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While Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn made the rounds in Albany yesterday to drum up Republican support for gay marriage, some Capitol insiders wondered why Gov. Andrew Cuomo wasn’t there to lobby for it himself. The governor was out touring the state on behalf of his top three issues – same-sex … Read more
He doesn’t roam City Hall anymore with his cellphone earpiece and his red appointment book. He doesn’t exhort reporters to cover his press conferences. He doesn’t blast out email about his latest blog posts. But indicted lobbyist Richard Lipsky is quietly edging back into the game. Lobbying reports on file with the city and state … Read more
In the U.S. Attorney’s press room at the federal courthouse in White Plains on Dec. 3, Preet Bharara kept saying no. Yes, Vinnie Leibell, the longtime state senator and Putnam County executive-elect, had just pled guilty to obstruction of justice and tax evasion charges. Leibell had sensed he might be under investigation in the spring, … Read more
Ask the American Beverage Association, the coalition of otherwise competing soft drink companies, how it is going to fight Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to bar purchases of soda with food stamps, and the answer is a hyperlink to a statement issued last week telling government to back off and stop targeting poor people. Also included: … Read more
True, Rev. Al Sharpton has not endorsed Andrew Cuomo and hinted that he might support Charles Barron and the Freedom Party. There may be more than politics involved: Sharpton has told a few people that the nice thing about having an institutionalized Freedom Party is that it would get the black nationalists off his back. … Read more
The investigations are continuing and the reformer effort picked up a few hard-fought district leader wins on primary day. But that does not mean a change will soon be coming to the Brooklyn Democratic leadership, as even those who might like to see one admit. “I’ve given up predicting the future, especially when it comes … Read more
The state teachers union’s message to Albany this year? See us after class. The 600,000-member strong New York State United Teachers is poised to boot 30 state lawmakers from its endorsement list this year, which it says is a response to an unprecedented level of anger and frustration among the membership. Many of those not … Read more
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has purchased a vacation home on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, according to property records obtained by City Hall. Administration sources dismissed any significance to the mayor’s purchase of the 14-acre $11 million estates in the state that will cast the first votes for the 2012 presidential nomination. … Read more
The year was 1989. New York City was rampant with crime and three-term mayor Ed Koch had become a divisive figure, after several investigations for corruption, a soured relationship with the press and feuds with other public servants which showed no sign of cooling. Yet defeating Koch, an outsized personality and familiar presence who was … Read more
In the week since the Queens Tribune published an article portraying Council candidate Dan Halloran as engaged in a cult-like form of heathenism, Queen Republicans have engaged in serious discussions about replacing their nominee in the race to succeed Council Member Tony Avella. Their choice to replace him is Paul Vallone, who finished third in the district’s recent Democratic … Read more