In one story from the New York Observer Oliver Koppell has moved his decision to run against State Senate Co-Leader Jeff Klein to after the Easter holiday. Koppell had originally said that he would make the decision on running against Senator Klein after the state budget deadline. That was two weeks ago. This latest bit of pondering from Koppell come on the heels of another story in from the State of Politics Blog about a possible reconciliation between the Senate Democratic Conference and the Independent Democratic Conference.
The Observer quotes Oliver Koppell as very happy from the number of signatures he has received in an on line petition numbering well into the thousands. The only problem is the over 90 percent of the signatures are not from the 34th state senate district home to Senator Jeff Klein. The Koppell residence was redistricted back into the 34th State senate recently after a 10 year absence. Republican State Senator Guy Velella cut the corner where the house sits out of the 34th state senate district after Oliver's wife Lorraine Coyle-Koppell ran for the seat against Velella in 2000. Running on the Democratic Party line she lost to Republican Velella by a singe digit percentage margin.
The State of Politics Blog says that a meeting between IDC head Senator Jeff Klein and Mainline Democratic Conference Senator Mike Gianaris was set and then cancelled between the two senators. The topic of the meeting is said to have been bringing the IDC members back into the mainline Democratic Conference, possibly at a similar Co-Leadership as is now in place. State of Politics also mentions that mainline Democratic senators such as Ruben Diaz Sr., Adriano Espalliat, and others are tired of being shut out of the decision making process with the current senate leadership in place. Then there is the fear of the IDC gaining even more seats with primaries such one that Gustavo Rivera may face. Mainline Democratic senators kining up against this reconciliation idea are Liz Krueger, Gustavo Rivera, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and
Bill Perkins.
6 comments:
The Observer story has been discredited by the IDC. Nonetheless Klein is not to be trusted. His integrity has been permanently tarnished since his deal with the Republicans Real Democrats are praying that Koppell will run. The career of Jeff Klein must be ended once and for all..
This comment appears to come from someone very close to Oliver Koppell. I would suspect that it came from the wife of Oliver Koppell. So Lorraine did you write the previous anonymous comment?
How about reporting instead of suspecting or accusing or claiming-how about accuratly reporting!?
We were just notified to look at your blog via these comments. Your blog has supported Oliver Koppell in the past and recent history shows that you were appointed on CB8 by Oliver Koppell, so we find it fasinating that after supporting Mr Koppell for over 10 years that you would have this new position on him . The iDC is grateful
The previous comment did not come from Oliver Koppell's wife. I wrote the comment. I am a Klein constituent who is extremely unhappy with him. There are many unhappy Klein constituents. More than you think. It is quite obvious by your comment that this blog is prejudiced towards Klein. I do believe if Koppell decides to run he will be a strong and formidable candidate.
All 3 of the previous comments seem to have the same theme, that being a lack of identity.
To 7:29 AM - reporting is merely at times writing what is rumored, or that someone wants to have people think may happen. Ongoing politics is never correct until it happens.
To IDC - Of course I know that you are not connected to the IDC, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. appointed me to CB 8, and you fail to remember the letters that I wrote to the two Riverdale papers (now a shell of what they once were) criticizing Oliver Koppell after he was elected to the city council. I now have a 6 year old political column and a 2 year old Riverdale column in the Bronx News, Parkchester News, and Coop-City Newspapers that have a circulation of over 50,000.
As for 1:57 PM, Mrs. Koppell told me last week that she loves my columns especially when I mention her name.
This blog is not prejudiced to any candidate - I just call it as I see it. To me Jeff Klein is by far the better candidate over Oliver Koppell. Also you do not know the many people who do not like Oliver Koppell for his political positions as I do, and there are many more than those who do not like Jeff Klein that live in the district.
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