Democracy In Albany - New York Politics ||

I Hate When Mommy and Daddy Fight

By HannibalSmith, Section Diaries
Posted on Thu Sep 25, 2008 at 01:10:36 AM EST

Jerry's latest hissyfit tosses Frankie n' Dave out on their butts.

Can someone honestly tell me why the Albany County Democratic Committee needs to change leadership again? I'm getting tired of having to shuffle into the Polish Community Center and usher in new leadership whenever Jerry gets pissed because something didn't go his way. In this case, it's his girl losing the 21st primary and one of the party's co-chairmen (Frank) backing a candidate that unofficially didn't have the support of the committee.
Are we as Committepersons going to sheepishly go along with this once again or are we going to stand by two guys who've devoted decades of hard work to getting Democrats elected.
What a joke this all has become. Good thing the committee doesn't have any real influence anymore.

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I Hate When Mommy and Daddy Fight | 8 comments (8 topical, 0 hidden)

Wake UP!!! (none / 0) (#1)
by mailer daemon on Thu Sep 25, 2008 at 05:58:36 AM EST

Do you honestly want a system of "co-chairs"? to continue running the party. Honestly, I do not care whether we have a suburban chair or a city chair but the system we have now frankly sucks.
The only people that benefited form the lawsuit that got us into this mess was Mike Mackey and Matt Clyne. (Mackey still gets to peddle his influence over the judicial races for his own persopnal benefit and Clyne gets a $80,00 a year job sitting in the office of the BOE doing absolutely NOTHING")

Nothing got done in the two years of "co-chairmanship" expect further divide the party.

Most of the leaders in the cities and towns recognize that it did not work and are trying to change it. One chair who can unite the party is the way to go.

If you do not like to take the time to be a member of the system and go the the meeting, then quit and stop the whining. It obviously shows how much time and effort you put into your committee seat.

That is the reason the committee system is broken. Because people like you spend more time complaining then trying to get things done to help the people.

PS (none / 0) (#2)
by mailer daemon on Thu Sep 25, 2008 at 06:25:00 AM EST

Read the Albany County Democractic Committee Bilaws

It states that every two yesrs (within i5 or 30 days) of the primary they convene to elect a new chairman. And you should realize that committee men run on a two year cycle and elect ward leaders at that time. So the outcome of the Congressional race had nothing to do with this process.

Get the facts, bud! Before you speak...

Actually, It Was A Coup (none / 0) (#3)
by Dan Van Riper on Tue Sep 30, 2008 at 06:13:36 AM EST

I heard a certain progressive committee person (who would not appreciate my using his/her name here) put it this way: "Last Wednesday we watched the Republicans take over the county party"

What did he/she mean? "This was engineered by Clyne, McCoy and Jennings, all of whom have a record of endorsing Republicans during elections."

My take on this trio: Dan McCoy is hapless, out of his league and easily manipulated. Clyne is following his own personal agenda, which I can only guess at.

Jennings has no support outside the City of Albany and eroding support inside the City. He lent his fading but still intact base to the coup merely to disrupt the party and get back at Frank Commisso for freezing him out two years ago. Yes, he's petty like that.

Believe it or not folks, the coup that put Dan McCoy in the driver's seat happened because of an alliance between Jenning's City Committee and the Colonie Democrats. Commisso was out-maneuvered. So much for "City vs suburbs" theories.

Watch for struggles in the future between Clyne and Jennings. Damn, I never thought I'd be rooting for Frank Commisso.

: Dan's analysis (none / 0) (#4)
by albany283 on Tue Sep 30, 2008 at 11:21:08 AM EST

is right on point, this was a coup and an alliance of strange bedfellows. There were significant numbers of Albany city committee members who did not stand (rising vote) in support of this slate (their abstention does not get counted). There was also an effort to table Matt Clyne's reappointment as Election Commissioner, it failed but again a significant number of committeemember either stood in opposition or sat out the vote.
We'll see what happens next and how this plays into JJ's potential ambition for re-election.

[ Parent ]
: Right on the money Dan (none / 0) (#5)
by E Corning on Tue Sep 30, 2008 at 01:10:16 PM EST

Except for one thing. Your Congressional candidate of choice, the "ever-liberal" Phil Steck, is also to blame in this mess.
As a committeeperson, I heard it floating around from several reliable members that Steck was a vital part of this coup - Clyne and McCoy delivered the Committee for his endorsement in exchange for Colonie. Well, Colonie was united. Steck delivered. Too bad for him, the Committee couldn't.

[ Parent ]

Sorry for not (none / 0) (#6)
by HannibalSmith on Tue Sep 30, 2008 at 09:46:39 PM EST

Having consulted the bylaws before posting, but I think Mr. Van Riper summed up a little more eloquently what I was trying to say.
I too, had found myself rooting for Frank these past weeks. Turns out he wasn't Jerry's puppet as everyone feared. Despite the fact we have the right as Committepersons to elect a new leader every 2 years, doesn't mean we have to? It just seemed in bad taste to bounce a guy out who busted his ass for our party for decades for a guy who's probably never carried a petition in his life.
But, this isn't to say the new slate isn't totally capable of doing good work. We'll just have to wait and see. Bring the picnic back to Albany County!!
"I love it when a plan comes together.."

: No wonder we're in the shape we're in. (none / 0) (#7)
by AlfredMoisiu on Thu Oct 02, 2008 at 04:16:15 PM EST

Historically, the Albany County Democratic party has been more like an organized crime racket than a political organization.
The funniest thing to me is the amoung the people that I know personally who think that memorizing the bylaws, and that bullshitting with a committeeman is a big deal, there is a single issue that angers them.
Not Iraq, not any of the various issues that affect Albany, not the nation teetering towards depression as the democratic congressional leadership fucks up legislation by making stupid barbs against Republicans.
Nope, it's that stupid picnic.

[ Parent ]

Excuuse me.. (none / 0) (#8)
by HannibalSmith on Thu Oct 02, 2008 at 09:24:58 PM EST

Mr. Killjoy. What with all the issues that are facing our country, the war in Iraq, the various issues that affect Albany,the nation teetering towards depression as the democratic and a congressional leadership fucks up legislation by making stupid barbs against Republicans, nothing makes me happier than watching grown men with mullets get so drunk they can't stand, and a steal golfcart and ride it off into the horizon, never to be seen again.
This is one of my fondest memories as a kid at the Albany County Dem Picnic at the Altamont Fairgrounds.
"I love it when a plan comes together.."

I Hate When Mommy and Daddy Fight | 8 comments (8 topical, 0 hidden)

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