Tom Suozzi for U.S. Senate

Starting from scratch, starting to scratch

2009-01-16T17:10:00.000-08:00

The latest news from Governor Paterson has got me scratching my head. According to Irene at the Capitol Confidential, he has new thinking about "who he will pick to replace Sen. Hillary Clinton. In a press conference, Gov. David Paterson said, 'I’m having new thinking about who I’m intending to appoint, and am having a few follow-up conversations with some of those people who’ve put themselves forward.' When asked whether he regrets having taken so long to make the decision, Paterson replied, 'No. I feel that in situations like this, there are always intervening events that can change them.'

What are the new events? If it is poll results than he is looking away from Kennedy and he is being pushed from NOW and other women's groups to go with a women. Carolyn Maloney was in Albany today pushing her own candidacy, according to the Daily News. Is he aiming toward Maloney now?

The Governor either has a really good poker face or he has no cards he likes so he keeps drawing new cards until he has one he can play. Which is it? I'm thinking he doesn't like his hand. The question is: is he going for a royal flush, a straight or high pair. Whatever it is, he's playing a high stakes game, and he doesn't like the cards he's holding.

Field Narrows as Race Comes Down to the Wire

2009-01-09T05:30:00.000-08:00

With eleven days before the inauguration of President-Elect Obama and the transition of Senator Clinton to her appointed post of Secretary of State, a couple of new developments appear to be narrowing the field of replacements, and Nassau County Exec Tom Suozzi may be one among those still in the field, and since he continues to be fighting for property taxpayers he should be.

First. Governor Paterson yesterday suggested publicly that Caroline Kennedy is not qualified. He said that her lack of legislative experience hurts her in comparison to her office-holding rivals.

The TU put Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand’s chances on the front page of their paper this morning, but also admits that her relationship with Speaker Pelosi could hurt her chances. She is ambitious...and has a new website: www.selectgillibrand.com.

Others still appearing to be in contention—Reps. Steve Israel (long island) and Caroline Maloney (long island), Suozzi (long island).

While all the jockeying is going, Mr. Suozzi is again making inroads with his efforts on behalf of New York’s property taxpayers. He was in the Daily News last week pushing his idea for a federal takeover of Medicaid, a move that would take local government and local property taxpayers out of paying for the gigantic government-run health care program, see Want a fast stimulus? Have feds pick up Medicaid tab.

Another move that demonstrates Suozzi’s leadership on behalf of taxpayers? The Federal Stimulus package being drafted in congress right now targets more federal Medicaid funding directly to counties, including Nassau, Suffolk and every other county in NYS.

The field is narrowing and as we move closer to January 20th, will narrow even further. It’s time for Governor Paterson to put in place the best qualified leader and most able campaigner to be the next Senator from New York.

Kennedy shortcircuited by her un-campaign?

2009-01-05T19:27:00.000-08:00

Caroline Kennedy’s Un-Campaign May Be Working Against Her

Will the blowback from Caroline’s uncampaign help Paterson not pick her? The answer should be yes, and let’s all (and by all I mean Governor Paterson) and pick a viable, suitable, experienced and up-for-the-job candidate to be the next U.S. Senator from New York. Oh yeah, and she’s not planning to attend the Governor’s State of the State address on Wednesday. Will she fill out the 28 page financial disclosure form that Governor Paterson sent to potential Hilary replacements?

An editorial in yesterday’s Times Union put it nicely:

“Just because she's quite sure she's the best candidate to succeed Mrs. Clinton — "I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I would be the best," she said in one of her clearer statements to the Times — doesn't make it a majority sentiment.

Those waiting for Governor Paterson to cast the one and only vote in this high-profile election would be forgiven for finding Ms. Kennedy's case for herself to be short on specifics.

Her problem, in essence, is the "why" question. She hasn't come close to answering it.”

Today Maurice Hinchey’s name was floated. Ok, now we are talking about more qualified candidates. At least he's run for elections...and won...several times.

Back to the Sate of the State…I wonder if there will be a hint coming from the Governor in his speech. If he’s leaning one way or another you’d think he’d start elevating (leaking trial balloons). His choice is going to seriously hurt or help the beginning of his 2010 run for Governor. Who does he need most over the next two years and how can one of these individuals help him. He needs voters, money and diversity, in that order. More on this later.

Happy New Year, countdown hits 20 days and counting

2009-01-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year.

There are 20 + days to go now until Senator Hillary Clinton becomes the Secretary of State and Governor David Paterson appoints her replacement to the U.S. Senate from New York.

