The disdain that state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and Republican candidate Tom Dadey have for each other can be an easy distraction to what is Bruno's less-than-accurate recollection of what happened in 2004.
Here are the facts: Democrat David Valesky narrowly defeated long-time Republican incumbent Nancy Larraine Hoffmann, with Dadey coming in a distant third place while running on the Conservative and Independence party lines.
Now, with the 2006 election looming, Dadey is running again. He's accused Bruno of orchestrating Dadey's firing from the high-powered Clough Harbor engineering firm as punishment for entering the race. Bruno has denied such involvement, but hasn't hesitated to speak out against Dadey's candidacy.
And the common theme behind Bruno's comments is that Dadey is to blame for the Republican loss in 2004. While the Dadey factor in that race was undeniable, Bruno is making a big mistake if he thinks that was the only - or the biggest - reason for Hoffmann's loss.
Bruno seems to be forgetting a few other culprits.
It was Hoffmann - not Tom Dadey - who displayed incredible arrogance and disrespect toward voters by refusing to debate Valesky in public until the last minute when, under the weight of editorials in The Citizen, she decided to do a forum in Auburn.
It was the state Legislature - not Tom Dadey - who at the time had failed to deliver on-time budget for two decades. And the budgets it did deliver had virtually no input from anyone but the party leaders. It became clear that the race in 49th Senate District, featuring 22-year incumbent Hoffmann, was also a referendum on how dysfunctional Albany had become.
It was Bruno - not Tom Dadey - who was noticeably quiet during that campaign. Remember that Dadey was the choice of party leaders; Hoffmann got on the ballot by winning a Republican primary, against the wishes of many in Albany.
So Bruno, who now supports current Assemblyman Jeff Brown's bid to unseat Valeksy, can blame Dadey all he wants for the last loss. But if he fails to grasp the real reason voters wanted change, they'll lose again this year, whether Dadey's name is on the ballot or not.
Now, with the 2006 election looming, Dadey is running again. He's accused Bruno of orchestrating Dadey's firing from the high-powered Clough Harbor engineering firm as punishment for entering the race. Bruno has denied such involvement, but hasn't hesitated to speak out against Dadey's candidacy.
And the common theme behind Bruno's comments is that Dadey is to blame for the Republican loss in 2004. While the Dadey factor in that race was undeniable, Bruno is making a big mistake if he thinks that was the only - or the biggest - reason for Hoffmann's loss.
Bruno seems to be forgetting a few other culprits.
It was Hoffmann - not Tom Dadey - who displayed incredible arrogance and disrespect toward voters by refusing to debate Valesky in public until the last minute when, under the weight of editorials in The Citizen, she decided to do a forum in Auburn.
It was the state Legislature - not Tom Dadey - who at the time had failed to deliver on-time budget for two decades. And the budgets it did deliver had virtually no input from anyone but the party leaders. It became clear that the race in 49th Senate District, featuring 22-year incumbent Hoffmann, was also a referendum on how dysfunctional Albany had become.
It was Bruno - not Tom Dadey - who was noticeably quiet during that campaign. Remember that Dadey was the choice of party leaders; Hoffmann got on the ballot by winning a Republican primary, against the wishes of many in Albany.
So Bruno, who now supports current Assemblyman Jeff Brown's bid to unseat Valeksy, can blame Dadey all he wants for the last loss. But if he fails to grasp the real reason voters wanted change, they'll lose again this year, whether Dadey's name is on the ballot or not.
The Citizens' Say
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