SPINCYCLE: Dems, Republicans Take Battle Upstate
By Dan Janison, Newsday, Melville, N.Y.
Feb. 18–The war for the New York State Senate, in which Democrats are trying to oust Republicans from their last statewide stronghold, has moved to a battlefield in the remote northwest that runs through St. Lawrence, Oswego and Jefferson counties.
In some ways the special election a week from tomorrow to fill a vacancy in the 48th Senate District follows up the fight a year ago for Nassau’s 7th S.D., where Democrats won the seat held by Michael Balboni until he joined Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s administration as public-safety coordinator.
Like last year, this vacancy is from the voluntary departure of a veteran Republican, Jim Wright, who took a private consulting job. Again, Spitzer has set a special election in February. Like the last time, the campaign’s combined cost is expected to exceed $3 million. Again, there are charges of distortion and lying. And again, the vicious rivalry between Spitzer and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno provides the backdrop.
But there are differences. The district where Craig Johnson defeated Maureen O’Connell has more registered Democrats than Republicans. In the 48th, where Republican Assemb. Will Barclay, son of longtime Sen. Douglas Barclay, faces Democratic Assemb. Darrel Aubertine, Republicans outnumber Democrats by nearly 32,000.
Stem-cell research, abortion, and hospital cuts fueled controversy in the Nassau race. The current clash touches on Spitzer’s defunct driver’s license program for illegal immigrants, the job exodus, and even the Barclay family wealth. Spitzer’s approval ratings have plummeted from a year ago, so his endorsement, though not his fundraising, carries diminished value.
PRESSURE POINT: Last year’s Nassau loss stung Deputy Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), in whose field of the GOP campaign command it occurred. This time, the upstate point man for embattled Republicans is Sen. Thomas Libous (R-Binghamton), a potential competitor to Skelos to succeed Bruno as GOP leader. If Barclay fails, Libous would have sustained the bigger of these losses, as it’s a heavily GOP district. If underdog Aubertine wins, Democrats would need only to pick up one seat in November to break the Republican majority, which now is 32-29.
TOBACK’S RESPONSE: As reported on this page last week, Hempstead Republicans, including Supervisor Kate Murray, attacked Nassau Legis. Jeffrey Toback (D-Oceanside) over his vote on a sewer consolidation plan involving his district. Toback says he sent Murray a letter two weeks ago inviting her to a briefing and discussion, and “unfortunately, and typically, I received no response… She’s choosing to play politics,” he said, instead of focusing on “what’s best for all constituents.”
SUGGESTED SEQUELS: As a sequel to her book “Living History,” Hillary Clinton may wish to write “Becoming History.” And “The Audacity of Hope” author Barack Obama may wish to follow up with “The Ambiguity of Hope.”
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