Common Sense: Wendy Long

The New York State Conservative Party and the state Republican Party nominated Wendy Long for U.S. Senate last week. Wendy will take on Senator Schumer in this November’s election. Wendy is an attorney who was the nominee of both parties against Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in 2012.

Wendy is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Northwestern Law School. She at one time clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Judge Clarence Thomas and was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis. In 2005, she helped found the Judicial Confirmation Network which is now known as the Judicial Crisis Network. In this capacity she played an important role in supporting the confirmation of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito.

Wendy Long and her husband Arthur reside in New York City with their two children.
No one would suggest that taking on Senator Schumer will be anything but an uphill battle. Nevertheless, the aspiring Democratic leader of the Senate has for years been the Democratic Party’s top point person on national issues ranging from passing Obamacare to bigger federal budgets, crushing debt and weak immigration policy, unpopular and/or unsuccessful items that deserve a full airing during a campaign season.

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State Senator Marty Golden (whom I serve as Chief of Staff) recently chaired a hearing of the Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction held in his district at the Hughes Council Knights of Columbus at 86th Street and 13th Avenue. Senator Golden was joined by State Senators George Amedore of Albany and Terrence Murphy of Westchester.

Among those to address the committee were New York City Deputy Health Commissioner Dr. Hillary Kunins; New York City Special Drug Prosecutor Bridget Brennan; Bill Fusco, the head of Dynamite Youth Services, a leading drug treatment and intervention organization; and Josephine Beckmann, the district manager of Community Board 10, who helped bring the issue into local focus.

Enforcement, treatment and community awareness go hand in hand and are necessary if we are to get a handle on a problem that in the past three years has returned with a vengeance to our neighborhoods, taken many lives and sent countless people of all ages to the hospital with overdoses.

The entire event can be found on Senator Marty Golden’s Facebook page or on his Senate website. It is worth taking a little time and giving it a look.

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The Brooklyn South Conservative Club held an excellent event recently at the Bay Ridge Mnaor, at which time it honored Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis and former Fort Hamilton Army Commander retired Colonel Michael Gould.

The assemblymember received the club’s Eugene Walsh Memorial Award, named after the individual who help found the party in 1962 in Bay Ridge. Gene was one of the first people I met in the party back in 1977 and one of the main reasons I switched as a 19-year-old from being a Republican to the Conservative Party. He was just a great guy who cared about his community, issues both small and big, and working within a political party to bring about constructive change. I personally think Assemblymember Malliotakis was the perfect person to receive an award in Gene’s name.

Colonel Gould received the Paul Adams award. Paul Adams ran as the Conservative party candidate for governor twice, accumulating enough votes to make the party the third largest in the state. Adams was a quiet leader, who could command a ground or fade into the background simply to be part of the group. He had no airs about him and as such became a beloved figure within the party. Colonel Gould led the fort in much the same way, was well-liked and continues to be missed by the community that he served.

Liam McCabe, the club president, and Christine Sisto, the dinner chairperson, did an excellent job in putting this event together.