Chamlin Drops Out
Susan Chamlin, the aide to Senator Liz Krueger who was running Assemblyman Pete Grannis's not-yet vacated seat, has sent out a letter to say she's dropping out.
From the letter:
Upon Pete Grannis' confirmation to head the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Governor Spitzer will call a special election to fill this vacancy. However, until Governor Spitzer calls a special election, there is no race. Yet it appears the race has already been decided.
The Democratic nomination now pretty much belongs to Micah Kellner, who most elected officials are backing.
If only the seat would open up.
-- Azi Paybarah
Congratulations Micah. You will be one great assemblyman.
A tip of the hat to Micah Kellner, Susan Chamlin and Barry Klein. three fine individuals and worthy Democratic candidates. And to Micah -- we are all very proud of you, and we second Happy East Sider's sentiment!
Susan and Liz, ungracious to the end.
Congrats to Micah Kellner. Now all we need is a vacancy.
Micah worked hard to make friends long before the race began. But he isn't the putative winner just because he played a good inside game -- he impressed people who have never supported him in the past. He showed that he is strong on the issues that are important to the district, and that he will be a strong advocate for the people who live there.
Lots of people care about issues and have spent time working on them. That's not enough to win an election, as Susan found out. While the process is undeniably flawed, Micah won on merit. It's a good day for the Upper East Side.
I give credit to anyone these days who holds themselves out as a candidate for elective office. It is a rough process. Congrats to Susan and Barry for taking time out of their lives to participate in this process. Further congratulations to Micah Kellner who has devoted his professional life to public service and will not have a chance to serve the public in a representative capacity.
Congratulations are certainly in order for Micah!
If Micah knows who is posting comments along the lines of 12:26 (and hopefully he doesn't) he should tell them to move on. Despite what they may think, people are not helping Micah become the progressive and mature elected he wants to be by bashing other well-loved East Side electeds.
Susan and Barry are both great people and I hope they stay involved on the East Side.
I'm not Micah, but I did post the comment at 11:56 a.m. Speaking as one of Micah's many East Side supporters and friends, however, I can tell that we don't know who writes nasty anonymous comments on blogs, about any of the candidates or their supporters. We have never encouraged or condoned it, quite to the contrary, in fact, since, as 1:45 p.m. correctly notes, it doesn't help his candidacy at all. That said,we can't wave a magic wand and put a stop to it, either. Sorry to say it, but it's the simple truth.
Let's see: Krueger disrupts an East Side political meeting by packing it with supporters (many of whom re not sure why they are there) who make noise, stamp feet and generally act the way one would expect ordinary people to behave when they are told to pack a room. As the meeting of Democrats progresses, Chamlin refuses to say she will support the Democratic nominee, and she continues to refuse to say so until she drops out of the race to "preserve Democratic unity." But mentioning any of this is not nice?
Some people really need to let it go. How silly this looks.
you're right, 3:24 i have been reading these e-mails on i think four different sites here and the kreuger camp really did look silly but now they're gone so move on everyone.
Huh?
The point is that there is no reason for UES Democrats to be at odds. Micah Kellner will be our nominee to take on the Republican. Everyone will pull together behind him as we have for other nominees in recent times who had a much more bitter battle to the nomination.
The area has not been dominated by Democrats long enough for everyone to rest back and assume that locking up the Democratic nomination is the end of the race. This is not the West Side or the Village, yet.
For these reasons, attacks on Chamlin and Liz Krueger must stop now. We all look forward to celebrating Krueger's five years in office next week. It is hard to believe that great victory was five years ago.
hysterical.
Amen to 3:35, et al.
Dear Happy East Sider: Does your joy flow from the fact that Krueger and her gang have opposed every winning Democratic candidate on the East side over the past five years? Are you happy that these people were so uncivil that not one single federal, state or city legislator came out for their candidate in this go round? Or are you happy that her behavior in Albany led her colleagues to demote her, thus costing the East Side influence up state? Do tell us which of these things make you so happy.
