Aubertine Exonerates Paterson

Liz pointed out yesterday that something was amiss about the whole Paterson trying to appoint Aubertine to the NYPA thing. Unfortunately I fell for it hook, line and sinker. The bait was enticing though, Senator Aubertine came out with a press release stating that he was declining a job with the NYPA that would have tripled his salary to stay loyal to his constituents in the 48th District. Well now Aubertine seems to backtrack, but just a little bit.

From The Daily Politcs:

Sen. Darrel Aubertine, whose NYPA job offer uproar got lost in the Sen. Joe Bruno-retirement shuffle, just issued the folowing statement:

"If there was a misunderstanding, then there was a misunderstanding. The Governor is a friend and ally and someone that I've worked with extensively on important energy issues."

"What's important right now is that we move on and not let this story distract from the important work we need to do before the end of session. We need to provide real property tax relief to working families across the state and reform and reauthorize IDA's so we can get them creating jobs."

"Above all, we need to do the work people elected us to do. I'm proud to serve the people of the Central and Northern New York and that includes working with my colleagues in the Legislature and the Governor to accomplish as much as we can before the end of session."

Senate Democrat sources insisted that the governor's chief of staff, Charles O'Byrne, called Aubertine on his cell phone last Tuesday while he was in session and then subsequently met with him on the second floor later that day and offered him the NYPA job.

The governor's office couldn't confirm the meeting to CapConf, which also reported that Aubertine and some of his fellow Democrats had a meeting with O'Byrne earlier today that got rather heated.

Hmm, that certainly does sound like a big misunderstanding. Perhaps he was offering the job at a date to be determined? Or maybe he wanted to give him the chance to have input over the next head of the NYPA? All of this seems odd, but the important thing is that at the end of the day, Aubertine is sticking around....and thankfully Joe Bruno isn't.

Trying To Oust Aubertine? WTF Paterson?

David Paterson came into the Governor's office with high hopes from the progressive Democratic community. Although he may not be 'progressive,' he certainly had testified towards supporting many wonderful things, such as campaign and ethics reform. He failed us on that this year but at least he's still a Democrat right? Well one has to wonder what his motivation was in offering Senator Aubertine a job when our party is fighting so hard to win back the majority in the Senate after decades of Republican rule.

From Capitol Confidential:

In the brewing fight for the Senate majority between the Republicans and Democrats, Paterson has pulled one out of the Spitzer playbook - picking off a Senator with a plum appointed position.

But the attempt didn’t benefit the side you expect from the former Senate Minority Leader. At the urging of Republican Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, Paterson offered the job to Democratic Sen. Darrel Aubertine, according to sources. Aubertine declined the offer.

Aubertine is the Senate Democrats’ most vulnerable marginal, having been elected only 4 months ago in a costly special election in an overwhelmingly Republican Senate district. (see stats below).

A Watertown Daily Times story ran Saturday, reporting that Aubertine was offered the chairmanship of the New York Power Authority, which would have doubled his current Senate salary of $79,500.

Later that same day, Aubertine released a statement confirming the report, saying, in part:

”I was offered the opportunity to serve as NYPA chairman last week,” Sen. Aubertine said. “I’m certainly very, very flattered to not only have been considered, but to have been offered the position. After discussions with my family and friends, my decision was to keep my commitment to the people of the 48th Senate District.”

Well I'm glad at least one politician has the best interest of the 48th District and our party at heart. I'm not too sure about Governor Paterson though. Now Paterson's record indicates he is indeed a Democrat, so what gives? What does Joe Bruno have over him to make him try and offer Aubertine a position that would be to the New York Democratic Party's detriment? He may have reminded us of Spitzer, but at least Spitzer played dirty for our benefit, not Joe Bruno's.

Aubertine Accepts

Party chair June O'Neil introduces him:



And here's the man himself:

Congratulations Senator Aubertine!

The votes are in and we have a winner folks. Our new Senator from District 48 upstate is Darrel Aubertine. He's the first Democratic candidate to win in this neck of the woods since the 19th century. People were tired of the old GOP political scheme down in Albany and knew the implications that their race entailed. This area was thought to be heavily Republican and a sure thing for Will Barclay, who's father was the Republican Senator here years ago. Well Barclay is walking away from this ugly race with nothing, and Aubertine is going to have the chance to create real reform in our state.

From The Watertown Daily Times:

10 p.m. Darrel Aubertine appears to have soundly beaten his Republican opponent William Barclay in unofficial results with Aubertine at 27,532 and Barclay at 25,001 with nearly 100 percent of precincts reporting.

The divisive election pitted the 54 year-old farmer from Cape Vincent against the 39 year-old attorney from Pulaski. Barclay hit Aubertine with ads claiming Aubertine was gaining financially from not recusing himself from wind power votes while Aubetine's ads painted Barclay as oneof the landed gentry who closed off fishing rights to locals on his Pulaski family property.

