Meet the new boss

From the Forum:

Former U.S. Rep. Bob Turner will be named the next chairman of the Queens County Republican Party, according to a published report and several sources.

Turner, a retired television executive and Rockaway resident who won the 2011 special election for the 9th Congressional District seat following Anthony Weiner’s resignation amid his initial sexting scandal, will formally be awarded the post by state Republican chief Ed Cox at a meeting of the QGOP executive committee this Thursday evening in Forest Hills, according to Bart Haggerty, a state GOP committeeman and district leader.

“The war is over,” Haggerty told The Forum on Monday. “This puts an end to the dispute once and for all.”

Ragusa remains head of Queens GOP

From the Queens Tribune:

Phil Ragusa will remain chair of the Queens County Republican Party after the petition against his election was dismissed.

According to a court filing obtained by the Queens Tribune, the judge ruled the case against last September’s reorganizational meeting invalid, saying there was not enough evidence to overturn the vote, which saw Ragusa retain his position as head of the Queens GOP, against former U.S. Rep. Bob Turner.

“The court has examined the petition and finds that it fails to set forth facts sufficient to justify the relief requested. The petition must set forth facts supporting the claim that irregularities occurred at the organizational meeting which altered the outcome of the election,” the filing read in part.

Last year, Turner’s side, represented by former Councilman Tom Ognibene, filed a petition in court, challenging the vote over concerns about the meeting’s operation, including the vote being held on a weekday afternoon, which allegedly prevented some members from attending the meeting.

The filing ruled that notice for the meeting was clear and sufficient.

Should Bob Turner lead the Queens GOP?

From The Politicker:

In the wake of bribery charges being brought against the Queens Republican Party’s executive vice president, Republican Councilman Eric Ulrich is calling for former Congressman Bob Turner to the lead the party.

“I want to see Bob Turner as the next chairman and I want [Queens GOP Chair] Phil Ragusa to resign immediately,” Mr. Ulrich told Politicker. “I believe Ragusa has an obligation to step aside. The only person who can bring peace and bring people together is Bob Turner because of his integrity, character and ability to work with people on different sides. He’s very conciliatory.”

Mr. Turner lost his congressional seat in the decennial redistricting process last year. He has been a rumored candidate to replace Mr. Ragusa, who angered some party insiders when he ran a primary opponent against Mr. Ulrich’s State Senate bid last year–the latest in what has been an ongoing feud between the party’s two factions. For his part, Mr. Ulrich also tried and failed to oust Mr. Ragusa in 2011.

Mr. Ulrich further said he was shocked that his colleague, Republican Councilman Dan Halloran, was charged with participating in an alleged bribery scheme to land Democratic State Sen. Malcolm Smith in the Republican primary, but was not surprised Vince Tabone, the executive vice president of the Queens GOP, was arrested as well.

Just give the chairmanship to Turner already

From the NY Post:

Rep. Bob Turner said yesterday he’s up for a new challenge — becoming the next leader of the divided Queens Republican Party.

GOP insiders are touting Turner, who won Anthony Weiner’s old congressional seat on Democratic turf last year, as the man with the credibility and integrity to fuse the party’s warring factions. Phil Ragusa is the current GOP chairman.

Turner, the retired Cable TV executive, confirmed that he would be interested in the job if there is a vacancy.

“I’d hope to see what I can do. If I can bring peace to the valley, I’d be happy to do this. This is a difficult, thankless job,” Turner said.

Turner’s Queens-Brooklyn congressional seat was carved up through redistricting and his term expires at year’s end.

Republican operatives said Ragusa is on thin ice after Councilman Eric Ulrich trounced Ragusa’s hand-picked candidate, Juan Reyes, by a 2-to-1 margin in an ugly GOP primary for state Senate.

You mean Ragusa cutting off the GOP's nose to spite its face was not a popular decision amongst the rank-and-file?

"Since we have the maturity level of 12-year olds, we'd rather risk letting the Dems have the majority than endorse the guy who has the best chance of winning."

Glendale pols apply for new zip code

From The Forum:

Glendale may soon have its own ZIP code, distinguishing it from Ridgewood and hopefully clarifying mail delivery.

