Spin Cycle

The presidential debate on Wednesday will be the first in New York State since Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy met in a television studio in 1960.

That setting 48 years ago didn’t allow for many people, beside journalists, to witness the exchange in person. So, then-Gov. Nelson Rockefeller wasn’t in attendance, according to press reports.

But Gov. David A. Paterson is expected to be inside the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex at Hofstra University tonight, along with other state officials, including Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos.

James T. Madore

Immigration policy has drawn remarkably little mention in this huge general-election campaign — and some want to see the presidential candidates confront the issue in their final debate Wednesday at Hofstra University.

One year ago, nothing in politics was as explosive as Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s controversial plan to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for drivers’ licenses. The perceived presidential front-runner, Democrat Hillary Clinton, caught heat for her qualified support. But rival Barack Obama also expressed support — and it seemed then as if any GOP candidate would certainly be using this to drub the nominee this fall.

But John McCain faced fire from within the GOP for having supported President George W. Bush’s sweeping immigration bill last year. Condemned by foes as amnesty for illegal aliens, the bill died in the same type of backlash that killed Spitzer’s license proposal.

“It’s interesting,” says Patrick Young, director of the Central American Refugee Center in Hempstead and Brentwood. “Essentially, you had the two most pro-immigrant candidates win each of their parties’ nominations.”

On the GOP side, he said, “I think it’s been kept off the radar screen to give McCain some sense of cover.” As for Democrats, he observed, “Obama has made maybe only three statements on immigration since he became the nominee apparent in June.”

“They have the mainstream immigration-rights position,” said Young, who follows the issue closely and writes blog posts on it. “Protect the border, legalize those who are not criminals, deal with the future flow.”

An active Republican, who declined to be identified, believes...

Dan Janison

Former Republican U.S. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato is apparently playing a major role in organizing a fundraiser for Democratic Gov. David Paterson — to be co-hosted by a bi-partisan myriad of Long Island developers, lawyers, doctors and top executives, at the Coyote Grill in Island Park.

While D'Amato's name doesn’t appear on the invitation to the $1,000-per-plate fundraiser, set for Nov. 2, guests are told to respond to D'Amato's executive assistant, Dana Weisberg, in care of D'Amato's consulting firm, Park Strategies. Neither D’Amato nor Weisberg returned calls for comment.

Of 15 names on the invitation, seven are registered Republicans, two are Democrats, three are blanks and three could not be determined.

The invitation lists: former Nassau County Executive Thomas Gulotta; Gary Melius, owner of the Oheka Castle Hotel in Huntington; Scott Rechler, who’s partnering with Charles Wang on the Nassau Coliseum-Lighthouse project and has been listed as a finance co-chairman for Sen. John McCain’s campaign; two Park Strategies’ executives, and Robert Catell, executive director at National Grid.

Eden Laikin

Suffolk’s Democratic County Executive Steve Levy wants to install former Republican Islip town board member Pamela Greene as the county’s new $107,000 a year consumer affairs director, according to several political sources.

Levy aides are circulating a discharge petition to allow a vote Tuesday to reinstate the consumer affairs post. Levy earlier told Democrats in caucus that he has someone in mind for the job, but wouldn’t tell lawmakers his choice. Levy, however, maintains he has chosen no one and is considering three or four names. He won’t say if Greene is among them, but added he thinks highly of her.

Greene, who also declined comment, lost the town supervisor race to Democrat Philip Nolan two years ago and was rumored to be in line for a job with Levy shortly after her loss. Greene and her new husband, political consultant Michael Dawidziak, are friends of Levy and his wife Colleen, and the strategist has done campaign work for Levy.

Levy needs to recreate the job, because Charles Gardner who ran the department until retiring last summer, worked under his civil service title as director of weight and measures, which gave him job protection a political appointee does not have.
While he proposed making the job a director of consumer affairs in his office, eliminating the need for legislative confirmation, Levy said he has “no problem” creating a commissioner’s post which would require appointees to get legislative approval.

