Rep. Eliot Engel, D-Bronx, says there’s no inconsistency to his two different votes involving an effort by House Republicans to chastise MoveOn.org.

At issue: the advocacy group’s recent New York Times ad that referred to Gen. David Petraeus as “general betray us.’’

Engel voted Wednesday as a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee against a motion to send a resolution to the House floor that criticized MoveOn.org and praised Petraeus.

Later the same day, he voted on the floor in favor of the same resolution, which passed the House 341-79.

One of the political newspapers that circulate on the Hill—The Politico—took note that 11 Democrats voted against the resolution in committee before supporting it on the floor. The headline on the story: “They were for MoveOn before they were against it.’’

However, Engel explained in an e-mail this evening that the two votes were on different procedural measures.

“I faced two different votes yesterday,’’ he explained. “A procedural committee vote to uphold my chairman’s ruling that an amendment was out of order and an up-or-down vote on the floor.’’

The resolution was attached to a bill to keep the federal government operating for eight weeks into the new fiscal year while Congress completes work on the 2008 budget.

According to Engel, â€Å“The MoveOn.org ad had little to do with either vote, although I believe the personal attack on the general in the ad was inappropriate. I question the Bush administration’s policy on the war, not the general’s patriotism.â€?

Four veterans from the Hudson Valley will tell Congress members next month about their struggles as wounded soldiers facing long delays in settling their disability claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Eddie Senior of West Harrison is among the four who will testify Oct. 9 before the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs in New Windsor.

A disabled veteran from Desert Storm, Senior was diagnosed in 1995 with thyroid cancer, Gulf War Syndrome, and psychological and physical impairment that prevent him from working. Despite such severe illness, Senior was receiving only modest payments from the VA.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has a backlog of nearly 600,000 cases. It takes an average of 177 days for a veteran to receive a decision that will affect the monthly stipend received and eligibility and priority status for VA health care. The majority of the claims are from veterans who are seeking benefits for a service-connected injury.

Congressman John Hall, D-Dover Plains, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, will host the hearing at the New Windsor Town Hall. House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner of California is expected to attend.

The Yonkers Republican party meets next week to chose a replacement for Zehy Jereis, who announced Tuesday that he would not seek re-election as party chairman.

Among the leading candidates in the race, Jereis said, are Steve Levy, the Republican deputy commissioner for the Westchester County Board of Elections; Justin Tubiolo, a party ward leader; and John Jacono, former party chairman.

The meeting is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Ukranian Center on Palisades Avenue.

Top aides to Gov. Eliot Spitzer made their case today before a Senate panel on keeping the state’s thoroughbred racetracks under the control of the New York Racing Association.

The governor’s plan has drawn fire from Republicans, who have questioned whether the scandal-scarred NYRA is best suited to run the racetracks at Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct.
Under Spitzer’s plan, NYRA would continue to run the racetracks as it has since 1955, but another private vendor would be selected to operate video lottery terminals at Aqueduct.
The Legislature must amend current law to permit the awarding of a new franchise for racetracks to continue operating after Dec 31.
“In reviewing the competing bids, weighing all the factors and considering the importance of horse racing to New York’s economy, we believe the selection of NYRA best served the policy interests of the state,” said Patrick Foye, acting co-chairman of Empire State Development.

Petty vandalism? Political payback? Mount Vernon Mayor Ernie Davis reported to police that his city-owned SUV was scratched with a key, causing $1,500 in damage, while it was parked behind City Hall yesterday.

“It was bad,” Mount Vernon police Commissioner David Chong told our reporter, Will David. “It was the entire length of the car.”Chong added, “We are treating it as a criminal mischief.”

The mayor was expected to make a statement on the incident later today.

State GOP Chairman Joseph Mondello today announced an online petition at www.nygop.org/ where people can deride Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s plan to offer driver’s licenses to people who may be illegal immigrants.

“There has been a groundswell of opposition across the state to Governor Spitzer’s dangerous plan to give driver’s licenses to undocumented aliens,” Mondello said.

Spitzer proposal has received a remarkable amount of criticism and even some county clerks are expressing opposition, according to the Albany Times-Union.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg also came out against it.

A report by the Government Accountability Office on the treatment of veterans has Sen. Hillary Clinton and Congresswoman Nita Lowey up in arms.

The GAO reported yesterday that:

almost half of wounded service members eligible for personalized care are not receiving it

the disability evaluation system continues to be slow with payments delayed by an average of almost six months

staff shortages persist

the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs need to do more to share medical records

“It is inexcusable that seven months after deplorable conditions at Walter Reed were exposed, returning members of our Armed Forces are still forced to deal with deficient care, and that delays of six months or longer are typical for veterans of current or prior conflicts who need disability benefits,” Lowey said.

Congressman John Hall, D-Dover Plains, wants to prevent increases in the number of private security contractors in Iraq.

He introduced a bill today called the Freeze Private Contractors in Iraq Act that would prohibit federal agencies from entering into contracts that would increase the number of private security contractors in Iraq above the number present in Iraq on Sept. 1, 2007.

Estimates of the number of armed contractors operating in Iraq range from 20,000 to 50,000 or higher. According to federal spending data, since 2004 federal agencies have paid almost $1 billion to the contractor agency Blackwater USA alone.

Security contractors in Iraq operate outside both the Uniform Code of Military Justice and Iraqi law. During the first year of the American occupation, the American Administrator issued a decree that exempted security companies and their employees from accountability under Iraqi law for deaths and injuries caused in the execution of their duties.

â€Å“These guys are running around Iraq accountable to no one, using lethal force against civilians and increasing the animosity Iraqis feel towards Americans, thereby making the situation less safe for American troops in the field,â€? Hall said.

How about lowering the voting age to 16?

That’s what Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio would try to do if he’s elected president, along with ending the federal highway funding penalties for states that lower the legal drinking age to 18.

Kucinich and the Democratic candidates for their party’s presidential nomination were at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire last night for a debate broadcast on MSNBC.

The drinking age was one of the many topics covered:

Delaware Sen. Joe Biden came out with the most forceful opponent of a lower drinking age. “Absolutely no,’’ he said. “I would not.’’
Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd said, “I agree with Joe.’’

On whether candidates would favor a national law outlawing smoking in the workplace and restaurants, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said it was a local zoning issue. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama said he would favor a national law only if there’s not enough progress on the local level. Several of the others indicated they would support a national law.

With all the votes in it appears Legislator Clinton Young is the winner of the the city’s Democratic mayoral primary.

Final, but still unofficial numbers, show Young with 4,144 votes over Mayor Ernest Davis’ 3,768.

These results will be certified on Monday, at which time the Board of Elections will declare the winner.

Twelve-year incumbent Davis has not conceded but said through a spokesperson he will announce a decision on his candidacy early next week. Davis must decide whether to reverse himself and run on the Conservative and Indepdendence lines; earlier he had said he would suppor the Democratic winner.