Tuesday, September 11, 2012

JCOPE Atemped Fix Outed, Forced to Do Something

Will the Head of Vito Be Enough Now?

Ethics panel adds Sheldon to Vito probe(NYP)NYP: Cuomo integrity "hanging in the balance" while JCOPE probes "Vito-Lopez-Sheldon-Silver-Eric-Schneiderman-Tom-DiNapoli coverup scandal" The state Joint Commission on Public Ethics voted to conduct a broader investigation into those involved in Assemblyman Vito Lopez’s sex scandal, including Speaker Shelly Silver, the attorney general and the state comptroller. The Post lauds Cuomo for pushing the state ethics commission to widen its probe of Albany enablers in Lopez’s harassment scandal but says his credibility remains “hanging in the balance” * Newsday wants the state’s ethics law amended to reduce the ability of ethics commission members to veto a probe and permit disclosure of probes underway when the incident is public knowledge * Times Union: “Who’s more inscrutable, Bob Dylan or Ravi Batra?”

Cuomo tightens the screws(NYP) After a decidedly unsubtle push from Gov. Cuomo, the state’s new ethics watchdog is going all in on the Vito-Lopez-Sheldon-Silver-Eric-Schneiderman-Tom-DiNapoli coverup scandal.* Cuomo Is Open to ‘Tweaks’ in Ethics Panel(NYT) Cuomo said he is open to tweaking the state ethics panel as a former member warned of corruption and others said the group is losing credibility as it probes Assemblyman Lopez’s sexual harassment settlement * Ethics Panel Sets Inquiry for Lopez(WSJ) * State Ethics Board Votes To Investigate Lopez Sexual Harassment Scandal(NY1) * Hammond: "Cuomo understands that if botches the Lopez case, it reflects on his leadership, too."  * Bill Hammond says it’s time for Cuomo and the Legislature to recognize their mistakes and “fix” JCOPE. * Ditto, says the TU, adding: “(I)t’s obvious that the governor and lawmakers must scrap the sham that is JCOPE and replace it with a truly independent board.” * Cuomo defended JCOPE as former Commissioner Ravi Batra warned of “possible illegality and corruption”, but also said he’s open to making some “tweaks” to improve it.* The governor called a Moreland Act commission his “Plan B” if JCOPE fails to perform. Commissioners were offended by his threat.* Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver To Be Investigated For Vito Lopez Coverup(Village Voice) * Stu Loeser will help Shelly Silver out with that whole Vito Lopez situation.* Shirley Huntley’s campaign apparently thinks her constituents need more than fried chicken from her opponent, James Sanders. It’s not the first racially-tinted ad on her behalf. * The anti-gay marriage Mark Grisanti attacks roll on. * Dov Hikind was not pleased with Moshe Tischler’s attack on him over the Jacob Ostreicher case, saying, “These kids should really grow up first and learn how to respect a fellow Jew or any fellow human being whose life is in danger, before they want to run a campaign, you just don’t play games with a human life.” * Tischler said Hikind’s response involved plenty of “chutzpah.”* Stu Loeser's first major client is Sheldon Silver | Capital New York


JCOPE Tries to Save Protect Their Phony Baloney Jobs!


 
John Use A Pay Phone
Liu caught a nasty ‘bug’ from the fedsLiu caught a nasty ‘bug’ from the feds(NYP) * U.S. Started to Wiretap Comptroller 2 Years Ago(NYT) * Liu Fundraiser Places Blame for Scheme(WSJ) * Attorneys: Government Had “Obsession” with Prosecuting Liu (WSJ) * Feds Wiretapped Comptroller Liu As Part Of Fundraising Probe(NY1) * Liu phones tapped by FBI(NYDN) * Attorney’s for Liu’s fundraiser, Xing Wu Pan, say he was “entrapped” by an undercover sting operation into “violating the campaign finance laws” as part of a federal investigation into the comptroller’s fundraising practices.* "The feds has 10 wiretaps on six different phones belonging to Liu and several others connected to his campaign for more than 18 months in 2010 and 2011". [Robert Gearty] *  Courtney Gross We catch up with @johncliu on phone tapping. He says: "If they wanted to listen in I got a three-way feature on my phone." #nyc


