A routine vote to name a Democratic district leader at a Brookhaven convention became a minor firestorm a week ago, according several witnesses.
The fireworks started after Suffolk Legis. Vivian Viloria-Fisher proposed from the floor that the district name Jane Corrino as district leader instead of re-electing veteran party activist Barry McCoy (photo above). The move brought an angry response from Democratic town board member Steve Fiore Rosenfeld.
According to some witnesses, Fiore-Rosenfeld said Vilora-Fisher had “no right” to suggest a name because it was his district and it had been arranged beforehand. Then when Nassau’s former chief deputy county executive Christopher Hahn questioned why McCoy was absent, Fiore-Rosenfeld him too, asking if he carry his baby “any closer,” indicating he was trying to use the child to his political advantage. He then stormed out.
Fiore-Rosenfeld later called the incident a “tempest in a teapot,” but admitted....
Rick Brand
....that he got upset because he felt Fisher and Hahn were trying to launch a divisive “political trick” that put Corrino, who had been nominated as deputy district leader, in a “very uncomfortable spot.”
Bad blood between Hahn and Fiore-Rosenfeld is nothing new. Hahn lost a primary to Fiore-Rosenfeld for town board. Fiore-Rosenfeld is also a former aide to Assemb. Steven Englebright (D-Setauket) who has often clashed with Fisher.
“Chris was passionate and I was passionate,” said Fiore-Rosenfeld, who denied saying no other nomination were possible, but added he did leave the room temporarily. “I didn’t want the unpleasantness to go any further.”
In the end, move failed when Corrino declined to nomination to run for leader.
Comments (12)
Honestly: I was there,Fiore-Rosenfeld was insane. It appeared to me as if he was threatening to fight Hahn had he not been holding his small child. There was nothing passionate at all about Hahn's question and the violent response the Councilman gave was completly out of line. Elected officials need to have more control. I have supported Steve in the past out of respect for Assemblyman Englebright but if the party does not replace him I will have no choice but to vote Republican even as a Committee member. His hubris was ugly and party leaders should take notice.
what was lef tout of this story was that Fiore also said to Hahn: "What are you doing here, didn't I beat you in an election?"
Pompous ass...he needs to go
Hahn and Vivian can be so destructive and divisive, it's really too bad for our party. They should be the one's to move on already.
Really I was there too, maybe you weren't next to them but I was. If Chris Hahn had been any more angry himself by waving and stomping about in his response to Steve even mentioning Hahn's previous loss to him and his general divisiveness in constantly forcing local primariesI think Hahn might have injured his own kid!
Vivian and Hahn should finally walk out of our party claw in claw.
The fact that this is being covered by Newsday is ludicrous. It is clear that both Fisher and Hahn used this opportunity as a soapbox for their wounded egos within the Democratic party. Vivian was whining that nobody collects signatures for her. This vote should have been straightforward, but instead Hahn incited comments from the crowd such as “that’s a low blow Chris” and various “boos” when he attacked Barry McCoy, a respected long-standing veteran of our Democratic party. Vivian should have known better than to attempt to usurp the district leader position for Corranino without first consulting Corranino. Once Corranino set her straight, declining the impromptu nomination, the vote was unanimous to support McCoy for district leader, with Corranino as a fine deputy. Let’s get on with supporting our party instead of dividing it.
As a witness and not a participant let me note that this was a situation that did not have to happen.
1. Corrarino had no intention of running for the leader post and was put in a impossible situation by Fisher's last minute nomination. She decided to do the right thing and stuck with her commitment to run for deputy leader.
2. The committee also was blindsided by this move, which seemed designed to pick a fight.
3. Fisher's reasoning that because McCoy had failed in the past to carry her nominating petitions should be fought out in a different venue such as when the committee people run for re-election this september
4. This political move by Fisher is just as bad as the day after election day when she tried to solicit the support of other Democratic Legislators to support her for Presiding Officer over Bill Lindsay, who is almost universally admired and supported.
As a witness and not a participant let me note that this was a situation that did not have to happen.
1. Corrarino had no intention of running for the leader post and was put in a impossible situation by Fisher's last minute nomination. She decided to do the right thing and stuck with her commitment to run for deputy leader.
2. The committee also was blindsided by this move, which seemed designed to pick a fight.
3. Fisher's reasoning that because McCoy had failed in the past to carry her nominating petitions should be fought out in a different venue such as when the committee people run for re-election this september
4. This political move by Fisher is just as bad as the day after election day when she tried to solicit the support of other Democratic Legislators to support her for Presiding Officer over Bill Lindsay, who is almost universally admired and supported.
I was there and really don't know either of them. It appeared to me that the guy holding the baby just asked a question. It was a cacus and I thought thats the point. The question did not seem loaded and he had no tone in his voice. The councilman seemmed to lose it after the question was asked. I was shocked. Fiore Rosenfeld threatened to harm him if he wasnt holding his kid. Thats a fact. In elections questions must be asked. Someone did shout out that was a low blow when the question was asked and I felt like I was in Soviet Russia where any dissent at all was shouted down. Barry was not there and it was a legitamate question. Clearly Firoe-Rosenfled has not let go of the only serious challenge he has ever had in his life. You would think since he won he would be able to. I guess having to work for a couple of months was tramatic. That does not bode well for us as Dems. God help us if he is ever challenged again, he may need to be hospitalized due to the stress.
This is not an isolated incident. Steve has lost his cool on many occasions. It sonly a matter of time before he does something that is more than just a blog entry. The party must replace him in the next election.
Anyone who acts like him has no place in public life. Marsha do your party a favor and tell him to take a hike. Very few will cry over his departure.
The three bloggers above are registered to the same IP address, which means that there is someone very motivated to create false email handles to create a smear campaign against a very respected elected official. F-R didn't "threaten to harm" anyone, as is falsely claimed above, and I was standing directly behind Hahn. Steve is one of the most mild-mannered individuals you will meet, and highly responsive to the constituent concerns through our civic.
Fiore-Rosenfeld's record stands on its own, as can be seen 24/7 on government access channel 18. Clearly, someone is very threatened by that.
I am not witness to the events being discussed. But was this Mr. Hahn the one carrying the sick coughing baby in the back of the room? He was so arrogant to be talking during Congressman Bishop's speech, and he let his child play with a noisemaker that made continuous loud and beeping siren and beeping noises in the stroller during both Supervisor Foley and Congressman Bishop's speeches. A little courtesy would be appreciated.
Hahn has a right just like everyone else to be there, but next time a get a babysitter if your child is sick, please.
Regarding comments of Soccer Mom and others: Has this blog gone through a time warp? Have we been flung back to the fifties and the era of "children should be seen and not heard?" Back to the days when fathers spent so much time away from their children, they hardly knew them? Back to the time when mothers belonged only in the kitchen and never in the House or the Senate? If babies are not welcome at a local Democratic meeting, then parents are not welcome. Is that what we want? Bashing a father because he thought it important to be with his baby AND his party? Bashing a baby because she didn't know important grownups were giving speeches? Shame on you. And shame on the supposed grownups who cooked up a gratuitous argument over the Corrorino nomination just to hear themselves talk. Seems like the only two people who DID keep their cool were Jane Corrorino and Baby Hahn. Please, let's focus on how we'll whoop the competition, not each other, and certainly not each other's babies! And how about a little enthusiasm for electing six women to leadership roles for the first time ever. Now, that's something worth blogging about. This other stuff is just plain dumb.