It’s Official: Hooligan Hiram is Either Blind or Stupid

Thug, Plagiarizer, and all around disgrace Hiram Monserrate officially kicked off his campaign of shame this afternoon in District 13.

He was hilariously introduced as the “next Senator from Queens,” as if hadn’t been drop-kicked out of the Senate following  an alleged attack on his girlfriend.

Continuing in his delusions, he defended his campaign’s blatant ripoff of the Obama branding.

“This logo is similar to the logo that they use but slightly different because the logo actually is a “Q” which stands for the great borough of Queens. If folks had really  analyzed it, they would have seen it.”

Uh… We DID.

Here is the Obama Logo (red/blue) next to the Hiram Logo:

Here is the Obama Logo (Monserracolors) next to the Hiram Logo:

And lets not forget the color similarity of the favicon Hiram is using on his site:

And the audacity didn’t stop there! (More choice quotes after the Jump)

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Get Mad AND Get Even

Here at goMYD we’ve been a little heavy on the Monserrate coverage as of late. That’s because as of today there is only one week left in the campaign to replace him and the reasons to get involved are many:
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• Hiram Monserrate is symbolic of everything that is wrong with New York politics. He is literally a criminal, and participated in the farce that was the June Coup of last year.
• Marriage Equality: This is our very first chance to convert a NO (Monserrate) into a YES (Jose Peralta)
• Monserrate was convicted of domestic abuse. That should never be rewarded.
• Allies of Monserrate have been using anti-gay literature to generate support for him, one of his supporters is a reverend who has been quoted as saying: “I have seen a generation sunk down by the gay community” – It’s also possible a Monserrate ally slashed the tires of a City Councilwoman who came out in support of Jose Peralta.
• Monserrate blatantly stole the Obama logo for his website, and more or less stole the Yes We Can/Si Se Puede slogan as well.
• He has already been expelled from the Senate yet Monserrate is running again. This just reeks of a cynical ego trip. WTF.
• Jose Peralta has been and will be good for Queens and has near unanimous support across a wide array of organizations and individuals. Don’t take our word for it, click here.

GET MAD, AND GET EVEN.
Your help can make the difference.

Sign up to canvass in Queens today, or this weekend, or on election day, or every day. Tell your friends. Change your Facebook status.

VOLUNTEER INFO IS VIA THIS LINK:
(please share)

http://bit.ly/electjose

Here is the Anti-Gay flyer used against Peralta:

PAC Set To Fight Opponents of Same-Sex Marriage

The Times this morning reported a new political action committee, called Fight Back New York, which is planning to raise “high six figures” in multiple State Senate races this year to fight all those who opposed the same-sex marriage bill.

The campaigns first “target” is Hiram Monserrate, who is running in the special election for the seat he was thrown out of earlier this month.

They are playing for keeps:

The committee will start going after Mr. Monserrate, who was convicted of assaulting his female companion in a confrontation that left her requiring more than 20 stitches, by mailing fliers this week to voters in his district. The flier shows still frames of a surveillance video that shows him dragging his companion, Karla Giraldo, through the hallway of his apartment building in Jackson Heights, Queens. He was acquitted of a felony assault charge by a judge, who convicted him of misdemeanor assault.

“He brutally assaulted a woman and tried to cover up his crime,” the flier says. “Now he has the nerve to run again. Many of us have voted for Hiram before. But we cannot vote for him again.”

In the three weeks that remain before the election, Fight Back New York expects to send out at least five different fliers, upwards of 100,000 pieces of mail. The district’s population is around 300,000, but voter turnout in special elections is typically quite low.

Fight Back New York hasn’t decided which senators it will target in the fall, but I think it’s clear that some of the incumbents will be regretting their votes.

