Entries from Gothamist tagged with 'politics'
May 11, 2008
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A close friend of Representative Vito Fossella says the troubled Congressman is far from thinking about resignation. Maybe! At first, former Staten Island Borough President Guy Molinari told the Staten Island Advance Fossella "has every intention of running." But then Molinari withdrew the statement, amending it to, "I wouldn't be surprised if the ultimate decision is to run again." The Post notes how Fossella was allegedly surprised that other members of the House GOP might......
Continue Reading "Fossella May Be Thinking About Re-Election"May 10, 2008
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After his DWI arrest led to admitting an affair and a 3-year-old love child in Virginia, Representative Vito Fossella returned to Staten Island to rampant speculation of his imminent resignation. Not only has the media predicted a resignation could come soon, the Advance reports House GOP leader Rep. John Boehner and Republican National Campaign Committee head Rep. Tom Cole have contacted Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan to see if he's interested in the seat.......
Continue Reading "More Details About Fossella's Affair as GOP Looks for Other Options"May 9, 2008
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The noose is tightening around Representative Vito Fossella's political career: Many insiders think he should resign immediately, especially so the Republican can work on a replacement candidate for reelection this fall, and the Staten Island Advance editorial demands that he resign, "Far too much damage has been done to his personal reputation and credibility at this point for him to recover and be an effective public servant. And there is too much potential for......
Continue Reading "Vito Fossella Adds Baby Daddy to Resume; Political Future Uncertain"May 9, 2008
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Photograph of Barack Obama on the Hill by Susan Walsh/AP; photograph of Hillary Clinton in Oregon by Elise Amendola/AP Barack Obama's and Hillary Clinton's campaigns continued their push for the Democratic nomination, but only one seemed energized. Obama made an unexpected appearance at the House Congressional chambers, causing "Obamamania [to descend] onto the floor of the House in full force." Representative Yvette Clarke, who represents Brooklyn, had him sign the Daily News cover with......
Continue Reading "Obama Hits D.C., Clinton Cuts Spending"May 8, 2008
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Yesterday Representative Vito Fossella said he would make another announcement about his DWI arrest today, and it was quite the bombshell for the Staten Island GOP machine: He admitted to having an affair with retired Air Force Colonel Laura Fay and fathering a three-year-old daughter with her. Here's his statement: I have had a relationship with Laura Fay, with whom I have a three-year-old daughter. My personal failings and imperfections have caused enormous pain to......
Continue Reading "Vito Fossella Admits to Having Love Child in Virginia"May 7, 2008
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It's a good thing Bill Clinton made so much money on the speaking tour--he and wife Hillary have lent millions to her presidential campaign, most recently a $6 million loan from the candidate herself, broken up into three installments over the past month. The Clinton campaign said last night's loss in North Carolina and narrow win in Indiana "strengthens the case that she will be the strongest nominee for the party in November." Still, pundits......
Continue Reading "Clinton Lent $6 Million to Campaign, Plans to Keep Going"May 6, 2008
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In her successful attempt to appeal to working class primary voters, Senator Hillary Clinton has been catching heat from Wall Street. The Sun notes that yesterday, her camp dawdled for 24 hours before correcting reports that she had asked an audience in Indiana: “Why don’t we hold these Wall Street money-grubbers responsible for their role in this recession?” The quote angered some in the financial industry; after all they're not money-grubbers, they're money-hoarders. Clinton's team......
Continue Reading "Wall Street Not Happy With Clinton's Attacks"May 6, 2008
How long till the Democratic National Convention? Because Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama went negative with new ads yesterday. First, the Clinton camp offered up an ad explaining how Clinton's plan for a gas tax suspension (one that Obama does not support) will really help regular Americans, complete with regular Americans lamenting the price of gas. Then Obama's campaign released an ad that talks about Clinton's negative campaigning, points to a NY Times editorial slamming......
Continue Reading "Clinton, Obama Spar Ahead of Indiana, N.C. Primaries"May 5, 2008
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This morning, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama appeared on the Today show, an early morning pre-primary day media blitz, as it were. While it's unclear which Democratic presidential candidate will be victorious this fall, one thing was clear: Obama kept calling Matt Lauer "Tim." The first time Obama appeared, he did greet Lauer as "Matt," but then he refers to him as "Tim." Lauer ignored Obama's gaffe the first two times, but by......
Continue Reading "Obama Talks toMay 4, 2008
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Even though Representative Vito Fossella is apologetic and looking for forgiveness, there are still questions about the woman who picked Fossella up from the Alexandria, VA jail. Laura Fay is described as a 45-year-old retired Air Force colonel, who is a single mother with a young daughter. Susan Del Percio, Fossella's newly hired consultant to deal with his DWI crisis, told Staten Island Advance the congressman and Fay became friends when she was a House......
