Caesar Trunzo is apparently back from his Florida primary residence and campaigning in his district. The one here in New York, that is. So the question today is whether Caesar will be a bundle of energy like he always is. Oh look, here he is now.

Caesar Trunzo, octogenarian incumbent in Suffolk, is still rocking out hard on the campaign trail. Wait, here's the photo.

Heh. Rock on, Caesar.

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.

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.

Had to take down an earlier post because of some copyright issues, but here are two beautiful Trunzo videos via TAP:

Caesar Trunzo creates the Internodal, a Suffolk transportation project that he has since disavowed (constancy! steadfastness! fighting for us!)

And here's Caesar's take on people who speak, not making this up, "Hispanic".

Caesar Trunzo: totally in touch!

As Phil on TAP points out, there's been a generational fight brewing for a while out in Suffolk between younger, less traditional republicans and the older elite that controls the party apparatus. This is a healthy development, and not just for our momentary partisan convenience. A new and smarter republican party could offer some interesting challenges to overwhelming Democratic strength.

For now, though, republicans are seeking their immediate refuge with Demnocrats.

Farmingville, NY – More and more Republicans are supporting Brian X. Foley in his effort to unseat 36-year incumbent senator Caesar Trunzo. The Foley for Senate campaign announced the formation of "Republicans for Foley," a group of voters and grass-roots activists who will work to elect Brian X Foley.

Like the rest of the electorate, Foley's message of putting working families' interests over special interests is resonating with registered Republicans. Voters see Foley as a fiscal conservative who has a record of cutting taxes and strengthening our middle-class.

"As a lifelong Republican, I am proud to support Brian X. Foley for Senate because I know he will stand up for me and my family," said Ken Chebat, of Patchogue.

When it comes to fighting for working families, there is a clear contrast between Brian X. Foley and Caesar Trunzo. While Foley has stood up for the middle-class, Trunzo has supported increasing tax breaks for Wall Street banks.

Trunzo has crowned himself the king of pork-barrel spending and even boasts about using his member-item slush fund as a way to buy votes. On the Senate floor, Trunzo voted against expanding mammography services and cervical cancer screenings for women, despite Long Island having the highest rate of breast cancer in the country.

As Foley cut taxes on residents in Brookhaven, Trunzo went on a tax binge in the State Senate, voting for 611 separate increases in taxes and fees on working families. In total, Trunzo is responsible for $33.4 billion in tax and fee increases. He's voted on increasing taxes on everything from bike helmets to baby diapers to smoke detectors.

"I'm supporting Brian X. Foley because we need someone in the Senate to work for ordinary people, not special interests," said Jack Geoghan, a Republican voter from Davis Park. "Foley has a record of fighting for the middle-class. We need his strong leadership and smart economic policies in Albany."

Foley, a lifelong resident of Brookhaven, has spent the past 15 years working on behalf of those in his community both as a member of the Suffolk County Legislature and in his current position as Brookhaven Supervisor. He will bring to Albany a proven record of fighting for working families and taking on and defeating special interests.

"We are thrilled with the depth of support Brian X. Foley enjoys from a broad base of voters, including Republicans," said Ibrahim Khan, Communications Director for Foley for Senate. "Supervisor Foley has a record of fiscal responsibility and cutting taxes, a sharp contrast from Senator Trunzo's failed economic policies that have brought us the worst crisis since the Great Depression."

Republicans for Foley will actively campaign in the 3rd Senate District to persuade Republicans, Democrats and independents to support Foley. Their efforts will be particularly helpful with GOP supporters since one out of four Republicans already oppose Trunzo's reelection, according to a recent Siena poll. Instead, voters want Brian X. Foley to bring the same integrity and common-sense approach to politics that he used to turnaround Brookhaven.

In just two years as the Brookhaven Town Supervisor, Foley cut a $15 million deficit, got the town its highest bond rating ever, and saved taxpayers $10 million through innovative economic policies. Because of his hard work, Brookhaven now has the lowest town tax rate in Suffolk County, and is the only town on Long Island to hold the line on taxes for the coming year.

There's going to be a role to play for republicans in this state going forward; a diminished role, no doubt. But it's alliances like this that might give individual republicans a seat at the table, even if they haven't been in politics for decades.

The numbers are staggering: In Suffolk County, as of August, there were 8,055 homes in foreclosure or at risk of foreclosure. Of these, 5,088 were 30 days past due to lenders. Statewide, up to 150,000 homes could be lost to foreclosure.

In Caesar Trunzo's fief, the Third Senatorial District, the numbers indicate real and growing pain. Brentwood has 526 loans in foreclosure and Central Islip has 433 loans in foreclosure. Yes, that's almost a thousand homes in just two towns. Now, think about what that means: that's a thousand families - more, no doubt, because the district is larger than just these two municipalities - on the verge of eviction; several thousand more of their neighbors whose home values are going to be negatively impacted by empty properties next door or down the street (the Empire Justice Center estimates value lost to neighboring houses at $18,000); declining property tax revenues to local authorities just as the demands on them rise; in short, a witches brew of negative effects on entire communities.

