(By Jacob Kornbluh). Over the past two decades, since 1993, New York City’s Jews have broken with their traditional Democratic voting pattern, to back Republican mayoral candidates. Even in 2001, Mike Bloomberg, Giuliani’s successor roughly split the Jewish vote against fellow Jewish candidate Mark Green, not to mention his decisive victories in 2005 and 2009.
Since covering the mayoral race, we have gotten numerous calls from former Thompson supporters who have expressed disappointment in Bill Thompson's absence from major Jewish events.
Mr. Thompson's last visit to the Jewish community in Brooklyn, was at a closed event in the Avenue Plaza hotel's conference room, with the attendance of a dozen community leaders and operatives. However, Mr. Thompson was notably absent from the annual COJO of Flatbush legislative Breakfast, as from the JCC of Marine park breakfast a week earlier.
GOP mayoral hopeful Joe Lhota started off the week with the attack on the Democratic frontrunner Christine Quinn for her oversight of member items in the city Council, and his opponent in the Republican party for contributing to the GOP counties. “I actually think Christine has handled member items in a way that’s quite inequitable,” Lhota said on the steps of City Hall this morning. “You shouldn't be using taxpayer money and ... doling it out in favors to friends.” he said.
Lhota also proposed drastically reducing the amount of money – to $4,950 – that citywide candidates can give to political party committees, according to the Post. His GOP primary opponent, John Catsimatidis, has given $23,000 to the Queens Republican Party, which endorsed him in the race this year.
“I don’t think there’s anything illegal at all” about the donations, Lhota said. “I actually think it’s the appearance of impropriety. There have been enough people saying, you know, so and so bought their endorsement, so and so bought their race.”
Lhota also wants term limits for state and county chairs in light of the charges, and he says those leaders should be barred from simultaneously holding elected office.He proposed that lawmakers with felony convictions for corruption be stripped of their pensions."This wave of corruption, what I call this tsunami of sleaze, has to come to an end," he said.
In an interview with Richard French Live's Dominic Carter, Republican mayoral candidate suggested that Joe Lhota should have run for comptroller, based on the experience he touts for his qualification. "Joe is a very fine person but he's a technocrat. Maybe he should run for comptroller. But me, I am a visionary. I am the only one running that has created tens of thousands of jobs," Catsimatidis said. "So Mr. Lhota is not more qualified?" Dominic Carter asked. "No, absolutely not," Catsimatidis responded. "I am qualified. he's [Lhota is] a fine man, but let him do what he's qualified for."
Mr. Catsimatidis also took a jab at the Democratic frontrunner Christine Quinn."I am not sure New York is ready for Christine Quinn,." he said.
A leading Bronx Democrat told Human Events that the scandal involving state Sen. Malcolm A. Smith (D.-Bronx) is non other than a distraction by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “This may be a case of entrapment by a political power base that does not want a popular African American leader to run for mayor, especially on the Republican Party line,” said Efrain Gonzalez III, a community activist from the Bronx.
Former disgraced Rep. Anthony Weiner is laying the groundwork for a political comeback, possibly to this year’s mayoral race, Josh Margolin and David Seifman report in The Post.
As reported last week, Rev. Erick Salgado, a church pastor and self-described "conservative Democrat," has entered the crowded field seeking the Democratic party's nomination for mayor. In an interview with the Staten Island Advance, Mr. Slagado touted his Latino culture and coalition he believes he has assembled as a unique choice in this mayoral race.
"We need to concentrate and make sure that all the different communities get the representation they deserve in City Hall," Rev. Salgado told the Advance Friday. "We cannot define New York City as a melting pot anymore -- we have to understand it is a collection of different communities with different cultures."
(Quotes per Reid Pillifant on Capital New York). Christine Quinn has a good memory. After all, It's not the first time she's facing Bill de Blasio as a contender. In the last round, 8 years ago, she beat Bill de Blasio in a contested race to be the City Council speaker.
At a mayoral forum in Brooklyn this week, after de Blasio criticized her stewardship of the Council's member items, Quinn struck back with a quote from the archives.
In an interview on the "Road to City Hall" Thursday night, Republican mayoral candidate Joseph Lhota took an indirect shot at his main GOP primary opponent, John Catsimatidis, for donating heavily to local Republican organizations, calling it "unethical."
"It's not illegal, but in my estimation it's unethical, and it shouldn't happen," Mr. Lhota told NY1. "The chairman of the party should not be allowed to sell the party's endorsements or get involved in anything like that."
