Selection of articles from the Glens Falls Post Star. My comments are in bold.
May 9, 2006 ....
Merchandise mocks frat visit
By MAURY THOMPSON
A company called "from-the-left.com" is endeavoring to keep U.S. Rep. John Sweeney’s visit to a fraternity party at UnionCollege last month fresh in the minds of voters.
The somewhat elusive company is selling merchandise over the Internet printed with the slogans "Congressman Sweeney Frat Party" and "I got ripped with John Sweeney."
Items include T-shirts, hats, buttons, calendars, chef aprons and greeting cards, among others.
The Concordiensis, the UnionCollege student newspaper, reported Sweeney acted "openly intoxicated" at the party, and that one student saw the congressman drink a light beer.
Sweeney, R-CliftonPark, acknowledged he attended the party, but said he did not drink alcohol while he was there and was not intoxicated.
Robert Turner, a political science professor at Skidmore College, said the merchandise illustrates the intensity of the race between Sweeney and potential Democratic candidate Kirsten Gillibrand.
"Aren’t political campaigns getting a little more creative than in the past?" he said.
Sweeney has no comment on the merchandise, said his spokeswoman Melissa Carlson.
Saratoga Republican Chairman John "Jasper" Nolan said the merchandise will not be effective for Democrats.
Area Republican leaders had a few conversations about the incident last month, but decided reports were blown out of proportion, and the best approach would be to put it behind them and move on, he said.
Saratoga Democratic Chairman Larry Bulman said he did not know who is behind the merchandise line being offered at the Web site cafepress.com.
Hakeem, a cafepress.com customer service representative who would not give his last name, said the site is a clearinghouse for hundreds of companies.
He said he did not have information about from-the-left.com, the company offering the merchandise.
Officials at from-the-left.com did not return an e-mail message left by The Post-Star requesting comment.
Bulman said he does not plan to wear any of the anti-Sweeney items, but he may buy a few as souvenirs.
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April 18, 2005 ...
Nader appears live and fired up in Glens Falls
Green Party rep talks about everything from Iraq to TV adverstising
By MAURY THOMPSON
GLENS FALLS -- He called for a return to traditional values, more involvement in government and, at one point, even lower property taxes.
Between the disdain for President Bush and corporations, three-time presidential candidate Ralph Nader extolled many of the values of social conservatives in his speech to a sold-out crowd of about 300 people Saturday at the Charles R. Wood Theater.
"Some of you remember — corporations did not dare to undermine parental authority, sidestep the parents and relentlessly direct market to 4-, 5-, 6-, 7- or 8-year-olds. It’s routine now," he said.
"They’re selling violence on the programming; they’re selling low-grade pornography; they’re overmedicating them ... while the parents are commuting more and more from their home in order to desperately try to make ends meet," he continued.
Nader recalled how restaurants, like the one his father operated in Connecticut, used to be a place for socializing.
"They used to say in my hometown, ‘For 5 cents at Nader’s restaurant, you can get a cup of coffee and 10 minutes of political conversation.’ This was before Starbucks, of course," he said.
Now, he said, people stare relentlessly at television screens and computer screens, eating junk food and rushing from place to place.
At a press conference in the new WNCE TV8 studios before the speech, Nader said the courts should have transferred guardianship of Terri Schiavo to her parents when her husband, Michael, began living with another woman.
"What he did normally would have been grounds for a divorce," Nader said.
Nader drew the largest applause in his roughly 45-minute speech when he called for bringing U.S. troops back from Iraq within six months.
"The best way to support our troops is to support them right on to military transport planes and to bring them back here safely," he said.
Nader suggested an exit strategy that would include supervised elections with full participation by all factions, leading to a quick return to Iraqi control.
A prolonged U.S. military presence will only encourage the further spread of terrorism, he said.
"If we don’t get out of this country in a responsible way, there’s every possibility that we’re going to create far more terrorists than we ever dreamed of," he said.
Noting the unemployment rate in Iraq has risen from around 30 percent under Saddam Hussein’s government to about 60 percent now, Nader said the U.S.-led occupation has done little to improve Iraq’s economy.
"You know," he said, "Saddam should be an easy act to follow."
Nader said President Bush’s handling of the Iraq situation is more of a reason to impeach a president than when President Clinton lied about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky.
Local businessman and political activist Matt Funiciello, who introduced Nader, said it would be difficult to summarize Nader’s "40 years of selfless devotion," first as a consumer advocate and now in politics.
Nader, who gained fame by exposing safety hazards in automobiles in the 1960s, went on to found more than a dozen consumer organizations.
His influence began to wane when he turned from consumer activism to politics, said Robert Turner, a political science professor at SkidmoreCollege.
"Going from sort of gadfly to candidate, it’s inevitable you’re going to become more of a polarizing figure," he said in an interview last week.
Nader, who is 71, ran for president three times, drawing 2.7 percent of the vote in his best showing in 2000.
In 1996 and 2000, Nader drew support from "a small element of the liberal left" that was frustrated with Clinton and Al Gore, much as Pat Buchanan appealed to the far right, Turner said.
