do ?].  ***  The 1994 law included $30.2 billion to bolster cities’ law enforcement rosters and build dozens of new prisons. It also created tougher penalties for drug offenders and expanded the number of crimes that could be punished by the federal death penalty [Oh dear, why didn't she speak up way back then ?]...."

Here's the Times reported on how Hillary chose to describe her personal life experiences:  "In her speech Wednesday, Mrs. Clinton spoke of race and policing in the context of her own experience working for the Children’s Defense Fund.  ***  'I saw repeatedly how our legal system can be and all too often is stacked against those who have the least power, who are the most vulnerable,' she said, adding that the crises in Baltimore and other American cities are a 'symptom' of inequality, unemployment and poverty that afflicts so many black communities...."   [Where were those sentiments when a Democratic Congress passed and Bill Clinton signed the Crime Bill in 1994 ?   It sure looks like more of Hillary's hiding an hypocricy, doesn't it ?]

IN THE END HILLARY SAYS ---  ACROSS THE BOARD,  IN AMERICA NEEDS TO HAVE LOTS FEWER GUNS AND LOTS MORE SOCIAL WORK

Mrs. Clinton called President Obama’s task force on policing a “good place to start,” but she said she hoped the changes could go further.

Oh, this new/old Hillary is a pip.  At the end of the TImes story, everybody can see that she wants to round-up guns and have much more in the way of social work spending.

STAY TUNED

Even though this passage appeared rather early in the Chozick and Barbaro article in the Times, it certainly bears repetition:  "...  [I]t will hardly be the last time Mrs. Clinton discusses race and reform to the criminal justice system, which has indelibly emerged as a central issue for presidential candidates from both sides...."  

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT  ! ! !

Synchronicity and a Quantum Leap into State Senator Martin Golden's "Once and Future"

Eleven Days ago the NY Post wrote "Skelos probe threatens GOP control of state senate"

In yesterday's edition, the same NY Post's NYS political columnist Fred Dicker detailed a Democrat plan to get a collection of photos Republican State Senators with their leader Dean Skelos  --   all of it part of the Democrats' plan to take over the State Senate next year 

In a sublime bit of synchronicity, City Councilman Vincent Gentile was mentioned in the same Dicker article; and Dicker was saying that somebody inside the GOP was threatening NYS Senators with primaries and/or working with the Democrats  ---  Oddly, Dicker didn't say a word about Marty Golden in any of it

Who knows what the future might bring for Councilman Vincent Gentile and State Senator Martin Golden ?   ---   Is there a dance in their future ?   ---   They certainly do have a past  

Those who  have followed this blog know that I have done a few posts about  Marty Golden and his pinned insect under the looking glass relationship with U.S. Attrorney Preet Bharara.  This post is not one of those.  Just remember, the past is prologue  --  all of it;  and yes, there's synchronicity in it too.

YOH, VINNIE !

If Vinny [or should that be "Vinnie"] Gentile is elected to Congress next week, his first order of business will have to be how to solve the problem of all the flying pigs.  If he isn't elected, in the words of  Dorothy Fields,  he needs to "Pick [him]self up, dust [him]self off  ---  start all over again...."  This time for his old job as NYS Senator.   [More about all that Vinny/Vinnie stuff in a later post;  I promise.]

Vinny [or should that be "Vinnie"], this is the most important part of that song for you:   "...   Will you remember the famous men,   Who had to fall to rise again.  So take a deep breath;  Pick yourself up; Dust yourself off;  Start all over again...

Why, you've already done it a couple of different times in your political career.

FOR MARTY GOLDEN AND OTHERS IN THE NYS SENATE GOP  --  THE STORM CLOUDS ARE GATHERING ON THE HORIZON

[Now, none of this part is about Marty Golden, per se]   Almost two weeks ago, Carl Campanile did a pair of articles in the NY Post.

In the first, Mr. Campanile said that  "...   Republicans can wave goodbye to control of the state Senate if Dean Skelos gets busted in a corruption scandal heading into a presidential-election year....   [and]  ... corruption accusations don’t help the GOP cause in an already challenging political environment...."  (See "Skelos probe threatens GOP control of state senate" by Carl Campanile,  4/17/15, NY Post  [http://nypost.com/2015/04/17/skelos-probe-threatens-gop-control-of-state-senate/]).  In that article,  CC and the Post go on and say that,  "...   A huge Democratic turnout is expected in 2016 if Hillary Rodham Clinton is the Democratic presidential candidate, strategists said, which could impact races down the ballot."

The second was more of an insider buzz piece, which posited that the work of the NYS Senate would be shaken up as a result of the Skelos investigation(s), with an upstate senator feeding the buzz  (See "Dean Skelos probe has Albany on edge" by  Carl Campanile, 4/18/15, NY Post  [http://nypost.com/2015/04/18/dean-skelos-probe-has-albany-on-edge/]).

[Even Fred Dicker had nothing  about Marty when talking about the Skelos thing]  Fast forward to yesterday's Post and its Fred Dicker "Inside Albany" column [In my edition entitled "Dems going all out to skewer Skelos"]  ---    in it Dicker said,  "State Senate Democrats will unleash a “fierce campaign’’ to oust Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos if, as many Democrats and even some Republicans expect, the GOP lawmaker is indicted by US Attorney Preet Bharara on corruption charges...." (See  "Democrats ready to oust Dean Skelos if he’s indicted" by  Fredric U. Dicker,  4/26/15, NY Post/ nypost.com [http://nypost.com/2015/04/26/democrats-ready-to-oust-dean-skelos-if-hes-indicted/]).

[Still not a peep about Marty]  Also in that part of Dicker's column was word that  "...   Senate Democrats have enlisted the services of at least one photographer to take pictures of Skelos with other Senate Republicans, who could be damaged by the images in political advertising if Skelos is indicted....    If Dean is indicted, as we expect, there’ll be a fierce campaign to get him to step down as leader, as [indicted former Assembly Speaker] Shelly Silver was forced to do,’’ said a source close to Senate Democrats....   'This will be an opportunity to gain the initiative and, hopefully, gain the majority in the Senate next year,'’ the {Democrat] source continued."

[Marty Golden also isn't mentioned in this part of Dicker's coverage of NY GOP  State Senators jockeying to move up if Skelos falls]  What is going on with the GOP in the Senate ?    According to Fred Dicker, "Maneuvering by Republicans to succeed Skelos as majority leader has been going on for weeks....   Early out of the gate was Southern Tier Sen. Catharine Young, head of the Senate Republican Campaign Committee, as well as Long Island delegation favorite Sen. John Flanagan of East Northport, and Senate Finance Committee Chairman John DeFrancisco of Syracuse...."

SYNCHRONICTY --  COUNCILMAN VINCENT GENTILE  --  AND REPUBLICAN STATE SENATE PRIMARIES

[Marty Golden isn't mentioned in this part either]  What is eerily strange  about  Dicker's column , cited above, is that its next two sections dealt with  a) Democrat City Councilman Vincent Gentile and b) threatened Republican Party primaries against GOP State Senators that have not pursued a truly conservative Republican agenda once they got to Albany.   What with the strange synchronicity, Dicker's column was one of his best in a long time [which relatively speaking isn't very long at all].

Even though Marty Golden wasn't mentioned in any of the NY Post material mentioned above,  any talk about Skelos stepping down, new  leadership in the State Senate, Republican and/or Democrat,  talk about Vinny [or should that be "Vinnie"] Gentile, and worst of all,  possible GOP State Senate primaries are matters that make a difference for our Brooklyn GOP  State Senator.

As noted in my sub-headline above,  State Senator Golden and City Councilman Gentile do have a long history; and some of that history involves the State Senate seat now held by Golden.  Marty and Vinny have danced before, except that time Marty was the Bay Ridge Councilman and Vinny [or should that be "Vinnie"] was the State Senator.  Now, one needs to ask,  "Is there a new/old dance in their future."

There is more than synchronicity involved in all of this  ---  and I don't need to tell you about quantum leaps [We'll save that for another day or at least another post [or do I mean "Post" ?  Hmmmm !].

The Donovan-Gentile Race for Congress Enters Its Final Week In Much the Same Way as it Started --- With Donovan's Handling of the Eric Garner Case in the News --- But this time there's a bit of a twist

"He Should Run Far Away as Possible’'   ---   Eric Garner's mother  referring to DA Dan Donovan, now running as  a GOP Congressional Candidate

Democratic Congressman Jeffries  expresses hope that, if elected, a Congressman Donovan would join in making police chokeholds a federal offense  --   Donovan and his campaign showed a lack of familiarity with the issue

A feature story in the Advance about a union endorsement for each of the major party candidates in the last week of the campaign shows both sides looking like they are out of steam and limping toward the finish line

"Even if Dan Donovan prefers to talk about Iran, immigration or taxes, there's another topic the Republican congressional hopeful can't avoid: the death of Eric Garner at the hands of a police officer...."  (See "Chokehold case questions follow Daniel Donovan" by  Tom Hays, 4/27/15,  Brooklyn Eagle/ Associated Press [http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/2015/4/27/chokehold-case-questions-follow-daniel-donovan]).

