No one can deny that Senator Chuck Schumer has been an extraordinarily effective representative for New Yorkers all over the state—not least in North Country, where I’m from. Although the Senator hails from the great borough of Brooklyn, he has done a better job of getting to know people in my region than any Republican Senator I can remember. Does anyone upstate recall Senator D’Amato (also a down-stater) visiting their county every year? My neighbors and I know that in Senator Schumer, we have an advocate who knows our concerns and treats them as his own.
So what made me crazy? Former State Senator Jim Wright (the man who last week left public service mid-term to become a consultant, sparking a special election in the 48th Senate District) accused Assemblymember Darrel Aubertine of relying “on Downstate political brokers” by accepting Senator Schumer’s endorsement.
Not only is this an insult to Senator Schumer—who has helped save jobs in St. Lawrence County, promoted the expansion of Fort Drum in Jefferson County, and has been a tireless advocate of the Port of Oswego—it is insulting to the New Yorkers who live here, who respect the Senator’s work and voted overwhelmingly to reelect him in 2004.
Last week I wrote a letter to my counterpart at the State Republican Committee to express my disappointment, and talked about it with Channel 50 in Watertown and Rennie Bishop on WWRL in New York City. Capitol Confidential picked up on it too.
I guess I’m not optimistic that much will change—the Republicans’ negativity around the State of the State last week was just as unproductive, attacking it even before it had been delivered! Not a promising response to a speech that concluded with an offer of “an open hand, an open door, and an open mind.”
Here are some of the NYDems press releases about that:
- Before ink is even dry, Senate Republicans play politics with Spitzer agenda (Jan. 9)
- O’Neill: GOP response to Spitzer agenda disappointing (Jan. 10)
- NYS Dems: Another day of GOP attacks and obstruction (Jan. 11)
I guess desperate times call for desperate measures, if you’re a Republican in New York.
—June
Nydems Weblog 
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