Plattsburgh, NY, Dec 18, 2009 — The Republican Party in New York state has suffered some painful blows in the last decade. The GOP has lost every statewide election and seen its congressional delegation nearly wiped out, even losing House seats here in the North Country. Brian Kolb leads the GOP's minority caucus in the state Assembly. His caucus holds only about a quarter of the seats in the Assembly. In large part that's because the increasingly conservative Republican Party has struggled to compete in New York City. Kolb spoke with Brian Mann this week about the future of his party. He says a nearly two-to-one voter-enrollment advantage gives Democrats a big headstart.  Go to full article

Plattsburgh, NY, Dec 17, 2009 — Republican leaders in New York's Assembly say it's time to hold a new constitutional convention to clean up the mess in Albany. They want people's delegates, not politicians, to ask big questions about the structure of state government. Should there be two legislative bodies or just one? Should there be a cap on state spending? Backers of the idea held two public meetings in the North Country yesterday, one near Queensbury and the other in Plattsburgh. Brian Mann has our story.  Go to full article