According to a report covering similar material in the NY Observer by Jillian Jorgensen,  "The mother of Eric Garner won’t be supporting District Attorney Daniel Donovan—who convened the grand jury that failed to indict anyone in her son’s police custody death—in his run for Congress, she said today....   'No, I haven’t had any conversations with him, and he doesn’t get my vote,' Ms. [Gwen] Carr said...."  (See "Eric Garner’s Mother on Daniel Donovan: ‘He Should Run Far Away as Possible’'  by Jillian Jorgensen,  4/27/15, NY Observer [http://observer.com/2015/04/eric-garners-mother-on-daniel-donovan-he-should-run-far-away-as-possible/]).

Ms. Carr's comments came while she stood beside Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from Central Brooklyn, to offer her support for legislation that would make police chokeholds illegal under the federal civil rights statute.  The Observer article noted that sometimes those federal laws are used to prosecute police officers after localities fail to bring charges.

DONOVAN CAMPAIGN APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN CAUGHT FLAT-FOOTED ON CONGRESSMAN JEFFRIES' PROPOSAL   

At an event earlier in the day, the Republican congressional candidate in the 11th C.D. would not take a position on Congressman Jeffries bill.  Then, according to the coverage in the Observer, "... A spokeswoman for Mr. Donovan, Jessica Proud, said she had no comment on Ms. Carr’s comments, but said Mr. Donovan wanted to know more about Mr. Jeffries’ bill....  'He would like to actually read the bill before taking a position on it, including to see how it defines a "chokehold."   [Mr. Donovan] generally believes that policing policies are best left to states and communities, not the federal government,' Ms. Proud said in an e-mail.

NEITHER DONVAN NOR GENTILE CAMPAIGNS ARE GENERATING MUCH INTEREST

As a barometer of interest in the race which is in its last week, the Staten Island Advance  reported on ywo union endorsements -- one for Donovan and one for Gentile.  The report on the endorsement for Gentile by the Utility Workers of America, Local 1-2, made some sense. On the other hand, what was attributed to Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and the Plumbers of New York City, Local UA 1, made no sense at all, and one wonders if they knew anything about Donovan at all  ( See "Gentile, Donovan pick up endorsements in special election race" by Rachel Shapiro, SI Advance/ silive.com [http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/04/gentile_donovan_pick_up_endors.html]).

Ultimately, a garbled endorsement message probably falls most heavily on the campaign of the endorsed candidate;  and the comments attributed to the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and the Plumbers of New York City, Local UA 1, are probably no exception.

Both sides have talked about their turn-out operations;  let's see what happens next.

AND IT GROWS --- Hillary Clinton's Family Foundation Scandal --- Phase Two: THE NOT QUITE FULL CONFESSION BY SOMEBODY ELSE

OOPS, THERE IT IS FOR THE HILLARY CLINTON CAMPAIGN, AND BILL, HILLARY AND CHELSEA CLINTON

Oh,  "Yes, we made some mistakes"  [Sung to the tune of "Yes, we have no bananas"]                                                                                                                                    ---   Sung  falsetto by Clinton Foundation Acting-CEO Maura Pally

Earlier today (4/26/25) Maura Pally, the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation's acting CEO, in a Home Page posting  (See  "A Commitment to Honesty, Transparency, and Accountability" by Maura Pally, Acting CEO and Senior Vice President, Women and Youth Programs, 4/26/15,  Clnton Foundation Home page [and probably other social media and E-Mail distribution] https://www.clintonfoundation.org/blog/2015/04/26/commitment-honesty-transparency-and-accountability#sthash.smdAcljE.dpuf),  admitted that there were  some mistakes in the Clinton Foundation's listing of donations from foreign governments on its tax forms.   In her posted statement on behalf of the foundation, Pally said  this:   "Our total revenue was accurately reported on each year's form—our error was that government grants were mistakenly combined with other donations. Those same grants have always been properly listed and broken out and available for anyone to see on our audited financial statements, posted on our website."

The statement was made as the author of "Clinton Cash ...," Peter Schweizer,  has been further delineating the claims made in his forthcoming book.  In his latest interviews, Schweizer says that  there is a clear pattern in which the Clinton Foundation received donations from foreign governments before the U.S., under Clinton's leadership as Secretary of State, made favorable decisions in regards to those nations.

Interestingly,  the Clinton Foundation's acting CEO's statement also acknowledged that those donations  were not always properly reported.

"So yes, we made mistakes, as many organizations of our size do, but we are acting quickly to remedy them, and have taken steps to ensure they don't happen in the future," the statement says. "We are committed to operating the Foundation responsibly and effectively to continue the life-changing work that this philanthropy is doing every day."

Rather than give a specific citation, I give the results of my 2:00 PM EDT Google search for "Pally Clinton Foundation Yes We made some mistakes"  [https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Pally+Clinton+Foundation+Yes+We+made+some+mistakes] :

"Clinton Foundation: "Yes, we made mistakes"  --   CNN‎ - 2 hours ago
"Yes, we made mistakes, as many organizations of our ... to ensure they don't happen in the future," Pally wrote. ... in The New York Times for some of the work by its Clinton ...   --   A Commitment to Honesty, Transparency, and Accountability  --   Clinton Foundation‎ - 5 hours ago
Clinton Foundation Acknowledges Mistakes as Schweizer Calls for Investigation  --   Bloomberg‎ - 3 hours ago"

And then the added link:  "More news for Pally Clinton Foundation Yes We made some mistakes"  [https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Pally+Clinton+Foundation+Yes+We+made+some+mistakes&tbm=nws]:

"[Repeat links deleted]
Clinton Foundation Fesses Up: 'We Made Mistakes'  --  Daily Caller-2 hours ago
Clinton Foundation admits mistakes in tax forms  --  Yahoo Politics-2 hours ago
Clinton Foundation Admits Mistakes On Tax Filings  --Huffington Post-43 minutes ago
Clinton Foundation acknowledges missteps, commits to transparency  --  Blog-Washington Post (blog)-40 minutes ago"

Things are heating up with the Clinton Foundation Scandal --- Mitt Romney Started by Naming Names --- One is "Hillary Clinton" --- The other is "Bribery"

Gloating like the cat that swallowed the canary,  MITT  ROMNEY of the 2012 tax return flap strongly  says HILLARY HAS TO PRODUCE HER TAX RETURNS, along with Bill's and the Clinton Foundation's

The GOP's most recent nominee for president, and what some call the titular head of the Republican  Party, says that what Hillary Clinton  has done  sure  "... looks like bribery..."   ---   then two or three more times he referred to "Hillary Clinton" and associated her with the term and concept of "bribery"

According to yesterday's Politico, fromer GOP Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney was pulling no punches.   Here's how Politico's Nick Gass told it:  "Mitt Romney reacted to the latest news about cash flowing to Hillary Clinton’s family foundation from the Russians who purchased a uranium production company, saying that 'it looks like bribery.'   ***   'I mean, there is every appearance that Hillary Clinton was bribed to grease the sale of, what, 20 percent of America’s uranium production to Russia, and then it was covered up by lying about a meeting at her home with the principals, and by erasing emails,'  the former Republican nominee and governor of Massachusetts told radio show host Hugh Hewitt on Thursday. 'And you know, I presume we might know for sure whether there was or was not bribery if she hadn’t wiped out thousands of emails. But this is a very, very serious series of facts, and it looks like bribery.'..."  (See "Mitt Romney on Clinton Foundation donations: 'It looks like bribery' ' by  Nick Gass,  4/24/15, Politico [http://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/mitt-romney-clinton-foundation-donations-bribery-117311.html]).  

There was similar coverage of Mitt Romney's interview by Hugh Hewitt in "The Hill"   ( See "Romney: Donation to Clinton Foundation 'looks like bribery' " by David McCabe, 4/24/15, The Hill [http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/239946-romney-clinton-donations-looks-like-bribery]).  And this is how "The Hill" opened its account:  "Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney said Thursday evening that foreign donations to the Clinton Foundation make it appear as though Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton "was bribed" while Secretary of State."

On Thursday's Hugh Hewitt Show, Romney said  that,  the Clinton family foundation scandal is "At best... an ethical morass”  for  [Hillary] Clinton’s campaign...."   “That’s at best,” Romney repeated.   When he was asked whether he thought  Hillary would withdraw from the presidential race; Romney responded, with this:   “We’re going to see what the facts say” and that Democrats are going to want someone who Americans can trust, “and someone who is not embroiled in what appears to be a form of bribery....   I think people are going to rethink this race on the Democratic side,"   then  Romney added  "...   And as for Elizabeth Warren, boy, I sure hope it’s not her....  [l]et me tell you, but there may be some others who are more palatable.”

According to the report of Romney's statements in "The Hill"   ---   Romney dismissed the Clinton campaign's response as just so much “blah, blah, blah....”  Then Romney also blasted Hillary Clinton's Campaign Spokesman Brian Fallon, who had responded to a New York Times story published Thursday.  Fallon had said that suggesting Clinton’s State Department  had  "exerted undue influence” on the sale of Uranium One “is utterly baseless...” [Now that sure sounds like pure “blah, blah, blah....” to me].

