What a bummer. Only one Democratic Town Committee primary on March 2. I must check with DTC chair Mario Testa to see if he placed an anesthetic in his restaurant fra diavolo to keep all the pols nice and sedated. Just one stinking primary out of 10 districts, the East Side where they fight one day, kiss the next, stick needles in their eyes the day after.
Don’t ask me to figure out politics on the East Side. I’ve tried by asking all the ones involved in the fighting. Jesus, someone doesn’t show up on time for a kid’s christening and they threaten to throw a primary. The 137th is the land of State Rep. Andres Ayala and his uncle Tito Ayala, and City Councilwoman Lydia Martinez all of whom have done their share of kissing, hugging and fighting. What are they doing this week? I’d tell you but it could change the next day. One thing is for certain, this district is never short on absentee ballot voters. Gee, no cheaters there eh?
What does this all mean for Mario who was returned to power two years ago after a battle with former Town Chair John Stafstrom? Sounds like he’s set up for another two years. The formal election of a new chair by the 90-member DTC, which conducts party business and endorses candidates for office, will follow next Tuesday’s primary. Then Mario will begin to work in earnest to select delegates to the statewide party convention in May. Mario’s allowing each district to select three delegates. That will leave him selection of the remaining 40 or so. Hey, want to be a delegate? Go see Mario, make your case, you never know. Just be prepared to vote the way he wants. Mario wants everyone on the same page to support a candidate for governor. But what candidate? It’s either former Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy or Ned Lamont.
Mario has a long memory when it comes to Stamford, particularly the shafting Stamford pols gave Bridgeport when a casino for the city was blowtorched in 1995. The fact that Stafstrom is a Malloy supporter doesn’t sit well with Mario either. But Mario doesn’t seem to be excited about Lamont either. So what’s a town chair to do? Leverage your delegate support in exchange for jobs for peeps and stuff for the city. Stay tuned.
I urge the whole East Side to vote, I vote at Marin and if you want real change then vote.
OR DON’T BITCH and MOAN
Lennie,
I am not the first to note the absence of significant blogging activity today. Rumors are not juicy enough? Maybe the weather is too good? But where is L E whose last words yesterday were about it being a ‘long, strange weekend’. No kidding!
OK, so it’s a new week and no posts from LE? Is he at work? Is he sick? Did he break his keyboard over the weekend? Or is it an occasion of blog-x-haustion?
At one time yesterday when there were 92 comments posted, I counted the entries and saw that L E had 23 comments, 25% of the total for the day. Leader of the pack!
Lennie, I realize comments on your blog are not a Winter Olympics event, but what kind of medal are you going to present to LE at your next outing? Most entries on a given weekend? Greatest percentage of total comments when entries exceeded 100? Or perhaps, most dissembling comments about one’s residence? Come in suburbs, come in Bridgeport, come in San Diego, wherever you are, LE!
*** Might have been 2 DTC challenges however Ms. Bruce in the 131st waited ’til almost closing “Friday,” Jan. 22nd “2010” to turn in her 9-member (candidate’s names) challenge list! Then did not pass out the sign-in petitions till “Monday” afternoon & evening of Jan. 25th “2010” in which 215 accepted signatures were needed. The deadline was “Wednesday” @ 4 o’clock p.m, Jan.27th “2010”! To sum it all up in 48 hrs. “Too picky, too little, too late!” *** FORGETABOUTIT ***
Mojo,
I agree. There should have been a primary slate for the 131st. Grrrrrrrrr.