GOP Candidate Announces In (Yet To Be Announced) 30th CD Special

The Daily Politics by Elizabeth Benjamin

Anthony Como, former Queens ADA, city Board of Elections commissioner and longtime aide to Sen. Serphin Maltese, has formally announced his candidacy for the seat to be vacated by Republican Councilman Dennis Gallagher next month following his guilty plea to sexual abuse in a deal to avoid jail time.

Gallagher's resignation is effective 30 days after the date he submitted his intent to depart in writing. He has said his last day will be April 18, but the Council Speaker's office indicates the date, by its calculations, will in fact be April 17.

The power to call a special election, which will technically be nonpartisan, to replace Gallagher rests with Mayor Bloomberg. But the City Charter prevents him from doing so until the seat is actually vacant. He then has three days to pick an election date that falls sometime between 40 and 55 days of the vacancy.

Como's announcement press release includes an endorsement from his boss, Maltese, who called his aide "a man of integrity" who "possesses the skills that are necessary to tackle the tough issues" that face 30th CD residents. Como is also backed by the Queens County GOP.

However, the first tough challenge Como will likely have to face is getting past the man who used to hold Gallagher's seat and now wants it back: Tom Ognibene.

The Democrats are expected to get behind Elizabeth Crowley, who ran unsuccessfully against Gallagher in 2001 and is the cousins of Queens Democratic Chairman/Rep. Joe Crowley.

Como plans to hold a campaign kick-off this Saturday at his campaign HQ in Glendale.

Dems Gone Wild...

Five steps to rescue New York's down-and-out GOP

By John Faso

Thursday, March 20th 2008, 4:00 AM

While the sudden fall of Eliot Spitzer - the main antagonist for New York Republicans over the past 16 months - has had some in the GOP celebrating, the fundamental political difficulties for my party remain little changed.

If we're ever going to convince the people we can lead this state, we should resist the temptation to celebrate and start to build a more credible, effective alternative to the Democrats.

New York Republicans are in dire straits. We now hold just six of 29 Congress seats, 42 of 150 Assembly seats, and cling precariously to a two-vote majority in the state Senate. The state and national Democratic parties view elimination of the state Senate majority as a major goal, and the Spitzer resignation represents only a temporary diversion from that initiative.

New York State needs a potent Republican Party that offers common-sense solutions to the problems we face. The problems are well-known: the highest state and local taxes in the nation; stagnant population growth in most areas and declines in many parts of upstate, crumbling infrastructure and rapidly rising debt. Job growth is damaged by Albany's penchant for making business costs more expensive, especially in the areas of health insurance and energy.

What to do? First, New York spends, taxes and borrows too much. Way too much. Republicans need to reject the Spitzer policy, which may or may not now become a Paterson policy, that allowed state spending to rise with the increases in personal income. This year, despite a looming recession, Spitzer proposed a 5% increase in spending.

Basing spending increases on past personal income growth means that overtaxed New Yorkers will just tread water and never benefit from lower taxes. Raising taxes in the current environment, as Democrats are proposing, will cost us jobs and prolong economic distress throughout the state.

Second, school property taxes are literally driving people from their homes. The STAR program enacted under Gov. George Pataki hasn't worked - because the Legislature never gave school districts the tools to restrain local school spending. New York needs a cap on local school taxes, combined with significant mandate relief for school districts and local governments. Liberal states such as Massachusetts have had property tax caps for over 25 years, and they have worked well in keeping property taxes down while still providing high levels of assistance for education.

Third, the GOP should reject the Spitzer plan for the upstate economy, which calls for $1 billion in economic development spending using mostly borrowed money. This plan simply replicates what New York has been doing for 30 years. Cutting property and business taxes, eliminating taxes on health insurance and energy and reforming pensions for government employees will be more effective in lowering business costs for all employers, not just a select few.

Fourth, we need to find the money to rebuild our transportation infrastructure. One place to start is the more than $700 million in state sales taxes on gasoline, which should be dedicated to transit and road projects. Transit is essential to the economic lifeblood of the downstate region, and MTA capital programs need to be accelerated if we are to compete for jobs.

Lastly, we need to make government more transparent and accountable. Republicans should lead the way in making every state and local government budget and contract available for public inspection on the Internet. We also need to impose term limits on legislative leaders in Albany so that we engender more political competition and independence among our legislators.

New York Republicans are bound for extinction if they are a "me-too" party supporting the high-tax status quo. After all, there already is a party that routinely promotes big government solutions to what ails New York. They're called the Democrats.

I know you will all be shocked to learn that I voted for Faso in the gubernatorial election. I believe that Faso is dead on when describing the failure of New York Republicans in their quest to gain more influence and a louder voice on issues impacting our state. Moreover, it seems that the NY Republican machine is shortsighted and factious when it comes to election races. Rarely do they see the larger picture and often they fight and scramble for political morsels rather than ensuring themselves more seats at the banquet table. Wake up!

Hell Hath No Fury like a Very Big Man Who’s Wife You Slept With

Looks like the newly sworn in Governor will have more to contend with than just passing the state budget on time. Governor Paterson has infuriated the husband of one his concubines and this guy looks a lot more menacing than Senator Joe Bruno. The jilted husband is an insurance executive by trade but looks like a heavyweight boxing champion. I hope Paterson quickly gets about a dozen medieval hard hitting pipe wielding storm troopers to create a wall between him and big bad Randy Loyd before someone gets hurt.

Randy Loyd shouldn’t be the only New Yorker outraged by the recent admission of marital infidelity committed by Governor Paterson. The entire state should be calling for his resignation and demand a special election. Enough is enough already. Let’s clean house and get rid of any remnants of the Spitzer/Paterson administration and start from scratch. The rest of the country is laughing at New York as we become an embarrassment to the entire nation. The state legislature should appoint top ranking officials from both parties to oversee budget negotiations and then approve it before the deadline. Then a special election should be called so “the people” of New York can vote the next sexual deviant into office (it’s hard not to be cynical these days).

