Winners and Losers

We felt like it would be fun to point out some of our recent winners and losers in New York State politics over the last several days. We hope many of our readers will concur with our assessments. Feel free to add others to either category in the comments section, or debate why we are wrong in our analysis.

Biggest Losers:

Governor David Paterson - Putting Tiger Woods aside, we don't think anyone can deny that this guy wins the gold medal for the biggest loser. Our 55th Governor of the State of New York has racked up a long list of stupidness: pending ethics violations over accepting World Series tickets, covering up sexual abuse scandal with state resources and direct calls to police to save his body man, rumors of various affairs including one with a state employee that he admitted when he first came to office, proposed tax increases on all sorts of goodies, appointing Kirsten Gillibrand to a US Senate seat and a general gross mismanagement of the state's runaway budget deficit. Paterson's story is playing out like a bad scene from the Jersey Shore. Good riddance.

Congressman Eric Massa- Rumors are abound that the House ethics committee will investigate whether Massa had sexually abused a male staffer and will be retiring at the end of 2010. Just wait for the attack dogs and Democratic colleagues alike to call for his resignation. A special election like the one in New York 23 might be just around the corner.

Congressman Charlie Rangel - Rangel is caught up in some compromising ethics violation(s). Politico reported that, "the catalyst for Rangel's removal came last week, when the ethics committee ruled that he had broken House gift rules by accepting corporate-sponsored travel to the Caribbean." He has now lost his chairmanship of the powerful Ways and Means Committee that writes tax policy after serving the House for 39 years. Is there anymore to say about that? Owens is counting his lucky starts that he didn't have to vote on removing Rangel of his chairmanship.

New York State Democrats - How many Democratic Governors can New York blow through without looking ridiculous? Spitzer, Paterson, State Senator Monserrate, Massa and Rangel have seriously damaged the party brand in New York. Are these leaders a reflection of the Democratic party as a whole? The budget is a mess, taxes are high, businesses are moving out of state, party leaders getting greedy and Harold Ford said he got out of the primary race because the party in New York State Democrats aren't strong enough to deal with the pressure and still win. All bets are off in 2010.

Congressman Bill Owens - Our new representative is talking about jobs recently, but he is about to lose his own for voting for socialized medicine that includes all sorts of perverse carve-outs for other states, increased taxes and cuts to Medicare. If he flip-flops on the health care vote he will discourage his base of Democrat supporters. If he votes for it he loses the election to whatever candidate(s) that run against him. It is a tough spot to be in, but Pelosi and Obama are the ones who got him to Washington and he owes it to them. Ironically, Pelosi and Obama, the same people who got Owens elected, are the same people who are going to get him run out of office.

Assemblyman Will Barclay - His campaign will not answer our questions and the candidate is not being open with the public. Michael Baucus of the Barclay campaign responded to an e-mail request to get 3-5 of our 20 questions answered with this lame response: "Will Barclay would be more than pleased to answer each of those twenty questions if he becomes a candidate for Congress. If you live in the 23rd Congressional District, all you have to do is attend any scheduled candidates debate, stand up, identify yourself and state your question. Will Barclay would, of course, afford any district voter the same opportunity." So for our readers -- feel free to ask your questions when you see Barclay on the campaign trail. But good luck getting your questions answered.

Mayor Jeff Graham - If Mort Zukerman had given up control of his media empire to run for US Senate, Jeff Graham could have made a quick move to cut into the media mogul's huge national market. Graham is still doing well with his blog and radio show. But had Zukerman officially gotten into the race, Graham could have capitalized and made it big.

USA Men's Olympic Hockey Team - Team USA were the underdogs, no doubt. We played hard but only got the silver medal -- unfortunately, second place is the first loser. And you lost to Canada!

The Watertown Daily Times - The Times falls into the loser category because they are awful almost every week. Any objections?

Winners:

Andrew Cuomo - Love him or hate him or just don't care, this guy is undoubtably going to be the Democratic nominee for Governor. For the sake of our state, lets just pray he is better than Spitzer and Paterson.