Avella Planning Campaign Against GOP State Senator (Who Voted Against Marriage Equality)

This story has been floating around for a while, but it’s jumped from likely to extremely likely: it looks like former NYC Councilman Tony Avella is going to take on GOP State Senator Frank Padavan in Queens.  From the Queens Times-Ledger:

Avella said he will probably jump into the race by the end of the month and plans to focus on the same issues he championed on the Council, such as fighting overdevelopment and ethics reform, along the campaign trail.

Avella’s earned his reputation as a reformer and someone unafraid to tackle tough challenges.  He attempted an uphill primary against Bill Thompson for the Democratic nomination for mayor last year.  He opposed the extension of term limits for city officials that Mayor Bloomberg forced through, and didn’t take try to take advantage of the extension once the deed was done.  So Avella looks like he’s got the right resume to bring some change to Albany, and he definitely knows the score:

“The one thing I found surprising on the Council is how little power the city has and how much of the legislation I introduced was dependent on Albany,” he said. “I think I have the reputation for being a reformer. If there’s any place crying out for reform, it’s Albany. I want to make government more responsible and ethical.”

Word.

Keep your eyes on this one, and get psyched for it.  Frank Padavan is one of the 30 Republicans who voted no while polling indicated the majority of New Yorkers were ready to say yes to marriage equality as long ago as last summer.  Padavan is also one of the 30 Republicans without whose help the coup could not have happened and our state would not have been held hostage by two opportunistic senators, both one of whom is still in the senate.  So essentially Frank Padavan is:

• For turning Albany into even more of a mess than normal
• Against equal rights
• (A Republican)

Get psyched for this campaign – it’ll be one of (hopefully) several opportunities for NYCers to take our government back in 2010.

Onorato Is Out

82-year old State Senator George Onorato will not run for re-election this year. Onorato voted against marriage equality last year, and part of the reason for his stepping aside is equality advocates threatening to field a primary candidate against him.

That leaves 7 other Democratic State Senators who voted against equality last year.

Looks like there’s one candidate already thinking of running in his place — Assemblyman Michael Gianaris. He (rightly) says the Senate is the place that is screwing up life for New Yorkers:

“The Senate is where the battle has been joined in many ways… For better or worse, the fate of New York will be decided in there.”

Albany veteran George Onorato bows out, young foe Michael Gianaris steps in – Daily News

Senators — We’ll Be Back

From NY ME advocates:

Daily News: Liz Benjamin

2010 = Bloodbath

Feel the wrath, “Democratic” Senators:

Gay advocates are on the warpath after the state Senate killed same-sex marriage last week, and few Democratic senators who voted against the bill are safe from their wrath.

After spending more than $1 million to help the Democrats retake the chamber for the first time in decades, powerful gay activists and donors say they’ll support challengers against anti-gay-marriage senators in 2010.

“It’s going to be a bloodbath,” one gay operative predicted. “We’re going to use every single weapon in our quiver to take these people out. We either need to replace them or scare the hell out of them so they do the right thing.”

Gay activists are considered some of the most effective fund-raisers in state Democratic political circles.

“The community is apoplectic … and the commitment to building the Democratic majority is over,” the operative added. “We won’t make the same mistake twice.”

Photo of the Week: Appreciation

After Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson’s touching speech during her unexpected “yes” vote on marriage equality in the New York Senate, openly gay New York Sen. Thomas Duane expresses his thanks.

Express appreciation to Sen. Hassell-Thompson by phone or email here.

Photo credit: Nathaniel Brooks/NYT

Two Best Speeches from Today

From Senator Hassell-Thompson:

From Senator Savino:

