Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Wager joins growing list of honest folks disgusted with Jasper Nolan.

January 28, 2008
Dear Friends, Just a brief update on the campaign’s progress—and to thank you again for everything you are doing on my behalf. As you may know, I have received significant support in the past couple of weeks from town and county Republican committees. These hard-fought victories have made a lot of people sit up and take notice of our energetic campaign and of our positive and hopeful message of change in Washington.

These victories prove that this campaign can compete and win wherever the playing field is level, and whenever rank-and-file Republican committee members are allowed to have their say. That is not always the case, though. In too many quarters of our esteemed Party, (Jasper Nolan Style machine) politics stubbornly lingers. I have recently learned, for example, that one of the larger Republican County Committees in the 20th District, has made an endorsement in this race, without having met with three of the four Republican candidates.

Repeated and respectful requests for a meeting with that county’s full Republican committee and/or executive committee were made by my campaign, yet we were not extended the courtesy. I find that upsetting, both individually and as a loyal member of the Republican Party. It was my hope that our Party had moved beyond those tactics. There are four fine Republican candidates seeking this nomination, each with his own strengths and ideas, each with his own vision for the future. Hearing from them all of them could only be beneficial to our Party.

When I travel around the 20th to speak with voters—and I do it every day—I hear a strong wind for change blowing. I hear New Yorkers frustrated with Washington and with politics-as-usual here in New York. I hear Republicans who want to move forward, not backwards.Should we choose to listen to those voices and engage in honest, open dialogue about the issues they care about, I am convinced that the best days of the New York Republican Party are ahead. If, on the other hand, we revert to being a Party with a closed political process and limited internal debate, I think our challenges will mount.

The Republican Party that I know and love is the best hope for our state. With your help, I will continue to proudly promote its philosophy and my positive vision for change as I campaign for the Republican nomination for Congress in the 20th District.

Sincerely, Rich Wager

Candidate Mike Rocque earlier revealed Nolan's corrupt process:
http://rocqueforcongress.wordpress.com/2008/01/17/the-saratoga-county-gop-endorsement/

Thursday, January 24, 2008

GOP Leader's exit is urged





After defeat, dissent in GOP
Colonie leader's exit urged in wake of historic sweep by Democrats By JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST, Staff writer Click byline for more stories by writer.
First published: Wednesday, January 23, 2008

COLONIE -- The November elections landed with a deflating thud in Town Hall, long controlled by the GOP.
But the heaviest political fallout may have come recently when a high-profile Republican sent an e-mail to party members calling on town GOP Chairman Harry J. D'Agostino to quit in the wake of the Democrats' takeover.

John Graziano Sr., a Colonie resident and Albany County's Republican elections commissioner, said that D'Agostino's unwillingness to change may doom the GOP to future defeats.
D'Agostino said he won't step down. But the dissent is a sign of weakness inside Colonie's Republican machine, less celebrated but arguably more efficient and long-lived than its Democratic counterpart in Albany.

"Everything seems to be a 'business-as-usual' approach, even though we lost the majority of the Town Board, our supervisor and many valued members of the town government," wrote Graziano, asking "with no malice intended" for D'Agostino to support him as his successor.

A similar e-mail from fellow Republican Roger Cusick, an attorney who has run for district attorney and county executive, said "the organization has been essentially closed to new ideas and new people."
"This method has worked in the past, and for that we should be eternally grateful and respectful of Harry," he continued. "However, times have changed and the beating this organization took in 2007 was certainly predictable..."

D'Agostino, a 76-year-old lawyer, has run the party for 35 years. Until now, Democrats hadn't elected a candidate to town office since Prohibition.
In a turnaround that startled even some Democrats, the party swept November's elections, buoyed by accusations of scandal and financial mismanagement against the GOP.
D'Agostino said he hopes to continue as chairman beyond September, when he is eligible for re-election by the committee's 120 members.

"I'm going to continue on doing what I was elected to do," he said in an interview. "The mark of a good leader is being able to lead in good times as well as times of adversity."
D'Agostino said he has been meeting with small groups of committee members for their input. Among the trends he said he hopes to reverse is Republicans crossing party lines to vote for Democrats. D'Agostino also pointed out that the supervisor's race was very close, and a greater percentage of Republican voters turned out than Democrats.
Graziano contends D'Agostino already has delayed too long.

"You cannot wait until next year to re-organize and expect to run an effective campaign," he said.
It was not clear whether Graziano has the support to unseat D'Agostino. But the fact that his ouster was broached hints at the turmoil behind the scenes in an organization known for its unified public face.
Republicans will gather Friday for their annual fundraiser -- usually a "Victory Party" -- at Michael's Banquet House.

"I have no ulterior motive," Graziano said. "I'm not a lawyer. I'm not an insurance salesman. I can't make any money off this. This is nothing but a labor of love for the party."

Friday, January 18, 2008

JASPER NOLAN REDFACED


County Chairman was caught "fixing" the outcome of a committee election. His secret plan was to quietly crown his candidate for the 20th without the media following the story.
However, The Post-Star has been reporting his scheme and the TU Capital Confidential Blog has had dozens of comments by outraged Saratoga County voters who are, well, seeing Red over Nolan's corrupt style of politics. Other Counties who are free to actually have a fair and open process are going to
make Nolan even more RED FACED.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Nolan goes nuts, fixes vote outcome

County Chairman John "Jasper" Nolan says it's
O.K. to disinfranchise Saratoga County Republican Voters and tells reporter: "I'm the boss, I'm the boss,
cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo.....

Candidates protest vote process
By MAURY THOMPSON,thompson@poststar.com
Published: Thursday, January 17, 2008




The full Saratoga County Republican Committee should be included in the process of selecting a preferred candidate to challenge U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Greenport, in November, three of the four Republican candidates said Wednesday.Richard Wager, Michael Rocque and John Wallace all said a vote of the full county committee would be more representative than leaving the decision up to a much smaller "executive committee" of county party leaders, as is currently the plan."All I'm asking for is a level playing field," said Wager, from Millbrook in Dutchess County."A lot of it goes back to the open election process," said Michael Rocque, of Clifton Park.

Wager, a former aide to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Rocque, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, have both written letters to Saratoga County Republican Chairman John "Jasper" Nolan calling for a vote of the full county committee, as is the policy in Warren and Washington counties.

John Wallace, of Chatham in Columbia County, said Wednesday he has not written a letter, but he supports the request of the other two candidates."I'm for open and verifiable elections," said Wallace, a real estate broker and retired State Trooper.Nolan said it would be impractical to organize a vote of the entire county committee within a short time frame because of the large number of people who serve on it.

http://www.poststar.com/articles/2008/01/17/news/local/13261144.txt