Harold Ford Jr. - He got out of the Democratic US Senate primary just in time. The New York Democratic establishment was about to eat the guy up and spit him out. He saved his reputation and now maybe he can make a run for Charlie Rangel's seat.

Bruce Blakeman - Media mogul Mort Zuckerman is pulling out of the US Senate race against Gillibrand and that opening gives Blakeman a clearer shot at the GOP nomination. Gillibrand's negatives are so high that the Lewis county dog-catcher could make it a competitive race in year where Republicans were able to win in Massachusetts.

Ann Marie Buerkle - We haven't talked about our neighbor district to the south-west, but they have a battle brewing for the congressional Republican nomination to challenge Representative Dan Maffei in NY-25. Buerkle is winning Republican and Conservative endorsements for her race at a blistering pace. What's Up NY-23 isn't offering its endorsement yet, but is predicting Buerkle is on the best path to become the GOP nominee for that race.

Darrel Aubertine - Getting beat up by New York City press for opposing a liberal farm workers bill isn't always a bad thing for an upstate Democrat. He is also now a member of the fiscal watch force. Let's see what he does with it.

Mike Long - The Conservative Party Chairman has been gaining credibility across the state and has to be taken seriously by Republicans at every level because of the fusion voting system in the state and the conservative movement's ability to tap into voter discontent.

Patty Ritchie - Even though Ritchie has been attacked on the Lewis and Oswego blogs, she is still the frontrunner for the 48th Senate district race. Whoever gets the nod could make it a race for the ages against Aubertine. There is still a lot of time left, but Ritchie has positioned herself and it doesn't look like Matt Doheny is going to jump races as we move into the spring.

Assemblywoman Janet Duprey - Duprey seems to be handling her competition for the GOP nomination with stride. David Kimmel has yet to make the kind of impact that conservatives had hoped for, which may leave the door open for Paul Maroun or another candidate to jump into the race at this early stage. There is still time for Kimmel to make his case for the nomination, but each day that Kimmel lags is another day Duprey is counting her blessings.

NewzJunky.com - Just because they are better than the Watertown Daily Times.

SU Men's Basketball Team - First time the Orange have been ranked #1 in years. Congrats and Go Orange!

Janet Duprey Running as the Party of No

Our unscientific poll asking whether Janet Duprey should do an interview is officially over and we are taking down the poll. The results were pretty much predictable. On the question of "do you think Janet Duprey should complete Buggs Buddy's interview?" the results are 58% think yes and only 42% think no.

Hopefully Janet will come around and reconsider doing an interview with us so that the people can learn more about her record and accomplishments. It was kind of pathetic that she couldn't list any accomplishments for us, or even tell us what the main thing she wanted voters to know about her in the 114th Assembly District. Below are the questions we proposed to Janet that she couldn't answer. We can say though that at least Assemblywoman Duprey is taking her cues from the Republican Party in one respect: she is continuing to make Republicans look like the Party of No.

Buggs Buddy Question: Assemblywoman, thank you for agreeing to taking the time to participate in our interview. I am sure our readers are very interested in learning more about your agenda for 2010 in the Assembly. Can you give us some insight into what issues you will be working on and why?

Janet Duprey Response: Not able to answer.

BB: Why did you initially decide to run for state office and what do you count as your most significant accomplishments?

JD: Not able to answer.

BB: What do you think are the main differences between yourself, Paul Maroun and David Kimmel? Why should someone consider voting for you rather than these other two candidates in the Republican primary?

JD: Not able to answer.

BB: You are obviously running as a Republican but some people in the GOP want to move the party in two different directions: the moderate direction or the conservative direction. You followed the NY-23 Congressional race closely last year. The candidacy of Doug Hoffman in NY-23 against Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava and Bill Owens resulted in a very public debate that seemed to pit generic Republican voters into two competing Republican camps in 2009. What place do you think there is for moderate or more liberal Republicans in the GOP today? Can conservatives and moderates coexist within the Republican Party moving forward?