NY Post: BE VERY AFRAID OF THIS HUBBY

March 20, 2008 -- I'm sorry to say that Gov. Paterson's extramarital affairs are now the rule and not the exception ("Girls! Girls! Girls!" March 19). This behavior probably went on for decades undetected. With today's advanced technology, it's getting harder and harder to hide everyday goings-on. Michael Wishner, Manhattan

Now I know why Michelle Paterson looked like a frightened puppy at the swearing-in ceremony for her husband: She knew what was about to be revealed. Paterson is just another political tomcat. Evelyn Paladino , Rockville Centre

When are these guys going to learn? If you are over 40, have a high-profile position and are married, the girls are not sleeping with you for your prowess or looks, no matter what they say. It has been over 10 years since the "blue dress," and our politicians have learned nothing. Nicholas Cimato , Manhattan

Who's next in line for New York governor? Ron Jeremy?
Brian Lamb ,Swampscott, Mass.

Although the public is justified in its outrage over the sex scandals surrounding Eliot Spitzer, Jim McGreevey and David Paterson, there's a bit of hypocrisy in it.

If an elected official were to suggest going after people who cheat on their spouses or have kids out of wedlock, he'd be run out of town or laughed out of office. Yet when an elected official commits those same acts, there's moral outrage. Unless this country regains some of the values that made it the great nation it once was, we can only hope to elect people who, unfortunately, truly "represent" their constituents or people who've been living in caves for the past decade or two. And I don't think anybody wants Osama bin Laden for governor. Josh Greenberger ,Brooklyn

Shut up about Paterson's affairs already.

Yes, Spitzer probably had to go. But if we don't start holding our elected officials accountable to watch over the health and structure of what makes our country work, we're going to be in big trouble. If we spent less time caring about what consenting adults do behind closed doors and judging others, perhaps our current crisis would be less severe or even avoided altogether. Bear Stearns, an 85-year-old institution, imploded. Who cares? But telling us over and over about Paterson and his wife both having affairs during a rocky point in their marriage? That will protect Social Security and pensions? Sergio Caplan ,Manhattan

Has another high-ranking politician used his influence, a la McGreevey, to get a love interest a well-paying job she might not otherwise qualify for? Whether or not Paterson slept with this woman is a private matter, but whether or not he used his political clout to put her on the government payroll is a matter of public concern.
Ellen Moxley ,Orange, NJ

Paterson has admitted to having had at least three affairs, yet states that he did not violate an oath. What about the oath of marriage? Do we really want someone to clean up our house (Albany) when he can't clean up his own? What will we find out next - that he is client No. 7? Thomas DeJulio , New Rochelle

Does The Post have nothing else to report? Are we to be subjected to the entire sex history of the new governor? Ashley Dupre and Monica Lewinsky have the newspapers to thank for their fame and money - without them, no one would care. Please spare everyone this sensationalism. Jean Ritter ,Staten Island

Paterson has said that he did nothing illegal, and his supporters say that his extramarital affairs have no bearing on his ability to govern. Paterson took a marriage vow and broke it over and over and over. On Monday, he took another vow - one that he has prematurely dishonored. The man has absolutely no integrity. How can he possibly be entrusted with the business of the state? It's unbelievable how today's elected officials have such contemptuous moral character. Are there no politicians out there who deserve our trust? Michael Maurer , Summit, NJ

The only people who seem to think that extramarital affairs are OK are the people who have them. Paterson has no more business talking to the people of this state about values and morals than does Bill Clinton or Spitzer. Paterson's just another government employee who believes in "Do as I say, but not as I do." John Kasprzak ,Glens Falls

Special Election Can Be Especially Beneficial

The resignation of Councilman Dennis Gallagher will force a special election sometime in late May or early June and will be an important vote for the residents of Middle Village, Glendale, Maspeth and Ridgewood. The grapevine is reporting that there are three candidates vying for the seat and residents should do their home work on each candidate.

According to the grapes, Anthony Como, Tom Ognibene and Elizabeth Crowley are throwing their hats into the tornado circulating around the 30^th City Council district. We hope that when the dust and debris settle that the district gets the hat that fits best. Right now, if you take a look at three candidates, one seems to rise above the pack because he seems to be the only one without a few femurs and tibias in his closet.

As we all know Mr. Ognibene has had his share of problems regarding possible corruption allegations stemming from a 1997 investigation into the relationship with crooked buildings-consultant Ron Lattanzio. Consequently, political insiders feel that this scandal prevented the former councilmember from obtaining a judgeship. There is no doubt that Ognibene was an effective and popular elected official, however, we feel it is time for new blood, new leadership skills and new ideas for the 30^th district.

Elizabeth Crowley is once again pursuing the seat even after being trounced by Gallagher in her previous election bid. In a recent head scratching statement, Ms. Crowley said, “I have so many established friends; it will enable me to win by a larger victory.” I’m not sure I would be so confident considering the alleged relationship with a certain Assemblyman facing federal jail time. Whether the allegations are true or not, I don’t think the 30^th district needs another potential scandal on our hands.

Anthony Como appears to be the candidate who comes to us with an unblemished record. In addition, he is young, energetic and entrenched in the neighborhood. Also, let’s not forget that he has the distinguished Senator Maltese as a mentor, advisor and friend which will prove beneficial to Como and the residents of the district should he be elected.

We should join together to ensure that the upcoming special election provides the district with the vigorous representation we deserve. Let this election be the demarcation from the same old politics and the watershed moment for a fresh, new and healthy symbiotic relationship between the constituency and their elected representative.

Patriot’s Quiet Indignation to Resignation

The Patriots are disappointed that Gallagher has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and is forced to resign on April 18^th. Although we are saddened by the decision, we respect Gallagher’s choice to take the plea and we hope that his supporters refrain from casting aspersions against the former council member. No one can fully understand the tremendous emotional, physical and financial burden this has caused Gallagher and his family. Its easy to yell from the sidelines and condemn Gallagher for not continuing the fight for an acquittal and public vindication because of the reported overwhelming evidence and facts that support his innocence, yet let us remember that it is not so easy to roll the dice on the “trial by jury” crap table. Remember OJ?

