Ulster County GOP Candidates Highlight Annual Republican Committee Dinner

Peter Rooney Proves Assembly Candidates Can Be Cool

George Phillips, a congressional candidate who offers economic growth and an end to Maurice Hinchey's antisemitism

State Senator William J. Larkin kisses County Committee Chair Robin Yess

The Ulster County Republican Committee had an excellent turnout for last night's annual dinner.  I didn't make a headcount but there were over 100 people there at $95 per plate. The Hudson Valley Resort and Spa's banquet was good as were the hors d'oeuvres, but the big news of the evening was the keynote speaker, George Phillips.  Given this week's exposure by Ed Koch and American Jewish Congress chairman Ron Lauder that nine-term Ulster County Congressman Maurice Hinchey is an anti-Semite, Phillips got positive news today:  Karl Rove has announced that his American Crossroads organization is going to provide $300,000 in soft money for Phillips's campaign.  This is the best development for freedom since the New York Times's stock price fell to below $5 per share (the tabloid's stock now trades at $8.59, evidence nevertheless that the fourth generation of Ochs Sulzbergers to inherit the tabloid are as inept at business as they are at journalism--the Ochs Sulzbergers are a living argument in favor of their stand on the inheritance tax. The problem is that they always manage to exempt themselves from their inheritance tax proposals).

The speakers at the dinner were excellent. These included Pete Rooney, who's running for Assembly, Fawn Tantillo who's running for county comptroller and  Senators Bonacic and Larkin.   Phillips opened the proceedings with a dynamic speech.  His economically illiterate and antisemitic opponent, Maurice Hinchey, has much to fear.

Robin Yess put together a wonderful event at the Hudson Valley Resort and Spa

Republican Nomination Process

I attended my county Republican committee's nomination meeting yesterday and was positive about the local candidates including two state senators, Bonacic and Larkin, several state assemblyman (the county is so gerrymandered that we have about five different assembly races), and our excellent candidate for election commissioner, Tom Turco.  Of most interest to me is the 101st assembly district, where Peter Rooney of Port Ewen is going to run against the Democratic incumbent, Assemblyman Kevin Cahill. George Phillips, our congressional candidate, is to run against a badly educated left-wing extremist, Maurice Hinchey.  Phillips has always been a good candidate and has matured considerably in his presentation.  His speech last night was one of the best of the evening and he is presenting an excellent package.

The surprise of the evening was Gary Berntsen,  the candidate the GOP is backing against the fiscally illiterate Democratic incumbent Chuck Schumer. Schumer failed to study elementary economics at Harvard and so continually advocates protectionism.  It is tragic that the State of New York, which quaintly considers itself a national leader among the states, has seen its stature shrink and its economy go into a tailspin as millions have fled the state due to the policies of inept crackpots like Schumer and Hinchey.

Berntsen, a former CIA agent, is familiar with foreign affairs issues because he was a station chief in Afghanistan and in Latin America.  He speaks Farsi and Spanish and has considerable diplomatic and military experience. Hence if elected he will likely be the first American in Congress to have a clue as to what he is talking about when it comes to foreign affairs.

Berntsen said that the military is inefficient, which is not a surprise but shows an ability to think logically that is absent from many conservatives, who believe that spending equates to effectiveness and efficiency.  He pointed out that the US military in Afghanistan spends one million dollars per soldier.  That is a joke, and it is one more piece of evidence that government cannot manage a thing, including the military.

Along the same lines, I heard Carl Paladino speak on Monday night at a town meeting in Columbia County. Paladino seems like a good candidate for Governor.  We need mavericks like Paladino, a self-made multi-millionaire in the Buffalo real estate market.  He is advocating cutting the budget by 20%.  His campaign is marred by the release of racist e-mails that he had sent confidentially to a group of friends and were released to the media.  This is something like Obama's long term association with Reverend Wright.  It deserves criticism.  The first thing Paladino did was apologize for the e-mails, unlike Obama who never apologized for his association with Wright.   I do not imagine that Paladino is interested in thwarting civil rights institutions in the state, so I don't believe that this matter, although offensive, ought to be decisive.

The New York State budget can be cut by 50% without any reduction in services. The fact that it has not is evidence of the utter incompetence of government and the Democratic Party.  

Rick Lazio is the designated candidate for governor, and Carl Paladino will challenge him in a primary.  Lazio is saying the right things, but he is not specific.  The Youtube video below was taken in October 2009 when Lazio received the Suffolk County endorsement. Lazio's points include a property tax cap; reduction of state pension costs and double dipping; increased local control; reducing taxes; improvement of infrastructure; and education reform.  He is not advocating a specific cut as is Paladino.  Too often the Republicans have come to office saying the kinds of things Lazio is saying and then have turned out to be as corrupt as the Democrats.  The involvement of slime like Alfonse D'Amato in the GOP state convention proceedings is sufficient for me to be skeptical of Mr. Lazio's intent.  Until he is willing to say that he will cut state government by more than twenty percent I will be supporting Mr. Paladino. 

As far as the senatorial race, I do not see any candidates who are especially good.  Despite the Sun's endorsement of David Malpass, his asssociation with Wall Street is sufficient to keep me away from his campaign, although I would vote for him over a criminal looter like Democrat Gillibrand.

Hence, the pickings at the state level seem rather slim despite the tea party movement's anger.  There is no clearly superior candidate for senate.  The only state level candidate who seems to have made a clear commitment to smaller government is so far Carl Paladino, and I support him.