JD: Not able to answer.

BB: There are a lot of challenges in New York state today. But, unemployment and the poor economic environment are on the minds of a lot of people, what can Albany do to bring more jobs and economic development to Northern New York?

JD: Not able to answer.

BB: What do you think about social issues like gay marriage and abortion in the New York State legislature? Do you think the state has a role to play in governing morality? What level of priority do you think we should we give to issues that often divide people in both major political parties?

JD: Not able to answer.

BB: What is the main thing you want voters in the 114th to know about you and your candidacy? Is there anything else you want our readers to know about you and this race?

JD: Not able to answer.

BB: Do you have a favorite candidate for NY-23 in 2010 or a favorite candidate for New York State Governor? If so, why do you think they are the best candidates? If not, what kind of candidates do you think the people of NY-23 and New York State are looking for?

JD: Not able to answer.

BB: Did you have a New Years Resolution for 2010?

JD: Not able to answer.

Maybe some of our readers can try to answer some of the easy questions we posed to Janet Duprey in the comments section. We would love to hear your thoughts.

My Latest Disappointment

Most days I am a very happy bunny. But today I felt great disappointment. The reason: for the first time since What's Up NY-23 launched I have been flatly denied an interview request.

The conversation went like this... On January 3rd I kindly asked Assemblywoman Janet Duprey if she would be willing to answer some questions for our readers. The questions were pretty easy, like most of the other interviews we have done over the past several weeks -- what are your core principles, what are the issues you will run on in 2010, what are your major accomplishments in office, what did you think the NY-23 special election and the direction of the party, etc.

I thought I had the Assemblywoman lined up for a post when she responded on January 11th that she would answer my questions once she found the time. Then, a few days later she had a sudden change of heart. She had questions about who I was and what the blog was all about. Maintaining hope that the assemblywoman would still be willing to participate and share with our readers her thoughts on politics and her upcoming campaign, I responded on January 14th about the purpose of this blog, the reason for my anonymity, etc. Then today I get her response/rebuke. Here is what she wrote today in response to my request earlier this month,

I have given your request considerable thought. I do not follow any blogs, including yours, so being on a blog is not something that interests me.

In addition, I have never given any credibility to a person who is 'anonymous'. If someone does not have the courage and integrity to identify himself/herself, I have always refused any dialogue.

Thank you for contacting me. Should circumstances change later in the year, I may at that time decide to respond.

I have to admit that it hurt to be called uncourageous. It hurt that my integrity was challenged. In any event, I hope circumstances will change later in the year, and that the assemblywoman will reconsider. Voters want to know who the assemblywoman really is and what she really stands for. It is important for our political leaders to share their thoughts so that the voters can have a real chance to make informed votes, and so that together we can encourage more dialogue and greater participatory democracy. No one wants a censored and watered down political environment. People want to talk about the future and how to fix our problems. Unfortunately, in this case, it seems my anonymity has becoming a bit of a liability in my attempt to get information out to the general public. To all of my readers I am very sorry about this.

Hopefully, I can turn it around and score another good interview with a different candidate. If you know of one please have their campaign e-mail me at whatsupny23@gmail.com. I'm putting up a poll on my sidebar to see whether you, the people, believe Janet Duprey should answer some of our questions so that we can have a lively debate on the future direction of New York and this great country.

Response to Jude Seymour & What's Really Up with Mayor Jeff Graham?

So the first part of this introduction is a bit extraneous and I apologize for it. But I was quite amused yesterday when Jude Seymour called me out on his Watertown Daily Times Political Blog for my online political pseudonym "Buggs Buddy." In his recent post referring to an interview I conducted with an Assembly candidate out east, Jude wrote that you could learn more about Mr. Kimmel's platform in an interview with "Buggs Buddy" at the new blog "What's Up NY-23?" <= That's us! Jude continued typing, "on a side note: it takes a lot of...something...to give an interview to a person who won't use their real name." While I'm not quite sure what that *something* is, which Jude is referring to, might I suggest to our faithful readers that it was a good move for Mr. Kimmel to make an outreach to new media to get his message out. It will increase this chances of winning!