Continue Reading "Press Descends on Fossella's Post-DWI Ride"May 3, 2008
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Governor David Paterson explained possible rumormongering by the state police was why he admitted his extramarital affairs and drug use shortly after taking office. Yes--Paterson was essentially afraid of the NY State Police! When being interviewed on WFAN-AM and questioned about Spitzer administration's monitoring of State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno's aircraft activity, Paterson said, "I don’t want to go into too much detail, but I will say this: That was also on my mind......
Continue Reading "Gov. Paterson Says State Police Drove Him to Confess Affairs, Drug Use"May 3, 2008
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Representative Vito Fossella, who was arrested for a DWI outside of DC on Thursday, said, "This was an error in judgment. This mistake will not happen again." The Republican congressman held a press conference yesterday, to face the media and apologize again for his arrest. While he did not go into the details of his arrest, the Alexandria, VA arrest warrant indicated his blood alcohol was 0.17--twice the legal limit--and the police charged him with......
Continue Reading "Rep. Fossella Says He Won't Resign After DWI"May 2, 2008
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Vito Fossella, the lone Republican Congressional representative from New York City, was arrested early yesterday morning for driving while impaired outside of Washington, D.C. Fossella, whose activities leading up to the arrest are not known (his day events included the NY Giants' visit to the White House), issued this statement:"Last night I made an error in judgment. As a parent, I know that taking even one drink of alcohol before getting behind the wheel of......
Continue Reading "Rep. Vito Fossella Apologizes for Drunk Driving Arrest"April 19, 2008
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Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain released his tax returns for 2006 and 2007 yesterday, but most attention is on his wife Cindy's wealth. The Arizona Senator made $405,409 (including $23,157 in Social Security!) last year and $358,414 in 2006, but returns for Cindy McCain, chairman of Hensley & Company, a Phoenix-based Anheuser-Busch distributor, weren't released. The McCains have donated a cumulative $340,000 to charity in 2006 and 2007. Cindy McCain has apparently made......
Continue Reading "McCain Releases His Tax Returns, But Not His Wife's"April 15, 2008
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Congratulations, State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo: You seem to be the "wealthiest statewide elected official," according to the NY Times and your tax returns. While Cuomo makes $151,000 as AG, his total reported income was $545,000, thanks to investments. Governor David Paterson's 2007 income, combined with his wife's, was $269,815. Most notably, the Patersons only made one charitable donation: $150 in clothing to the Salvation Army. That works out to be 0.06% of their income,......
Continue Reading "Tax Return Time: Paterson Not So Giving, Cuomo is Rich"April 11, 2008
Just as media attention on his wife's incorrect statements about her trip to Bosnia had essentially died down, Bill Clinton decided to bring them up again. ABC News' Political Radar says the former President, who spent two days not campaigning, "eagerly discussed" various issues with a crowd in Indiana before blaming the media for blowing up Hillary's misstatements."A lot of the way this whole campaign has been covered has amused me. But there was......
Continue Reading "Bill Clinton Brings Hillary's Bosnia Boo-Boos Back"April 1, 2008
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Over the weekend, the Boston Globe published an opinion piece by former governor Mario Cuomo. He said to avoid "a Democratic disaster in November," Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama should put aside their bitter rivalry and form a ticket together, so their supporters will be relatively happier (and less divisive). Otherwise, "the 2008 primary may be the story of a painfully botched grand opportunity to return our nation to the upward path, and leave us......
Continue Reading "Clinton, Obama Don't Like Mario Cuomo's Idea"March 29, 2008
As Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama continue to battle for the Democratic presidential nomination, Republican nominee John McCain has released his first general election commercial. The 60-second commercial emphasizes McCain's military service and also features him saying, "Stay strong. Do not yield. Stand up. We're Americans. And we'll never surrender," as well as giving his military rank and serial number. The ad's final words are "John McCain: The American president Americans have been waiting......
Continue Reading "McCain Unveils General Election Ad"March 27, 2008
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Photograph of Bloomberg introducing Obama at the Cooper Union this morning by Alex Brandon/AP Presidential hopeful Barack Obama will be speaking in NYC today, as part of Cooper Union Dialogue Series. And Mayor Bloomberg's office "took the highly unusual step" of issuing a release letting the media know Bloomberg would be introducing Obama. Aw, that's what any billionaire mayor would do for his breakfast buddy! Though Bloomberg hasn't decided on supporting a presidential candidate......
Continue Reading "Bloomberg Introduces Obama at Cooper-Union Today"March 26, 2008
Ashley Dupré has become a "don't" in the world of scandalites for not parlaying her 15 minutes into some cold hard cash. NY Mag reports on her quick decline, saying that even market analysts "are now scolding the governor's hooker for not taking full financial advantage." Meanwhile, Silicon Alley reported yesterday that while there's still a possibility of a "low six-figure" offer from Georgi Vodka in the works, what's-her-name's story is going stale; seems her......
