Peace, Primaries And Don't Miss
The Albany Word-Smiths

PEACE? The announced but strange peace between Queens Dem chief Tom Manton and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver will likely avoid war between now and Election Day, but signs indicate that the bond is shallow.

Queens Assembly dean Denis Butler’s surprise announcement last week that he will not seek another term, is directly connected to the lack of a true peace understanding, insiders tell us. Butler’s Assembly leadership role comes with a $20,000 stipend which is calculated in Butler’s State Pension when he retires. Should he lose the leadership job and stipend, bammo, the 22-year Assembly vet would receive a much lower pension. Dennis, staffers say, was not going to risk a significant downward pension adjustment and is getting out while the getting is good. He anticipated Silver punishing him for siding with Mike Bragman in his failed coup to take the leadership.

If Manton and Silver had secured a real peace, you can be sure, that Manton’s Assemblyman Denis Butler would have been protected.

Not surprisingly, Cathy Nolan, Silver’s Queens Assemblymember of choice, broke with the organization during last week’s designating session. She backed Walter McCaffrey over incumbent Joe Crowley for Congress. Crowley got the nod. But if you remember, it was Silver’s intrusion in this race that caused Manton’s ire and subsequent leadership of the Bragman coup. Silver has pledged to support Crowley publicly. There was no sign of it last Thursday. Furthermore, Manton withheld his club’s support from Nolan for reelection and although it is not clear if she’ll have a primary, she did not get the Dem Organization’s designation — an almost unheard of event for an incumbent. Finally, we are told that Nolan is backing Bernice Siegel over likely organization choice David Weprin for the City Council race to succeed Sheldon Leffler in the 23rd Council District in 2001. Weprin, older brother of Assemblyman Mark, son of the late Speaker of the Assembly Saul, is a Dem District Leader who supports Manton.

It seems pretty clear that Silver’s folks are not embarrassing Manton’s folks. Likewise, Manton’s folks are not embarrassing Silver’s folks.

What do they have in common? They are all Democrats who support Hillary for Senate and Al Gore for Prez. After that is over, they had better secure the peace or take no prisoners. Without some glue, next year both sides will not be left standing.

GO GREEK! No, it’s not time to pledge a fraternity or sorority. It was time at the Dem designating meeting to reach out to the large Astoria Greek community and be inclusive. The Dem Party took the opportunity, when Denis Butler announced his retirement, to hand the designation for the 36th Assembly District to Mike Giannaris, a longtime Taminent Dem Club regular who works as an attorney in the Assembly. The district leadership designation went to fellow Greek James Cazillas. The effect of this move could provide the Queens Dem organization with a new influx of capital. The Greek fundraising machine previously supported Democratic insurgents claiming the large Greek Western Queens population was not adequately represented.

It also goes to undermine the strong insurgent candidacy of Kimon Thermos who has challenged the organizational candidate for this Assembly seat the past several times — coming very close to an upset victory. However, a large portion of his support came from the Greek community which will now be divided. Thermos may be in a vacuum this time.

Queens’ Senators Smith

WORD-SMITH! To borrow a phrase, "C’mon, Gimme a break!"

On May 17 we received two press releases from Albany. One from State Senator Ada Smith whose 12th Senatorial District covers parts of Brooklyn and South Queens. The other from newly elected Senator Malcolm Smith whose District consists of the balance of South Queens. They both dealt with the State Budget.

Notice any similarities?

Well, both are State Senators; both represent south Queens. Both happen to be named Smith. And . . . both sent out identical releases. Yes, identical.

Well, almost identical. Same quotes, same typeface, same carriage returns, same spacing, same bold face breaks, same continuation on the second page and the same hoohah (###) to indicate the end.

The only differences in the 700 words was the name in the headline as well as, in line two where one said "Ada L. Smith (D-Brooklyn/Queens)" and the other, "Malcolm A. Smith (D-Queens)." Everything else, identical.

There were more than 10 quotes from Senator Smith in each release — identical quotes, presumably uttered identically by the two Senator Smiths from Queens.

No, there are no other Senator Smiths in New York State. However, we wouldn’t be shocked if another Democratic Senator had a similar release. We’d guess the Senate Dems (the minority) staff prepared a suggested release and Smith and Smith, just sent it out.

Is there a lesson to be learned?

Well, write your own stuff. And, if you don’t, send them to different newspapers.

Seriously, we’d like our elected officials to conduct themselves as role models for the youth of our State.

We welcome the Senators Smith to react.

RUN: Morshed Alam has withdrawn as a challenger to NYS Senator Frank Padavan. That leaves Rory Lancman as the lone warrior to do battle with the man who owns the 11th Senatorial District. Padavan has withstood challenges by many mightier than either Alam or Lancman.

Alam instead will join the merry field of candidates seeking Morty Povman’s 24th Council district in 2001. Announced so far are: Barry Grodenchik, Exec. to Claire Shulman and newly named co-district leader of the powerful Stevenson Dem Club with Nettie Mayersohn; Jeff Gottlieb, longtime Povman protégé from the equally powerful JFK Dem club; Jim Gennaro, a City Council environmental attorney out of the Saul Weprin Dem Club, and from the Orthodox Jewish Community, a David Reich.

This race is interesting in as much as it pits against each other, two powerful Dem clubs – Nettie Mayersohn’s Stevenson and Morty Povman’s JFK. The Weprin Club, also a force, will not be as potent in this race since the bulk of the club’s area is outside of the Council District and the Club’s focus will be on David Weprin’s elction.

Morshed will have to work hard to come in fifth in this field.

NICK’S KNACK: We don’t recall any Queens resident being named a federal judge in the more than 30 years of this newspaper’s history. Our dear friend, former civic activist and present chief counsel to the FAA, Nick Garaufis was unanimously approved by the United States Senate last week as a judge of New York’s Eastern District. This is one sign that the process of selection of Federal judges does indeed work. Congrats!

HMMM! Dem District Leader Henry McCoy has not forgiven for being passed over for the Dem designation for the 10th Senatorial District seat. He is backing Ellen Cooper Gregory in a challenge to his own co-leader, Laura Sanders.

CHURCH & STATE: This separation of church and state must be working.

The way I see it, about half the people go to church and the other half work for the state.

BOMBS AWAY: A one question quiz received online: Here's a list of the countries that the U.S. has bombed since the end of World War II, compiled by historian William Blum:

China 1945-46
Korea 1950-53
China 1950-53
Guatemala 1954
Indonesia 1958
Cuba 1959-60
Guatemala 1960
Congo 1964
Peru 1965
Laos 1964-73
Vietnam 1961-73
Cambodia 1969-70
Guatemala 1967-69
Grenada 1983
Libya 1986
El Salvador 1980s
Nicaragua 1980s
Panama 1989
Iraq 1991-99
Sudan 1998
Afghanistan 1998
Yugoslavia 1999

In how many of these instances did a democratic government, respectful of human rights, occur as a direct result?

Answer.....Zero (0).

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Michael Schenkler can be reached at: MSchenkler@QueensTribune.com

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