McDonald Is A No Show As Republicans Sought To Overcome Hurdles At 'Spring Fling' Event

Republican mayoral candidates Joe Lhota and John Catsimatidis tried to put up a grin at a midtown fundraiser held on the heels of the arrest of officials linked to both leading GOP candidates for mayor. Their host, Manhattan GOP Chairman Dan Isaacs said the Wednesday reception should mark "a new beginning." 

Celeste Katz, who paid 10 bucks for the opportunity to mingle with the candidates, spoke separately to Lhota and Catsimatidis about the effect the arrests may have on their campaign.

Joe Lhota Done Debating Democrats: "They Really Need to Debate Each Other."

The Republican mayoral hopeful, Joe Lhota, has declined an invitation to participate in an April 9 forum hosted by the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, telling The Insider that he won't participate in debates with the Democratic candidates until after the September primary. 

"So long as it's a multi-question, multi-issue forum—not single purpose like public safety and things that the Daily News and Metro IAF did—I'm not going to be in a debate with Democrats," Mr. Lhota said. "I'm only going to debates with Republicans until such time as we get through the primary process." 

EDITORIAL: Bill de Blasio Viciously Tree Climbing To Cease Discretionary Funds

This morning, Public Advocate and mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio called for a permanent end to the member items doled out by the City Council.De Blasio conceded that he distributed member items to organizations in his district during his eight years on the Council, but chose to focus instead on the time since he had graduated to public advocate."When I was in the City Council, people weren't going to jail," he said. "And the problem has gotten worse and worse."

"I do not think this is a reason to conclude that member items should not be given," Quinn responded today."In the case of Dan Halloran, this senior citizen group did nothing wrong," she continued. "Why should they become the victim of an alleged criminal's activities?"

Which brought us to take this opportunity and pen a call, on behalf of the various continents who might find this troubling, to Mr. de Blasio, in the form of a letter.

Dear Mr. de Blasio, 

While there's no doubt that the discretionary funds were abused by some of our corrupt lawmakers in a disgusting way that has betrayed the trust of the public with the abuse of power, nobody doubts that the reliance of communities, organizations and those in need on the City's funds is constructive in some measures that the Public advocate has been advocating about during his mayoral campaign. 

We certainly agree on the statement that "the discretionary funding system has led to bribery, political blackmail and a boatload of big legal bills paid for by taxpayers."Hence, those acts are largely driven by corrupted politicians who would seek any way to twist the system and are caught and charged at the end of the day. As the Speaker, Christine Quinn, rightly said today: "There are people in this world who are criminals, who steal things. They steal lots of things from lots of different places." 

There's nothing illegal with discretionary funds, or as we call it "member items". Nothing. The itemized spending has worked well to fund important local organizations that depend on City Council funds.
The idea that government should dictate the way of living, and more aggressively prevent constituents and those in need to get the necessary funds to carry on with their lives that their council member  brings home at the end of the day, is reprehensible. 

What is questionable, immoral if not illegal  is to coincide debt-defraying donations from donors who have maxed out at the same moment contributing to the campaign. And this has been reported as a 'stinking to high heaven' act, especially by the campaign of a candidate who has been a vocal advocate of campaign finance reform. 

Speaking about discretionary funds, would you, Mr. de Blasio, be straightforward to share with New York voters your share of discretionary funds you managed to recap in your last year as councilman?   

As Matthews 7:5 reads: "First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Don't lay your hands on our seniors, children and those in needs, Mr. de Blasio, in order to advance your own political distinct between yourself and Speaker Quinn, who recently dispatched an intensifying political problem by striking a compromise on paid sick leave. 

don't punish and penalize the innocent in form of a guardian reformer.

Quinn On the Defensive For Non Commitment and Defense of Term Limits Referendum Overturn

Another day, another forum. What has already become a routine for the mayoral candidates, as every forum moves on, with the news of the day dominating at least a substantial amount of the times, John Liu keeps shining while Christine Quinn's shine starts fading more and more.

At least in this candidates forum hosted by the Brooklyn Reform Coalition at St. Francis College, Ms. Quinn was on the defensive the entire debate, with short periods of boos and heckling interrupting her answers.

John Catsimatidis Sells His Ethnic Appeal As Winning Formula on Bloomberg TV Profile

John Catsimatidis's different colors are gleeful. He is a Clinton fan, distincts himself from the President and believes in Free market. Although he adores Mitt Romney and supported him in the last presidential election, Catsimatidis believes that what contributed to Mitt Romney's loss, will help him get elected in NYC as a Republican candidate.

Bill de Blasio's Donor Linked with Funder of Iran's Nuclear Plants

Public advocate Bill de Blasio, who has long rallied against people who do business with Iran, accepted a check last month from wealthy Democratic donor Jack Rosen, 66, who has a lucrative real-estate deal with a Russian oligarch suspected of funding the construction of one of Iran’s nuclear-power plants, the NY Post reports. 

Lhota Calls For City Hall Inspector General; Denounces Halloran, Savino's 'Despicable' Acts

Although he's opposed to the Democratic party candidates' proposal to appoint an Inspector General to overlook the Stop and Frisk policy, Republican mayoral hopeful Joseph Lhota called on the City Council to appoint an inspector general to monitor corruption among City lawmakers.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Lhota described the allegations against Council Member Dan Halloran and two leaders of county-level Republican organizations in the city as a “stain” on the party — and something he would seek to address in the coming months of campaigning for mayor. 

Bill de Blasio Calls for Banning 'Member Items'; Albanese Pounces Back On Primary Rival

Seizing on the crippling Republican Party's nominating process, in wake of Tuesday's arrests, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio is now calling for the “outright ban of the controversial spending system” beginning with the Fiscal Year 2014 budget cycle. 

“Time after time, the discretionary funding system has led to bribery, political blackmail and a boatload of big legal bills paid for by taxpayers,” said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio on the steps of City Hall. “New York doesn’t need an appropriations process that aids and abets corruption and political gamesmanship in order to invest in our city’s priorities and worthwhile projects. We can do better.” 

Mixed Observations Over Impact of Hurricane Smith on Light Field of Candidates In GOP Primary

In a slightly narrow field of GOP candidates in the Republican primary for mayor, the views of many are split to whether the Smith bribery scheme would have any direct repercussions on one of the mayoral contenders or not.

While an enraged Republican City Council member, Eric Ulrich, seized the opportunity to suggest that Catsimatidis should end his campaign for mayor, citing the candidate’s ties to the Queens GOP and the fact that he didn’t suspend Tabone earlier when he first became aware of the investigation,Mr. Catsimatidis piled the dirt back onto Joe Lhota's wagon. 

Catsimatidis Hires Dem PR Firm To Early-Court Dem Voters

Touting his electability argument to Republicans, Republican mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis is already looking beyond the Republican primary in courting Democratic voters for the general. According to Politicker, John Catsimatidis has hired a PR firm called Millennial Strategies LLC, which specializes in Democratic candidates. Mr. Catsimatidis is the only Republican client they've hired.

Brad Gerstman, a partner at the firm, told Colin Campbell that given New York City’s Democratic tilt, the move makes plenty of sense for the GOP Gracie Mansion hopeful. “We expect to get through as a winner of the primary,” Mr. Gerstman said. “He needs to endear himself to Democratic voters and I think it’s natural for John.”