Here’s the Barack Obama ad that’s been running in New York City featuring Caroline Kennedy. Obama’s campaign said it’s unclear whether he’ll be running ads in upstate, but I did see an Obama ad here in Albany the other night that’s probably part of a national cable ad buy.
Obama has also picked up the endorsement of the New York Post.

Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York have made their bet on this weekend’s Super Bowl.

If the New England Patriots win, Schumer will visit Kennedy’s office and wear what New Englanders affectionately call the â€Å“Belichick hoodieâ€?—a gray Patriots sweatshirt, cut off at the elbow. Schumer will also provide lunch for the charity of Senator Kennedy’s choice, Rosie’s Place, in Massachusetts. Rosie’s Place is a safe haven for poor and homeless women that offers both emergency and long-term assistance.

If the New York Giants win, Kennedy will visit Schumer’s office and wear a Giants jacket and also provide lunch for Senator Schumer’s charity of choice, the YWCA in Brooklyn.

Gov. Eliot Spitzer visited the Elmsford home of Christopher and Felice Harris today, part of his statewide “Bringing the Budget Home” tour.

Felice Harris said it was a great experience having the governor in her home, but she also said it was more than a little stressful getting ready. They found out he was coming two days ago.

“A little? – no it was a lot,” Harris joked afterward.

“It took a little while from the initial conversation I had with his office until the final ‘yes, he’s definitely coming,’” Harris recalled. “It took a few hours to get to that point and after that it was just like a buzz — Okay, I’ve got to order food, I’ve got to make sure I have two coffee makers, and get the invitation list. Calling people can you make it, can you make it. And of course, everybody could.”

Despite the stress, Harris said it was worth it.

A spokesman for Spitzer said the family was selected through “friends” the governor had in the area.

One day after Rockland for Obama opened its Rockland headquarters in Spring Valley, elected officials and community members are planning a gathering to show their support for U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential run.

The group will meet at 4 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday)  on the steps of the Allison-Parris County Office Building at 11 New Hempstead Road in New City.

New York voters pick their presidential candidates in the Super Tuesday primary next week.

Not sure if this makes her presidential material, but Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton just put a statement on the high winds today in western New York.

Here’s her full statement:

“We have watched today as the ferocious winter winds from the cold front that is sweeping across the county have ripped through Western New York.
I, like many others, have been monitoring the situation very closely, and I have reached out to the Governor’s office as well as to local officials to offer my support and assistance. There are reports that the high winds have downed trees and power lines leaving more than 60,000 residents without power, and that there is already some flooding which is impacting homes and property in the area.
It is absolutely essential that we move swiftly to help those who have experienced the worst of this storm, and I stand ready to help secure whatever assistance is necessary to help Western New York in the recovery process.”

In the midst of last fall’s mayoral campaign, the Yonkers Board of Ethics admonished Mayor Phil Amicone for using public funds to promote three referendum measures that he had supported during the previous election. The opinion, dated Sept. 27, however, was only recently released after a Yonkers activist had requested the documents from City Hall through the state Freedom of Information Law. They are posted on FOIL YONKERS.

The one-page letter concurred with an opinion written by Yonkers Corporation Counsel Frank Rubino in early February of last year to the city’s Inspector General Phil Zisman. Rubino wrote “it is clear that the use of public funds cannot be countenanced to allow any attempt to influence public opinion on matters that affect the democratic process.”

Public money was used to fund a letter from Amicone that featured check marks and the word yes next to three Yonkers City Charter revisions that he supported, and a card meant to be taken to the polls that features a portion of the ballot with the yes lever circled on all three amendments. Rubino said state law does not call for the spending to be refunded or any other penalty. He also said that because the amendments were overwhelmingly approved, it seems unlikely that the mailings affected the outcome.

Rubino, instead, urged the Mayor to set up a legal review of all mailings to be sent to voters and constituents to prevent a repeat of the occurrence.

New York GOP Chairman Joseph Mondello is now officially throwing the party’s support behind John McCain.

In a statement, Mondello thanked Rudy Giuliani for his campaign, but said the party will now be working “tirelessly” for McCain “to ensure that he is the next President of the United States.”

Here’s some of his statement:
“I am proud to announce that New York Republicans are endorsing Senator John McCain.
Senator John McCain is a true leader, an extraordinary patriot, and a committed Republican. New York’s Republican Party and John McCain have been good friends over the years. Our state committee was very proud that the Senator served as a keynote speaker at our annual State Dinner last year.

Senator McCain has proven himself to be a leader with the experience necessary to lead our nation during troubled times. His unwavering commitment to winning the war on terror, stimulating the economy, limiting government and ensuring that our families are safe from dangers at home and abroad reflect the needs of New Yorkers and people across the country.”

Former state Sen. Nick Spano has made it clear that who the GOP nominates to run for president will have an impact on whether he runs for his old seat again. Spano, who had backed Rudy Giuliani’s candidacy, had this to say in an e-mail today:

“I was proud to support “America’s mayor” as the friendly son from New York. Senator McCain will be a real independent and moderate Republican who will change the broken ways of Washington. I will continue to weigh my options and hear the opinions of the people of Westchester.”

With Rudy Giuliani making his exit from the presidential race today, the New York GOP is wasting little time in choosing a new favored candidate. And to just about nobody’s surprise, it’s John McCain.

During a conference call of county chairs a few moments ago, GOP leaders decided to endorse McCain’s candidacy in New York, said Rockland Republican Chairman Vincent Reda, a vice chairman of the state Republican Committeee.

“It was pretty much unanimous,” Reda said.

Also backing McCain is Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, who just issued a statement announcing his endorsement.

“He is a true reformer and has the courage of his convictions that will help him win in New York and throughout the country,” Bruno said.

While state GOP leaders had hoped that a Giuliani candidacy would help them draw out moderate and independent voters — which would help other Republican candidates on the ticket — Reda said McCain also has that ability to attract swing voters.

“I don’t think we lose anything off the ticket,” Reda said.

As for Giuliani, Reda believes he fell victim to a bad strategy.

“You have to be in the media,” Reda said. “You have to participate.”

This dispatch is from Martha T. Moore of USA Today:

One day after the Florida primaries, the field of presidential candidates was on the verge of shrinking Wednesday, with John Edwards planning to drop out of the Democratic race and Rudy Giuliani mulling his GOP bid.

Edwards planned to make the announcement at a 1 p.m. ET event in New Orleans, a source within the Edwards campaign with direct knowledge of the candidate’s plans confirmed. The Associated Press, which first reported the Edwards decision, reported earlier that Giuliani will drop out today and endorse John McCain, who won Tuesday’s Florida GOP primary.

Giuliani did not deny the endorsement and insisted he was flying to California today ahead of the scheduled GOP debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. But while addressing supporters Tuesday night, he spoke of his campaign mostly in the past tense.

“Elections are about a lot more than just candidates. Elections are about fighting for a cause larger than ourselves,” Giuliani said.

McCain’s win completed an improbable journey from written-off candidate to front-runner. The Arizona senator’s third win in the four primaries so far, political analysts say, makes him the favorite for the nomination as the candidates head into a 22-state national primary on Feb. 5.