Clinton County resident Supreme Court Justice, John A. Lahtinen is running for re-election this year.

Judge Lahtinen was appointed to the Supreme Court, Fourth Judicial District by Governor George E. Pataki in June 1997.  He was elected to a full 14-year term in November 1997.  From June 1997 to March 2000 Judge Lahtinen served on the trial bench where he tried and settled many cases in this district and New York City and always did so with integrity and fairness. 

In March 2000, he was appointed by Governor Pataki to the Appellate Division of Supreme Court for the Third Judicial Department where he has served with distinction for the past 11 years.  His tenure on the Appellate Division is the longest of the four justices from Clinton County who have served on that Court in its 115 year history.  Since Judge Lahtinen's appointment to the Appellate Division as an Associate Justice he has written in excess of 1300 decisions and participated in more than 9000 appeals.  His judicial opinions have helped to shape the law of this State. 

There are presently four announced candidates for three vacancies in the Supreme Court, Fourth Judicial District.  Judge Lahtinen is the only candidate running for re-election.  The Fourth Judicial District is comprised of the Counties of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, Saratoga, Schenectady, St. Lawrence, Warren and Washington.  Judge Lahtinen is the only sitting Supreme Court Justice within a radius of 100 miles of Plattsburgh. 

Judge Lahtinen has served us well and I ask you to consider helping his costly re-election effort in this 11 county district by forwarding your contribution to:  Committee to Re-Elect Judge Lahtinen, 95 Ashley Road, Plattsburgh, New York 12901.

As New Yorkers look for leadership and direction from their state government, Republicans are working for solutions rather than partisan politics.

Two weeks ago, Senate Republicans and some enlightened Democrats joined together in a bipartisan fashion to enact real tangible reforms.  Sadly, Democrat leaders have ignored the legal and binding votes to change the way government does business.  If the Democrat leaders have legitimate concerns beyond their own shallow quest to hang on to power, they should agree to binding arbitration by an impartial third party.

If they are unwilling to even take that step, they should agree to the fair, comprehensive and detailed power sharing operating proposal-wisely proposed by Senate Republicans– which would enable the Senate to function in an equitable fashion and do the people’s business.

The Senate Republicans continue to offer solution after solution, only to be stonewalled by the Senate Democrat leadership.

We are a nation at war and in the midst of an economic crisis, yet the only thing the Democrat leaders seem to care about are shameless publicity stunts and endless legal maneuvers to cling to power they have rightly lost.

It is past time for the Democrats to listen to the public, respond to the sensible proposals offered by the Republicans and get government back to work.

The Clinton County Republican Party now has a new web site located at http://www.northcountrygop.org

 

WASHINGTON – The Republican National Committee (RNC) today launched a new ad: “One of Us.”  The ad highlights the motivation and experience of New York State Republican Leader Jim Tedisco, a candidate for the open Congressional seat in New York’s 20th district.

The ad will run on the major networks in the Albany, NY area.

 

Title: “One of Us”

The son of a foundry worker and loving mom, Jim Tedisco’s life changed forever when he lost his young brother with Down Syndrome.

So, Jim dedicated his life to serving others.

Special Ed teacher, guidance counselor, coach. 

Then to public service to help our families.

Fighting for property tax relief, securing jobs, protecting our children. 

Jim Tedisco for Congress.  He fights for us because he’s one of us.

-Disclaimer-

I’m Jim Tedisco, and I approve this message. 

Yes, contrary to what I seem to read everywhere, we are neither dragging our feet moribund in our loss, searching around for a future, or living in denial of the Herculean work we have to do. To a person, we seem to recognize the challenge of facing up to a popular president willing to do anything to gain, keep and radically expand his power: fund a campaign with anonymous donations, appoint a group charged multiple times with perpetrating voter-fraud to count the Census, send David Axelrod on TV to claim the “Tea Parties” were “dangerous” and, as a parting shot at the idea of a free market, refuse to take repayments –with interest- from banks who neither wanted nor needed our tax money. When I stepped into the headquarters of the Republican National Committee on April 6th, it was fifteen days after I met Chairman Steele and, sixteen days after I last spoke the words, “I could never work in D.C.”

I have never been happier to have been wrong:  I do work in D.C., more importantly, I work with some of the most brilliant, principled and focused people I have met.

These people are also excited. 

Yes, contrary to what I seem to read everywhere, we are neither dragging our feet moribund in our loss, searching around for a future, or living in denial of the Herculean work we have to do. To a person, we seem to recognize the challenge of facing up to a popular President willing to do anything to gain, keep and radically expand his power: fund a campaign with anonymous donations, appoint a group charged multiple times with perpetrating voter-fraud to count the census, send David Axelrod on TV to claim the “Tea Parties” were “unhealthy” and, as a parting shot at the idea of a free market, refuse to take repayments-–with interest--from banks who neither wanted nor needed our tax money. Our elected leaders will continue to offer principled plans which strike a stark contrast to the president’s manifesto of spend, borrow, and pay favors to supporters (then repeat at will). We, meanwhile, will do our part. My particular role is to work with a small bit of the RNC Universe, our newly renamed New Media Division. We are blessed to be buttressed by a much larger group of technomedia experts: our Tech Summit participants; their sage guidance informed the path we have charted for the effort. I hope they will continue to lend their hearts, hands and minds to this effort. With their advice freshly read, last week we held well over sixteen hours of meetings to determine the partners for the new digital presence of the RNC. This week, we decide. Next week, we plan and build. We are anxious to get started. The partners who have made the final cut for review are also jazzed by the challenge and seem to be aware of the difficulty ahead as we face the most power-hungry administration in our lifetimes. That, as much as anything, has been reason for me to celebrate: the talent and commitment of the republican, digital media professionals who came to D.C. to play a part in this effort and the many that have lent advice freely through our social media hubs.
If you find yourself aching to be involved this is your invitation. Of all the things we aspire to create, the one for which we have the most hope is a real connection between us, the small staff here in D.C., with you: the big, collective conservative brain out there in the real world. Tap us on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, at events like the Young Republicans Convention.  Put your excitement to work.

More later.