NEW YORK STATE: News from Mark Green for Attorney General

I've this week joined the Mark Green for Attorney General Campaign as chief political strategist and would like to explain why.

In the past I've worked for some terrific candidates and public officials -- President Bill Clinton, Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, Comptroller Carl McCall, Comptroller Bill Thompson, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum. I think I understand public talent, public commitment and public integrity. Mark has all three.

Especially because we're discussing a successor to Eliot Spitzer, who set the bar high for the next attorney general, no standard politician or lawyer will do as our party's nominee. NYS needs someone special to succeed someone special. And David Boies said it best: "This is the job that Mark was born to do."

On the merits, Mark is head and shoulders better qualified than Andrew Cuomo. Mark has already excelled at two very similar offices in New York -- he was the consumer fraud prosecutor running the 300 person NYC Department of Consumer Affairs and was the elected Public Advocate for NYC. No one else comes close to this 11 year experience and record in New York State for the office of Attorney General -- not to mention that the 20 books he's written or edited shows a person of great substance who can think for himself.

If "the best rationale wins," as Mario Cuomo always said, then on the merits Mark's a winner.

But what about the politics of this race?

Of all the candidates considering a run, only Mark has won six elections -- and in large jurisdictions, not just an assembly district. He's won two general elections NYC-wide for Public Advocate, each time getting more votes than Rudy Giuliani. And he's won four Democratic primaries, including for Mayor against such formidable opponents as Hevesi, Vallone and Ferrer.

Andrew Cuomo does have a modest head start in polls, almost entirely because of his last name recognition upstate...but then he also had that same head start in 2002 before quitting once voters began paying attention. Last week's Quinnipiac Poll, showing both Mark and Andy defeating Jeanine Pirro, was interesting in this context. Among Democrats statewide, which is our "primary" concern, Mark had a 33% favorable vs. a 9% unfavorable, for a 24 percentage point net favorable -- while Andy had a 31% vs. 14% unfavorable, for a 17 percentage point net favorable. So where people know both, Mark's measurably more appealing.

And by the September 12 primary, when we do our jobs, every primary Democratic voter will know about Mark's record helping consumers, workers and shareholders over his lifetime as a leading People's Lawyer.

I'm honored to be a part of The Green Team. If you agree that Mark is the best Democrat to continue the Abrams-Spitzer tradition of this great office, I look forward to working with each of you who would like to help.

Best,

Hank Sheinkopf