Tag Archives | martin connor

SuperFriends: Diamondstone Backs Kid Squadron

By on August 26, 2008 3:23 pm in Election08

Brooklyn Heights super-commenter/attorney TK Small and his assistant Leroy Martinez attended Ken Diamondstone’s press conference on Court Street and Atlantic Avenue this afternoon exclusively for BHB.  They snapped a photo and provided us with the official press release detailing Diamondstone’s backing of Daniel Squadron in the Democratic State Senate primary (aka The Bid for the Twenty Fifth) on September 9.  Two years ago, Diamondstone failed in his eerily similar attempt to unseat incumbent Sen. Martin Connor.

From Diamondstone’s official statement:

At the beginning of  this campaign, I sat down with Dan and posed him a tough challenge.  I told him that his determination to take on a lumbering dinosaur like Marty Connor wasn’t enough to win my endorsement.  I challenged him to prove the substance of his words taking up the mantle of the fight I began in 2006 against Connor and to demonstrate to the people of our district that he wouldn’t be yet another elected official who let us down.

Dan has risen to my challenge.  He has shown a gift for uniting diverse people and opinions and honing these invaluable perspectives into a single powerful voice . In this way he emulates a leader who has inspired me to continue my struggle to build a better society: Senator Barack Obama. [Diamondstone Press release PDF (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)]

Connor picked up key endorsements today from Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, former City Councilman Ken Fisher and State Assemblyman Jim Brennan.

Whose side are you on? Vote in the BHB Poll now!

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Ken Diamondstone Has a Very Special Announcement: He’s Backing Squadron

By on August 26, 2008 8:01 am in Election08

While we’ll be at our “day jobs” earning a living at 1pm today,  City Council candidate/former State Senate candidate Ken Diamondstone wants us to know that he will be making a special announcement at that time regarding The Bid for the Twenty Fifth.  Anyone who is near the corner of Atlantic and Court this afternoon around “special announcement time” please feel free to let us know what happens. (You think he’s backing Squadron?… Update: Umm yes.)

We wonder if Ken has taken the BHB primary poll? You can right now!

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BHB Poll: The Bid for the Twenty Fifth

By on August 25, 2008 1:26 pm in Election08

Inspired by Don King,  BHB Publisher Homer Fink has dubbed the September 9th Democratic State Senate Primary as “The Bid for the Twenty Fifth”.

Whose side are you on? Take the BHB Poll now!

(For those of you who enjoy such things, download a huge version of this poster here)

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Letter Supports Marty or The Olds Strike Back

By on August 24, 2008 9:58 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Election08, News

Friday’s guest on the Homer Fink Show, Daniel Squadron, came out last week with his plan for Brooklyn Bridge Park.  We’ll spare you the wonkery, but the main point “The Kid” made about the project was that the provision for luxury housing is a non-starter and that there needs to be a review of BBP’s revenue plan.

Residents of the 25th District received a mailer this week striking back at Squadron’s proposal, saying that the park “has no better friend than Martin Connor”.  The letter, signed by many members of the Brooklyn Heights establishment, stresses Connor’s leadership in, among other things, pushing Albany to acquire the land and finances needed for the park.

The Democratic primary for the 25th State Senate District will be held on September 9.  Squadron told us on Friday’s The Homer Fink Show that if he doesn’t win the Democratic primary, he’s will not run an active campaign in November via the Working Families Party line.

Listen to The Homer Fink Show with Martin Connor (8/15) and with Daniel Squadron (8/22).

Letter after the jump.

Continue Reading →

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Listen to The Homer Fink Show 8/22/08

By on August 22, 2008 6:00 am in Brooklyn Heights, Election08, Government, News

On this edition of The Homer Fink Show – NYS Senate candidate Daniel Squadron. The 28 year old upstart is challenging 30 year incumbent Martin Connor in the September 9 Democratic primary. He will be on the November ballot regardless of the outcome of that contest via the Working Families Party.

Squadron discusses Brooklyn Bridge Park, LICH, LGBT rights, education and other issues with Homer and super blogger Claude Scales. Listen after the jump and find out how he feels about campaign rhetoric regarding his father Howard Squadron, his finances and that Yale drama club. And more importantly, what he says about running in November if he loses the Democratic primary. Continue Reading →

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Kid Talks BBP Plan

By on August 19, 2008 9:19 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Election08

Today,  Daniel “Kid” Squadron laid out his plan for Brooklyn Bridge Park at a press conference on Atlantic Avenue and Furman Street.  The Democratic upstart is challenging three decade incumbent NYS Senator Martin Connor in the September 9 primary.  Squadron will be on the November ballot regardless of the primary outcome via the Working Families Party. Continue Reading →

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Marty Sees Kid’s Mayor and Raises Eight City Council Members

By on August 14, 2008 12:45 pm in Election08

NYS Senator Martin “Marty” Connor who is in a heated primary battle with upstart Daniel “Kid” Squadron to keep his 25th District seat, earned the endorsement of 6 New York City Council members this morning.  Speaker of the New York City Council Christine Quinn and Councilpersons Bill diBlasio, Inez Dickenson, Lou Fidler and Rosie Mendez announced this morning on the steps of  City Hall their intention to back the incumbent who has served Brooklyn Heights for three decades.  Council members Robert Jackson, John Liu and Alan Gerson are also backing  Connor but were not at the ceremony.

