Thursday, January 20, 2011

Custerfluck

Notes on the Democrats' Rollicking Fiasco at City Hall

From time to time it happens in one-party banana republics that the one party becomes so arrogant and insular it transcends malevolence alone and achieves malevolence plus farce.

Some random notes on the Morelle-made mess at City Hall:

    Joe Morelle and his crew at Democratic HQ are relentlessly determined to install a Mayor without a legitimate election, which in this case means a Democratic primary.   So determined, that Morelle would rather incur all the embarrassment and ridicule from the Tom Richards resignation debacle than let City Council cure the Hatch Act problem by simply appointing Richards as Mayor.   But that would mean a Democratic primary and general election.   And the voters must not have a voice.

    So intent is Morelle on bypassing his own party's voters, he'd sooner see Richards damaged politically, and his reputation tarnished, which is what has happened, than be presented to voters in a legitimate election.

    Morelle doesn't have the political juice he wants the world to imagine.   Richards resigned one jump ahead of an adverse Hatch opinion from the Office of Special Counsel.   That Morelle couldn't put the fix in for the "right" opinion from a Democratic-controlled office -- it's a certainty he tried, and that it had been Plan A -- shows how the Party's higher-ups regard him.

    As Corporation Counsel, Richards had to have known about the Hatch Act and its strict, if silly, application.   The idea that a seasoned political hack like Joe Morelle didn't know about it can't be accepted seriously.   Had they gone to the Office of Special Counsel for a Hatch opinion months ago, they'd have avoided all the public humiliation and trouble that's ensued.

    We've learned that the Office of Special counsel provides just that kind of advice, for the asking, letting prospective candidates for office know about Hatch problems before they embark on the campaign trail.   As our colleague Rich Tyson noted, Morelle and Richards are either utterly irresponsible or utterly incompetent not to have done so.

    The utterly irresponsible or utterly incompetent crew of Morelle and his Merry Men are the very people the Democrat and Chronicle wants to see replace Maggie Brooks and the Republican county administration, in order to "restore public confidence" in county government!   (We didn't know the public had lost confidence in County government.   We bet that Brooks's poll numbers show otherwise.   Very otherwise.)

    The Democrat and Chronicle, doting matriarch of the local Democratic family, has struggled valiantly to smooth things over and soothe the troubled family group.   The headline wasn't "Richards Resigns," but "Carballado Appointed," as if the comic opera at City Hall were in the natural progression of orderly public administration.

    Speaking of the D&C, it must be panic time over there.   Quickly, now -- must find another nickel-and-dime error at a Republican-run agency to knock the Mayoral Follies off the front page.   Maybe Maggie Brooks didn't renew her dog's license in time.   A flagrant violation of law!   Requiring oversight.   That's worth at least 3 front page stories, 2 editorals and the intervention of the Attorney General, isn't it?

    Tuesday's press conference:   we haven't seen Morelle looking this worried and depressed since Election Night of 2009, another landmark in his tenure as Monroe Democratic Chief.   By now he must be yearning for the good old days.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is the best analysis of the whole debacle I've seen anywhere.

Anonymous said...

Enough already. Its time for Reilich and the GOP candidates in 2011 to declare they will not get down on their knees for the editorial board ritual endorsement interviews. Dust off the Boycott and let's get at it -- the D&C has started their anti-GOP run so its time to start pushing back. Anyone who thinks that Jimmy Olsen reporter is thinking these things up on his own is naive beyond belief. Its the old anti-GOP editor crowd that is ginning up these stories. The kid is just smarter than Jill Terreri (although she is a bit Leftie herself -- look at what she covers and how she covers it) and more aggressive than Steve Orr and the burnt out guys. They are going to hammer Maggie and the GOP legislators relentlessly until they see a Democrat in the county exec office or leading the Leg. This is the same hatchet job they did against Lou Morin all over again. Boycott. Not only the Jim Lawrence interviews but the news "reporters" when they call for quotes. Lift the boycott when they stop treating Slaughter and Morelli and Duffy like they can do no wrong. Which is to say never.

Anonymous said...

Since the city administration is being manipulated by Joe Morelle, Bob Duffy, and puppet master, Dutch Summers. I propose that Dutch run for Mayor...the campaign slogan can be..."Dutch Summers for Mayor...let's eliminate the middle man!"

Anonymous said...

If there were ever an opportunity for the Republicans to find a strong candidate and take City Hall, this is it. The Democrats are going to field either Tom "10 Million Reasons 700 Former RG&E Workers Hate Him" Richards or "Admiral" Bill Johnson. If the GOP finds someone with an ounce of citizen appeal, he'll (or she'll) win. Any takers?? 12+ month City residents only need apply.