5:48 is absolutely clueless and really bitter for some personal reason.
i saw liz and her staff volunteering all the time with jessica lappin and dan garodnick last year. all the east side electeds work extremely well together and are really smart people. i am sick and tired of all these posts from people trying to cause problems where none exist.
By exercising serious self control and tying my typing fingers to my chair, I have avoided posting anything on this or any of the boards devoted to the East Side race. But I have been reading, and while 6:22 may think 5:48 is clueless (sounds like a science fiction futurist novel), as John Adams once said, "Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." In other words, did Kreuger support Bing -- or Greenhill? Did Kreuger support Stringer? Is Kreuger still head of the State Senate Democratic Campaign Committee? Did any federal state or local legislator supported Kreuger's candidate in this race? The answers are both facts and clues.
funny how none of the posters actually know Liz's name. It's K-R-U-E-G-E-R. Although, this isn't surprising, their understanding of her as an elected official and a person are equally wrong!
considering kellner basically won a maybe-soon to be vacant seat today, the vitriol coming from his supporters is a little off. take your medicine or something.
Dear Not Clueless,
Fact: As chair of DSCC, the Democrats took 4 democratic seats from Republicans. People used to laugh when someone suggested the Dems would take the Senate, now they wonder if it will happen in 08 or 07.
Fact: Krueger and many others holding elected office did not endorse in the BP's race (the 11 candidate race!) 2 council members in seats overlapping her senate district were also running for the spot.
Fact: Greenhill??? WHO CARES! THAT WAS 5 YEARS AGO!
So you agree with 7:16 that Krueger endorsed Greenhill, not Bing; that Krueger did not endorse Stringer; and that Krueger is no longer chair of the Democratic Campaign Committee? The only quesiton you left unanswered was whether anyone anywhere endorsed Krueger's candidate in this race. Is 7:16 right in suggesting none did?
True. Greenhill was five years ago. And true, it wouldn't matter had Greenhill not been an ex-CIA person. Sort of strange for an endorsement from the "progressive," "liberal" Krueger.
I thought Maloney loved the CIA? Or was she just duped by them when she voted to authorize George Bush to go to war in Iraq?
Any differences between Senator Krueger and Assemblymember Bing over the Greenhill issue were resolved years ago. If I remember correctly, Senator Krueger did not endorse anyone in the BP race. She did not oppose Stringer.
Some of the people on this blog REALLY need to stop trying to create problems where none exist. We should be happy that all our East Side electeds are really smart hardworking people who work well together.
i still do not understand why candidates who have their own base of supporters would drop out of a race before it even becomes a race. i think that it is way to premature in light of the fact that this will be an open seat and may pose a big opportunity to get elected and serve. there have been many elected officials that have been elected despite the organized support of their opponents.
i think people want to make trouble here b/c the only thing Maloney has is the east side. she's been in congress for 14 years and has an unremarkable record, no pull in washington, and imbarissingly voted for bush's war. krueger's spent her time getting democrats across the state into office and forcing reform in albany, not packing clubs and building shallow fiefdoms.
I am a Kellner supporter, but I find some of his supporters comments here utterly disrespectful and distasteful! Liz and Carolyn are wonderful elected officials, and each for different reasons. Let's all celebrate instead of indulging our anger.
9:14 - I'll take you at your first point. It was 5 years ago. Move on.
Susan and Barry are doing the right thing and supporting Micah. They all have class and are good democrats. I agree with Susan that it is important to keep the seat in the hands of the democrats so unity is important.
Finall, as one of Micah's supporters, I have a suggestion for those claiming to be one of Michah's supporters: Please shut up!
The anonymous attacks from Chamlin supporters on outstanding elected officials like Carolyn Maloney, Jose Serrano, Christine Quinn, and Bill Thompson are outrageous and pathetic. I'm sorry for her that she lost the race and can understand how bitterly disappointed her supporters must feel, but they do her no credit with this kind of pathetic sour grapes. Grow up, folks!