Although the parameters of the plea agreement are clear and concise, the questions it raises leaves room for endless speculation.

The ten count indictment (that was ultimately thrown because of prosecutorial misconduct) contained a list of serious felonious charges but surprisingly the only plea bargains offered by the DA are misdemeanors. Are plea bargains a clear indication of what prosecutors feel they can prove in court? Some sources say yes.

According to reports, the alleged victim states she was not consulted regarding the plea bargain and stated publicly she was against the agreement. Were prosecutors concerned that the complainant was not a credible witness and her participation in any negotiations would hinder a conviction?

The plea bargain agreement was a swift and tidy way to end a very sticky and murky criminal case. Was this a way for the DA’s office to close this case without further embarrassment and prevent details of the investigation from becoming public?

There are only two people who know what really happened the night of July 8^th and a handful of individuals involved in the subsequent investigation of the incident. Hopefully, the rest of us will find out “the truth” as information become available in the near future. Although a true vindication would have come from a not guilty decision by either a judge or jury an acquittal in the court of public opinion could be just as sweet.

David Letterman’s Top Ten: Eliot Spitzer Excuses

#10- Oh come on, like you were never involved in a prostitution ring

#9- Hookers is fun

#8- Just trying to help the economy

#7- Have you ever been to Albany?

#6- It's part of my new MTV prank show "Spitz'd"

#5- Haven't been myself since Roy Schieder died

#4- Uh, tainted beef?

#3- Whether it's a hooker or your wife, you're always paying for it -- you married fellas know what I'm talking about

#2- Wanted to be known as the Charlie Sheen of politics

#1- I thought Bill Clinton legalized this years ago

Governor Freak...

He's a very kinky governor
The kind you don't take home to Albany
He will always let your spirits down
Once he buys her off the street, ow girl

He likes the girls in the brothel
He says that Kristen is his all-time favorite
When he makes the move to the room it's the right time
He's never hard to please

{Refrain}
That governor is pretty wild now
The governor's a super freak
The kind of governor you read about
In every magazine
That governor is pretty kinky
The governor's a super freak
He really loved to buy her
Every time they meet
He's washed up, he's washed up
That governor's washed up in NY, yeah
He's a super freak, super freak
he's super-freaky, yow

Super freak, super freak

He's a very dirty governor
The kind of governor don't want to know
From he's head down to he's toenails
Down to his feet, yeah
And he'll wait for Sienna at the Mayflower with his checkbook
In a limousine
Going back in Georgetown

Three's not a crowd to her, he says
"Room 871, I'll be waiting"
When Kirsten gets there he's got Cd's, wine and candles
It's such a freaky scene

{Refrain}

{Bridge}

Call Girls sing!
Ohhhhh
Super freak, super freak
That governor's a super freak
Ohhhhh

He's a very kinky governor
The kind you don't take home to Albany
He will always let your spirits down
Once he buys her off the street, ow girl

The Secret Kamperman Papers

If you have ever had the unpleasant opportunity of hearing Mr. Ed Kamperman speak in public and squirmed as he butchered the English language by ignoring third grade grammar rules, then you must be amazed as I am that he can write an article. The Patriots have taken a page out of the Holden playbook and we rummaged through Skamperman's garbarge and found the smoking gun.

We found Martini Kamperman's hand written article before it was edited by Holden, Nunziato, Wilkenson, and Scungilli.

"Lets Not Get Fuuled again"

I have tried oftyn to right about the too faced, the lack of sincerity and the less than mediacre job don by Robert Holden and the pane and suffering he has caused persons and how he impacted my drinking time. In the December issue of the Juniper Dingleberry, I tried to highlight the numerous defeats experienced by Holden and his monkey, Tony Nunziato. But bob and tony gave me a drink and told me to sit in the korner while they edited my article like so many other timez. I'ms not de only 1 who noticed Bob's crushing defeats and his kontempt for his fellow man, seems like the entire city of ny is tired of his queens crap. Holden has been ranked 102,756 on a list of 102, 755 civic blow hards living in the 5 borroughs.

The rating was done befour the St Saveyours defeat which would have dropped bob even lower than a tequila werm at a piñata festival. Perhaps, Holdon was not thinking clearly and thought that attacking everyone with two legs and a heartbeat were better tacktics than being a normal human bean.

Alldough Holdenz numerous defeats have bee ignored he has made it cleeer that he is willing to continue his effarts in seeking ferthur losses. Community residents noted that bob is a disgrace yet they allow him to walk the street like a rabid unleashed dog. Maybe bob lost the leashed dog fight on perpose so he can run wild. So now the district is stuck with a civic leader who will be like tagled up with more stewpid lawsuits and losing battles and he pees away civic moolah.

The lesson we as people must learned from the Holden fiasco is to look carefully at the character of our civic leaders (self proclaimed or not) before we go to any meatings or political stunts disguised as rallies. When someone asks us to hold up a sign make sure it doesn't depick a noose.

Perhaps there were warning signs of Holdens trew charcter and real motivation before he anointed himself has capo di tutto capo (I speak eyetalian) of the JPCA. Holden had previously served as nothing impotent prior to being ascended to the right hand of the monkey. I dink his only motivation was power and the community was second fiddle.

Holden disguised himself as an actorvist but was really a self absorbed slob. All his appearances have been with blowhorn, crayon posters and a bunch of folks bused in from Wacko Texas. Holden was simply a snake oil salesman promising that Nunziato claimed he invented. Holden belives in term limits for elected officials but not for civic leaders and rigs civic elections so that he remains commander and chief in puberty. He has accepted money from establishments that he once disgraced but since they have shown him the money, Bob's favorite meal is an Arby's double roastbeef sandwhich. I prefer the Arbys Big Mac. We all know Bob is using the JPCA, the dingleberry, the crap and the forum west for political purposes.