For newcomers to our blog, you can see the Buggs-Kimmel interview here where he shares his personal background and some of his core beliefs in a way that allows the voters to come here freely to help make their choice in who should be their popularly elected state assembly representative. I feel as though it is important to point out that politics is an important part of our heritage and our culture, but it can also be fun! That's what I do and that is what I am here for.

It is more than what I can say for Assemblywoman Duprey, Kimmel's main opponent, who at this point has not yet responded to my fair, scripted and easy set of questions for voters to decipher on our blog. It's her choice ultimately (the offer is still open), but maybe besides the point because we are still hopeful that we will be able to have an exchange with many other fine political leaders from NY-23 that represent both political parties -- just as we are also sure that Mr. Seymour will enjoy this next interview with everyone's favorite Watertown Mayor, Jeff Graham. And with that strange introduction over please hold your applause for our most exciting interview to date!

Buggs Buddy Question: Mayor Graham. It is an honor and a privilege to connect with you on some issues that people in NY-23 take very seriously. So thank you very much for agreeing to taking the time to participate in our interview. Your site, www.mayorgraham.blogspot.com, covers a lot of issues dealing with local and national politics, the weather, popular culture and entertainment. Please share with us when you first started your site and how it has progressed since its inception. Why did you initially decide to start your site?

Watertown Mayor Jeff Graham Response: I started my blog last summer after finally figuring out how to do it. Other local bloggers like Ted Ford and Scott Gray (oops Political IV) were the impetus for getting started. I like writing and since my own career in media was a bit of a fizzle, this satisfies my need to write, muse and pontificate.

BB: That is great. We interviewed Ted Ford recently and you and see that interview here. We extended an offer to Scott Gray, but we are waiting to hear back. Maybe he will start a different blog? Can you please tell us what interests you have outside of politics, Sarah Palin news and Watertown history?

JG: Damn, you listed my scope of interest. I am a Yankees and Jets fan, and just enjoy the give and take of public policy and politics. I also enjoy owning Fort Pearl Tavern... It's a fun line of work.

BB: What do you think are the main issues that Republicans and Democrats should focus on in 2010 at the state and national level?

JG: Deficit... Deficit... and then maybe take a look at the Deficit.

BB: Got it. What candidates on the local level and the national level are you most excited about and who do you see as future leaders emerging from the Republican and Democratic parties in Upstate New York?

JG: I think this Matt Doheny could be an interesting candidate... He seems to have an active mind... Of course, I like Palin on the national scene. She has values and an idealogical compass.

BB: Interesting choices. We have Matt listed as a top-tier candidate on our site. Can you share with us what has been the most difficult decision of your tenure as Mayor of Watertown? What has been the easiest?

JG: The big commitments of money are tough, like the hydro plant renovation some years ago. The best part was during the ice storm when I had to try and provide comfort and encouragement to our workers and the citizens in a tough time.

BB: Do you have a prediction on candidates that might emerge for State Senator Darrel Aubertine's 48th state senate district? Who do you think can mount a credible challenge to Addie Russell's state assembly seat and will Dede Scozzafava see a primary challenge for her state assembly seat?

JG: Aubertine is in the driver's seat, but the best GOP candidate is the perky clerk from Heuvelton. I think Addie Russell is a lock... not just because Ted Ford works for her but she has really shown an interest in the job and the district. As for Scozzafava, I am not a Republican, so I will defer on whether she should have the audacity to run.

BB: What is the best political advice you have ever gotten?

JG: To run for Mayor. TV 50 Weather Person Stephanie Gorin told me to when the news was cancelled. I was going to run for Council but she said to go for the gold.

BB: I bet you are glad you took her advice now that you are the Mayor. Most of our readers already know you well, read your blog and some who read this interview may even listen to you on the radio, but is there anything else you would like our readers to know about you that might be of interest?

JG: I am a nice guy.

