Republican Anthony Melé Secures Primary Ballot

With the pound of the gavel, victory became attainable for outspoken patriot and Republican stalwart, Anthony “Tony” Melé, candidate for U.S. Congress – NY District 17. At stake at the State Capitol Courthouse today was a contentious battle for petitions, ballot access, truths and untruths, and where Judge Colabella ruled, “Melé Stays on the Ballot!”

The Judge spoke by giving the voters an option, and the people spoke by volunteering, collecting and signing petitions to assure primary ballot access to Republican Tony Melé. Without these supporters, Republican “leaders” would deny citizens a chance to vote for Tony Melé for Congress, the only candidate with the credentials and backbone to take on the Democrat apparatus of tax and spend liberal Rep. Eliot Engel.

Steeped in an eleven year incumbency, Engel has made the comfy deals with high level Democrat and Republican operatives that finds him in the coziest of positions – having to face no real opposition – Engel slides into electoral victory every time. Voters, who are sometimes ignorant but oftentimes manipulated, are left with the same-old, same-old politicians that say they want what is best for you, yet operate in the interest of what is best for them.

Time for a change in leadership

The wholly corrupt Republican machine, which is knee deep in a smear campaign to make Tony Melé – the only likeable Republican candidate in District 17 – go away, is in the business of protecting Democrats and steering a-n-y-o-n-e with the kind of electability Melé possesses away from the electorate.

The operation run by Rockland County and State GOP Vice, Chair, Vincent Reda, could not be a better example of an organization entrenched in party politics with far reaching influence including Bronx and Westchester County Republican and Conservative Parties respectively, and a collective effect on state Party decision-makers that (if Reda had his way) would have created a no choice, no primary scenario for Republicans and Conservatives in District 17. (Thanks Tony for taking this battle to the end!)

In Congressional District 17 Vinny Reda is the top boss; let’s say el jefe, who runs the Republican Party more like a wheelin’ and dealin’ car dealership than a forward looking conservative force in Republican politics. Vinny doles out the political jobs, makes back slapping deals with Democrats, and continues on by bullying opponents, misleading voters, and jeopardizing Republican advancement without any meaningful refute (until now).

Fighting off political opponents on the “same side” instead of Democrat Engel

It is an unwritten rule that Veterans who shrink to questioning a fellow Veteran’s honor is lower than dirt. But that did not stop Tony Melé’s primary opponent, Republican York Kleinhandler and goons from spreading falsehoods about the veracity of Tony Melé’s valor award which he received when he was twenty years old.

Since opponents cannot find a single stain on Tony Melé’s distinguished 32-year career, what you will hear from them are falsehoods, and what you will see are disgruntled weaklings mouthing off empty words of dishonorable deceit, all in an effort to stop a conservative, electable, Republican candidate from winning.

Speaking of disgruntled weaklings

Because NewsCopy editor, Bob Fois, could not get a job working for Tony Melé as a campaign consultant, he has ensued a non-stop harassment campaign of conspiracy theories and rumors, on anyone who will listen, hoping to “teach Tony a lesson” that “he” should have hired “me” and will suffer the consequences – issues be damned.

This is precisely the type of arrogance the tea party is sick of, yet Fois pretends to speak for the tea party – showing his arrogance and hypocrisy!

Let this be a wake-up call to Bob Fois

You are lucky Tony Melé has the integrity to ignore you and not turn your face into a squashed watermelon. Your antics are hurting your credibility and your standing as a journalist. Cover the issues that are there and stop inventing problems that do not exist. Your quest to hurt people at all costs who disagrees with you is inappropriate and unattractive.

Unless you can control yourself or get on some meds quick, your next move ought to be crawling into your little hole and staying there because NO ONE is listening to you.

Raquel,

It’s a shame that you would ever speak to how Tony Mele mistreated me after I coordinated a formidable collection of signatures on his Conservative petitions. Undoubtedly, I was one of the reasons that Mele is now certified to run in a Conservative primary — yet Mr. Mele has spent nearly a month blaming me (and the Conservative Party) for his petition woes.

I have a bit more self-respect than to explain in detail why I am no longer associated with Mele’s campaign. For over three months, as a favor to former Congressman and present U.S. Senate candidate Joe DioGuardi, I assisted Tony Mele and his campaign in several capacities as general consultant. I wasn’t paid for my services because Mr. Mele was unable to raise money and unwilling to put any of his own money into the campaign. That was never an issue with me since I enjoyed working with Rally For America and had believed in Mele’s candidacy.

