Hearing on Amedore complaint

The Fair Campaign Practices for the Capital Region Inc. has scheduled a Monday hearing to discuss the complaint state Assemblyman Republican George Amedore filed accusing opponent Mark Blanchfield of twisting Amedore’s words in a radio ad.

Joan Elliott, president of the group, said each candidate (or representative for the candidate) has five minutes to state their cases. The group then meets in private, and makes its decision within 24 hours.

Amedore said Blanchfield, a Democratic Schenectady City Councilman, unfairly cut up a video interview Amedore did earlier this year, a clip that made it sound like Amedore said he doesn’t think the Assembly position is a job. Amedore provided a YouTube link to show that he meant the position is a service giving back to people, not a job.

The Fair Campaign Practices group’s decision is merely a recommendation. But Elliott said she would hope that it would put pressure on a candidate to pull an ad, if the group deemed it was unfair.

  1. gardner says:

    This has entertainment value.

  2. c p retiree says:

    Come on, George. Are you campaigning, or trying out for an appearance on People’s Court?

    The longer you keep this in the news, the less time your opponent needs to spend having to campaign on issues.

    Your full interview is available for everyone to see and hear. Yes, your opponent used a piece of it. Cheap shot? Sure, and it probably won’t be the last. But get over it.

    So use the OTHER piece, or THE WHOLE THING, in your next commercial!

    (No charge.)

  3. gary condit says:

    This is without question one of the sleaziest campaign tactics I have ever seen…the Blanchfield campaign must have gotten some rock-bottom poll numbers to pull this desperate a stunt.

  4. 11thWardDem says:

    #3 – gary:

    Then you haven’t been watching many campaigns… Or maybe you are just grandstanding as usual? Yeah, that sounds more like it.

    The statement is very clear, the Assemblyman tries to distance himself from Albany by suggesting that being an Assemblyman isn’t what he considers his job. (I am curious as to what he does consider his job)

    Regardless, I have said before that (unfortunately) I think that Assemblyman Amedore will probably win this one again. He is very popular, and he works pretty hard (especially for a guy who says his job is not in the Assembly).

  5. benny salami says:

    The problem is that too many people in Schenectady know Blanchfield. In the immortal words of his campaign manager, “Mark understands the importance of high taxes”.

  6. albany_punk says:

    G.C.: This is one of the sleaziest campaign tactics you’ve ever seen? You must spend most of your time under a rock. Blanchfield used Amedore’s own words against him, plain and simple. Was it the entire thing? No, but maybe Amedore should have thought about what he was saying before he talked about how he prefers to build houses. In politics a few words from a 10 minute statement can overshadow everything.

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