ROMNEY SAYS THAT IF HILLARY CLINTON CONTINUES TO RUN,  SHE AND BILL CLINTON WILL HAVE TO RELEASE THEIR  TAX RETURNS JOINTLY,  ALONG WITH ALL OF THE FOUNDATION TAXES

Then the article went on,  "Romney said it was not clear yet what effect the questions could have on her campaign. But he said that it is likely she would have to do something he  doubted she would be inclined to do now  ---   release her tax returns.   “Well, no question if she runs for president, Bill and Hillary Clinton will have to release their joint returns, not just her return, but their joint returns, because assets are commingled,” he said.   ***   “And No. 2, yes, the foundation would have to release its returns as well. I’m not asking for 10 years, but I’m saying they ought to give at least three years of returns so we can see where the money’s been coming from.”

The State Senator Marty Golden traffic: feature stories in the press, press releases, blog items and social media seem to have slowed down....

Is it the assimilation of new staff ? ---   Is it Marty just doing less for us  ?  ---  OR   ---  Is it distraction and fatigue from the federal criminal investigation ?  

If it's the latter,  is it time for Marty Golden to think about resigning his seat in the NYS Senate ?

I have to admit, in working to find new articles for this independent Republican blog, I sit hunch-backed in my darkened room at my primitive electronic device, and I routinely troll all kinds of categories, issues and material.  One of the main categorical areas of inquiry in my computer searches involves Brooklyn's only homegrown elected Republican official, State Senator Martin Golden.
 
Lately, my computer searches have been turning up less and less about the state senator and what he's been up to.  Whether it's links to news stories, his [or his staff's or the GOP Caucus' s staff's] press releases and other items on Golden's State Senate home page, or social media  --  various searches and queries for "Marty Golden" or  "Martin Golden [with or without middle initial]" and a wide variety of routine modifiers have resulted in a declining volume of recent "hits" recently  [See what I did there ?  It wasn't a mistake...  at least not THAT kind of mistake].
    
Why is it that the volume of "Marty Golden"  E-traffic  has declined so much lately ?

Is Marty just doing less, so there's less to talk, write or post about ?

Is it the recent turn-over of Marty's staff  [And maybe some disgruntlement by the "old timers"] ?

Is it some new communications strategy or philosophy cooked up by some consultant(s) ?

OR  ---   IS  IT A PREDICTABLE CONSEQUENCE OF THE FEDERAL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OF STATE SENATOR GOLDEN'S  "CAMPAIGN FINANCES"  ? ? ?   

Let's use some short-hand and call that:  "Marty Golden-Preet Bharara fatigue"

____________________________________________

Before anybody accuses me of making stuff up [wink- nod, like we don't know who that might be]...  I'm just asking questions here.  Frankly, I don't know what the actual answer or answers might be.
 
I can have an open mind about it --  maybe, it's something completely different.   Like maybe,  Google is broken; or Google put in some new algorythm that blocks anything new about "Marty Golden";  or my computer has some kind of malware that blocks anything new about Republican state senators from Brooklyn.  Maybe, I'm just wrong in my perception and conclusions [ Nah, it wouldn't/couldn't be that...].

BUT ---  IF IT IS  "MARTY GOLDEN-PREET BHARARA FATIGUE"  ---   THEN MARTY GOLDEN NEEDS TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER RESIGNING HIS SEAT IN THE NEW YORK STATE SENATE AND DEVOTE HIMSELF TO HIS CRIMINAL DEFENSE FULL-TIME 

____________________________________________

Now, let me  do my Google search for  "Marty Golden-Preet Bharara fatigue" and see if anything comes  up.

DAN DONOVAN --- BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID; GENTILE IS PLAYING IT LIKE THE "LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD" --- AND YOUR SIDE IS PITCHING "INEVITABILITY" LIKE YOU'RE HILLARY CLINTON

Wake up boy !  How's that been working out for the likes of Bill Clinton's almost favorite girl ?  

Press report:  "Vincent Gentile Raises Almost $200K for Congressional Race"

Press report:   "11 CD Race: Analysis Reveals Gentile Catching Up To Donovan"

As I like to say, "Ross Barkan, the former Brooklyn beat reporter," has filed a story that looks like it should be good news for Dan Donovan.  According to Mr. Barkan,  "Councilman Vincent Gentile, a Democrat running for an open House seat in Brooklyn and Staten Island, raised nearly $200,000 and still has more than $100,000 in cash on hand with less than two weeks to go until Election Day, new filings with the Federal Election Commission show. ***   Mr. Gentile, a Brooklyn lawmaker, is facing Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan, a Republican, in a special election. Mr. Donovan raised more than $600,000 and has just over $460,000 cash on hand, according a report in the Staten Island Advance...."  (See "Vincent Gentile Raises Almost $200K for Congressional Race" by Ross Barkan, 4/23/15, The Observer [http://observer.com/2015/04/vincent-gentile-raises-almost-200k-for-congressional-race/]).

WHAT LOOKS LIKE GOOD NEWS FOR DONOVAN  ---  WELL, MAYBE IT ISN'T

The coverage by the Obaserver continued with this:  "...   This campaign has been a grassroots effort from day one and that is something we are very, very proud of. We are running exactly the campaign we want to run,” said Justin Brannan, a spokesman for Mr. Gentile....  Unlike the last Democrat to run in the 11th Congressional District, Domenic Recchia Jr., Mr. Gentile did not receive any financial help from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He raised $195,724 in total and spent $79,697.83, a far cry from the several million dollars Mr. Recchia raised and spent...."    In a what Ross Barkan described as dig at Mr. Donovan, who is expected to receive more support from national Republicans and political action committees, Mr. Gentile's spokesman said:   “We are not relying on shadowy corporate donors, super PACs or people like the Koch Brothers to get our message out to the people of New York’s 11th congressional district....”

So with a 5 to 1 advantage in available cash, that is likely to grow, why am I saying that Donovan needs to be afraid ?   [Offstage: deep male voice shouts --  "Yeah, why are you sayin' Donovan's gotta be afraid ?"]   ---  Well, I'll tell you , Alice.

From the very beginning of his campaign for Congress in the 11th Cong. Dist.,  Vinnie (or should  that be "Vinny") Gentile and all his folks have been making do and have had a real "less is more" "can-do" "never say die" attitude about everything.  Even closer to the mark, they all seem to be reciting the  "I think I can -- I think I can -- I think I can... " mantra over there.  You know, the one made famous by  "The Little Engine That Could"  --  back when we were all young.
 
Gentile has been way back since the beginning  ---  but everything seems to keep moving his way  ---   especially the whole thing about the  debates, first having them with Dan Donovan ( Oh, Dan, to have those chances back, again); and now, NOT HAVING THEM  ---  and what does everybody say ? "IT'S BECAUSE OF DAN DONOVAN." (Ugh, Dan, sometimes you can't win for losing !)

On that front, the gift that keeps on giving to the Gentile Campaign, Jessica Proud, said by E-Mail that "...  [d]ue to the tight time frame of a special election and scheduling conflicts, we were unable to attend a few of these events....   We felt it was important to do a debate in both Brooklyn and on Staten Island so that people from both sides of the bridge would have an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates."   ---    That's  it,  Donovan's done with debates  ---   or like the cop says at the sight of a fifteen-car wreck,  "Go home, it's all over, nothin' happenin' here...."  

By the way, that's what the Donovan campaign has been so far  ---  A FIFTEEN-CAR WRECK RIGHT BEFORE THE SLOSSON AVENUE EXIT WITH THE ROUTINE RUBBER-NECKING ON THE OTHER SIDE  ---   it's a real beauty, is what I'm sayin'.

THE BLOG ITEM THAT MIGHT BE THE STRAW [POLL] IN THE WIND 

A few days ago this item was carried into my Florida manse where I am staying by a little birdie:   "You don’t need a pollster to know which way the political winds are blowing to feel that Democrat Vinnie Gentile is inching towards a possible upset of presumed far-ahead frontrunner Republican Dan Donovan for the vacant 11th Congressional seat straddling Staten Island and a piece of Southern Brooklyn...." (See "11 CD Race: Analysis Reveals Gentile Catching Up To Donovan" by whoever does the stuff at Kings County Politics, 4/22/15,  Kings County Politics Blog [http://www.kingscountypolitics.com/11-cd-race-analysis-reveals-gentile-catching-up-to-donovan/]).

That story goes on like this:  "...  [B]oth camps confirmed they have done internal polling, and their response to KCP inquires is telling.  ***   Sources close to the Gentile campaign said the poll showed the race is tightening up, while Donovan spokesperson Jessica Proud refused to discuss internal polling.   ***   “If they (Team Gentile) reveal any information regarding a poll, they are required by law to release the whole thing to the public,” she noted...."

You gotta love that girl....   Jessica Proud can even make a gaffe by not saying very much at all.  You see  Chris McCreight, Manager of the Gentile Campaign, took the opportunity to make hay while the sun shined on him from the folks at the Kings County Politics blog.

