Spin Cycle

State Sen. Craig Johnson's office has been advertising its success — in tandem with Assembly members Charles Lavine (left) and Michelle Schimel (right) — in getting what is called “bullet aid” for schools within his 7th senatorial district. It works like this: Many of Johnson's districts, such as Great Neck and Port Washington, are located along the affluent Gold Coast and were subject this year to aid cuts ($171,000 for Great Neck; $50,000 for Port Washington). Johnson, a Democrat, would not have access to the Senate's Republican majority for redress. So he collaborated instead with the Assembly's Democratic majority where they approved special grants to those districts as bullet aid -- along the lines of member items ($200,000 for Great Neck; $50,000 for Port Washington).

John Hildebrand

Apparently still smarting from last week’s public vow by State Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) to take him out in November, State Sen. Craig Johnson (D-Port Washington) issued a statement this afternoon criticizing his GOP colleagues. He said they were wrongheaded to defeat a procedural motion that would have allowed a Democrat-sponsored bill to be debated.

The bill by Johnson’s friend, State Sen. David Valesky (D-Oneida), seeks to stop Albany from placing unfunded mandates on local governments.

The move by Johnson was unusual because though relations between him and some members of Long Island’s Republican senatorial delegation are frosty, he rarely blasts them publicly. Last week, however, the delegation leader, Skelos, confidently told reporters that Johnson would be defeated in the fall. His victory last year narrowed the GOP majority to two seats.

James T. Madore

Click continued bar below for Johnson’s news release.

One year ago, Craig Johnson (D-Port Washington) won what had been a Republican state senate seat in Nassau even as the 1199/SEIU health-care union and the Independence Party backed his opponent. But at a recent fundraiser for the rookie Senator, the union bought a table and Independence county chair Bobby Kumar was on hand, Johnson allies report.

Dan Janison

Clinton communications czar Howard Wolfson is predicting a draw on Super Tuesday and says his boss will end the day with an overall lead in delegates -- largely thanks to her fierce lobbying for non-democratically-selected "super delegates" before the primary season started.

Unlike delegates apportioned by primaries or caucuses, super delegates -- often elected officials and party leaders -- are free to sign on with the candidates of their choice. Clinton has enlisted about 100 more than Obama.

In a striking departure from the campaign's optimism a month ago, when Clinton aides were staking all on Feb. 5th, Wolfson downplayed the 22-state results in a conference call with reporters.

"The results will likely be inconclusive...I don't think either side will win appreciably more delegates than the other but its possible either side could win more today...It's just another step on the road to Denver," he said.

On the same call, Clinton pollster Mark Penn predicted that Obama might win most of the primaries between now and March 4th, excluding Ohio. Penn said the raft of contests in Louisiana, Nebraska, Washington, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, "clearly favor Obama more than us."

The pair also demanded four more one-on-one debates with Obama -- while denying it was a ploy to get free media for a endangered candidate short on cash. Clinton has signed on for a Fox debate in D.C. on Feb 11, despite boycotting a previous debate sponsored by the right-tilting network earlier this year. She's also agreed to later one-on-ones sponsored by MSNBC in Ohio, CNN in Texas and an offer for an hour-long one-one-one conversation between the candidates from ABC's George Stephanopolous this Sunday.

Wolfson said Obama hasn't agreed to any of them yet; Calls are in to his campaign.

--Glenn Thrush

State players are bracing for a new fight over health-care cuts early next year as Gov. Eliot Spitzer prepares plans to close a $4.3 billion budget gap.

Months ago the new governor pressured state Senate Democrats into backing his effort to slice $1.2 billion from Medicaid. Much but not all of the spending was restored. Spitzer is widely expected to push anew for hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts.

But the tone if not the substance of the debate may have dramatically shifted. For one thing, several members of the Senate’s Democratic minority, hoping to win the majority next November, told Newsday they are now less liable to let the governor call the shots. For another, the big health care union 1199/SEIU is believed to be increasing its political action budget by millions of dollars just in case, for an ad campaign potentially as bitter as one that erupted last time.

“From the union’s perspective people were acting petrified of the governor, as if they had no choice,” said one source familiar with the union’s operations. “Now as time passes it’s clear the governor does not walk on water.” Despite a change of leadership at the union its longtime alliance with Senate Republicans under Majority Leader Joseph Bruno appears undented so far.

