Did Vaugh Plagiarize Doheny or did Doheny Plagiarize Vaugh?

File this post under the "you can't make this stuff up" bookmark because it is bizarre. Read the two statements below from Nick Vaugh, running for the 118th Assembly district, and Matt Doheny, running for the 23rd congressional seat held by Bill Owens, and then tell me someone isn't plagiarizing.

Nick Vaugh's Fundraising Appeal to Republicans Posted on NewzJunky.com on March 4, 2010:

"I owe my values and success to my family. My mother and father along with my grandfather taught me firsthand the dignity of hard work, the sanctity of family, and the value of service to the community. It is with these values that I seek your assistance in representing the citizens of the 118th Assembly District and the rest of New York. It is with these values and experience I will aggressively work to create an economic environment in which businesses and families can thrive."

Matt Doheny's Letter to Local Republican Committee Members Dated January 21, 2010:

"The value of hard work in the North Country, the sanctity of family and the importance of service to the community was passed down to Matt at a young age directly from his parents. It is these values and the values that he learned from his work in the private sector that Matt will use to represent the citizens of the 23rd Congressional District."

These two paragraphs sound like outright plagiarism to us. And it appears that either Vaugh and Doheny are brothers, or one of them copied the other's campaign materials. Notice the terms that are intimately woven into each candidate's perspective biographies, words like: values, hard work, sanctity of family and service to the community. This could create a major problem for each candidate and they need to be honest with the voters about their backgrounds instead of spouting off vague, cookie-cutter generalizations and near verbatim wording. The website Famous Plagiarists.com sums the seriousness of this political foul on their site:

"A proven accusation of plagiarism can have serious repercussions for a candidate's political ambitions. Just ask Joe Biden. His borrowing of a British politician's campaign speech is perhaps the most famous instance of political plagiarism... This P-word sums up a number of qualities with which no successful politician would want to be assocaited: in-authentic, shortsighted, manipulable (by speechwriters), dishonest, criminal, deceitful, and so on... And if the plagiarism charges stick, the accused is forever tainted, corrupted, and sullied with the justly deserved stigma surrounding such reprehensible behavior. Even if the speechwriter is the real culprit! ["Your speechwriter did it?--yeah, right."]"

And there is a precedent for plagiarism among North Country politicians that never goes over well. Remember when Darrel Aubertine plagiarized a bill that his colleague, State Senator Elizabeth Little, wrote last year? A few weeks after Little had submitted a bill in early 2009 to regulate block-voting rights among co-ops in the New York milk market, Aubertine introduced near similar language amending the state agriculture and markets law. In a classic response to Aubertine, Senator Little took to the floor of the State Senate and said Aubertine's bill was essentially something she could support because she had already introduced it (the video can be found at the end of this post in case you missed the exchange). You may also remember this second instance of plagiarism by Aubertine reported by the Gouverneur Times.

The reason why today's instance of political plagiarism is particularly offensive is because each candidate involved in this scandal used language to describe the values and character they inherited from each of their respective families. It is fine to talk about your core values on the campaign trail and in your written correspondence, but in doing so you should never resort to copying another politician's rhetoric. Beyond sounding unoriginal, it raises questions about one's ethics and personal competence. And to borrow unoriginal language about the values handed down to you by your parents is just lame and embarrassing.

Voters expect candidates to be open and honest about their backgrounds. And this violation raises larger questions for each candidate because it is a safe bet that neither Doheny nor Vaugh will want to be associated with Democratic State Senator Darrel Aubertine for plagiarizing. Will Vaugh and Doheny clear the air with a public statement, an explanation or an apology?

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!

Buggs Sent Will Barclay 20 Questions Today

Putting up a new poll on the sidebar: Do you think Assemblyman Barclay will answer our 20 interview questions?

In an appeal to start debate and discussion with the voters of NY-23, Will Barclay says he wants to be open. Today he said, "I cannot say it strongly enough... Candidates for the US Congress owe this to the people. It should not be viewed as an option - it's an obligation... Let's give the people the real thing for a change" (Barclay for Congress Press Release, 2/25/10).

