I had no idea.

Regardless, Dan, rest assured that I and my team pay a lot of attention to what goes on in Brookhaven and Islip. We talk to community leaders, political leaders and a host of other people and do extensive research before we make decisions on what to do. We helped organize a large number of volunteers for the local races in both Towns last year (not sure if you were engaged there), and have a pretty good sense of what a State Senate race in those two towns will require.

Our goal here is not simply to settle on a single nominee, it's to have the nominee who is strongest in the district and who represents our progressive values. Jimmy is a good guy and a true progressive, and I have nothing but respect for Ric Montano, but neither is as strong a candidate as Brian. You may disagree, but this is not an off-the-cuff decision that we make lightly - it goes directly to the strength of our overall Majority campaign. Further, while it may be easy to stick with a candidate who is a friend or whom you've supported in the past, we have to make some fairly tough choices about what is most likely to bring the best outcome.

Finally, one column in a weekly paper is hardly a basis for making a serious decision about the strength of a candidate. Brian has done a great job in Brookhaven and has made some tough choices (as is acknowledged in the column); that's exactly the profile of who we need in the State Senate.