It has been over a month since my last post and what a bizarre time it has turned into on many fronts. The most bizarre of which has been the entry of Caroline Kennedy into the mix. She has inserted herself into a mix that she doesn’t belong in. There is no shortage of highly qualified candidates out there to fill this post. Any of those mentioned before on this blog and in many news reports—from congressional representative Brian Higgins, Nydia Valesquez, Nito Lowey, Kirsten Gillibrand, Steve Israel; to AG Cuomo and of course Tom Suozzi. All of these potential replacements are elected officials who have campaigned, have been vetted by the media and New York voters and have governed.

Granted, the Kennedy name is attractive and the access to fundraising cash is attractive. But we could do a lot better for Upstate New York and for all of New York, to pick a more qualified person who understands the plight of New Yorkers who have been waiting for 20 years for a turn around that would help to put the state back in the right direction. Picking Caroline Kennedy would do nothing to put NYS back in the right direction.

Picking a two year place holder like Mario Cuomo or Bill Clinton or Carl McCall or someone else for a two year stint until voters can pick in a primary would be a lot better for New York and New Yorkers than to anoint a Senator with little or no experience with the issues that matter most to most New Yorkers.

Please, Mr. Governor, don’t pick Caroline Kennedy.

Suozzi Commission Calls for Property Tax Cap

2008-12-02T18:35:00.000-08:00

Meanwhile, while he doesn’t appear to be openly campaigning, Tom Suozzi spent yesterday in Albany addressing one of the top issues, if not the top issue, facing Upstate New Yorkers—property taxes. The Nassau County Executive, who has served as Chair of the Governors Commission on Property Tax Relief, presented Governor Paterson with the commission’s recommendations.

“The report contains 32 recommendations, including a property tax cap and several additional proposals designed to rein in school districts’ costs, therefore addressing the root causes of high property taxes. Included in those recommendations are consolidation measures, mandate relief, mayoral control of school districts in the “Big Four” cities, and a STAR “circuit breaker," according to the Gov's release.

Mr. Suozzi has successfully brought the issue of property taxes to the forefront of the public debate in this state…the main reason for the creation of this blog…if he can bring a resolution to the issue—if he can bring about a cap or somehow lead legislators to address property taxes—than he will be adopted by our Upstate communities that have been screaming about property taxes since before George Pataki came into office. Yes…I go back that far…and I was part of the call for change. Unfortunately it never came and we continue to look to Albany and Washington for help. Suozzi has been looking to fix Albany and a presence in Washington will give him the platform he needs to get us the help we need.

Bring on the property tax cap and then send Mr. Suozzi to Washington. We need a Senator who will carry our cause to the Capitol.

Clinton Nomination Clears Way for Rampant Speculation

2008-12-02T18:23:00.001-08:00

With President-Elect Barack Obama’s nomination of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State now formally announced, we can expect the speculation of who will replace her in the Senate to increase.

Here are some names I’ve seen and heard in the last 36 hours: Bill Clinton…yes, that’s right...Bill Clinton; Carolyn Kennedy; and Robert Kennedy Jr. Friends of Robert Kennedy have launched a group on facebook.

Nita Lowey says she doesn’t want it. Steve Israel does….as does Carolyn Maloney. Kirsten Gillibrand did not respond either way when asked. Nydia Valezquez is in the mix, as is Gregory Meeks. Brian Higgins, from Western New York is as well. Tom Suozzi and Andrew Cuomo are often mentioned together. Who did I miss?

A day after the nomination and speculation is running high. The question is will we have to wait another 49 days to know?

Statement from Governor Paterson on Clinton's Appointment

2008-12-01T12:31:00.000-08:00

“Since the founding of our nation, New York has often sent our best leaders to Washington where they confronted the great challenges of their day. We are proud that Senator Clinton will join that venerable tradition as Secretary of State. She is the leader we need to partner with President-Elect Obama to confront the international challenges we face today. I can think of no one more qualified for the position at this critical moment in our history.

“New York will lose a powerful voice in the Senate. But the nation will gain a powerful voice in the world. Senator Clinton's wisdom and record of leadership will make her a strong advocate for the cause of liberty, human rights, and the rule of law. Her courage and experience will give our nation a tested warrior in the fight against terrorism and extremism.

“On behalf of all New Yorkers, I want to thank Senator Clinton for her service to this State. I look forward to continuing to work with her in her new capacity.

