I'm one of those people that almost always vote. President, check, off-year Congressional, check, statewide, check, City, most of the time, primaries, sometimes.

This year, with all due respect to those seeking or in office, has been a harder sell. Between the catastrophic governorship of David Paterson, the Senate coup - and subsequent buy-off of the putschists and all the other greater or lesser scandals instead of that era of reform we were all promised once the Democrats took that majority - and the ongoing debacle that is the Assembly, really, why bother?

Then, of course, there was the marriage vote, which neither myself nor many other LGBT New Yorkers are in any mood to forgive anytime soon.

But this year offers the chance of a new start.

In Andrew Cuomo, we have a very thoughtful and by all appearances hands-on candidate for governor. After the vacuum of the Paterson era, that's exactly what we need.  read more »

[Note: Dave was co-Chair of the NYSDC during the Spitzer administration and previously led DL21C, the well-regarded activist group. This landed in my inbox last night, and I think it's quite on point enough to share.]

An urgent appeal from Dave

Friends, there is a very important election Tuesday that could decide the path of our Country for years to come. There are many critical races here in New York, but there are two I want to highlight for you.

Two great Democrats, Tom DiNapoli and Eric Schneiderman are running for State Comptroller and Attorney General. If we allow these seats to fall into Republican hands, the new occupants – no matter how moderate they might seem, will be high-profile all-stars for the Republican Party nationally. The Republican Party will use these spots to raise money for Republican candidates for Congress and the RNC, to promote a right-wing agenda nationwide.

We must must MUST keep these seats in Democratic hands!  read more »

Politico:

Former Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.), who opted not to seek re-election in 2008 after a DWI arrest exposed the married father of three as having a second family in Virginia, is seriously considering entering the race for his old seat, POLITICO has learned.

According to sources familiar with his thinking, in recent weeks Fossella has been weighing a run for the seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Mike McMahon, with the kickoff for ballot petitions fast approaching and the political climate unsettled nationwide.

Well, then. Just to refresh why we hate him, here's what he said during the impeachment vote of President Clinton for an affair that notably didn't include a second family.

. . . Earlier today, one of my colleagues said that this would be the most divisive issue since the Vietnam War. While he may believe that to be true, I take strong exception with that, and I'll tell you why. Men and women were sent overseas like every other war or military conflict since our nation's birth, to defend the rule of law, the notions of personal freedom and individual liberty.

And in the case before us today, we're asking a simple question: "Did the president of the United States violate any of those rules of law that we cherish and that so many men and women have died for and are willing to die for at every point around the globe?"

I don't want to be here today, like so many of my colleagues. But the generations of Americans yet unborn must look back on this day in this matter, in this situation, and see this as our finest hour. . . . Reluctantly, I am here. I proudly, though, support this resolution.

Surely, even the republics can do better than this. Or maybe his love child is now old enough to hand out flyers at the ferry terminal.  read more »

Just to take a stab in the dark here: did David Paterson's people do a poll recently showing that people like the governor, but lack clarity on what he's doing? It might be interesting to know the answer - and I certainly do not - because it's striking how out-front the governor has been recently.

On September 8th, Paterson mocked Albany legislators as bloodsuckers, leading to much howling and rumored garlic and crucifix shortages caused by enthusiastic citizen buying.

On Tuesday, September 16th, Paterson gave authority to AIG to move $20 billion in assets from subsidiaries to its central holding, long before any Federal action was taken.

On September 19th, the governor requested that Treasury headquarter its relief efforts for Wall Street in New York City itself.

Today, the governor refused to rule out tax increases to get the state through the Wall Street crisis, authorized the attorney general to investigate the LIRR pension/disability scandal, hinted at a special session of the legislature, called rebuilding at Ground Zero "a mess", announced that the state will begin regulating some of the bizarre credit derivatives, slapped down John McCain, and for good measure, yesterday let everyone know that he won't be endorsing in the 2009 mayoral race.

Whatever the root cause of this pleasing activity is, more, please.

The New Yotk Times released a new poll of the state today with some mixed and worrying messages for the state's governing class.

Forty-nine percent of respondents approved of his job performance, and only 16 percent disapproved. Still, Mr. Paterson is largely unknown to New Yorkers, and more than a third of those polled did not express an opinion. And nearly 60 percent of those polled said the state was on the wrong track, expressing a view less bleak than Americans have shown in nationwide polls concerning the country’s direction, but still indicating widespread pessimism.

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton's approval rating among New Yorkers of color has crashed from just under 90% (in 2006) to 55%. Barack Obama leads John McCain by landslide margins among all New Yorkers, 51% to 32%.

The state legislature, never popular as a body, has tanked in the public's mind: 29% approve, 47% disapprove, and 23% don't know enough about it to even have the luxury of an opinion. Of course, because legislators draw their own districts for the Assembly, there's not much to be done about that, other than by electing a Democratic Senate. Unfortunately, New Yorkers also reject control of both houses of the legislature by one party, 60% opposed, 34% in favor.  read more »