Bruno: “It Is Time For Me To Move On With My Life”
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- June
- 23
Here’s Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno’s statement on his decision not to seek re-election.
“Today, I met with my Republican colleagues in the Senate and informed them that I will not be running for re-election this November.
“After 32 years in office, I have decided that it is time to move on with my life and to give my constituents an opportunity for new representation and my colleagues in the Senate who have supported me, an opportunity for new leadership.
“Public service has been a blessing for which I will be ever grateful.
“I have had the opportunity to work for and with hundreds of proud, distinguished New Yorkers.ÂÂ I have viewed my work not as a job, but as a privilege to come here day in and day out and stand up for the people of Rensselaer and Saratoga counties and stand up for the hardworking people I have come to know over the years.
“Politics is a tough ball game.ÂÂ Tougher now than it has ever been.
“But after 32 years of many successes and a few failures, I know now more than ever, and I can say that with comfort and confidence, there is no calling greater than that of public service. There have been few more rewarding experiences in my life.ÂÂ But, timing in life is everything.
“While there may never be a good time to make these kinds of life decisions, I have decided that it is time for me to move on with my life.
“I do so with a heavy heart, but an optimistic soul. And I will rest peaceful in the knowledge that so many great things lie ahead for this great State that I have had the honor and privilege to serve.”
This entry was posted
on Monday, June 23rd, 2008 at 7:14 pm by Joseph Spector.
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“There is no calling greater than that of public service.” Ain’t bad for the old bank account, either.
Three options. Is it one, two, or all three?
1. Age.
2. Fear of losing the Senate in November.
3. Fear of indictment because he has been under an FBI probe for about a year.
And the wild card is the school-property tax cap, where Bruno was trying to weasel his way out of being honest about it, according to Fred Dicker in today’s http://www.nypost.com. Dicker wrote that Bruno, still wholly owned by the teachers union, was trying to pull a fast one and OK a deal on the cap, but only with a two-year “sunset” provision. Paterson turned him down.
#3. Probably a deal, as almost all these guys get in the end – pack it in and we’ll go easier on you. He probably wouldn’t enjoy being the elder statesman/ newest boxer at the Auburn Correctional Facility.
But the fact remains, Bruno is St. Francis of Assisi when compared with Sheldon Gold, er, Silver.
I wish Joe well in retirement. I have been calling for him to resign as majority leader for a long time. Now the other “Joe” Mondello needs to step down as State Chairmen.
The GOP needs NEW LEADERSHIP.
VJ Machiavelli
ps If you want to see what life is all about visit http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com and take the time to play and watch the video of our lives vs the lives of our solders.
It will be the best 5 minutes of your life.
Nick would have moved from third to second …..andrea
is 49TH
Nick would have been majority leader-instead we are stuck with Cousins
He forgot to put in the part about spending more time with his family.
Hey quit your crying about Nick. Even if Nick were still in the Senate, come January 09, he’d be number two alright – in the MINORITY CONFERENCE.
Nick Spano is as relevant these days as Robin Luke or Johnny Thunder. Right Ed? But Let Nick continue to graze in his private pasture, just like like he has already done for so many years.
Nick and Bruno aside (pun intended re: Bruno), Bill Hammond’s op-ed column in today’s http://www.nydailynews.com sums up the failed Albany legislative session very well, and that includes Paterson’s failures.
While the Three Stooges named Bruno, Paterson and Silver keep doing their routines, the state keeps fading away. The unions and other special interests continue to be Albany’s shadow government.
One big part of a solution is term limits.
In its news pages, the Daily News reports that just yesterday (great timing) some 30 boxes of Bruno-related documents were turned over to the Feds.
The Journal News appears to be asleep at the wheel about what is going on with the Bruno story behind the scenes.
Both the News and Post have reported that Bruno has been under Federal investigation for more than a year. But this latest “delivery” of boxes to the Feds was just yesterday, the same day Bruno said he is stepping down.
This is why the New York State Republicans have been in trouble for many of years now.
Those who controlled the sinking NY State GOP…... which is also known as the “NYS Titanic Party”........Are now left with nothing more then “Floating Deck Chairs” remaining in Albany…........
Those who controlled the NY State GOP for the last 12 years have severely lacked common sense and had their blinders on with the true reality of State Politics:
Those in the NY GOP Party & Albany have….......
“Albany Tunnel Vision”,
“Albany Tunnel Vision”,
“Albany Tunnel Vision”,
“Albany Tunnel Vision”,
“Albany Tunnel Vision”,
“Albany Tunnel Vision”,
“Albany Tunnel Vision”,
The NY GOP has NO common sense outside of the Albany Beltway…
(Same problem as the Washington Beltway Boys)
Those in the Albany GOP – Forgot about core Republican values and about their constituents back home.
The NY GOP Forgot about fighting about “Social Issues,” “2nd Amendment Rights” and “Fiscal Conservative Budgets” which was in tune with their GOP base back home.
NY Albany Republicans stuck New Yorkers with “Billions in new taxes and spending” which in return has cause over “One Million New Yorkers” to FLEE Upstate New York with economic development at a decline.
NY Albany Republicans abandoned true Conservative Issues and Sold out on every issue they were supposed to stand for just to protect “Ultra Liberal” seats like Senator Spanos down in Westchester.
