Dan Donovan lit into Eric Schneiderman today over yesterday's scathing Inspector General report on the AEG-Aqueduct deal.

Though Schneiderman's name does not appear in the report, Donovan said the state senator is "compromised" by his ties to the Senate leadership.

"He is a self-proclaimed reformist, but all these things have happened in the twelve years he's been sitting alongside these individuals," Donovan said this morning on his weekly conference call with reporters. "I don't see how...

Dan Donovan lit into Eric Schneiderman today over yesterday's scathing Inspector General report on the AEG-Aqueduct deal.

Though Schneiderman's name does not appear in the report, Donovan said the state senator is "compromised" by his ties to the Senate leadership.

"He is a self-proclaimed reformist, but all these things have happened in the twelve years he's been sitting alongside these individuals," Donovan said this morning on his weekly conference call with reporters. "I don't see how...

Norman Seabrook, the head of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association is slated to endorse Dan Donovan for attorney general this morning, sources have confirmed.

Seabrook represents a good get for the Donovan campaign. COBA was the first union to back Mike Bloomberg in 2001 and one of the few which did so in 2005, even though the group mostly backs Democrats.

In 2009, COBA were major supporters of Bill Thompson, and at Thompson's election night party...

Norman Seabrook, the head of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association is slated to endorse Dan Donovan for attorney general this morning, sources have confirmed.

Seabrook represents a good get for the Donovan campaign. COBA was the first union to back Mike Bloomberg in 2001 and one of the few which did so in 2005, even though the group mostly backs Democrats.

In 2009, COBA were major supporters of Bill Thompson, and at Thompson's election night party...

New York City's image is taking a beating in campaign ads this season.

Buffalo's enthusiasm for Carl Paladino is waning.

The IG's report on Aqueduct painted a picture of a state led by Senate Democrats with little apparent interest in serving the public honestly and forthrightly complicating the campaign season for Democratic Senate candidates.

The DN thinks John Sampson and Malcolm Smith should go.

At the debate last night, Joe DioGuardi said, "Sen. Gillibrand has had her...

It looks like New Jersey Governor Chris Christie isn't the only one playing politics with mass transit funding. WNYC vet Andrea Bernstein had a fascinating yet terrifying--at least for transit geeks--report on Marketplace this morning about how a number of GOP gubernatorial candidates across the country have talked about killing off high-speed rail construction in their states. It's a pet project of the Obama Administration, including Republican Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

"I'd rather take that...

An Inspector General report revealed a bidding process for Aqueduct racetrack rife with inside dealing, secret lobbying and more than $100,000 in campaign donations from the bidders.

Blair Horner called the report "Albany at its most sordid."

In his testimony, Senate Majority Leader John Sampson answered "I don't know" over 100 times.

Cuomo met with Black electeds in Brooklyn and thanked them for supporting him over Charles Barron

Maurice Hinchey is in a dead heat.

Jimmy Vielkind...

A Siena poll yesterday showed incumbent Comptroller Tom DiNapoli with a big 17-point advantage over Republican rival Harry Wilson, but according to Wilson campaign strategist Bill O'Reilly: "We like where we are. We are doing all the things we have to do to win."

The Politicker caught up with O'Reilly as he was traveling from Buffalo--where Wilson was endorsed by Rudy Giuliani--to Albany, where he has a morning event scheduled. 

The wide margin in the Siena poll...

Democratic heavyweights came out for Tom DiNapoli this afternoon as he took his re-election campaign for state comptroller to Chinatown.

Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver, New York City comptroller John Liu, state senator Daniel Squadron, assembly member Grace Meng, council member Margaret Chin were among supporters at a press conference at the Chinese Consolidated Business Association.

"We've all showed up together because that's how important it is to send a message," Squadron said.

In his remarks...

Queens Councilman Tom White passed away in August, and more than six weeks later, his chairmanship of the council's Economic Development committee has yet to be filled.

City Hall insiders have been left wondering why there has been a delay, and a guessing game has been going around the Council about who will be picked by Council Speaker Christine Quinn to fill the slot. There are now seven Democratic council members who do not head...

Mayor Bloomberg will be traveling to California tomorrow to endorse Meg Whitman for Governor.