According to McCreight,  “It’s going to be a low turnout – between 30,000-40,000 voters....  Our job is in getting our vote out just like their (Donovan’s camp) job is to get their vote out....   We know there’s 20,000 people willing to vote for Vinnie. Our job is to get them to the polls to vote...."

And then the Kings County Politics [Guy, Gal or Committee] said this:  "Then there’s Gentile, a battle-hardened political veteran, who served three terms in the state senate before becoming a city councilman. He’s proven to be a very able, smart and charismatic debater against Donovan and continues to pile on points every time Donovan fails to show up for a debate as he did at today’s scheduled Bay Ridge Senior Center debate.  ***   Team Gentile also has a good finger on the pulse for controlling the political narrative, painting Donovan as an out-of-touch candidate with little knowledge of several key issues such as raising the minimum wage....   The takeaway feeling is that Donovan is beginning to feel like a GOP version of Domenic Recchia, the very-flawed Democrat who lost to convicted felon Michael Grimm for the seat last year. And just like Recchia, it’s Donovan’s election to lose.... "

IN CLOSING --  A MESSAGE to DANDY DAN DONOVAN 

You know, Dan, I think I read somewhere recently that a funny thing about special elections, as opposed to long drawn out general election cycles, is that it’s not the momentum that money buys and endorsements bring, but the ground game and tight organization that wins.  Well, your organization ain't wrapped too tight, if you know what I mean.

And for all that, Vinnie (or should  that be "Vinny") Gentile appears to be closing the gap with you.

Times' Editors say Hillary Clinton is Guilty of an "...Inexcusable Violation..." as Secretary of State --- Jonathan Chait at New York Magazine says "...[b]est case scenario ... The Clintons have been Disorganized and Greedy.... [And t]heir experience running their own privatized mini-state has been a fiasco"

 

Hillary Clinton's problems invovlving her entanglements and interactions with and on behalf of the Clinton family foundation, while she was duty-bound as Secretary of State for the Obama Administration, have moved from The NY Times news pages to the Times' editorial page

At the same time, Jonathan Chait in New York Magazine says that "....   [a]ll sorts of unproven worst-case-scenario questions float around the web of connections between Bill’s private work, Hillary Clinton’s public role as secretary of State, the Clintons’ quasi-public charity, and Hillary’s noncompliant email system, and where this all leads remains to be seen....  But the best-case scenario is bad enough: The Clintons have been disorganized and greedy...."  

And then Chait added this:  "The news today about the Clintons all fleshes out, in one way or another, their lack of interest in policing serious conflict-of-interest problems that arise in their overlapping roles....   [And] the most positive interpretation [for the Clintons] is not exactly good...."

The current New York Times editorial has hammered Hillary Clinton and the budding Clinton campaign for President in 2016 with a series of combination shots.

THE TIMES' MAIN POINTS

For starters, the Times' editors signed off on the reporting done by its team of reporters;  then the Editorial Board uses these words to describe a failure of Hillary Clinton  in the performance of a key element of her duties while Secretary of State for President Obama  ---   Her "failure is an inexcusable violation of her pledge"  to disclose all donors to the Clinton Foundation as a condition of her becoming Secretary of State  ( See "Candidate Clinton and the Foundation" by The NY Times Editorial Board, 4/23/15, NY Times/ nytimes.com[http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/opinion/candidate-clinton-and-the-foundation.html?_r=1] [In 4/24/15 Paper Edition at page A 26, with the same headline] ).
Here is that section of the Times' Editorial:   "The messiness of her connection with the foundation has been shown in a report by The Times on a complex business deal involving Canadian mining entrepreneurs who made donations to the foundation and were at the time selling their uranium company to the Russian state-owned nuclear energy company. That deal, which included uranium mining stakes in the United States, required approval by the federal government, including the State Department.   ***    Donations, which included $2.35 million from a principal in the deal, were not publicly disclosed by the foundation, even though Mrs. Clinton had signed an agreement with the Obama administration requiring the foundation to disclose all donors as a condition of her becoming secretary of state. This failure is an inexcusable violation of her pledge...."                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
The Times editors also  admonished the Clintons that,  "...  [t]he increasing scrutiny of the foundation has raised several points that need to be addressed by Mrs. Clinton and the former president. These relate most importantly to the flow of multimillions in donations from foreigners and others to the foundation, how Mrs. Clinton dealt with potential conflicts as secretary of state and how she intends to guard against such conflicts should she win the White House...."

CHAIT LOOKS AT BILL & HILL AS A POWER COUPLE WHO RAISE LOTS OF CASH FOR CHARITY, BUT THERE WAS A BIG PRICE FOR THAT IN OTHER AREAS OF THEIR "OVERLAPPING" DUTIES

According to Jonathan Chait,  "The Washington Post reports that Bill Clinton has received $26 million in speaking fees from entities that also donated to the Clinton Global Initiative.  ***   The Washington Examiner reports, 'Twenty-two of the 37 corporations nominated for a prestigious State Department award — and six of the eight ultimate winners — while Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State were also donors to the Clinton family foundation.'  ***   And Reuters reports, 'Hillary Clinton's family's charities are refiling at least five annual tax returns after a Reuters review found errors in how they reported donations from governments, and said they may audit other Clinton Foundation returns in case of other errors.'  ( See "The Disastrous Clinton Post-Presidency" by  Jonathan Chait, New York Magazine [http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/04/disastrous-clinton-post-presidency.html]).

Chait seems to buy into a lot of the Clinton slime team flack about "right wing conspiracy, when he says things like this:  "The Clinton campaign is batting down the darkest and most conspiratorial interpretation of these stories, and where this all leads remains to be seen...."  Nonetheless, Chait's narrative doesn't exculpate the Clintons by any means.  When looking at the facts reported by the MSM above, Chait concludes that "...  the most positive interpretation [for the Clintons] is not exactly good...."

Here is Chait's money shot:  "When you are a power couple consisting of a former president and a current secretary of State and likely presidential candidate, you have the ability to raise a lot of money for charitable purposes that can do a lot of good. But some of the potential sources of donations will be looking to get something in return for their money other than moral satisfaction or the chance to hobnob with celebrities. Some of them want preferential treatment from the State Department, and others want access to a potential future Clinton administration. To run a private operation where Bill Clinton will deliver a speech for a (huge) fee and a charity that raises money from some of the same clients is a difficult situation to navigate. To overlay that fraught situation onto Hillary’s ongoing and likely future government service makes it all much harder....    And  [Wait for it  --  WAIT - FOR - IT ! ! ! ]  yet the Clintons paid little to no attention to this problem...."

Chait concludes with this very much on the downlow:  "The Obama administration wanted Hillary Clinton to use official government email. She didn’t. The Obama administration also demanded that the Clinton Foundation disclose all its donors while she served as Secretary of State. It didn’t comply with that request, either.   ***   The Clintons’ charitable initiatives were a kind of quasi-government run by themselves, which was staffed by their own loyalists and made up the rules as it went along. Their experience running the actual government, with its formal accountability and disclosure, went reasonably well (WELL THAT IS CERTAINLY DISPUTABLE). Their experience running their own privatized mini-state has been a fiasco."

Picture Hillary Clinton as "Granny in the Slow Lane" as she drives her Scooby Doo Van to become President of the United States --- Now picture her as a master of a slime machine, tagging her "enemies" in the media and elsewhere as nuts, sluts and hacks

Hillary Clinton and her campaign got hit hard with a double blast from two different MSM directions  ---  both painted very negative portraits of Mrs. Clinton and/or her campaign

First, Jack Shafer a senior media editor at Politico puts it right out there   ---  "Hillary Clinton Can’t Run for President  --   So she’s pushed her whole campaign into the slow lane."   ---    "Suspended animation would look vigorous compared to what Clinton is now doing."   ---  Think about that and think of the implications  [Also get a load of one of the worst Hillary photos yet  ---  it's a Hillary photo that looks like a witch-like caricature] 

Then Ron Fournier lays out what the Hillary Clinton battle plan against Peter Scheizer's book is going to be:  Deny: Salient questions are dodged, and evidence goes missing. The stone wall is built;  Deflect: Blame is shifted, usually to Republicans and the media;  Demean: People who question or criticize the Clintons will get tarred by everything  --  don't forget the old one about the "nuts and sluts"

By far the more devastating piece comes from Jack Shafer at "Politico"  ---  it is a concept piece and it is full of analysis.  However,  a deadly threat to Hillary and to her capaign is the introduction of  Shafer's new  negative terminology.  More deadly than that is the reinforced negative imagery for Hillary Clinton as a person and as a candidate for president
.

SHAFER"S ANALYSIS

According to Mr Shafer,  "Thousands have run for president, but only one candidate has ever unrun for the office: Hillary Clinton. Ever since she finally announced her entry into the contest a couple of weeks ago, she has been unrunning with ferocity....   Why is Clinton unrunning? If the race for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination were a Little League baseball game, the party would have already recognized Clinton’s insurmountable lead and invoked the mercy rule to give the victory to her. By unrunning, she avoids the intense political debate that would only call attention to her underfunded, unannounced and relatively unknown rivals, Martin O’Malley, Jim Webb, Lincoln Chafee and Joe Biden, all of whom are [now also un-unrunning at their own] paces...."  (See "Hillary Clinton Can’t Run for President..." by Jack Shafer, 4/21/15,  Politico/ The Fourth Estate  [http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/04/hillary-clinton-cant-run-for-president-117209.html#.VTgH6dJViko]).