Just to refresh your recollection, a sample of the broadcast sluf-fest from earlier this year. And some more specific Long Island impact, after the jump:

Dan Janison

A new mailer by the New York Republican State Committee arriving in mailboxes of the 7th Senate District would have you believe that Sen. Craig Johnson supports Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s plan to issue drivers’ licenses to undocumented immigrants. Johnson, however, already voted on a bill this year that goes against that plan — requiring social-security numbers for license applicants or alternative documents — thus breaking ranks with a number of fellow Democrats.

The mailer quotes Johnson (D-Port Washington) from a Politicker blog entry by Azi Paybarah. Last week Paybarah called Johnson to see if he liked the governor’s revised three-tier system of licensing. Johnson reportedly said he was studying the new plan.

According to the Politicker item, it seems as though Paybarah asked if the change would be “more amenable to lawmakers like Johnson.”

Johnson had responded, “Right now I’m focused on working my district, so I really don’t have much of a thought on that.” (Possible translation: he knows the issue’s a third rail that he does not want to step on, but is not in the business of denouncing the governor, who’s otherwise been his ally.)

The mailer focuses ....

Melissa Mansfield

Mike Fishman, president of the union 32BJ/SEIU representing janitors and building workers, has issued a letter stating it was "with great dismay" that he heard of Sen. Craig Johnson's opposition to Gov. Eliot Spitzer's change of drivers' license policies.

"Your main concern that a driver's license may create a presumption of legal residency is unfounded," Fishman wrote. "If it is celar that in New York state _ along with seven other states -- drivers' licenses will be issued to people regardless of immigration status, the driver's license should not create such a presumption."

Citing the desirre to "bring people out of the shadows and into the system" and make the system more fraud-proof, as well as lower insurance rates by increasing the pool of registered drivers, Fishman called Johnson's opposition "not productive."

The union's position on the issue is posted here.

Breaking from his ally Gov. Eliot Spitzer on a hot-button issue, rookie Democratic state Sen. Craig Johnson has essentially reinforced his earlier support for requiring either a Social Security number or substitute documentation for those applying for drivers' licenses. But he adds some bitter words for those he charges are attempting to manipulate the issue for political purposes -- and says by the way that the Bush administration has failed to "deal with our nation's immigration problems in a rational, balanced and fair manner." For Johnson's full statement, hit the "continue-reading" bar right below. (One note: 'non citizens' have always been permitted to apply -- the question becomes whether they have legal immigration status).

Dan Janison

The state Senate's Republicans have launched their first televised attack ad against Long Island's only Democrat in the delegation, rookie Sen. Craig Johnson of Port Washington. There's no Republican nominee yet, but the ad features a game-show host talking to a cardboard cutout of Johnson as "contestant" and peppering the life-sized likeness with slanted "questions" about his purportedly voting for moving school funds from LI to NYC, cutting hospital funds and imposing higher property taxes on "hundreds of thousands" of Long Islanders. The conclusion is his record is "unspeakable."

Not only does the Johnson camp respond that the contentions about his record are specious, they note he's also known to talk -- at some length on -- most things. The Johnson side also points out that supposed "grass roots" local committees are coordinated with the Albany-based GOP in linking Web sites to the new commercial. Here's the ad, which is of a piece with the earlier state Republican spots attacking rookie Westchester Democrat Andrea Stewart-Cousins:

The latest of the mailings has gone out in the partisan war over the state Senate. The election for the post at stake, held by rookie Sen. Craig Johnson (D-Port Washington) isn't until November -- of next year.

Liz B. describes the color piece here and more is expected from the Johnson fans today about the Yom Kippur timing. But you can't beat somebody without somebody else, and we still don't have a clue as to who the Republican candidate will be.

UPDATE: A national organization of Jewish Democrats issued a condemnation of the mailing. Click below for an excerpt of the statement.

The popularity of introducing tolls for motorists entering Manhattan has slipped, according to Quinnipiac.

The furor over the fire-damaged former Deutsche Bank site brought Bovis representatives face-to-face last night with concerned community residents.

