New York politics can be brutal. Why on earth anyone would
even get involved in the game is beyond comprehension. It's
difficult enough being a Republican in a solidly Democratic city,
but to also be a member of a minority group has untold hazards.
It was back in May that I met with Al Curtis, who was running
again for the state Senate seat he had run for unsuccessfully in
2000. The odds of his success this time were considerably better,
yet the other day here I was, waiting to meet him in the same
diner to discuss the reasons he had lost again.
I had two questions for him. First, was it his idea to have the
endorsement of Lenora Fulani's Independence Party? After all,
many people in the Jewish community regard her as an anti-Semite.
Second, did he have anything to do with the forged "lesbian
letter" distributed by his campaign?
On October 28, the Thursday before Election Day, a campaign
leaflet was distributed in the Staten Island ferry terminal that
clearly put a racial spin on the contest between Mr. Curtis and
Diane Savino, a union official who is white. The flier had the
title, "A Message to the black community from Dr. Lenora
Fulani," and it urged a vote for Al Curtis "not because
he's black but because you're black."
That made absolutely no sense to anyone who knew Mr. Curtis, a
former city youth commissioner and president of the United
Nations Development Corporation. What I did not write in my May
column was that I had asked Al why his 2000 posters did not show
his picture, considering that many North Shore voters might
identify with him. He told me then that he did not want the
election to be about race. He wanted it to be about the issues,
and about how he, as a Republican and a member of the Senate
majority, could get more for the community.
Something was definitely off, and while I waited for Mr. Curtis I
wondered if I could have been mistaken about him, or whether my
suspicion that he had been sabotaged was correct. The truth is
that the assault on his candidacy had come from both the
Democrats and some Republicans.
Although it must have been a crushing blow to lose the election,
Mr. Curtis appeared to bear his loss well, and without bitterness
or rancor.
He told me it was not his idea to seek Ms. Fulani's endorsement.
He reminded me that Mayor Bloomberg had also accepted her
endorsement. GOP advisers had indicated that the endorsement was
crucial to a win, but he had no idea such a flier would be
distributed.
Mr. Curtis also said he had been getting calls from blacks in the
Democratic Party asking him why he was running as a Republican
and whether he knew what it would do to the Democratic Party if
he won. But Al Curtis was running on principle, and he was making
serious enemies here.
The other document that had a devastating impact on the race was
an explosive letter that was mailed to select borough voters in
the final days and alleged that Ms. Savino is gay.
Mr. Curtis denied any knowledge of the letter.
The Staten Island district attorney, Daniel Donovan Jr., has
asked the Brooklyn DA, Charles Hynes, to appoint a special
prosecutor to investigate. If that is done, it may be determined
that the culprits are members of the GOP. There is a schism in
the local Republican Party, and not only are some GOP candidates
being denied the full support of Republicans, they may even be
sabotaged by those not in power.
I suggest that investigators contact the Staten Island Advance
for more information on post #3031, which was made on a politics
forum on its Web site. I am blanking out the names noted because
I cannot verify the information, but it does suggest further
investigation:
"It seems that ---, the former - -- candidate has been
bragging and laughing about his role in the Savino is gay letter.
It seems he and ---- thought it was a hoot when they were at a
local pub. They even bragged that they ran it past -- -- before
they did it and he gave it the big OK. I wonder what Diane Savino
will think about this when she is sworn in. Hey, Charlie Hynes
after all the Dems you got to indict I guess your chaffing at the
bit to go after some reps."
It's a good thing I had printed out the post, because when I
checked back later it had been removed.
Yes, New York politics is dirty, and while Al Curtis may have
lost, the real loser is the 23rd senatorial district.