I know the repudiation of the WFP by Senator Aubertine is not the kind of story the MSM finds interesting, but I guess that's why there are political blogs.
As you can see by the poll Mr. Aubertine's decision is seen as the right move by a large majority of readers. The folks also think other NNY Dems should spurn this line with its hint of scandal and radical views.
Everybody likes families and most people admire people who work, but the Working Families Party ties a candidate to policies that are bankrupting NY.
Yesterday I heard someone say there is a view that the Indy Party is increasingly becoming the "me too" party for Democrats now that the GOP Senate majority is likely a thing of the past.
I don't know if that's true, but I do think from what I hear, any smart Republican candidate would use a WFP endorsement as a club against a Democrat. Aubertine could see it coming and took the chance of going it alone on the "A" line.
It is doubtful others will follow his lead. The one to watch on this is Brian McGrath because that line could be a curse in that neck of the woods. It would be so easy to tie him to radical left views which he says he doesn't believe in.
This will be a first test of where he stands,although he may look at it as just another line on the ballot.
25 comments:
What does McGrath and the WFP differ on? As a left-leaning Democrat I like a lot of the policies, not practices, the WFP advocates. I strongly disagree with Darrel Aubertine on the Farm Worker's bill, which he voted for in the Assembly...that puzzles me even more - What changed Darrel, besides your re-election chances?
But, I think the WFP has gotten a bad rap, but still has a place in NNY politics. To me anyone who flatly runs away, like Darrel, is just being self serving.
Brian, do you support farm workers rights? Do you support a woman's right to choose (I've heard your Roman Catholic, so I have to ask)? Do you support Marriage Equality?
If you answer yes, you agree with the base of the WFP and you should embrace that.
What about the policies of the pro business, corporate welfare Indepedence Party? This state through the Empire Zones and Empire State Development has given away the store to business in the name of Economic Development and it has failed.
Darrelis the one with the problem here. Changing his positions to fit his electoral possibiliyies. what does he believe in besides getting re-elected. Democrats should sit this one out.
Afew days ago , Mayor, you were calling the WFP corrupt. Now you're bothered by their policies. As the first commenter pointed out there is very little difference between the Democrats and the Working Families Party on policy.
I think we've got something else going on here. It seems to me there's some "alternative party" jockeying going here. I think your sliming the WFP in order to maintain the 50,000 vote ballot status of the Independence Party. Your always calling the WFP "radical left" while the philosophical status of the Independence Party is chameleon-like and leachlike.
Lastly, please tell me the "crimes" of the WFP. Not what they are under investigation for, but what they have been convicted of. Mayor, the Independence Party is under investigation also, and your one sided smear campaign is making you look good only among your die hard groupies.
FYI, McGrath already is up and running with ads on Facebook. One popped up on my facebook profile page. Must be targeting to the North Country. They are smart. If you click on it, it steers you to his website, which is quite impressive. I'm not sure if Ken has a website yet, but McGrath is charging hard.
443 - he can facebook all he wants, but he can't escape the questions listed above. He's running to be part of the most corrupt political establishment in the country - Shelly Silver's slaves.
Facebook, slick ads made in Manhattan, catchy website slogans...not this year Mr. McGrath.
He doesn't sound like he is going to be a Silver slave to me. Self-made candidates have much greater flexibility of independently representing their districts than will party tools like Ken.
Could people please go back and look at the farmworker bill aubertine voted for in the assembly. It is not remotely close to the same bill he has repeatedly killed in the Senate.
The only common provision in the two bills was a day off and that is it. The two bills are completely different. The assembly bill never mentioned collective bargaining, overtime or many of the other destructive provisions that the senate bill contained.
621 - Thanks Drew for the update. Didn't know you did work from home on this blog, just during your state tax dollars paid work day.
Anyway, 530 who are you to gage that? Do you believe that he won't vote for Shelly Silver to be Speaker in the NYS Assembly in 2011? If he says he will, I will vote against him.