Rick Brand

As widely reported, John McCain’s campaign has demanded Barack Obama’s ties to ACORN, an activist organization that runs voter-registration drives, be probed. Registration cards submitted by the group prompted fraud investigations in Nevada, Connecticut, Missouri, and at least five other states — including some in the name of Dallas football players.

Bertha Lewis, ACORN executive director well known in New York City politics, issued a detailed rejoinder with Steve Kest, saying status quo forces were playing up isolated irregularities to deter voter registration.

Just to help keep the players straight: Lewis has been co-chair of the state Working Families Party. She drew paparazzi-style notice in 2005 by grabbing Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s face and kissing him on the lips when ACORN and the city reached a certain participation deal with developer Bruce Ratner on Brooklyn’s Atlantic Yards project. That deal, preceding Bloomberg's last election, looked at the time like a nice deflection of support against the city's majority Democrats.

Seems like Bloomberg's found his own alliances with ACORN -- and Liz B reported last week that he's had his associates contributing to WFP too. Not to be New York-parochial, but should those links be investigated as well? Or does the McCain-Bloomberg cordiality rooted in the mayor's immense wealth bring with it an automatic immunity -- with ethics laws not yet caught up to the prospect of corrupt money flowing from, rather than to, the public official? The McCain people in the state were expressing concern about the group months ago but now its role is of course part of the GOP artillery. Interesting to see where it leads both before and after this election...

The photo's from a past cover of 'City Limits', whose Web site is here.

Slated to appear in Saturday's Newsday:

Nassau Senate rivals Craig Johnson and Barbara Donno agreed in a debate taped Friday that state spending on schools and health care should be shielded from cuts. But they clashed on who’d be more independent and responsive — and traded shots on who’d be a better advocate of lowering local taxes.

As economic distress dominates local and national campaigns, both emphasized the pressure that high taxes present for residents of the Seventh Senate District. Johnson (D-Port Washington) defended a three-part proposal for capping tax hikes, slicing mandated spending and a new “circuit breaker” system of breaks for older and poorer homeowners.

The debate airs Oct. 23 on Cablevision News12 Long Island, at 4 p.m. and at 11:30 p.m.
Donno, the Republican mayor of Plandome Manor, slammed Johnson’s preferred plan as “shallow,” costly and harmful to some beneficiaries of the current STAR rebate program. She challenged his claim to independence from the Democratic Party line in Albany, citing an instance in which he did not break from Gov. Eliot Spitzer on proposed health care cuts in 2007.

“Unfortunately, my opponent is running the continuous, same old, distorted, negative campaign we’ve seen in the national campaign as well as here,” Johnson said, countering her claim to be “not a typical politician.” They disputed his record on school funding.

Johnson won a special election for the seat last year, making him the only Democrat among Long Island’s nine state senators. That’s been a sore point for new Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), who’s backing Donno vigorously as he fights statewide this season to keep GOP control of the house.

Johnson said a Democratic majority in the Senate would “absolutely not” hurt Long Island — and Donno said it “absolutely” would.

Rick Brand reports from the Foley - Trunzo debate at Channel 12:

In their first and probably only public debate of the election campaign, Republican State Sen. Caesar Trunzo (l) and his Democratic foe, Brookhaven Supervisor Brian Foley (r), clashed today over how Albany works, and how it doesn’t.

Touting his his 37 years experience, Trunzo, 82, maintained Senate Republicans have done “an awful lot” and he has brought home “a tremendous amount” to the third Senate District -- funding that he said Foley won’t be able to match.

“God forbid he should win the Senate seat and the Democrats take over,” said Trunzo, the most senior of GOP senators. “He’ll run into a situation where he’ll be a junior member...Rather than getting any of the funding that’s necessary, he’ll be at the bottom of the list. I know the system -- It's being there a long time and seniority has a lot to do with what you get.”

