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Texas Gov. Abbott dares NYC Mayor Adams to ‘make my day’ in migrant war

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tapped into his inner “Dirty Harry” on Wednesday and publicly dared Mayor Eric Adams to “make my day” by carrying through on his threat to send New Yorkers to campaign against his re-election bid.

Abbott also vowed to keep sending busloads of asylum-seekers to New York City, saying Adams was merely “getting a taste” of what beleaguered border communities have been dealing with in the Lone Star State since President Biden took office.

Abbott’s comments on Fox News came amid his ongoing feud with Adams over migrant relocations and just hours after three charter buses hired by Abbott dropped off nearly 100 migrants outside the Port Authority terminal in Midtown Manhattan.

The transports added to almost 70 who arrived on Friday and Sunday.

In response to Adams’ threat Tuesday that he was “deeply contemplating taking a busload of New Yorkers to go to Texas and do some good, old-fashioned door-knocking” against Abbott, the Republican governor said, “You know, I kind of feels like Clint Eastwood.”

“Go ahead, Major. Make my day,” he said.

Texas Gov.  Greg Abbott told Major Eric Adams to "make my dad" in response to Adams' threats to send New Yorkers to Texas to campaign against him.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told Mayor Eric Adams to “make my day” in response to Adams’ threats to send New Yorkers to Texas to campaign against him.
foxnews

The taunt echoed Eastwood’s iconic line from the 1983 movie “Sudden Impact,” in which his San Francisco detective character “Dirty Harry” faced off against a robber who was holding a coffee shop waitress at gunpoint.

Then-President Ronald Reagan also famously invoked Eastwood’s words in 1985 when he threatened to veto “any tax increase that Congress might even think of sending up.”

“And I have only one thing to say to the tax increasers: Go ahead. Make my day,” he added.

Abbott said the buses of migrants is giving Adams "to taste" of what border towns go through in Texas.
Abbott said the buses of migrants is giving Adams “a taste” of what border towns go through in Texas.
Matthew McDermott

Abbott said there “could hardly be anything better” for him than for Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke to be “aided by a bunch of New Yorkers.”

“That will not be viewed very positively by the state of Texas,” he said.

Abbott also accused Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul, both Democrats, of “rank hypocrisy” for attacking his motives for him in responding to what he calls President Biden’s “open border policies.”

“Listen, New York is a sanctuary city,” Abbott said.

A bus carrying migrants from Texas arriving at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on August 10, 2022.
A bus carrying migrants from Texas arriving at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on August 10, 2022.
AFP Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP) (Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images Getty Images

“Mayor Adams said that they welcome illegal immigrants. And now once they have to deal with the reality of it, they’re suddenly flummoxed and they cannot handle it.”

Abbott added: “They are now getting a taste of what we’re having to deal with… the challenges that Texas is dealing with every day.”

“Only when they see that will the Biden ministration begin to have to realize the Biden administration is gonna have to finally start enforcing the laws passed by Congress that secure the border,” he said.

Migrants getting off the bus in Manhattan after being driven from Texas.
Migrants getting off the bus in Manhattan after being driven from Texas.
Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images

Adams responded during an unrelated afternoon news conference in Queens, saying of Abbott, “I know he thinks he’s Clint Eastwood, but he’s not.”

“He is an anti-American governor that is really going against everything we stand for,” Adams blasted in response to a question from The Post.

“And I am going to do everything feasible to make sure Texans, the people of Texas, realize how harmful he is to us globally.”

Adams then called Abbott a “global embarrassment.”

“Because this is not what we do as Americans,” the mayor said.

“All of us — and I’m sure if he goes into his lineage, he came from somewhere. And if his ancestors of him were treated the way he’s treating these asylum seekers and migrants, then he would not be where he is right now.

The mayor said that “without the proper coordination,” the city was “unable to receive people at one location and give them the support they deserve…but often they end up at our intake centers.”

Adams also called on New Yorkers to assist the migrants, saying that “if anyone in the city sees someone that they believe needs the assistance, we’re asking them to point them and direct them to the intake centers.

A man could be seen handing money to the migrants as they got off the bus Wednesday.
A man could be seen handing money to the migrants as they got off the bus Wednesday.
Georgette Roberts

The Biden administration quietly ended the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” immigration policy Monday — clearing the way for potentially tens of thousands more migrants to enter the US and stay here while their applications for asylum are processed.

The Department of Homeland Security announced it would no longer enroll asylum-seekers in the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program – which forced about 70,000 people back south of the border over the past three years to await their immigration hearings.

