Learn About Your Candidates


By DIA, Section News
Posted on Thu Aug 28, 2008 at 10:04:50 AM EST

The Metroland has coverage of the candidates in the 21st.

Not that anyone should care, but I'm still undecided on who to vote for, although I'm certain who to vote against. The way I see this election is that whoever wins is unlikely to have a direct impact on my life or my neighborhood by what they do in DC. The only way I see it impacting our lives here in Albany is the political clout that goes with the victor. If Brooks wins, Jennings gets a boost which he is in desperate need of because every political friend he had (Sweeney, Pataki, Bruno, Clinton) is either gone or just lost power. If Steck wins, there are a bunch of local politicians who are supporting him who get a boost, most of whom are the type who can't stand Jennings. So, I'm ok with a Steck victory. Just the fact that Jennings got up and left the meeting instead of voting on the endorsement makes Steck ok in my book. We shouldn't forget that little episode of "I only like democracy when I know I can win". Tonko winning will do the same. So, Steck or Tonko winning should be a good thing for the city of Albany, which is what I care about.

Should be interesting.

New Steck flyer today going after Brooks for taking lobbyist money and working for a lobbyist. I'm sure Tonko doesn't mind that one.

Political Quiz: Quick, without Googling, name the Republicans in the race. I can't.

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Learn About Your Candidates | 4 comments (4 topical, 0 hidden)
I believe the Republicans' names (none / 0) (#1)
by albany layman on Thu Aug 28, 2008 at 11:10:26 AM EST
are Outnumbered and NotThisYear.

Brooks will promote her own interests... (none / 0) (#2)
by Jim Travers on Fri Aug 29, 2008 at 04:11:39 PM EST
if she wins. Whether she's a republican mole who found work with Hillary I really can't say. But it seems to be the trend these days to switch parties until one's securely in office before switching back.

I said long ago that Brooks hasn't involved herself in the issues important to the townseople of her home town, Coeymans, like the proposed landfill, so it prompts the question "If she's uncaring about important issues in her own home town, why would she care about yours?"

Maybe it's only the congressional health care package she's after. Who knows?

She'll have to do something quite remarkable to get my vote, something unprintable, at least.

Metroland, Quiz, and Candidates (none / 0) (#3)
by Soundpolitic on Sat Aug 30, 2008 at 11:54:49 AM EST
Metroland has just published by the best print journalism piece on the race for the 21st.  ANd like the blogs, it's free.  Three cheers.

The Republicans in the race are Schenectady County Legislator James Buhrmaster, who has the money, and Schenectady County businessman Steven Vasquez, who is the youngest candidate in the race.  Vasquez has the backing of Presidential candidate Ron Paul and the only other Republcian candidate who announced in the race, but later dropped out, Guilderland Town Councilman Warren Redlich, who was trounced by Mike McNulty in the General Election in 2004 and 2006.

Do I get a prize?  Some have suggested I get a life...

You are absolutely right to vote against Brooks.  It's a three way race between Steck, Shahinfar, and Tonko for me, and I do declare my support for Steck as a personal preference.  Brooks is a gender-based politician, a former Republican on the payroll of a law firm whose major business is lobbying and some of her largest donors are Republicans themselves.  She'll talk about "the same old politicians saying the same thing," but trust me:  after transcripting three debates and interviewing her, she fits that exact mold like a pro.

And she won't own up to any of it.  Case in point:  Green Island Mayor Ellen McNulty Ryan's endorsement of her in the Metroland, where she explains first that she's "so nongendered" when it comes to endorsements, but then makes the insulting statement that men only want to take credit for what they do and women only want to help.  Yeah.  Real "nongendered" Ellen.

Not to worry, though:  if Brooks somehow wins this thing (and it's my prediction that she will never win any election) Phil Steck will be be on the Independnece line and Paul Tonko will be on the Working Families.

For what it is worth... (none / 0) (#4)
by hawkny on Sat Aug 30, 2008 at 03:37:30 PM EST
The only congressional candidate with lawn signs up in Schenectady is Tonko.  And, there are plenty of them!

Learn About Your Candidates | 4 comments (4 topical, 0 hidden)
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