Gov. Eliot Spitzer and allies defend his administration's statements on that fake-logo GOP ad in the Nassau race a few months back, here and here.

After losing a fierce battle to Craig Johnson for Mike Balboni's former Senate seat last February, funded largely through the Senate GOP campaign committee, Republican Maureen O'Connell ended up with $359,582.88 left. It was transferred to the campaign account for O'Connell's post as Nassau clerk. Asked Friday about the prospect of another Senate run next year, she said, "I'm thrilled with my job as county clerk."

Former Republican state Sen. Michael Balboni, now the state's top homeland security expert, has not lost his electoral touch.

According to party sources in Albany and Nassau County, Senate Republicans in the past month conducted a poll in his old Nassau district showing Balboni would be what one local party official called a "slam dunk" winner over Democratic state Sen. Craig Johnson, who won the office Feb. 6 on the coattails of high-riding new Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

"It wasn't even close," said a second Senate source in Albany who declined to be identified. "Most people probably think Balboni's still the senator."

The poll also shows that even Nassau County Clerk Maureen O'Connell, who lost to Johnson, is "neck and neck" given Spitzer's slide in popularity.

Several sources say Senate Republicans are trying to woo Balboni back, saying that his new state job has put him in a financial squeeze and the job is lower-profile than expected. Skeptics say Balboni would never get Nassau Republican Joseph Mondello's blessing to return.

Balboni said he loves his current post. "The great thing about this job is I don't talk politics anymore," he said.

Rick Brand

And, here's an account of the Spitzer verbal poke with a bit more detail -- as filed by our James T. Madore:

Sen. Craig Johnson (D-Port Washington) got a huge round of applause when Gov. Eliot Spitzer mentioned his name at today’s meeting in Albany of the Family Planning Advocates.

When the clapping died down, Spitzer left little doubt in what he expects from Johnson in a future vote on the state budget.

“You don’t know how glad I am you are there, Craig,” Spitzer said, referring to Johnson’s victory in a special election last month, and the GOP’s slim hold on the Senate majority.

Spitzer added, “We will be counting the votes very shortly. I’m not putting you on the spot.”

What a difference an election makes when it comes to concerns about good government.

Prior to the special election Feb. 6 between Nassau Legis. Craig Johnson and County Clerk Maureen O’Connell, news leaked out that County Comptroller Howard Weitzman was ready to release a critical audit of O’Connell’s office.

Johnson, a Democrat, repeatedly demanded that Republican O’Connell release the audit on her own “to clear the air.” Johnson’s Democratic colleague, Legis. Diane Yatauro issued a press release also calling on O’Connell to release the audit, saying “There is no excuse for blocking the public’s and the legislature’s right to understand....”
Then Johnson won and nobody demanded the audit anymore.

“Talk about political,” said O’Connell.

“We do not comment on our audit findings until we release the audit,” a Weitzman spokesman said, adding that the audit would be put out “shortly.”

Celeste Hadrick

New Nassau state Sen. Craig Johnson, sworn in Feb. 12, had to wait before he was seated in the chamber near his Democratic colleagues this week. There was some squawking and moaning from the Democratic side about the matter, as covered by Jacob Gershman in the Sun.
Apparently Sen. Kenneth P. LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) moved his seat to the former Michael Balboni space, pacifying the situation.
With his side accused of playing petty games, Republican majority spokesman John McArdle said of Johnson: "He got seated. He got a nice chair. But they're more concerned about chairs and measuring curtains than cutting property taxes."

Dan Janison

In the special election for Sen. Craig Johnson’s former Nassau Legislative seat, Democrat Wayne Wink, a North Hempstead town board member, has gotten the backing of the Independence and Working Families Parties.

His Republican opponent, Louis Chisari of Garden City Park, has gotten the Conservative Party line. The deadline for parties to file their candidates was Tuesday.

Rick Brand

The Nassau Board of Elections on Wednesday certified that Democrat Craig Johnson, who was sworn in as the 7th District’s state senator this week, did indeed win last week’s special election. After all the machines and paper ballots were tallied, Johnson beat Republican Maureen O’Connell by 3,637 votes.