Abbott, who began sending migrants to Washington in April, said that “our goal is to, for one, help our local communities and in doing so send even more buses to New York, to DC and maybe even to other communities to alleviate the challenge we dealing with.”

In addition, Abbott said he wanted “to continue to expose this national catastrophe caused by President Biden.”

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Categories
US

Texas Gov. Abbott dares NYC Mayor Adams to ‘make my day’ in migrant war

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tapped into his inner “Dirty Harry” on Wednesday and publicly dared Mayor Eric Adams to “make my day” by carrying through on his threat to send New Yorkers to campaign against his re-election bid.

Abbott also vowed to keep sending busloads of asylum-seekers to New York City, saying Adams was merely “getting a taste” of what beleaguered border communities have been dealing with in the Lone Star State since President Biden took office.

Abbott’s comments on Fox News came amid his ongoing feud with Adams over migrant relocations and just hours after three charter buses hired by Abbott dropped off nearly 100 migrants outside the Port Authority terminal in Midtown Manhattan.

The transports added to almost 70 who arrived on Friday and Sunday.

In response to Adams’ threat Tuesday that he was “deeply contemplating taking a busload of New Yorkers to go to Texas and do some good, old-fashioned door-knocking” against Abbott, the Republican governor said, “You know, I kind of feels like Clint Eastwood.”

“Go ahead, Major. Make my day,” he said.

Texas Gov.  Greg Abbott told Major Eric Adams to "make my dad" in response to Adams' threats to send New Yorkers to Texas to campaign against him.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told Mayor Eric Adams to “make my day” in response to Adams’ threats to send New Yorkers to Texas to campaign against him.
foxnews

The taunt echoed Eastwood’s iconic line from the 1983 movie “Sudden Impact,” in which his San Francisco detective character “Dirty Harry” faced off against a robber who was holding a coffee shop waitress at gunpoint.

Then-President Ronald Reagan also famously invoked Eastwood’s words in 1985 when he threatened to veto “any tax increase that Congress might even think of sending up.”

“And I have only one thing to say to the tax increasers: Go ahead. Make my day,” he added.

Abbott said the buses of migrants is giving Adams "to taste" of what border towns go through in Texas.
Abbott said the buses of migrants is giving Adams “a taste” of what border towns go through in Texas.
Matthew McDermott

Abbott said there “could hardly be anything better” for him than for Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke to be “aided by a bunch of New Yorkers.”

“That will not be viewed very positively by the state of Texas,” he said.

Abbott also accused Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul, both Democrats, of “rank hypocrisy” for attacking his motives for him in responding to what he calls President Biden’s “open border policies.”

“Listen, New York is a sanctuary city,” Abbott said.

A bus carrying migrants from Texas arriving at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on August 10, 2022.
A bus carrying migrants from Texas arriving at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on August 10, 2022.
AFP Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP) (Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images Getty Images

“Mayor Adams said that they welcome illegal immigrants. And now once they have to deal with the reality of it, they’re suddenly flummoxed and they cannot handle it.”

Abbott added: “They are now getting a taste of what we’re having to deal with… the challenges that Texas is dealing with every day.”

“Only when they see that will the Biden ministration begin to have to realize the Biden administration is gonna have to finally start enforcing the laws passed by Congress that secure the border,” he said.

Migrants getting off the bus in Manhattan after being driven from Texas.
Migrants getting off the bus in Manhattan after being driven from Texas.
Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images

Adams responded during an unrelated afternoon news conference in Queens, saying of Abbott, “I know he thinks he’s Clint Eastwood, but he’s not.”

“He is an anti-American governor that is really going against everything we stand for,” Adams blasted in response to a question from The Post.

“And I am going to do everything feasible to make sure Texans, the people of Texas, realize how harmful he is to us globally.”

Adams then called Abbott a “global embarrassment.”

“Because this is not what we do as Americans,” the mayor said.

“All of us — and I’m sure if he goes into his lineage, he came from somewhere. And if his ancestors of him were treated the way he’s treating these asylum seekers and migrants, then he would not be where he is right now.

The mayor said that “without the proper coordination,” the city was “unable to receive people at one location and give them the support they deserve…but often they end up at our intake centers.”

Adams also called on New Yorkers to assist the migrants, saying that “if anyone in the city sees someone that they believe needs the assistance, we’re asking them to point them and direct them to the intake centers.

Abbott's comments came after three buses dropped off nearly 100 migrants in Manhattan.
Abbott’s comments came after three buses dropped off nearly 100 migrants in Manhattan.
NY Post/Georgett Roberts

The Biden administration quietly ended the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” immigration policy Monday — clearing the way for potentially tens of thousands more migrants to enter the US and stay here while their applications for asylum are processed.