Mele parted company with me with his incessant denigration of York Kleinhandler’s military credentials. Both candidates in this race have shamed themselves and the military in the manner each has attacked their military backgrounds. I was frequently advised by Conservative leaders, former military personnel and veterans over how undignified Mele fixation on Kleinhandler’s military credentials had become. Both these candidates need to grow up and grow a thick skin.

Mele continued a relentless negative campaign over Kleinhandler’s unethical business dealings, rightfully, and over Rockland County GOP Chairman Vincent Reda’s bullying. You may recall that I was physically assaulted and threatened by Reda over Mele’s behavior. I took more than a literal hit for the team, for lack of a better word. It was due very much to Mele’s negative approach to campaigning. I found myself catching far too much scrutiny from others for his incendiary behavior.

Mele is not subtle, even when he is right. Both his ego and lack of education come through when he over-talks every issue — to the point where his “cock of the walk” demeanor became annoying to a lot of people. His pride is his worst enemy, as is his lack of humility.

Undoubtedly, Mele doesn’t listen to anyone but himself. He enjoys having his ego patted but he doesn’t have a clue how to conduct a Congressional race. To be fair, he is up against a corrupt political machine and he is a true conservative. But he loses me with his single-minded over-glorification of himself and his overt use of the tea party for political campaign purposes.

I am a tea party activist and a Conservative leader. I was involved with the earliest tea parties in Westchester County and I have been a steadfast friend to the tea party movement. I don’t need to justify myself and I continue to be involved throughout New York State in many good government reform initiatives.

Tony Mele’s cult of personality is precisely what the tea party doesn’t stand for … a good politician.

Helping Mele pulled me away from many more important duties for the Conservative Party in Westchester — and it was disheartening when his Rockland team of volunteers barely had 30 signatures from that county by the last week of petitions. It was as if no attention or serious consideration had been paid by Mele to address getting on the Conservative line.

I was disappointed how unprepared Mele had left his tea party volunteers during the petition and how stubbornly he refused my advice to correct several deficiencies with his collection of signatures. Those mistakes manifested themselves in some highly questionable problems with his petition volumes. Others advised him of the same problems and they were also ignored. As you know, Raquel, Mele had made some grave mistakes — and will only make more mistakes if we keep kissing his ass.

Rather than acknowledge my pleas that he was headed for trouble, Mele chose to “kill the messenger” in what others have called vicious negative attacks of me!!! It seems that anyone Tony Mele doesn’t agree with gets attacked. That’s not what the tea party or the political parties need in the future. I was never Tony Mele’s opponent. I was his ally but it’s Tony’s way or the highway on every single matter. He turned me into his enemy and that’s a tragedy.

As for the court’s decision, many of us find it ironic that Mele blamed me for him not securing a spot in the Conservative Primary. As late as Friday night, Mele was describing in detail to Bronx County Conservative Chairman Bill Newmark how I had not come through on my promises for the Conservative line. As most of the Conservative Party knows, I toiled in a heatwave with friends to help collect two-thirds of Mele’s valid Conservative signatures.

I have no comment on the rest of Mele’s Conservative signatures but the final break with Mele was over what you also know was at least a valid ethical question that he is still irresponsibly dodging. In my humble opinion, the only reason Mele survived the petition process is that York Kleinhandler’s signatures were worse (and that’s not saying much about Mr. Kleinhandler).

At the end of the day, Mele turned this hard work for him into a thankless experience.

It’s clear Mele is as much of a boss as Vinny Reda, perhaps worse since he carries himself like a demagogue. If Mele is the future of the tea party, perhaps we should all pause and think twice about where this revolution is headed. We don’t need a Republican Adam Clayton Powell.

Let this be a wake-up call to you and others, Raquel, who rely too often on hyperbole to characterize a candidate — only to get burnt later on when he or she fails you. As I have learned on News Copy advocating candidates and bloggers alike (like yourself), it’s amazing how the best of people will stab you in the back.

The last insult is that Mele is trying to run on the Taxpayers Party line and that he will share that line with Joe DioGuardi’s opponent, David Malpass. I’m sure in some surreal political way this all makes sense but it sounds to me at the moment as if Mele unwittingly is working at cross purposes to his own patron.

