The Amedore Deception

Some Hudson Valley media outlets have picked up this story, but it's worth highlighting:

Governor Andrew Cuomo is not running for office this year but his face and name are still appearing in election mailers in many New York homes. State lawmakers from both parties running for re-election are using the popular governor’s image in their campaign literature.

George Amedore, an assemblyman who is seeking to fill the newly created 63rd Senate seat in the Mohawk and Hudson Valleys, has sent a full color flyer to homes in the district, prominently featuring Amedore clasping hands with a smiling Governor Cuomo.

The above image, sorry about the low quality, is one of the mailers in question. Please note the stunning hypocrisy of a GOP elected official (Amedore is currently an assemblyman) cozying-up to a popular Democratic governor in order to hoodwink voters who don't pay close attention into thinking that he's a Democrat. Shameful.

It really gets my blood boiling that these people can't seem to demonstrate the courage of their convictions.
And this holds true for many Democrats as well. You should be proud of the party to which you belong, and you should have to clearly identify this on every piece of campaign literature you publish.

Amedore is in the hip pocket of a lot of big real estate guys that have big plans to bring huge New York City-style development to the Hudson Valley. They don't care about its history, its natural beauty or its resources. They care about making themselves even richer than they already are, and at the expense of anyone who gets in their way. Amedore, dim bulb that his is, is the perfect cipher for these folks.

Amedore's opponent, Celia Tkaczyk, isn't some hand-picked toady for big money. She's a Duanesburg school board member who has long worked as a housing advocate. She's also a progressive while Amedore is part of the neanderthal-right that sees women's bodies as nothing more that vessels for producing babies:

In a press release this afternoon, Delanson Democrat Cecilia Tkaczyk accused Assemblyman George Amedore, R-Rotterdam, of having a record of opposing issues like fair pay. She also noted that Amedore is an anti-choice candidate when it comes to birth control, with no exceptions, according to statements he made on "The Capitol Pressroom with Susan Arbetter."

Tkacyzk said these positions embody the same spirit espoused by Romney in Tuesday night's presidential debate.

“The idea that George Amedore, a candidate for state Senate in New York, would oppose fundamental values like equal pay for equal work is deeply disturbing," Tkaczyk said in a statement. “I understand that for our economy to grow and prosper, we need to help small businesses and family farms thrive and create jobs and ensure all New Yorkers are given the salaries they deserve for the work they do."

She added, "As state senator, I will stand up to extremists who put politics and ideology and ensure that women’s health is no longer a partisan issue but a basic human right."

Tkaczyk, needless to say, is the better candidate in this blogger's opinion.

But back to the Amedore mailer. You see, he's taking advantage of a colossal misstep by our governor. Cuomo decided to endorse several GOP state senators who voted to end the deadlock on gay marriage. As a strong supporter of gay marriage, I think these senators were courageous. But that's all I think. They're still members of the opposition, and they oppose the vast majority of progressive goals. How does keeping these folks in the state senate help you, Governor? All you've done is give the ENTIRE slate of GOP candidates in the senate a chance to use your image in order to get reelected. People aren't going to pay any attention to the names of the GOP senators you endorsed. But they will see tons of GOP mailings depicting your smiling face and assume that "this must be one of the Cuomo-endorsed guys." Way to shoot yourself in the foot, Governor.

Amedore has about four times as much money as Tkazcyk, so it's going to come down to Democratic turnout. There are more registered Democrats in the newly drawn SD-46, so this is one we can pick up if people get out and vote.