The Department of Homeland Security announced it would no longer enroll asylum-seekers in the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program – which forced about 70,000 people back south of the border over the past three years to await their immigration hearings.

Abbott, who began sending migrants to Washington in April, said that “our goal is to, for one, help our local communities and in doing so send even more buses to New York, to DC and maybe even to other communities to alleviate the challenge we dealing with.”

In addition, Abbott said he wanted “to continue to expose this national catastrophe caused by President Biden.”

.

Categories
US

Gov. Hochul says New York bail law changes off table till after election

ALBANY — A day after she blamed judges for rising crime in New York City, Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday ruled out any serious discussion of changes to state bail laws until January at the earliest.

The decree comes despite ongoing calls for action from Mayor Eric Adams, a fellow Democrat, as well as from small business owners and her Republican challenger amid rampant crime, often committed by repeat offenders.

“I’m willing to revisit everything, but let’s see whether or not the system can start functioning the way we intended,” Hochul told reporters at an Albany press conference.

“The legislature meets again next January and by that time we’ll be able to assess the real impact of our changes,” she added.

That timeline leaves laws current in place ahead of the Nov. 8 election pitting Hochul against Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin, who has made toughening up the state’s criminal justice system a key plank of his candidacy.

Governor Kathy Hochul
Gov. Kathy Hochul has said that a change to New York’s current bail law is off the table until after she’s re-elected in 2023.
Ron Adar/SOPA Images/Sipa USA via AP

Hochul also urged criticism to remain patient following the enactment of slight bail law tweaks that she has previously said hit the “sweet spot,” and which were included in the state budget passed last April.

The situation has even had Democrats like Mayor Adams calling for an extraordinary session of the state Legislature, whose regularly scheduled 2022 session ended in June. But she has rebuffed those calls for action.

Lorenzo Mclucas is arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court after he was arrested for shoplifting for the 230th time.
Lorenzo Mclucas is arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court after he was arrested for shoplifting for the 230th time.
Gabriella Bass

“There should be a special session called today to give judges discretion on far more offenses to weigh dangerousness, flight risk, seriousness of the offense and past criminal record,” Zeldin said in a statement to The Post Thursday, echoing the plea made by Adams .

Major crimes like murders and shootings have increased by 40% over the past year, according to the NYPD, with some high-profile cases involving alleged repeat offenders like 10 “worst of the worst” recidivists accounting for nearly 500 arrests since new limits on pre -trial detention took effect in 2020.

“When asked about overhauling the far-left, pro-criminal cashless bail law, Hochul says there is no data to support that action, and when confronted with the data she still punts and refuses to act. She could not be more wrong, ”Zeldin said in the statement.

The GOP standard-bearer is hardly the only notable pol calling on Hochul to back legislative action on bail laws months after Albany Democrats made additional offenses bail eligible while loosening some rules on how judges could jail repeat offenders.

Adams, who has endorsed Hochul for a full term in office, on Wednesday highlighted stats showing more than 80% of people charged with carrying guns in New York City over the past year were released after their arrests.

Harold Gooding has been busted a total of 101 times, with 88 coming since bail reform was enacted.
Harold Gooding has been busted a total of 101 times, with 88 coming since bail reform was enacted.
Facebook

“The judges have tools that they are not using, but they do need more tools,” he told reporters at a press conference, when asked about Hochul’s deflection to judges.

“This conversation is about that small number of dangerous people who are repeated recidivists who have made up their mind that ‘we can do whatever we want in this city and nothing is gonna happen to us,’” Adams added.

Such arguments have not convinced Hochul – whose strongest support lies with liberal-leaning voters in New York City, according to recent polling – to back calls to agree lawmakers to deal with bail laws.

“How much longer will the Governor and Legislature wait? We need a special session to repeal their disastrous bail laws and restore public safety to our state NOW,” state Senate Republican Minority Leader Robert Ortt tweeted Thursday after Hochul said an extraordinary session was a no-go.

Members of the state Senate and Assembly are not slated to return to Albany until next year, but they could reconvene if Hochul and legislative leaders called them back.

That happened earlier this summer when Albany Democrats, who have supermajorities in both chambers, struck a deal with Hochul on tightening state laws on carrying concealed weapons following a controversial decision by the US Supreme Court.

Kathy Hochul
Mayor Adams and Hochul’s Republican opponent in the upcoming election have both expressed desires to change the law.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Hochul claimed Thursday that current bail laws could prove their worth with more time, especially alongside other initiatives aimed at reducing crime like an ongoing anti-gun effort overseen by state police that has seized 795 illegal weapons this year.

