Kaiman punches back; Sapraicone likely GOP 3rd District choice; Lafazan bigfoots Mule and Solages

Kaiman slams DeSena

After weeks of Republican mailings labeling former North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman as a "serial tax hiker" and accusing him of corruption, the Great Neck Democrat finally is punching back.

In a recent mailing, Kaiman ties incumbent Republican supervisor Jennifer DeSena to disgraced U.S. Rep. George Santos, the 3rd District Republican who has admitted making up most of his public resume while pleading innocent to a 13-count federal indictment charging him with financial fraud and lying.

Kaiman puts DeSena and Santos in the "same lying, far right sinking ship." 

 

 

DeSena acknowledged to Newsday that she endorsed Santos, but “I was a victim of George Santos’ lies just like everyone else.”

Until now, Kaiman, who served as the town's supervisor from 2004 through 2013, has been stressing unity. "Let's stay positive," he said in a campaign video. "Lets' look forward. Let's do this together." 

In his mailer, Kaiman also stressed much the same talking points used by Democrats in 2021 campaigns: defending abortion, advocating gun control and decrying Jan. 6.

But Republicans and DeSena hit right back, referring to an embarrassing Kaiman's episode in December 2005 when the supervisor, who is Jewish, denounced as "nonsense" a  priest giving a blessing at a Christmas tree lighting. The story was picked up by numerous media.

As reported in the NYPost, when the priest said the blessing he said he heard Kaiman saying   '“something to the effect of, ‘This is nonsense,’ ‘We’re not doing this next year,’ ‘I can’t believe this.’ 

When the blessing was finished, the priest said, Kaiman took the microphone and 'in a harsh, annoyed voice,' told the crowd, 'I just want to make it clear that this is in no way a religious ceremony . . .

“'We’re here to celebrate the holiday tree lighting. This is not the place for a religious ceremony.”'

After an onslaught of criticism, Kaiman apologized, "In retrospect, after conversations with a number of people,... there’s nothing wrong with calling a Christmas tree a Christmas tree, ” Kaiman said.

Sapriacone likely GOP candidate in District 3

Seemingly out of nowhere, Michael Sapraicone is in the news.

Michael Sapraicone

Sapraicone announced in July that he will seek the Republican and Conservative nomination next year for the 3rd Congressional district seat now held by Republican George Santos.

The New York Post on Saturday posted a story on Sunday about Sapricone raising $500,000 for his congressional bid.  

                                                                            

QNS.com, a Queens news outlet, on Monday posted a glowing story about Sapraicone announcing he had raised $596,000, including $546,000 in cash, for his congressional campaign. "He hopes to further build upon this momentum in the month of October, with plans to hold fundraisers," it reported.

Fox News also did a story on Sapricone's fundraising.

Okay, federal campaign campaign reports were due at the end of September, so that may have prompted the stories. 

But then on Wednesday Sapraicone turned up on NewsMax television with former U.S. Rep. Peter King, who praised Sapraicone, a former NYC police detective and founder of Squad Security, which provides security for many large Fortune 500 companies.

"I'm very confident if Mike does get the nomination he will be a great candidate," King said.

Sapriacone is said to be close to former U.S. Sen. Al D'Amato as well as Nassau Republican Chairman Joe Cairo. His wife, Eileen Daly-Sapraicone, was cross endorsed for Supreme Court judge in 2021. At 67, he is the right age for the current Congress.

Perhaps the most most important factor to his winning the nomination:  Sapriacone has shown he can raise money on his own and doesn't have to depend on the Nassau Republican Committee to fund his campaign.

Lafazan bigfoots Mule and Solages

Nassau experienced near unprecedented flooding a week ago after a historic rainstorm, especially along the South Shore.

Some parts of Baldwin, represented by Nassau Democratic incumbent Legis. Debra Mule, had sewage in the flooded streets.

A co-op apartment complex in Elmont, represented by Democratic incumbent legis. Carrie Solages, was evacuated because of flooding in its basements. Its residents still have not been allowed to return home. Nassau Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman yesterday announced the county is suing the property management firm Woods and Ruff Management, to take all the necessary steps to fix the problems at 1888 Foster Meadow Lane in Elmont and make the building habitable again.

Mule has been speaking out for months, looking for millions of federal dollars to repair the county's aging sewer and water systems.

Debra Mule

She has issued press releases, crashed press conferences, written letters to local, state and federal officials and conducted her own news conference in her efforts to fix Nassau's sewer and water infrastructure. Her battle began after three large sinkholes disrupted major roads in Baldwin, Lido Beach and Oceanside.

As for Solages,  he has been fighting to get the flooding problems at the Elmont apartment complex in his district fixed since 2018, writing Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin, the county's Public works department and Blakeman, asking for help.

Carrie Solages

But after last week's historic rainstorm, who appeared on behalf of Nassau Democrats, getting quoted in print, on the radio and on television, to call for "immediate action on infrastructure and storm preparedness"?  Legis. Josh Lafazan of Woodbury. 

Hmmm. A white man from the affluent North Shore speaking on behalf of a female legislator and black lawmaker, who have been in the trenches on the South Shore for months, even years, fighting for "immediate action on infrastructure and storm preparedness."

Josh Lafazan

Wait. Aren't Democrats supposed to be the progressive party?

Political pundits agree that the party likely thrust Lafazan into the spotlight to give him a leg up in a tough re-election fight for legislature. He is being challenged by Republican Samantha Goetz, a deputy county attorney.

Samantha Goetz