Will the 2008 Blue Wave sweep out the ossified obstructionist Republicans in Albany? Will a Democratic take over of the State Senate actually help to clear out Albany's political constipation or will the likes of Shelly Silver STILL keep things dysfunctional? We will soon find out. But what is clear is that there are three particularly good candidates Democrats can support for State Senate who would definitely improve things. And the NY Times has endorsed all three.

NY Times State Senate endorsements:

Third State Senate District on Long Island: Voters have a good choice in the Democratic challenger, Brian Foley, the town supervisor of Brookhaven. Mr. Foley has managed to restore the town's good name after decades of rotten Republican rule. The incumbent, Caesar Trunzo, was elected in the Nixon era. His core argument for re-election has boiled down to his pride in being a major conduit for pork. Long ago, he became a living monument to the inertia in Albany. We endorse Brian Foley.

Ha! The Gennaro campaign - www.JimGennaro.com - just released this hilarious cartoon, taking on Frank Padavan's ridiculous record on women's rights and health.

Right/Control click "View Image" to see it full size. Quite funny.

We're seeing something happen these days that's a welcome change from cycles past: Democrats reaching out to our contenders for legislative seats and putting their muscle, and their name, behind the young blood.

For example, Hillary Clinton, not a woman with a particularly open schedule these days, has endorsed - and campaigned for Eric Massa, Dan Maffei, Brian Foley, Kristen McElroy, Don Barber, and others up and down the food chain. Similarly, Governor Paterson - the subject of much grumbling in the political class in the summer due to his attempts to play nice with Skelos - has raised money for Dollinger, Foley, Addabbo, and others. All of this is announced in a daily stream of email releases.

What could bring our normally fractious Democrats together like that? Bright red oozing billows of blood in the water, for one thing; the other side has never had a weaker bench or a worse environment. This is the endgame, the final battle for New York; and I think we're going to win.

Biodiesel is one of the most intriguing of those new possibilities...crops of soybeans and rapeseed and maybe even algae, grown by present day farmers, processed into a diesel fuel substitute that works just fine in modern Volkswagons and Mack trucks and school buses--even in the oil-burning furnace down in the basement. It is potentially a truely sweet solution, offering a new market for hard-pressed local farmers even as it begins to help solve some of our most pressing environmental problems. Greg Pahl's book...manages to raise the right questions (and raise them early enough) so that we can perhaps build a structure for this developing industry that serves local farmers and processors instead of simply corporate agribusiness giants.

--Bill McKibben in the Forward to Greg Pahl's Biodiesel

Biodiesel has been getting a bad name because of the potential for competition with food production. It has always struck me that some of the loudest voices criticizing biodiesel has come from the oil, coal and nuke lobbies. But it did seem like competition with food production may be a critical problem with biodiesel.

An interesting press release today from Jim Gennaro.

FLUSHING, NY (Sept. 29, 2008) Governor David A. Paterson today endorsed Democrat Jim Gennaro, who is battling 36-year incumbent Republican State Senator Frank Padavan in Northeast Queens' 11th District.

"In his seven years on the New York City Council, Jim Gennaro has established himself as one of the most effective legislators in New York City," Governor Paterson said. "He is a champion public servant who fights tenaciously for Northeast Queens on education, health care, tax relief and quality of life issues. On the issues of environmental protection and greener, more affordable energy, his record is unsurpassed. Jim's fearless, reform-minded independence are exactly what Albany needs, and I'm delighted to endorse his candidacy for the New York State Senate."

Councilman Gennaro said that the endorsement is a clear indicator of his campaign's momentum and that Governor Paterson is committed to ending the gridlock that Albany suffers by helping to elect legislators who promise to work hard and work together.

"I cannot be more proud today in receiving the endorsement of Governor Paterson, who has proven to be a successful steward for progress in Albany," Councilman Gennaro said. "By endorsing the Gennaro for New York campaign, Governor Paterson is sending a clear message that the way to fix government and make it more responsive to New Yorkers is by electing fresh new leaders who will fight for what's right for their constituents."

