Liveblogging The Squadron-Connor Debate

By on September 3, 2008 6:51 pm in Brooklyn Heights, News

BHB is here at the St. Francis College Auditorium, awaiting what is sure to be a most riveting display of oratorical prowess.

So far, the auditorium is PACKED…with empty seats. Come on down!

6:59pm: auditorium filling up nicely. Note to St. Francis College: Free your WiFi, Free Your Mind

7:05pm: and the debate is on! your moderator, Dick Dady.

7:09pm: there will be audience participation! You can ask a question, but you must write it on a piece a paper, presumably in crayon.

7:14pm: Connor’s opening remarks. Trip down “memory lane”. Joe Franklin nowhere in sight. Blaming his record on Republican domination of the senate.

7:18pm: Squadron’s opening remarks. He’s young! He’s motivated! He sounds a bit like Kermit!

7:33pm: Connor brought his people tonight. Audience seems to be in favor of him. One Connor supporter is knitting her way through the issues.

Connor talking about what he knows best: election law and ballot access

7:35pm: Squadron just gave connor some chin music

7:37pm: Connor: I am shocked, SHOCKED you would think I kicked anyone off the ballot as an election lawyer

7:42pm: Wow, Connor on the defensive. Getting angry over voting against the smoking ban. Breathe, connor, breathe.
and he’s completely ignoring the question about voting against commuter tax.

7:47pm: Connor blaming commuter tax demise on Giuliani

7:52pm: Squadron defending his brooklyn bridge park position. Doesn’t want to stop the park, just the condos. And the crowd goes wild!

7:56pm: Connor: I got the funds for the park, me, me,me! And the crowd goes wild!

7:51pm: knitting lady update: she’s almost done. I think its a scarf.

8:05pm: talking about education. Really, these guys are on the same side. Connor taking shots at Squadron.

8:09pm: Oh, this is rich…Connor accusing Squadron of using too many posters and leaving around too much trash

Connor to Squadron: get off my lawn!

Share this Story:

, , ,

  • Observer

    I’m going for Connor on Tuesday. If the Senate goes Democratic, which it very well might, his seniority will benefit the district. Also, I just don’t think Squadron has earned a place in the State Senate. He just moved here two years ago, and has done very little in the community.

  • http://deleted anon

    And I vote for Squadron. Connor has done nothing for the borough and has actively voted against us with the commuter tax, and voted for both the tobacco industry and privatizing public parks with private condos. We need change in Albany, plain and simple.

  • anon

    squadron all the way. connor is a blowhard who barely met any of his goals all these years in the senate. we need change! its time for brooklyn to take control of its future with Squadron!

  • Loving Brooklyn

    Qfwfq, your reporting is somewhat useless. I was really looking forward to some insightful reporting about this debate since I had work commitments that kept me from attending. I wish that Homer had a bit more standards in editing the posts that are published on this blog. This article does not go into any details about policy differences. Maybe they didn’t address it? The BHB is trying to maintain some sense of objectiveness by not endorsing a particular candidate but sends a reporter with an overwhelming bias to report on a debate. I really had hopes for the BHB becoming more respectable, especially with the nod in the NYT mag. I’ll just have to realize that it’s just a neighborhood gossip column. I don’t read US weekly, so maybe I should stop reading this gossip.

  • Homer Fink

    LB – here’s the upshot: Listen to the Homer Fink Shows featuring Squadron and Connor.

    Apart from juvenile hissing from “the olds” in the crowd directed towards Squadron and from “the youngs” directed towards Connor nothing new regarding their stances came out of this debate. Believe me, I sat next to Qfwfq and the knitting lady.

    Connor got angry many times and described all the legislation he’s sponsored (some may have even passed) and all the things he’s done in 30 years. Oh and David Patterson didn’t beat him to become minority leader, his term was up any way. (Paging Aesop, didn’t you have a fable about this?)

    As for Squadron, listen to the podcast. Same positions.

    Gotham Gazette videotaped the entire debate and we’ll post that when it’s available.

    As far as your stance on our editorial coverage, we’re always looking for new contributors as this is a community site. Looking forward to hearing from you.

  • Steph

    I attended the debate and Connor made a real effort to tag his opponent as a “kid,” frequently referencing Squadron’s youth. However, watching the respective temperment and maturity of each of the candidates, it was difficult to tell who in fact was the kid and who was the adult in this race. Connor got aggravated a number of times, often yelling and getting quite animated. He didn’t answer a number of questions and often seemed defensive and agitated. Mr. Squadron, on the other hand, appeared to keep his cool the entire time, even in light of the numerous below the belt attacks from Connor on Mr. Squadron’s family, attacks which eventually resulted in booing from what appeared to be Connor and Squadron supporters alike.

    I went into this debate not really knowing much about either candidate (which probably says more about Senator Connor than Mr. Squadron), but came out of the debate with the thought that if this is indeed a race between change and experience, I’m left wondering what sort of experience Mr. Connor has gained in his 30 years in office. After last night’s amateurish and petty antics, he seems far less seasoned than his supposedly neophyte challenger.

    If what I read is true, and there are not really any differences between the two candidates on the issues, then after last night I must say that I am leaning towards voting for Mr. Squadron.

  • DJ Tanner

    I went last night. By accident. I kept waiting for the St. Francis performance group’s production of Annie Get Your Gun, and about 45 minutes in, realized I was in the wrong auditorium.

  • http://www.danrosenbaum.com danno

    The seniority argument really doesn’t cut. Connor was forcefully ejected from his leadership seat by his colleagues (one of whom is now governor) over a Thanksgiving Day weekend. His term may have been up, but when’s the last time you heard about a politician giving up a leadership post — and all the considerable extra money it carries — willingly? In a Democratic Senate majority, *I*’d be more likely to win a leadership seat, and I’m not in the Senate.

    Connor’s Commuter Tax vote costs New York City residents money every day. His votes for privatizing public parks and his taking money from the tobacco companies degrade our quality of life.

    Precisely why would we return him to office?