“It’s not a simple this over that. That’ll never be my strategy,” Hochul said while noting crime increases in other areas of the country.

She also insisted that even if she wanted to change bail laws in the short-term her hands are tied by state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins ​​and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie — who both support the current laws.

“You bring back the special session when the legislature is willing and an agreement going into certain changes. Otherwise, they gavel in, they gavel out. OKAY?. That’s the reality. I have to deal with realities here,” she told The Post Thursday.

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Categories
US

Gov. Hochul says New York bail law changes off table till after election

ALBANY — A day after she blamed judges for rising crime in New York City, Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday ruled out any serious discussion of changes to state bail laws until January at the earliest.

The decree comes despite ongoing calls for action from Mayor Eric Adams, a fellow Democrat, as well as from small business owners and her Republican challenger amid rampant crime, often committed by repeat offenders.

“I’m willing to revisit everything, but let’s see whether or not the system can start functioning the way we intended,” Hochul told reporters at an Albany press conference.

“The legislature meets again next January and by that time we’ll be able to assess the real impact of our changes,” she added.

That timeline leaves laws current in place ahead of the Nov. 8 election pitting Hochul against Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin, who has made toughening up the state’s criminal justice system a key plank of his candidacy.

Governor Kathy Hochul
Gov. Kathy Hochul has said that a change to New York’s current bail law is off the table until after she’s re-elected in 2023.
Ron Adar/SOPA Images/Sipa USA via AP

Hochul also urged criticism to remain patient following the enactment of slight bail law tweaks that she has previously said hit the “sweet spot,” and which were included in the state budget passed last April.

The situation has even had Democrats like Mayor Adams calling for an extraordinary session of the state Legislature, whose regularly scheduled 2022 session ended in June. But she has rebuffed those calls for action.

Lorenzo Mclucas is arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court after he was arrested for shoplifting for the 230th time.
Lorenzo Mclucas is arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court after he was arrested for shoplifting for the 230th time.
Gabriella Bass

“There should be a special session called today to give judges discretion on far more offenses to weigh dangerousness, flight risk, seriousness of the offense and past criminal record,” Zeldin said in a statement to The Post Thursday, echoing the plea made by Adams .

Major crimes like murders and shootings have increased by 40% over the past year, according to the NYPD, with some high-profile cases involving alleged repeat offenders like 10 “worst of the worst” recidivists accounting for nearly 500 arrests since new limits on pre -trial detention took effect in 2020.

“When asked about overhauling the far-left, pro-criminal cashless bail law, Hochul says there is no data to support that action, and when confronted with the data she still punts and refuses to act. She could not be more wrong, ”Zeldin said in the statement.

The GOP standard-bearer is hardly the only notable pol calling on Hochul to back legislative action on bail laws months after Albany Democrats made additional offenses bail eligible while loosening some rules on how judges could jail repeat offenders.

Adams, who has endorsed Hochul for a full term in office, on Wednesday highlighted stats showing more than 80% of people charged with carrying guns in New York City over the past year were released after their arrests.

Harold Gooding has been busted a total of 101 times, with 88 coming since bail reform was enacted.
Harold Gooding has been busted a total of 101 times, with 88 coming since bail reform was enacted.
Facebook

“The judges have tools that they are not using, but they do need more tools,” he told reporters at a press conference, when asked about Hochul’s deflection to judges.

“This conversation is about that small number of dangerous people who are repeated recidivists who have made up their mind that ‘we can do whatever we want in this city and nothing is gonna happen to us,’” Adams added.

Such arguments have not convinced Hochul – whose strongest support lies with liberal-leaning voters in New York City, according to recent polling – to back calls to agree lawmakers to deal with bail laws.

“How much longer will the Governor and Legislature wait? We need a special session to repeal their disastrous bail laws and restore public safety to our state NOW,” state Senate Republican Minority Leader Robert Ortt tweeted Thursday after Hochul said an extraordinary session was a no-go.

Members of the state Senate and Assembly are not slated to return to Albany until next year, but they could reconvene if Hochul and legislative leaders called them back.

That happened earlier this summer when Albany Democrats, who have supermajorities in both chambers, struck a deal with Hochul on tightening state laws on carrying concealed weapons following a controversial decision by the US Supreme Court.

Kathy Hochul
Mayor Adams and Hochul’s Republican opponent in the upcoming election have both expressed desires to change the law.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Hochul claimed Thursday that current bail laws could prove their worth with more time, especially alongside other initiatives aimed at reducing crime like an ongoing anti-gun effort overseen by state police that has seized 795 illegal weapons this year.

