Democrats? What Democrats?

Does anyone still really wonder why the Democrats in Erie County can't get out of their own way? The fate of the Democratic Party was deliberated and decided at a pre-county committee meeting at Cole's. Good location, bad
meeting.

The party "faithful" assembled included Assembly Majority Leader Paul Tokasz, who was part of the Dennis Gorski cabal that emasculated the local Party; Al DeBenedetti, who sold his political soul and the majority in the county legislature to the Republicans for the legislature chairmanship; and last and certainly least, Tony Masiello who had a couple of chances to redeem the soul of the Party but chose to ignore them for personal expediency.

No African Americans were included in the meeting, although the African Americans frequently swing primary elections.

Right after deciding who the new chairman of the party would be, these ersatz Democrats dispersed and continued to wreak havoc on "their" party.

The latest outrage is Masiello's gutless endorsement of the Republican governor. He apparently forgot that it was the failure of the Governor and Tokasz' legislature to help Buffalo that led to the layoff of Buffalo cops. Not only was there no additional money forthcoming this year, there was precious little legislative help either. Binding arbitration continues to constipate the ability of cities like Buffalo to affect their own destiny. The NFTA still resides as the greatest land speculator in Western New York. School aid was insufficient to provide for the myriad needs of urban districts.

But the desertion of the Party in the face of the enemy is not confined to the major players, by any means. Mark Schroeder, a county legislator in South Buffalo (can there be any better job in all politics than being a county legislator in a city district?) has endorsed Republican Jack Quinn for a return to Congress because, Schroeder says, he trusts him. Trust him? The same News article that reported Schroeder's defection also spoke of Quinn's refusal to adhere to the promise he made ten years ago to serve a decade and move on. But Schroeder says he trusts Quinn. This is the same Schroeder who sent out a report after only four months in office deriding Masiello for laying off cops and challenging the city to live within its means. It didn't take long for Schroeder to start buying into the myth of efficiency that surrounds county government.

Lenny Lenihan, the new county Democratic Party chairman, has his work cut out for him contending with this cast of "usual suspects." He could start by demanding some loyalty from Masiello and from the vice chair of the party - who works in Masiello's office.