It was a bone chilling frigid morning yesterday by the Bronx Courthouse on the Grand Concourse, but this was the day and place that Republican candidate for governor Rob Astorino choose as his first stop on his campaign. You may ask why did the the Westchester County Executive come to the Bronx to kick off his Republican campaign for governor when there is not even one Republican elected official here. Astorino answered that question by telling of his Bronx roots and attending Fordham University, He then went into all the things that are wrong with New York State and the Bronx. Words such as "the most economically challenged in the state", and "unacceptable" referring to an unemployment rate in the Bronx that is almost double that of Westchester County.
As you will see in the photos below Astorino is surrounded by mostly minority people in what he called "New York's Only Minority Latino Borough". Astorino ended his comments by reading from a prepared speech in Spanish while one of his aides held a microphone of a Spanish speaking television station.He then took questions which were of many different subjects including how he can overcome current Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo's lead in mostly every category.
I was able to say 20 years ago at Mayor Giuliani's inauguration a man was standing behind me saying that he would be the next governor. His name was George, and he beat Governor Cuomo that year. I said with the exception of you running against a Governor named Cuomo times are different now. There is a Democratic Mayor in New York City, the New York City Republican Party is in shambles from the Malcolm Smith fiasco, and here in the Bronx there has not been even one Republican elected official in many years. I then asked are you really running to try to help the Republican state senators outside of New York City get re-elected or even pick up a seat or two? Astorino looked a little shocked at the question, and then went into his campaign speech again.
There were two counter protests going on at the same time. One about Astorino's position on abortion, and one about Astorino's position on gun control.
Here you see Astorino as he begins his speech as to why he should be elected Governor of New York State. Next to Astorino on the right in the photo is hes wife Shelia, while Bronx Republican Board of Elections Commissioner Mike Rendino is on the left in the photo.
You can see the Spanish speaking television Channel 41 microphone in front of Astorino as he ends his speech in Spanish. One of his aides is holding the microphone.
Here you see some of the protesters from one of the two protests that were going on as Astorino was speaking.
Bronx
Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. issued the following statement today in
reaction to Rob Astorino's press event on the steps of the Bronx County
Building:
"Before
Rob Astorino came to the Bronx to launch a political campaign, he
should have had the decency to apologize for having called our residents
illegals who 'can't necessarily keep a house.' Such words are divisive,
bordering on outright racism. Despite what Mr. Astorino may think, the
people of the Bronx are smart enough to tell when a politician is
insulting them behind their back. If Mr. Astorino has any sincere
desire to represent all New Yorkers as he claimed today, he should drop
the act and apologize," said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
