Jon Cooper is d man for O

[Obamarama]

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Jon Cooper named Obama's LI chairman
In a press release aimed at capitalizing on Iowa momentum, Barack Obama's campaign today announced Suffolk Legis. Jon Cooper (D-Lloyd Harbor) was named the Illinois senator's Long Island campaign chairman.

The appointment is no surprise, as Cooper is also the national co-chairman of Obama's LGBT leadership counsel and has a seat on the national finance committee.

The full release is after the jump.

-- Rd J. Epstn in Merrimack, N.H.

Cooper Named Obama’s Long Island Campaign Chair

Long Island, NY -- Coming on the heels of Senator Barack Obama’s dramatic victory in yesterday’s Iowa caucuses, the Obama campaign today announced the appointment of Suffolk County Legislator Jon Cooper (D-Huntington) as thr Long Island Campaign Chair.

Cooper, the newly re-elected Majority Leader of the Suffolk County Legislature, early on was one of the highest-ranking Democrats in New York State to publicly support Senator Obama’s campaign for the presidency.

“Barack Obama represents our best hope to bring about transformational change in the way Washington works,” Cooper stated. “He has shown time and again that he has the judgment, experience and vision needed to unite our country and lead us forward in these difficult times. Barack’s resounding win in Iowa will provide the momentum needed to catapult him to victory in New Hampshire, South Carolina and beyond. ”

The Obama campaign chose Cooper for this critical position because they know that, beyond his prominent role in Long Island politics, Cooper has long been a player on the national political scene. He was a member of the National Finance Committees for both the Gore and Kerry presidential campaigns and also raised $50,000 for Hillary Clinton’s first Senate run.

Cooper has already been a consultant on gay/lesbian issues for the Obama campaign and is National Co-Chair of the campaign’s LGBT Leadership Council. He also serves on Obama’s National Finance Committee. This past December, Cooper stumped as a surrogate for Obama in New Hampshire and the campaign has requested that Cooper do another swing through the Granite State in the days leading up to next week’s primary there.

Cooper’s appointment to this all-important post comes in preparation for New York State’s February 5th Democratic primary. Of New York’s 281 Democratic Party delegates that will meet in Denver this August, 25 will come from Long Island.

Working with Obama’s five Congressional District coordinators in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, Cooper has so far helped enlist over 1,000 Long Islanders to volunteer for the Obama campaign. Two of Cooper’s biggest local catches for Obama have been his legislative colleagues. Both former and newly elected deputy presiding officers Legislator Vivian Viloria-Fisher (D-Setauket) and Legislator Elie Mystal (D-Wyandanch) have joined Cooper in supporting the Obama effort. In addition to his grassroots organizational activities, Cooper has been representing Obama at a variety of candidate forums all across Long Island.

Suffolk residents who would like to volunteer in support of Senator Obama are invited to contact Mark Cronin at (516) 902-6964, e-mail at mxcronin@schlittlaw.com. Nassau volunteers should contact Valdar Coryat at (516) 315-7703, e-mail at vcoryat97@hotmail.com.


Posted by Rd J. Epstn on January 4, 2008 11:02 AM | Permalink

[for nassau people]

January 4, 2008
Search Newsday.com Web enhanced by Login or register Home Delivery Volunteers scramble to get pols on primary ballot
Rick Brand
November 25, 2007
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Digg Del.icio.us Facebook Fark Google Newsvine Reddit Yahoo Print Reprints Post Comment Text size: Valdar Coryat joined the front line of the Democratic battle for president before dawn late last month in an unlikely combat zone - the Freeport railroad station.

With clipboards in hand, the Manhattan marketing executive, 36, showed up at 6:45 a.m. to enlist weary commuters to sign petitions to put U.S. Sen. Barack Obama on New York's Feb. 5 primary ballot.

"We got 100 signatures that first morning," said Coryat, before she had to leave on the 7:50 a.m. train herself to get to work. In all, she has collected 250 signatures at train stations and supermarkets. "Last weekend was huge. Everyone was shopping for Thanksgiving," she said.



Rick Brand Bio | E-mail | Recent columns


Never involved in politics before, Coryat is one of more than 130 Obama volunteers across Long Island. After volunteering for Obama's campaign, she attended a "Camp Obama" training last summer to learn the ropes of petition gathering.

Each presidential contender needs to get 5,000 signatures statewide. At l 500 signatures are needed in each congressional district to qualify a slate of delegates for the ballot. Obama backers are aiming for l 1,000 signatures in each district. In the 2nd Congressional District alone - which covers central Long Island - they have already amassed 1,800 signatures. The filing deadline is Dec. 6.

Until this year, New York's presidential primary was later, usually April, putting the petition process after the holidays. But in state officials' rush to make New York's primary count, the date was moved up and petition gathering began Oct. 30. That meant volunteers had to compete with trick-or-treaters, candidates in the last week of thr campaigns and, now, voters focused on holiday food shopping or gift buying. "It was kind of tough coming right off an election," said Richard Schaffer, Suffolk Democratic chairman. "People kind of rolled thr eyes when asked to go out with petitions."

Democratic presidential contender Hillary Rodham Clinton has a major edge as New York's incumbent U.S. senator; she has lined up most officials across the state, including Schaffer, his Nassau counterpart, Jay Jacobs, as well as county executives Steve Levy and Tom Suozzi. In the 1st Congressional District alone - which covers most of central and ern Suffolk - Clinton's slate includes high-powered names like New York Teamsters boss Gary LaBarbara, Brookhaven Democratic leader Marsha Laufer and Brooke Ellison, the quadriplegic Harvard grad whose story became a TV movie.

Obama has his own share of local notables including Suffolk lawmakers Jon Cooper and Vivian Viloria Fischer, along with Susannah Mrazek, daughter of former Rep. Robert Mrazek.

Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards, of North Carolina, kicked off his petition drive in New York City, but a spokesman for his national campaign had no details about petitioning on Long Island.

Katie Roberts, a spokeswoman for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, said thr campaign is petitioning in New York and has a Long Island organizer but she had no further details.

Alan Mindel, owner of the Inn at Great Neck and a Richardson backer, said he is running a fundraiser for Richardson, but has not been approached about circulating petitions. Some campaigns also may use paid canvassers.

Like Clinton, Republican presidential contender Rudy Giuliani has lined up most state Republicans, but GOP rules give an automatic place on the ballot to any candidate who qualifies for federal campaign funds. And despite early jostling, all sides say outcomes in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary will have the biggest impact on the landscape.

But Obama backers say thr workers are more committed than most party hands. One Obama volunteer, Charmaine Nygaard, 64, was a lifelong Republican who switched parties to back Obama. She changed after her granddaughter was diagnosed with leukemia and she wrote all the presidential contenders about the family's struggles with medical costs. Only Obama answered. "He took time out to write a beautiful letter," said Nygaard, whose granddaughter went into remission last week. "He got my vote."

Since then, Nygaard has been tireless, personally gathering 330 signatures for the Illinois lawmaker. "My biggest dream," she said, "is to go to an inaugural ball."

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[OsamaBenObamaCooper]

If Obama wins I heard he will leave his wife for Jon. Anyone hear that?

[Jon Kaimann]

Not really. Did you?

[S Levy Fan]

How can anyone who doesnt understand why non-Spanish speaking men like Sabado Gigante run a President campaign?

[Mrs. Obama]

If Obama wins I heard he will leave his wife for Jon. Anyone hear that?
But John already has a wife.

[O! Bama]

Roll Tide ROLL