ALBANY—The chairman of the Erie County Democratic committee just called on anyone receiving support from County Executive Chris Collins, a Republican, to denounce a comment he made this weekend at a fund-raiser comparing Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who is an observant Jew, to the anti-Christ.
"I just think that anybody who's received support Read More
ALBANY—Len Lenihan doesn't want to get involved in the increasingly public display of discontent from some labor leaders about David Paterson's leadership.
"The governor and legislators should be left to do their jobs," Lenihan, the Erie County Democratic chairman, told me by phone. "For now, the time is for action--we should be worried about statesmanship Read More
ALBANY—Today's meeting of Democratic elders in Kingston is not about David Paterson or the 2010 ticket, two invitees insist.
"That's certainly not my expectation or my desire. That's not my agenda," said Assemblyman Joe Morelle, chairman of the Monroe County Democratic Committee in Rochester.
He said today's gathering, at a hotel in Kingston, grew Read More
ALBANY—Caroline Kennedy is heading to Buffalo after a visit to Syracuse.
She called Erie County Democratic Chairman Len Lenihan last night, he confirmed this morning, but was mostly "touching base."
"My anticipation is she's going to come in and do things with public officials," he said. "I don't anticipate meeting with her."
It's Read More
ALBANY—Representative Brian Higgins is the New York delegation's choice to take over a spot on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, filling a seat vacated by retiring Representative Mike McNulty, another upstate Democrat.
According to a congressional staffer, Higgins expressed interest in the seat last month during a meeting of the New York Read More
In upstate New York congressional races, the Democratic tide sweeping the nation was visible only in patches.
Democrats won a decisive victory with a well-funded former aide to Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Dan Maffei, who beat Representative Republican Dale Sweetland in Syracuse.
And the party stands on the cusp of picking off another incumbent. Read More