Later in the "Politico" article, Shafer  said,  "...  With nine months until the first presidential primary, Clinton can’t afford to actively run for president. Indeed, if she had her druthers, she probably wouldn’t even be unrunning now. She was pressured by the constant press attention about when she was going to announce and the email controversy. That sort of press attention was positive media attention she couldn’t control, and only by announcing could she dial it down. The email controversy was negative media attention she couldn’t control without the attention-deflecting machinery of a campaign. Indeed, she may be the first politician to announce for the presidency in order to decrease attention in her candidacy.   ***   She’s succeeded wildly. Her coffees, roundtables, discussions and “spontaneous” meetings with voters have immersed her campaign into a box of dry ice and slowed it to the lowest metabolic levels. Suspended animation would look vigorous compared to what Clinton is now doing. This is smart. Steady coverage on the inside of newspapers is exactly what she wants...."

SHAFER'S  IMAGERY  ---  HILLARY AS GRANNY DRIVING IN THE SLOW LANE

More important than any of Shafer's material as insightful analysis, which it surely is   ---   Shafer's article contains new terminology about the campaaign an the development of piece of imagery of Hillary as a candidate.

The most ,emorable image of Candidate Hillary Clinton that might have come out of Shafer's article is that of "Granny moving in the slow lane" [The picture from Getty images that accompanied Shafer's article in "Politico" is also priceless].  Shafer's  termnology and phraseology is equally memorable and descriptive:  Hillary's  "...coffees, roundtables, discussions and  'spontaneous' meetings ...immersed her campaign into a box of dry ice and slowed it to the lowest metabolic levels....";  "... [s]uspended animation would look vigorous... compared to ... Clinton..."; " Listening tours (or sessions) ... add a little fabric softener to [Hillary's] starchy image, buffing [Mrs Clinton's scaly reptilian exteriors down to kid-leather smoothness...."

THE RON FOURNIER ARTICLE IN THE NATIONAL JOURNAL

Ron Fournier is right up front about it  ---   "I don't know what's in Peter Schweizer's book. But I know what the Clintons are capable of.... "    (See "The Questions Hillary Clinton Doesn't Want Answered About the Clinton FoundationI don't know what's in Peter Schweizer's book. But I know what the Clintons are capable of" by Ron Fournier, 4/22/15,  The National Journal [http://www.nationaljournal.com/2016-elections/hillary-clinton-clinton-foundation-ron-fournier-20150422]).

His first full paragraph takes us all back to the good old days of the Clinton's:  "Gennifer Flowers. Cattle futures. The White House travel office. Rose Law Firm files. The Lincoln Bedroom. Monica Lewinsky. And now, the Clinton Foundation. What ties these stories together is the predictable, paint-by-numbers response from the Bill and Hillary Clinton political operation...."   The Fournier gives us this gameplan from the old Clinton playbook:
"1. Deny: Salient questions are dodged, and evidence goes missing. The stone wall is built.
2. Deflect: Blame is shifted, usually to Republicans and the media.
3. Demean: People who question or criticize the Clintons get tarred as right-wing extremists, hacks, nuts, or sluts...."

Fournier also said this:  "...   The seedy side of the [Clinton] foundation is a legitimate campaign issue. While the Clintons deserve credit for making foundation donations largely transparent, other activities raise serious questions. They violated an ethics agreement with the Obama White House. Hillary Clinton deleted most emails she sent and received as secretary of State, including any concerning the foundation or its donors....   What did donors expect from the Clintons? Did they receive favors in return? Why did the Clintons do business with countries that finance terrorism and suppress the rights of women? Did family and friends benefit from their ties to the foundation? And, in a broader sense, what do the operations of the foundation say about Hillary Clinton's management ability and ethical grounding?"

Fournier then describes what has happened when the Clinton slime machine was unleashed in the past; and now in the wake of the release of material in the New York Times about the book by Peter Schweizer.  He concludes that the wild conspiracy theories are presently more likely to be the product of Hillary's defenders like David Brock than those reporting on Peter Schweizer's book "Clinton Cash...".

Another link between State Senator Martin Golden and Preet Bharara's Ongoing Investigation(s) of Republican State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son Adam

Attorney John Ciampoli, who has done his share of legal work for the benefit of Brooklyn State Senator Marty Golden over the years, is now being looked at as a key or instrumental figure in the approval process for a questionable contract to a company called  ---  AbTech

Nassau County and its County Executive not the targets of the federal probe  ---   they are  "cooperating"

The former Nassau County attorney John Ciampoli, now works closely with Dean Skelos in Mr. Ciampoli's current capacity as Senate legislative counsel. In that capacity, he also interacts with State Senator Golden and his staff.

JOHN CIAMPOLI'S HISTORY

"...   Ciampol [ whose] officially designated role in approving the AbTech deal—the county attorney [of Nassau County] is charged with reviewing contracts—has not previously been mentioned in news reports on the Skelos investigation....  Ciampoli had previously worked for years a top election lawyer for the Senate's Republican majority before he was hired to the county attorney post in 2010 by Nassau County executive Ed Mangano.  ***   The storm-cleanup contract with AbTech was approved by Nassau County in June 2013.   ***   Ciampoli was terminated by Mangano in November 2013 with no public explanation, and re-hired by Senate Republicans shortly afterward, in December 2013, as counsel to legislative services in the Senate...." (See "Senate G.O.P. aide tied to scrutinized Skelos deal" by Laura Nahmias, 4/21/15, [http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/albany/2015/04/8566363/senate-gop-aide-tied-scrutinized-skelos-deal]).

MANGANO AND NASSAU COUNTY GOVERNMENT NOT TARGET OF FEDERAL INVESTIGATION  ---  COOPERATING FULLY 

According to the Capitol New York article, it was reported last week that [Nassau Executive] Mangano testified before a federal grand jury last week as part of an ongoing federal inquiry. A spokesman has said  that Mangano and Nassau County government are not targets of the investigation, and that  they are cooperating with fully.
                                                                         

Amy Chozick of the New York Times profiles a book about the Bill and Hillary Clinton Cash Machine

"New Book, ‘Clinton Cash,’ Questions Foreign Donations to Foundation"   ---   "Peter Schweizer['s]  186-page investigation of donations made to the Clinton Foundation ...  is proving the most anticipated and feared book of a presidential cycle still in its infancy."

Peter Schweizer writes the book ---  Amy Chozick does a piece about the book  in the New York Times   ---    Which is the bigger story --  Which is my lead ?   And  Why ?

Here's how Ms. Cozick starts off her  piece in today's New York Times:   "The book does not hit shelves until May 5, but already the Republican Rand Paul has called its findings “big news” that will “shock people” and make voters “question” the candidacy of Hillary Rodham Clinton.   ***   'Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich,'  by Peter Schweizer — a 186-page investigation of donations made to the Clinton Foundation by foreign entities — is proving the most anticipated and feared book of a presidential cycle still in its infancy.  ***  The book...asserts that foreign entities who made payments to the Clinton Foundation and to Mr. Clinton through high speaking fees received favors from Mrs. Clinton’s State Department in return.  ***   “We will see a pattern of financial transactions involving the Clintons that occurred contemporaneous with favorable U.S. policy decisions benefiting those providing the funds,” Mr. Schweizer writes...."  ( See "New Book, ‘Clinton Cash,’ Questions Foreign Donations to Foundation" by Amy Chozick, 4/19/15 [on page A-13 of  4-20-15 paper edition],  NY Times [http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/20/us/politics/new-book-clinton-cash-questions-foreign-donations-to-foundation.html]).

CHOZICK'S ARTICLE IS NOT A REVIEW  ---  IT TIES THE BOOK INTO A NARRATIVE OF THE CLINTON'S FINANCIAL EMPIRE AND THE HILLARY CLINTON CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT

The Times article goes on to state that  "...   In the long lead up to Mrs. Clinton’s campaign announcement, aides proved adept in swatting down critical books as conservative propaganda, including Edward Klein’s 'Blood Feud,' about tensions between the Clintons and the Obamas, and Daniel Halper’s 'Clinton Inc.: The Audacious Rebuilding of a Political Machine.'   ***    But 'Clinton Cash'  is potentially more unsettling, both because of its focused reporting and because major news organizations including The Times, The Washington Post and Fox News have exclusive agreements with the author  to pursue the story lines found in the book.  ***   Members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which includes Mr. Paul and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, have been briefed on the book’s findings, and its contents have already made their way into several of the Republican presidential candidates’ campaigns.  ***    Conservative “super PACs” plan to seize on “Clinton Cash,” and a pro-Democrat super PAC has already assembled a dossier on Mr. Schweizer, a speechwriting consultant to former President George W. Bush and a fellow at the conservative Hoover Institution who has contributed to the conservative website Breitbart.com, to make the case that he has a bias against Mrs. Clinton...."    [[[ >>> NOTE <<< :  One of the pro-Clinton commenters on the comments thread to the post immediately below this one mentioned exactly those bits of information about the book's author's association with Breitbart]]]

Ms . Chozick also notes that  "...  Mr. Schweizer’s book will be released the same day former President Bill Clinton and the Clintons’ daughter, Chelsea, will host the Clinton Global Initiative gathering with donors in Morocco, the culmination of a foundation trip to several African nations. (A chapter in the book is titled 'Warlord Economics: The Clintons Do Africa.' )...."