Foley countered that Trunzo is part of a “system that everyone knows is that is broken” and promised to “repair that system,” nationally known for its “dysfunctional” ways.
“Contrary to the doom and gloom Caesar is describing I will be able to deliver for Long Island as [freshman] Democratic Sen. Craig Johnson will be able to deliver for Nassau County,” said Foley. “We’ll be the new Long Island voices in Albany and we are going to make a difference.”

The lanky Foley, 50, and the short, barrel-chested Trunzo were a stark contrast in the 30-minute confrontation that was taped in News 12 Long Island's Woodbury studios. The debate will air Oct. 21 at 4:30 p.m. and 12 a.m. and will be repeated over the Oct. 25 and 26 weekend.

At times, Foley, who carried a briefing book, appeared stiff, while Trunzo sometimes mangled syntax and drifted, not unlike Sarah Palin -- once saying he helped an immigrant become a “senator,” before correcting himself and saying “citizen.”

The debate could become pivotal in the....

Gov. Paterson endorsed Brookhaven Supervisor Brian Foley for state Senator at the Suffolk Democratic dinner Wednesday night at Villa Lombardi's in Holbrook -- and more importantly, County chairman Richard Schaffer announced a $10,000 donation to Foley's campaign.

"If everyone paid for their ticket tonight, a little more may be coming," Schaffer added.
More than 400 party fairthful showed up for the fall dinner, where party treasurer Jeff Casale raised $150,000 and netted $120,000 after expenses.

While relations between Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy and the governor have been cool since the two split on the state takeover of the highway patrol, Levy, who spoke before Paterson, said that protesters outside the dinner were aimed at him, not the governor.

Despite the differences, Levy said, "The important thing we have in common is being executives in these very difficult financial times. And in these kind of times, the people want their leaders to lead."

-- Rick Brand

The Nassau Democrats say they’ve reached a milestone for which there’s been an extended political drumroll over many years: their party members surpass those of Republicans, capping a trend that has continued through the decade.

“It has been reached. We now exceed them in number,” declared Jay Jacobs, the Nassau Democratic chairman, who cited a margin of about 200 people. When he took over his current post in 2001 with the election of Tom Suozzi as county executive, Jacobs said, the Republican edge was 79,000. “In 1980 it was 84,000...We’ve been steadily climbing,” he said. “We’ve had voter registration programs over the years, and of course enrollment has accelerated in the later part of this year.

“We expected this to happen in December or January, but it’s happening sooner as a function of all the excitement currently with Obama, and all the rest. I think this will impact the state Senate race,” Jacobs said, with GOP Sen. Kemp Hannon’s district having lost close to 8,000 Republicans and gained about 8,000 Democrats since 2004.

More exact numbers, and response, as we parse it...If the numbers hold up it is historic given the center of Republican power that Nassau has been in the past. Rick Brand reported on the trends Monday, in this posting.

State elections officials acknolwedge they got complaints in the last month about Spanish language voter registration forms that ask whether a potential voter is a "citizen of North America" rather than a U.S. citizen.

Robert Brehm, a state elections boards spokeman, said the offending forms that were printed between 2003 and 2007 and may still be in circulation in some places even though the forms were changed last year. He said the term "norteamericano is" can be used in translation as an American citizen but concedes the use of a U.S. citizen is more precise.

The first question on those forms asks in Spanish "Are you a citizen of North America?" and tells potential voters to go no further if the answer is no. But Brehm emphasized at the bottom of the form that those registering to vote are also asked to sign their names attesting that they are citizens of the United States. In light of the complaints, Brehm said state election officials have sent a new batch of forms to both Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

But Republican Assembly candidate John Bugler called the mistake "very purposeful," and aimed at allowing non-citizens to vote. And he added bercause of the discrepancy at the top and bottom of the form, "No judge in the country would ever find anyone guilty."