As we stumble forward (shouldn't of had that 6^th manahattan) lets make sertain that bobby can do as much harm as a dying man in the dessert circled by vultures. When I used the word actorvist I meant to imply the Bob is an actor. He is constantly out on the streets with a blowhorn grandstanding for the local papers and getting nothing done. A true community advocate would work hard with others beind respectful and considerate but at the same winning for ther community. They would be listening to all cuncerns and trying to werk on reasonable solutions to preservation of old buildings. They would be opposing all cell phone towers not just ones Tony tulips can take credit for. Ever see the cell phone antteners on top of the pizzeria near the Our Lady of Hope church and school? I wunder why bob and tonie didn't fight that.

They would be werking, not just protesting to reduce truck traffic on Grand Avenue and loffer better solutions than holding signs reading "No trucks". They would create relationships with elected officials and city agencies rather than constantly attacking everyone and their muthers. Ask yourself what Holden has accomplished in combating these issues besides nuthin.

I encourage every naybor to get involved with community affares, get to know the people in community by treating them with respect and make sure that everyone has a chance to be herd and not silenced by Holden who opposes everyone who disagrees with him or to try to stop him from personal gains of delusional power. And most of all beware of those who crawled from under a rock at election time who is a Holden cronie like a cockroach that invade da kitchen when the lights are off

I rest my drink on my keybored.

DISCLAIMER: some portions of the letter have been dramatized or changed for theatrical effect. Similarities to any persons real or fictional is purely coincidental.

The actual letter was not found in the garbage and we made this entire story up.

Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy: One Word, Spitzer

Looks like Eliot Spitzer aka the Sheriff of Wall Street may soon become the Birdman of Alcatraz because of the unscrupulous actions of his evil alter ego, Client Number 9. It is mind boggling that an individual could posses such an incredible amount of sanctimonious hubris by proclaiming himself to be the "slayer" of corruption while simultaneous being the "layer" of high priced hookers.

Millions of people watched with amazement as the sordid details began to unfold and a once meteoric political career crashed and burned on national television, on the internet, on the radio and in the papers. While Wall Street celebrated jubilantly and NY Republicans were beside themselves with glee and Hevesi and Bruno enjoyed Champaign toasts, numerous democrats and illegal immigrants were running for the hills seeking sanctuary from the disgrace. Not surprisingly, the favorite son of the Democratic Party quickly transformed into the bastard two headed stepchild in a matter of seconds.


Consequently, it is being reported that Eliot Pimptzer will resign and Lt. Governor Paterson will take over as New York State Executive. It is widely accepted that Patterson is a very capable public servant and has the ability to work with elected officials on both sides of the aisle; however, I think New Yorkers should be given the chance to elect a new administration. Nothing against Lt. Governor Patterson but we should rid Albany of all remnants of the "Spitzer Effect"

Political Perceptions: The Spitzer Effect

by Sara Murray and Gerald F. Seib

Fallout from the Eliot Spitzer prostitution revelation has suddenly crowded out analysis of the presidential campaign. Slate's Christopher Beam ties the two together by raising the question: Will the Spitzer affair hurt Sen. Hillary Clinton? Beam notes that Spitzer endorsed Clinton, but never did all that much for her on the campaign trail. He did, however, cause "perhaps the biggest headache of Clinton's campaign so far: the flap over driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. After waffling during a debate in October on whether she supported the measure, Clinton came out against it. (Spitzer later backed away from the plan, as well.) But the damage was done." Now, Clinton eventually will have to respond at some point to the Spitzer shocker, but doing so "raises the ghosts of scandals past, namely Monica Lewinsky…. If the Spitzer controversy drags out, it could become a painful reminder of the final White House years."

Newsday's Dan Janison points out why it's likely to be harder for Spitzer to ride out the scandal than it has been for other politicians caught in such a bind: "Spitzer's story could have a bit less resonance and invoke a bit more sympathy, maybe, if not for all the sanctimony." He cites the instances in which he cut little slack for other politicians' foibles: "Remember how abruptly he ran from Alan Hevesi when it became clear the Democratic comptroller, his 2006 ticket mate, was misusing state resources to take care of his ailing wife? Remember how he once put down Rudy Giuliani as the city's Girolamo Savonarola, recalling the 15th-century Dominican reformer and moral crusader who was eventually executed?" And so forth.

On the Republican side, Sen. John McCain has his own set of problems to deal with. Liberals loved McCain when he was the anti-establishment candidate years ago. But now that he has been nominated by the GOP, flipped his stance on the Bush tax cuts and renounced his previously liberal persona, they're not so sure about him, writes The Washington Post's E. J. Dionne. "There is an independent side to McCain that has made him an authentic maverick," Dionne writes. "But on so many issues, he is nothing more (or less) than a thoroughly conventional conservative politician." Now it's up to liberals to judge the side of McCain that "is as conservative as he always said he was."

Another McCain setback: that pesky comment on how little he knows about the economy. And while he has stopped admitting that, his extreme candor and lack of anything but the generic GOP plans to cut taxes and curb spending, haven't propelled his image as an economy wonk, writes Politico's Jonathan Martin. McCain will need to define his plans for the economy and campaign with good-news trade stories if he wants a shot at winning the election. "It may not be a natural fit for McCain, who spent much of his 2000 run focused on the broad notion of reform and the early-going of this campaign on Iraq," Martin notes, "But the electorate dictates what matters most to the candidate — not the other way around."

Spitzer, continued...

ALBANY - Gov. Eliot Spitzer has been caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet with a high-priced prostitute at a Washington hotel last month, according to a person briefed on the federal investigation.

The wiretap recording, made during an investigation of a prostitution ring called Emperors Club VIP, captured a man identified as Client 9 on a telephone call confirming plans to have a woman travel from New York to Washington, where he had reserved a room. The person briefed on the case identified Mr. Spitzer as Client 9.

The governor learned that he had been implicated in the prostitution probe when a federal official contacted his staff last Friday, according to the person briefed on the case.

The governor informed his top aides Sunday night and this morning of his involvement. He canceled his public events today and scheduled an announcement for this afternoon after inquiries from the Times.

The governor's aides appeared shaken, and one of them began to weep as they waited for him to make his statement at his Manhattan office. Mr. Spitzer was seen leaving his Fifth Avenue apartment just before 3 p.m. with his wife of 21 years, Silda, heading to the news conference.