The two politicians working on the project, Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Glendale) and Congressman Bob Turner (R-Queens), say it’s a practical step with the benefit of boosting Glendale as a neighborhood.

“Glendale is a unique community and should have its own ZIP code,” Turner said. “Sharing a ZIP code has created numerous, and sometimes dangerous, problems for Glendale residents such as delays in medication delivery and first responder services. Assemblyman Miller and I are asking the USPS to help remedy these issues by taking our application into consideration as soon as possible.”

On May 22, Turner delivered an application for changing the ZIP code to the USPS. Along with the application were letters from residents, businesses and civic organizations backing the idea and a petition with 1,000 signatures.

Miller said this could have an everyday impact on residents’ lives.

The assemblyman said he was recently trying to make a purchase online and when the site asked for his ZIP code, it wouldn’t allow him to pair it with Glendale.

Instead, the site insisted he lived in Ridgewood. He had to call customer support to work out the problem but ended up having to enter his address as a Ridgewood residence.

Does she ever listen to herself?

From Forest Hills Patch:

City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, D-Middle Village, lashed out at Republican Bob Turner of Forest Hills Thursday, slamming him for voting for a “watered-down” version of the Violence Against Women Act.

The bill, which was up for renewal this year, originally included new protections for same-sex couples in abusive relationships and a confidentiality clause that protected women who called the police in cases of domestic violence.

The version that passed the house on Wednesday had those provisions stripped out.

“Yesterday, you and your Republican colleagues in the House of Representative rolled back protections for women who are victims of domestic abuse, and your decision puts the safety of half of your constituents — including myself — at risk,” Crowley wrote.

Half of her constituents including herself? So, all women in NY-9 are currently getting the crap beaten out of them and she's in one of those violent relationships? Did they let McLaughlin out of prison without our knowledge?

BTW, this is why she thinks she's qualified to run for the seat and why you should vote for her:

City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) touted her life experience as to why she is the best candidate for the new Queens congressional seat in a sitdown with the TimesLedger Newspapers last week.

Crowley was the 14th out of 15 children in a close-knit western Queens family, worked as a restorative art painter and was the first woman elected to her western Queens Council district.

Meng supporter says sex ads are 1st Amendment right

Excerpt from Nadler/Maloney press release:

U.S. Representatives Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) and Jerrold L. Nadler (D-NY) today sent a letter to Village Voice Media, LLC expressing concerns about the frequency with which that company's Backpage.com website is used to advertise minors and trafficked persons and urging it to shut down its notorious "adult services" section.

In a statement accompanying the release of the joint letter, whose full text is included below, Congresswoman Maloney said: "Law enforcement authorities and anti-trafficking advocates agree that the adult services section of Village Voice's Backpage.com is the single busiest online marketplace for the sexual trafficking of minors and trafficking victims anywhere in the United States. It is high time the Voice lived up to its reputation as a beacon of progressivism, and shut down this cesspool." Rep. Maloney serves as Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus, which works to educate people about the reality of the trade in human lives and toward its eradication.

Congressman Jerrold Nadler said, “The Village Voice must ensure that it is not in any way assisting in the horrific business of sex trafficking. Clearly Backpage.com has not done enough to prevent human trafficking on its site. They should shut down their adult services page immediately, before it is used by criminals to further promote human trafficking.”

Excerpt Bob Turner press release:

Congressman Bob Turner (NY-09) introduced House Resolution 646 putting pressure on Backpage.com, which is owned by Village Voice Media, to eliminate the adult entertainment section of their classified ad website. Many cases have been reported of the site being used for the sex trafficking of young boys and girls as well as adult prostitution.

“The adult section of Backpage.com has been shown to be a hub for the despicable act of human trafficking. We cannot allow the site to continue to serve as a means of advertisement for criminals and sexual predators. The executives at Village Voice Media cannot continue making a profit off of this illegal activity. This section of Backpage.com should be taken down immediately.”

What about the Trib?

Dear Editor (Queens Chronicle):

Your article “Meng knew firm’s ties to adult ads” (May 3, multiple editions) about the Queens Tribune newspaper printing ads promoting “Adult services” while having a consulting and printing firm, Multi-Media, had important information missing. The information that was missing was that Congressman Gary Ackerman is a part-owner of the Tribune.