Rick Brand

More than 89,000 new Long Island voters — a 15 percent jump over four years ago — have enrolled to cast ballots in next month’s presidential contest and Democrats have garnered a huge edge among newcomers, according to local elections officials.

Suffolk had the largest gains, with 39,762 new voters since the beginning of the year, up 50 percent from four years ago. And Democrats gained the most with 20,642 new voters while Republicans drew one third that number — 6,905. The number of new Suffolk voters not aligned with any party jumped 13,301.

In Nassau, there are 49,497 new voters, about the same as four years ago, but 24,844 of them enrolled Democrats; 9,245 of Republicans and 12,084 not aligned to any party. What is different in the Nassau numbers is that Democrats have a 15,600 bulge this year compared to only 8,100 four years ago.

Those interested in voting can still register until Oct. 10 by mail or in person at the board of elections inn Mineola or Yaphank. Enrollment forms can be obtained on line here.

Both counties will also hold special registration days at a dozen sites: Suffolk will be Tuesday and Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m.; Nassau will be Friday and Saturday noon to 9 p.m. To find your nearest site call in Nassau, 516-571-2411 and Suffolk 852-4500.

Port Washington cops last night arrested a 22-year-old man who's been paid as a campaign consultant to Nassau Republican Senate candidate Barbara Donno (left), charging him with the theft of re-election signs for her opponent, Sen. Craig Johnson (D-Port Washington).

He's identified as Vincent Jeffrey, 22, of Manhasset.

Donno campaign spokesman Bryan Hurst described this as the action of "an overzealous campaign supporter" who has been suspended from the campaign without pay and who he said "obviously" wasn't acting on the orders of higherups.

The Johnson campaign gives this account, calling it a "new low" for Donno: "A Johnson campaign volunteer caught a person matching Jeffrey's description attempting to take a sign from Port Washington Blvd., just north of Wakefield Avenue, during Thursday's morning rush hour. The campaign later discovered that 70 to 100 Senator Johnson signs, many along Port Washington Blvd. and Searingtown Road, turned up missing within that same time period. Nearly all of them were replaced by Donno signs."

"The campaign volunteer was able to get the license plate number from the silver convertible the person was driving and a complaint was filed with police... Jeffrey was found with some of the missing signs in his possession and placed under arrest, according to Port Washington Police. Records on file with the New York State Board of Elections show that Jeffery has been on the Donno campaign's payroll since at least June 19."

Hurst of the Donno campaign said: "This was an overzealous campaign supporter who acted obviously outside the campaign...He has since been suspended without pay.

"Previous to this incident, the Town of North Hempstead Republican Party filed a complaint with the Port Washington Police Dept. stating that our signs had been stolen."

He said of the arrest and Johnson statement: "We feel this was just a political retaliation move on their part to cause a distraction... from Craig Johnson's record of increasing property taxes and not getting the 7th Senate District its fair share of education funding."

Sen. Craig Johnson (D-Port Washington) denounced the proposal and a similar one in 2007, but Republican Barbara Donno charges on her Web site, from all appearances fictitiously, that a vote for Johnson “is a vote to bring back the commuter tax.” In fact, the top boosters of reviving the tax are New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg — who supports Donno — and Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, whose agreement to kill the tax in the late 1990’s was slammed by GOP Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Bottom line: Expect no support for the tax from either party’s Long Island lawmakers -- only from New York City elected officials.

Dan Janison

The region’s largest business group, the Long Island Association, will pump big money from its political action committee into local races to keep the state Senate Republican.

Matthew Crosson, LIA president, said the PAC will pump $75,000 to $100,000 — triple their normal amount — into local State Senate campaigns in both money and their own ads to help re-elect 36-year GOP Senate veteran Caesar Trunzo and oppose freshman Democratic Sen. Craig Johnson. “Long Island’s self-interest is very much tied up in this election,” said Crosson.
The business group’s decision, said Crosson, was prompted by a New York Sun opinion piece last February in which the author said New York City Democratic senators indicated they would cut Long Island school aid if they win a majority.