Will Barclay Wants to be a Looney Tune?

As Buggs Buddy I think I am in the best position to say this: State Assemblyman William Barclay’s knee-jerk reactions and absurd press releases are making him look like Wile E. Coyote trying to chase down the one he will never catch, Doug Hoffman, the one who looks more and more like the Road Runner speeding to victory in NY-23.

Tonight Barclay became the newest looney tune running for federal office when he issued an attack on Doug Hoffman. Barclay’s expensive new media consultant, rumored to be former unknown Congressman Fred J. Eckert of Eagle Communications, e-mailed the statement tonight at 8:16 pm to multiple news outlets.

In the release Barclay reveals his desperation by “urging” Doug Hoffman to renounce the idea of Ron Paul running for President in 2012. Not that Hoffman has any connection to the idea after having been endorsed by several other potential 2012 presidential hopefuls including: Governor George Pataki, Governor Sarah Palin, Senator Fred Thompson, Congressman Mike Pence, Governor Tim Pawlenty and others, but it is kind of silly to read Barclay’s disunity rant.

If you read between the lines of everything that Barclay sends out (the stuff that comes in complete sentences at least) all you find is negativity and knee-jerk reactions. It’s the kind of stuff that fills the Assembly Chamber in Albany where Barclay was infected with this vitriolic incumbent disease I like to call “Albany insider-osis.”

The positive press attention Doug Hoffman received from the Syracuse paper, National Review Online, several prominent Republican bloggers and the Washington Times, has clearly demoralized the Barclay camp. But to Barclay’s credit at least he realizes the need to do something to shake up this race quickly. He can only get away with being the guy who lost Republican control of the State Senate, to Darrel Aubertine, for so long without losing people’s attention.

However, the fact that Barclay chose to attack Ron Paul instead of (oh… I don’t know) Bill Owens or Barack Obama speaks volumes about what kind of Republican he is – a Republican of disunity, a looney tune Republican. Barclay’s attacks are a function of four key things that all voters should consider.

First, Barclay is consumed with the idea of purging Republicans instead of beating the Democrats in 2010. What Barclay doesn’t understand is that his recent call for a unity pledge in NY-23 was completely undermined when his next move was to call for a purge of any fellow Republican who he disagrees with on one particular issue. In this case it is Ron Paul’s opposition to the War in Iraq. Next week it will be his opposition to Tim Pawlenty’s position of being pro-life. The week after that it will be something else absurd. The real question is: why does Barclay want to make the GOP smaller instead of uniting Republicans of all stripes behind a common goal like winning back the House in 2010?

Second, Barclay’s focus on the 2012 presidential elections shows his priorities are in the wrong place. He should be focused on winning in 2010 and bringing prosperity and economic growth back to NY-23. Barclay’s attacks are a distraction from his lack of solutions and focus on what people really care about today: better jobs, lower taxes, less spending, more credit, improved education and market-based solutions to health care.

Third, Barclay’s attacks are a sign of desperation. Doug Hoffman has the lead on money raised, grassroots support, national endorsements, online media, local press, an organized campaign team and about every other metric that could possibly be used to judge a candidates viability in a Republican primary.

Finally, Barclay’s release was absurd on its face. To insinuate that Doug Hoffman is weak on terrorism is pretty lame. After all, Barclay never spent any time in the military. Hoffman has. Hoffman’s campaign website is clear on this issue.

“We are past the point of pointing fingers over how we got to where we are in Iraq and Afghanistan. The question for us now is where do we go from here? I believe we must continue to try and turn the security and governing of Iraq over to the Iraqis. I also believe we need to continue to go after the terrorist strongholds and training bases wherever they are located. The war against terror is not over and the terrorists’ goal remains the destruction of the United States and our way of life. We must never forget this fact.”