There is certainly something wrong with this picture. While Meng and others were testifying in front of Congress to pass a bill that would end the exploitation of non speaking women, trafficking, and prostitution, the congressman’s newspaper “featured 37 ads promoting adult services, including 23 promoting the use of Asian women.”

The congressman started the Tribune in the 1970s and continues to have a stake in it.

Would publishing those ads be called procuring?

Here is just another example of a congressperson putting monies before morals and the protection of women.

Joyce Shepard, CSW
Bayside

Does he still own a stake in it? Not sure. Let's see what Schenkler has to say...

From the Queens Tribune:

Although I don’t speak for the Assemblywoman, I believe we agree on certain basic issues.

1) We both respect and advocate for the rights of women.

2) We both will take whatever steps that are within our power to end sex trafficking here and/or abroad.

3) We both recognize that “freedom of speech” is a cherished constitutional right that must not be trampled.

4) That “commercial speech” is speech and as such, should be respected, protected and not trampled.

5) The responsibility of righting societal wrongs rests with the legislature – in New York State, the State Legislature.

Therefore, Assemblywoman Meng and I agreed to cooperatively develop a legislative solution to address the concerns that some women’s groups have about newspaper advertising and sex trafficking.

Last time I checked, the Queens Tribune was a privately owned newspaper and therefore could print or censor whatever it chose to. In other words, no one is forcing them to print whore ads for money. I doubt that Schenk would print an ad that said, "Hitman for hire" or "Heroin for sale."

And if the whore ads are "protected speech," then how would Meng be able to legislate against them? His entire editorial makes no sense whatsoever and was a laughable attempt to try to downplay the fact that Meng hired someone to run her campaign that makes money off the exploitation of women - most notably, Asian women.

Photo from the Queens Tribune

Turner vs. Gillibrand for Senate seat

From NY 1:

Republican congressman Bob Turner announced plans Tuesday to challenge Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who is running for re-election as New York's junior senator.

It comes just days before the state's Republican Party is set to hold its convention in Rochester, where Turner will be battling with other candidates for the party's nomination.

The announcement also comes as his district seat faces elimination, fueled by the battle between the state legislature and a federal judge over district lines.

In a statement, Turner said, "There is serious work to be done to get this economy back on track, and I will not walk away from that work now. I will run for the Senate, and I will run to win."

Turner, a freshman who inherited the congressional seat vacated by Anthony Weiner, is considered to be a rising star who may draw a lot of support from the national Republican Party.

Turner and Ackerman could be finished

From NY1:

Because of population changes around the country, New York is set to lose two members of Congress this year, going from 29 seats in the House of Representatives to 27.

Just how those districts would get redrawn and which members of Congress might get squeezed out in the process has been a matter of debate.

This morning, the picture got a lot clearer with the release of a draft proposal from federal magistrate Roanne Mann.

Most districts would remain largely the same, but there are some big changes, including a new Queens district that is almost 40 percent Asian and could leave Democrat Gary Ackerman out of a job.

The biggest potential loser is Republican Bob Turner, who won the special election to fill Anthony Weiner’s seat.

According to the proposed maps, the freshman congressman's district would be eliminated and absorbed into several other districts.

Nevertheless, Turner is not surrendering.

Will Turner's district stay or go?

From the NY Times:

Many in the political world expected that Mr. Turner’s seat would be on the chopping block, under the political equivalent of the last-hired, first-fired principle.

But it appears Mr. Turner’s prospects of preserving the district, which stretches from southern Brooklyn to southern Queens, are improving.

Just last week, he went to Albany and made his case before Dean Skelos, who, as the Republican majority leader of the State Senate, is a crucial figure in drawing the new lines. He told Mr. Skelos what he had done in Washington during his time there and expressed his desire to keep the position. Mr. Skelos, in turn, offered encouragement — but no promises.

What is helping Mr. Turner’s chances, according to people monitoring the discussions in Albany, is the symbolic power of his victory to the party nationally.

Mr. Turner defeated David I. Weprin, a scion of a Democratic family in Queens, in a race in which Democrats mobilized some of their biggest names and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars. Mr. Turner turned the race into a referendum on the policies of President Obama.