A press release from the Connor campaign included this statement from Speaker Quinn:

“New York City has no greater friend in the State Senate than Marty Connor. He has fought tirelessly to ensure we receive our fair share of State Aid for New York City’s schools. His hard work has secured billions of dollars in school aid and construction money we would not have received without his strong stands in Albany. Also year after year, in years when it was a lot harder than it is today to stand with the LGBT community Marty Connor always stood with us. It is never easy to be … on the right side of civil rights, but when you’re leading and on the right side of civil rights its often harder because there are fewer folks to stand in with you. His constituent services have made New York a better place to live, work and raise a family. We need Marty to return to the statehouse to continue to fight for New Yorkers. I am proud to endorse him for re-election.”

Earlier this week, Squadron received the support of NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Connor will be a guest on The Homer Fink Show LIVE tomorrow at 4pm.

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Connor, Squadron to Debate

By on August 13, 2008 8:08 am in Election08

Sen. Martin Connor and Daniel Squadron, candidates in the September 9 Democratic primary in the race for the 25th State Senate District will debate on September 3. Citizens Union, publishers of the Gotham Gazette, will host the event from 7pm – 9pm at St. Francis College’s Founders Hall [180 Remsen Street].

Both candidates will be guests on the Homer Fink Show – Connor this Friday (8/15) and Squadron the following Friday (8/22). The show airs live at 4pm on BHB and blogtalkradio.com .

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Hizzoner Backs Kid

By on August 12, 2008 3:01 pm in Election08

Daniel “Kid” Squadron picked up an important endorsement today in his bid to unseat incumbent NYS Senator Martin Connor in the 25th District – Mayor Michael Bloomberg.  Hizzoner is the third elected official to back Squadron, joining Sen. Chuck Schumer and Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh.  The NY Daily News suspects that Bloomberg’s endorsement of “Kid” is related to Connor’s not backing the Gansevoort legislation and his shifting support for congestion pricing.

And this Bloomie bonmot sure won’t make the Connor camp happy – “”Daniel Squadron’s record getting things done for New Yorkers is already more impressive than many lifelong legislators… Daniel Squadron is independent, hard-working, and smart — three things I always look for when I go into the voting booth.”

And what’s more — there’s a party at Tate’s house for Daniel!

Update: Connor campaign Political Director Mike Barfield has issued this statement in response to the endorsement:

Today Daniel Squadron shows that he stands with the Senate Republicans and their major financiers in their efforts to maintain the status quo in Albany. It is clear that he can’t be trusted to support the soon to be Senate Democratic Majority like the true progressive in the race, Senator Martin Connor, will. Democratic voters in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn should support Senator Connor in his efforts to bring reform to the legislative process as part of the emerging Democratic Majority in the New York State Senate.

Update 2: Squadron spokesman Josh Kriegman responds to Connor’s response:

“Unlike Martin Connor, who worked against Democrat Carl McCall in 2002 because the Independence Party paid him $350,000, and who was ousted from his Democratic leadership position because he ‘chose to sell his services to the highest bidder rather than work for the Democrats he was elected to lead’ (Daily News, 11/25/02), Daniel Squadron is committed to a Democratic majority in the State Senate that is both progressive and independent of the special interests.”

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Marty, Spokesman Part Ways

By on August 11, 2008 5:12 pm in Election08, News

The New York Observer reports today that the spokesman for State Senator Martin Connor’s re-election bid has “terminated” his relationship with the campaign.   The Public Advocacy Group president Chad Marlow made his mark in the race for the 25th State Senate District via attacks on opponent Daniel Squadron.  He stayed on offense against “Kid” Squadron (and his family’s wealth) to the end.   In his farewell press release, Marlow included this thinly veiled reference to Connor’s nemesis: “There is… an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents… The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government, and provision should be made to prevent its ascendancy.” (In any event, Marlow is now free to go back to representing pedicab owners.)

The Observer comments:

This kind of abrupt change usually doesn’t happen when everything is going well, but it’s too early to say how it actually affects the campaign of an incumbent who, often, is his own spokesman.