Campaign 2012  Manhattan Senator, Challenger Spar Over Rangel Endorsement(NY1) * Republican Supporter of N.Y. Marriage Equality Attacked With Anti-Gay Ads(NY Mag) * Underdog candidate hopeful ramps up campaign in  South (NYDN)
* Primary election battles in Queens(NYDN) * Crowded Assembly primary in Flushing(NYDN) * Espaillat admitted to sending out a controversial campaign mailing that accursed his primary challenger, Linares, of betraying the Latino community by supporting Rangel in the June 26 primary.* Harold Tischler, the father of 21-year old state Senate candidate Abraham Tischler and 20-year old Assembly candidate Moshe Tischler, is under indictment for conspiracy to commit immigration fraud and mail and wire fraud among other charges.* Eric Ulrich is going negative on Juan Reyes after all? The picture on the left has the front of the mailer, here’s the back. * John Messer doesn’t appreciate the “grandmother rapist” campaign mailers that are being used against him. * “We as black folks should immediately be able to identify this method of political lynching,” leaflets hitting Shirley Huntley’s district declared. “The community knows this is a political hanging.” * Rock Hackshaw made his endorsements for Thursday’s primaries. * There’s a Bunch of Elections Thursday, Which Ones Should You Care About? (nyo) * A silly-season attack involving a Sanders and a bucket of chicken big h/t to *Charlie Rangel Explains Why Adriano Espaillat’s State Senate Campaign is Destroying America(NYO) * A rival demands Assemblyman Dov Hikind retract statements about his record. [BrooklynScoop.com] * Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera ducked a televised debate against her three rivals yesterday. [Bob Fredericks]* Another angle in the Shirley Huntley scandal: Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's probe of Councilman Ruben Wills' member items. [Chris Bragg] * Dueling Mailers Attack Candidates in Final Days of Bronx Assembly Race(nyo) * Hakeem Jeffries Robocalls for Walter Mosley(nyo) * Quinn for a Day: Christine Throws Herself a National Coming Out Party(NYO) * “William F. Boyland Jr., the four-term assemblyman representing the 55th district in Brooklyn, went on what for him might be described as a bill-drafting binge during the legislative session earlier this year – introducing a total of three measures in Albany.” * Boyland is just one of several incumbent downstate legislators who might lose their respective seats in Thursday’s primary. There are also a number of fights over empty seats worth watching. * The Rent is Too Damn High Party’s Jimmy McMillan is planning another NYC mayoral run.
 



Work had been stalled for nearly a year because of a longstanding dispute between Bloomberg and Cuomo over costs and oversights
Yesterday Political Fingers Point Over 9/11 Museum Standstill(NY1) * The 9/11 foundation agreed to share financial data with the PA and pay additional cash to cover construction costs, and an advisory committee will be created to resolve disputes. The authority will formally transfer ownership of the eight acres that contain the memorial and the museum to the foundation.


Deal is a real museum ‘peace’(NYP) * Agreement Will Restart Work on Sept. 11 Museum(NYT) * 9/11 Museum Will Rise(WSJ) * Governor, Mayor Reach Sudden Deal To Unblock Progress On 9/11 Museum(NY1) * In NY - Agreement Reached on Sept. 11 Museum.(NBC) * Deal reached to restart construction of 9-11 museum(NYDN) * The News praises a deal allowing construction of the September 11th Museum at Ground Zero but says too much time was wasted in negotiations * Agreement Reached On Restarting 9/11 Museum Constructio(WCBS)* Agreement Reached on Sept. 11 Museum(NBC)



Following her Finest father, who made ultimate sacrifice on 9/11(NYP) * For Some, Moving On From 9/11 Means Scaling Back * 9/11 Fund to Cover 50 Cancers(NYT) * Good deed charity honors 9/11 victims at NYSE(WSJ) * City Prepares For Annual September 11th Memorial Ceremony(NY1) * NY Lawmakers Applaud Federal Decision To Have Zadroga Act Cover Cancer(NY1) * 20/20 Vision: Poll Finds NYers' Terror Fears Are Similar To 2002 Levels(NY1) * Watch a Time-Lapse Video of One World Trade Center's Construction(NY Mag) * The Deafness Before the Storm (NYT) * Giuliani on 9/11 and war on terrorism: "this isn’t over."(NYDN) * Status of World Trade Center site, 11 years later (WABC) * The Post thanks firefighters and police officers for their work protecting New Yorkers on the 11th anniversary of 9/11 * Staten Island pauses Tuesday to remember its 9/11 victi (SI Advance) * City, Nation Mark 11th Anniversary Of 9/11 Attacks(NY1)\* The battle for control of the U.S. Senate has taken some twists and turns. * A WaPo/ABC poll has President Obama ahead over Mitt Romney as well. * Rupert Murdoch said Romney needs to move to the center and stop fearing his right flank. * Both campaigns agree that there are about nine swing states.