The pipeline under Riis Park

From the Daily News:

Rep. Michael Grimm’s support for a natural gas pipeline through Queens is fueling criticism that he’s a pol courting powerful private interests — not the Tea Party reformer he claims to be.

Seven months after sponsoring legislation to run a pipeline under Jacob Riis Park, the freshman congressman has collected some $3,000 from its backers.

Grimm, a former FBI agent, won his Staten Island campaigning as an outsider who wasn’t going to buy into the crippling go-along, get-along ethos of inside the Beltway.

But the intersection of money, power and legislation is highlighted in the latest campaign financial disclosure statements, not just for Grimm but others in the New York delegation.

Disgraced Queens Rep. Anthony Weiner had shown interest in the project before he resigned in June. National Grid was among Weiner’s top campaign contributors in his last run for election, giving some $6,200, according to a review by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Veteran Queens Rep. Gregory Meeks and Republican newcomer Bob Turner, a former cable TV exec, co-sponsored the pipeline bill.

Since July, Meeks received donations totaling $2,500 from lobbyists pressing Congress to approve the pipeline project, according to campaign reports.

Turner received a $600 from a National Grid employee before he took office, campaign financial records show.

Lancman vs. Turner

From the NY Times:

In a sign that Democrats are eager to reclaim a Congressional seat in New York City, Assemblyman Rory I. Lancman plans to announce on Tuesday that he intends to challenge Representative Bob Turner, a freshman Republican, in the November election.

The decision by Mr. Lancman — a lawyer by training who is known as an aggressive campaigner — underscores the growing belief that Mr. Turner’s seat, which covers Brooklyn and Queens, will not be eliminated in redistricting, even though state legislative leaders and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo are still squabbling over where to draw Congressional lines.

Several other candidates around the state have also indicated that they cannot wait for the Legislature to act, especially since the Congressional primary, which was recently scheduled for June, is just four months away.

GOP members charge extortion

From the NY Post:

City Councilman Eric Ulrich is demanding an investigation into claims that Queens GOP leaders milked candidates “for financial gain.”

His call comes amid mounting criticism of the county party from prominent Republicans, including former Rep. Rick Lazio, Rep. Bob Turner and ex-Councilman and party honcho Thomas Ognibene.

“The District Attorney’s Office or the US Attorney’s Office should look into these issues because they’re deeply troubling,” Ulrich said. “These con artists have been playing this game for far too long.”

Several Queens Republican sources said it’s commonly known that if candidates want the party’s nomination, they’ll have to pay — whether it’s in the form of hefty contributions to the party or fees to the party’s consultants.

One high-ranking Republican familiar with the allegations against the Queens GOP leadership said Ragusa is a “decent guy” but has surrounded himself with “operatives who make a living off this.”

Congressman Turner said he was dismayed when the Queens leadership delayed his nomination last year for the special vote arising from the Anthony Weiner sext scandal.

“They were hesitant, and it cost us two weeks of campaigning for what every other political professional thought was a no-brainer,” he said. “Their reasons for doing it were suspect.”

Turner said he was approached by Jay Golub, a consultant for Queens political candidates.

“I think his play was that I could clear up the nomination process by using him,” Turner recalled. “The conversation didn’t last long . . . I didn’t like where it was going.”

Golub said he was “just trying to help Bob.”

“I was never hired by the Turner campaign,” he said.

Good luck with that...

From the Daily News:

The Queens Republican Party is looking to expand into Forest Hills, an area historically dominated by Democrats and a rival GOP faction.

The new American Eagle Republican Club of Forest Hills is hosting its first meeting Tuesday night at the Forest Hills Jewish Center.

The move is part of a larger plan for the party to branch out beyond its tradition base in northeastern Queens.

“After the [Bob] Turner victory, Forest Hills jumped to the top of the list,” said Robert Hornak, a spokesman for the Queens GOP.

Republicans were energized by Turner’s win of the 9th Congressional District seat long held by former Rep. Anthony Weiner.

Party officials said they are hoping that success translates into momentum for other Republican candidates in upcoming state and citywide elections.

Crowley, Ackerman stockpiling campaign cash

From the Daily News:

New York Democrats, shaken by a GOP win in the heart of New York City, are hustling to gobble up the gold, according to the latest campaign filings.