PRE-PUBLICATION FEATURE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES SHOWS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DISCLOSURES IN THE SCHWEITSER BOOK

Those who follow this blog know that NY Times writer Amy Chozick has been a lead or exclusive writer/reporter on several of the Hillary Clinton disclosures of late.

The fact that the Times has decided to go with this report, which is more than a mere book review, shows that the editors there think that there is a big story behind the book, that their reporter Amy Chozick tells it well, and that that there probably will be big stories in the future coming out of  "Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich" by Peter Schweizer.

UPDATE AS A FEATURE POST: THE "A PARODY OF A PARIAH JUST MIGHT WORK" EDITION

[THAT'S RIGHT, IT WAS TOO LONG TO FIT AS A COMMENT TO THE THREAD BELOW] ALSO, EVEN THOUGH IT'S CLOSER TO PIED PROSE THAN POETRY  ---   MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, THERE'S SOMETHING TO IT

IF THE HILLARY FOLKS WERE HONEST, THEY'D ADMIT THAT THE MOST RECENT HILLARY ROLL-OUT ISN'T WORKING ALL THAT WELL  ---  JUST LOOK AT HILLARY, THE EMPRESS HAS NO NEW CLOTHES ON  OR OLD CLOTHES EITHER  ---  AND IT ISN'T A PRETTY SIGHT, ALL THOSE WRINKLES [IS THERE STILL TIME FOR A NIP 'N' TUCK ?]

BUT WHAT IS IT THAT IS CAUSING HILLARY'S SCOOBY VAN'S WHEELS TO SEEM SO FLAT  ?   ---   ACCORDING TO SOME PEOPLE FROM MONTY PYTHON LAND  ---  IT'S THE SATIRE NOT THE SCANDALS THAT ARE TAKING THE WIND FROM BENEATH HILLARY'S WINGS  [NO, DON'T CUE BETTE MIDLER]  AS SHE TRIES TO TIP TOE THROUGH THE TULIPS [NOW, CUE TINY TIM]

WAIT A MINUTE...   [NOT TINY TIM -- CUE MAUREEN DOWD SINGING "HOW LOVELY TO BE A WOMAN" FROM BYE BYE BIRDIE]

According to the folks at "The Telegraph," serious stories about Hillary don't seem to attract as much attention as stories about her day to day screwups,  like the failure to leave a tip at Chipotle or the big sun glasses she wore while she did it [or should that be didn't do it ?]....  (See "Why satire not scandal could derail Hillary Clinton's campaign" by By Matt Lewis, 4/16/15,  The Telegraph/    [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/hillary-clinton/11547099/Why-satire-not-scandal-could-derail-Hillary-Clintons-campaign.html]).

The article by a fellow named Matt Lewis [yes, the same "Matt Lewis" as "Daily Caller]went on to say  that  "... [i]n 2008, it was widely perceived that Mrs Clinton's sense of entitlement cost her the White House. So this time round, she is making a concerted effort to appear "normal". After announcing her candidacy, Mrs Clinton and her entourage took a 1,000 mile road-trip in a van she dubbed the "Scooby Doo van" (presumably named after the "Mystery Machine" driven in the classic children's cartoon). En route, she made a pit stop for a chicken burrito bowl at a Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant.  ***   But her efforts backfired. Mrs Clinton didn't shake hands with any of the employees – or leave a tip.... "  [What nobody really doubts is that Hillary is one cheap bitch; and Huma doesn't seem so generous either].

Believe it or not, that story received more than four days of media buzz and even some comedic treatment across America.

Matt Lewis concluded with this:  "The funny thing is that some serious news involving Mrs Clinton came out this week, but has mostly elicited yawns. First...  that she had simply ignored congressional inquiries into her use of private emails during the time she was serving as Secretary of State....  Second, it was reports [about more problems from] the Clinton Foundation....   None of these "serious" stories garnered as much coverage or commentary as her failure to leave a tip at Chipotle. This is both a commentary on the American public and the American media. But it's also a warning to Mrs Clinton about how it will be the little things that kill."

MAUREEN DOWD  SAYS ALMOST THE SAME THING IN A COMPLETELY  DIFFERENT WAY IN TODAY'S NY TIMES

The long-time Hillary Clinton critic kicks off her Times Op-Ed column this Sunday with this:   "THE most famous woman on the planet has a confounding problem. She can’t figure out how to campaign as a woman...."   And Dowd continued,  "In 2008, Hillary Clinton took advice from two men — Bill Clinton and Mark Penn — and campaigned like a man. Worried about proving she could be commander in chief, Hillary scrubbed out the femininity, vulnerability and heart, in image and issues, that were anathema to Penn. Consciously tamping down the humor and warmth in Hillary and playing up the muscularity and bellicosity, her strategist modeled Hillary on Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher...."  (See "Granny Get Your Gun" Mareen Dowd, 4/18/15 [in the 4/19/15 Edition of the NY Times],  NY Times/ SundayReview - Op-Ed  [http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/opinion/sunday/maureen-dowd-granny-get-your-gun.html?_r=0]).

Dowd goes on to describe some of the SNL stuff (satire) by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler culminating in this grand old quote, "...Bitch is the new black..."

And if Dowd's article concluded with its penultimate paragraph life would be indeed be Benigni-world beautiful  --  "...   As she hits the trail again, Hillary is a blur of competing images, a paean to the calibrated, artful and generic, a low-key lady who doesn’t stand for anything except low-keyness. She has seen, over and over, that overcorrecting can be self-defeating for her and parlous to the nation, but she keeps doing it...."

But Dowd shows that, after all, she is a liberal or a progressive or a feminist or whatever....   Like Newsweek's writer did yesterday, Dowd pulled her punch on the girl (or is that old lady, now) that we all love to hate -- HILLARY.   Here's what good old MD said at the end:  "Let’s hope that the hokey Chipotle Granny will give way to the cool Tumblr Chick in time to teach her Republican rivals — who are coming after her with every condescending, misogynist, distorted thing they’ve got — that bitch is still the new black."

Next time, Maureen [please. let me call you only by your first name], when you write about Hillary, follow your own advice, show HRC that bitch really is the new black. We Republican guys will like you even more than we do already  --  and that's really all that counts.

Rand Paul keeps hinting (almost promising) that there is a new BIG "CLINTON SCANDAL" that will blow up Hillary's campaign once and for all --- And now, Newsweek has something that looks like it could be a BIG, BIG problem for Hillary

"Whisper and Shout"  ---   Bloomberg News says that  "Rand Paul Keeps Saying that a Secret Scandal Will Wreck Hillary Clinton 'Soon' ”  ---   Emphasizing that Paul already has said,  “There’s going to be stuff coming out about the Clinton Foundation and their donations from different companies that get special approval from the Secretary of State....”

Meanwhile  Newsweek has this:  "Hillary Clinton's Big Benefactor Has Trade Links with Iran"  ---  National Magazine also says  ---  "Controversy around Hillary Clinton's backing may discredit her presidential candidacy"

This is pretty big and might well be the BIG "CLINTON SCANDAL" promised  by Rand Paul

THE BLOOMBERG NEWS REPORTS ON RAND PAUL'S TEASER

According to a report about  Rand Paul in the Bloomberg News, reporter David Weigel said this: "In a speech yesterday to the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul made his third oblique reference to a scandal that—according to him—will grievously wound Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.  ***  'You ever hear 'em ask Hillary Clinton, this money she's getting, whether it influences her decisions?'  said Paul, referring to media questions about donors to the Clinton family's charitable organizations. 'There's going to be stuff coming out about the Clinton Foundation and their donations from different companies that get special approval from the Secretary of State. Coming out in the next couple of weeks.' ... "  ( See "Rand Paul Keeps Saying that a Secret Scandal Will Wreck Hillary Clinton “Soon” by  David Weigel, 4/17/15, Bloomberg News [https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-04-17/rand-paul-keeps-saying-that-a-secret-scandal-will-wreck-hillary-clinton-soon-]).

To show you how Bloomberg was pitching the story, in addition to the catchy title cited above, the article featured a sub-headline saying,  "It will 'shock people'...” and a large-type, highlighted quote,  “There’s going to be stuff coming out about the Clinton Foundation and their donations from different companies that get special approval from the Secretary of State.”  In addition, reporter David Weigel went into great detail about what Rand Paul's very threatening promise about an upcoming secret Clinton scandal might be.

