What Were They Thinking?

Many Democrats in North Greenbush were shaking their heads when this endorsement letter arrived in the mail for Assembly candidate John McDonald. It was the last signature that is causing a stir, that of Al Spain, the Republican endorsed candidate for Town Supervisor last year who was soundly rejected by town Democrats when he tried to run as a Democrat in a primary after accepting the GOP nod.

If that wasn't enough for Bill Dedrick who we are told organized the letter, there was a meeting of the minds last week at the American Legion on behalf of McDonald which had both Al Spain and brother Jeff in attendance. The presence of Jeff Spain as a so called Democrat really split some sides of those in attendance who remember Jeff's act of party loyalty when he did the bidding of county Republicans by signing a letter asking town Democrats not to vote for any of the four incumbent Democratic County Legislators while using terms that could best be described as dishonest and distasteful.

Jeff holds two public jobs appointed by GOP majorities in the County Legislature and Town of North Greenbush. As a one term party chairman, he illegally gave away thousands of dollars in party funds to cripple the Democratic Committee and was ordered by a court to pay it all back. He did so only after being forced to do so through the garnishment of his salary. Spain wrote the letter as a former party chair as if he ever had any credibility in his painfully short tenure.

Any Democrat worth his salt can further wonder what they were thinking when adding Al Spain to their list of Democrats endorsing McDonald by simply driving by Al Spain's house across from St. Jude's Church. There Democrat Spain has TWO GOP lawn signs, one for Roy McDonald, the GOP State Senate candidate and the other for the GOP Town Justice candidate. Spain voted for this temporary appointment to the town court with is GOP town board majority, further exemplifying his GOP credentials.

Democrats who were thinking about who to support for the Assembly may have second thoughts about this primary between Albany Common Council President Carolyn McLaughlin and Cohoes Mayor John McDonald.

Perhaps in the eyes of three Democrats in North Greenbush and the Mayor of Cohoes, the endorsements of the brothers Spain carries meaningful substance in the Democratic Party. For most politically active Democrats, however, the endorsement serves only to weaken the candidacy of any Democrat who might receive it. Thanks, but no thanks fellas. This is a blunder even Clint Eastwood would rival.