Some Dems Refusing to Carry Andy Spano Petitions: Idoni vs. Morabito Double Dip?

Here’s the latest election / petition news we have been hearing:

Some Democrats in lower Westchester, are refusing and/or complaining about carrying petitions for County Executive Andy Spano. We hear that a few Dems carrying for Spano were critiqued by homeowners and property owners about sky-high property taxes, focusing their blame on Andy.

Now while these few Dems will have no impact on Spano’s petition drive, which will put him way over the top of signatures needed, its worthy of a post for two reasons.

1) Andy’s campaign runs a tight ship and they do not appreciate any signs of disloyalty to the big Westchester Dem — Andy — and they are not happy with the defections, howevery few they are.

2) It highlights the growing discontent among Westchester taxpayers feel about their government, and the cost to them and their families.

Idoni/Morabito Double Dip?

Westchester County Clerk Tim Idoni will face a challenge from former Rye Supervisor Robert Morabito in November. Morabito, a Democrat, got the Republican line to challenge Idoni from County GOP Chairman Doug Colety. Colety has been criticized of late on this blog for not helping deliver the Independence Party line for a lot of his Republican candidates across the county.

Giving the GOP line to a Dem Morabito, is another Colety choice that we hear rumblings about from our Republican friends, who wonder why Colety gave the line for a countywide office to a Dem. Wasn’t there any Republican in the county willing to run for county clerk?

Morabito is now attempting to get on the Democratic line for county clerk, which would result in a Democratic Primary between Idoni and Morabito.

Here’s where it gets interesting:

Morabito is circulating a petition, that has his name on it for county clerk, but also Tony Castro’s name for district attorney.

Castro is challenging DA Janet DiFiore; both Castro and DiFiore are Dems and are headed to a Democratic Primary in September, with the winner facing Republican Dan Schorr in November.

Castro has the support of the Independence Party and its county chairman, Dr. Giulio Cavallo. Cavallo has been twisting the arms of Democrats who he gave his Ind line to to collect  Dem signatures for Tony Casto. Cavallo has jumped into bed with Sam Zherka, Guardian publisher and admitted target of a Manhattan DA criminal probe. 

So a partnership between Castro and Morabito is upon us, with Cavallo and Zherka pushing behind the scenes.

We hear that both Castro and Morabito will have enough signatures to get on the ballot, which would give us two Democratic countywide primaries in September — DiFiore vs. Castro and Idoni vs. Morabito.

Independence Party Candidates ‘Encouraged’ to Collect Signatures for Castro

We have heard a few complaints from Democratic candidates who also have the Independence Party line throughout Westchester, about the arm twisting they are receiving from County Independence Chair Dr. Giulio Cavallo, strongly encouraging them to collect signatures for Tony Castro, Democratic candidate for district attorney.

Castro has the Ind line, thanks to Cavallo and Sam Zherka, but he also wants to run in a Dem primary against Janet DiFiore and needs to collect a few thousand signatures in order to get on the ballot.

Dr. C has made it known that all Dem candidates with the Ind line need to help Castro get on the ballot. This puts these Dem candidates in a bad situation because the leadership of the party, and the rank and file, have nominated DiFiore.

Also what right does Cavallo have in telling the Dem Party how to conduct their primaries?

Another fact that points to serious involvement by Dr. C and Sam Z in the political elections this year in Westchester.

Dr. Giulio Cavallo

Westchester GOP Chairman Doug Colety on the Hot Seat!

doug colety

Our blog has been heating up lately, and increasing our numbers of viewers and posters, thanks to all of you — we appreciate it. Keep it coming!

Lately, a lot of focus has turned to Westchester County Republican Chairman Doug Colety. I will reprint them at the bottom of this post, but here’s my take:

Colety is very close to Westchester Independence Party Chairman Dr. Giulio Cavallo. The two frequently travel to poltical events in Albany together, and have also formed a political alliance of sorts over the years, which has benefitted Republican candidates, who were able to run with the Republican, Independence and Conservative (an overwhelming majority of Republicans get the Conservative line, or used to) party lines, giving them a chance against Democrats, who hold enrollment edges countywide by 100,00+.

For many years Republicans benefitted from this friendship, but things changed this year. This year, Cavallo has found another friend, Sam Zherka, publisher of the Westchester Guardian, and admitted target of the Manhattan District Attonrey criminal probe.