NY Republicans sold their soul to protect one or two senate seats. (All which failed BTW)
True Corporate Executives (Which is NOT our NY GOP) would have brought in experts (Not political hoe’s like Bruno and the boys did) to help out the sagging and sinking NY State GOP.
Elections & seats were being lost on the Congressional Levels – Statewide Levels -& County Levels all across this State for many of years now, .........The loss of these political seats and fundraising capabilities CLEARLY was a sign of the demise of the NY GOP….Bruno & Company did nothing for 12 years to protect the GOP.
The NY GOP had the same old political hoe’s as their consultants who were doing their campaigns across the State. (Mahoney, Finkelstein come to mind)
The NY GOP backed losing Liberal Politicians as K.T. McFarland for US Senate and Rudy Guilani for President….Most Conservatives (As myself) told the GOP that things had to change …..
I actually had Senators tell me that Rudy Guiliani was the guy to win everything and that I had no clue on what I was talking about.
(Rudy BTW, never even got to first base with one delegate )......
This arrogance to me by Albany GOPers, proved to me that NY Albany GOP CLEARLY had common sense problems and were out of touch with the common man across the State
“Albany Tunnel Vision”,
“Albany Tunnel Vision”,
“Albany Tunnel Vision”,
“Albany Tunnel Vision”,
“Albany Tunnel Vision”,
“Albany Tunnel Vision”,
“Albany Tunnel Vision”,
Are the answers to the failed NY GOP.
Jim Kelly – NY Conservative Campaigns
no James..the reason the Republican Party is in the crapper
is because it lost its progressive roots in catering
to you guys in the conservative party….and therefore
lost its attractiveness to a majority of voters particularly
the independents….that is all going to change
Consultant—Be careful where you step, because there is b.s. all around you. The Republican Party in NY is falling apart not because it abandoned its so-called progressive roots, but because it has tried to mimic the Democratic Party in its policies. The Republicans in NY have not catered very much to the Conservatives, but to its liberal wing and mouthpieces instead.
You’re a Jacob Javits kind of Republican. More liberal than most Republicans. And it was “progressive” tax and spend policies, for example, that moved the Republican Party from its roots.
Look at Albany, and look at Washington. The Republicans spend as much or more than Democrats. You call that “progressive?” I call it insane.
progressive means keep your hands out of my pockets
and out of my bedroom….the problem with the republican
party is that they feign one ..and not the other
They don’t care about your bedroom, but they want to take money like the Democrats do. They have demonstated that. But I was afaid you were going to talk about Spencer and Faso. Glad you didn’t. They were just thrown to the wolves. Neither Spitzer or Clinton was beatable.
the bedroom analogy has to do with positions on social
issues that should be for example between two consenting
adults..or between a woman and her doctor..as for spencer
and faso…there were others who would have kept the
race closer..of course spitzer and clinton were going
to win..but the vacuum at the top meant nick would
lose…
it’s hyper-conservatives like greg ball and john spencer that make it so difficult for republicans to win at all levels. when greg ball and john spencer talk about illegal immigrants they talk about them as if they’re cattle that can be loaded up on box cars and sent home… so much for the gop counting on the hispanic vote!
For the same reasons that “a cigar is sometimes just a cigar,” Sen. Bruno’s valediction may be viewed as simply a resignation and retirement. He is, after all, 78, and the loss of one’s spouse after 57 years tends to re-prioritize our thoughts.
Let’s go to Saratoga in August and see how the horseplayers feel.
In the time-being, change can be fresh. (Or, perversely, in the words of Mr. Roberts, “Where there’s confusion, there’s profit.”)
It’s all about “constituents”—not politicians. Let’s not forget that.
I believe Mr. Bruno is the kind of guy to appreciate that idealistic sentiment.
Tim—I think you got too close to the b.s. that occasionally (not always) surrounds the Consultant. See today’s News and Post.
Wrong my friend….The NY GOP is Conservative.
I should know as I travel the State and work these Campaigns in one form or another.
Why do you think just recently that Weld lost to Faso and Pirro lost to Spencer?
It was the Upstate Grass Roots who through the Liberal Candiates overboard for the more Conservative Candidate.
Furhter – If the Conservative Party was not in business – the NY GOP Senate would have been out of business years ago.
Jim Kelly – NY Conservative Campaigns
huja has identified a changing paradigm…He use of the
term hyper conservatives is right on point…those
farther to the right may be electable in southern and
western states but in new york they are not…you
need to be fiscally conservative but socially moderate
to have any chance at all…as long as mike long and
the conservatives insist that all candidates be pro
life particularly for federal office…a republican
cannot win a statewide race in new york state…
and I doubt that even in westchester county one could
win….if they were pro life…between the 100,000
so more democrats and the non party registrered voters
who overwhelmingly are pro choice..no pro life
candidate has a chance..and that is the problem
the conservative party insists that the abortion
issue be a litmus test…with minor exceptions
True, up to a point.
It also is moot. No local or strictly county or state official has any say at all about abortion laws. That’s a Federal issue.
But, they’ve hoodwinked a gullible public to believe otherwise. Also that they are studious philosophers, family men, God-fearing, honest, and Yankee fans who also root for the Mets to do well.