Blaine the Mono

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

New York Politics: Stranger and Stranger

Even before the investigations into the Spitzer Administration's efforts to misuse the State Police in order to discredit Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno have been resolved, New Yorkers are treated to a new episode in dysfunctional government. The Albany Times Union is reporting the following:

The long-time lawyer for Gov. Eliot Spitzer's elderly father notified state and Senate investigations panels Tuesday that a person believed to be a political strategist for Senate Republicans left an angry, anonymous voice mail message warning of a subpoena about "your shady campaign loans."

"If you resist the subpoena you will be arrested and brought to Albany," the caller, believed to be political consultant Roger Stone, stated in an obscenity-laced message, according to a letter sent to Senate Investigations Committee Chairman George Winner Jr., R-Elmira.

Among other past activities, Wikipedia mentions these two items of interest regarding Roger Stone:

According to Maureen Dowd of the New York Times, Stone is the "keeper of the Nixon flame" and was an advisor to the former President in his post-presidential years, serving as "Nixon's man in Washington". Stone was a protege of former Connecticut Governor John Davis Lodge who introduced the young Stone to then former Vice President Nixon in 1967.

According to Jeff Toobin in his "Too Close To Call" Stone was recruited by former Secretary of State James Baker to over-see the recount of the disputed Presidential election in Miami-Dade county in 2000. Stone is credited with the street demonstrations and eventual shut-down of the re-count in that privotal county.
I find this stuff to be fascinating: mysterious political operatives threatening the elderly father of the Governor of New York. Wow, I smell a novel in the making. Any guesses on the motivation or what this is all about?

2 Comments:

Blogger Fat Bastard said...

Only thing I can think of is maybe Bruno's people thought spitzer had obtained money improperly. They hoped to put another hole in his ship of state and derail his agenda. They assumed the threats would not be made public in order to cover up shady campaign contributions. And lastly, they miscalculated either the source of the contributions, or spitzer's resolve to discredit bruno.

August 22, 2007 at 11:37 PM  
Blogger Fat Bastard said...

I smell a new soap opera - As the Senate Turns. Or Another World.

August 23, 2007 at 12:00 AM  

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