THE REST OF RAND PAUL'S SPEECH ABOUT THE DEMOCRATS AND ABORTION

However, Bloomberg News did also note what else Paul had to say,  "The rest of Paul's speech to the SBA List recapped a more successful media crusade of his: The effort to get Democrats to say when life begins, shifting the frame of the abortion debate. 'Shouldn't the other side have to justify why this baby doesn't have any rights?' asked Paul,  'The government does have some role in our lives. One of the main roles that government has is to restrict you from harming another individual. When life begins, there is a role for the state.'..."

NEWSWEEK WEIGHS IN TO GIVE HILLARY A HEADACHE AND EVERYBODY ELSE SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT

Being part of the MSM, Newseek tried to soften the blow of its devastating piece about the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee by opening it's hit piece with this:   "Enemies of Hillary Clinton waiting to discredit her bid for the White House are likely to seize on news that one of the biggest benefactors to the Clinton Foundation has been trading with Iran and may be in breach of US sanctions imposed on the country.  ***  Ukrainian oligarch Victor Pinchuk, 54, has courted the Clintons for at least nine years – in the United States, the Alps and Ukraine.  ***  Earlier this year, he was confirmed as the largest individual contributor to the Clinton Foundation, whose aims include the creation of 'economic opportunity and growth'...."  (See "Hillary Clinton's Big Benefactor Has Trade Links with Iran" by Rory Ross, 4/18/15,  Newsweek  [http://www.newsweek.com/hillary-clinton-runs-white-house-and-row-over-ukrainian-benefactors-trade-322253.html]).

CLINTON FOUNDATION'S BIGGEST DONOR VIOLATED IRANIAN SANCTIONS   ---   AND LOOK WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF DETERMINING WHO GOT PENALIZED FOR VIOLATING IRANIAN SANCTIONS

In addition to demonstrating how Pichuk's companies probably have violated the U.S. sanctions against Iran, and thus would be open to penalties to its business interests in and through U.S. commerce;  the Newsweek article noted that "... [t]he person in charge of [the list of non-US companies subject to penalties for violating U.S. sanctions on Iran} is the Secretary of State, who between 2009 to 2013 – the period during which Pinchuk’s company was trading with Iran – was Hillary Clinton...."  Shortly after making that observation, Newsweek pointed this out   ---  "... Pinchuk became particularly friendly with Bill Clinton. In 2010, he invited the former president to his 50th birthday party in the French ski resort of Courchevel. In return, Pinchuk attended Clinton’s 65th in 2011, and was a guest at the inauguration of Clinton’s Presidential Library. The Clintons spoke at Pinchuk’s Yalta European Strategy conference, which seeks integration between Ukraine and Europe...."

Somebody needs to ask --- "Can't anybody here run this campaign ?" --- Is the Dan Donovan Campaign actually trying to turn the "Inevitable" into the "Merely Likely"

"What Donovan is doing is odd."   ---   The Donovan poster/signs screw-up is just a little too typical of this GOP Special Election Campaign

Bad debate prep --  Bad Federal Election Compliance  --  Clueless Staff work

And now, is playing both ends in the Brooklyn GOP split going to be the straw that breaks the camel's back for Donovan ?

According to former Brooklyn beat reporter, Ross Barkan, writing in his politics column for the NY Observer, it really looks like Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan, a Republican candidate for Congress, is breaking Federal Election Commission law with his campaign posters and yard signs  (See "Prosecutor’s Campaign Signs May Violate Federal Rules" by Ross Barkan,  4/17/15, NY Observer  [http://observer.com/2015/04/prosecutors-campaign-signs-may-violate-federal-rules/]).

Barkan's article goes on to say that Mr. Donovan, who is running for the open congressional  seat in Staten Island and southern Brooklyn,   "...  has plastered signage throughout the 11th Congressional District that neglects to include a required disclaimer that says they were paid for by his campaign...." And that the Federal Election Commission  "...   mandates candidates for national office place [such] a disclaimer on most campaign materials and will fine campaigns not in compliance...."

The article in the New York Observer says that  "...  [i]n the case of Mr. Donovan, his large blue signs reading, 'It’s time…Dan Donovan for Congress' are disclaimer-free...."   What's more, Barkan points out, in New York's controlled state elections,  a similar type disclaimer is not required, whereas in federal elections under the FEC regime, it is required.  However, a legal source cited by Barkan explained that in practice, everyone in New York puts disclaimers on; Barkan then quoted that expert as saying, "What Donovan’s doing is odd.”

WHY DOES THE DONOVAN CAMPAIGN LOOK LIKE IT'S BEING RUN BY ROOKIES ?

Violateing FEC rules is the kind of thing that small, underfinanced, amateur campaigns do almost as a matter of course. Usually, that is attributable to the inexperience of those rookies  and other amateurs running such ersatz campaigns.   Why, then, does the well-financed and completely professionally managed and controlled operation of Dan Donovan look like it's  being  run by a bunch of rookies ?
All campaigns reflect the candidates themselves , at least to some extent.   In this special election race, Dan Donovan has shown himself to be both generally un-prepared and repeatedly gaffe prone.   One wonders why this was never noticed during his other recent races; and if it's something new, what is wrong with him now ?  Perhaps it has something to do with his recently scrambled personal life overflowing into his public performance.

JUST HOW PROUD DOES DONOVAN NEED TO BE ?

Compounding Donovan's  personal problems is the selection of his campaign spokesperson, Jessica Proud.  Her job for Donovan has been spotty at best.  Why she is there is a mystery because her record is anything but stellar.
How she responded to this particular bungle about the signs and posters is typical of the job that she's done for Donovan.  Just take a look at what she did about the current Donovan campaign flap:   First off,  the Barkan-NY Observer report said,  "A spokeswoman for Mr. Donovan did not return repeated requests for comment...."  ---  now, we all can agree,  that's not getting off to a good start.  However, things might not have mproved once she did have a response   ---   as  reported in the SI Advance   ---   "Donovan spokeswoman Jessica Proud said, 'For anyone who wasn't certain, we will be putting stickers on our "Donovan for Congress" signs indicating they were indeed paid for by Donovan for Congress.'..."  (See "Donovan campaign signs may violate election laws" by Rachel Shapiro, 4/17/15, SI Advance/ silive.com  [http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/04/donovan_campaign_signs_dont_co.html]).

Is Jessica Proud serious ?   ---   "... FOR ANYONE WHO WASN'T CERTAIN..."  Is that the reason for the "stickers" ?  Really ?  Couldn't it be to get into compliance with FEC regulations; and to avoid possible fines and penalties for additional willful repeat violations  ?  Who taught this one that nippy and snarky lines work with the press when it's your side that has obviously screwed up ?

CARARA MIA WHY  ---   MUST DONOVAN NOW SAY GOOD BYE....  

Ron Carara,  the Donovan Campaign manager bears a lot of the blame for the stumbles of the Donovan for Congress Campaign.  For example, he was directly reponsible for the questionable E-mail fund raising solicitation that caused the initial charges of racisim and race-baiting to fly.

Then instead of owning it and taking the heat for his client, the candidate, Carara and the campaign had Donovan stand up to defend the incendiary E-mail, causing additional flack for the candidate.   Carara's style as a campaign manager seems to be to throw gasoline on every fire that he sees and to make sure that Donovan is close enough to get burned..

Obviously, taking a long-time assistant out of the Staten Island DA's Office was not the right place to have recruited for a campaign manager in a special congressional campaign;  running a DA's Office's secretaries, paralegals, process servers, victim advocates and social workers is not the same as running a campaign.

While there is still a little time, Donovan needs to remedy this mistake, let Ron Caraara go back to his DA's Office gig, and get a pro to run the campaign fast  ---   even if it's not formally done with press releases from Ms. Proud.

GETTING INTO A MESS IN BROOKLYN  AND WITH THE INTERNAL CONSPIRACIES OF THE BROOKLYN GOP

Donovan might have stepped on a landmine in Brooklyn  this week without being there or doing very much at all.

It seems that Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig Eaton thought that he had a personal  understanding with Dan Donovan that the Brooklyn GOP Organization would have the lead in the Donovan Campaign in the Brooklyn part of the congressional district.

That was all put into question on Wednesday evening, when a rump group of non-Eaton-aligned district leaders, mostly from outside the congressional district, and a few others showed up at the Bay Ridge Manor, a venue long associated with the Marty Golden faction of the Brooklyn GOP. The meeting had been called by Marty Golden supposedly for the benefit  of the Donovan Campaign and with its blessing.  However, its abbreviated invitation list, the small attendance and down-beat atmosphere bespoke a conspiracy rather than a political rally for somebody running for congress and likely to win.
 
My sources outside saw only seventeen people enter in the rather long time before the meeting that they were watching the door.  In the hall, there appeared to be quite a few more than that; nonetheless, the "crowd" was still described as "small" by somebody working on the inside.

The problem was not with the numbers, but with what was talked about and how it was talked about, formally by the speakers and by the participants.   It was largely about what needed to be done for Donovan in Brooklyn by those in that room, so that proper credit would be given to the Brooklyn Republicans not participating in the formal Brooklyn GOP effort on behalf of Donovan.  For his part, Marty Golden spoke briefly for him and urged everybody to do their part and get the credit they deserved going forward.  According to my source inside, in the diminished mood of the evening,  Golden left before the meeting he'd called together had finished.