We will NEVER see reform in NYS until we get rid of career politicians like Shelly Silver. He doesn't want to be a Member of Congress, or a Senator, all he wants to do is keep the strangle hold he has on the NYS Assembly. Until either the Dems throw him out as Speaker or the GOP takes over the chamber he'll continue to kill real reform.
My position is that simple and I'll vote for Ken Blankenbush, and advocate for him for that reason alone.
9:07,
Silver will be speaker until the day he dies.
Not if someone will stand up and do the right thing. That kind of thinking is what has killed NYS. Let's try and be extrodiary and do something uncommon, something hard. Taking down Shelly Silver is hard, but it can be done if the voters would WAKE UP!!!
Brian, do you support farm workers rights? Do you support a woman's right to choose (I've heard your Roman Catholic, so I have to ask)? Do you support Marriage Equality?
8******************8
who gives a crap about these questions and what do they have to do with the job? they will never be decided by a NY23 winner. stick to issues that actually matter.
926 - those issues matter to me. All of those issues will be things that my elected offical will vote on in the NYS Assembly.
Again , please tell me the specific "corruption" of the WFP.
Brian made clear in the Watertown Daily Times article that he is supports a woman's choice and supports people's right to decide who they want to marry. As for farmer;s rights, my understanding is he has concerns in general about farmers.
928 when will a congressman vote on abortion? do you have a case to present to SCOTUS? they made their decision in 1973.
Partial birth abortion ban, federal funding, funding for planned parenthood...etc.
Congressmen have much to do with abortion as do all elected officials.
It's a question that voters should know the answer to...
Note how hard the GOP and others try to hammer the WFP ... couldn't be for their own survival and selfish interests, right?
Nope couldn't be that?
LOL
The farm workworker bill and collective bargaining? That only effects farms grossing over $650,000.00- and those aren't small family farms. Farms larger than that should be treated like industry...oh, and the overtime thing, yeah, after 60 hours. Real cushy. Shame on Darrel. He knows better.
According to the WDT, McGrath has passed on seeking the WFP line! Wow, maybe he is an independent afterall.
Russell and Owens applied for the line. Figures.
Anon 644 way to show your ignorance on the issue of farming. To say the farmworker bill would only effect large farms is incredibly moronic. Educate yourself on the issue before you write your BS
And Dannie makes this an Elephant vs Donkey thing. Why does everything in your life have to be an Elephant vs Donkey thing? When did it become this way for you? We're you in Jr High? Grade School? Were you a Democrat before you started eating solid food? This is absolutely amazing to me. Makes no sense whatsoever.
Edna
I know the issue very well. BS? Whatever. I am a farmer and I know the large farms have been competing against small farms with cheap labor. If farms have to screw workers in order to expand, then they shouldn't expand. If they want to act like other industry then they should get on the same playing field with laobor.
I think you are the one that needs to educate yourself. You can start by throwing away the Farm Bureau newsletter. Propaganda isn't education.
929 You are absolutely on targot I ive in SLC and its been going on up here for some time.. If you noticed recently several illegal aliens being taken into custody. Found to be working for a very prominent farmer Cruikshank.. A little while back a farm worker burned in a fire.. He was an illegal hired by the Fischer Farm in Madrid.. This is more and more the thing up here lately. These large time farmers will screw anyone to expand their farm and put the small guy out of business.. A few years ago a County legislator by the name of Greenwood was involved in a controversy.. He had the use of some land over the years. The farmer who leased it was going to loose it for taxes. A madrid dairyman decided to bid on it but after learning this Greenwood used his position, and paid the taxes for the farmer. County attonry was under fire for a while however it slipped by but not after legislation was passed to prevent this in the future...
4:38PM & 9:24AM-Darrel Aubertine knows this and understands it.
Unfortunately, he now will do anything for a vote.
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