Hoffman understands the threats we face and is committed to being a strong defender of American interests. Unlike Barclay, Hoffman was never fed by a silver spoon and he wasn’t an heir to political power like Barclay was from his father’s hard effort. Unlike Barclay, Hoffman had to make something of himself. And Hoffman is the only candidate who has military experience. That is something that military families in Fort Drum will recognize and it is an insult that Barclay would attack a veteran with such vitriol.

Barclay should apologize for throwing other people under the bus to further his own political future. Barclay does not have a campaign that can win. It could have been, but it is evolving into a campaign in desperation mode, running out of fuel. And for that reason we are moving him back to the third tier of candidates with the rest of the other looney tunes.

Vaugh Loses Traction as Other Candidates Gear Up

It appears that Ogdensburg City Legislator Nick Vaugh he has put the breaks on his idea to leave the GOP to start a new "Anti-Addie Russell Party." And Vaugh has, for now at least, forfeited his strategy of conquering Assemblywoman Russell on Twitter, a new social media site online, where Vaugh had obsessively posted critical and controversial critiques of his rival for months.

Like a man hanging on the edge of a cliff, Vaugh is squeezing tightly, his rookie grip, in what looks to be a very difficult campaign for the 118th Assembly district of New York. In the past few days the young city legislator has somewhat recovered, taking productive meetings with Rick Lazio, Massena Mayor Delosh and Senator Griffo. We asked Vaugh for an interview last week and he was unresponsive to our humble request, just like Janet Duprey except at least she had the courtesy to write back.

However, now rumors are floating that Ogdensburg Mayor Bill Nelson might jump into the race, which would really take the wind out of Vaugh's north country sails. On top of that are rumors the local GOP is hoping to recruit another candidate. Possible names like Wells, Brining, Nichols, McNeil, Forsythe, Cantwell, Gray and Renzi have been mentioned even if Nelson decides not to run. The Republican 23rd congressional primary race could also complicate things if Barclay or Doheny drop out of the federal race and decide to play for the 48th Senate District. And if that were to happen it could pressure Pattie Ritchie to make another try for the Assembly.

The political dominoes are sure to set up so that Vaugh is the first to fall, but the young college student doesn't seem persuaded by the old guard of the GOP in 2010. Perhaps Vaugh's idealism and youth are characteristics that would play well in a race for the 118th district against Russell, but those traits could also serve as a disadvantage in his quest for higher political office. While it is true that all candidates have strengths and weaknesses -- true leaders are the ones who accentuate their strengths and turn their biggest weaknesses into political positives. As for the things that matter in the 118th, the variables that matter to Vaugh, are the things he is largely unable to control.

Ambassador Scozzafava to the Rescue?

Like a cold and wet blanket, conservative bunnies everywhere were sickened by the neverending Dede Scozzafava junk that comes across our desk. In her latest interview she labeled Conservatives as Sexist, a zinger that would make Keith Olbermann proud. It is about par for the Dede course, but is she talking about the same sexist who drives a thousand miles and waits 15 hours in the cold outside a bookstore just to get a glimpse of the former GOP VP candidate, Sarah Palin? (I never thought I would have to remind my readers that Palin is a female who also happens to be beloved by Conservatives.)

I'm predicting that the next line out of Scozzafava's mouth after she reads this post will read something as incredulous as "all Republican Rabbits are Racist."

You can read about it all in this stellar profile piece, "Dede Scozzafava's View, From a Small Office on the Fifth Floor: Lonelier, frustrated and still a bit bitter, the woman whose name became a verb reflects," by Chris Bragg at the Capitol.

Poor Dede is so far in the dumps that she is begging the President through the media to make her the next Ambassador to Haiti. Of course Dede doesn't think she will get the assignment because, "people in this business have short memories" and she now seems to be questioning whether the national Democrats even remember her endorsement of Bill Owens in the critical final hours of the NY-23 special election last year.

