Spin Cycle

Here's Joe Mondello, state and Nassau Republican chairman, hailing the pending enactment of this year's bigger-than-ever but "sound and complete" state budget, which merely alarms fiscal conservatives in Albany's Era of Good Feeling:

"Given the tremendous strain placed on the budget process with a significant deficit and the resignation of Eliot Spitzer a few short weeks ago, the statesmanlike leadership of Senator Bruno, Assemblyman Tedisco and their Republican conferences deserves praise.

"Thanks to their dedication, focus and commitment, a sound, complete budget will be in place in a timely fashion.

"Their efforts ensured that this budget delivers real results for New York’s families and businesses by insisting on tax relief, support for business growth and job creation, spending restraint, and a fair distribution of health care and education aid."

Dan Janison

Eyebrows went up a the Nassau Board of Elections last week when Republican Family Court Judge Julianne Eisman, who is running for re-election this year, requested a lottery to determine her position on the ballot.

Although Democrats had squabbled over ballot positions in the past, Nassau Republican boss Joe Mondello had always before made the decision for his candidates.

Now it seems Mondello will continue to make the decision. After sources say Eisman was called to task at Republican headquarters, she sent another letter Thursday withdrawing her request.

Celeste Hadrick

Trying to capitalize on the illegal immigration issue, State Republicans today launched an electronic petition drive on the party's Website protesting Gov.Eliot Spitzer's order to grant drivers licenses to the undocumented.

The web page that includes the petition is headlined "Make your voice hear! Help Keep New York safe." The drive calls Spitzer's "unilateral order" to issue such licenses to illegal immigrants a "rash mistake."

"In a 9/11 world we simply cannot take chances with important identification documents," it states.

Rick Brand

Joe Mondello was voted by state Republicans for a full term as chairman in Albany today.

From the party's announcement:

“I am honored to have the support of Republicans from across the state for a full two-year term at the helm of State Committee, so I can complete the job of rebuilding our party at the grass roots level that I began just ten short months ago,” said Chairman Mondello. “Working together, we have already accomplished a great deal, but we have much more work ahead of us to ensure a successful election in 2007 and an even better year in 2008.”

Also elected at the reorganization meetings were the Regional Vice Chairs and Committee Officers, including: First Vice Chair and Vice Chair District 2 Vincent Reda (Rockland), Vice Chair District 1 Joseph Savino (Bronx), Vice Chair District 3 John Nolan (Saratoga), Vice Chair District 4 Vacant, Vice Chair District 5 James T. Ellis (Franklin), Vice Chair District 6 Don Leonard (Tioga), Vice Chair District 7 William O. Hatch (Steuben), Vice Chair District 8 Henry Wojtaszek (Niagara), Treasurer Michael Avella, and Secretary Rebecca Marino.

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

In the wake of the special election for the Assembly seat formerly occupied by Paul Tonko, GOP state and Nassau chairman Joseph Mondello touted the win of George Amedore, Jr. as a victory for Republican principles. On a pragmatic basis, could things be turning around for Mondello -- in reverse proportion to how the governor is doing these days?

Click below for Mondello's statement.

State GOP Chairman Joseph Mondello slams Gov. Eliot Spitzer over his high-handed tactics in this statement -- which could help set the tone in the months ahead.

They may not get New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg to show up, but Suffolk Republican chairman Harry Withers is trying to round up local officials to attend new state leader Joseph Mondello’s $1,000 a head state GOP fundraiser in the city on May 17 -- by offering a half price discount.

“As an elected official in Suffolk County you are being offered to participate for the discounted price of $500 a person," said Withers, listing himself as Ph.D. in an April 19 memo to GOP state Senators, Assemblymen and county legislators.

Rick Brand

No one can remember Republican Hempstead Town Board members ever siding in a public vote against a Republican supervisor.

Until Tuesday, that is, when five Republican board members in the GOP stronghold killed Supervisor Kate Murray’s plan to drop health benefits for the all-Republican zoning board.

“This is unprecedented,” marvelled one longtime town Republican.