“It’s not a simple this over that. That’ll never be my strategy,” Hochul said while noting crime increases in other areas of the country.

She also insisted that even if she wanted to change bail laws in the short-term her hands are tied by state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins ​​and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie — who both support the current laws.

“You bring back the special session when the legislature is willing and an agreement going into certain changes. Otherwise, they gavel in, they gavel out. OKAY?. That’s the reality. I have to deal with realities here,” she told The Post Thursday.

.

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US

DeSantis says monkeypox concern overblown: ‘We are not doing fear’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) rejected growing concerns over monkeypox during a press conference Wednesday, arguing that the media and politicians were unnecessarily stoking fear about the illness.

“I am so sick of politicians, and we saw this with COVID, trying to sow fear into the population,” the Republican governor said. “We had people calling, mothers worried about whether their kids could catch it at schools.”

“We are not doing fear,” he added. “And we are not going to go out and try to rile people up and try to act like people can’t live their lives as they’ve been normally doing because of something.”

DeSantis, who has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s response to COVID-19, also slammed states imposing emergency measures in regard to monkeypox.

“You see some of these states declaring states of emergency. They’re going to abuse those emergency powers to restrict your freedom. I guarantee you that’s what will happen,” DeSantis said.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) declared a disaster in her state of her last weekend over the outbreak. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, both Democrats, also declared states of emergency over the virus on Monday.

Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.), who is running against DeSantis in the Florida gubernatorial race, criticized the governor’s comments on Twitter.

“While Governor DeSantis dismisses Monkeypox, at-risk Floridians still need better information, better testing, and access to vaccines for prevention,” Crist wrote.

The governor’s comments come as Florida has recorded 525 monkeypox cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are 6,617 confirmed cases throughout the US as of Wednesday.

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Categories
US

DeSantis says monkeypox concern overblown: ‘We are not doing fear’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) rejected growing concerns over monkeypox during a press conference Wednesday, arguing that the media and politicians were unnecessarily stoking fear about the illness.

“I am so sick of politicians, and we saw this with COVID, trying to sow fear into the population,” the Republican governor said. “We had people calling, mothers worried about whether their kids could catch it at schools.”

“We are not doing fear,” he added. “And we are not going to go out and try to rile people up and try to act like people can’t live their lives as they’ve been normally doing because of something.”

DeSantis, who has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s response to COVID-19, also slammed states imposing emergency measures in regard to monkeypox.

“You see some of these states declaring states of emergency. They’re going to abuse those emergency powers to restrict your freedom. I guarantee you that’s what will happen,” DeSantis said.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) declared a disaster in her state of her last weekend over the outbreak. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, both Democrats, also declared states of emergency over the virus on Monday.

Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.), who is running against DeSantis in the Florida gubernatorial race, criticized the governor’s comments on Twitter.

“While Governor DeSantis dismisses Monkeypox, at-risk Floridians still need better information, better testing, and access to vaccines for prevention,” Crist wrote.

The governor’s comments come as Florida has recorded 525 monkeypox cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are 6,617 confirmed cases throughout the US as of Wednesday.

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US

GOP has real shot at NY gubernatorial victory with Lee Zeldin

For months, Republicans have been telling anybody who would listen that this is the year they will end their power outage in Albany. They cite violent crime and inflation, an apparent lack of enthusiasm for Gov. Hochul and a national fury over the failures of the Biden administration.

Despite those advantages, there’s been little evidence so far that the GOP could free New York from the Dem stranglehold. A Tuesday poll begins to change that.

Hochul leads Republican Lee Zeldin by just 14 points, 53-39, in the Siena College survey. While 14 points is hardly a cliffhanger, it compares very favorably to 2014. At this stage of that race, incumbent Andrew Cuomo led GOP nominee Rob Astorino by 32 points in a race Cuomo won by 14.

Moreover, Zeldin, who has represented a Long Island district in Congress since 2015, effectively begins with the 40% high-water mark of any GOP gubernatorial candidate in the last four elections. (George Pataki was the last Republican governor, winning his third term in 2002).

Republican candidate for Governor Lee Zeldin smiles with his family at home in Shirley, New York.
Republican candidate for Governor Lee Zeldin smiles with his family at home in Shirley, New York.
Tamara Beckwith

So closing a 14-point gap with more than three months until Election Day is certainly doable, especially given the political environment and Hochul’s uneven performance.

Zeldin, in a phone interview, sees many greenshoots in the new survey and says his internal poll has him even closer.

“This is important for our team,” he says. “The next poll should show us gaining even more momentum.”