But the problem isn't really the short memory of the current administration. It is that the President is actually smart enough to not put a person of such colossal incompetence in such an important diplomatic position. Being an ambassador requires something called loyalty, which hasn't exactly been Dede's strong suit of late. And if you think Haiti is messed up now just imagine if Dede were there running things. For crying out loud, I can see Dede's solution to the problems in Haiti right now: more government spending and abortion on-demand services in every working telephone booth around the country. This woman has already proven she can't deliver anything short of a pepperoni pizza or an embarrassing press conference under pressure.

And because I am so sick and tired of Scozzafava's rants I am going to say something that someone should have said a long, long time ago. Dede should just stop playing footsies with the Democrats already. Everyone is sick and tired of it. As a rabbit concerned with the future direction of our country, I am asking politely that she just leave the Republican Party and stop pretending to be something she clearly is not. Dede should just leave the GOP and spare us her paranoid delusions. When she is done with that, conservatives everywhere are ready to hear her apology. Addressing controversy is about all Scozzafava is good for these days, besides a good laugh.

Hoffman Making Big News At CPAC Today

We heard several reports today by e-mail and news stories that Doug Hoffman was in Washington today building support with conservative activists at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. Mr. Hoffman even won an award tonight, "Courage Under Fire," at the national conference which draws thousands of conservative activists and donors from around the country.

In addition, we learned that Doug Hoffman joined Dick Armey to launch the Contract From America, an effort that emulates the Contract for America that Newt Gingrich promoted upon the Conservative Revolution in 1994.

Below are two links to stories we found online from Hoffman's participation at CPAC today. It looks like Doug Hoffman might be the first candidate to make his true intention to run for Congress in NY-23. He does so making the case that he is a uniter of the various fractions of the Republican, Conservative and Tea-Party movements and he also offers a smart alternative to Representative Bill Owens, who Hoffman says is vulnerable because of his votes on government take over of health care and higher spending.

National Review Online - Hoffman Cometh

"Owens has violated every one of his campaign promises. From health care to spending, he's vulnerable." Hoffman points to Scott Brown's Senate win in Massachusetts as proof that conservatives can win in the northeast this year. "But he wasn't the first guy to drive a truck on the trail... Look for me in my '55 Chevy."

Washington Times Article - CPAC News: Hoffman to announce candidacy for NY-23 in coming weeks

"We feel very very good about it [the Hoffman campaign for the 23rd]. I think the fact that Bill Owens violated three campaign promises the day he was sworn in, like voting for the health care bill, is going to give us a lot of leverage. I intend to reunite the Republicans, Conservatives, the teaparty groups and the other activists in defeating Bill Owens this year."

Happy Presidents Day

Happy Presidents Day! For those of you who don't know, George Washington's birthday is actually on February 22nd. Abraham Lincoln's birthday is on February 12th. And Ronald Reagan's birthday is on February 6th. For some interesting background on Presidents Day check out this article that I found online today.

I thought it might be fitting to give a quick recap of a speech I heard from Assembly candidate David Kimmel, who hosted a Lincoln Celebration Dinner in Plattsburgh on Friday night. I'd say there were about 90 people in attendance for the dinner, including Doug Hoffman and a few members of the UNYTEA Party that Mark Barie organizes. Below are some excepts of Kimmel's speech titled, "A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand," which I encourage you to check out.

My speech tonight is titled, “A House Divided against Itself Cannot Stand.” Some might think it is a speech about Republican politics. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it is noteworthy that we have Republicans, Democrats, Conservatives, Independence, and Independent voters in the room... Some people forget that the Republican Party had only recently replaced the Whig Party when Lincoln gave his famous speech. I think today’s prospective candidates ignore this similarity to their own peril. In fact, I submit that a Nation that ignores its own history is on a perilous path. And it’s in that regard we can learn a lot from Lincoln’s “House Divided” speech.

Lincoln gave the speech in 1858 during the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates. He was actually running for the U.S. Senate. He said: “A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other...” We can learn much from this speech and this man.

A house divided against itself cannot stand…It will become all one thing or all the other...