Zherka is backing Rethinking County Government, and wants to shake things up in Westchester politics. So Cavallo, to appease his new friend, agreed to back some of Zherka’s fave politicians, most notably Tony Castro, running for DA.

But the old arrangement with Colety and Cavallo takes a back seat to the new friends — Dr. C and Sammy Z. And Republican candidates get screwed in a number of races, (a lot in Yonkers) and don’t get the Independence line.

Colety puts all of his chips in one race — county executive. He asks for the line from Dr. C, and he gets it, because its a natural fit for Sammy Z, because it denies Andy Spano, a Zherka enemy, of the Ind. line.

But most of the other Republicans who want and need the Independence Party line are being left behind by Chairman Colety, and they’re pissed.

While I need time to determine if the allegations by the posters are true, I will say that I have heard about the printing for a long time, and have had discussions with Doug about our newspapers and a possible print job, mailings etc., all completely legit.

But in my opinion, I would agree with the anonymous post that there is a cloudy line being crossed with the chairman of the Repulican Party in Westchester getting print contracts for any candidate.

Even if there is no wrongdoing, which I think is the case, just the appearance of impropriety makes it best to stop this practice.

#1-ANONYMOUS-if fresh thinking is needed in yonkers, how is it
that the IND party could possibly endorse chuck lesnick
the answer of course is that zherka’s fine hand is in
all of this…remember that zherka is now in league with
cavalo..and zherka does not like amicone or anyone who
is remotely associated with him because of the taking
of the guardian boxes…you may recall there is still
a defamation lawsuite pending against amicone by
zherka…now when you couple that with the fact that
colety sold everything he had to get astorino the IND
line…colety was left with nothing at all….and cavalo
did what zherka wanted him to do…its another reason
why these minor party cross endorsements have to be
eliminated

#2-ANONYMOUS-colety gets paid for what he does..check the number of candidates that give him printing …..bet that all the candidates endorsed by the ind party give colety their printing whether or not they have republican support….does anyone think that the republican county leader should be doing printing for a candidate not a republican….check morabito’s printing for county clerk…and castro’s printing bills….bet colety is doing them all…because its not about rebuilding the republican party its about how much money he can make

#3-Captain America-That poster earlier had it right. When are republicans going to realize that Cavallo is Colety’s pimp? Covallo controls the Westchester Independence Party AND the Westchester Republican Party. Colety is only doing Cavallo’s bidding when he double crosses Amicone. Colety shouldn’t be trusted by real republicans.

Westchester DA Janet DiFiore Kicks Off Re-Election Bid; Attempts to Disturb Event Backfire

     

 

  Westchester District Attorney Janet DiFiore kicked off her re-election campaign last week outside the county courthouse in White Plains. Surrounded by hundreds of supporters, DiFiore said she was looking forward to the upcoming campaign, and will run on her record of protecting Westchester families over the past four years.

     “The employees of the Westchester County District Attorney’s office have served with honor, integrity and a deep and abiding respect for the rule of law. I ask each and every one of you to stay focused on the truth and on the facts,” said DiFiore.

     DiFiore’s announcement was marred by an attempt by her opponents to disturb the event. After attempting to shout DiFiore down, a few protestors escalated into physical confrontations with the crowd. These supporters included supporters of Tony Castro, one of DiFiore’s opponents this fall.

     “Tony Castro’s supporters tried unsuccessfully to disrupt my re-election announcement. Shame on Tony for being associated with people like that. My work keeping the people of Westchester County safe and secure is much too important to be disrupted. I will not be distracted or intimidated by their bully tactics,” said DiFiore.

     While most of the other Westchester media focused on the disruption, they missed two key elements in DiFiore’s announcement.

- DiFiore had with her the leadership of the Westchester Democratic Party and County Chairman Reginald LaFayette, County Executive Andy Spano and County Clerk Tim Idoni. DiFiore, who won as a Republican four years ago, switched parties last year and is now a Democrat, with the support of the Democratic Party, over Tony Castro.

- DiFiore can run on a record of achievement in Westchester of keeping the residents safe and secure. This election will come down to who the voters of Westchester believe will protect them, and are they satisfied with the current DA? DiFiore will likely face off against Castro in a Democratic Primary this September, with the winner facing Republican DA candidate Dan Schorr.