House | The New York Observer

The Golden Globe Nominations: On Television, Everyone Remembers Laughter

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:00:54 -0500

Call us crazy—or maybe a little loopy—but we might be more excited for the Golden Globes than we are for the Oscars and the Emmys combined. Think about it: not only will everyone from our favorite movies (yes, that was a nomination for The Hangover in the Best Comedy category!) and television shows be together—at tables filled with booze—but Ricky Gervais is the host. As much as we love Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin,...

NY-23: The Democratic Bench

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:52:00 -0400

Now that State Senator Darrel Aubertine is out of the running, here's a quick review of the other potential Democratic candidates to replace John McHugh in Congress: --Daniel French, a former federal prosecutor and aide to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, considered by many to be one of the strongest choices. He would offer a firm contrast Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, the Republican designee. though he is less well-known than she is in the district. French has...

Aubertine Bows Out

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:57:00 -0400

ALBANY—State Senator Darrel Aubertine is not running for Congress. "My priority must continue to be the work I have started in the state Senate, representing Oswego, Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties. My commitment is to the people of the 48th Senate District and has been all along. Before I could even consider the possibility of serving another eight counties, I had a duty to finish out this year's session," Aubertine said in a statement, referencing "speculation"...

Dems Tight-Lipped on Aubertine Run as Deadline Bears Down

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:22:00 -0400

ALBANY—Democrats insist they're not in a rush to pick a candidate for a special Congressional election, and are treating the potential Congresional run of State Senator Darrel Aubertine like a state secret. "We're talking about days rather than ... We're not following the Republican program," said Sean Hennessey, the Jefferson County Democratic chairman, who has served as a point person in the media for the 11 counties comprising the district. "We're doing our own thing,...

Conservative Jim Kelly Ready to Run Against 'RINO' Scozzafava

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:44:00 -0400

ALBANY—Less than 24 hours after her designation as the Republican candidate to replace John McHugh in Congress, Assemblywoman DeDe Scozzafava is about to get a challenge from the right. "I did call up Mike Long, and Shaun Marie Lavine. Clearly they are not backing DeDe Scozzafava," said Jim Kelly, a Conservative Party operative from Wilmington who managed John Spencer's 2006 unsuccessful run for U.S. Senate. "As soon as he gives me the green light, I'm...

Scozzafava Gets the Nod

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:00:00 -0400

ALBANY—Republicans have picked Assemblywoman DeDe Scozzafava as their candidate to replace John McHugh in Congress. The 11 county chairs in the sprawling 23rd District met this afternoon in Potsdam and selected Scozzafava, of Gouverneur, to be their candidate. The move follows a month-long series of interviews and forums around the district. "It's been a good process," Scozzafava told me earlier this afternoon. (She didn't pick up her cell phone just now.) She said she was "hopeful"...

Scozzafava Gets the Nod

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:00:00 -0400

Republicans Ponder Scozzafava, Attack Still-Balking Aubertine

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:55:00 -0400

ALBANY—Republicans are lashing out at State Senator Darrel Aubertine, the most likely Democratic candidate to succeed John McHugh in Congress, releasing this TV ad tomorrow and a robocall painting him as a tax-and-spend liberal. "Call Darrel Aubertine. Tell him he voted for too much spending," says the ad, which the National Republican Congressional Committee says will start airing tomorrow. The G.O.P. has been bracing for an Aubertine candidacy, but moved to attack before he was (or...

Carolyn Maloney and Bill Clinton, Friends

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:58:00 -0400

Bill Clinton helped Carolyn Maloney get over her N-word incident by helping her raise money last night, but he carefully avoided endorsing her in her prospective Senate primary bid against Kirsten Gillibrand. That wasn't surprising to several bundlers I spoke to who are loyal to the Clintons (and who now contribute to Gillibrand). One such bundler said people close to the former president had made assurances that the fund-raiser for Maloney meant nothing politically. When I sat down...

Massa Says Gillibrand Has Not Sought his Endorsement

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:48:00 -0400

ALBANY—Representative Eric Massa has still not endorsed Kirsten Gillibrand's re-election, and insists she hasn't brought it up. "No, not at all," he said during a conference call with reporters. "I speak to her almost weekly about matters of legislative business that we collaborate on for the benefit of the people in the district and the state in general." He said it's "awful early" in the process, and that he's currently focused on a major piece of...

Murphy Makes a Show of Fund-Raising

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:02:00 -0400

ALBANY—Here's a glimpse into Representative Scott Murphy's campaign strategy moving forward: show you can raise lots of money, fast, and hope that, despite the party enrollment disadvantage, potential Republican opponents will be scared off. Murphy raised $363,151 during this quarter, and according to his chief of staff Todd Schulte, has raised $567,000 since April 1, when he narrowly defeated Assemblyman Jim Tedisco. Murphy also established a joint account with the New York Democratic State Committee, which...

Paid Maloney Supporter, Paid Maloney Strategist

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:20:00 -0400

Back on June 24, Democratic consultant Joe Trippi blogged on the Huffington Post about how polls showed Representative Carolyn Maloney would make a much better, and more viable, candidate for U.S. Senator than Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and said that he hoped she "does decide to enter the race." Trippi later added the following update to his post: "Full disclosure, as many of you know, I have been publicly supportive of Carolyn Maloney beyond this one post and I...

A Young Republican Goes for the McHugh Seat, Seriously

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:50:00 -0400

ALBANY—Joshua Lynch is 26, but there is nothing cutesy about his bid for John McHugh's House seat. "My reception has been pretty good," said Lynch, the youngest of nine people currently seeking the Republican nomination to succeed McHugh, who has been recruited to serve in the Obama administration. "I think it's a center-right district, and I think it's ripe for a younger candidate with a lot of energy who can articulately talk about issues." But Lynch...

Rep. McHugh's Nomination Inches Along, as Do Parties' Plans to Replace Him

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:26:00 -0400

ALBANY—Representative John McHugh's nomination as Army secretary was sent to the U.S. Senate Monday, and the field of potential candidates to replace him in Congress is starting to shake out. His nomination must still clear the Senate Armed Services Committee, which has to review materials and schedule a confirmation hearing. It is expected a full confirmation won't take place until August or September. McHugh has not yet resigned from his Congressional seat--he's now catching some...

Liz Krueger on the Maloney Seat: It Beats Working in Albany

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:44:00 -0400

ALBANY—With an official announcement imminent from Representative Carolyn Maloney about her intention to run a primary against Kirsten Gillibrand, I asked State Senator Liz Krueger if she would seek Maloney's House seat. "I've never been in Congress so I don't know if it's less frustrating,{" she told me yesterday. "But I suspect pretty much any job in the United States of America would be less frustrating than Albany in the last three weeks." "It's a...