NY-Gov: Whats up with Schumer?

[Smash255]

Is Spitzer not liberal enough?  I can't think of any other reason (unless it's a matter of personal differences) that Schumer would jeopardize such a sure-fire candidate for the governor's seat.

Suozzi's actually staked out positions that are more conservative... for instance, he supports restrictions on late term abortions and has recently decried Spitzer's handling of "medicaid fraud," which is typically a GOP way of making it more difficult for poor folks to get health care...

Suozzi seems more suburb-focused, so his version of liberalism is probably a bit more bougeois than Spitzer's...

From what I've heard about Souzzi I still like him, but I find it troubling that he's so agressively considering this challenge, particularly when it involves getting support from those whom Spitzer prosecuted for defrauding investors...

As for Schumer, I think its sour grapes because he wanted to seek the Governor's office.  If it devolves into a nasty and expensive primary, I'm going to be very unhappy to see Dem money go to such a futile endeavor, though, if Suozzi's getting GOP money, he can go ahead and waste it...

Actually I don't think Suozzi's abortion views are all that different from Spitzer.  No restrictions on 1st 2 trimersters, 3rd trimester rape, incest & health of mother.  The main stance that came from Suozzi n abortion was a more well rounded sex education.  The medicarecaid fraud issue was also quite a big difference from the GOP's stance (which is cut), Suozzi's stance & what he has criticized Spitzer on, is to fix the problems than exist within the system (rather than get rid or cut)

[Smash255]

Suozzi is nothing to sneeze at & has a very strong record to run on.  Suozzi is pretty aarogant & just because some within the party don't want him to run & that he is expected to lose in the primary won't stop him.  He was in that situation in 2001 when Nassau Dems favored Thomas Di Napoli for the County Exec job & Suozzi pulled a major upset there.  Though the state is a differnet animal all together & I think Suozzi should go after Peter King's seat in Congress (NY-03)..  Suozzi's main fault is probably his aargoance,  Its obvious he wants a shot & a higher office & thats understandable especially considering his record.  But Spitzer is a tough pill to swallow (although if he pulls off the upset here he will win the Govenor's race) his chancves at the Primary are pretty slim, meanwhile he willl probably pass up on the Congressional race which would be his for the taking if he were to run

[Smash255]

Suozzi did hire former regional directon for Charles Schumer  Christoper Hahn as his new top aide last week.

Suozzi starts a shake-up
County exec, just re-elected, stirs more talk of a governor run as he asks top aides for resignations

BY CELESTE HADRICK AND MONTE R. YOUNG
STAFF WRITERS

November 17, 2005


Shake-ups are under way in the offices of County Executive Thomas Suozzi and at Nassau's Democratically-controlled Off-Track Betting Corp. as the newly re-elected county executive prepares to make an expected run for governor next year.

Suozzi, who has yet to formally announce for the state's top job, has asked for the resignations of all of his senior aides; one is expected to become a top official in the campaign while others are expected to take on new roles in the administration, sources said.

The popular Democrat, who was re-elected with about 60 percent of the vote, this week hired Christopher Hahn, former regional director for Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), to become his $150,000-a-year chief deputy when his current top aide, Anthony Cancellieri, leaves the county payroll at the end of December.

For almost four years, Cancellieri, a Republican, has handled the day-to-day operations in Nassau County for the Suozzi administration.

While Cancellieri and Suozzi were vague about Cancellieri's future, sources say he will play a key role when the county executive launches a primary challenge against announced gubernatorial candidate New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.

Suozzi confirmed yesterday that he will ask all of his senior county staff to submit resignation letters, which he said is "customary" in large government organizations. "The large majority of the team will be asked to stay on," Suozzi said, "But I'm asking them to give me the courtesy of their resignations so we can look at everything fresh."

Suozzi added, "There will be other significant changes in my administration that I'll be announcing over the course of the next 30 days with a focus on bringing new excitement, energy and experience to the team."

Political observers, critics and people close to Suozzi say the county executive is reorganizing his office and making other changes to better position himself for the governor's race.

Legis. David Denenberg (D-Merrick) said he believes Hahn was hired to garner Schumer's support for Suozzi's primary challenge, though Suozzi and Hahn deny it. "It's the only thing it could be," Denenberg said. "I know Schumer likes Suozzi."

Suozzi, however, said Hahn was hired because he is a governmental professional who will help achieve Suozzi's second-term priorities of reducing school taxes and developing a long-term plan for suburbia.

Schumer's press secretary Risa Heller did not address questions about potential Schumer support for Suozzi by the Hahn hiring. She simply issued a statement saying, "Christopher Hahn did an exemplary job as Long Island Regional Director for Senator Schumer and we are sure he will do the same in his new capacity."

When asked if his changes were intended to help his bid for governor, Suozzi responded, "Everything I'm doing is to be the best county executive I can be and to make the county government the best it can be."

Meanwhile, Nassau Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs acknowledged that he has asked Nassau OTB president Larry Aaronson to resign. Aaronson, whose salary was recently bumped to $195,000 from $165,000 annually, said yesterday he will not go willingly.

"I felt I had done a terrific job," said Aaronson, who stepped aside as Nassau's Democratic chairman after Suozzi beat Aaronson's candidate, Assemb. Thomas DiNapoli, in a bitter primary for county executive in 2001. "Jay couldn't give me a reason as to why I should resign. He said it was not about performance, that I did an excellent job."

Jacobs said Aaronson's refusal to resign is "unfortunate" because he expects the agency's board to replace Aaronson at a meeting today.

Aaronson's replacement is expected to be Dino Amoroso, a Valley Stream resident who serves as the number two man in the office of Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hines. Amoroso, who has worked in the district attorney's office for the past 17 years and supervises its 600 lawyers, said yesterday, "I'm honored that I'm even being considered and I'm just waiting to see what the results are."

Although some political insiders say that Amoroso will help Suozzi in his gubernatorial campaign, Amoroso said yesterday, "that has never come up" in his discussions for the OTB job.


Subscribe to Newsday home delivery | Article licensing and reprint options

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/politics/ny-lisuoz174516084nov17,0,1614452.story?coll=ny-lipolitics-print