Alexa Smagala takes after her firefighter dad(NYDN)



Member of Manhattan Political Royalty Celebrates a Birthday(NYT)





Education
Student blew Stuy whistle(NYP) * Regents Consider a New History Test(WSJ) * State Education Officials May Split Regents Exam (WSJ) State education officials want to split the regents exam for history into two tests for geography and global history and require passing only one for graduation, prompting outcry among teachers * Overbiller up for $28 million city tutor deal (NYDN) * Stuy student blew whistle on cheating scandal(NYDN)




Bid to name ferry for Rudy(NYP) Rep. Michael Grimm wants to name a Staten Island Ferry boat after former Mayor Rudy Giuliani in honor of his leadership on 9/11 


Soda Ban Explained(NYT) The filmmaker Casey Neistat presents a guide to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s proposal to restrict sales of big sugary drinks in New York.


Kingsbridge Armory ice center bidders tout $1.3 billion (NYDN)


New York Is Lagging as Seas and Risks Rise, Critics Warn(NYT) New York City is facing up to the threats posed by rising seas and flooding in the subway system during severe storms, but the city is years away from — and billions of dollars short of — armoring itself.







The Making of A President 2012
Bill Clinton Summons the Spotlight for Obama (and Himself) * Missteps and Surprises Scramble Battle for the Senate(NYT)  * . and are taking down their negative ads in honor of the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. * Romney’s five risky campaign bets(Wash Post) * who's going? & will host *Laura Ingraham To Republicans: ‘If You Can’t Beat Barack Obama… Then Shut Down The Party’ * Rush Limbaugh Predicts ‘End Of Republican Party’ If Obama Wins Re-Election * Clinton's role unmatched in recent history (CBS) * Mitt Romney is getting the John Kerry treatment on national security. His response will be key * Obama gets bounce, but not with likely voters(Wash Post) *Mitt Romney is running more television ads in Wisconsin as well. * President Obama is trying to “Kerry-ize” Romney on national security issues.*Will Convention "Reset" Bring Dem Voters to Polls? - Roland Martin, CNN
Among Likely Voters, the Race Is Close - Balz & Cohen, Washington Post
We're Looking at a One-Term Proposition - Mona Charen, National Review
Romney's Behind & Running Out of Time - Charlie Cook, National Journal
The Trafficking in Political Nonsense - John Podhoretz, New York Post
Obama Is Right Where He Wants to Be - Steve Benen, MSNBC
Deficit Tops $1 Trillion for 4th Time - Stephen Dinan, Washington Times
White House Pushes Back on Woodward Book - Wasson & Parnes, The Hill
Everyone Will Watch the Debates - Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal
Romney's Health Care Dither - Eugene Robinson, Washington Post
Why the Chicago Talks Must Be Made Public - Andrew Rotherham, Time
Students Are the Collateral Damage - Dennis Byrne, Chicago Tribune
Obama Will Outraise Romney This Election - Andy Kroll, Mother Jones
Depending on Dependency - Thomas Sowell, Investor's Business Daily
Obama Skips Half of Daily Intel Briefings - Marc Thiessen, Washington Post
Bush Was Deaf to 9/11 Warnings - Kurt Eichenwald, New York Times
9/11, Pearl Harbor & Other Failures of Imagination - Carl M. Cannon, RCP
ABC News/Washington Post: Obama 49, Romney 48 | RCP Electoral Map
Romney's Clumsy Health Pivot - Tampa Bay Times
Out of Patience: Obama's Promises Ring Hollow - New York Daily News
Trying to Figure Out Bob Woodward - Kevin Drum, Mother Jones
Unemployment Crisis Is Getting Worse - James Pethokoukis, AEI Ideas
What The Fed Should Do, But Probably Won't - Nin Hai-Tseng, Fortune
Obama Bounce Over, Slog Begins - Jonathan Chait, New York Magazine
The Kerry-ization of Mitt Romney - Mike Allen & Jim VandeHei, Politico
Intensity Gap for Obama Is Dem Achilles' Heel - Chris Stirewalt, FOX News
Is Romney Letting ObamaCare Off the Hook? - Jeffrey Anderson, Wkly Std
Health Law Is Saving Americans Money - Kathleen Sebelius, White House
Taking On "The New Leviathan" - Ben Boychuk, Washington Times
Teachers Have a Lot of Reasons for Striking - Mark Brown, Chicago ST
Chicago Teachers Union vs. Common Sense - Charles Lane, Washington Post
State Polls: Florida | Ohio | Virginia | Minnesota | Arizona | N. Carolina
What’s behind Obama’s fundraising surge? 
 

Law and Order
Wake to be held Tuesday for Bronx bodega worker slain by (NYDN)