But in 2004, he said, Howard Dean, Dennis Kucinich and Al Sharpton attracted many of those frustrated with Bush.
"I think he’s sort of on his way to becoming a historical footnote," Turner said.
Nader, however, said Saturday that reform movements take time, citing the abolition of slavery and women getting the right to vote as examples.
"You have to be willing to lose and lose and lose until you win," he said.
VOTES FOR NADERThe following are the number and percentages of votes Ralph Nader received in each presidential election:
Year Number of votes Percentage of total vote
1996 685,128 votes 0.71 percent
2000 2.882 million votes 2.7 percent
2004 463,647 votes 0.38 percent
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May 9, 06 ...
Sweeney-Gillibrand race attracting some national attention
Local campaign is one of 22 seen as challenge to GOP
By MAURY THOMPSON
So much for Ohio, Michigan, Arizona or Arkansas.
This political season, the battleground territory is shaping up right here at home.
The potential November match-up between incumbent U.S. Rep. John Sweeney, R-CliftonPark, and Kirsten Gillibrand is attracting national attention -- as Democrats say it may be their best chance in years to capture a House seat that has been held by Republicans for nearly three decades.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has identified the 20th District as one of 22 priority House races in the country.
Political journals and prominent newspapers, including USA Today and The New York Times, have profiled the race.
"If Democrats take back the House, it's going to be with New York as their backbone," said Clark Todd, contributing editor to National Journal, a nonpartisan political newsletter.
Republicans are gearing up to defend their territory.
Sweeney said in a recent telephone interview that U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Guiliani have agreed to come to the region to endorse his campaign at some point.
Sweeney, a four-term incumbent, said he's confident going into the campaign.
"I think I'm very comfortable talking about, in eight years, what I've done for the area," said Sweeney, a four-term incumbent.
There is a marked difference in strategy from two years ago, when Sweeney would not even respond to criticism from Democrats until after the September primary.
This year, he has homed in early on Gillibrand -- one of four potential Democratic candidates -- trading barbs on issues such as gas prices, lobbying reform and defense policy.
Unlike the Democratic candidate two years ago, Gillibrand has built up a sizable campaign fund early in the race.
As of March 31, she had raised $715,479, while Sweeney had raised $1.18 million.
Republicans in the 20th Congressional District are clearly taking Gillibrand's campaign seriously, said Robert Turner, a political science professor at SkidmoreCollege.
"They are, in the words of one Republican consultant I talked to, 'going to take out their (Democrats') legs early,' " he said.
That strategy is apparent from the way Republicans have made repeated attacks on Gillibrand's family and law firm, Turner said.
Republicans have said an associate in Gillibrand's law firm represented an executive from Enron. They've also said it is hypocritical of her to call for lobbying reform when her father lobbies state government.
Democrats have attacked Sweeney over ski trips with lobbyists that he co-hosted in Park City, Utah, and Lake Placid.
Republicans say it will be difficult, if not impossible, for Democrats to overcome an enrollment disadvantage in the 20th Congressional District.
There are 197,753 registered Republicans compared with 113,096 Democrats in the 10-county district, which stretches from Lake Placid south to Dutchess and Delaware counties.
Another 108,803 registered voters have no party affiliation, according to the state Board of Elections.
The district is "one of the safest districts in the Northeast" for Republicans, said Alexander "Sandy" Treadwell, who represents New York on the Republican National Committee.
"I don't get it," Treadwell said, referring to Democrats targeting Sweeney's seat. "But if they want to spend their money and waste it, so be it."
Sweeney has won handily each time he's run for the House, carrying 55 percent of the vote in 1998, 69 percent in 2000, 73 percent in 2002 and 66 percent in 2004.
Republicans, in recent years, have crossed party lines to vote for some Democrats, such as U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., Gillibrand said.
"My feeling is that folks in our district very much want a change in leadership," she said.
Democrats are staking their hopes on President Bush's unpopularity.
Bush had a 33 percent approval rating in the latest AP-Ipsos poll, the Associated Press reported last week. That figure, the lowest in his presidency, compares with a 36 percent approval rating in early April.
Gillibrand and her supporters have repeatedly said Sweeney has voted in line with President Bush 80 percent of the time.
Sweeney, however, said he has not always sided with Bush, such as on the dredging of the Hudson River.
Political analysts say the outcome of the congressional race may be affected by races for governor and a U .S. Senate seat.
Eliot Spitzer, a Democratic candidate for governor, and U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, an incumbent Democrat, are leading in public opinion polls by a wide margin.
Republican statewide candidates must energize upstate conservative-minded voters or else Republicans may stay home on Election Day, said Turner.
"You saw a little bit of this in the 2005 local election here," when Democrats won races for mayor in Saratoga Springs and Glens Falls, he said.
"Is John Sweeney enough to get people to come out to vote?" asked Todd.
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Experts offer views on congressional race
By MAURY THOMPSON
Phil Nicholas smiled as television and newspaper photographers swarmed around Kirsten Gillibrand when she walked from the stage after announcing her candidacy for Congress last week.
