Spitzer: "I need Craig Johnson in the Senate"

If Craig Johnson wins the special election in Nassau County, the balance of power in the State Senate will shift in the Democrats' favor:

Balboni's departure left Bruno with a majority of 33-28 in the Senate -- which would go to 33-29 if Johnson wins. That would put Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith just two victories away from becoming majority leader (with Lt. Gov. David Paterson breaking a 31-31 tie.)

That's why Governor Spitzer is pulling out all the stops on his behalf.

“I need Craig Johnson in the State Senate to help bring real reform to Albany, property tax relief to the people of Nassau County and a responsive government to all New Yorkers," was the full quote from Spitzer in Johnson's press release. "Craig is a voice for the common-sense changes we need. He will be a great State Senator.”

Spitzer will be attending a fundraiser for Craig Johnson tonight at the (unfortunately named) Prey in Manhattan.

Raise New York
Prey NYC
Thursday, February 1st, 2007, 6 PM to 9 PM
4 West 22nd Street, New York City
Suggested donation: $50.00

Rumor has it that there may be other special guests at the function.

I'll be covering the event for the blog.

Comments

[The Phantom]

I didn't vote for Spitzer, which will surprise few. I think some of his tactics as Attorney General were thuggish in the extreme -- plenty of innocent people suffered from his actions, along with the guilty.

That having been said, after three terms of the the lazy, ineffective George Pataki, its time for someone with energy and passion to knock heads in what can only be described as a corrupt, ineffective state legislature infected with trial laywers and lower specimens.

I'm giving Spitzer a chance here. Someone has to lead, in a state that is economically broken outside of NYC and its suburbs.

The quality of leadership is more important than a liberal or conservative label.

So, while you won't see me at the Dem fund raiser, I say this to Spitzer: lead. No one has led for a few decades in this state, so show me what you can do.

[Simon St.Laurent]

If Craig Johnson wins the special election in Nassau County, the balance of power in the State Senate in the Democrat's favor.

It's currently 33-28 R-D, so winning this race alone doesn't transform the political scene. It does, however, continue the steady march of Democrats chipping away at the severely gerrymandered State Senate. That might help Senate Majority Leader Bruno on his way out.

(In fairness, the Democratic-controlled Assembly is just as gerrymandered the other way, giving a 104-44 D-R advantage. There's a lot broken in New York State politics.)

[Alon Levy]

It's okay, Phantom. Even if you'd wanted to get into the fundraiser, they wouldn't have let you in. I tried and was told it was a private party and I should stop loitering around 22nd Street (I was trying to call Lindsay to see if it really was a private party).

As for leadership, Spitzer proposed a really good bill on health care that's supposed to eliminate the major inefficiencies that cause the US in general and NY in particular to spend so much on health.

[The Phantom]

And I liked the article in yesterday's paper that said that he favors expanding freight rail in Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island--a screaming no-brainer from any number of environmental viewpoints. The NY Metro area has needed expanded freight rail for a century, and the only one who has spoken of it is Cong. Nadler. Maybe now something will be done about it.

[Lindsay Beyerstein]

Alon, thanks for trying to make it out. Unfortunately, I had my phone off for the event. The event was closed to the mainstream press, but I had the impression that it was open to the public--the donating public, obviously, but the public. The $50.00 was just a suggested donation. I was told that if I wanted to go as a guest, I could just pay whatever I could afford. I ended up being invited as a blogger/photographer.

They packed so many people into the club that it was almost impossible to move. Maybe they started getting stricter when they realized they were over-subscribed.

The candidate couldn't make it, but I got some good shots of Spitzer.