Connor campaign Political Director Mike Barfield tells BHB,  “Mr. Marlow remains a friend of the campaign and we appreciate his effusive support of Senator Connor in both the statement he released earlier today and our conversations thereafter. We both agree Senator Connor is the truly progressive candidate in this primary who will best serve the residents of the 25th District in Albany.”

Last week,  Newsday and some local residents speculated about a so-called “push poll” being conducted in this race in Brooklyn Heights.  BHB received denials of involvement from all of the 25th District campaigns. As for anyone thinking that Marlow’s departure may be related to the polling, which Connor called “unethical”, Barfield says, “Neither Chad Marlow, our campaign, nor any of our vendors conducted the push poll in Brooklyn Heights. Once again, I think voters and members of the media should ask themselves who benefits from a negative push poll about Senator Connor. Marty, or his opponent? The record from you own blog shows that the Squadron campaign did not deny the poll.”

Sen. Connor will be a guest on the Homer Fink Show live on BHB at 4pm this Friday (8/15) and will be taking your phone calls.

Flickr photo by anycec

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Marty on LICH: They’re Closing the Maternity Ward?

By on August 8, 2008 4:30 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill

The saga of the downsizing of Long Island College Hospital continued this week with local representatives calling for a little sanity to be injected into the situation.  LICH owners Continuum Partners are trying to dig the hospital out of a $170 million hole by cutting beds, services and selling some of its building.   NY State Senator Martin Connor commented this week that their rationale may need a little tweaking:

Brooklyn Eagle: Officials Urge…: State Sen. Marty Connor asked why, when Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens’ populations are growing younger, the hospital would choose to cut its maternity ward. “Maybe instead, they should have cut gerontology,” said the veteran political leader.

“They say they are losing money with obstetrics and gynecology,” said Connor. “Well, from what this layman understands, every hospital loses money with obstetrics and gynecology. It’s what the supermarket calls a ‘loss leader,’ because maternity patients form relationships with doctors whom they continue to use.”

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Squadron’s Camp Responds to Push Poll Controversy

By on August 7, 2008 2:48 pm in Election08, News

Well, we’ve got a “turkey” of denials regarding the alleged telephone “push poll” that was reportedly conducted by somebody running for the NYS senate seat representing the 25th District last week.  Josh Kriegman from Daniel Squadron’s campaign writes to BHB, “The campaign has not engaged in push polling and will not do so.”

So either BHB King of all Commenters Nabeguy is completely wrong about being push polled or something is a little off-kilter here.  Connor’s camp denies it, Chromczak denies it and now Squadron denies it.

In the meantime, take the BHB “faux push poll”.

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With All this Chatter About “Push Polling”, Let’s Try One!

By on August 7, 2008 11:02 am in Election08

The 25th district State Senate campaigns of both GOP candidate John Chromczak and incumbent Martin Connor have denied that their camps were behind an alleged “push poll” conducted via telephone in Brooklyn Heights last week.  Connor calls the practice “unethical”.  Democrat/WFP candidate Daniel Squadron’s campaign has yet to respond to BHB’s request for comment on the reported polling.

All this talk about push polling got us thinkin’ – what can you really get out of it?  Sure it’s used to smear the other guy but  that’s no fun – so we came created our own “faux push poll” with three fairly innocuous questions about the candidates running for the 25th District seat.   Take it now!

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Connor Campaign: Push Poll? Not us.

By on August 6, 2008 3:53 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Election08

From the BHB Inbox comes this response to our story yesterday about a supposed “push poll” being conducted in Brooklyn Heights from Connor campaign director Mike Barfield:

“The Connor campaign did not conduct the push poll that many of our supporters in Brooklyn report receving this weekend. Push polls are unethical and and insulting to the public that they mislead.

I am surprised anyone would suspect our campaign of conducting such a poll when its primary messages were all negative towards Senator Marty Connor. Surely, we would not conduct a push poll with the primary purpose of negatively influencing the public’s perception of our candidate.

Since John Chromzak’s campaign has already stated they did not conduct the poll, this begs the following question. In a two-way race, whose interest is it in to conduct a negative push poll about Marty Connor? Senator Connor, or his opponent?”

The Squadron campaign has not responded to our request for comment as of Wednesday afternoon.

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The Village Voice on the Marty vs Kid Battle

By on August 6, 2008 12:01 pm in Election08

Looks like the Village Voice is leaning towards State Senator Martin “Marty” Connor in the race for the 25th state senate district.  The beatnik’s favorite newspaper sees the race as Chuck Schumer’s “Wal-Mart” empire (Squadron) versus a mom and pop hardware store (Connor).  Witness these passages: Continue Reading →

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