Continue Reading "Hookergate: Dupré on Decline; Little Black Book to Tell All"March 25, 2008
Barack Obama has popped up in the form of street art in Brooklyn, and AAVR Magazine points out the Grattan Street mural near the Morgan L stop. That's part of his More Perfect Union speech in the background, and yes, it looks a little bit more like Fred Armisen's Fauxbama than the real thing. Less detailed Obama murals can be found on Carlton Avenue at Dean Street in Prospect Heights (photos here and here). How......
Continue Reading "Obama in Brooklyn...Right Now!"March 17, 2008
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Photograph of Hillary Clinton by HansPennink/AP, photograph of Michael Bloomberg by Tim Roske/AP If it's St. Patrick's Day, it's time for politicians to break out green accessories! At Governor Paterson's swearing-in, Senator Hillary Clinton wore a green shamrock scarf while Mayor Michael Bloomberg wore a green striped tie. It's unclear what kind of socks the Mayor was wearing, but he usually coordinates for March 17 by wearing green socks. But it was a mixed......
Continue Reading "Gotta Go Green"March 15, 2008
First, former vice-presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro stepped down from Hillary Clinton's campaign over her remarks about Barack Obama. Now, with Obama's campaign facing an outcry over inflammatory remarks by his minister, Obama said, “I reject outright the statements by Rev. Wright that are at issue," and by evening, Wright had left the campaign (he had been on the African American Religious Leadership Committee). Obama is close to Reverend Jeremiah Wright of the Trinity United......
Continue Reading "Obama Denounces His Minister's Controversial Remarks"March 14, 2008
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On Tuesday night at St. Ann's Warehouse, David Byrne, longtime advocate of bikes, big suits, lamp dancing and PowerPoint, will be joining a who's who list of New York performers to observe the fifth anniversary of the official start of the Iraq invasion. Called Speak Up!, the sold-out show is raising money for United for Peace and Justice and Iraq Veterans Against the War. If you don't have tickets, you might want to skip......
Continue Reading "David Byrne, Musician"March 10, 2008
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With rumors buzzing that Governor Spitzer will resign in light of his involvement with a prostitution ring, the residents of New York could very well join the residents of Connecticut and New Jersey in the "My Governor Resigned Due to Scandal Club." On July 1, 2004, Connecticut Governor John Rowland resigned after it was discovered that contractors who did business with the state also did work on his weekend cottage free of charge. Rowland......
Continue Reading "Possible Tri-State Resignation Trifecta "March 6, 2008
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Photograph of John McCain and President George Bush at the White House by Ron Edmonds/AP Yesterday, Senator John McCain was welcomed and endorsed by President Bush. Bush referenced McCain's doubters and past history, "John showed incredible courage and strength of character and perseverance in order to get to this moment. And that's exactly what we need in a President: somebody that can handle the tough decisions; somebody who won't flinch in the face of......
Continue Reading "Bush: McCain is "Exactly What We Need in a President""March 5, 2008
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Photograph of Clinton, holding the hands of Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones and Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and celebrating in Ohio, by Mark Duncan/AP Fresh off her big night of wins in Ohio and Texas, Hillary Clinton spoke on CBS's Early Show and mentioned the words "dream ticket" in relation to the heated Democratic presidential race. Harry Smith told Clinton, "We talked to a lot of people in Ohio who said there really isn't that......
Continue Reading "Now Clinton Hints About Obama "Dream Ticket""March 4, 2008
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Photograph, left, of Hillary Clinton at Herrera's Mexican Cafe in Dallas, TX by Carolyn Kaster/AP; photograph, right, of Barack Obama at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo 2008 by Rick Bowmer/AP Ohio and Texas are "too close to call" for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, which means it will be a long night - and very possibly another few weeks of primary madness. Obama did win Vermont (so far, 59% to Clinton's 39%) and......
Continue Reading "Clinton Wins Ohio, Texas; Obama Still Has More Delegates"March 4, 2008
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Senator John McCain at a campaign stop in San Antonio, TX by Eric Gay/AP CNN, NBC, and the AP are projecting Senator John McCain will clinch the Republican presidential campaign, after winning the primaries in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island and clinching the 1,191 delegates needed. A source tells NBC that President Bush has invited McCain to the White House tomorrow and will endorse him. McCain will be having a victory party in......
Continue Reading "Victorious in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont, McCain Projected to Win Republican Nomination"March 4, 2008
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Today's big Texas primary, the Post has delivered a cover with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as old West gunslingers. And since Obama's hand in on his gun, it makes sense the headline for the story is, "Barack Goes For Hill Kill." (Obama believes in gun control, though he backed a law allowing retired cops to carry concealed weapons). At any rate, in spite of Obama leading and her campaign desperate for wins in Texas......
Continue Reading "Another Tuesday Showdown for Clinton and Obama"