The man described as Client 9 in court papers arranged to meet with a prostitute who was part of the ring, Emperors Club VIP, on the night of Feb. 13. Mr. Spitzer traveled to Washington that evening, according to a person told of his travel arrangements.

The affidavit says that Client 9 met with the woman in hotel room 871 but does not identify the hotel. Mr. Spitzer stayed at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington on Feb. 13, according to a source who was told of his travel arrangements. Room 871 at the Mayflower Hotel that evening was registered under the another name.

Federal prosecutors rarely charge clients in prostitution cases, which are generally seen as state crimes. But the Mann Act, passed by Congress in 1910 to address prostitution, human trafficking and what was viewed at the time as immorality in general, makes it a crime to transport someone between states for the purpose of prostitution. The four defendants charged in the case unsealed last week were all charged with that crime, along with several others.

Mr. Spitzer had a difficult first year in office, rocked by a mix of scandal and legislative setbacks. In recent weeks, however, Mr. Spitzer seemed to have rebounded, with his Democratic party poised to perhaps gain control of the state Senate for the first time in four decades.

Mr. Spitzer gained national attention when he served as attorney general with his relentless pursuit of Wall Street wrongdoing. As attorney general, he also had prosecuted at least two prostitution rings as head of the state's organized crime task force.

In one such case in 2004, Mr. Spitzer spoke with revulsion and anger after announcing the arrest of 16 people for operating a high-end prostitution ring out of Staten Island.

""This was a sophisticated and lucrative operation with a multitiered management structure," Mr. Spitzer said at the time. "It was, however, nothing more than a prostitution ring."

Albany for months has been roiled by bitter fighting and accusations of dirty tricks. The Albany County district attorney is set to issue in the coming days the results of his investigation into Mr. Spitzer's first scandal, his aides' involvement in an effort to tarnish Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno, the state's top Republican.

NY Times

NYT: Gov. Spitzer tells advisers he was involved in prostitution ring

CNN) -- The New York Times on Monday reported that Gov. Eliot Spitzer has told senior administration officials that he was involved in a prostitution ring.

New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer has admitted involvement in a prostitution ring, The New York Times reports.

The paper's Web site cited an anonymous administration official and said the New York governor was meeting with his top aides and would be making a statement this afternoon.

"To say this is a shock is an understatement," said CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, who went to law school with Spitzer.

Spitzer served as New York's attorney general for eight years before being elected governor.

Time magazine named him "Crusader of the Year" during his two terms as New York attorney general.

Tabloids labeled him "Eliot Ness," after the hero in the crime drama "The Untouchables," because of his reputation for rooting out corruption, busting white-collar criminals and tackling organized crime.

He was also known for prosecuting several prostitution rings.

He also worked as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan and worked for three New York law firms after receiving his law degree from Harvard.

The first-term Democrat had been considered a rising star among his party.

Spitzer is married and has three daughters.

Democrats and their “Flip Flop” on Weapons of Mass Destruction

I really enjoy my liberal friends and their commitment to changing their story for political expediency. Their lapse in memory and inability to recall statements should be a grave concern to Americans when they go to the polls in November.

Lets see what prominent Democrats said (but have forgotten) about weapons of mass destruction and Iraq:


"One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line." --President Bill Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998

"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program." --President Bill Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998

"Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face." --Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998

"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983." --Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998

"[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs." Letter to President Clinton, signed by: -- Democratic Senators Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others, Oct. 9, 1998

"Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process." -Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998

"Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies." -- Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999

"There is no doubt that ... Saddam Hussein has reinvigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a licit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies." Letter to President Bush, Signed by: -- Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), and others, Dec 5, 2001

"We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandate of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and th! e means of delivering them." -- Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002

"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country." -- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

"Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power." -- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction." -- Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002

"The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons..." -- Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002

"I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force -- if necessary -- to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security." -- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002

"There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years ... We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction." -- Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002

"He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do" -- Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002

"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members ... It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons." -- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002

"We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction." -- Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), Dec. 8, 2002

"Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation ... And now he is miscalculating America's response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction ... So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real..." -- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003

As you can see, above are several examples of liberal hypocrisy and failed memories. It is shame that “when the going gets tough, the liberals get amnesia”


God Bless America

The A to Z Guide of Clinton Scandals..

I am so thankful and pleased that I took a computer course at the senior center. As with many people my age, I looked upon the computer with disdain and trepidation, however, once introduced to its capabilities I have become a convert. The internet is an amazing place to retrieve interesting tidbits of information. I stumbled upon this little gem last night! Google is great!

"I'm not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president." – Hillary Clinton

Whitewatergate, Travelgate, Cattlegate and now Indonesiagate . . . there seems to be more gates in the Clinton White House than on the barns of America.

So just in case you've lost track of the scandals that have hit this current White House, The Post's Deborah Orin and Thomas Galvin have pieced together your cut-out-and-keep A to Z guide of Clinton scandals, from Arkansas to Zippers.

A is for Arkansas, where Bill Clinton got his political start, where Hillary Rodham Clinton worked at Rose Law Firm, and where Whitewater began as a land deal between the Clintons and Jim and Susan McDougal.

B is for Billing-gate, Hillary Clinton's missing law-billing records. Those records -- which raised questions about Mrs. Clinton's role in the Castle Grande deal -- were subpoenaed in 1994. They were missing until early 1996, when they turned up in a White House room next to her office. She says she doesn't know how they got there.

C is for Cattlegate, Hillary Clinton's mysterious ability to turn a $1,000 investment into a $100,000 profit on cattle futures, a feat experts say was virtually impossible in normal trading.

C is also for Castle Grande, a real-estate scheme that
federal regulators say was a sham. A federal inspector general's report found Hillary Clinton drew up the legal papers that were used to improperly funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars to Seth Ward, father-in-law of her ex-law partner Webster Hubbell.

D is for Billy Dale, the career head of the White House Travel Office, who was fired along with six other career staffers, to make way for Clinton cronies in Travelgate. The White House then brought in the FBI to justify the firing, and Dale was hit with criminal charges that wrecked his life for two years. A jury cleared him in just two hours.

