Tuesday, September 13, 2005

The teabag test

I once read in a great book about living a Christian life that a person is like a teabag. When submerged in hot water, the stuff on the inside seeps out, and we get to see what's there.

When I arrived home from work yesterday-- Monday, the day before Primary Day -- there were three glossy campaign mailers in our pile of mail, all of them from the Dunleavy camp. They were mailed to my house because my husband is a lifelong registered Republican.

Two of them were nasty attacks on his two opponents in today's party primary.

One slams Rose Sanders for having a full-time job in the County Clerk's office. Accusing her of double-dipping, it also slams her for having a husband employed by the county. Now even if Rose and her husband have political patronage jobs, I've got to wonder how the Republican camp can suddenly get indignant about that? Doesn't Riverhead GOP chairman Bruce Stuke work at OTB? Doesn't his wife have a county job, too? What's that? Something other than patronage? And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Many Riverhead Republican committeepeople and their family members have government jobs. If there's one thing the Suffolk County Republican political machine has been good at for generations, it's patronage! So talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

The other mailer actually raps Blass and Sanders for cooperating and working together. It includes a color photo of conjoined twins! (Llamas, I think, joined at the hindquarters.) This one also includes a picture of Blass & Sanders with Sen. Clinton, when she came to Wading River to announce her opposition to Broadwater. That photo is captioned: "Birds of a feather???"

Neither one of these attack pieces has a name attached to it, so you don't know who sent it. Now, there's real character for you! There is a return address on both of them: 2906 Pebble Beach Path, Riverhead. And the Bulk Mail permit on both of them is Permit No. 4, Westhampton.

The third piece seems like a more benign, positive piece advocating John Dunleavy for councilman. While it lacks the "2906 Pebble Beach Path" return address, it has the same Bulk Mail permit affixed to it.

The problem with this one is the statement, in bold print: "Without your vote [in the Sept. 13 primary] my name will not appear on the ballot for the General Election in November." That's just not true. Mr. Dunleavy has the Conservative Party line, last I heard. So he's on the ballot this November regardless of what happens today.

Submerged in "hot water" -- a tough primary race --we now know what this candidate has on the inside. Nasty attacks and twisted facts. I'm not a Republican, but if I were, Mr. Dunleavy's mailers yesterday would have made up my mind for me about how to vote. And it wouldn't have been the conclusion Mr. Dunleavy was hoping for.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

We agree that BlassSanders Sad Record of FAILURE for Riverhead is the issue, not Hillary or their friendship.

Don't let them sell our Town out AGAIN with Cardinale's newest EPCAL give-way.

Get out and be heard..VOTE!!!

Anonymous said...

The previous poster must be the one of the 'brave' ones that funded those nasty negative attack ads.

By the way I am going out to vote and I am going to vote for two council candidates of the same gender.

Anonymous said...

Anyone notice today that the ballot looked like a Chinese menu? What was Darren Johnson doing in the Republican booth? I tried to vote for him, but the machine wouldn't let me.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Denise, you better than anyone know how "dirty" Riverhead politics is. Remember the "Dump" Koz signs last year that Cardinale and Company were behind? And did they deny involvement? That was the lowest point of any campaign ever!

Rose does double dip. Romaine said on the radio that she uses vacation and sick time to attend the meetings. When was the last time you could call in sick to be present at your other job? The other issue is that she is never availale at Town Hall, nor does she return telephone calls. I know it's a part-time job, but how do you represent the people if you don't talk to them? That's right you ask Barbara and vote her opinion. I agree with the ad that was on the radio station..they hold 2/3 of the board vote and we really need independently thinking people to move forward!

You may have been offended by the ads, but as a resident I am more offended by watching channel 22 and seeing Barbara constantly roll her eyes and cop attitudes. Rose is there or not, maybe it depends on how much time she has accrued the previous month!

I think this is the worst administration I have ever seen in this town! They toot "open government", but what's so open? The doors of unethical behavior?

Anonymous said...

Under BlassSaunders the town has high taxes, no jobs, no anything!!!

I think of them and Phil as I sit in traffic on route 58

Vote a change or it is more of the same...........All they are is RICH politicans...living on John Q Taxpayer!

Anonymous said...

John Dunleavy's stunning defeat of incumbent Rose Sanders tonite on a campaign that characterized her as Cardinale "puppet" should signal the end to Slick Phil's tenure..

Good Riddance

Anonymous said...

...at least you do not hide the fact that you are a democrate. I am a republican. I backed Phil Cardinale, when I believed he was the best man for the Job...he has since proven me WRONG...Sanders and Blass always voted together....not 30% of the time or even 70% of the time but 100% of the time ..... and they sided with Cardinale and turned their back on the Party they pleged to support.

Anonymous said...

Could you weed out all the idiots from this BLOG site who think that the educated voters don't see through their special interests and low down tactics. Dunleavey did not have a landslide because he won by a small margin....his tactics and affiliations (sand mining, CROOKhead's GOP , aviation cry babies, lies about gas taxes, even better his Broadwater support) and then you think this is all a big win. The rocks that these people crawled out of really should be exposed......the battle has only begun.

