After deal, G.O.P. attacks de Blasio and ‘illegal immigrants’

Jimmy Vielkind

ALBANY—Since the announcement of a deal to end their alliance with a renegade faction of Democrats, Senate Republicans are preparing to run against “ultra-liberal New York City radicals” who are working to empower “illegal immigrants” and stifle business, according to a set of talking points obtained by Capital that was distributed to Republican senators.

Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos said Thursday that Independent Democratic Conference leader Jeff Klein's promise to flip his alliance from Skelos to Democratic leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins would make New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio the state's “de facto governor.” The talking points show the Republicans' intent to cast the coming election cycle as a referendum on the city and its unabashedly liberal mayor, a message targeted to their power base upstate and on Long Island.

De Blasio helped broker the agreement, and since his election last year has pulled Democratic politics leftward from the course set by Governor Andrew Cuomo, a relative centrist who has gone out of his way to work with Skelos and the Republicans.

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/albany/2014/06/8548047/after-deal-gop-attacks-de-blasio-and-illegal-immigrants?top-featured-1