“In order to appoint the best possible candidate to replace Senator Clinton, I am consulting with a wide variety of individuals from all across New York State. I expect to announce Senator Clinton’s replacement when the position becomes officially vacant.”

The clock is now ticking...the Inauguration is on January 20, 2009...50 days.

Clinton to be named tomorrow and some lohud pinings

2008-11-30T18:04:00.001-08:00

Nita Lowey unlikely to leave power post in the House for the potential of a short term stay in the U.S. Senate, according to a Friday story in the Journal News.

An opinion in today’s Journal News compares the position that Governor David Paterson may soon find himself in to Shakespeare’s Richard III, assuming perhaps that the behind the scenes jockeying for the Senate appointment could take Shakespearean twists…and I guess it could, considering the build up and all that may ride on this appointment.

Meanwhile, sources say Obama’s appointment of Hillary to the Secretary of State position will come tomorrow. She says she will accept. That leaves the next move to Governor Paterson, who has said (below) that he will wait until her formal appointment, after January 20, 2009 to name her successor.

Some criteria

2008-11-28T18:52:00.001-08:00

What is the criteria that Governor Paterson and his team will use to choose the next Senator from New York? As always, he’s in good humor about it, despite the pressure the pick must be adding to his otherwise pressure-packed brief tenure as Governor.

"I think I read in the New York Times yesterday, they said you have to find a woman, who is from upstate, who's Hispanic, very close to the Jewish community, and who gets along with everybody," Paterson joked, according the Albany Times Union.

Demographics

Gender: Senator Clinton is a woman. The statewide slate up in 2010 includes three men: Paterson, AG Andrew Cuomo and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. The other statewide elected is Senator Charles Schumer. All men. The top of the 2010 Democratic ticket needs to include a woman. The Governor has two opportunities to make sure that happens. He will pick the next Senator and also his Lieutenant. If Paterson wants to, or needs to, pick a man for Senate, he will be able to pick a woman for his team next year.

Geography: Paterson, Cuomo, and Schumer are from New York City. DiNapoli is from Nassau. The general sentiment is that the pick should be from Upstate (north of the Bronx). The problem: they also need a candidate with statewide name recognition.

Race/Ethnicity: We have an African American Governor, two Italian Americans in DiNapoli and Cuomo, and Schumer, who is Jewish. There is considerable sentiment that the next Senator should come from the Hispanic community.

Electability: While New York has proven itself to be bluer and bluer, the Republicans will likely make runs at each of the statewide seats filled with appointees. The next Senator must be prepared to run and win a statewide campaign in 2010 and again in 2012. He or she must be a proven campaigner, have statewide stature of have the capacity to get there in a hurry.

Fundraising: The next Senator must be able to raise enough money—from inside and outside of New York—to stave off potential Republican opponents in both of the upcoming races.

Others?

Senate Blogwatch

2008-11-26T19:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the Washington Post handicapped the race, here, and today a number of blogs followed suit. (By the way, the Washington Post put 3 to 1 odds on Tom Suozzi.)

Using the Washington Post as a springboard, the Huffington Post brought out a 2006 New York Magazine profile in a piece on the potential of Senator Suozzi.

“On paper, Suozzi seems like a consultant's wish come true. He's a reform-minded Democrat in a largely Democratic state ripe for reform. He's young (43), suburban (born and raised in Glen Cove, Long Island), and a practicing Catholic (check that: pro-choice Catholic). He's got early-Pacino good looks, and a hey-let's-put-on-a-show enthusiasm that makes him the guy you want to talk to, whether it be at a Staten Island potluck or a policy conference in Albany.

And he's got sparkling political credentials. At 30, Suozzi, a lawyer and CPA, returned home to Glen Cove, ran for mayor, and went on to save his beloved town from fiscal disaster. In 2001, he pulled off a colossal upset and was elected Nassau County executive, the first Democrat in three decades to hold that position in the 55 percent Republican county. Once in office, Suozzi eliminated a $45 million deficit that had threatened to balloon to $400 million by 2005 and send the county into bankruptcy. The county's bond rating skyrocketed, and Suozzi was named a Governing magazine "Public Official of the Year."

A clip from today’s Newsday’s Spin Cycle provides a quick take on the pros and the cons of a Senator Suozzi

"A look at the upside and you figure, hey, why not Suozzi? He's young enough, sharp enough, and attractive enough. He's Irish and Italian, a Catholic from the suburbs who stands to draw upstate appeal. He's raised funds, even against the strong tide for Eliot Spitzer to whom he very lopsidedly lost the Democratic primary for governor. He's been at the helm of a county that recovered fiscally after he took over (and isn't tanking any more dramatically than its neighbors or for any different reasons).

