I see Jim Tedisco was in Albany today denouncing the state budget deal, but in his press release there was nothing about the restoration of funds for the Adirondack Amtrak train, which serves the central and northern parts of the 20th Congressional District. Tedisco ignored that issue in the congressional race, and what he did have for a North Country local issue was vowing to bring back the Olympics to Lake Placid, which was feeble stuff. If he'd made the train an issue, he could have taken credit for getting the funds restored. The campaign has totally mishandled local issues and failed to use Tedisco's bully pulpit in Albany. The Saratogian, in its endorsement of Tedisco Sunday, nevertheless complained that he'd been AWOL in the collapse of the Aqueduct VLT deal, which is a local issue for Saratoga County.
On another state issue, the Rockefeller drug law "reform" which Democrats are on the verge of enacting, The Daily News has a tough editorial today making the arguments Republicans should have been making against a bill that is opposed by almost all district attorneys on a bipartisan basis. Instead, the AP the other day had a lame quote from Sen. Marty Golden, R-Brooklyn, about "coddling criminals." Tedisco, too, opposes the measure, but didn't get around to voting against it when it came before the Assembly this month. His campaign has dredged up the death penalty, which is a showboat of an issue as likely to turn away swing voters as win them over. There's a lot more than that to criminal justice policies, which Republicans used to know when they were in the habit of winning elections.
As bad as Tedisco's campaign has been, the comments of his supporters and endorsers is hardly more inspiring.
Posted by: Brian | March 30, 2009 at 06:24 PM
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Hey Brian, surely you don't find this blog less than wholly inspirational? Whaddya want me to give you, preaching or poetry?
Posted by: Bob Conner | March 31, 2009 at 12:01 AM