Quoted Text

'Capo' a winner
Marv Cermak

It was well past midnight last week when Chris "Capo" Gardner called my house to proclaim Angelo Santabarbara the winner in a lopsided state Assembly race against Tom Quackenbush.

Even cave dwellers would've known Santabarbara was an early landslide winner, but Gardner wanted to bust my chops. I nicknamed him "Capo" because he's still Democrat boss even though he resigned as party chairman to take the $120,000-a-year county attorney job.

This was Gardner's first victorious campaign in a state race in many moons. He had convinced Brian U. Stratton and Sue Savage to run uphill against veteran state Sen. High Farley and both got thrashed.

He pitted a guy named Ed Kosiur against George Amedore in an Assembly race several years ago. Kosiur got walloped. When Santabarbara switched from Republican to Democrat in 2009, Gardner used him for a campaign against Amedore. But that bombed, too.

With all these defeats in mind, I guess you can't blame the "Capo'' for calling in the wee hours, spreading the joy of victory. The boss worked hard even going door-to-door campaigning for Santabarbara. Although in reality, it was more like Quackenbush being beaten by his past.

The "Capo'' & Co. dug into Quackenbush's term as chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors. They discovered a meeting tape of him stupidly suggesting balancing the budget with a 1 or 2 percent sales tax increase. On the same tape, he's helplessly pleading "I don't know what to do ... "

During the week before last Tuesday's election, state Democrats spent $200,000 on a relentless bombardment of TV ads showing Quackenbush begging for a sales tax increase and crying the blues. Needless to say, that was the ballgame.

Prior to this, it was a heck of a horse race, especially with mudslinging mailings. Santabarbara's camp sent voters 17 campaign brochure mailings plus several personal support letters signed by big-shot Democrat leaders. Quackenbush's Republican forces churned out 15 brochure mailings.

But in the stretch run, the past came back to haunt Quackenbush....................>>>>..................>>>>..................Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Lewi-knew-folks-like-parades-4030761.php#ixzz2C6ieazKD

So it took a republican for a dem to get a win, huh?
personal and political manipulation at it's best!! too funny!!!

those folks in the assembly better make sure a-jello isn't carrying his 'recorder'!!

and Capo's wife....is she still Commish of Unemployment???......there's an "in" or "out"....for some.......