Anonymous said...

WOW! The person above is very upset about the Democratic Process. Maybe they should move to Russia? OH! that is right,there are no Pine Barrens in Russia???

Anonymous said...

exactly right...the battle has only begun. Hopefully Riverhead will have fair and balanced government,which surly is not phil and his boys!!(er girls)

Anonymous said...

THE REPUBLICANS NOMINATED TWO WOMEN 4 YEARS AGO AND THEN HELPED ELECT THEM, HOW IS THAT SEXIST? THE REPUBLICANS WATCHED WITH SADNESS WHAT THEY HAD DONE TO RIVERHEAD AND NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO RECTIFY IT. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THEY DID NOT GO FAR ENOUGH. I AM A REPUBLICAN THROUGH AND THROUGH AND THESE TWO ARE NOT REPUBLICANS EXCEPT ON PAPER. THEY USED THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TO GET THE NOMINATION AND GET ELECTED. THEY OUT DEMOCRAT THE DEMOCRATS, AND IT SHOULD AND WILL BE OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE THAT PHIL AND HIS TWO COUNCILWOMEN ARE NOT GOOD FOR RIVERHEAD.

Anonymous said...

Dunleavy's incredible Victory is a COMPLETE REPUDIATION of Blass-Sanders' puppet-Master Phil Cardinale and the civic Fat Cats that have held our Town HOSTAGE for years.

Let's bring real jobs and a future for our children, not Golf Villas for millionaires

Good Show!!!!

Anonymous said...

As a relatively young, voting individual and new to the political world, all I have to say is "MY GOD people"! How old are we? It's no wonder our government takes forever to get things accomplished. I applaud those who have passion for making the world a better place, but dumping on and bashing people to get there is absolutely immoral, no matter what party you belong to. It was one of the reasons Bishop got my vote last year - despite what he may or may not have done.
Honestly, I dont know what to believe and all this name-calling really clouds my decision making. No offense Denise, or anyone else reading this, but I often find myself wondering if i should bother to read ANY of the local newspapers because of the twists and turns that seem to occur. How does one TRULY stay informed without feeling tricked, schemed, and somewhat disillusioned?
Any educated, reasonably stable-minded person would see how all this is just cat-fight material and means absolutely nothing in the end. A series of 'He said -She said' during "CRUNCH TIME".
I am a registered democrat, but I ALWAYS try to vote for the person i feel will best serve me, my family and my community. So us 'middle-of-the-roaders' are left with nothing but a cloud looming about and still many questions to be answered. What now?

Anonymous said...

Sorry, Denise, but we can't congratulate Cardinale and BlassSanders for what amounts to a terrible record for our Town.

You, in particular, have been vigilant and a voice of intelligent reason, in pointing out their shortcomings--your pieces on lack of leadership, Cardinale's illegal secret meetings and his deputy's departure to work with a notorious alleged criminal with ties to the sandmining and garbage "industries" were right on point.

The best way to keep these often arrogant and myoptic politicians in check is their knowledge that journalists like you are watching--and watching closely. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Go Denise! Defend that status quo!

Anonymous said...

denise

there is something wrong with the new blog!! ....can not log in to leave comment

thank you

Anonymous said...

I guess I should say I am sorry!!! if I have come across a little crude in your Blog...WELL I did not mean any harm. But I simply dislike Barabara and Rose. I really believe they are not qualified to be on he Board.

Mr Cardinale is another story. If you remember he won by 47 votes after 4 years of KOZ. That, I believe is is pure luck.If the people really wated change he should have won by a wider margin.

yes the campaign will be a tough one ...but we are in tough times and people, I believe are scared!and really need help from their elected officials.

Riverhead needs some real good government or we all will be in trouble. Riverhead needs people that work under pressure and get things done and are not afraid of what some civics and special interests will say.

but this poor town has been run for years by a few people with big mouths!!!...yelling at the town meetings... at a government that thinks that the are the majority...well they are not...I believe I am writing this for the majority...if not let them say other wise.

I am sorry I made Ms Blass cry because people like me voted for Mr Dunleavy.

Thank You

Anonymous said...

Thank you for educating me on the "bullet" vote. If it wasn't for your editorial I might have wasted my voting power! Bless you Denise!

Anonymous said...

Tonight, on Channel 22, I watched with dismay as a bloated Phil Cardinale giggled with some Town official about Ambrose Clancy's article about our Town's lack of preparedness if a hurricane stikes.

H E L P

Anonymous said...

Its getting surreal...later in that program Cardinale joked about hiring Mike C's lawyers because they have been so effective in thwarting the Town's efforts to close down his sand mine.

Sorry, it no laughing matter, Mr. Cardinale.

Anonymous said...

Denise, I don't know how you can stand this. It's impossible to respond to any of these comments without siting the time they were posted since they are all by 'anonymous'! Please, can't you require that folks pick an id and stick with it so that responses can be directed to the appropriate posters? No one would blame you if you shut this thing down till silly season is over. This is out of hand.