BB: Okay, now on a scale of 1 to 10 how do you rate President Obama's performance?

JG: 4... I don't like his ideology and he is on TV too much. I do think he is a decent guy and do not really dislike him... Just disagree with him.

BB: On a scale of 1 to 10 what do you think of our blog?

JG: Well a 10 of course.

BB: A 10? Spoken like a true politician. Thank you for the accolades. I heard you give us a shout out on the radio yesterday so I'll take you at your word. Do you think the newspaper industry will soon see their finish line with the emergence of blogs and social media outlets that get information out quicker and more efficiently? What, if anything, do you think the newspaper industry can do to blunt the impact of these new technologies on their ability to continue selling gray print on white papers?

JG: I stand ready to offer my recommendations for the salvation of print journalism. So far Mr. Johnson has yet to call.

BB: Do you have a New Years Resolution? If so, have you kept it so far?

JG: Lose weight... I will keep you posted.

BB: That is great. I am going to do a better job of finishing my carrots at the dinner table. In all seriousness though, I appreciate your participation. Thank you very much for your time. We will keep following the progress of your blog, www.mayorgraham.blogspot.com, and your good work in Watertown. I think you might have that *something* that Jude Seymour is talking about. Hopefully we can get back to you for a follow-up interview at some point.

Exclusive Interview with Candidate David Kimmel

Here is our first exclusive interview with a 2010 candidate for NYS Assembly, David Kimmel. We hope to continue this conversation with Kimmel and get a chance to interview other candidates all across NY-23. We thought this interview included some fascinating information. To find out about Kimmel's New Year's Resolutions, his thoughts on Janet Duprey and Doug Hoffman, how he thinks NYS CO's should be treated, and his musings on dirtbag politicians, read on below!

Buggs Buddy Question: Mr. Kimmel thank you for agreeing to take the time to participate in our interview and congratulations on your decision to run for public office. I am sure our readers are very interested in learning more about your issues and your priorities, but first we need to know who you are as a person. Can you first give us a little bit of background on who you are, where you grew up, what you do now, and tell us what your first experience in politics was?

David Kimmel Response: I’m a city kid. I grew up in Downtown Flint, Michigan. I lived across the street from a house of ill repute and next door to a half-way house. I got mugged more times than I can count until I learned to fight for myself. We moved from there to a little town called Owosso and from there to Lansing. I spent most of my adult life in the military – first the Marines and then the Army. I served in special operations in both branches. My post military jobs have been in technology. I currently own and operate my own technology integration company. My first experience in politics was volunteering for a mayoral campaign for a woman in Evansville Indiana. I worked the phones.

BB: What made you decide for run for the New York State Assembly?

DK: I’m tired of sending people to Albany who have no vision and can’t get anything done. I decided to run for Assembly because I have a vision and can get things done. At some point I would love to expound on this idea of “vision” for your readers.

BB: Karen Bisso, your campaign manager, told us that your intention in this race is to "shake up business as usual" and "offer the citizens of the 114th District a common sense, real solutions option the North Country can be proud to send to Albany." Can you tell us what your core message will be? What are your common sense, real solutions to our problems we face today? Specifically, I am sure our readers would like to know what three issues you want to work on.

DK: You bet. Like I state on my bio page, I have seen New Yorkers respond to crisis. I have seen the best in our folks. We’re not the problem. Government is. I know that sounds like campaign rhetoric, but it’s true. My core message is three-fold.

1) Shrink the size of government. There are different ways we do it, but one way in particular is to privatize routine information technology tasks. I will discuss others later in the campaign.

2) Create a business friendly environment. We have to send a clear signal to the business world that we are open for business. Apparently Albany didn’t get that memo. Albany lawmakers decide who the winners and losers are through incentive. This is a Socialist principle, not a free-market one. Another way is to freeze fees. I will announce an initiative to address this Monday night. This is so important to small businesses that it can’t wait until the election. While this flies in the face of convention, I’m going to reveal a no-brainer opportunity that my opponent should not pass up. It’s so important that I don’t even care if she tries to claim it as her own idea.