E is for Mike Espy, the former agriculture secretary who was forced out over charges that he got gifts and favors from Arkansas-based Tyson foods, whose owners were longtime Clinton backers. A special counsel has brought several indictments, though not against Espy.

F is for Filegate, the improper White House rummaging through 900 FBI files on Republican officials in the Bush and Reagan administration. The White House says it was an innocent snafu. Republicans suspect an enemies list. Whitewater independent counsel Ken Starr and several congressional committees are probing.

G is for Golfgate, ex-White House aide David Watkins' improper use of presidential helicopters for a personal golf outing. He was forced to resign. In the 1992 presidential campaign, Clinton aides tried to use taxpayer funds to help settle a sexual harassment case filed by a fellow campaign worker against Watkins.

H is for Hillary Clinton, whose role has been questioned in Filegate, Travelgate, Billing-gate, Whitewater and Castle Grande. She denies any wrongdoing.

H is also for Hubbell, in jail after pleading guilty to bilking law clients on charges brought by Whitewater independent counsel Starr. Hubbell was previously the associate attorney general, the No. 3 Justice Department office.

I is for Indonesiagate, featuring the Lippo group, a firm with long-standing ties to Bill Clinton, Clinton cronies and Arkansas. Republicans want to know why an Indonesian couple -- of apparently modest means -- with ties to Lippo gave $452,000 to the Democratic National Committee and what the firm may have gotten in return. Lippo also hired Hubbell, at a reported fee of $250,000, for the five months when he left the White House and went to jail.

J is for Paula Jones, who accuses President Clinton of sexual harassment, saying he dropped his pants and asked for oral sex in an Arkansas hotel room while he was governor and she was a state employee. The U.S. Supreme Court will rule this fall on whether her case must wait until after Clinton leaves office, as he demands.

K is for William Kennedy, another ex-Hillary Clinton law partner who became a White House lawyer and was forced to resign after concealing his failure to pay nanny taxes. He was reprimanded for his role in Travelgate.

L is for Craig Livingstone, the ex-bar bouncer with a history of drug use who was the head of White House security. Two FBI agents say it was Hillary Clinton who demanded his hiring, which she denies. Disgraced Clinton political guru Dick Morris's hooker pal, Sherry Rowlands, claims Morris told her a "paranoid" Hillary Clinton was behind Filegate. He says he only told her that's what polls show.

M is for Jim and Susan McDougal, the Clintons' Whitewater partners, both of whom have been convicted of fraud. Jim McDougal is said to be helping Whitewater independent counsel Starr. Susan McDougal is in jail for refusing to say whether President Clinton lied when he denied knowing about an illegal $300,000 loan to bail out Whitewater. The loan wasn't repaid, and taxpayers were left holding the bag.

M is also for disgraced political guru Dick Morris.

N is for Bernard Nussbaum, the former White House lawyer who barred federal investigators from searching Vince Foster's office after Foster's death. Nussbaum also withheld Foster's diary on Travelgate problems from federal probers for more than a year. Nussbaum was forced to resign for botching damage-control efforts.

O is for Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary, the frequent flier who drew up an enemies list of reporters, hired an image consultant at taxpayer expense, and has run up huge tabs on overseas trips.

P is for Pardons, which President Clinton has refused to rule out for individuals like Susan McDougal who potentially could provide evidence against him.

P is also for White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta, expected to leave in a second Clinton term -- with the prospect that his deputy, Harold Ickes, could replaces him. Senate Republicans want perjury charges brought against Ickes for his answers on Whitewater damage control.

Q is for all the questions -- unanswered -- on Whitewater, Filegate, Travelgate, Cattlegate and Billgate.

R is for Sherry Rowlands, the $200-an-hour hooker who revealed her ongoing affair with Clinton political guru Dick Morris, the author of Clinton's family-values strategy, forcing Morris to resign.

R is also for the Rose Law Firm, where Hillary Clinton, Vince Foster, Webster Hubbell and William Kennedy were partners, as was Joseph Giroir, a key figure in the Lippo group.

S is for Kenneth Starr, the Whitewater independent counsel probing Filegate, Travelgate and Vince Foster's death. He has won 15 convictions or guilty pleas, including both McDougals and former Arkansas Gov. Jim Guy Tucker, who was forced to resign. Starr says his probes are active and ongoing, and there is widespread speculation he will have more indictments after the election, possibly including one of Hillary Clinton.

T is for Travelgate, the Clintons' firing of career travel staffers like Billy Dale to make way for Clinton cronies. White House memos say Hillary Clinton was behind the firings -- she denies it -- and that she was spurred on by Clinton Hollywood pal Harry Thomason, who was seeking a piece of the lucrative White House charter business.

U is for undue influence and the question of whether that is what Lippo was seeking though megabucks contributions to Democrats. Lippo has close ties to Indonesia's brutal dictatorship, responsible for near-genocide in East Timor, which it occupied two decades ago.

V is for Vince Foster, the former Hillary Clinton law partner who became a White House lawyer and was found dead, an apparent suicide with a gunshot wound to the head. He apparently was a central figure in Travelgate and Filegate and handled Whitewater matters for the Clintons. Starr is examining his death and has yet to confirm former prober Bob Fiske's conclusion that it was a suicide in the park where Foster was found.

W is for Whitewater, the Arkansas land deal that started it all, with questions about whether the Clintons improperly benefitted from funds Jim McDougal's Madison Guarantee savings-and-loan, which went belly up, costing taxpayers an estimated $60 million.

X is for the Xeroxed copy of Hillary Clinton's law billing records that were found in the white House book room, two years after they were first sought. The pages had Mrs. Clinton's fingerprints around the section on Castle Grande - there were red ink notations in the late Vince Foster's handwriting.

Y is for the young White House aides who were hired by the Clinton administration despite FBI background checks that found "recent" use of hard drugs like cocaine, crack and hallucinogens.

