Uh oh, time to hit the panic button at camp Tedisco apparently. Tedisco has just announced that he will be running the campaign himself. From Albany. And get lost, DC types. This is good stuff.
Now, I'm not sure how much I actually believe that the folks at the RNC and NRCC are really going to let Tedisco run his campaign himself. They simply have far too much invested in this race, especially Michael Steele.
But one thing is for certain. They are most definitely feeling the heat. So much so that they are willing to pull a stunt like this.
It's time to separate "the real Jim Tedisco" from the partisan negativity his own national party has portrayed in the campaign so far, Republican and Conservative congressional candidate James Tedisco said.
Reacting to his Democratic opponent's surge in the polls, Tedisco said Thursday he's taking control of the content of his advertising from the National Republican Congressional Committee.
"I'm taking over and we're going to run a campaign that relates to the people of the 20th Congressional District," he said.
The first depiction of "the real Jim" will air in a new television commercial set to debut this evening, he said.
...
Tedisco said he going forward the content of his ads will be more positive with him making the decisions instead of the national party.
It seems that perhaps the folks at the RNC are a bit nervous about the race in NY-20. Moments after the release of that new Siena poll showing that their candidate's once formidable lead had all but evaporated and the day after Rothenberg moved the race to "toss up", the RNC decided to drop $100 large on the NY GOP.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) today announced it is transferring $100,000 to the New York Republican State Committee.
"The RNC is proud to make an investment in our state parties and hard working grassroots. These funds will be used to show our commitment to re-establishing a strong GOP presence in the Northeast. Our party is devoting the energy and resources necessary to win the special election in New York's 20th Congressional district," said Chairman Michael Steele.
I think it would come as a surprise to the woman who delivers my mail to learn that she doesn't really have a job. And it would also come as a surprise to a lot of people working in the private sector to learn that they have lifetime employment guarantees. And since the troops in Afghanistan don't have actual jobs, maybe we should stop paying them?
The New York delegation to the Republican National Convention included some notable Rockland County Republicans, including Rockland County Democratic Chairman Vincent Reda and County Vice Chairman Joan Silvestri, who is also the co-commissioner Rockland County's Board of Elections.
You couldn't help but wonder what the delegates like Reda and Silvestri were smoking at the Republican convention, as they joined other delegates in wildly cheering for two of the worst political speeches I have ever heard: First there was the snarling Sarah Palin, who made fun of Harry Reid's height and mocked Obama's experience and popularity. And then there was the pitifully bland and empty John McCain.
But Reda and Silvestri really believe this is a winning duo for New York.
I'll soon be posting plenty of pictures from last Thursday night and I wanted to share this one first. As I listen to Fred Thompson harp and hawk POW porn to a nationwide audience, I keep thinking of this young girl I encountered on the field at Mile High. She is the daughter of someone in the New York delegation and she seemed to embody the very essence of the night. That night was about the way forward, about the future, about what we owe our children, about what those not yet born deserve from us.
Contrast that with what we are hearing right now from Grandpa Fred.
Holy Joe goes all in for McCain. Joe knows that his only chance at remaining relevant is a McCain victory. He'll share the stage with both Bush and President Cheney Monday night in Minnesota.
A Republican official tells The Associated Press that Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman will be speaking at the Republican National Convention.
The GOP official said Wednesday that Lieberman would deliver a speech as Republicans gathered in St. Paul to nominate John McCain for president. The official requested anonymity because he wasn't authorized to make an announcement.
Lieberman was the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee but is now an independent. He has been one McCain's strongest supporters and is considered a contender to be McCain's running mate.
Though this move shouldn't surprise anyone, it is ironic in as far as the fact that Republican senators are seemingly avoiding their own convention at all costs while our VP pick in 2000 is eager wallow in the bloody GOP muck.
Rudy Giuliani has landed a prime-time speaking gig at the Republican Party's convention in St. Paul, Minn., The Post has learned.
Giuliani, the former presidential candidate and Big Apple mayor, is tentatively scheduled to address the GOP faithful on Tuesday, Sept. 2 - the second night of the convention, sources said.
Giuliani was a marquee speaker on the first day of the 2004 GOP convention in Madison Square Garden.
Giuliani has been a loyal supporter of presidential standard-bearer John McCain ever since his own campaign flamed out.
McCain, in a recent Post interview, said of Giuliani: "I've been with him a lot. I appreciate more than I could tell you his friendship and support. And that was steadfast throughout the primary."
"He's a great American. He united America. I'll never forget that as long as I live," McCain said, referring to Giuliani's composure after 9/11.
Of course you can't forget it, Senator. Rudy won't let you.
The docs were dumped as a huge, unsearchable .pdf file. (Maybe Bruno is "consulting" for the NYPD?) The good folks at i-witness video are building a searchable database that they plan to have up shortly.
We have begun the process of posting all 600 pages of documents to the website. We will get them up just as soon as we can. We'll also be adding new indexing and searching capabilities to help you navigate through the documents.
After a quick scan of the content of the files, many of which are stamped "N.Y.P.D. Secret," I have to admit that I see plenty of sensationalism on display. Like the "intelligence analyst" who concluded that "First-aid" advice posted on the Internet for people who were attacked by police meant "that participants of direct action protests may be willing to physically resist and confront disorder control personnel." [000102668]
Perhaps we should all offer some help to NYPD by reviewing some of the groups listed in the N.Y.P.D. Secret files and explaining precisely what they do. Film festivals: [000102685] they show movies where people sit in the dark and stare quietly at screens. The Brooklyn Center for
Anti-Violence Education: [000102706] dedicated for over 30 years to teaching anti-violence. The New York City AIDS Housing Network: [000102978] just like its name, it places people living with AIDS in decent housing.
What kind of training are these "analysts" receiving when they go out to collect "intelligence" information about a "mass leafletting" campaign conducted by a peace group, United for Peace and Justice? Information which is then placed in a file marked "Limited dissemination to law enforcement personnel and designated local, state, federal and military officials with a need to know"? [000102809]
It's sad, really, that the NYPD, for all its talk of "counter-terrorism initiatives" and "information-sharing", cannot seem to tell the difference between these folks voicing their opinion on the streets of the city and al Qaeda.
There's a big story in The New York Times today, confirming what many people involved have long suspected: the NYPD's intelligence unit infiltrated and subsequently filed reports on various Progressive left political groups in New York City that were engaged with the 2004 Republican National Convention under the pretext of stopping criminal activity in opposition to that event. This also provides a case study into government dysfunction in New York on several levels.
But potential troublemakers were hardly the only ones to end up in the files. In hundreds of reports stamped "N.Y.P.D. Secret," the Intelligence Division chronicled the views and plans of people who had no apparent intention of breaking the law, the records show.
These included members of street theater companies, church groups and antiwar organizations, as well as environmentalists and people opposed to the death penalty, globalization and other government policies. Three New York City elected officials were cited in the reports.
In at least some cases, intelligence on what appeared to be lawful activity was shared with police departments in other cities. A police report on an organization of artists called Bands Against Bush noted that the group was planning concerts on Oct. 11, 2003, in New York, Washington, Seattle, San Francisco and Boston. Between musical sets, the report said, there would be political speeches and videos.
"Activists are showing a well-organized network made up of anti-Bush sentiment; the mixing of music and political rhetoric indicates sophisticated organizing skills with a specific agenda," said the report, dated Oct. 9, 2003. "Police departments in above listed areas have been contacted regarding this event."
