Free Republic

ALBANY—Top New York Republicans have called for a formal investigation into allegations that Attorney General Eliot Spitzer threatened a man who wrote an editorial critical of Spitzer’s conduct.According to the New York Post, both Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Rensselaer) and state Republican Chairman Stephen Minarik have urged that a formal investigation be launched into claims by John Whitehead, “one of the most respected figures on Wall St,” that Spitzer telephoned Whitehead and threatened him after Whitehead wrote an editorial about Spitzer in the Wall St. Journal. a furious Spitzer tracked him down in Texas last spring after he authored...

The controversy over the meeting of the county chairmen of the state Republican Party next week is just another sign of a party that is divided and dysfunctional - with five important statewide races at stake less than a year away. Next year may be the clearest shot that the state's Democrats will have at a clean sweep of state offices in decades. It also should have the GOP members concerned about what hits they may take in both the Assembly and state Senate. The county chairmen are meeting in hopes of finding a consensus on candidates who are viable...

The Republican Party will announce a candidate for governor by the first of the year. Republican Chair Steven Minarik is supporting former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld. Rochester billionaire Tom Golisano is considering a fourth run for governor. Golisano recently switched from the Independence Party to the Republican Party drawing speculation that he would seek the nomination. Minarik questions whether Golisano is the right candidate for the party. “There are things that stand in the way. We have to get by the past with regard to races. I just don't know how that's going to happen. We have to have a...

A state senator from Queens jolted state Republican Party leaders this week by trying to block gay Republicans from obtaining greater power within the state party organization. The move occurred as the party was preparing political strategies for the 2006 election. The move against the gay Republicans was rebuffed by other party members, led by the state chairman, Stephen J. Minarik, and the Manhattan chairman, James Ortenzio, who both argued that the party should have a "big tent" image heading into 2006. Excluding gay Republicans could also have embarrassed party leaders who support gay rights, like Gov. George E. Pataki...

ALBANY, N.Y. — Claiming Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is running for the White House on a path "paved with her lies and distortion," New York's GOP chairman has kicked off a national "STOP HILLARY NOW!" fundraising effort to thwart her 2006 re-election bid. "This is not merely a race for New York," according to the fundraising appeal sent out by Stephen Minarik. "It's a race for America." "Stopping Hillary Rodham Clinton is the most important thing you and I can do as Republicans in the next two years," Minarik wrote. "You could say it's our duty as Republicans." Minarik's...

O.K. FReepers...read the article and then post your votes. Should Howard Dean: --Keep it Up --Sit Down and SHUT UP???? ALBANY, N.Y. -- Howard Dean, the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee, called on the head of New York's Republican Party to apologize or resign Wednesday over remarks linking the Democrats to a civil rights lawyer convicted of aiding terrorists. Dean called Stephen Minarik's comments offensive, and said, "The American people deserve better than this type of political character assassination." On Monday, Minarik said that Dean's election shows that "the Democrats simply have refused to learn the lessons of...

Howard Dean, who garnered 100% of Republican support to become the head of the DNC, has been in office less than a week and as we expected, he is already stepping hip deep in liberal stupidity. Dean called for New York's Republican chairman Stephen Minarik to apologize or step down for remarks linking Democrats to radical leftist lawyer Lynn Stewart, who was just convicted of aiding terrorists. Minarik said Monday that: "the Democrats simply have refused to learn the lessons of the past two election cycles, and now they can be accurately called the party of Barbara Boxer, Lynne Stewart...