Both party machines backed their candidates with cash to try and help close the power gap in Albany.

Watertown Daily Times research showed that there has not been a Democrat to hold the 48th Senate seat since at least 1880.

This was also the second most expensive race, with totals looking to exceed $2 million dollars when all is said and done. Despite all the negative campaigning, many residents turned out despite the nasty weather and gave a solid amount of votes to put Aubertine into the state Senate.

Again, congratulations Senator Aubertine!

Bruno Cries Wolf About Imaginary Dirty Tricks

I hate to be accused of ageism, but I don't know how to explain Joe Bruno's comments suggesting that Spitzer is enabling a dirty race to be fought on behalf of Darrel Aubertine's bid to win the upstate Senate seat today. It could just be a campaign tactic, said out of fear of losing his Majority Leader status or he could really just be losing his mind.

From Capitol Confidential:

Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said he thinks some records are being set for bad form in governing and elections under Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s tenure.

Talking to reporters in The Egg, Bruno looked back over 32 years in office and said unfair tactics are spilling into the 48th Senate District race: “I’ve been in this business a long, long time. I have never experienced the dirty tricks, the low
handed tactics that have taken place politically since we’ve had this administration on the second floor . . . dirty tricks, scandalous behavior, some of what’s gone on out there in that district in the last couple of days really is about as dishonest as anything can be.”

Pressed, he would not provide specifics.

As CC notes in their post, GOP ground troops are reporting that Republicans are receiving mailings saying that Barclay is pro-choice. Heaven forbid he support the right of a woman to have control over her own body! Of course, this is only chattering and there is no definitive proof that any Democratic organization has done such a thing. And of course, Aubertine's campaign has vehemently denied using tactics like that. Darrel is running on his message and what he will do for the citizens of SD-48, not playing silly tricks like bogus mailings.

New York's Special Election Is Today!

Today is Tuesday and because it happens to be February 26th, it is also the day for voters in Senate district 48 to go out and vote for their new state Senator. Will Barclay should have had this in the bag. The district has been in Republican hands since 1898 and for a time it was his father's seat. Unfortunately for Will, Darrel Aubertine has run a fantastic race and the latest poll showed this contest as neck and neck. As Philip over at TAP points out, the media coverage reflects the tension of the race.

From The Albany Project:

Here's a sampling of fresh coverage of the SD-48 special election. Polls open in about 20 minutes...

Watertown Daily Times
Senate hopefuls in campaign blitz finales

Meanwhile, Assemblyman Darrel J. Aubertine, Mr. Barclay's opponent, was across town at Shorty's Diner, asking patrons there to vote. The Democratic candidate said he hadn't gotten enough sleep, but the race was too important to stop now.

"You always feel that you want to make sure you left nothing undone," he said. Mr. Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent, had planned stops at a ham dinner, a bingo game and another of his "One of Us" rallies in St. Lawrence County.

"There is a camp that thought we had no chance. They said it was a Republican seat," he said. "I don't think there's too many people saying that now."

A Republican has represented Jefferson County in the state Senate for at least the last 110 years, a dominance that includes Mr. Barclay's father, H. Douglas, who served from 1965 to 1984.

Mr. Aubertine is no stranger to rewriting history, however. In 2002, he became the first Democratic state assemblyman from Jefferson County elected since Lewis W. Day of Sackets Harbor in 1910.

Albany Times Union
Big implications in single Senate seat
Outcome could signal end to decades-old balance of power

"This is the first real, competitive race where a Democrat has really challenged the status quo," said Travis Proulx, an aide to Democratic Sen. Liz Kruger, who has been working as part of Aubertine's press team since January. "It gives me hope -- if we can win here, we can win anywhere."

...

But the tide may be turning for Republicans in the 48th, as a higher proportion of the electorate has turned Democratic, a trend seen statewide. A recent Zogby International/ Watertown Daily Times poll found the 48th race in a dead heat, despite a 30,000-voter enrollment advantage for Republicans. More than 22 percent of those polled were undecided.

The uncertainty of the poll findings has inspired optimism in some and despair in others.

...

For Republicans, the competitiveness of the race has caused great concern for staffers and has taken its toll on those running the campaign.

"My boss says that he hasn't seen anything like it," said a staffer for a Republican senator, referring to the low morale in the Barclay campaign. "At first I wasn't that concerned, then as things have gone on, people are worried."

The staffer added that gallows humor about losing the majority is the running joke in the office.

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Special election could be key for Bruno

Spitzer has "used every device he can to take me out," Bruno told reporters Monday. "Not going to happen. Not with me personally, and not with our conference. So they can keep having their pipe dreams."

Ithaca Journal
Battle for critical senate seat goes down to wire

"We started this race as underdogs," said Aubertine spokesman Cort Ruddy. "We have the better candidate, he's run a good campaign and we feel like we're going into tomorrow will a real good chance at this."

I like our chances today, folks. I really do.