Democrats assumed Nassau and state GOP chairman Joseph Mondello gave Murray permission to break from the party’s lockstep to help her save face amid taxpayer anger over the expensive benefits given to a panel that meets two to four times a month.

“Supervisor Murray and the Republican members of the town board vote the way they’re told to vote by Joe Mondello,” said Jeff Gold, vice chair of the Town Democratic Committee.

But Mondello denies having discussed the vote with Murray or board members. And town Republicans insist Murray, who declined comment, did it on her own. She’d publicly pledged to eliminate benefits for the zoning and civil service boards and then stood by her promise even when Mondello’s top aide, Town Board Member Anthony Santino, proposed exempting the zoning board — on which former U.S. Sen. Alfonse D’Amato’s wife Katuria sits.

Celeste Hadrick

State and Nassau Republican chairman Joseph Mondello didn’t come right out and endorse former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani for president Tuesday night a Suffolk’s GOP fundraiser, but he came extremely close.

While making the usual caveats that “it’s still early” and he “hasn’t made a final decision,” there was little doubt in the audience where Mondello was headed.

According to one attendee, Mondello said the former mayor is “the guy who would do us the most good in New York. We haven’t had too many people paying attention to New York. All the others take money out of New York. But don’t bring anything back.”

Another local Republican reported that Mondello said, “I’m not making an endorsement right now but I think we’re going to wind up with the hometown boy,” using the Giuliani monicker, “America’s mayor.”

Rick Brand

Nassau Democratic chairman Jay Jacobs is giving “serious consideration” to backing two Republican judges to bust his GOP counterpart Joseph Mondello’s long time opposition to cross-endorsment deals, high-level Democratic sources say.

Jacobs is weighing Democratic support for Hempstead District Court Judge Vito DeStefano who wants to run for state Supreme Court and incumbent GOP county Court Judge Gerald Carter, who is up for re-election. Party sources say that Jacobs is looking to “jump start” the process to get “quality” judges for “good government” reasons.

GOP sources, however, say that while DeStefano ran on the GOP line, he is a Conservative and a close ally of Nassau Conservative Chairman Roger Bogsted, County Executive Thomas Suozzi’s consumer affairs commissioner. Bogsted, they say, has promised to endorse at least one Democrat in return for Jacobs’ backing of DeStefano. The “quality” claim is also suspect — the Nassau Bar Association found DeStefano “unqualified” when he first ran in 2003.

The disclosure comes as Democrats’ judicial screening committee is expected to start meeting this week. The leak is aimed at stirring the pot...

Rick Brand

After Nassau Republican chairman Joseph Mondello presented Independence Party Chairman Bobby Kumar with a birthday cake at the GOP’s inaugural ball Friday night, Kumar said, “Thank you, Godfather.”

And he wasn’t kidding.

Kumar went on to explain that some years ago, when he converted to the Roman Catholic faith, he had asked Mondello to be his godfather at his baptism -- and Mondello did it.

Celeste Hadrick

Despite the big ice storm, the annual Republican Inaugural Ball went ahead as planned Friday night at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury with a significant turnout, according to people who attended.

The Nassau GOP committee honored John Duer, head of the Nassau Sheriff’s Officers Association; Angelo Catalano, chairman of the firefighters' museum in Mitchel Field; and developer Scott Rechler, who returned from Australia in time to attend the party. Former U.S. Sen. Alfonse D’Amato appeared on a humorous video shown at the party about Rechler possibly being stuck across the world.

Mondello also had a birthday cake for Nassau Independence Party Chairman Bobby Kumar, and led the singing of happy birthday, urging the patrons to join in.

Celeste Hadrick

Nassau Republicans have their eyes on tonight's tallies, thinking that a strong showing for their judicial nominees and Republican comptroller candidate Chris Callaghan in Nassau would boost local GOP Chairman Joe Mondello's chances of becoming the state party leader when Steve Minarik, whom Pataki installed as New York chairman, goes on his merry way.

Celeste Hadrick