In hindsight we know these words were prophetic. However, in 1858 there were those who discouraged this speech. Every generation has a Chamberlain who exclaims “peace for our time.” Every generation has those who believe the words “can’t we all just get along” are better than addressing the issues of their time. There were those in Lincoln’s day as well.

As you examine the speech you realize that Lincoln wasn’t being provocative or inciting. He was speaking the truth. It cost him the election in 1858. People were doing everything possible to avoid the impending war between the states. But you cannot avoid the inevitable by ignoring it. You could not avoid the war by ignoring slavery any more than you can avoid terrorist attacks by avoiding the word terrorism or the term “War on Terror.” The simple truth is: we must face the problems of our day head on, unless it is our desire to pass the problems we have created on to the next generation of Americans.

We know this was no mere anomaly. When Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation most of his cabinet was against it. They complained the timing was wrong. They claimed it would incite the South to fight harder. They complained it would alienate moderates in the North. All of this sounds familiar. We see in these decisions that Lincoln possessed an abundance of two great leadership traits: decisiveness, and initiative. It is essential that our leaders possess the bravery and fortitude to exercise these traits in order to make the right decisions because they are right, and not just politically expedient.

Abraham Lincoln was also a student of modern history. In 1812 Abigail Adams invoked these same words, “a house divided…” in a private letter to her friend regarding the enemies of our young country. In 1850 Sam Houston invoked these same words when discussing The Compromise of 1850, also about slavery.

We learn from Lincoln that it is important to know our own history and the words of our founders. As we study our founders we learn that they rejected big government. They embraced free markets. They warned against providing welfare, in favor of promoting it. They agreed that the people were the great “safe depositors” of the ultimate powers of society. They embraced virtue and discouraged vice. They rejected “influence” and acknowledged it as the antithesis of government. “Influence” was not bad government. It was “no government.” Still today, whether in Albany or Washington, we gage our politicians based on their ability to peddle or distribute influence. We consider our vote based on our belief that someone can or cannot bring home the bacon, somehow forgetting that the bacon was ours to begin with...

Today we stand on a precipice. Whether in Washington or Albany, politicians are spending the hard-earned money of our children’s children’s children. We will either be a free United States or one enslaved to debt. We will either be free to determine our course and live the dream our founders envisioned, or we will be a nation of mediocrity, bound to the state in return for our daily bread. We will either promote the general welfare of the people or provide it. Ladies and gentlemen…we cannot be both...

As I look at you tonight I am hopeful. I see great New Yorkers who are alert. I see people from New Jersey, Virginia, and Massachusetts who have rejected the alternate narration of those who seek to remake the United States. I see the great people of the North Country who are committed to the preservation of our State and Nation. I see people who are ready and able to show our leaders the way. And if our politicians will not abide, I see people who will show them the door.

Kimmel draws some interesting parallels from Lincoln's "House Divided" speech and government's approach to providing the general welfare of its people today. He also suggests that our founders were weary of big government approaches to policy-making. It sounds like a theme the Tea Party movement is united against. Kimmel's reflection on Lincoln's leadership qualities, the need to be decisive and avoid political expedient decision-making, foreshadows what he believes to be Albany and Washington's inability to make the tough and difficult decisions for the future of our state and country.

While I don't think Kimmel is suggesting that our country is as divided and torn over the growth of government as it was over the question of slavery, I do think he might be tapping into the national sentiment that our leaders need to make some tough decisions regarding how to deal with the size and scope of our government. And Kimmel is right that those decisions ultimately lay in the hands of the people who are the "great depositors of the powers of society." The people will decide if we follow the current path we are on, or if they will entrust a new set of leaders committed to challenging the status quo in state and federal government. It is a great question for citizens everywhere to ponder as we celebrate this Presidents Day.

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.

Timing the Race for NY-23

Mayor Graham has an interesting take on the two-step campaign that will be waged for the NY-23 race this year. First, the Republican candidates will have a primary that happens on Tuesday, September 14th. Then the GOP winner will go up against incumbent Congressman Bill Owens on Tuesday, November 2nd.