Governor Hochul
A new poll shows Zeldin’s race is much closer with Gov. Kathy Hochul than other recent GOP gubernatorial candidates have been.
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/Shutterstock

The Siena survey is the most important since the primaries ended and is based on likely voters, as opposed to registered. It shows both candidates having a firm grasp on their party, with Zeldin holding a narrow lead among independents.

A missing piece is that, other than gun control and abortion, the poll does not ask about specific issues. Nor does it ask voters to rank the issues most important to them.

Zeldin has no doubts about what the answers would be to a ranking question.

“When we ask, a large majority answer either crime or the economy as the top issue,” he says. “And we believe that the election will be dominated by voters most concerned about those two things.”

His campaign has zeroed in on those targets and his pledge to fire Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Day One has become a signature promise. He accuses Hochul of “giving cover” to Bragg and other soft-on-crime prosecutors.

“She tries way too hard to avoid talking about the key issues,” he insists. He cites Mayor Adams’ request for a special legislative session to deal with crime and the bail-law mess that has seen repeat offenders let go before cops finish the paperwork.

Alvin Bragg
Zeldin pledged to come for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg if he were elected.
Steve Hirsch

Hochul, while voicing support for fellow-Dem Adams, has done almost nothing to help him stem the bloodshed and mayhem in Gotham.

Zeldin was attacked during a recent speech by a troubled former veteran, an incident that probably helped him gain some name recognition and even sympathy.

He knows his pro-life stance puts him at a disadvantage with many voters after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. But he notes that a law offering even more abortion protections than Roe already exists in New York and believes that social issues as a whole will take a back seat to the crime wave engulfing much of the state, along with the soaring cost of living. He is also pushing for tax cuts and more school choice.

In addition to his own efforts, the redistricting process that ended up in the courts and led to nonpartisan maps gives GOP candidates a chance to improve upon the seven congressional seats they now hold, which should help increase turnout for the ticket.

Meanwhile, Hochul’s tenure has been mystifying in a fundamental way. Even though she was Cuomo’s running mate and lieutenant governor Lieut. Gov. for eight years, she was able to escape any blame in the sexual-harassment scandal that led to Cuomo’s resignation by claiming she wasn’t close to him.

She was right about that, and her distance led to hopes she would bring ethics and new openness to Albany, where everything important happens in back rooms.

Those hopes were quickly dashed as Hochul inexplicably copied some of Cuomo’s worst habits. No sooner had she taken the oath than she began speed-dialing her donors for big-bucks contributions.

David Jakubonis attacks Rep. Lee Zeldin as he delivered a speech in Perinton, New York on July 21.
An attacker grabs Zeldin as he delivered a speech in Perinton, New York on July 21.
WHEC-TV/AP

And her penchant for secrecy in negotiating big government deals with donors is so Cuomo-like that it seems as if he’s still calling the shots.

Perhaps most shocking, her first pick to replace her, state Sen. Brian Benjamin, was already taught in a federal corruption probe. Much of Albany apparently knew something was up—but not Hochul. Benjamin has since been indicted and resigned.

In some ways, statewide elections in New York are a jigsaw puzzle of competing dominance. Republicans win most of the 62 counties and do especially well upstate, but Dems run up the score by capturing the cities and the most populated suburbs.

Zeldin has a plan for that. He sees getting 29% as the bare necessity in the five boroughs and believes he will top that margin easily, in part by attracting large numbers of Asian and Latino voters concerned about crime.

“If a Republican gets less than 29% in the city, it’s hard to win,” he tells me. “But if you get to 35% or 36%, it’s hard to lose.”

He also says he needs 60% of Suffolk County, his base, 55% of Nassau County and just 43% of Westchester. In fact, he has a target for each county and, in his mind, is assembling a campaign that will put him over the top across the board.

Rep. Zeldin waving on stage
Zeldin speaks to delegates and assembled party officials at the 2022 NYGOP on March 1.
John Minchillo/AP

As usual, there is another hurdle for the underdog—money. Zeldin raised $13 million for the contested primary and spent nearly all of it. He has a full schedule of fundraisers, but he does not pretend to believe he’ll have Hochul’s big bucks.

Incumbency has its advantages.

Party’s For’word’ folly

Reader Joe Alloy asks “What’s in a name” and answers his own question. He writes: “Andrew Yang and Christine Todd Whitman have started a 3rd party called The Forward Party.

“Has anyone told them that ‘Forward’ was a Marxist slogan which reflected the march of history beyond capitalism and into socialism and communism? Or are they just showing us who they really are?”


AP Headline: Biden Covid sequel: back on balcony, dog for company

Alternative headline: Biden finally has a friend!


