The Private Equity & Growth Capital Council, which was formed in 2007 by several of the country's largest private equity firms, quietly formed a political action committee last spring and began making campaign contributions this past summer. New York City Congressman Joe Crowley was one of the top Democratic beneficiaries of donations from the private equity PAC. Read More
Members of New York City's Democratic Congressional delegation and Metropolitan Transportation Authority chief Joe Lhota gathered at Grand Central Terminal today to call on House Republicans to cease moving forward on a bill that would strip transit agencies across the country of needed funding.
"We have people shooting dice with the economy of the City and State of New York," said Harlem Congressman Charlie Rangel, the dean of the New York delegation. He added that the bill was a cynical attempt to divide urban from rural America.
"There is no agenda that they have. Every time this issue comes up they try to take away. First just because it is the City of New York, and second, because they have a majority now, they are taking advantage of us." Read More
Varying theories have surfaced for why Councilman Peter Koo changed his registration from Republican to Democratic this afternoon. These explanations range from the cynical to the optimistic. A New York Times source believed as a Democrat, Councilman Koo "could get more city money for his district" and "increase his odds of becoming a Council committee chairman." However, Queens Democratic Chairman Joe Crowley was more circumspect in how he phrased it.
"I think what Peter realizes, in many respects, it is dominated by Democrats, the City Council, and having more say, more input for his constituency is also important," he said. And while he declined to deliberately speculate on whether Mr. Koo would head an important Council committee, he did say he was "sure that the Council and the Speaker will find a way to utilize Peter's talents."
Others have speculated that the Queens Republican Party simply didn't do enough to keep Mr. Koo in the party, and that the openly hostile dispute between internal factions made him feel unwelcome. In an interview last week, Councilman Eric Ulrich echoed these thoughts, saying his colleague "did not feel appreciated by the Queens Republican Party and infighting in the county organization made him increasingly uncomfortable."
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Councilman Peter Koo was surrounded by a throng of Queens Democrats and elected officials as he announced his party switch this afternoon, and it would be difficult to imagine a more overwhelmingly effusive crowd.
"We want to give a great Queens Democratic welcome to the newest member of ... the City Council from Queens as a Democrat: Councilman Peter Koo," Queens Democratic Chair Joe Crowley began his statement, to applause of the smiling Democrats surrounding the converted Councilman.
"Peter joining this effort is a real boom to our party, and I think it's great for Flushing in particular. As John Liu, whom I'm going to introduce in a moment, points out, this is the Year of the Dragon. This is a very fortuitous year. This is a very important, jubilant year for the Chinese-American community. Peter, you're making it that much more jubilant for us."
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Bob Turner called into Curtis Sliwa's radio show this morning, and when the host made reference to David Weprin as Crowley's "Sock Puppet," the newly-elected Congressman quickly cut him off.
"I got to tell you yesterday was a wonderful bi-partisan day," he said. "I was introduced by Charlie Rangel in the House. At the end of the day I left the House, my wife and I, it was raining like crazy and who drives by and gives me a lift? Joe Crowley."
Sliwa then asked Turner if he was worried he would wind up facedown in the Potomac River.
"No, he is a very pleasant, funny guy," Turner responded. "We had a good chat." Read More
Joe Crowley is both the head of the Queens Democratic Party and the finance chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and he was wearing both hats this afternoon when he sent out in urgent mailer asking for donations to help David Weprin's congressional campaign.
[Republican Bob Turner] is a radical right-winger ready to fight alongside John Boehner and the tea party. He has promised to push for drastic budget cuts and is even on record as rejecting the Republican's budget and plan to end Medicare because it did not go far enough," wrote Mr. Crowley in a DCCC email. "The election is just one week from today. We must immediately raise $25,000 in rapid response funds to help David fight Republican attacks in these final days." Read More
In Memoriam: Silver announced the passing of his aide, Sisa Moyo.
DCCC: Rep. Israel raises money at July 8 breakfast at Johnny's Half Shell in DC. [Political Party Time]
2013: To negotiate better deals, unions try waiting till Bloomberg leaves. [David Seifman / NY Post]
2013: Alliance with Bloomberg and slush fund scandal "are fading, replaced by the euphoria surrounding the marriage bill." [Jeremy Smerd / Crains]
NY9: "I’ve gotten a number of e-mails from rabbis. They said Weprin legislates as a non-observant Jew and campaigns as a devout Jew." [Carl Campanile / NY Post]
NY9: GOP to attack Weprin for liberal voting record and they "will also argue that the district could be spared during reapportionment if they control it." [Jeremy Smerd and Shane Kavanaugh / Crains]
NY9: "[H]eavily Democratic district." [AP]
NY9: "[T]here's also the question of whether the congressional seat in play will exist at all after 2012." [Grace Rauh / NY1]
NY9: Turner's nomination "demonstrates the weakness of Queens GOP Chairman Phil Ragusa." [Michael Saul / WSJ]
NY9: GOP fundraiser for Turner dubbed "Weiner Rost."
