Diaz, Smith Seal Truce With Hugs, Turkeys
By Azi Paybarah
State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. just introduced Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm Smith at a turkey giveaway in the Bronx by saying he wants Smith "to be my friend."
Not just that, Diaz added, "I want him to be your friend."
Earlier this month, Diaz was threatening not to support Smith when Democrats take over the majority in the State Senate in January, which could, with a few other defectors, tip the party balance back towards Republicans.
From all appearances, that's over now. The two officials hugged on stage and pledged, to an audience of mostly elderly neighborhood residents, not to cut funds to programs that would affect them.
"I can assure you we will not cut that program," Smith said, referring to a local meals-on-wheels organization. He went on to say, "We're going to make sure your program not only gets state funding, but more funding."
The crowd applauded.
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grassroots activists 1, Pride Agenda 0
The grassroots Facebook page "Stop a marriage referendum in N.Y.: Malcom Smith for Majority Leader" http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=96386820231, launched a phone zap of Diaz's office. The 3000+ LGBT supporters who joined this group over the past 2 weeks jammed Diaz's phone lines and politely asked Diaz to support his own party and vote for fellow Democrat Malcolm Smith for Majority Leader. Although Diaz was expected to file a referendum for a Prop 8 anti-LGBT question here in NY last Tuesday, he never did. Also over the week Diaz went from threatening to caucus with Republicans to saying he will not vote Republican but may not support Smith. After the full week of 2-3000 phone calls a day, Diaz is a solid smith supporter.
Meanwhile NY State LGBT "leader" Alan Van Capelle of the Pride Agenda tried to stop the protest at the Mormon Church that ended up mobilizing more than 20,000 people. He also tried to stop the protest last Saturday at City Hall where 10,000 gathered and the Diaz phone zap was launched. What kind of bang do we get from the big bucks Van Capelle and the Pride Agenda take from the community.
Perhaps the real LGBT leaders are the people who create real change and not the one who just collect a big salary.
I hear Carl Kruger is going to start feeling some real pain in his district pretty soon.
Allen Van Capelle does
Allen Van Capelle does certainly have his own agenda. It's a big money driven one.
However if you really think that phone calls to Diaz's office did anything at all. You don't know Rev. Diaz.
If he is changing his opinion with regards to supporting Malcome Smith then there must be some other factor at work.
Certainly it makes activists "feel good" to think their actions have had an effect when really they where screaming into a void.
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