While he's over there, he'll be stopping by Facebook headquarters, where he'll do a live streaming chat. OMGeezy that's hip.

That event starts at 1:45 EST, and you can watch it here.

In the meantime, Politico dug up this delightful clip of Bloomy talking with Sheryl Sandberg, current Facebook COO, who was working for Google at the time.

Got to dig the intro, in...

Andrew Cuomo unveiled his Urban Agenda this morning, surrounded by minority elected officials (and Bill de Blasio) on the steps of City Hall.

"One of the...victims of the state government's dysfunction is we just went out of the urban development business," Cuomo said, calling it a "fundamental role" of government.

Cuomo has been trying to shore up his Democratic base in recent weeks, and the Urban Agenda book comes twelve days before the election, and five...

A major question in New York politics is how much fusion voting--the ability to vote for a favored candidate on a minor party line--matters to the overall result. In other words, are voters who are checking their ballot for Andrew Cuomo on the Working Families Party line  just disaffected Democrats who would support Cuomo regardless, or do these minor party ballot lines actually bring people to the polls? (The same question can be said...

At a party where Jamie Dimon gabbed with Lloyd Blankfein and the mayor cracked wise about George Clooney, the most important people in New York City gathered this month to celebrate Steven Rattner, the former private equity guru and car czar. Within 24 hours, the news that Mr. Rattner was settling longstanding charges connected to the gruesome New York State pension fund scandal--by agreeing to a multi-year ban from the securities industry--had broken.

Drew Friedman...

The campaigns for both Eric Schneiderman and Dan Donovan jumped out of the gate early this morning, blasting each other's record in their current office.

The Donovan campaign accused Schneiderman of being in the pocket of the teacher's union. Schneiderman shot back that Donovan had looked the other way on public corruption.

Donovan's press secretary Virginia Lam released a statement taking swipes at Schneiderman's record on education from his 12 years in the legislature.

"Simply look...

The campaigns for both Eric Schneiderman and Dan Donovan jumped out of the gate early this morning, blasting each other's record in their current office.

The Donovan campaign accused Schneiderman of being in the pocket of the teacher's union. Schneiderman shot back that Donovan had looked the other way on public corruption.

Donovan's press secretary Virginia Lam released a statement taking swipes at Schneiderman's record on education from his 12 years in the legislature.

"Simply look...

Michael Balboni, a former Republican state Senator and homeland security czar, has sent out a fundraising letter to Eric Schneiderman's email list, urging his supporters to donate to the Democrat's attorney general campaign in the waning days of the race.

Balboni, an Eliot Spitzer appointee who was kept on by Governor David Paterson, endorsed his former Senate colleague last month, and has been referenced by Schneiderman often in order to trumpet his bi-partisan bonafides. According...

Not to be outdone by "stunning" Kirsten Gillibrand's spread in Vogue this week, her opponent Joe DioGuardi brought a copy of his own magazine spread to the set of Morning Joe this morning.

The magazine was Management Accounting, and DioGuardi's cover turn appears to be from his time in Congress, which would mean sometime between 1985 and 1989. He was featured under the provocative headline "H.R. 4495"--a bill DioGuardi sponsored that requires C.F.O.s in government...

Robert Duffy, Paladino's accidental running-mate and mop-up man.

Thirty-one state lawmakers carry more than $5,000 in credit card debt.

The NYT on Greg Ball: "When the political id is running wild, this may be one of those rare local races that's a window onto a lot more." 

A small staff and a lack of funds are hurting Dan Donovan.

Andrew Cuomo's list of donors reads like a who's who of people and companies doing business with New York State, ranging...

A Siena Poll showed safe leads for Andrew Cuomo and Tom DiNapoli, and a less safe one for Eric Schneiderman.

Donovan will not be on the air this week.

The Harvard Club rejected Eliot Spitzer.

And NYC voters seem to reject the idea of a President Bloomberg.

David Greenfield is backing Mike McMahon

Larry Flynt wants Carl Paladino to come work for Hustler Magazine.

Charlie Rangel is pressuring his Democratic colleagues to give to the DCCC.

A bigwig Democratic donor said...