News Copy, New York

Why Kirsten Gillibrand Is Not Important: New York's Junior U.S. Senator Clueless To Fiscal Crisis

  Joe DioGuardi was with Sean Hannity last night on FOX News ...

... Talking about oil and municipal debt.

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Kirsten Gillibrand was featured today on The Huffington Post ...

... Writing about overhauling food safety laws.

Gillibrand's political background is all about Albany yet she seems clueless to New York's fiscal problems.

Democrats can only play dumb for so long.

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While Republicans Bruce Blakeman and David Malpass are designated to run on a GOP U.S. Senate Primary, DioGuardi must get sigatures to be on the September 14th ballot.

DioGuardi thrives on such fights and should be well-regarded in this year of Republican reformers.

The Wall Street Journal reported on the divisive primary.

"Mr. DioGuardi has already won the backing of the state Conservative Party. Historically, that party's line on the ballot has been critical to Republicans winning statewide office.

All of which means the Republicans close their convention with deep internal divisions rather than coordinated opposition to the state's top elected officials, who are Democrats."

Joe DioGuardi has vowed to stay on the Conservative line until November, setting the stage for a three-way race if Malpass or Blakeman win the Republican primary in September.

After months of lobbying Independence Party leaders, DioGuardi was bypassed at the State Convention and not even given an opportunity to speak.

The Independence Party gave their line to Gillibrand.

Meanwhile, neither Malpass nor Blakeman have a minor party line -- and there are a lot of Tea Party organizers (particularly a substantial cross-section of the pro-life community) who would like to see DioGuardi take that line.

Dan Senor Out, Malpass Has $1 Million: DioGuardi On Track To Secure Nod Against Gillibrand

With Dan Senor out of the race, former Congressman Joe DioGuardi could have an open road to secure all three lines by June to challenge U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

David Malpass has upped the stakes, donating $1 million of his own money to his race.  DioGuardi has only $100,000 on hand -- but few doubt the Bronx-born CPA's ability to raise money.

Former Nassau County lawmaker Bruce Blakeman is still in the race but sources within the Conservative Party insist that he been put up to run by former U.S. Senator Al D'Amato to help Gillibrand.

DioGuardi is focusing on barnstorming the state to secure so far nearly 20 endorsements from county committees around New York.  DioGuardi is New York State Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long's pick to run for U.S. Senate against Gillibrand.  He is also by every indication going to be the Independence Party's candidate -- and Senor's departure removes what had been the last obstacle to courting the State GOP.

No sooner had Senor exited the race, Politics on the Hudson reported that Malpass had put $1 million of his own money into his race.

Painted as a D.C. insider, Dan Senor had been expected to challenge Gillibrand.  The rabid word of mouth out of D.C. for Senor had started to make DioGuardi look more like an outside than a former House member.

The outsider tag probably helps DioGuardi in this election.

The Daily Politics reported that Senor's campaign was supposed to announce this week.

Business Week reported Malpass formally announcing just as Senor departed.

DioGuardi expects a challenge to Gillibrand will require as much as $10 million.  With Senor out, the Republican nomination won't be as costly -- but any September primary would delay DioGuardi, Malpass or Blakeman drawing national money for the November contest.

DioGuardi has already secured the endorsement of his home county, Westchester, and Conservatives in that suburb of New York City are supporting him.  Republican candidates don't win statewide without Westchester in tow.

Harry Wilson Running For New York State Comptroller: Joining Growing Downstate G.O.P. Slate

Westchester County resident and Rob Astorino ally Harry Wilson has formally declared his candidacy for New York State Comptroller.

Wilson is also getting major support from John Faso, who many wanted to see run again for Comptroller or Congress.

The New York Daily News reported on Wilson's announcement and his steady pace of endorsements.

"He's poised to receive the support of the Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady and Montgomery GOP county chairs this evening ...

"Wilson's campaign also announced today that he has landed the backing of the Westchester, Rockland and Fulton GOP chairs. Wilson, who is being billed by the campaign as a "restructuring expert," was raised in Fulton County (Johnstown)."

Wilson was an integral part of the transition team for newly elected Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino.

Obviously, the strength of Astorino's win in Westchester -- coupled now with two statewide candidates (Wilson and expected U.S. Senate candidate Joe DioGuardi) out of that county and Rick Lazio's gubernatorial run (joined by Bruce Blakeman out of Long Island for U.S. Senate) -- should give suburban and downstate Republicans a renewed rallying cry.

Former New York Congressman Joe DioGuardi To Declare For U.S. Senate: Another Gillibrand Challenger

Joe DioGuardi's in, not formally declared, but the tea party community has been told that he is running for U.S. Senate against Kirsten Gillibrand.

The former two-term Congressman revealed his intentions to a crowd of nearly 300 people in Nanuet at the Regency Hotel.

Gillibrand also faces possible challenges from publisher Mort Zuckerman, Republican Bruce Blakeman and Democrat Harold Ford.

DioGuardi spoke at the tea party conference in Rockland County today, where the "first practicing CPA elected to Congress" was welcomed for his expertise on fiscal reform.

Usually, the tea party movement can be a bit reticent to promote a candidate.  But DioGuardi has been "walking the walk" on reforming the budget process longer than most elected officials throughout the nation, particularly through his work with the good government organization Truth In Government.

Daily Kos did a quick overview on the race two weeks ago:

"Undecided is the big winner in a contest with Ford and Blakeman, with Ford leading 35-26. Meanwhile, another Republican might be getting into the game, with the news that former Congressman and perennial candidate Joe DioGuardi is thinking about getting into the race. DioGuardi, 69, served in Congress for two terms way back in the 1980s, and is a favorite of the Conservative and Right To Life Parties."

DioGuardi will be formidable, as a speaker and a fundraiser.  He is reaching out to county leaders, hustling to secure the Conservative line and has been received well by State GOP leaders.

Sources within the Conservative Party are complaining that Blakeman was only brought into the race as a foil for former U.S. Senator Al D'Amato -- whose lobbying hooks into Gillibrand though her father, Doug Rutnik, should only be viewed as a conflict of interest.

Blakeman's prior political incarnation during Long Island's fiscal collapse a decade ago might also be held against him -- but he gave a great speech to Conservatives on Homeland Security. 

DioGuardi's own speech to Conservatives on the national debt was acknowledged as the best speech of the New York State Conservative Party's Political Action Conference.

DioGuardi's own foreign policy experience throughout the Balkans will give the two-term Congressman an edge in this race, though early polls indicate the dominating issues will be fiscal.

The Bronx born Italian-American CPA, who was the youngest partner in history of Arthur Andersen 40 years ago (when it was still considered "the marines of the accounting profession"), excelled as a human rights activist for the Albanians.

A good friend of News Copy over the years, DioGuardi was ahead of his time never cashing in as a lobbyist and was maintaining a modest profile as a citizen activist long before the tea party movement was started.

Of course, DioGuardi is also the proud father of American Idol's Kara DioGuardi -- which means the Internet's search engines are probably going to be busier than usual this election cycle.

Gillibrand's in for a long hot summer.