Congressman Vito Lopez?!? Part II - Senate Majority Leader Dilan?!?
Since I posted about the possibility of Congressman Vito Lopez a few hours ago, I have gotten bombarded with interesting emails from people with various opinions on the subject (most of whom apparently prefer to comment off the record for fear of retribution).
The most interesting tip I've received concerns a move Vito appears to be orchestrating behind the scenes to clear his path to Nydia Velazquez's Congressional seat. The Optimist's source, who claims to have inside knowledge of the dealings, says that State Senator Carl Kruger of Brooklyn, one of the three remaining members of the now infamous Gang of Three, has abandoned his push for State Senator-elect Pedro Espada Jr. of The Bronx to become Senate Majority Leader and now favors Senator Martin Malavé Dilan of Brooklyn for the job.
While no one seriously thinks right now that Marty Dilan could bypass Minority Leader Malcolm Smith and get elected to the State Senate's top post, the fact that these moves are even being made casts a fascinating light upon Vito's skillful maneuverings. If Dilan became Minority Leader, Vito would be rid of his chief potential rival for Velazquez's seat.
Yes, this is all still speculation, but that doesn't mean it can be simply dismissed as idle chatter. Never underestimate Vito. After Clarence Norman went down, no one ever thought Vito would be able to take over the Brooklyn Democratic Party either. We've all seen how right they were.
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I would say that most of the
Submitted by Gothanonymous Reader (not verified) on 19 November 2008 - 6:32pm.
I would say that most of the District Leaders in Brooklyn , would back Vito. From what I've seen & heard, nobody has any back spine when it comes to taking on Vito. They all line up like ducks in a row. It's always "we can't do this or that because of Vito". If Vito wants the congressional seat it's his for the asking. There won't be anyone else to take him on. This will just galvanize his power even more.
Not going to happen.
Submitted by Bouldin on 19 November 2008 - 8:57pm.
Dilan is on quite a few shortlists for a 2010 primary, and none for any kind of leadership position.
Stop Smoking Crack Y'all
Submitted by Gothanonymous Reader (not verified) on 19 November 2008 - 9:26pm.
You all need to step away from the crack pipe.
Velasquez will not be named to the Senate because she is not a Senate level politician, and would only draw high caliber GOP pols to challenge her next election. She doesn't have fundraising chops, and, to be honest, she doesn't have the capacity to be a good Senator. If someone is picked from NYC it should be Nadler. I am amazed that you all are not demanding his appointment, since he is by far the most capable and progressive member of the New York delegation. As a Constitutional expert, he will serve the Democrats well when they try to name Judges like Satomayor to the Supreme Court.
As for Velasquez Congressional seat, all the above mentioned cloak and dagger conspiracy theory is wacky. Assemblyman Lopez does well in the Assembly, and probably wouldn't want to travel to Washington, D.C. Moreover, a senior Assemblymember has much more money to dish out and authority on legislation than a first term Congressperson. The best replacement some day for her spot in my opinion is City Councilmember Rosie Mendez, who, while representing Manhattan, is from Williamsburg, where she earned her stripes as a tenant organizer and legal services lawyer.
As for the rest of it. Senator Dilan will most likely get a Committee Chairmanship, and not Majority Leader, but he is not to be underestimated. He won his seat by beating an incumbent (Nellie Santiago), and has won several contested primaries. I'm sure he wouldn't want a primary, but ask Ron Clinton about whether he can win one.
Ahead of ya
Submitted by mole333 on 19 November 2008 - 10:37pm.
I included Nadler in my comments in a previous thread.
Personally I think Velasquez would be perfectly good. Perhaps not stellar, but how many Senators really are stellar? You say "she doesn't have the capacity to be a good Senator." How so? What is so special about the average Senator? I think she'd hold her own.
Weiner and Nadler, as I said earlier, are also certainly possible and probably angling for it. As are many others out there. I suspect there is considerable back room dealings going on right now.
As to Vito, personally I think his health isn't up to a move to Congress. I believe he will prefer to manipulate the strings to get one of his favorites in to Congress. The return of Recchia, perhaps? Yuck indeed. Guaranteed Vito will pick someone odious. Let's just hope the slow erosion of his grip continues. Remember, he has lost some high profile races, had his candidate for Congress rudely shoved aside, and has failed to do some back room deals for other positions. Will he hang on or will his grip slip even more?
Now who's on crack?
Submitted by Dan Jacoby on 19 November 2008 - 11:06pm.
It's not going to be Nadler. Governor Paterson is not going to pick another New York City white Jewish man; he'd get his head handed to him.
By Who?
Submitted by Gothanonymous Reader (not verified) on 19 November 2008 - 11:15pm.
Who would hand him his head? And why is being white, jewish and from NYC a bad thing? What this issue has clearly shown is that some people have drawn all the wrong conclusions from Obama's victory. Nydia Velasquez is no Barack Obama, and she shouldn't be named to the US Senate, both because there are more capable candidates to do the job, and because she wouldn't survive an election in two years.
Chances are that it won't be anyone from NYC, since then both Senators, the Governor, and both legislative leaders would be from NYC, and that is bad politics all around. I just wanted to highlight how flawed the above posts were, and still are.
Regarding Nadler
Submitted by stevenman5000 on 20 November 2008 - 12:25am.
" And why is being white, jewish and from NYC a bad thing?"
No one is saying its a bad thing. Its just that if Nadler becomes a senator then both NY Senators will be white jews from NYC.
Nadler!
Submitted by Gothanonymous Reader (not verified) on 20 November 2008 - 4:44pm.
Nadler would clearly be the best Senator of any of the current Reps.
Dilan - no way, that's garbage.
Vito - Boy i hope not
Not so fast
The 12th CD spans not only Brooklyn, but also Manhattan and Queens. There's no guarantee that Velazquez's replacement (should she be named to Clinton's senate seat) would be from Brooklyn. Yes, 3/4 of the district is in Brooklyn, but if there's an intramural battle there and a candidate emerges from outside that borough, it could be very, very interesting.
Vito has made a lot of enemies, and it wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility that someone could emerge, not to win the seat, but to prevent Lopez from winning it by splitting the Brooklyn vote. It would be a tough fight, and chances are Lopez would win anyway, but anything's possible in Brooklyn politics.