"This is great," said Nicholas, of Easton, to a fellow Democrat. "When have we had a candidate that you had to fight the cameras for?"
The potential race between Gillibrand, a lawyer from Hudson, and incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. John Sweeney of CliftonPark is attracting attention locally as well as on the national political scene.
"It has a potential to become a competitive race," said Amy Walter, senior editor of Cook Political Report.
The Washington-based publication has identified the local congressional district as one of 42 in the country where Democrats have a shot at overturning incumbent Republicans.
Editors based their analysis in part on Gillibrand's early success at fundraising, but primarily on the current political climate in which President Bush is unpopular, Walter said.
"When the national party gets a cold, Republicans in the northeast tend to catch the fever," she said.
Other political analysts say Sweeney, a four-term incumbent, is virtually impossible to defeat, regardless of the national political climate.
Republicans outnumber Democrats by nearly 2 to 1 in the district, providing Sweeney with one of the heaviest concentrations of Republicans in the nation, said Alexander "Sandy" Treadwell, who represents New York on the Republican National Committee.
Sweeney is a smart politician will be able to handle the opposition, he said.
Win or lose, political analysts say Sweeney's mettle will be tested as Democrats wage their most formidable challenge since he was first elected in 1998.
As of Dec. 31, Gillibrand's campaign had raised $370,680, which is more than triple what Sweeney's last three Democratic challengers combined spent on their entire campaigns.
Gillibrand, however, was still significantly behind Sweeney, who had raised $780,454, as of Dec. 31.
In 2004, Sweeney spent nearly $1.4 million on his re-election campaign.
Gillibrand can be competitive with a modest budget because television advertising in the Albany area is relatively inexpensive to buy, said Walter.
Gillibrand is putting together a strong organization, said Robert Turner, a political science professor at SkidmoreCollege in Saratoga Springs.
She is the first congressional candidate since he came to Skidmore six years ago who has contacted him to ask about potential student volunteers, he said.
"I don't think she has a lot of name recognition at present but certainly has the ability to get it," he said.
Turner, who, like Walter, cited the national political climate, said the political tide typically turns midway through a president's second term.
"The six-year itch is when incumbents of the president's party are most vulnerable," he said.
Sweeney has consistently been cognizant of the views of constituents, said Alan Chartock, executive director of WAMC Northeast Public Radio and a political commentator.
"He is, after all, a representative of his district, and he does that very well," Chartock said.
Gillibrand, on the other hand, has "deep roots in the Democratic establishment," a factor Republicans likely will attempt to use against her, Chartock said.
Her grandmother founded the first Democratic women's club in the Albany area.
The only likely way Sweeney could lose, he said, is if Republicans don't vote because they are disenchanted over the Iraq War.
"If, in fact, you see Republicans staying home because of that, that could hurt. But I think Sweeney is going to win," Chartock said.
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June 3, 2005 ....
Nixon son-in-law to address countyGOP
Queensbury | Cox one of Clinton’s potential
challengers in 2006
By MAURY THOMPSON
QUEENSBURY u The son-in-law of former President Richard Nixon will appear locally to speak about his aspirations to run against Democrat Hillary Clinton for the U.S. Senate seat she now holds.
Edward Cox, a lawyer from New York City and trustee of the State University of New York system, will address the Warren County Republican Committee at 7 p.m. Monday at the Queensbury Elks Club on Cronin Road. The meeting is open to the public free of charge.
"We’re quite excited about getting someone of this caliber to come into Glens Falls," said county Republican Chairman Michael O’Connor.
Cox, who recently formed an exploratory committee, is one of several potential Republican candidates for the 2006 Senate race.
"New Yorkers have real needs and they demand real results," Cox said in a press release. "I look forward to opening a dialogue with residents about innovative solutions to New York’s problems."
In addition to SUNY trustee, Cox is chairman of the state Council on Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and a member of the state Commission on Judicial Nominations.
He is chairman of the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund.
He previously served in the Reagan administration from 1981 to 1983.
He is probably best known for his White House Rose Garden wedding with Tricia Nixon in 1971.
Cox has the credibility at the national political level to raise the level of financing to be competitive with Clinton, but he lacks name recognition with the general public, said Robert Haggerty, a political consultant in Albany.
"It’s very early, and he’s obviously doing the right thing by getting out to all the counties," said Haggerty, managing partner with Strategic Moves.
Robert Turner, a political science professor at Skidmore College, also said Cox lacks name recognition.
Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro, another potential candidate, may be more popular, Turner said.
"She’s the kind of politically new face, intriguing enough person that might get moderate Democrats and independents to think about crossing over and voting on the other side," he said.
Pirro recently announced that she would not run for re-election as district attorney this fall, and instead may run next year either for governor, attorney general or U.S. Senate.
Other potential GOP senate candidates include Adam Brecht, a public relations executive from Manhattan, and William Brenner, a lawyer and president of Brenner Tax Centers from SullivanCounty.
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Feb. 29, 2004 ....
Super Tuesday may be more like So-So Tuesday
By MAURY THOMPSON
At election time, the campus of SkidmoreCollege is normally a hot bed of political fervor.