Elephants and RINOs

The warning message we sent the Russians was a calculated ambiguity that would be clearly understood - Alexander Haig

Republican Carl Paladino, who ran against Democrat Andrew Cuomo for Governor of New York in 2010, recently referred to Rockland County’s GOP ‘Chairman’, Vinnie Reda as a ‘dinosaur’ and a ‘shoplifter’. He asked: “What kind of a character does a man like that have?"

Paladino was referring to the time Reda was arrested and charged with shoplifting a coat from Macy's. Paladino went on to state that Reda stands accused of being disloyal to Republican candidates. One such example was when the Republican party headed by Reda did not support Ralph Sabatini, candidate for supervisor in the 2011 Town of Clarkstown election; according to Sabatini Reda stabbed him in the back.

Paladino believes that Reda’s behavior is that of a RINO (Republican In Name Only) and declares that Reda is occupying his local position in Rockland County illegitimately by surviving a challenge to his leadership through the illicit procedure of being reelected by a 'voice' vote.

Paladino said: “I’ve called upon Ed Cox, the State Chairman, to deal with Reda in Rockland County, who should not be a leader in the Republican Party because he has abused his office. He’s a shoplifter, he’s just a very ornery person.”

He went on to criticize Reda for his "vicious opposition" to County Executive Ed Day's election and said Day won despite Reda "because the rank and file wanted new leadership and a change in the status-quo."

Paladino has now written an open letter to Ed Cox, NY State Republican Chairman, dated April 15, 2014 in which he comments on Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino's strategy to become the next Governor of NY State. In the email Paladino states that Astorino can't win as long as he continues to associate with people like Vinnie Reda who may be giving him only lukewarm support.  

He writes to Cox specifically referring to Reda by name saying:

"Many of the downstate leadership have already laid down on Rob.  By refusing to engage the RINOs you (Ed Cox) are creating distrust and illustrating terrible weakness. Appearances are that you seek to perpetuate the Albany cesspool and appease the same old irrelevant power brokers who are now greed-driven lobbyists.  You are viewed upstate as a New York City establishment elitist out of touch with the needs of the people and pandering to the likes of Vinnie Reda, Al D’Amato, and over 6,000 lobbyists." 

Paladino's warnings to Cox and indirectly to Astorino about "the likes of Vinnie Reda" are likely to go unheeded as Reda is planning to host a Republican 'black-tie' bash called a "Lincoln Day Victory Ball" this May.  Astorino has agreed to be one of Reda's key guests and will thereafter become known as a Westchester RINO whom no upstate Republican, or upstate Democrat, would ever be interested in supporting.  

Numerous principled Republicans, who are tired of behaviors such as cross-endorsements that lead to political 'back-stabbing' and which are destroying both the Republican and the Democratic parties in the Lower Hudson Valley, are boycotting this event.  

Unfortunately for Mr. Astorino his fellow Republican, Sabatini, will not be present at the "black tie ball" and therefore will be unable to offer him any advice as to how he might need to 'watch his back'.

Those who do not heed the lessons of history are destined to repeat it. False friends are like your shadow, keeping close to you while you walk in the sunshine, but leaving you when you walk in the shade.

This blog is authored by Michael N. Hull, a retired senior citizen. Hull contributes to the Facebook page Clarkstown: What They Don't Want You To Know and is participating in the start up of a new Rockland County internet newspaper Rockland Voice.