The timing here is important because the district is so large and rural. Mayor Graham had it right that this race will take a lot of organization and old-fashioned shoe leather. While we are still seven months out from the primary, that is not a lot of time to build an aggressive grassroots team across a huge rural district like NY-23. And seven months is not a lot of time if you want to be taken seriously as a candidate who can beat an incumbent like Bill Owens.

It is also getting really late for any other candidates to get into the ring at this late juncture. At least three candidates: Barclay, Doheny and Hoffman, are building staff and attending some local events. It would be a fair prediction to suggest that no other candidate will be taken seriously as the campaigns shift into second gear. For some candidates, the longer they wait to officially get into the political ring, the harder it becomes to be competitive in building the name ID and trust that will be needed to bring down Bill Owens in November.

Doug Hoffman has a head start because of the momentum he built in the special election last year. He likely has an impressive file of donors, volunteers, and supporters who helped him become competitive in the last two weeks of the race last year. Hoffman is the only candidate with a campaign website and he is dominating the new political battlefront, online campaigning. Hoffman's infrastructure will go a long way because the file his campaign developed last year is fairly updated, having been created just months ago, and ready to be tapped into.

Will Barclay also an advantage as we move into the second half of February. He has good name recognition in the western end of the district where he is an incumbent Assemblyman. He also has some name ID in the central part of NY-23 from his failed State Senate run against Darrel Aubertine. Barclay's challenge is to become more well known in the eastern and central part of the state where he hasn't been as active in politics. That task can be accomplished in seven months, but he will need to start moving quickly.

It would be to Matt Doheny's strategic advantage if he officially entered the race sooner rather than later. Based on the context of Mayor Graham's blog post today, I would expect Doheny to make that move rather soon because of his political necessity -- he has to do something to shake this race up!

Doheny, the New York investor, has been away from the district for almost ten years, and while he has maintained two homes here (one in Watertown and one on an Island on the river) it will presumably be much harder for him to build the kind of infrastructure that already exists for the two other leading GOP contenders. Voters who have met Doheny that we have talked to have called him a candidate that is "a bit elitist and very mysterious." Getting into the thick of the campaign could help Doheny build new trust, stronger alliances and improve his low name ID. These negatives were evident in the latest poll that came out last month showing Doheny in 4th place with only 2% favorable name ID. NY-23 is a big district and it takes a lot of time to meet the voters, build their trust and introduce yourself. With that said, Doheny does have a team in place and is raising early money, albeit from Wall Street bankers and traditional Democratic donors.

These races, especially multi-candidate primaries, are hard to predict. However, with a protracted calendar the advantage would seem to lay with Hoffman and then Barclay, which may give us some insight into why both candidates have yet to make an official declaration of their intent to run yet. With less time to compete for voters, both Hoffman and Barclay (in that order) will have a competitive advantage in rallying their pre-existing networks of political support, compared to other candidates who are still on the sidelines and just now beginning to make their first-time introductions.

Certainly money means a lot, but all candidates have the same amount of time, which is finite in politics. How well each candidate choses to strategize the schedule will play a big part in who gets to face Bill Owens for the federal seat, which will always be remembered as Congressman John McHugh's old job.

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Nick Vaugh's Twitter Crusade Against Addie Russell

Nick Vaugh, a candidate for New York State Assembly's 118th district, has taken to twitter to get his message out. And with a quick glance of his twitter page (@NickVaugh) it is clear that he is positioning himself to be the anti-Addie Russell vote. Heck, I would argue that the kid shouldn't run as a Republican. He should start his new party, the "Anti-Addie Party."

Upon review of Vaugh's twitter account almost all you can see is a blitz of charges against Addie Russell and company: corruption here and incompetence charges there, harassment regarding the soda taxes, upset about big state budgets, sportsmen are under Addie's thumb, she made cuts to local library funding, was against STAR rebates and wasn't there for us on education funding. The anti-Addie crusade goes on and on. But does anyone else see this kind of behavior juvenile? Is it going too far to write 37 negative tweets against a single candidate in under 4 months?

