Malcolm Smith is a Democratic who really wants to assume Mayor Bloomberg's post in the Mayor's office. However, instead of winning through campaigning, votes and political scheming, Smith is trying to snatch it illegally.
On Tuesday, Smith, along with a city councilman and four other politicians on both sides of the political aisle, were arrested as part of a major federal corruption probe. Apparently, as a registered Democrat, Smith was struggling to win the support of the Republican Party's leadership. Smith needed their support because of a 1947 act known as the Wilson-Pakula certicifcate that barred a candidate from running on a party's ballot line without majority support from committee members in a relevant jurisdiction.
According to the Washington Post:
Smith is charged "with bribing Republican officials, with help from Queens Republican city councilman Daniel Halloran, as part of his attempted bid to get on the GOP mayoral ticket. Bronx Republican Party Chairman Jay Savino and Queens County Republican Party Vice Chairman Vincent Tabone are accused of taking bribes to help Smith get on the ballot as a Republican."
Ahh.. the old Ms. Doubtfire bait and switch is a classic. Lifelong Democrat Artur Davis of Alabama, who was considered the Southern Obama in 2008, is the most common example of Democrat trying to disguise himself as a black Republican.
His previous leadership position was a catastrophe and so were his illicit activities. He didn't even dig into his own coffers as part of his pay-for-play scheme. The bribe money came from a real estate developer who was actually an undercover agent. One whom Tabone unsuccessfully patted down for a wire. Smith's half of the quid pro quo would involve him helping the developer get funding for a project in Spring Valley, New York.
The theme of the week is "Tell the Truth."
— Sen Malcolm A Smith (@malcolmasmith) March 28, 2013
With so much hypocrisy in one tweet, he should be a shoe-in for the GOP nomination now.
