Saratoga Springs

On Saturday, Scott Vanderhoef attends the Green County GOP Dinner at the Hunter Mountain Ski Bowl. New York United for Immigrant Rights will hold a rally in Union Square before marching to Times Square.

Saratoga Peace Alliance will hold a peace vigil with Alison Duncan, Green Party candidate for Lieutenant Governor, in Saratoga Springs.

Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn hosts a walkathon through Prospect Park to benefit their cause, followed by a concert at the park's bandshell featuring John Wesley Harding. Stonewall Democrats enlist their members to help canvass for Matt Titone, candidate for state senate in Staten Island.

And on Sunday, the Stonewall Dems caravan to Long Island to aid in Brooke Ellison's campaign for state senate.

The Sutton Area Community [pdf] will honor Assemblyman Jonathan Bing at its Annual Gala at Le Perigord.

The Lenox Hill Neighborhood House hosts a candidates forum, including a 14th congressional district debate between Carolyn Maloney and Danniel Maio, her Republican opponent.

—Nicole Brydson

John Faso's campaign is working hard to keep the flames of the the Farrell gaffe alive as long as possible.

Today he prepares to talk taxes again at a conference in Saratoga Springs.

"He will be focusing on a relief agenda for property tax payers, local governments, and Medicaid," said Susan Del Percio, Mr. Faso's spokeswoman.

"For John Faso, cutting taxes is a top priority, and you heard that for the Democratic Party leaders and Denny Farrell, that it is not their top priority."

We'll see when Eliot Spitzer rolls out his own tax plan, also in Saratoga, this afternoon.

"I think that one thing is certain," Del Percio said. "Whatever he ends up proposing, how is he going to pay for it? Cutting the property tax and increasing the income tax is just shifting the burden. How will he pay for it?"

- Jason Horowitz

While we're waiting for the substantive news of the morning -- the imminent unveiling of Eliot Spitzer's tax plan at the New York Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officers in Saratoga Springs -- a diversionary campaign update: Isac just phoned in to say that "some Suozzi person" called and asked him whether he'd be voting for Tom Suozzi or Eliot Spitzer.

Isac responded that it wasn't even a question, since Suozzi isn't on the ballot yet.

The caller, apparently undeterred, pressed on and asked Isac to indicate whether he'd vote for Suozzi if the Nassau executive were, in fact, on the ballot.

"I told him," Isac said, "he's wasting his time."

-- Josh Benson

Of course John McCain's recent trips to the donor-heavy New York area couldn't just be about giving speeches at graduations.

Ever the coveted fundraising draw, McCain will headline an event this Saturday for embattled Congressman John Sweeney.

The event happens to be slightly farther uptown than usual -- in Sweeney's heavily Republican district in Saratoga Springs, to be precise.

Anyone looking to see the Senator up close -- and safely out of the rain -- can do so for a contribution between $150 and $1000.