Potential Primary Foe Calls On NYS Sen. Jeffrey Klein To Break Alliance With Senate GOP

[hrmjustin]

BY KEN LOVETT
An attack from a progressive Democrat on Sen. Jeffrey Klein today was notable as much from who it was from than what it said.

The statement came from former Attorney General and City Councilman Oliver Koppell, who has been mentioned as a possible Democratic challenger to Klein, the Senate co-leader who heads a breakaway group of four Democrats who are in an unprecedented power-sharing agreement with the Senate GOP.

Koppell called on Klein to rejoin the Democratic conference and "renounce his self-serving" agreement with the Senate Republicans. Koppell issued the statement a day after Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos said he would block Mayor de Blasio's city income plan to fund prekindergarten programs from coming to the floor for a vote.

"Today’s report that Senator Skelos will block Mayor de Blasio's pre-K plan from coming up for a vote is outrageous," Koppell said. "The only reason Senator Skelos is allowed to block this and other progressive legislation is because of his backroom deal with Senator Jeff Klein."

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2014/02/potential-primary-foe-calls-on-nys-sen-jeffrey-klein-to-break-alliance-with-se

[Smarmie Doofus]

1. They're both in my club. A stiff challenge will bring Klein down.

Koppell could do it. Probably the only person who CAN.

[hrmjustin]

2. Here is another story on Koppell.

http://politicker.com/2014/02/ex-councilman-oliver-koppell-moves-closer-to-challenging-jeff-klein/

[Smarmie Doofus]

3. It's hard to know what's actually going on.

Some of this might be posturing for public consumption.

If Koppell successfully primaries Klein there's a good chance that Klein might run as a Republican and Independent and still win.... although I think the demographics are against a win w/o the DEM line.

He's got big bucks behind him.... that's fer' sure. But Koppell has $$$ too.

[hrmjustin]

4. If he runs just on the dem line he can't run as a republican after the primary.

My guess is he will run on the Dem and GOP line.

[Smarmie Doofus]

5. Interestingly... GOP ran NO candidate against him in 2012.

http://ballotpedia.org/Jeffrey_Klein

Only opposition was Green and Conservative. My guess is they ( Klein and GOP bosses) hatched this collusion-type plan just prior to that race.

Previously he ran against token GOP opposition and won by two to one, usually.

ETA: Yes. If he's worried about Koppell he will try to run in BOTH primaries. Which of course underscores Koppells rationale and makes the point for Oliver.

I'm thinking that the vast majority (of the tiny minority of eligibles who will actually vote in a primary) have not the slightest clue as to what it's all about.

Good sign for Klein, probably.

[hrmjustin]

6. My guess is he will run on both lines but that couod hurt him in the dem primary.

Hopefully you get a great candidate and can beat him.

My state senator is Marty Golden-R. He is good at constituent services but has a horrible voting record.

[Smarmie Doofus]

7. Right. See my edit.

It's a much more DEM leaning district than Bay Ridge/ Staten Island.

That being the case, it amazes me : the level of political mediocrity here.

We should be electing Alan Graysons here. ( He grew up in the Bx.) But people like that leave here or don't have a chance in the political culture here.

[hrmjustin]

8. I just want to see these traitor democrats defeated.

[Smarmie Doofus]

9. As Alfalfa said to Buckwheat ( Or was it the other way around?)......

"Me too NEITHER!"