Queens Democratic Party leader Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Queens) took in $237,571 in the third quarter to amass a war chest of $933,462, according to the latest filings.

Crowley took a lot of the heat for picking a losing candidate, David Weprin, to run for Anthony Weiner's 9th Congressional District seat, which went to Republican Bob Turner.

Before the Turner win, Weiner's old seat was considered vulnerable to elimination in Albany's redistricting plan.

Now, Republicans want to hold on to a New York City district, and Turner himself said he would run for reelection - somewhere - if his seat vanishes.

Gary Ackerman (D-Queens), whose seat Turner might be eying, pulled in only $48,585 this quarter, but still had a campaign chest of $596,721.

Turner, for his part, finished the election with $26,681 left in the kitty.

"Twenty-six thousand against half a million? Good luck with that," a Democratic strategist said.

With redistricting plans still up in the air, Crowley was stockpiling cash for his own reelection efforts, not necessarily to help other Queens Democrats, sources said.

"Raising money is the equivalent of saying 'You want a piece of me? Come and try,' " said one Democratic operative.

The Crowley camp declined to comment.

Battle for control of Queens GOP

From the Daily News:

Former City Councilman Thomas Ognibene said he may challenge Queens County GOP leader Phil Ragusa at the upcoming organizational meeting.

"A lot of people feel the party can move forward. There are new opportunities in 2012," he said. "Real leadership can make a difference."

Queens Republicans are eager to harness the momentum created by newly elected Congressman Bob Turner's victory and grab back state legislative seats they lost in recent years.

"The county [party] adds nothing," said Ognibene. "They do not raise money and they do not provide expertise."

Queens GOP spokesman Robert Hornak said Ognibene's criticism was unfair and unfounded.

"If Tom feels compelled to run for county chairman, he's certainly free to do so," said Hornak. "If he had been more involved in the county organization over the past few years he would know our field operations and fund-raising has increased."

Ragusa was recovering from surgery and was not immediately available for comment.

Hornak said Ragusa has enough votes to be reelected.

Turner sworn into Congress

Turner wins, Weprin not conceding

From NY1:

Republican Bob Turner captured the seat vacated by long-time Democratic Representative Anthony Weiner, upsetting Democrat David Weprin in Tuesday's special election.

With 66 percent of precincts reporting as of midnight, Turner had 53 percent of the vote to Weprin's 47 percent.

Turner's victory represents an historic upset in a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 3-to-1 margin. The district hasn't had a Republican congressman since 1923.

"It's not over yet," Weprin said shortly after midnight, after NY1 and the Associated Press called the race for Turner. "There's still quite a few ballots to be counted."

Weprin running scared?

From City Hall:

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is said to be in panic mode over the prospect of David Weprin losing to Bob Turner in the special election for the Ninth Congressional District. An accumulation of gaffes, bad press and too-close-for-comfort poll numbers have fueled this perception. Even House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is said to be raising money for the campaign, though has yet to commit to headlining a fundraiser.

As one of the lone special elections in an otherwise dreary political year, the race is being held up as a bellwether for everything from President Obama’s re-election efforts, to the administration’s policies toward Israel, to the public’s fears about the economy, to gay marriage. But for many New York Democrats, the race is much simpler: an unexpectedly tight race in a reliably Democratic district.

“The DCCC is definitely panicking,” said one New York Democratic operative. “Even Nancy Pelosi is raising money to avoid the embarrassment of Weprin losing.”

Electioneering on the taxpayers' dime

From the NY Post:

[Congressional candidate Bob] Turner blasted [Marty] Markowitz for giving Turner's Democratic opponent -- Queens Assemblyman David Weprin -- the chance to address thousands of spectators before the Aretha Franklin concert in Coney Island last night and denying Turner equal time.

"This is 100 percent electioneering with the taxpayer money," fumed Turner spokesman Bill O'Reilly.

Markowitz admitted that he extended a stage invitation to Weprin -- whose Assembly seat does not cover any part of Brooklyn -- because the assemblyman's a congressional candidate.

But Markowitz said last night he's willing to allow Turner to address spectators at one of the two remaining summer concerts, either next Thursday or Aug. 18.