As statements of the past two days show, he's on the same page as senior Sen. Charles Schumer when it comes to a salient issue with which he's familiar -- Medicaid funding. Paterson has strong ties to Suozzi through family/law firm connections of their fathers and his top aide is Long Islander Bill Cunningham III, who's close to Suozzi."

And from today’s Times Union’s Capitol Confidential Paterson Will Wait until Hillary’s Confirmation

"Paterson said he “will likely wait until after Clinton is confirmed before announcing publicly who will replace here, because he doesn’t want to “interfere in that process.”…When asked whether he had a short list of candidates, Paterson replied: “I don’t know what the definition of a short list is.” Paterson talked about the issue of diversity in his pick, only to say that he wouldn’t pick someone just because they were demographically diverse, but that there were many qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds. “I won’t have to worry about diversity that much,” he said."

The DaBrinker Report says:

"[Suozzi] has statewide campaign experience, which will be a necessity because the person chosen will have to run twice in the next four years. He has an unparalleled handle of one of New York’s most pressing issues—property taxes. He serves as the chair of the Governor’s Commission on Property Tax—aptly named the Tax Cap Commission. He is young, dynamic and he runs one of the State’s largest counties, larger than most States. "

The Albany Project says...
"Over at The Washington Post's blog, The Fix, a variety of contenders are given odds on filling Senator Clinton's (presumptive) vacancy. One interesting name at the top of the list is Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi. While I didn't consider Suozzi a likely contender at first, his name is now at the top of this list for a variety of political and electoral reasons."

Andy’s Take Away from Today:

If we take Paterson for his word today, we are waiting two months before there is a decision on who will be New York’s next U.S. Senator. Who he chooses will depend on the criteria he uses to evaluate candidates, coupled with how the stars align in the coming two weeks. Two months is a lifetime in politics. Where will the stars be then?

New Senator Speculation Watch

2008-11-25T20:23:00.000-08:00

While Hillary Clinton remains New York’s junior Senator, speculation abounds about her replacement.

Kirsten Gillibrand, who hasn’t yet completed her first term in Congress, is among those on the short list, according to a Time Warner Cable news report today. But Governor Paterson didn’t give much of a hint, when he said "The skill level can be the same among individuals, but there is history and individuality from people who come from different parts of the state or have unique backgrounds that we would like to see in government."

Yesterday, the Times Union Blog, listed a power ranking of potential replacements, including Gillibrand…but it only listed New York Congressional members. That narrows the list considerably. Could it be that the Governor will only look at pols already in Washington?

Senator Schumer—was in Albany today, and is said to have made a recommendation to the Governor, but he did not show his hand on his preference. Instead he spoke of a potential Federal bailout for states, in the form a boost in Medicaid aid.

Interesting….

If you haven’t had a chance to read Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi’s letter on Politico.com, he proposes to get “the federal, state, and local governments working together on the same side. It deals directly with America’s Medicaid program and will provide immediate budgetary relief for states and, where applicable, local governments that contribute to the cost of the program.” For more, click here.

Feds, State and Locals Need to Pull Together

2008-11-24T19:53:00.000-08:00

A letter by Tom Suozzi published on Politico.com over the weekend demonstrates why the Nassau County Executive is the best person to succeed Hillary Clinton as the next U.S. Senator from New York. He writes:

“I’m cutting jobs, eliminating programs, and in the case of Nassau County, reducing capital spending and raising property taxes for the first time in five years. We have to. Because unlike the federal government, states and localities must, by law, balance our budgets every year, leaving us no choice but to make difficult decisions…In the war to save America’s economy, the local, state, and federal governments are all on the same side but pulling in opposite directions…State and localities need our federal government’s help.”

Our economic crisis has made us all reconsider what we spend our money on. We have to balance our budgets. That’s true for me and my friends. It should be true for government as well, even when it hurts a bit.

While I have seen no fewer than ten names floated for the position, Suozzi is by far the most qualified among them. He’s the executive of one of the largest counties in New York State, responsible for a budget larger than sixteen states.

He’s not afraid of taking on the issues that matter most to New Yorkers. As chair of the Governor's Task Force on Real Property Taxes—he has held hearings around the State—and has demonstrated an unparalleled understanding of New York's number one issue—property taxes.

His experience running a statewide campaign will serve him well when he has to run to keep the seat in 2010 and then again in 2012.