3) Market the 114th Assembly District. I have a very specific plan to accomplish this. It is at the core of my message on vision. I will reveal this within the next 120 days.

BB: We understand that you have just started your campaign. Can you tell us what the response is like so far and what do you have planned on the campaign trail for the rest of the winter? Do you anticipate that you will be able to raise the necessary campaign funds to win? Have you raised any money since starting your campaign?

DK: Sure. The response has been very positive, so much so that I’ve asked my team to be leery of the possibility of groupthink. The response has renewed my belief in the great people of the North Country. I mean literally only one guy said he wanted to see literature before making a decision about whether he would support me or not. I’m going to spend the next 90 days visiting small groups and individuals. I’m going to open my home to anyone who wants to sit down over a cup of coffee and tell me what’s on their mind. I’ve already booked some radio shows, and have most of the next two weeks booked for engagements. I anticipate that I will raise a lot of money. I’ve raised about $1100 so far, and really believe that we will continue to see success in our fundraising efforts.

BB: What do you think are the main differences between yourself, Paul Maroun, and Janet Duprey? Why should someone consider voting for you rather than these other two candidates in the Republican primary?

DK: I don’t want to speculate concerning Paul Maroun since I don’t believe he has stated his intentions publicly. (Goodness knows I wouldn’t want anyone throwing me in the ring if I hadn’t made a decision.)

As far as Janet Duprey, our views on social issues are dramatically different. However, there are so many things to fix in the fiscal realm that my campaign will lead with a fiscal agenda of necessity. Janet has painted herself as a fiscal Conservative; however, her support of Dede cannot be reconciled with her claims. Dede supported card-check. That is not only anti-business, but anti-American. (Well, she claimed to be against it, but in an AFL-CIO survey she said she would support it.)

Janet lacks tenacity. Our next Assembly member should aggressively advocate on all fronts for the North Country. As recently as January 2nd she is quoted in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise as saying she's helped constituents deal with serious problems with state bureaucracy. That's not tenacity, that's making time. What she should be doing, and what I will work for, is the elimination of state bureaucracy. We can either work to reduce and eventually eliminate bureaucracy, or we can help people navigate it. I would focus on eliminating it. She introduced so-called tough legislation which she billed as part of her plan to clean up Albany stating: "If you commit a crime you won't get a dime." The bill, A01057, looks good but only addresses tow of the most difficult sections to convict in the penal code. You can apparently Rape, Murder, molest children, and engage in or with a prostitute. This is feel-good election year legislation. It doesn't even address two crimes committed by people the North Country previously sent to Albany.

BB: You are obviously running for the Republican nomination for state assembly, but you also describe yourself as a conservative. Can you tell us what conservatism means to you? What core conservative principles do you subscribe to, and what, if any, place do you think there is for moderate or more liberal Republicans in the GOP today?

DK: What I mean by Conservatism is that I don’t want the government meddling in my personal affairs. I should be free to worship God as I understand Him. I should be able to own as many weapons as I want, automatic or otherwise. If I own my house outright, I should not have to pay the government on an annual basis to live there (property tax). Our men and women in uniform are heroes. I’m talking about our CO’s, our troopers, our sheriffs, our police, and our firefighters, and our military. We should pay them commensurate with the incredible sacrifice they make for us each and every day, because they are the keepers and sustainers of our liberty and freedom. We should be especially embarrassed by the paltry amount we pay CO’s and sheriff’s deputies.

I believe that unfunded mandates, whether from the federal government, or from the State deny us our 10th amendment rights. I believe we are a great beacon of hope for the world, and we naturally attract the disenfranchised and down-trodden. We should welcome anyone who loves liberty and freedom, but we should do so while asserting our sovereignty. This is especially important since we have ten U.S. Land Ports of Entry within the 114th Assembly District.

I believe it is the duty of government to pass laws that open markets and enable free trade instead of restricting them. I want judges to support the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and not rewrite them or legislate from the bench. I believe our founders got it right some 200 years ago. I embrace the sanctity of life and the traditional definition of marriage. Finally, I believe it is the responsibility of government to promote the general welfare of the people, not to provide it.

