Last year, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno paid Roger Stone, a Republican strategist who continually draws attention in unusual ways, to advise him on matters related to his nemesis Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Stone departed after the famous crank/threatening phone call to Spitzer's father traced to Stone's Manhattan apartment.
All along, we had heard that Bruno communications director John McArdle internally resisted the hiring of Stone in the first place. Now, Stone is slamming McArdle for the departure last week of Ed Lurie as executive director of the state Senate GOP campaign, following the big loss of an upstate seat to Democrat Darrel Aubertine in a widely-watched special election. Stone's riff is below the "continued" click.
UPDATE: Bruno told New York magazine that low-key gig he had with the investment company had him providing "entree" to unions....Empire Zone gives full context here.
Dan Janison
This is the text of Roger Stone's missive today:
Albany Imitates Hollywood
"THE ASSASSINATION OF EDWARD LURIE BY THE COWARD JOHN McARDLE
"The scape-goating of the New York Republican Senate Campaign Committee's Director Ed Lurie for the loss of the Special Election in the 48th district Special Senate Election is an unfair hit job orchestrated by Senator Joe Bruno's Press Secretary, (who prefers to call himself Communications Director) John McArdle. Lurie is among the most capable mechanics in the GOP. The Republicans lost because, under the ego-maniacal strategy of McArdle, the Republicans have no Agenda and no argument for the voters.
"McArdle, who must be the smartest guy in the room and who is opposed to any idea that isn't his, believes that whining about Troopergate is all Bruno and the Republicans have to do to maintain State Senate Control. McArdle has resisted any effort to develop an issue Agenda beyond Troopergate. It was McArdle who advised Bruno to at first support Eliot Spitzer's insane plan to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. It wasn't until Assembly Minority Leader Tedisco came out swinging against the plan that McArdle advised Bruno to switch sides.
"When the New York Sun reported that Spitzer had appointed a major fundraiser with a membership in a restricted club that excludes African American's, to head the MTA, it was McArdle who insisted on quiet Senate confirmation for the hack, instead of using the issue to undermine the Governor's credibility with Minority voters, even though Assemblymen Hakim Jeffries and Adam Clayton Powell IV both publically criticized the appointment.
"McArdle's insistence on harping on no other issue than Troopergate means the GOP hasn't made hay over the release of violent offenders from the Prison system in record numbers or the proposed taxing of drug dealer's illegal drug sales or the $1.7 Billion in taxes, fees, and assessments in the Governor's budget.
"Ed Lurie is a tactician who never claimed to drive strategy. McArdle's plants to his regulars Fred Dicker and Liz Benjamin blaming Lurie left his finger prints on the sacrificial lamb's throat.
"If Bruno wants to maintain control of the Senate he should fire McArdle, get on offense on Taxes, Parole and Spitzer's zany left-wing public policy ideas, and get a strategy.
Comments (4)
This is very old news already.
NO rocket science here Roger.
Again, Roger is "Months" behind other consultants who are NOT in Albany.
I and many others Conservatives have been saying for months that the NY GOP needs to go back to their grass roots and somehow or someway start acting like Republicans and not like Democrats.
30,000 more Republicans then Democrats in the 48th and they have walked away from the GOP last week.
One of the reasons the Republicans lost is because voters & grass roots have lost faith in NY GOP....
NY GOP have abandoned issues of Less Taxes & Spending and many, many of the Social & 2A issues!
Again, Stone shows he is always months behind the mind thought on how to win elections. Thus he remains unemployed.
Jim Kelly - NY Conservative Campaigns
Dear NY GOP..........
1 - I noticed that all in GOP Leadership have "Albany Tunnel Vision" to NOT see that those in your own Political Party have Abandoned you and left you all in the dust.
2 - That is because the New York GOP Leadership has signed onto the "Liberal Democratic Tax & Spend Policies" that ALL New Yorkers see today. NY GOP has also signed onto some of the "Highest Taxes Increases" that New Yorkers have ever seen in this State. We expected increases from Liberal Democrats but not Republicans.
3 - The NY GOP forced "Grass Roots" to Accept "Liberals" such as Howard Mills, Jean Pirro, Bill Weld & of course the master plan of giving All New Yorkers another Liberal as Rudy Guiliani for President.
The "Grass Roots" rejected the Liberal Philosophy of this Liberal GOP Game Plan.
4 - Where was the New York GOP voice when the Party Leadership & Governor Pataki trashed cherished conservative values? GOP Chairman Sandy (I stand for Nothing) Treadwell was also silent when the GOP:
Abandoned his opposition to Medicaid abortion funding;
Pledged to remove the pro-life plank from the Republican National Platform;
Ended the “conscience clause” for religious medical institutions thus forcing them to provide services contrary to their religious principles;
Signed into law the state gay rights bill;
Signed into law the hate crimes bill.
As for gun control, there is no record of Treadwell or the NY GOP Leadership opposing Pataki’s March 2000 proposal, which The New York Times described as “perhaps the widest ranging gun controls in the county”
5 - Finally, I and the others who DO NOT have "Albany Tunnel Vision" told you all that this was going to happen....That the "Voters" & "Grass Roots" will walk away from a "Clueless", "Gutless" and "I stand for nothing" NY GOP.
Some of the County Chairman across the State and ALL of the "Grass Roots" have been saying this was going to happen, but know one with the "Albany Tunnel Vision" would listen to them.
And CLEARLY for a year now you have been reading mine and others opinions on this board.
Jim Kelly - NY Conservative Campaigns
RE: State GOP Senate Hires Luntz to help NY GOP Senate
The NY GOP still does not get it.
A pollster is not the full answer to continued losses Statewide.
Going to each and every GOP County Chair and their committees is the answer and conferring about their "County Problems & Concerns."
No one knows better on what is going on in their counties then those who live in them.
(Actually ....The State Senators and Assemblymen should have known about their problems in their own backyards, but obviously they have no clue.....For these elected officials have "Albany Tunnel Vision")
Survey of the Chairs I spoke too advise the GOP has turned off all of their County base & grass roots support. One of the reasons the Republicans lost for years now (And recent lost in the 48th) is because voters & grass roots have lost faith in NY GOP Party.
NY GOP have abandoned issues of Less Taxes & Spending and many, many of the Social & 2A issues! Thus, many, many of the supporters in the GOP Counties have walked away.
Many GOP voters continue to pay higher school taxes & property taxes...all this while oil prices affecting those in upstate.
And so, I doubt that anyone they hire (Luntz) will give the serious time needed to travel across this State and conduct the one on one interviews that are required to succeed.
Jim Kelly - NY Conservative Campaigns
Roger Stone is CORRECT in that McArdle has to go IN FACT THEY ALL HAVE TO GO..IT IS TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE IN THE SENATE THEY HAVE ALL BEEN ON THE PAYROLL FAR TO LONG. THEY CAN RETIRE WITH FAT FAT FAT PENSIONS
AS FOR ROGER STONE HE BLEW HIS CHANCE.
VJ Machiavelli