Z is for zippers -- the one Paula Jones claims that the then-Arkansas governor undid (see J) and the one Gennifer Flowers claims Clinton undid during what she insists was a long-running affair. He denies the claims.

[Source: The New York Post, Wednesday October 16, 1996]

Birds of Obama Flock Together

Growing up on the streets of New York City in the 1940’s you met a lot a rough characters who traveled in some really tough criminal circles. I remember my parents always cautioning me to choose my friends wisely and they would throw in cliché terms like, “guilty by association”, “birds of a feather flock together” ect ect. Of course I conveyed this message to my children and told them you can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep. It seems that B. Hussein Obama's parents forgot to have that talk with the Senator.


Here are just some of B. Hussein’s friends:


Tony Rezko

Rezko's trial on corruption charges starts Monday. Rezko has a longtime relationship with Obama. Any mention of Obama in the trial -- he is a side figure -- could have political ramifications for Obama and be grist for ads. While Obama's connections to Rezko have long been the subject of stories in the Chicago newspapers, the trial is the peg for other news organizations to be doing their own examinations.


Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan

Farrakhan recently offered an unsolicited endorsement of Obama. He is considered by many Jews as an anti-Semite. At the Democratic debate in Cleveland last Tuesday, Obama said he would "reject and denounce" Farrakhan's help.


The Rev. Jeremiah Wright

Obama continues to explain to Jewish voters his relationship with his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who is retiring from the Trinity United Church of Christ at 400 W. 95th. A magazine connected to Wright honored Farrakhan. Last Sunday, Obama said Wright "is like an old uncle who sometimes will say things that I don't agree with."


Austan Goolsbee

An economics professor at the University of Chicago, Goolsbee is one of Obama's top economic advisers. Goolsbee is at the center of several news reports -- on Canadian television and ABC News -- dealing with Obama and NAFTA. Obama has said that as president, he would ask Canada and Mexico to renegotiate the trade agreement. The reports finger Goolsbee -- who did visit the office of the Canadian counsel general in Chicago but not to talk about trade -- as being the source of sending the message to Canada that Obama's bark is worse than his bite on NAFTA. Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said any suggestion that there is a back channel is "ridiculous" and that news reports concerning this have been "debunked" and Obama stands by his statements.


William Ayers

Hyde Park welcomed William Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn to the neighborhood after they resurfaced as local civic leaders following their years on the lam as members of the Weather Underground. But stories by Bloomberg's Tim Burger and the Politico's Ben Smith have drawn attention to Obama's ties to the former radicals. Ayers is an education professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago with a national reputation for studying urban school systems. Ayers served with Obama on the board of the Chicago-based Woods Funds. "While Ayers and Dohrn may be thought of in Hyde Park as local activists, they're better known nationally as two of the most notorious -- and unrepentant -- figures from the violent fringe of the 1960s anti-war movement," Smith wrote. "Obama's relationship with Ayers is an especially vivid milepost on his rise, in record time, from a local official who unabashedly reflected a very liberal district to the leader of national movement based largely on the claim that he can transcend ideological divides," Smith concluded.

www.suntimes.com

Looks like B. Hussein Obama should change his friends before speaking about changing the country.

God Bless America (has Obama ever said that after a speech?)

Famous Queens Resident Series, Part XXXV

Eddie Bracken - This popular 1940s Hollywood actor lived in Middle Village.

This owl-faced comic actor enjoyed his first featured film role in the RKO production "Too Many Girls" (1940), in which he reprised the role of JoJo Jordan that he had played in the Broadway stage version of that musical. (Into the pantheon of pop-music standards came one that Bracken had introduced in "Too Many Girls", the melancholy "I Didn't Know What Time It Was.")

But the then 20-year-old Eddie Bracken was by no means new to show business in general or Hollywood in particular. He had played in vaudeville and performed in nightclubs by the time he was 9, and had just later appeared on screen in four of the Hal Roach "Our Gang" comedy two-reeler film shorts. It was on account of his appearances in musicals and comedies as a shy, giggling, clumsy, stammering, sentimental, self-effacing, would-be hero that Bracken achieved popularity, not to say star status, among movie audiences of the 1940's. The director Preston Sturges served up those attributes of Eddie Bracken particularly well in two of Sturges's more memorable comedies. As Norval Jones in "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek" (filmed in 1942; released 1944), Bracken portrays a man whose destiny others have foisted upon him. A certain Trudy Kockenlocker (played by Betty Hutton), having attended a party for military servicemen, later finds herself to be pregnant but has no recollection of who the father might be. So she persuades the always-befuddled Norval to take credit for the child and marry her. Somehow, Norval emerges a true hero in the end, but you'll have to see the film to discover why. As Norval Jones was physically unfit for military service, so also was Woodrow Lafayette Pershing Truesmith, with Eddie Bracken in the role, in Preston Sturges's "Hail the Conquering Hero" (1944). Solely on the basis of his father's reputation as a World War I U.S. Marine hero, a group of saloon-hopping World War II-era U.S. Marines, led by a crusty senior-level sergeant (played to a tee by William Demarest), elevate the physical reject Truesmith into a modern, combat-decorated veteran, and then usher him into an election campaign for Truesmith's hometown mayoralty. The complications, including a love interest (in the person of actress Ella Raines, are by now well under way. As Eddie Bracken's age increased his popularity -- or perhaps that of the genre of film vehicles that was his forte -- decreased, and in 1953 he essentially retired from the screen, moving on to pursue theatrical ventures. But he would return to Hollywood eventually, and we have been fortunate to see him in character roles in theatrical and TV films through the 80's and 90's.

www.imdb.com

The Bloodbath Ensues

Shrillary Clinton enjoyed impressive wins in Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island yesterday preventing B. Hussein Obama from knocking her out the race. Consequently, this is the best thing to happen to the Republican Party since Ronald Reagan. Barack's inability to drive a steak through the heart of Count Hillracula will cause the two to go after each other's political jugular, emptying their financial war chests while airing each other's dirty laundry in an attempt to end this protracted war. The next few months will be extremely entertaining and I look forward to the onslaught of attack ads. We've already had a glimpse of what is yet to come by the Clinton camp. In a recent attack piece, Hill and Bill approved darkening Obama's skin to make him look more "black". That is low even for the Clintons.