Brooklyn Kruger: Denies latest rumor, saying "I am absolutely not resigning." [Gary Busio / NY Post]
Virginia Crowley: Adam Lisberg argues "If you don't want your kids to go to school in the district you represent, then don't run for congress." [On NY1]
Political Connection: Brother-in-law and "mayor political supporter" of Columbia County DA pays $700 fine for driving drunk with kids in car. [Jimmy Vielkind / Times Union]
Quinn's Budget: "[S]he wasn’t content with punishing just Vallone for his temerity. She also took it out on the councilman’s father." [NY Post]
NYC Budget: Do a study to show why firehouses need to be cut. [Crains]
NYC Budget: $2.8 million in discretionary funds is "the only time Staten Island gets a little more than it's fair share than the rest of the city," says Oddo. [Deborah Young / SI Advance]
Tax Cap: "The tax limits in Massachusetts apparently haven't hurt its schools." [Cara Matthews / Democrat and Chronicle]
Medicaid: Cuomo may shelve costly eMedNY program after nearly $1 billion spent on the unfinished project. [Jacob Geshman / WSJ]
Same-Sex Marriage: Editors praise Grisanti's marriage vote, and resources he brought back to district. [Buffalo News]
Same-Sex Marriage: Upstate wedding planner and videographer said he'll "pleasantly decline" to service gay couples. Legal recourse? [Britney Milazzo / Lockport Journal]
Redistricting: "Where’s the governor’s bully pulpit on this issue? Is it in the trunk of the executive limo he’s driving around the state in a victory lap for the tax cap legislation that he keeps ceremonially signing, over and over?" [Jay Jochnowitz / Times Union]
Redistricting: Rep. Buerkle lobbying state lawmakers. [Mark Weiner / Post-Standard]
Manhattan DA: Steinem spokeswoman says she "made the best decision she could with the information available" when she endorsed him. Now she "hopes that Vance can take the current issues more seriously." [Jeremy Smerd and Shane Kavanaugh / Crains]
Ending News of the World: "I for one am not altogether happy to see it go." [Hendrik Hertzberg / New Yorker]
Media: Reporter arrested at murder scene; paper says he was just asking questions. [CBS 6 Albany]
Jeter: Bloomberg quick to praise him. [Twitter]
2012: Cuomo backs Obamanomics. [Ken Lovett / Daily News]
NY9: Queens to cave to Conservatives and back Bob Turner. [Liz Benjamin / Capital Tonight]
NY9: "This is going to be a real race. We have to take this seriously," said Weprin. [Grace Rauh / NY1]
NY9: "NY GOP should unite behind Bob Turner & redeem themselves from their dismal failures of the past." [Daniel Horowitz / Red State]
NY9: Conservative group of Orthodox Jews criticize Weprin for supporting same-sex marriage. [Community Guardians Group]
NY9: Weprin donors include "many boldfaced real estate names." [CJ Hughes / Real Deal]
Council: Vallone lost thousands in discretionary funding for upstaging and opposing Quinn's push to rename bridge after Koch. [Sally Goldenberg / NY Post]
Manhattan DA: Dershowitz criticizes Vance for 'stonewalling' on probe of sister-in-law's death. [Sabrina Ford / NY Post]
Layoffs: HHC can proceed with layoffs, appellate court rules, reversing lower court decision. [John Elligon / New York Times]
And Vito Lopez explains the need to take Republican Bob Turner seriously (and wages a beer on the race after the jump!). [Youtube] Read More
Rep. Joe Crowley said he doesn't expect to ever run against David Weprin, the Democrat he helped pick as his party's nominee to fill the vacant seat next door to him, which many suspect will be erased after redistricting next year.
"Quite frankly, we don't know what is going to happen," with the district lines, Crowley told reporters this morning in the Queens County Democratic headquarters, where Weprin signed the paperwork to officially become the Democratic nominee for the Ninth Congressional District. Read More
After the New York Post reported today that Queens Congressman Joe Crowley makes his home in a D.C. suburb, Crowley went on the offensive this morning, questioning the paper's credibility in light of the tabloid scandal roiling English politics.
"I'm happy with my own personal life," he said. "And by the way, it's the New York Post. And we know what's happening in England. I'm not surprised it's happening here as well." Read More
