Just as Charlie Cook keeps uprating the Democratic party's chances in NY-13, the Republicans of Staten Island play along and make the prospects of flipping the district that much stronger. The Republican machine (if you can call it that) has decided to go against Independence Party pick Carmine Morano for ex-Assemblyman Robert Straniere. Straniere was defeated a few years back in a re-election bid in his South Shore area. Now this isn't all said and done, that would be too simple. It appears that many Republicans, including James Molinari are not too happy about Straniere's endorsement.
From The Staten Island Advance:
Straniere was tabbed by a five-member GOP committee on vacancies last night to replace the late Frank Powers as the party designee for the bi-borough seat. Straniere is now set to battle Dr. Jamshad Wyne, the GOP finance chairman, in a Sept. 9 party primary.
The vote was 4-1 in Straniere's favor, with only Joseph Borelli, chief of staff to South Shore City Councilman Vincent Ignizio, casting a vote against Straniere.Ignizio defeated Straniere in a 2004 GOP Assembly primary, ending Straniere's 24-year career in the Legislature, and last night said that he "will not be supporting Bob Straniere for Congress."
So to beg the question, why is there so much hostility in SI Republican-land, especially with the limited pool of talent that the party has down there? Well, as Molinari points out ominously:
Two words that strike me: Ethics and morality," said Molinari. "There have been so many questions raised about ethics in government over the last few months, the last thing we could have expected is to see someone put up for office with serious ethical concerns. That's mystifying."
Ouch!
I'm going to take a wild guess and say this has nothing to do with hot dogs and everything to do with his time in the Assembly. Of course this could also be a way for Republicans like Molinari and Ignizio to play down expectations of holding onto the seat following Fossella's shameful departure.
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