“They said they would take school aid from Long Island and move it to New York,” he said. ”Our PAC’s view is that we take them at their word. That will directly lead to higher property taxes on Long Island.”

Ibrahim Khan, Foley spokesman, called the such claims “ridiculous,” and said, ”The Senate Republicans and their allies of the status quo have presided over a newly 400 percent in our property taxes and forced us to foot the bill on million of dollars worth of unfunded mandates.” Long Island, he added,”will have no greater advocate for reducing property taxes...than Brian X. Foley.”

Rick Brand

Republican eminence Alfonse D’Amato was among the crowd this morning at the Garden City Hotel on Long Island at a fund-raiser for Democratic state Comptroller Tom Di Napoli.

“There’s not a better person in public service... and not a person with a better heart and soul than Tom DiNapoli,” D’Amato told the breakfast crowd. “He is the sort of public servant this state and nation needs more of.”

Another noted Republican among the nearly 100 at the breakfast was former Hempstead Town Supervisor Rich Guardino. He did not speak.

The event was hosted by former Long Beach Democratic Chairman Larry Elovich, a longtime pal of D’Amato.

Newsday’s Sid Cassese noted the large contingent of other Long Beach Democrats in attendance, including new Long Beach Democratic chairman Michael Zapson and former City Council president Leonard Remo.

Elovich said he would not hold another fundraiser for Di Napoli until 2010, when the next race for State Comptroller is scheduled.

Also at the breakfast was Nassau County Legis. Denise Ford, a registered Democrat who is a member of the Republican caucus in the county legislature, but sometimes breaks to vote with Democrats.

DiNapoli mixed in the political breakfast with a business day on Long Island, including a news conference later in the morning on reforms to the state and local retirement systems.

Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, who defeated Di Napoli in a Democratic primary to be Nassau's chief in 2001, did not attend but later said he had a prior commitment.

"But Tom [Di Napoli], and I are really good friends," he said. "In fact, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy and I, along with Rich Schaffer and Jay Jacobs [respective Democratic county chairmen] just held a 400-person fund-raiser for him two weeks ago at the Crest Hollow County Club in Woodbury."

A development of potentially seismic proportion in Rudy Giuliani's world: Russell Harding, son of the former mayor's political guru Ray Harding, who headed the Liberal Party, has finished his jail term on embezzlement and other charges -- carried out while heading Giuliani's housing corporation, one of the bigger stains on the Republican's City Hall legacy.

And Russell (not to be confused with his brother Robert Harding, the former Giuliani deputy mayor who remains reputable and widely respected) is now telling inside accounts on a pretty well-written blog of his own linked here, and some of them, presuming they're accurate, are doozies.

A prime allegation: That as Giuliani's head of the Housing Development Corp., Russell Harding was asked by right-hand Giuliani man Tony Carbonetti to find housing for then-mayoral girlfriend Judith Nathan at specified prices - and very likely in a special deal. Harding says he hooked her up with Related Corp., names the individual executive as Jeff Blau, and describes in detail why this was a potential conflict of interest.

For key portions of this one statement, click on the "continued" bar, or go to the site called Rudy Veritas and click on the "Judith" category on the right. More as it develops.

Dan Janison

To follow up on the results of the Siena poll that shows Democratic Sen. Craig Johnson way ahead of GOP challenger Barbara Donno, Newsday asked Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos after a Manhattan speech this morning if it was wise to target that race and pour in resources given the numbers. Skelos' reply: He doesn't believe these numbers.

"You know, I don’t believe that Siena's poll is correct," Skelos said. "We have our own internal polling, and polls that have been done within all of these different districts for the past 20 years, that indicate a lot different. They use the random digit dialing. Siena has never done a poll in Senate districts. And (with) random-digit dialing, for all you know all the phone calls could have gone into Great Neck,” which is one portion of the 7th S.D. where Johnson is expected to be strong.