Full Vote Tally

(24 Votes)
3. Brian X. Foley, D-Long Island (Blue Point)
7. Craig Johnson, D-Long Island (Port Washington) S.4401 sponsor
14. Malcolm Smith, D-NYC (St. Albans)
16. Toby Ann Stavisky, D-NYC (Flushing) S.4401 sponsor
17. Martin Malave Dilan, D-NYC (Bushwick) S.4401 sponsor
18. Velmanette Montgomery, D-NYC (Brooklyn) S.4401 sponsor
19. John Sampson, D-NYC (Brooklyn)
20. Eric Adams, D-NYC (Brooklyn) S.4401 sponsor
21. Kevin Parker, D-NYC (Brooklyn) S.4401 sponsor
23. Diane Savino, D-NYC (Staten Island) S.4401 sponsor
25. Dan Squadron, D-NYC (Brooklyn) S.4401 sponsor
26. Liz Krueger, D-NYC (New York) S.4401 sponsor
28. Jose M. Serrano, D-NYC (Spanish Harlem) S.4401 sponsor
29. Thomas Duane, D-NYC (New York) S.4401 sponsor
30. Bill Perkins, D-NYC (Harlem) S.4401 sponsor
31. Eric Schneiderman, D-NYC (Washington Heights) S.4401 sponsor
33. Pedro Espada, D-NYC (Bedford Park) S.4401 sponsor
34. Jeffrey Klein, D-NYC (Throgs Neck) S.4401 sponsor
35. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Westchester (Yonkers) S.4401 sponsor
36. Ruth Hassell-Thompson, D-Bronx/Westchester (Williamsbridge)
37. Suzi Oppenheimer, D-Westchester (Mamaroneck) S.4401 sponsor
46. Neil Breslin, D-Upstate (Albany) S.4401 sponsor
49. David Valesky, D-Upstate (Syracuse/Onondaga/Madison Counties)
60. Antoine Thompson, D-Upstate (Buffalo) S.4401 sponsor

(38 Votes)
1. Kenneth LaValle, R-Long Island (Port Jefferson)
2. John J. Flanagan, R-Long Island (East Northport)
4. Owen H. Johnson, R-Long Island (West Babylon)
5. Carl Marcellino, R-Long Island (Syosset)
6. Kemp Hannon, R-Long Island (Garden City)
8. Charles Fuschillo, R-Long Island (Merrick)
9. Dean Skelos, R-Long Island (Rockville Centre)
10. Shirley Huntley, D-NYC (Jamaica)
11. Frank Padavan, R-NYC (Bellerose)
12. George Onorato, D-NYC (Astoria)
13. Hiram Monserrate, D-NYC (Jackson Heights)
15. Joseph Addabbo, Jr., D-NYC (Ozone Park)
22. Martin Golden, R-NYC (Bay Ridge)
24. Andrew Lanza, R-NYC (Staten Island)
27. Carl Kruger, D-NYC (Brooklyn)
32. Rubén Díaz, D-NYC (Soundview)
38. Thomas Morahan, R-Rockland/Orange (Clarkstown)
39. Bill Larkin, R-Westchester (New Windsor)
40. Vincent Leibell, R-Westchester (Patterson)
41. Stephen Saland, R-Westchester (Poughkeepsie)
42. John Bonacic, R-Delaware/Sullivan/Orange/Ulster Counties
43. Roy McDonald, R-Upstate (Wilton)
44. Hugh Farley, R-Upstate (Schenectady)
45. Betty Little, R-Upstate (Queensbury)
47. Joseph Griffo, R-Upstate (Rome)
48. Darrel Aubertine, D-Upstate (Cape Vincent)
50. John DeFrancisco, R-Upstate (Syracuse/Onondaga Counties)
51. James Seward, R-Upstate (Milford)
52. Thomas W. Libous, R-Upstate (Binghamton)
53. George H. Winner, Jr., R-Upstate (Elmira)
54. Michael Nozzolio, R-Upstate (Fayette)
55. James Alesi, R-Upstate (East Rochester)
56. Joseph Robach, R-Upstate (Greece)
57. Catharine Young, R-Upstate (Olean)
58. William Stachowski, D-Upstate (Hamburg)
59. Dale Volker, R-Upstate (Depew)
61. Michael Ranzenhofer, R-Upstate (Clarence)
62. George Maziarz, R-Upstate (Newfane)

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