Go, Darrel!

First to Philip, damn man you got up early this morning. How'd you do it?

Second of all, I'd like to second your "Go, Darrel!"

And lastly, beautiful news round up. It is going to be a great, snowy, GOTV day in upstate NY today!

A Well Placed Sign

I couldn't agree more:



From T.A.P.

The Tension Builds In The 48th, Election Day Tomorrow

After weeks and months of a hard campaign, the race between Darrel Aubertine and Will Barclay is down to the last full day. Tomorrow voters in the northern state Senate district will go to the polls and decide if they want to be a part of helping to make the Senate free of the corrupt Joe Bruno. With a two seat majority, the Senate Republicans are pulling out all the stops in order to hold this seat, which has been in GOP hands for a long time now. You can tell just how serious the race is when you look at the money being spent by both sides.

From The Times Union:

Both campaigns said most of their volunteers are local residents but a significant number are from Albany and elsewhere outside the district.

Aubertine has raised about $1 million and Barclay about $900,000 so far, much of it from state party campaign funds, according to the latest financial disclosures.

The parties have thrown at least $1.6 million combined into the race since January.

"It's a huge amount of money," said Russ Haven, legislative counsel for New York Public Interest Research Group, a nonpartisan organization that tracks campaign funding. "Obviously, it's about more than this individual race."

He estimates that the total amount raised by both campaigns will reach the two million dollar mark.

As T-U notes, the only election in NY state Senate history that cost more was the successful battle fought by the now Democratic Senator Craig Johnson down in Long Island. Thinking back on last February's race, this one upstate seems much uglier, most likely due to the fact that the balance of power is so much closer to swinging the other way.

With all the money involved, both sides have gone negative with ads and words hurled back and forth. After nearly $2 million spent, the local poll shows voters are split and this could be anyone's race. Although only a few thousand will end up voting in this area near Canada, the impact will be tremendous across the state.

Aubertine Stands Up To Barclay

Not too long ago Darrel Aubertine ran an ad against Will Barclay in their race for the State Senate in district 48. The ad accused Mr. Barclay and his family of shutting down public access to a river and a local fisherman testified to it in the ad. Now Barclay wants Aubertine to declare the ad untrue for very nefarious reasons. When they met at the Jefferson Community College debate Wednesday night, what do you think our man Darrel did?

From WWNY-TV:

Barclay asked Aubertine to apologize for Aubertine's 'A River Runs Thru' It' ad.
Aubertine declined.

Here's what each man said on the subject.

Barclay:
"You're attacking my family, you're attacking me, now it turns ourt this commercial is a complete fabrication. Will you apologize to me?"

Aubertine:
"There's nothing in the ad that's not true. So, no, I'm not going to apologize."

Thats right, there is nothing to apologize for. Barclay and his family perfectly play the role of business goons in this part of upstate New York and Will deserves everything coming to him, including a loss in the special election a week from this coming Tuesday. There are plenty of reasons to vote for Aubertine if you live up in SD-48, just listen to Darrel himself to find out why.

As Unions Fall In Line Before Bruno, Aubertine Plans To Keep Jobs Upstate

Sadly, the AFL-CIO became the latest union to cower before Bruno and endorse the anti-union candidate in Senate District 48 upstate. Will Barclay is Joe Bruno's horse in the race and if he doesn't win, the rumor in Albany is that Joe will just retire and not run for re-election. He knows that without holding the majority, there is no reason to stay in office because all of his power will evaporate and then he can't make all the sweetheart deals (with those unions for starters) that he has grown accustomed to.

So what is challenger Darrel Aubertine doing in reaction to all of this union drama with Joe Bruno?

Darrel's plan starts with efforts to retain jobs in the 48th Senate District, by protecting New York workers and promoting New York products.

Remove Benefits for Outsourcers: Darrel promises to work toward Senate adoption of the State Financial Incentive Protection Act. This would prohibit companies that cut jobs due to outsourcing from receiving taxpayer-funded incentives (A11682, 2004). While similar legislation was defeated in the Senate this January, Darrel believes public support for this idea is strong and he will sponsor it in the Senate.

Promote New York products: There are several ways to promote products made by New York companies. One way is to inform consumers about which products are made locally. Darrel authored a bill in the Assembly that would require country of origin labeling on food products (A1999, 2007). Another way to promote New York products is to ask companies that receive grants from New York to first consider New York-based companies as primary suppliers.

Legislation that did just that with University-related economic development programs (A389, 2007) passed the Assembly last year but died in the Senate. The COOL bill faced the same fate, passing in the Assembly only to stall in the Senate. As Senator, Darrel will work to make sure both bills become law.

If these unions that are involved with Bruno had a clear conscience, they could see the easy choice for who will protect upstate NY's economy. Of course they aren't, and are desperately trying to hold Bruno in his position to keep whatever deals that have going on indefinitely. Woe is Albany....time for a change!