But Steve Greenberg, spokesman for the Siena pollsters, said Skelos has his facts wrong. "Siena does not use random digit dialing. We use lists of registered voters," he said. And the sample is indeed designed to proportionally represent different parts of the district, Greenberg said.

One Johnson ally said privately that Johnson seems for Skelos to be the tragically elusive equivalent of Captain Ahab's whale. The GOP camp seems to truly believe that Johnson is nervous about his re-election prospects.

As is common campaign practice, Skelos is not releasing GOP internal polls, which are done for strategic reasons.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has endorsed Barbara Donno, the mayor of Plandome Manor, against Sen. Craig Johnson.

“I am happy to endorse Barbara Donno in her effort to represent the 7th Senate district on Long Island,” Bloomberg is quoted as saying in her campaign's statement. “I believe her unique set of qualifications give her the ability to truly understand the issues that impact her community and our state. I look forward to working with her when she is elected this November.”

Donno's quotes in the news release:

“Just like Mayor Bloomberg, I am not a career politician and I have no problem standing up to the special interests to help improve the way our government works. The Mayor and I also share the same strong commitment to improving our schools and enhancing the quality of life for hardworking families, so I am truly honored to have his support for my campaign.”

Bloomberg has continued to back a GOP Senate even though he quit the party last year.

On his “NYPD Confidential” Web site, our ex-colleague Len Levitt suggested that if McCain wins and makes Rudy Giuliani attorney general, Bernie Kerik could win an inside track to a pardon on federal corruption charges. But since McCain whacked Giuliani over Kerik, isn’t it more likely President George W. Bush would be the one pardon Kerik, perhaps, on his way out the door? Bush, after all, commuted the sentence of spy-name-leaker Lewis “Scooter” Libby — who wasn’t even a purported 9/11 “hero”. Caution: Some wonder if Bush has forgiven Kerik’s embarrassing 2004 implosion as his security-secretary nominee.

Bruce Blakeman should leave the non-pay Port Authority of New York and New Jersey board while running for mayor, suggests Gene Russianoff of New York Public Interest Research Group. Holdover Blakeman, an appointee of Gov. George Pataki and former Nassau Leg. presiding officer, has said he sees no conflict; the Senate is unlikely to confirm Gov. David Paterson's chosen replacement, Stan Grayson, until November or later. A paid staffer in the same position, as a declared candidate, would have to resign under PA policy.

Blakeman, meanwhile, announced through his mayoral campaign on Sunday that he is "urging fellow Republicans to cross partisan lines and support increased federal funding for mass transportation now being proposed by U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton."

For full text of his statement, click "continued" bar just below.

Siena College is expected this week to release results of a series of polls in still-unspecified make-or-break state Senate contests. On Long Island, main events have been Republican Barbara Donno’s challenge of Democratic Sen. Craig Johnson and Democrat Brian Foley’s challenge of Republican Sen. Caesar Trunzo. In Queens, one widely-watched main event is Joe Addabbo versus Sen. Serf Maltese. No announcement yet on where Siena has surveyed. Last week's results from Siena on the presidential race are posted here.

The political committee funded by Rochester billionaire Thomas Golisano on Saturday released its endorsements for State Assembly.

Many of Long Island’s 21 incumbents received Responsible New York’s nod but not Ginny Fields (D-Oakdale). The committee backed her Republican challenger John Bugler, who failed to oust her in 2004.

There was no endorsement in 10 Assembly races locally, including those of incumbents Robert Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst), Earlene Hooper (D-Hempstead) and Fred Thiele (R-Sag Harbor).