The second half of your question is more about party politics. My focus is going to be on providing real solutions and real results for all the people of the 114th Assembly District. The views that I hold will inform some of my solutions, but they are not the sum total of my parts. What I mean is: I really think we can get a lot done if the people are our first and only priority. I can find common ground with just about anyone, even if they don’t share all of my views and values. I want to start there. I’m going to let the Party bosses figure out how to address the philosophical issues within the Republican Party. I won’t be taking my marching orders from them anyway. I’ll be taking them from the people. Someone accused me of being naïve about this. I’m not though. Some of the most Conservative people in New York are Democrats in Central New York. The idea that I should take marching orders from party politicians won’t fly. It can’t. Janet Duprey’s support of Dede Scozzafava is a perfect example of why that approach doesn’t serve the people.

BB: What is the main thing you want voters in the 114th to know about you and your candidacy? Is there anything else you want our readers to know about you and this race?

DK: I will provide real solutions and real results because I believe first and foremorest that it is possible. As I will state substantially in my announcement on the 4th, I have the audacity to believe that détente is not a foregone conclusion. People called Reagan a fool when he stated his belief that Soviet Communism could be defeated. Lincoln’s Cabinet said he was off-track when he shared with them his desire to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. Our leaders must have faith in the extraordinary and the vision to see it through. Otherwise we should not send them to Albany.

BB: Do you have a favorite candidate for NY-23 in 2010 or a favorite candidate for New York State Governor? If so, why do you think they are the best candidates? If not, what kind of candidates do you think the people of NY-23 and New York State are looking for?

DK: I worked on Doug Hoffman’s race. I think he’s a good man. I’ve said that publicly, so I’ll say it again. I thought John Faso would have been an excellent choice for Governor in 2006. I think he’d be a good choice now too. He seems like a good egg. For now though, I’m going to stay in my lane. The folks in the 114th Assembly District deserve all of my attention.

BB: A lot of people are apathetic to politics whether they are registered as a Democrat, Republican, Independent, or not even registered to vote. Why do you think that is? How do we begin to solve our states problems in Albany? Do you think it is possible for public officials and state leaders in Albany to regain the voter’s confidence, and how would you do that?

DK: This one is easy. Career politicians often turn out to be dirt-bags. We’re all tired of it. They’re often so careful that it’s hard to actually know what they stand for. About the time you think you have them figured out, they pull a fast one, and you realize the person you thought you were voting for is not the person in office. Now before anyone gets worked up about this, I’m not saying my opponent is one.

My opponent thinks we should have a Constitutional Convention. So does Minority Leader Kalb. I think that the career politicians would start abusing the new Constitution even before the ink is dry. This sounds cynical but please we’ve institutionalized corruption so much here in New York that we actually plan to re-write every twenty years. Our US Constitution has served us well for over 200 years, but New York’s solution is to change the rules. This is sort of like changing laws to accommodate criminals. So I’ve got a better idea. When our politicians screw up, let’s hold them accountable. When they screw up repeatedly, either through wrong action or inaction, let’s throw the bums out. I think if we do that a few times it would help restore voter confidence.

BB: Did you have a New Year’s Resolution for 2010?

DK: More like goals… 1) Read the Bible every day, 2) Tithe 10% of my income consistently, and 3) Win the 114th Assembly race!

Buggs Conclusion: Mr. Kimmel, Thank you again for your time and for answering our questions. We look forward to following your campaign in the weeks and months ahead. You can learn more about Mr. Kimmel and his candidacy by visiting his website, www.votekimmel.com. Best of luck to you and your team!

UPDATE: We heard from Karen Bisso, Kimmel's campaign manager, that their kick-out announcement was a real hit tonight. Karen said Kimmel "tackled big government, government bureaucracy, taxes and fiscal responsibility. An added bonus... a surprise guest was there." I wonder who the guest was?