Then there is this post regarding the NY-23 race last year dated October 21, 2009:

Here in the 23rd we have three pitiful candidates10:41 AM Oct 21st, 2009 from mobile web

It's one thing to say you don't prefer a candidate and quite another to call all three candidates in a race "pitiful." It makes you wonder why Vaugh was against Scozzafava, Hoffman, and Owens. Where does he fall in the political spectrum? And what were the reasons for his acute disdain for each of these politicians? Are they too conservative, too moderate, or too liberal? Or is Vaugh just against any politician that isn't named Vaugh? His cluster of comments against Aubertine and Russell make him look like an obsessive maniac looking for any reason he can to get a political edge, not a fighter for real reform willing to work across the aisle to get things done. I sure would love to interview Vaugh so if anyone has his e-mail please send it over to whatsupny23@gmail.com.

Below are you'll find a collection of Nick Vaugh's anxious tweets on how Addie Russell is tearing our state apart:

Rally Against Albany's Soda Tax; Tell Addie Russell & Darrell Aubertine NO To Any of Their New Taxeshttp://bit.ly/cDAgez8:27 AM Feb 7th from Facebook

Say NO to Addie Russell's Tax Increase http://bit.ly/a1AF9G
10:15 AM Feb 4th from Facebook

Addie Russell Is a Rubber Stamp for Albany/NYC Political Bosses Like Sheldon Silver; Here's Proof http://bit.ly/bZXqjT
12:06 PM Jan 26th from Facebook

Two-thirds of State lawmakers Like Addie Russell & Darrel Aubertine Refuse to Reveal Their Outside Incomehttp://bit.ly/6q1qDZ
8:05 AM Jan 25th from Facebook

Gov's Proposal Shows Just How Weak & Ineffective Addie Russell & Darrel Aubertine Are In Representing the North Country http://bit.ly/7hZ4b6
7:00 AM Jan 20th from Facebook

Addie Russell’s Votes Target of Outrage for Hiking Costs for Licenses & Fees On Sportsmen & Other Outdoor Enthusiastshttp://bit.ly/7STCqj
2:41 PM Jan 14th from Facebook

State Legislators Like Addie Russell Continue to Abuse the People's Trust As The Cover Up Continues In Albanyhttp://bit.ly/82rWHZ
11:25 AM Jan 14th from Facebook

With NO Effective Results In NY, The Federal Stimulus Fueled Addie Russell & Darrel Aubertine's Tax & Spend Agendahttp://bit.ly/5ffoAc
7:03 AM Jan 12th from Facebook

Addie Russell & Darrel Aubertine We Are Tired Of Your Tax & Spend Schemes http://bit.ly/8MS27r
9:26 PM Jan 11th from Facebook

Where is Addie Russell & Darrel Aubertine? NYS Cannot Afford This 'Reform' http://bit.ly/877Tbs
7:39 AM Jan 8th from Facebook

Addie Russell & Darrel Aubertine Have Made New York's Fiscal Situation Worse http://bit.ly/7TjzUK

7:08 AM Jan 8th from Facebook

Addie Russell's Culture of Corruption & Addiction To Higher Taxes & Spending Must Come To An End http://bit.ly/6sBlGp
1:30 PM Jan 7th from Facebook

Addie Russell "Rubber Stamps" A Tax & Spend Agenda Running NY Into The Red http://bit.ly/5teUEk
9:31 PM Jan 1st from Facebook

Our State Legislators Like Addie Russell Are Unfit To Deal With NYS' Fiscal Crisis http://bit.ly/79l99O
8:52 AM Dec 30th, 2009 from Facebook

Aubertine & Russell's "Bigger Better Bottle Bill" Hurts Businesses Like Pepsi-Cola Bottlers & Also Consumershttp://bit.ly/5Dka0T
6:32 AM Dec 15th, 2009 from Facebook