Here is the breakdown by ballot line:

Johnson
Democrat: 26,103
Working Families: 1,529
Total: 27,632

O’Connell
Republican: 19,827
Independence: 1,800
Conservative: 2,368
Total: 23,995

-- Celeste Hadrick

Newly elected Sen. Craig Johnson was sworn in today to the State Senate by Lt. Gov. David Paterson, while his wife Elizabeth held a bible, and his family looked on. This was only the second time he had visited the Capitol; he attended the State of the State earlier this year.

Sen. Minority Leader Malcolm Smith, of St. Albans, said Johnson’s election showed, "the people of this state have decided that they want to see some change in government, some change in how we proceed. That change had a lot to do with reforming the way we do business as a body."

Johnson was elected in a special election last week, to fill the vacancy created when Sen. Michael Balboni joined the Spitzer administration, serving as homeland security czar.

When asked about recent developments in Albany, Johnson said, "I’m focused on governing. My purpose today, and tomorrow, and the next day, is to govern."

Johnson noted the need to pass the budget, saying he will focus on lowering property taxes. "Politics ended a week ago Tuesday, now it’s time to govern," he said.

-Melissa Mansfield in Albany

Behind Democrat Craig Johnson's win on Tuesday was a coalition of grass-roots groups that has not drawn much mention, a trusted informant says.

Callers, organizers and canvassers came from the groups ACT NOW, Citizen Action of New York, People for the American Way, Tenants PAC, Democracy for LI, Democracy for NYC, and Take NY with publicity by Daily Gotham and the Albany Project.

Q -- If you figure there were 51,460 votes cast in the Johnson-O'Connell race, including the early total of absentee ballots, and if the projections are correct that the final spending by both campaigns will total $5 million, how much was spent per vote?

A -- About $97.16.

Another Q -- Is that necessarily a bad thing?

The final, unofficial results with 264 or 264 ED's reporting:
Johnson 26,452
O’Connell 22,929

Sorry about the late updates, folks.

Not much brewing yet on the results front -- folks are filtering into the headquarters.
At the Westbury Manor, Lee Reynolds, the secretary of Local 855, Nassau Educators, said of O'Connell: "When she walks into a room you feel like you've known her forever. She's like family."
Sen. John Flanagan of Suffolk said: “I may be a supporter but more than anything I’m proud to say I’m her friend.”
Comfort food or victory talk? Give us a bit -- the numbers are still sparse.
The music's pumped up at Leonard's of Great Neck, the Johnson enclave.

There was, too, this gay-marriage warning by Conservatives in the close-out to the Johnson-O'Connell contest.

For the record, as the court battle goes on:

On Saturday at a rally at an American Legion hall in Williston Park, Newsday's Michael Amon was on hand as John Ryan, general counsel to the Nassau County Republican Party, told GOP poll inspectors to "be vigilant" about voters being brought in from New York City.

"If a person comes in you know isn't from the community, who you know isn't supposed to be allowed to vote, challenge them," Ryan said.

He also told inspector to monitor voting machines. He said inspectors should be courteous but firm in their challenges.

"You're not out there to get into confrontations and fights," Ryan said.

While voters cast ballots, the major parties waged legal war in Mineola, and later in Brooklyn, over what instructions should go to elecitons inspectors at poll sites.

Late Monday, Nassau County Attorney Lorna Goodman issued a letter and later got a court order directing election commissioners to circulate the communication warning inspectors against routinely seeking identification from voters, except for those casting ballots for the first time.

Republicans went to court this morning, and got state Supreme Court Justice Thomas Phelan to dismiss the Democrats' case and ordered a new letter sent out to inspectors, telling them to rely on the "Reference Guide for Inspectors," and on an oath that should be administered to voters whose qualifications are challenged. A person who refuses to take the oath can be denied the right to vote.

Rick Brand

No matter what the turnout, at least 2,000 votes will not be included in the election returns tonight.
That's because both Republicans and Democrats last week got a court order to keep the absentee ballots at the Board of Elections headquarters in Mineola rather than have them sent out to the polling places. They will counted later on, when county elections officials do a recanvass of all ballots following the special election.