It remains to be seem whether this dispirited gathering of Republican insurgents, with or without  Marty Golden, will have any impact whatsoever on the Donovan campaign in Brooklyn or overall.

More Bad News for Dean Skelos ! --- And Marty Golden Too ?

At this time, it is not clear whether State Senator Martin Golden has been served with a Federal Subpoena in connection with the investigation of NYS Senate Majority Leader Skelos by U.S. Attorney Bharara  

---  The real bad news will be if Marty has NOT BEEN subpoenaed by Bharara in this particular sweep

The New Tork Times, and other newspaper and  media outlets have announced that U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara's invetigations and prosecutions of New York State legislators is pushing forward -- apace. And now, Bharara has subpoenaed several additional state senators.

THE NY TIMES REPORT

According to the report in the Times, "Federal prosecutors have begun presenting evidence to a grand jury considering a case against the leader of the New York State Senate, Dean G. Skelos of Long Island, and his son, according to people with knowledge of the matter.  ***   Investigators have served a number of subpoenas in recent weeks, including several to state senators on Long Island, and federal prosecutors have interviewed people who have had dealings with Adam Skelos, the Republican senator’s son...."   (See "Dean Skelos, New York Senate Leader, and His Son Are Said to Be Focus of Corruption Inquiry" by  William K. Rashbaum, Susanne Craig & Thomas Kaplan, 4/15/15, NY Times  [http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/16/nyregion/dean-skelos-new-york-senate-leader-and-his-son-are-said-to-be-focus-of-federal-inquiry.html]).

In a brief retrospective the Timesmen note that "...The investigation is being conducted by the office of Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, who has embarked on an assault against graft and other political misdeeds in Albany, describing the capital as a “caldron of corruption....   Glenwood Management, one of the state’s largest campaign donors, also surfaced in the criminal case against Mr. Silver, who is accused of steering Glenwood and another developer to a law firm that gave him a cut of their fees. Glenwood has not been accused of wrongdoing in the Silver case or in the investigation involving the Skeloses....   The case against Mr. Silver and the investigation of Mr. Skelos grew in some measure out of the Moreland Commission, an anticorruption panel that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo created in 2013. The governor, a Democrat, abruptly disbanded the panel last year as part of a budget deal he negotiated in large part with Mr. Skelos and Mr. Silver; Mr. Bharara’s office then opened a criminal inquiry into the shutdown...."

THE NY POST'S TAKE ON THE INVESTIGATION

In its coverage of the same story, the New York Post had this to say about all of it:  "The US attorney has been on a crusade since Gov. Andrew Cuomo disbanded the Moreland Commission, an anticorruption panel that the governor himself created in July 2013.  ***   The commission was looking into possible misdeeds by former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who was indicted in February for allegedly lining his pockets with nearly $4 million in bribes and kickbacks in a stunning abuse of power dating to at least 2000.  ***   His arrest capped a secret grand jury probe spearheaded by Bharara.   ***   Speaking at a Fordham Law School forum last month, the ambitious US attorney said he was devoted to cleaning up Albany.  ***   'Archimedes said to move Earth itself, all he needed was a long enough lever and a place to stand,' Bharara said. 'To put it blunter, in New York terms: If we could clean up Times Square, can we really not clean up Albany?'..."  (See "State Senate boss Dean Skelos eyed in corruption case"  by Rich Calder, Jamie Schram & Joe Tacopino,  4/16/15, NY Post [http://nypost.com/2015/04/16/state-senate-boss-dean-skelos-eyed-in-corruption-case/]).

IS MARTY GOLDEN A "TARGET"  OF "THIS" INVESTIGATION ?

In the moment, it is not known whether Brooklyn's only Republican State Senator, Martin Golden, has been subpoenaed by the U.S.  Attorney's office in this particular case. What is known is that Marty Golden has completely lawyered-up because of the probes by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.
If State Senator Golden has not been subpoenaed along with the several other state senators so-subpoenaed, that would probably be a very bad sign for Golden, his staff and his supporters.  Not receiving a subpoena could very well mean that Golden is being insulated because he to is a "target of the investigation."

The prominent  mention of "...Glenwood Management..." and "...the Moreland Commission ..." in all of the current news stories has to be especially upsetting to the Golden folks.  State Senator Golden is tightly tied into both.  "... Glenwood" was one of the principal beneficiaries of 421-a tax legislation that was put in by Golden in an overnight session a couple of years ago; and Golden was specifically mentioned in the preliminary "...Moreland Commission" report that U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara is using as a road map for his investigations.

NYC Councilman and Democratic Candidate for Congress Vincent Gentile Endorses Hillary Clinton

Crafty move or political blunder ?  ---  Will Gentile's endorsement of Hillary overshadow his generally good performances in the debates with Donovan thus far ?  

According to Paula Katinas' articel in the Brooklyn Eagle,  "...  Councilmember Vincent Gentile (D-Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights-Bensonhurst), who is running to become the congress member representing the 11th Congressional District (Staten Island-parts of Southwest Brooklyn), announced his endorsement of Clinton on Sunday, just hours after she revealed via a Youtube video that she was running for the Democratic nomination for President in the 2016 election.  ***   'Hillary has always been a champion of hardworking everyday Americans like those in Brooklyn and Staten Island. I trust Hillary to always fight for working families to ensure the path to the middle class stays paved for generations to come by raising the minimum wage, providing access to well-paying jobs, affordable housing, a good quality education and health care for all,' Gentile said in a statement on Sunday. I know Hillary will build upon the hard-fought progress we've made to make sure ordinary citizens across America will always have a fair shot to get ahead. That's how we'll keep America moving forward....'   ( See "Unlike de Blasio, Gentile quickly endorses Clinton" by Paula Katinas, 4/13/15,  Brooklyn Eagle [http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/2015/4/13/unlike-de-blasio-gentile-quickly-endorses-clinton]).

Why is VG getting himself mixed up in this kind of stuff ?

IS VINNIE RUNNING FOR A SPOT IN THE HILLARY CLINTON CAMPAIGN OR IS IT FOR CONGRESS AGAINST REPUBLICAN DAN DONOVAN

My first thought when I heard about this was  ---  Now, there's a smart move  ---  surf on the wave of the current news story.

Then I said to myself -- HOLD ON THERE !  Isn't this exactly the same thing  that so many people want to hit John  Quaglione over the head with ---  for his early endorsement,  and then working along-side, DA Charles "Joe"  Hynes in 2013 ?  And the answer certainly is  ---  OF COURSE IT IS  ---  and for all the same wrong reasons.

What makes the Vinnie Gentile  endorsement of Hillary even worse, is that it  actually detracted from the Gentile campaign for congress; and it was a missed opportunity for Vinnie G. to show that he is his own man.   This looks like political opportunism at its worst.  Councilman Gentile needs to remember that he is running against Dan Donovan and Hillary Clinton isn't on the ballot yet as the Democratic standard bearer.  Unless he were trying to get a spot in the Hillary campaign  for president, Councilman  Gentile would have been better off getting in behind his old friend and colleague Bill De Blasio and said something like this:  "I agree with Mayor De Blasio on this one, it's far too early to be endorsing Hillary Clinton."

HILLARY THING TAKES FOCUS AWAY FROM DONOVAN'S PERFORMANCE AT DEBATES AND DONOVAN'S HORRIBLE CAMPAIGN AND STAFF

Instead of having things like Donovan's Minimum Wage gaffe dominate the week's conversation, it sort of just gets mixed in ( See  "Dan Donovan's bad night (commentary)" by Tom Wrobleski,  4/15/15,  SI Advance/ si.live.com [http://www.silive.com/opinion/columns/index.ssf/2015/04/dan_donovans_bad_night_comment.html];  see also "Top Congressional Candidate Seemingly Doesn’t Know the Federal Minimum Wage" by Ross Barkan, 4/14/15,  New York Observer/News[http://observer.com/2015/04/top-congressional-candidate-seemingly-doesnt-know-the-federal-minimum-wage/]).

After just a few debates, it's beginning to look like Dan Donvovan --- and his campaign staff ---  are not yet ready for prime time.  That and not Hillary Clinton needs to be Vinnie Gentile's main talking point. So hopefully,  he'll forget about Clinton completely between now and May 5th  (unless, Hillary agrees to come into the 11th Cong. Dist. to campaign  with our councilman --- that would be very interesting for EVERYBODY).

HE DID IT AND HE'S PROUD

Until then, instead of talking about  women like Hillary Clinton, Gentile and his campaign should be pointing out how somebody like Jessica Proud  ---   by all reports,a woman  ---   as a spokesperson for Dan Donovan, keeps doubling down on her boss's bad answers in the debates.

One wonders if she really knows what she's doing  ---   unless she thinks that doing things the way she does is a good thing because it keeps getting her name in the papers with her poor responses instead of her boss and his.

In any case, who  candidates surround themselves with are legitimate areas of provocative inquiry and snarky commentary during a campaign.