"Shady TV Ad Darkens "O" Clinton Sparks HueTube Ruckus

In the meantime, with Huckabee officially out of the race Sen. John McCain can focus his energy and money on beating whomever emerges from the Democratic Party bloodbath. O' the luck of the Irish!

"Wherever you go and whatever you do, May the luck of the Irish be there with you"

God Bless America

Go Ahead, Make My Day

After the recent tragic murders on college campuses, the Patriots postulated that maybe these massacres could have been prevented if honest individuals were armed and ready to take the maniacs down. Now an Arizona Senator has jumped on the Patriot bandwagon by sponsoring a bill permitting firearms on college campuses. Senator Johnson stated, “The police respond too slowly to such incidents and, besides, whom better than people staring down to take action?” Currently, fifteen states have pending legislation that would allow or make it easier for people to carry guns on college campuses.

This self-proclaimed right wing whacko (like me) sees guns for students and teachers as an answer to violence on college grounds. I believe you will see a dramatic decrease in violent incidents and most assuredly GPA’s will go up markedly.

Arizona Weighs Bill to Allow Guns on Campuses

By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD

Published: March 5, 2008

PHOENIX — Horrified by recent campus shootings, a state lawmaker here has come up with a proposal in keeping with the Taurus .22-caliber pistol tucked in her purse: Get more guns on campus.

The lawmaker, State Senator Karen S. Johnson, has sponsored a bill, which the Senate Judiciary Committee approved last week, that would allow people with a concealed weapons permit — limited to those 21 and older here — to carry their firearms at public colleges and universities. Concealed weapons are generally not permitted at most public establishments, including colleges.

Ms. Johnson, a Republican from Mesa, said she believed that the recent carnage at Northern Illinois University could have been prevented or limited if an armed student or professor had intercepted the gunman. The police, she said, respond too slowly to such incidents and, besides, who better than the people staring down the barrel to take action?

She initially wanted her bill to cover all public schools, kindergarten and up, but other lawmakers convinced her it stood a better chance of passing if it were limited to higher education.

“I feel like our kindergartners are sitting there like sitting ducks,” Ms. Johnson said last week when the bill passed the committee by a 4-to-3 vote.

This is a generally gun-friendly state, where people are allowed to carry a weapon on their hip without a permit as long as people can see it. Even so, Ms. Johnson acknowledges that her views come from the far right — she recently described herself, half-jokingly, she says, as a “right-wing wacko.”

Still, the proposal has troubled advocates of gun control here and elsewhere because it appears to be gaining popularity and has fed long-smoldering debates over restrictions on carrying firearms.

Since the Virginia Tech killings last April, other states have weighed similar legislation, to the disbelief of opponents, who note that the odds of lethal attacks are small, despite the publicity they attract.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a Washington nonprofit organization, said 15 states were considering legislation that would authorize or make it easier for people to carry guns on school or college campuses under certain conditions. Those states include Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Virginia, according to the center, but it considers the Arizona proposal particularly egregious because it would not only allow students and faculty to carry such weapons, but staff members as well.

Utah, the organization said, is the only state with a law that expressly allows people with a concealed-weapon permit to carry guns on college campuses. That law, adopted in 2004 and upheld by Utah’s Supreme Court in 2006, arose out of concern that a state law allowing concealed weapons was not being enforced on college campuses.

The critics of such laws predict that they would cause more problems, including making it hard for the police to sort a dangerous gunman from a crowd of others with guns. They also argue that the guns would make it easier for people barely out of adolescence, or perhaps emotionally troubled, to respond lethally to typical campus frustrations like poor grades or failed romances.

Fred Boice, president of the Arizona Board of Regents, which oversees the state’s three public universities, said he sympathized with people concerned about campus safety. In October 2002, a nursing student at the University of Arizona in Tucson who was failing his classes shot and killed three professors before killing himself.

But Mr. Boice said he believed security and a system of alerting people about crises had been improved since then, and he worried that disputes best handled by campus security could quickly turn deadly with more guns on campus.

“I grew up in the country and a lot of people had guns,” Mr. Boice said. “But my father said never carry a gun unless you are prepared to kill somebody, and I believe that.”

Proponents concede the proposal could face a fight, even in this state’s Republican-controlled Legislature. The police chiefs at Arizona’s universities and several law enforcement groups have condemned the bill.

“This is a very polarizing issue,” said John Wentling, vice president of the Arizona Citizens Defense League, a gun-rights group that has pushed for the bill.

Even if Ms. Johnson’s bill eventually passes both chambers, it will probably take some convincing for Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat, to sign it. Ms. Napolitano rejected a bill a few years ago that would have lifted a prohibition on carrying loaded firearms into bars, restaurants and other places that serve alcohol.

Ms. Johnson’s proposal has gotten a mixed reception on the campuses.

Jason Lewis, 23, an aerospace engineering major at the University of Arizona, said he was mugged twice on campus last year, at knife point and at gunpoint. He now has a concealed-weapons permit and carries his gun everywhere he can.

“It would at least let me protect myself,” said Mr. Lewis, one of a few students to testify in support of the bill at a recent hearing. “If word gets out students are arming themselves, criminals will be, like, ‘Maybe we should back off.’ It will be a deterrent.”

But Cole Hickman, a student at Arizona State University in Tempe, said he had sought to rally opposition to the bill, concerned that, among other things, it would further jeopardize people during a mass shooting. Proponents of the bill, Mr. Hickman said, underestimate the difficulty in shooting a live target in a chaotic episode.

“If another student in the room or a teacher had a gun and opened fire they may hurt other students,” he said, “because unlike police officers, concealed-weapon permit holders are not necessarily well-trained in shooting in crowds and reacting to those kinds of situations.”

Ms. Johnson is not fazed by the skeptics.

“We are not the wild, wild West like people think we are,” she said. “But people are more independent thinkers here when it comes to security.”