Rick Brand

Should Nassau Legis. Craig Johnson (D-Port Washington) win the special state Senate election in the Seventh District, he would be the first Long Island Democrat to win a Senate seat in more than two decades.
The last Democrat to win a Senate seat locally was Carol Berman, who represented the 9th Senate District from 1978 to 1984. However, Berman and her predecessor Karen Burstein, who was elected in 1972, represented a district that straddled the Nassau-Queens border.

Rick Brand

Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Brunswick) will remain in Albany to take results of the seventh district special election rather than head for the Westbury Manor where Nassau Republicans huddle, according to Bruno spokeman John McArdle.
Alex Navarro, spokesman of Democratic candidate Craig Johnson, said Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith is expected to join local Democrats at Leonard's of Great Neck. But Navarro added that Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who has played a strong hand in the race, is not as of now scheduled to show.

Rick Brand

After all the hullabaloo about potential voter intimidation, there have been no reports, so far, of voters actually being intimidated. Unless you count the ones who are intimidated by the cold weather.

David Stonehill of the New York Democratic Lawyers Council said he hasn't dealt with anything more serious than a few broken voting machines that were easily fixed. And Liam Arbetson said calls to Common Cause's voter hotline have been from people asking where their polling place is located.

Reid J. Epstein

If you see problems at the 7th Senate district polls on Tuesday -- voter suppression, dysfunctional machines, old-school intimidation, etc. -- Common Cause has a voter complaint line ready to go. It's staffed by New Hyde Park native Liam Arbetman, one of the organization's research associates. Their number is 1-800-300-8707.

You should also let us know. Email reporter Reid Epstein or editor Dan Janison with tips about any shenanigans.

A Maureen O'Connell flyer that went out this weekend to Jewish homes touts her endorsement from the Jewish Press and other community leaders. It has photographs of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg alongside a Jewish family and an anonymous Orthodox man. The problem comes at the bottom of the flyer, where there's a picture of the Great Neck Synagogue, which not only has not made an endorsement in the race but declined O'Connell's request to campaign there, according to the synagogue's executive director, Mark Twersky.

"It's very misleading, as you can see," Twersky said. "I've been getting calls from the congregants, they're all very upset."

Reid J. Epstein
Here's the mailed piece:

With their respective campaigns already costing well over $1 million, Craig Johnson and Maureen O'Connell have not slowed their fund-raising pace in the last week before tomorrow's special election. Since Jan. 30, Johnson's campaign has taken in $309,000, including a $35,000 check from himself and $200,000 from the Democratic State Senate Committee.

Meanwhile O'Connell reports $142,250 worth of incoming cash in the last week.

Reid J. Epstein

Despite both campaigns swearing they shut down their phone operations during the big game, a few Republicans say they received robo-calls Sunday night urging them to vote for Maureen O'Connell.

Marie Grieco, an East Williston real estate agent, said her phone rang three times between 7:02 p.m. and 8:01 p.m. with the recorded voice apologizing for interrupting the game and asking her to vote for O'Connell.

"I was suspicious that it was not her calling," said Grieco, a self-described political independent who said she had been undecided on the Senate race before the calls. "Now I'm going to vote for Maureen."

Johnson spokesman Alex Navarro, who warned against Super Bowl robo-calls to Democratic households before the game, said his side had nothing to do with the O'Connell calls. That didn't stop O'Connell mouthpiece Mike Arens from blaming Team Johnson.

Reid J. Epstein

Democrats are acting as if they know they will break the recent tradition of Nassau sending only Republicans to the state Senate. They already have picked Wayne Wink of Roslyn, a Town of North Hempstead trustee, to run for the seat Craig Johnson of Port Washington would vacate if he wins in the 7th S.D. on Tuesday.

The Republicans, on the other hand, also seem pretty confident. “We are going all out to win this election and haven’t even thought past that," said Nassau and state Republican leader Joseph Mondello.

If Johnson beats county clerk Maureen O'Connell, County Executive Thomas Suozzi will pick the date of the special election for the vacant seat. It must be no less than 30 days from the date of the vacancy and no more than 60 days.

Sid Cassese

Hyperbole in the 7th Senate District race reaches Code Orange with the O'Connell campaign now claiming that she'll protect us all from terrorist attack (as one of 212 state legislators, mind you) and Johnson will not. Hat tip to Benjamin at the Times-Union.

(Earlier number error corrected -- Thank you, Mr. Tom Z)