In that context, it's fair to ask why Caesar Trunzo and Senate republicans voted against a one year foreclosure moratorium that easily passed the Assembly. Trunzo's vote is especially unforgivable among his peers, and here's why: his district is the hardest-hit Senatorial district in the state. There are other areas being devastated by the foreclosure crisis - Queens, Kings, Nassau, Monroe, Erie, to name a few - but in Suffolk, the pain is greatest.

And Caesar Trunzo walked away from providing relief. Think it's time for a change?

On the web: Brian Foley for Senate

Three weeks out, we're seeing the consolidation of traditional Democratic coalitions around the state (personal aside: I think we're on the cusp of a system-wide, up-and-down-the-ballot landslide, but I'll expand on that later).

Here, for example, is Brian Foley, running against dynamic bundle of energy Caesar Trunzo in the Third, at a rally for women.

The accompanying press release lays out the stakes.

More than 20 women, along with elected officials and representatives from Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic Action Fund and NARAL Pro-Choice America, gathered today to support Brian X. Foley's run for State Senate. This is the inaugural event for a new group of women in Brookhaven and Islip who are coming together to elect Foley. These women were joined by Assemblywoman Ginny Fields, Assemblywoman Pat Eddington, Legislator Kate Browning, and Town Councilwoman Connie Kepert.

Planned Parenthood Action Fund and NARAL Pro-Choice NY also endorsed Brian X. Foley for State Senate at this event. "In this election, the choice is clear," said Reina Schiffrin, President/CEO, Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic Action Fund. "Senator Trunzo is the embodiment of the old Albany – mired in the status quo, entrenched in the past. After almost 40 years, woman of Long Island are hungry for a representative who will fight for them, not against them. Brian Foley will bring the integrity and results that Albany desperately needs."

"I am honored to stand with the women of Islip and Brookhaven to proclaim that change is needed now," said Brian X. Foley. "For too long, Caesar Trunzo and his failed majority in Albany have shut out the voices of women and their families, allying instead with corporate interests. I believe that the future begins with the women of this District."

Senator Caesar Trunzo has an abysmal voting record on issues affecting families and women. He voted against insurance companies covering mammograms for women over 40, and voted against cervical cancer screenings. He also opposes the Paid Family Leave Act, Pay Equity Act, and voted against expanding Family Health Plus and controlling rising health insurance premiums, which have skyrocketed 67% in the last three years alone.

Meanwhile, up in Rochester, Rick Dollinger just garnered the endorsement of Senator Clinton, and held a rally for women attended by hundreds of supporters.

SD-3 Democratic challenger Brian Foley is out with his first ad, and directly takes on out-of-touch octogenarian incumbent Caesar Trunzo's message that 'you don't fix what's not broken'.

The ad unintentionally highlights one of the central dynamics of this entire election: people are sick and tired of things as they are. Locally, it's property taxes; at the state level, an un-democratic, dysfunctional legislature coupled with a culture of secrecy and legalized bribery of legislators, special-interest groups, and citizens themselves, all while the budget tanks and nobody has a clue what to do about any of this; nationally, with a war we didn't need to fight, with a financial sector in meltdown, with job losses that will top a million before Christmas and, of course, with millions of Americans losing their homes. Trunzo's decision to call for continuity - other republicans, notably New York Senate republicans, are trying to make the same argument - flies in the face of everything that we know about public opinion in this cycle.

The Senate republicans have made a number of bad choices this cycle, recruiting a weak field of candidates and spending millions of dollars to go on offense without moving the needle much, if at all, in their targeted races. Trunzo's stay-the-course messaging - and similar efforts by other members of his conference - may prove to be a similar mistake.

Transcript below the fold.

I've been increasingly annoyed by the mail pieces I'm seeing from the SD-3 race between Democrat Brian Foley and Bilbo Baggins hobbit-like incumbent Caesar Trunzo. Wait, here's a picture of Bilbo from his campaign site.

Positively screams vigor and action, doesn't it?

Here's what's annoying: the mail pieces are filled with action words. Caesar is "fighting for us", "leading the way", "keeping our taxes low" (aside: "keeping"? Does he not get out much?), "providing for our children", that kind of stuff. My favorite is the government-franked piece with a boxing glove on the cover smashing into a gas pump, announcing that Bilbo is fighting high gas prices. In jurisdictions less lax with abuse of office postal privileges, that piece would trigger an investigation, but hey, this is New York.

So why is this irritating? Simple. Far from leading, fighting, clearing a path through the brush with his bare teeth, Caesar Trunzo hasn't said a word in the Senate since at least 2006, probably 2005. Maybe someone can explain to me how you can lead, fight, tear out the throats of evil-doers with your toe-nails, without actually saying anything.