Among the recipients of backing, there were five Democrats and six Republicans. Here’s the full list:

Marc Alessi (D-Manor Park), incumbent

Patricia Eddington (WF/D-Medford), incumbent

Steven Engelbright (D-Setauket), incumbent

John Bulger, Republican, challenger

Michael Fitzpatrick (R-St. James), incumbent

Phil Boyle (R-West Islip), incumbent

Andrew Raia (R-Huntington), incumbent

James Conte (R-Huntington Station), incumbent

Michelle Schimel (D-Great Neck), incumbent

Tom McKevitt (R-East Meadow), incumbent

Harvey Weisenberg (D-Long Beach), incumbent

"Responsible New York is about reforming New York," said committee co-chairman Steven Pigeon. "That means changing the Senate and changing the Assembly. These candidates have the experience and ability to enact the change New Yorkers need."

It wasn’t clear yesterday whether the committee would use some of its $5 million to help elect Assembly candidates in Nassau and Suffolk.

James T. Madore

In the Village Voice this week, Tom Robbins first contemplates the Albany shenanigans of Assembly geniuses Brian McLaughlin and Anthony Seminerio. And then he tells of an interesting case of evident nepotism: About how Owen Johnson Jr., namesake son of the Suffolk senator, is on the Senate majority's payroll, apparently attached to the office of Brooklyn Sen. Martin Golden. Robbins also cites the domestic dispute with a roommate that led to the younger Johnson's arrest. Worth a look, with an eye to his allusion to Spitzer's short-lived reform era.

Democratic Brookhaven Supervisor Brian Foley says Republican Sen. Caesar Trunzo, whom he's challenging for the legislative seat, has failed to "get out of hiding" and respond to Foley's call for a series of debates.

"While Trunzo has been dodging a real debate with his opponent, he has focused instead on misleading television ads and glossy campaign pamphlets," Foley charges.

Trunzo does, of course, have a campaign going, and on Tuesday, he touted support from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who nonetheless dropped his Republican registration last year.

To that, Ibrahim Khan, spokesman for the Foley campaign, said: "We're not surprised...given that the mayor has already poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the Senate Republicans' coffers. It is ironic that the Senate Republicans accuse Democrats of being New York City - centric and here, Trunzo, the poster child of the Republican status quo, is being endorsed by the mayor of the City of New York.”

Full text of the latest Foley statement is below.

For years, New York City officials and the bistate Port Authority engaged in high-profile clashes over reconstruction of Ground Zero and other projects.

Now Bruce Blakeman is in the unusual position of campaigning for the Republican mayoral nomination - while remaining one of the Port Authority's 11 nonsalaried commissioners.

A campaign ad for Blakeman, a lawyer in a Lake Success firm, uses video of the burning World Trade Center towers and photos of the rubble-strewn aftermath of the massacre seven years ago.

Gov. George Pataki appointed Blakeman to the PA board in 2001 for a term that expired July 1. Holdovers serve until replaced. In June, Gov. David A. Paterson nominated former (Democratic) Deputy Mayor Stanley Grayson to replace Blakeman, yet the GOP-run State Senate did not confirm him.

That seems odd, if only because the Senate, under Nassau-based Majority Leader Dean Skelos, confirmed Fred P. Hochberg, a former Clinton administration official, last month to replace Pataki appointee Christy Ferrer (widow of Neil Levin, the PA executive director killed in the 9/11 attacks). Paterson announced Grayson's selection weeks before Hochberg, yet Hochberg was confirmed first. So Blakeman - former GOP presiding officer of the Nassau legislature and campaign contributor to Skelos and other Long Island Republicans - stayed. He sees no conflict.

"I vote based on what's good for the region," he said. "Transportation issues are intertwined and therefore solutions must integrate different types of movement between systems."

For humor's sake, Blakeman also released an ad showing a dog purportedly saying: "I'm Bruce Blakeman's dog and I approved this message."

This is the campaign Web site.

