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Thursday, June 4, 2009

Connolly Turns To GOP Oppressors


It's hard to frame the incredible ironies presented by politics in North Greenbush. It was just a few short years ago that the GOP controlled Town Board was trying to remove life long Democrat Katie Connolly from her office as Town Clerk for failing to sign her oath of office more than a year into her term. This Saturday morning, the Republican County Committee is set to endorse her as their candidate for Town Clerk in exchange for a few pieces of political silver known as Wilson Pakula waivers from her brother Tom Connolly, who is still Chairman of the Rensselaer County Independence Party.

Well, the GOP is used to bartering for Wilson Pakula waivers, especially in North Greenbush where they bought themselves a few Conservative votes on the Town Board to place their candidate for Town Justice on the bench. Those votes were gathered in exchange for GOP Wilson Pakula waivers which would allow two of the town board Conservatives to run as Republicans this November. So giving another one out to Democrat Connolly as her lifeline in November should not come as a complete surprise especially since Connolly played a key role in turning over the Democratic endorsements to the GOP in last year's town board races for Supervisor and one Council seat.

Connolly's fall from the Democratic ranks comes after she joined a group of so called "reformers" in an effort to wrestle control of the party leadership from her longtime supporter Dan Ashley. She challenged Ashely in two party committee contests, the last one of which saw her defeated for a committee seat by Ashley who was then elected party chairman once again.

With that victory came a lot of explaining for Connolly, who sat in a sort of trial of Ashley for alleged disloyalty and voting to remove him from his County Committee seat, a power neither she or her fellow committee members had under election law.

With her adversaries back in charge of the Democratic Party, it was sure to be a little uncomfortable coming to the Democrats and asking for their endorsement and forgiveness. Apparently, it's easier to knock on Republican doors asking folks to sign the petition of their longtime Democratic nemesis whose mother was once the enchilada of local Democrats as the Rensselaer County Democratic Committee Chairman.

Town Democrats had informed Connolly and all candidates seeking their endorsement that they would not endorse anyone who had accepted the Republican line in order to ensure a competitive election in November and to prevent another attempt by Republicans to subvert the electoral process as they did last year in a cross endorsement deal that placed their candidates on all four party lines in November.

So Republicans in North Greenbush, get ready for a surprise visitor at your doors beginning June 9th as Democrat Katie Connolly, notary in tow, asks you to sign her designating petition. No, she can't get the signatures herself because she is not a notary or a Republican, nor can she even sign her own petition. That's up to you, the Republican voters of North Greenbush.

As for the meeting on Saturday, well surprise guest Paul Tazbir will do the nominating speech, refreshed from his efforts to have former Comptroller Tyler Sawyer sneak into the Clerk's Office and copy the oath book. Bob Ashe will drive in from Poestenkill to draw straws with Joe Styczynski, (did we spell that right Joe?) for the honor of seconding the nomination and GOP Town Chairman Greg "Get off my property" DeJulio will sign the first petition. Hey Greg, we have to ask, how long before she puts you on trial for "disloyalty"?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, if that doesn't beat everything. I am soooo interested in how Mr."County Doesn't Control My Committee" DeJulio spins this one. Well, I guess we can "ASSUME" the REAL Dems will stick to their guns and kick Connolly to the curb. Where is the honor, where is the loyalty- Where are those Wilson Pakulas- Greg, Old Friend. Liar, Liar- Pants on fire. Shame on you.

honesty said...

Wait a minute. Is this the same "I can't make the meeting or take a phone call because I'm putting my kids to bed" Greg DeJulio? He'd better bow to the Connolly's, the last Chairman who refused to do so wound up railroaded into court. I bet my house no one checks those petition signatures. Katty may finally get what she deserves, UNEMPLOYMENT!