Blakeman's bluster: All politics is vocal?
The Nassau County government website today, top, with County Executive Bruce Blakeman's name prominently displayed, and below, during the regime of Blakeman's predecessor Laura Curran.
Daily Point
Nassau exec’s perpetual-attention machine
Even the cover page for Nassau County’s website is now molded to fit the public-relations priorities of County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
Click on nassaucountyny.gov and you get a blue-and-white echo of last summer’s signage for the annual Harry Chapin tribute concert in Eisenhower Park: “Welcome to Nassau County. Bruce A. Blakeman, County Executive.”
This personal branding format wasn’t used before Blakeman arrived. The Point recovered images for the same site in January 2021 and found something more governmentally oriented when Blakeman’s predecessor, Laura Curran, was in charge during the COVID-19 pandemic. The top webpage item at that time offered phone and text numbers for coronavirus information, alongside the county seal, and a generic “Welcome to Nassau County,” with other offices of government clickable below.
Pre-COVID, in 2019, the county seal was up top, “Welcome to Nassau County” below, followed by a search box and then a photo of Curran touting “Laura’s book club” geared toward reading for teens and young adults.
For what goal is Blakeman’s name recognition being so purposefully burnished?
Speculation spiked about his possible 2026 gubernatorial candidacy after a harsh crossfire last week with his perpetual target, incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul, at a Long Island Association event.
His perpetual, partisan bid for recognition always seems to have an update. Last week, Blakeman posted on what’s billed as the executive’s “official Twitter account” a complaint about something he said he heard mentioned by sports broadcaster Chris Childers, who allegedly said something negative about Donald Trump.
“@Childersradio bashing of Trump is despicable,” Blakeman tweeted on Jan. 3 at 3:38 p.m. “If you don’t like Trump’s behavior, where were you when sports figures kneeled during our national anthem? If [Sirius XM] is going woke then I’m out.”
Eleven minutes later, Childers replied: “Yeah that’s not what happened.”
Someone else, with the handle Johnny Spears, said that night, “C’mon Chris, you’re one of my guys! Don’t hate on the Don.” To which Childers replied: “I didn’t, even a little bit. This guy is wild.”
Spokesman Chris Boyle said Blakeman “was in the car listening to college sports radio on Sirius for the recap of the college playoffs when Childers attacked and blamed Trump for the lack of political civility in America … [Blakeman] feels that sports shows shouldn’t be political … and blaming Trump for political discord in America is a false and phony narrative considering what is taking place in Washington currently.”
What all that might have to do with county government is anyone’s guess.
— Dan Janison dan.janison@newsday.com
Pencil Point
The heavyweight
Credit: CagleCartoons.com/Daryl Cagle
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Quick Points
Miscommunications
- After news that the Biden administration, top officials in the Pentagon, and leaders in Congress were unaware that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had been hospitalized since last Monday, Austin said, “I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed.” That’s a low bar to clear given that it appears he made no effort at all.
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Mike Johnson reached an agreement on federal spending levels that does not include deep cuts sought by House right-wingers. Is this an end to the budget drama or a restart of the new speaker drama, or both?
- New York Rep. Elise Stefanik said those convicted and imprisoned on Jan. 6-related charges are “hostages” and declined to say whether she would vote to certify the 2024 presidential election if President Joe Biden wins. Was that an audition to be Donald Trump’s running mate?
- Lebanon-based Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel, which returned the fire, after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the group had to retaliate for the killing of a Hamas leader in Lebanon after the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7. So goes the recent history of the Middle East — provocation, retaliation, repeat.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson said former President Donald Trump’s comment that immigrants are “poisoning the blood” of America is “urgent” but not “hateful.” Sure, nothing says love quite like poison.
— Michael Dobie michael.dobie@newsday.com
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