It’s ‘bench’ press time

Reader Christian Browne has a question and an idea, writing: “Mayor Adams has a Criminal Justice Coordinator. Where is this person? This office should have the stats on the judges, on the bail/no-bail releases and on these ridiculous diversion programs.

“Adams could use the facts to highlight the rate of recidivist offenders. I bet he would find these programs — the ‘alternatives to incarceration’ — are largely to blame for the revolving door.”

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US

NY Gov. Kathy Hochul leads Rep. Lee Zeldin by 14 points ahead of Nov. 8 election: Poll

A new Siena College poll shows Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul with a 14-point lead over Republican nominee Rep. Lee Zeldin ahead of the Nov. 8 election.

When asked who they’d “vote for today” if Hochul and Zeldin were the candidates for their respective parties, 53% of respondents said they’d vote for the governor while 39% said they would vote for Zeldin.

Another 7% said they “don’t know” or had no opinion and 2% said they would not vote for governor at all.

“Hochul dominates in New York City, leading by nearly 50 points, while Zeldin has slim 3-point leads both upstate and in the downstate suburbs,” pollster Steven Greenberg said.

Political experts say a pathway to victory for Zeldin requires winning at least 30% of the vote in Democrat-dominated New York City while winning big in the surrounding suburbs and upstate.

The incumbent governor is up in every demographic category based on race, age and income in the survey of 806 likely voters conducted July 24 to July 28.

Women are favoring Hochul by a whopping 26 points while Hochul and Zeldin have 46% support each among men.

While 36% of New Yorkers believe the Empire State is heading in the right direction, just 19% say they same about the country – an all-time high that could help Republicans like Zeldin campaign on such issues as historically high inflation.

Kathy Hochul
Gov. Kathy Hochul dominates in New York City, leading by nearly 50 points.
Matthew McDermott
Joe Biden
President Joe Biden is receiving mixed reviews from the Democratic Party.
Getty Images/Anna Moneymaker

New Yorkers are split on Democratic President Joe Biden, who is rated as favorable and unfavorable by 46% of respondents to the Siena poll.

The results of the poll are similar to a separate survey released Tuesday morning by Emerson College Polling, which showed Hochul with a 16-point edge over Zeldin, with similar margins separating the candidates in New York City and other regions of the state.

While Zeldin appears to be falling short of his electoral targets, he appears better positioned at this point in the race compared to other recent GOP nominees.

A 2018 Siena poll showed Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, a Republican, was 22 points behind Democratic incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo weeks after they won their respective party primaries, held in September that year.

lee zeldin
NY State Congressman and 2022 candidate for governor Lee Zeldin has slim 3-point leads both upstate and in the downstate suburbs.
J. Messerschmidt/NY Post

“While Democrats have taken the last four gubernatorial elections, Zeldin’s current 14-point deficit matches the closest Republicans have come in those races, when Andrew Cuomo defeated Rob Astorino 54-40% in 2014. In August 2014, Cuomo led Astorino by 32 points , 58-26%,” Greenberg said in the press release.

But Zeldin has ground to make up if he wants to replicate the success of George Pataki, the last Republican to serve as governor.

Republican challenger George Pataki led Democratic Gov. Mario Cuomo by 3 points statewide – with an 11-point edge in New York City – in an October 1994 poll conducted by The New York Times/WCBS-TV News ahead of Pataki’s upset victory over the three-term incumbent that November.

Other GOP candidates on the statewide ticket in November 2022 appear to face even longer odds than Zeldin of becoming the first Republican to win a statewide election since Pataki won his third term in office in 2002.

United States Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is leading in his race.
Rod Lamkey / CNP / MediaPunch

US Sen. Chuck Schumer and state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli have 21-point leads in their respective races against Republican nominee Joe Pinion, a former Newsmax host, and banker Paul Rodriguez, according to the Siena poll.

State Attorney General Letitia James is 14 points ahead of commercial litigator Michael Henry in her own reelection bid.

Hochul has raised more than $34 million in her bid to become the first woman to get elected governor after taking over last August for ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who resigned amid multiple scandals.

Campaign finance disclosures filed in mid-July show her with $11.7 million on hand to spend for the campaign ahead compared to $1.6 million for Zeldin.

handguns
Hochul has advocated for stricter gun control after a major Supreme Court decision last month.
AP/Philip Kamrass

In recent months, she has campaigned heavily on abortion rights and gun control following controversial decisions by the US Supreme Court that might be weighing down Republicans’ chances in the Empire State this November.

“Although a small majority of Republicans support the Dobbs decision, it is opposed by 89% of Democrats, 60% of independents, and at least of 62% of voters from every region, age group, gender, and race,” Greenberg said in reference to the recent SCOTUS decision on abortion.

