But it might not have been the feisty field manager’s last retirement. Mayor-elect Shayne Gallo and his supporters have been calling for Cardinale’s scalp since before last June’s nominating convention and are now in position to grease the skids. Gallo-nistas claim Cardinale showed preference for convention winner Hayes Clement prior to the convention, thereby violating the rule of neutrality as it applies to chairmen. Cardinale denies the charge. However, he did campaign actively for the Ninth Ward alderman during the primary, which Gallo won by a mere seven votes.
Traditionally, the chief executive is the titular head of his party, so if the mayor has differences with the chairman … oh, well, there’s only one boss. Cardinale says he intends to finish his two-year term, which runs out next September.
That Democrats won 12 of 14 city offices on Cardinale’s watch (losing only two of nine seats on the Common Council) speaks to the chairman’s recruiting and organizational abilities.
Meanwhile, Democratic DNA demands some kind of internecine fighting in the wake of overwhelming victory. This time it’s legislators Dave Donaldson versus Mike Madsen. Madsen took Donaldson to a Democratic primary, lost badly, but continued to campaign on the Independence Party and Working Family Party lines in the general election. That’s a no-no under the First Commandment of Democrats: Thou shalt not run against Democratic candidates. Donaldson wants Madsen removed as a Democratic committeeman, sure to mess up his (Madsen’s) holiday.
Dave bounces back
Just when we thought we’d heard the last of Donaldson as a figure of consequence, he goes and gets himself elected minority leader of the legislature for next year.
County Exec Mike Hein can’t be too pleased about his severest critic on Golden Hill being given this bully pulpit.
Voting took place in secret, as usual. Many observers thought the race was between Rich Parete of Accord, the party’s leading vote-getter in the last election, and the self-perceived smartest-guy-in-the-room Hector Rodriguez of New Paltz. When the horse- trading ended, it was Donaldson, a former four-term legislature chairman, reprising his role as minority leader, with Rob Parete as whip (No. 2).
Go figure. Rich Parete came in with three votes from the Parete family (including Poppa John), but obviously couldn’t entice three more. As Paretes go, Rob Parete was the lesser evil for the consolation prize.
Rodriguez carried some baggage as an employee of public housing developer Steve Aaron, who tells anyone who will listen he’s “interested” in the future of the Golden Hill. More specifically, what Aaron says is he knows zilch about running nursing homes, but sees development opportunities on the 27-acre Golden Hill site the county is trying to unload.
Say what you will about Steve Aaron, he knows how to build things.
Rodriguez has already excused himself from two Golden Hill votes because of what he called employee conflicts. Democrats couldn’t have their minority leader walking on future votes on a hot-button issue for the next two years.