Councilman Gennaro is running as a new choice in a district where the leadership has gone stale after too many years in power, he said. He argues that the current incumbent has squandered too many chances to serve working families, especially in the areas of fiscal fairness and sufficient education and transit funding.

Apparently - the governor is also backing Rick Dollinger against Joe Robach, and rumor has it he'll shortly become far more active - David Paterson has decided that a Democratic Senate is in his best interest. Good for all of us.

We've all heard about that Obama surge in voter interest and more tangible measures of participation, such as registration and voting. It's real. The campaign of Jim Gennaro, the City Councilman who's running against odious reptilian wingnut Frank Padavan in SD-11, just emailed some astonishing numbers.

(Gennaro, with Democratic super-activist and City Council candidate Steve Behar to his immediate stage left)

Newly Registered Voters Provide Dems, Gennaro With Strong Advantage
New Voters in Northeast Queens, Excited by Prospect of Change at State and Federal Levels, Are 6-1 Democratic

FLUSHING, NY (Sept. 23, 2008) – State Board of Elections records for Northeast Queens show a wave of new voters registering for this year's state and federal races, with the overwhelming majority of them enrolling as Democrats. The new voters, clearly eager for change in the upcoming presidential and state legislative races, give a distinct advantage to New York City Councilman Jim Gennaro, a Democrat who is running to replace 36-year Republican incumbent Frank Padavan in State Senate District 11.

Between January and August of this year, 6,859 new voters enrolled in Senate District 11, according to the Board of Elections. Of them, 711 are Republicans and 4,083 are Democrats, giving the latter party a nearly six-to-one advantage with these voters.

Democrats also overwhelmingly outnumber Republicans in Senate District 11's overall enrollment, 88,494 to 33,123 (a nearly three-to-one advantage).

Conscious of this disadvantage, Padavan is not noting his party affiliation anywhere on his literature or Web site.

Yeah, if I were a republican, I'd try to hide that too. Unfortunately, there's that pesky thing called a voting record.

In our quest to win the State Senate SD-11 is a district that I have been pushing for, though many have thought it is too much of a long shot. Well, it looks like it might not be such a longshot! It may well be one of the top pick up chances. Democrat Jim Gennaro's campaign reports some excellent numbers.

First, the latest figures from the state Board of Elections show that in the SD-11 district 85,860 registered Democrats to 32,669 registered Republicans. Come on folks. THAT should make this winnable right there!

Second, it looks like Gennaro is raising money quite effectively. Here's the latest press release from the Gennaro campaign:

Gennaro Raises Well Over Half-Million Dollars,
Has Over $400k On Hand

...Councilman Gennaro, who is preparing a challenge to Senate District 11's Republican incumbent Frank Padavan in Eastern Queens, has raised a total of $615,497.35, including $233,479.02 since the last such scheduled filing in January. The Gennaro for New York committee has a total of $406,965.01 cash on hand.

Back in January 2006 I had as my goals:

1.) defeating the Bush/Gingrich/McCain agenda nationally

2.) defeating the Pataki, Bruno and Silver Albany constipation

3.) defeating the local Brooklyn Vito Lopez machine.

Still working on #3 through several channels. And it remains to be seen whether indictments or ill health or Brooklyn fatigue with corruption bring down Vito Lopez. For my part I prefer indictments to ill health. But Charles Hynes, the Brooklyn DA, has pushed that aside and has focused on other, also worthy efforts. So we wait to see who will replace Lopez in time.

Goal #1 began to happen in 2006 with a massive take over of the House and an evening up of the Senate. And we have a damned good shot at continuing this in 2008 with MORE House seats, a REAL takeover of the Senate and a White House win by Obama.

Not too long ago I highlighted some ideas I had regarding the role of biofuels in a sane American energy plan that could wean us off oil. Biofuels are controversial and are a minefield of problems. But, there are definitely very sane, smart and viable biofuel options that need to be considered as part of America's energy policy. The diary I mention above discusses several options I think need consideration.