Addie Russell Is Part of A Culture of Corruption In Albanyhttp://bit.ly/7iHE98

7:09 AM Dec 8th, 2009 from Facebook

Addie Russell Slashes North Country Librarieshttp://bit.ly/80tuNI12:57 PM Dec 6th, 2009 from Facebook

Tough Times Call For Tough Decisions; Unfortunately Legislators Like Addie Russell Just Can't Cut Ithttp://bit.ly/61hRn87:59 AM Dec 2nd, 2009 from Facebook

Addie Russell Lacks the Leadership & Political Courage Needed In Albany http://bit.ly/5M5rxn7:00 AM Dec 1st, 2009 from Facebook

Addie Russell Lacks the Political Courage to Completely Resolve the Midyear $3.2 Billion Budget Deficithttp://bit.ly/8wPn9X11:40 PM Nov 30th, 2009 from Facebook

The Albany Nightmare Continues Thanks to Addie Russellhttp://bit.ly/7G1mSv3:57 PM Nov 27th, 2009 from Facebook

Addie Russell Delivers a Disheartening Blow to Our Children's Education With Possible Midyear Education Cuts On the...http://bit.ly/56kfnN7:27 AM Nov 24th, 2009 from Facebook

Marist Poll: Addie Russell's Days in Albany are Numberedhttp://bit.ly/4NSxj711:06 AM Nov 23rd, 2009 from Facebook

Addie Russell's Drug Reforms Hurt the North Countryhttp://bit.ly/5zNlA3
9:05 AM Nov 23rd, 2009 from Facebook

Addie Russell Voted Against Your STAR Rebatehttp://bit.ly/6wWGEW
9:03 AM Nov 23rd, 2009 from Facebook

'Flip-Flopper' Addie Russell: I Was For It Before I Was Against It http://bit.ly/07O5oCT
8:54 AM Nov 23rd, 2009 from Facebook

'Albany's Finest' Addie Russell Continues to Waste Your Moneyhttp://bit.ly/07KdSzA
8:53 AM Nov 23rd, 2009 from Facebook

Addie Russell & Darrel Aubertine's Lack of Leadershiphttp://bit.ly/2jy2Z7
8:03 AM Nov 20th, 2009 from Facebook

'Out of Touch' Addie Russell Continues to Ignore Our Fiscal Crisis http://bit.ly/hHGyk
7:39 AM Nov 18th, 2009 from Facebook

Addie Russell & Darrel Aubertine Continue to Fail New Yorkhttp://bit.ly/NL9ir
7:23 AM Nov 17th, 2009 from Facebook

'Flip-Flopper' Addie Russell & Darrel Aubertine: For It Before They Were Against It http://bit.ly/2GHwPn
8:20 PM Nov 16th, 2009 from Facebook

Sportsmen Outraged at Addie Russell & Darrel Aubertinehttp://bit.ly/3SG4Q

10:23 AM Nov 16th, 2009 from Facebook

Thank Addie Russell & Darrel Aubertine For Our New License Plates http://bit.ly/3OcsuB6:36 AM Nov 15th, 2009 from Facebook

Addie Russell & Darrel Aubertine, Please Do Something About Our High Taxes http://bit.ly/27Ep3l11:00 AM Nov 10th, 2009 from Facebook

Addie Russell & Darrel Aubertine's "Bigger Better Bottle Bill," Another Blow to NY & North Country Businesses and...http://bit.ly/cMAEE

2:04 PM Nov 6th, 2009 from Facebook

ADDIE RUSSELL VOTES FOR BILLIONS IN TAX HIKEShttp://bit.ly/EW1Pf2:10 PM Oct 23rd, 2009 from Facebook
Addie Russell Voted Against STAR Rebates http://bit.ly/EW1Pf10:46 AM Oct 15th, 2009 from Facebook

“Out of Touch” Addie Russell Delivers Law Enforcement a Disheartening Blow: http://bit.ly/RFpYb10:12 AM Oct 8th, 2009 from Facebook