“Support for the new law expanding eligibility requirements to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon – background checks with character references and firearms safety training courses – is through the roof with all demographic groups,” he added about new state laws passed following another ruling striking down long time New York rules on carrying concealed weapons.

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Categories
US

NY Gov. Kathy Hochul leads Rep. Lee Zeldin by 14 points ahead of Nov. 8 election: Poll

A new Siena College poll shows Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul with a 14-point lead over Republican nominee Rep. Lee Zeldin ahead of the Nov. 8 election.

“Hochul dominates in New York City, leading by nearly 50 points, while Zeldin has slim 3-point leads both upstate and in the downstate suburbs,” pollster Steven Greenberg said.

Political experts say a pathway to victory for Zeldin requires winning at least 30% of the vote in Democrat-dominated New York City while winning big in the surrounding suburbs and upstate.

The incumbent governor is up in every demographic category based on race, age and income in the survey of 806 likely voters conducted July 24 to July 28.

Women are favoring Hochul by a whopping 26 points while Hochul and Zeldin have 46% support each among men.

While 36% of New Yorkers believe the Empire State is heading in the right direction, just 19% say they same about the country – an all-time high that could help Republicans like Zeldin campaign on such issues as historically high inflation.

Kathy Hochul
Gov. Kathy Hochul dominates in New York City, leading by nearly 50 points.
Matthew McDermott
Joe Biden
President Joe Biden is receiving mixed reviews from the Democratic Party.
Getty Images/Anna Moneymaker

New Yorkers are split on Democratic President Joe Biden, who is rated as favorable and unfavorable by 46% of respondents to the Siena poll.

The results of the poll are similar to a separate survey released Tuesday morning by Emerson College Polling, which showed Hochul with a 16-point edge over Zeldin, with similar margins separating the candidates in New York City and other regions of the state.

While Zeldin appears to be falling short of his electoral targets, he appears better positioned at this point in the race compared to other recent GOP nominees.

A 2018 Siena poll showed Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, a Republican, was 22 points behind Democratic incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo weeks after they won their respective party primaries, held in September that year.

lee zeldin
NY State Congressman and 2022 candidate for governor Lee Zeldin has slim 3-point leads both upstate and in the downstate suburbs.
J. Messerschmidt/NY Post

“While Democrats have taken the last four gubernatorial elections, Zeldin’s current 14-point deficit matches the closest Republicans have come in those races, when Andrew Cuomo defeated Rob Astorino 54-40% in 2014. In August 2014, Cuomo led Astorino by 32 points , 58-26%,” Greenberg said in the press release.

But Zeldin has ground to make up if he wants to replicate the success of George Pataki, the last Republican to serve as governor.

Republican challenger George Pataki led Democratic Gov. Mario Cuomo by 3 points statewide – with an 11-point edge in New York City – in an October 1994 poll conducted by The New York Times/WCBS-TV News ahead of Pataki’s upset victory over the three-term incumbent that November.

Other GOP candidates on the statewide ticket in November 2022 appear to face even longer odds than Zeldin of becoming the first Republican to win a statewide election since Pataki won his third term in office in 2002.

United States Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is leading in his race.
Rod Lamkey / CNP / MediaPunch

US Sen. Chuck Schumer and state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli have 21-point leads in their respective races against Republican nominee Joe Pinion, a former Newsmax host, and banker Paul Rodriguez, according to the Siena poll.

State Attorney General Letitia James is 14 points ahead of commercial litigator Michael Henry in her own reelection bid.

Hochul has raised more than $34 million in her bid to become the first woman to get elected governor after taking over last August for ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who resigned amid multiple scandals.

Campaign finance disclosures filed in mid-July show her with $11.7 million on hand to spend for the campaign ahead compared to $1.6 million for Zeldin.

handguns
Hochul has advocated for stricter gun control after a major Supreme Court decision last month.
AP/Philip Kamrass

In recent months, she has campaigned heavily on abortion rights and gun control following controversial decisions by the US Supreme Court that might be weighing down Republicans’ chances in the Empire State this November.

“Although a small majority of Republicans support the Dobbs decision, it is opposed by 89% of Democrats, 60% of independents, and at least of 62% of voters from every region, age group, gender, and race,” Greenberg said in reference to the recent SCOTUS decision on abortion.

“Support for the new law expanding eligibility requirements to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon – background checks with character references and firearms safety training courses – is through the roof with all demographic groups,” he added about new state laws passed following another ruling striking down long time New York rules on carrying concealed weapons.

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