Rudy Giuliani got a jet ride into Minneapolis from billionaire John Catsimatidis and, as a cosseted VIP, chuckled from the podium as he asked what a "community organizer" does. Cute punchline, got a big rise. But if Giuliani is looking for new gigs, he may wish to stick to "motivational speaker" and "corporate consultant." Whatever these jobs do, they pay lots better than "community organizer," and require none of those awkward appearances in housing projects....

Catsimatidis, of course, wants the Republican line for NYC mayor. But we hear longtime Nassau Republican Bruce Blakeman, now of Manhattan, (in a law firm photo) is still seriously mulling a bid of his own.

Dan Janison

As New York delegates lined up for convention credentials, there was optimism in the group about a resumption of high-profile events by Wednesday and Thursday. TV coverage has been diverted due to Gustav, still plowing through the Gulf. The logic seems to be that if a gavel falls in the hurricane, it won't be heard rapping on the wood. There is word that Cindy McCain and Laura Bush may be doing something operatively Gustav-related around 5 p.m., nothing solid.

Joe Mondello, state and Nassau GOP chairman, is pushing the idea that this is a "sensitive" party that reacts to people's needs in emergencies and downplayed any celebration in a clear effort to manage expectations. Ed Cox, the unconventionally pleasant New York chairman for McCain, mentioned 9-11 a half-dozen times during his welcoming speech, explaining when asked if the attacks will have the same political currency that they did in 2004, "Some things you don't forget." Operatives, from New York to Wyoming, are echoing the group-think that McCain is in some way proving his executive ability and leadership by getting briefed and putting off convention festivities.There is much praise of Sarah Palin.

Dan Janison in Minneapolis

The “final straw” that cost Suffolk Legis. Ricardo Montano his budget committee chairmanship, Presiding Officer William Lindsay said last week, was a letter he sent out backing the Republican candidate in this summer’s special legislative election.

“He finally wore out his welcome,”said the Holbrook Democrat. “The lawsuit and his stand on the immigration bill, I could absorb all that. But that election was about keeping control of the legislature and this fellow was working against it.”

Montano sent a letter backing Jordan Wilson, a Democrat and his former aide who ran on the Republican line. He also gave Wilson donations totalling $1,974. Montano, who spent $600 to send out the letter to 1,200 voters, called Wilson a “trusted ally,” and said County Executive Steve Levy, who has backed “outrageous discriminatory measures,” was backing Wilson’s opponent DuWayne Gregory. In one telling line, Montano, said, “It’s sometimes hard to believe we are all members of the same party.”

Lindsay said his decision to remove Montano was “not personal” but practical. “When you’re in the majority you appoint the committee chairs,” he said. “You can’t enjoy the benefits of the majority and work against it.”

Montano, said Lindsay “can retaliate all he wants,” but emphasized Wilson is a Democrat and I’m entitled to endorse anyone I want.”

Rick Brand

Now it’s not only the dissidents publicly calling for Islip Republican chairman Caesar Trunzo to step down as party leader. Assemb. Philip Boyle (R-Bay Shore), a loyal member of the town GOP executive committee, is now saying he is “very concerned his political position could cost him the election” after 36 years in office.

“I think there’s a growing resentment among Republican committee people... toward him because of his... role as party chairman,” he said. Trunzo, through a spokesman declined to comment.

Boyle went public after the town party couldn’t even muster the 2,000 signatures needed to qualify district court candidates Hertha Trotto and Legis. Cameron Alden for the November ballot. Trunzo, 82, also sparked ire in a letter to the town committee last month, blaming critics for “selfishness,” and “destroying our [party’s] heritage.”

Party sources say a growing number want Trunzo to step down by October, but hold a convention after Election Day so that the entire party can unite for Trunzo’s election. Trunzo is facing his toughest re-election in decades against Brookhaven Supervisor Brian Foley, a key battle in the GOP Senate’s bid to keep to their slim two seat majority.

Rick Brand