Jim Owles Democratic club calls 5 former breakaway Dems 'toads' in new mailers
ALBANY — A group of former breakaway state Democrats are being blasted as “toads” in new mailers from an influential New York City Democratic club.
The Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club sent the mailers into the districts of five of the eight Senate Democrats who until April were aligned with the Republicans.
“If you found a toad in your breakfast cereal you, would have it humanely removed,” says the mailer with a picture of an amphibian. “There happens to be a toad representing you in the state Senate. We need to vote (him or her) out of office.”
Allen Roskoff, the head of the Jim Owles club, said one definition of toad is a “contemptible or detestable person.”
“They fit the definition,” Roskoff said of Sens. Diane Savino of Staten Island, Jose Peralta of Queens, Jesse Hamilton of Brooklyn, Marisol Alcantara of Manhattan and David Carlucci of Rockland County.
“They’re a disgrace to the Democratic party and must be voted out of office,” Roskoff added.
Savino shot back, calling Roskoff “a vile creature.”
“I gave up responding to Allen Roskoff a long time ago, along with a whole lot of other people,” she said. “He should examine his candidate-selection process.”
She pointed out that her primary opponent, Jasmine Robinson, initially admitted the nominating petitions she filed to get on the ballot unknowingly contained fraudulent signatures — and hasn’t filed her last two required campaign-finance filings. And Robinson made headlines when she said during a fund-raiser she wanted to grab Savino “by the hair real good” and drag her off.
“You tell me who’s the toad,” Savino said.