Spin Cycle

Nearly 400 from both major and minor parties showed up last week for a record-breaking Independence Party fundraiser that brought in a record $78,000.

The event, held at Venetian Shores catering complex in Babylon, exceeded the $60,000 raised by the minor party last year. Chairman Frank MacKay credited for the overflow turnout both new party vice chairmen -- Anthony Manetta and former Smithtown Conservative chairman Jimmy Tsunis, who's also finance director of the Independence Party of America.

Rick Brand

Below is ABC's Diana Williams interviewing MacKay last year:

Republican Will Barclay's bid for an upstate State Senate seat got an eleventh-hour boost as the Court of Appeals late Monday put him back on the Independence Party ballot line, on the eve of his special election against Democrat Darrel Aubertine.

The Court of Appeals ruling overturns two lower court decisions which had stricken Barclay's name from the minor party ballot in the neck-and-neck race on which Republican control of the state Senate might hang.

Republicans currently have a 32-29, edge, but if Democrats win, some say that one or more GOP lawmakers could switch sides.

UPDATE: The high court, in a 7-0 decision, found that "Aubertine is not an aggrieved candidate" because, as a non-party member, he lacks standing to challenge the party's compliance with its own rules.

Rick Brand

The Independence Party of America, looking to launch a third-party presidential candidacy, and whose national chairman is Suffolk resident Frank MacKay, announced leadership positions.

"We've made no secret of the fact that we hope that candidate will be Mike Bloomberg. We will be ready to support an Independent entering the race," MacKay said.

The appointments as announced:

Tom McLaughlin as party Vice Chairman. He's chairman of the Independence Party of America, an affiliate of The Reform Party of Pennsylvania. Also the former Vice Chairman of the Reform Party USA and "well-respected for his ballot access initiatives," MacKay said.

Tom Connolly, as national director for ballot access, who according to MacKay "helped build and expand the Independence Party of America to over 400,000 Party Members. He is also a founding member of the Independence Party of America and has over 30 years experience in the field of ballot access."

Anthony Manetta, director of political communications, from Roosevelt Strategies on Long Island, "will lead the national IPOA political operation with his local, state and federal campaign management experience."

Dan Janison

One of Suffolk’s top political consultants, Anthony Manetta, is hooking up with Frank MacKay’s Independence Party. Manetta, a Conservative, filed Wednesday to switch to Independence. Although that doesn’t take effect until a week after Election Day 2008, MacKay (photo above) has named Manetta a county party vice chairman. “It’s not something we would normally do, but it’s a sign of respect for someone with so much talent,” he said.

MacKay plans to deploy Manetta as a paid party fundraiser locally, at the state level, and for his newly created Independence Party of America — a platform from which New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg could run for president if he chose. Manetta proclaimed a chance to “work with a great political mind” in MacKay and join a “political movement that is spreading across the country.”

Manetta, head of Roosevelt Strategies, raised $80,000 for the Independence Party this year, which never before raised more than $25,000 annually — thus allowing MacKay to draw a $70,000-a-year salary. The consultant first hit it big....

Rick Brand

Independent political strategist Dean Barkley has signed on to help advise the Independence Party of America, which makes no secret that it hopes to draft Mayor Michael Bloomberg into the presidential race.

The newly launched national party, headed by New York state Independence Party chairman Frank MacKay, has recently begun an effort to drum up national support for a third-party bid in next year's contest.

Full details here.

Rick Brand

State and Suffolk Independence Party chairman Frank MacKay will not be here for Election Day this year.

MacKay applied Tuesday at the Suffolk Board of Elections for an absentee ballot because he expects to be traveling the on a multi-state tour organizing his newly-formed Independence Party of America, which held its first national convention in Westchester last month. MacKay said the move is nothing new. He missed the local Election Day in 2000 while on party business in Buffalo -- even though his close ally, Thomas Whelan, was winning his first bid for state Supreme Court judge. This year, Whelan's wife Theresa is on the ballot for family court judge.

Rick Brand

Independence Party activist Alex Gregor, who won the party's primary for Southampton town supervisor, is also taking on a new role as chairman of the town's party organization.

Gregor defeated Republican Supervisor Patrick "Skip" Heaney in the minor-party primary last month even though Heaney was given authorization by the party leaders to run on the line.
Frank MacKay, the state and Suffolk Independence Party chairman, said Gregor showed his organizing skills and work ethic in the primary which will help build the party.

Rick Brand