The greater shame is that Mele wasted so much time denigrating people that it has cost him valuable time that should have been spent campaigning on his many merits. While he did not have the Conservative line, Mele was active over the past month to privately put down its leadership — and I personally resent his two-faced approach to politics. I think he is playing games and any of us have a right to call him out on his tricks.

Remember … I probably did more than anyone else to advocate his candidacy and I can tell everyone firsthand that it wasn’t worth it.

The opponent in November is Eliot Engel, not Bob Fois or York Kleinhandler.

If Tony Mele wants to win in November, he better start demonstrating a lot more character and humility under fire.

By Bob Fois on Aug 10, 2010

I appreciate your comment and perspective, Bob.

I can’t say I agree with your version of events, but submit that you have every right to set forth here, in fact I welcome it.

In this article I set out to show District 17 voters that there is much wrangling happening within their Republican and Conservative Party leadership. The voter has to see for themselves which candidate is worthy of their vote.

Tony has been on the defensive from day One because of Vinny Reda’s corrupt organization questioning his military record and all out effort to push Tony out of the race. I have yet to see Tony criticize York’s military record!

I am a volunteer for Tony’s campaign, as you know, Bob, and I cannot name one instance where Tony didn’t thank me for my time and efforts. Remember it was you, me, Lynn and Blake, who laughed out loud, when Tony told us about the circumstances of his valor award.

We all thought it ridiculous that York would question this award. You did not have any problems with Tony’s character then.

Much of what you say is conjecture and sometimes I think you make things up in your own head. That’s why I called you out.

By Raquel on Aug 10, 2010

http://helpguide.org/mental/bipolar_disorder_diagnosis_treatment.htm

I am retired from the pharmaceutical industry but Mr. Fois exhibits bi-polar – manic disorder in his comment as you observe in your last sentence. [note the link fyi]

Raquel: I’ve been a Republican Committee person in Westchester for 20 years but my limited meetings with Mr. Reda always left me disappointed. Very revealing piece that explains alot. Good Luck to Mr. Mele. Thank you.

By Bob P. on Aug 10, 2010

I personally know Tony Mele – he is rock solid in Patriotism, Integrity, and devotion to duty. In the over 20 years that we have known each other, Tony has never compromised his ethics and principles. He is of high moral character and would serve the people instead of his own personal agenda.

GIL CORONADO
Fmr. Director, US Selective Service System (Ret.)

By Gil Coronado on Aug 10, 2010

Conjecture?

Perhaps I need to be a bit more specific:

The direct cause of my break with Anthony Mele was an inquiry I had made to him about a disproportionately high number of Conservative signatures that had been gathered by one notary on the last day of petitions (53 signatures in four hours, to be precise, with another 20-40 on the previous day that have so far avoided scrutiny).

You expressed to me your own dismay over how these signatures magically appeared, Raquel, and had your own observations to me privately about what likely transpired. As we frequently discussed, Tony Mele and those associated with these signatures could have been scrutinized for fraud and forgery.

In my humble opinion, Mele put well-intentioned volunteers in harm’s way. He also threw the reputations of New York State Conservative Chairman Mike, former Congressman Joseph J. DioGuardi and myself around him like a security blanket amid such questionable activity.

More pathetically, Mele also scapegoated blame on the Conservative Party and those who had gathered over 100 legitimate signatures for him in Westchester. It was a crude way for Mele to obfuscate a far deeper problem.

You told me yourself, Raquel, what you thought happened here. I relied as much on your perspective as my own. You know firsthand how conniving Mele became during this process. Mele’s underhanded comments about me were verified by a highly respected political consultant in Westchester (who also volunteered his services for free) and the Bronx County Chairman.

What happened to me concerned Mr. Mele covering up this anomaly by trying to make me the scapegoat for his failures with Conservative petitions.

But there were other specific problems:

I strongly disapproved of Mele soliciting donations from members of Rally For America. I cautioned against such solicitation for a number of reasons.

(1) It’s in bad taste to solicit money from tea party volunteers and particularly so when you’re not putting any of your own money in the race.

(2) These were individuals Mele needed to help with petitions. He was simultaneously asking them for money during the petition period.

(3) The conflict of interest is obvious; mixing tea party resources with political campaigns for financial reasons.

(4) Mele pulled these volunteers away from gathering petitions during a weekend to prepare and attend this fundraiser. It was a poor allocation of resources that indirectly cost him signatures.

