Preet Bharara, no elected official, right now has the ring of an Eliot Spitzer before that dude combusted, or before he ran for Governor. This is interesting. This is some Cowboy Indian. I must not know the process well. When Sheldon Silver was ram shackled Hollywood style, I thought Cuomo was behind it. What do I know!
Politico: The N.Y. Times Endorsement Edition: Against Rangel, For Lazio And Maloney
It is a testimony to the white racialism within the power structure of the New York Times that the newspaper should go ahead and endorse the Reshma Saujani opponent. It is not racism, but it sure is racialism. (Charlie Rangel: Monkeyface, Carolyn Maloney: Radioface)
The New York Times has a lot of catching up to do. The Times does not seem to have a clue as to where this country and this world is headed. The Times is not even making an attempt as to grasp the strong insurgency mood sweeping this country as we speak. Tectonic shifts are underway, and the Times is asleep at the wheel. Tomorrow is another day, but today I am not feeling particularly proud of my hometown newspaper.
This is a mistake on the part of the New York Times just like endorsing David Yassky was a huge mistake.
Or perhaps we need to pay attention to the hidden message. The Times has endorsed Rick Lazio and Carolyn Maloney. Both will lose. Andrew Cuomo will win, as will Reshma Saujani. Yassky also lost. Go Times!
In The News
New York Post: Maloney's Big Money:ust-filed preprimary figures show Maloney, 64, with $207,268 raised between July 1 and Aug. 25 and Saujani, 34, with $165,664 raised during the same period .... And yet it was Saujani who outspent Maloney during the filing period, $366,000 to $300,000. ..... scandal-scarred .. Rangel, who faces a congressional disciplinary trial on ethics charges later this month, used a quarter of his $445,000 in campaign spending on legal fees.
New York Observer: Reshma Robos, Mails Against Maloney:Says Reshma spokesman James Allen, "It's disingenuous for Carolyn Maloney to accuse Reshma of negative and dishonest campaigning by sending negative and dishonest mailers to voters. Maloney's campaign has not disputed the fact that the Congresswoman held a fundraiser at the home of a financial services lobbyist while negotiating financial reform. Voters should know about these ethics transgressions — and we'll continue to make them aware of Maloney's questionable conduct."
The Lo Down NY: The Times Endorses Maloney: Reshma Saujani, an impressive and energetic young lawyer of Indian descent who argues that New York needs the voice of a new generation and a new slice of the city’s ethnic pie.
Capital Tonight: Times Dings Rangel, Boosts Maloney:The paper noted Johnson has been “a strong advocate for women’s rights and civil rights for many years” and said she’s the best choice of the field of Democrats trying to unseat Rangel, even though her campaign hasn’t received nearly as much attention as Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV’s bid to win back the seat Rangel took from his father in 1970..... (Interestingly, the same day the Times is endorsing someone against Rangel, it’s also running a story about a poll it commissioned on the congressman’s future that found an “overwhelming majority” of Manhattan voters think he should either resign of end his re-election bid to clear his name).
Some think that if Saujani can win at least 40 percent of the vote against Maloney, then it will unleash a flurry of interest in her kind of insurgent candidate: young, tech-friendly and no enemy of Wall Street.
Only two weeks back I did some momentum talk here, and I noted that Reshma 2010 moved from a 10:1 ratio trailing Maloney in mid May to a 3:1 or a possibly 2:1 ratio by mid July. That was remarkable. I also noted that the momentum was not a line graph but a curve graph. I have been proven right. Now Reshma 2010, barely two weeks later, stands at 60:40. The curve gets even steeper with every passing week. We got six full weeks.
With this new number, I can see a debate happening some time in August, or maybe even two. Maloney's political consultants are going to crunch these numbers and they are going to say, this race is competitive now, we can't afford to not debate, no longer. At 70-7, debating is a mistake, at 60-40, not debating is a mistake. This Reshma person can no longer be ignored.
Ask anyone on Wall Street to host a fundraiser for a Democrat in New York these days, expect a blank stare. Ask any Democrat to accept a donation from someone working for a bank, investment firm or hedge fund, and expect the same reaction....... They wonder if some Democrats really understand how easy it would be for them to move their firms to friendlier shores, knowing they (or at least the disproportionate 30 percent of the state’s tax revenues they produce) would be missed..... the financial industry has so far this cycle contributed $84.5 million to Democratic candidates, down from $241.7 million the last time around—a 65-percent drop-off largely from disenchanted New York donors. ...... wonders if the government realizes how transportable his business is, or how overly reliant the state is on Wall Street revenues. Because the financial services industry votes too ...... “I think maybe it’s gone too far, the demonizing.” ..... Andrew Cuomo managed to raise an impressive $23.6 million with the help of some very generous people on Wall Street ...... the complex relationship that exists between Wall Street and the Democrats. ...... Cuomo, like practically every elected official in New York, believes he has been successful in balancing his approach to Wall Street, and put some distance between his campaign and the anti-Wall Street mood of many of his fellow New York Democrats. ........ Bankers like to back winners, and in New York, the winners tend to be Democrats. ....... Washington and Wall Street both should temper their expectations of each other. ...... “There’s a reason for frustration on both sides,” Wylde said. “There hasn’t been as much rational dialogue, conversation. There’s tended to be more demonizing on both sides. A lot of the business community feels poorly served by Washington. On the other hand, Washington is suffering under the anger of the whole country that they allowed Wall Street to go too far.” .... Bloomberg’s warning of a mass exodus that would destroy the city and state
Wall Street has been reformed. That reform was so very necessary. It was not a perfect reform bill, but it was a good one. And we can build upon its success to enact further reforms, some of which Reshma has pointed out.
What has not been reformed yet is Congress. It was Congress that made Wall Street bad behavior possible. We take a step in the direction of reforming Congress when we ditch Maloney on September 14.
Despite all the demonization and the lies spread by the Maloney camp, Reshma Saujani has strong credentials when it comes to Wall Street. (Barack Obama: The NRA's Candidate)
She has not taken a dime in Wall Street PAC money. That makes Reshma 2010 like Obama 2008.
She has been for Wall Street Reform. After Obama signed the Wall Street Reform Bill, I read the statements by Maloney and Reshma. Maloney is like, and yes, I said hello to Barney, and I winked at Pelosi when I saw her pass down the hallway. Her entire statement is full of such name droppings. Whereas Reshma's statement praises the bill and calmly points out the weaknesses in the bill that will have to be looked into during next attempt. Reshma knows her patient, Maloney does not. Maloney is all fluff.
Reshma has exhibited remarkable integrity in not riding the Demonize Wall Street bandwagon. It would have been the easiest thing to do this year. This show of integrity will put her in a good place when it is time to mend the frayed relationship between Main Street and Wall Street.