I won’t get into other personal issues with Mele but I will say that he enjoys making the trips to Washington, D.C. — though no amount of shine on his shows changes my opinion of the man.

Yes … the court has ruled. Mele and Kleinhandler both are now on the ballot. Despite all mistakes, Conservative and Republican voters are thankfully not disenfranchised in this election. Mele has won this battle, triumphantly.

But he lost at least one friend and ally in the process.

Bravo Raquel! This is yet another poignant, hard hitting and truthful post. The only way to dismantle the Machine is to shine the light of truth on it for all to see. Thank you!
As for your back and forth with Bob Fois, I do not know enough of the circumstances to offer my perspective. I CAN tell you, however, that I have known Tony Mele since his days as host of the radio talk show The Ramapo Roundtable. A truer patriot, a more honorable and honest man you will be hard pressed to find. I find none of Mr. Fois’ comments regarding Tony’s bullying or “my way or the highway” attitude to be true. In fact, as a cofounding member of Rally for America and a part time assistant in his campaign, I can honestly say he has been very up front and easy to deal with. It takes a tremendous amount of courage, conviction and backbone to step up in the face of an all powerful, corrupt Machine that is dedicating its every effort to destroying you personally as well as politically. Tony has what it takes, above and beyond the call of duty, for US and our beloved nation ahead of himself. There are certainly much easier ways for him to seek fame and fortune if satisfying his ego was really all that he desired. His fierce love of country and courage of his convictions must not be confused with a nonsensical issue of self serving idolatry. To be sure, Tony and I don’t always see eye to eye on strategies and approaches, and I have no problem calling him out on things with which I don’t agree. Tony ALWAYS hears me out, and then we engage in a polite discussion. Sometimes he succeeds in getting me to see the merits of his viewpoints, sometimes my own prevail. But I have never at any time felt pressured or bullied by him. As for his seeking campaign donations from the Tea Party movement, what is so wrong with that?? I am in constant touch with Tea Party groups all across this nation. The vast majority are actively working on Conservative Republican grassroots campaigns. One major way for us all to help win against the overfunded behemoth Machine that is currently in power is to contribute to these candidates’ campaigns. That directly serves our purpose as Tea Party patriots looking to save our nation. There is no conflict of interest there. Finally, while I could not become actively involved in the Conservative Party petition process, I did witness the frenzied activity of the Rally for America members (including the Notary) whom Mr. Fois referenced. There WAS NO FOUL PLAY THERE. Those people were a force to be reckoned with in that eleventh hour, pushing themselves past their breaking points to collect those VALID signatures.

By jv on Aug 10, 2010

One other addendum, if I may: I have NEVER heard Tony Mele question the authenticity of York Kleinhandler’s military service. That is an OUTRIGHT LIE. To this day, he continues to publicly hail his Primary opponent for his service to our nation. The ONLY issue Tony has ever raised had to do with his very valid concern over why Mr. Kleinhandler has refused to make public a copy of his DD214, which would demonstrate beyond all doubt that he does in fact have permission from the military to seek and hold political office.

Bob, I hope you feel better that you got that all out – it’s not healthy to keep things bottled up. Again, my recollection of events is very different from yours. And your comments regarding Tony’s motives with the Conservative Party or its candidates are categorically untrue.

So, regardless of what you think might have happened, Tony is on both ballots. This is a tremendous success for him and the hurricanes…BIG CONGRATS TO THEM!!

Making the decision to support patriot Tony Melé over moderate, puppet of Reda, York Kleinhandler, is a cake-walk and my advice to the voters of District 17 is this: Vote for the only candidate who has the acumen needed and the credentials required — Make Tony Melé your Congressman!

Hail Tony Mele for advocating Puerto Rican statehood! We’re safer with Puerto Rico as a state.

Mele’s fundraising team nationally is sharing this great news with donors that he has survived the persecution in court of Republican bosses who only want the Hasidic Jews in Ramapo to control Engel’s district after he retires. The Puerto Rican nationalists will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on cable ads directly to boost Mele’s candidacy against Republican bosses.

Mele is not a leftist as Republicans and Democrats want you to think. Glenn Beck is WRONG when he says Puerto Rican statehood is a leftist conspiracy and Anthony Mele is RIGHT.

Vote for Tony Mele, a true man of the people.

By U.S. Citizen on Aug 10, 2010