WNYMedia has found and published controversial emails allegedly sent by Carl Paladino, Buffalo real estate magnate and newly announced candidate for Governor of New York. The emails contain rather crude racist and sexist material. WNYMedia's report has been picked up by countless national sites including Huffington Post, Talking Points Memo, Opposing Views and the NY Daily News and, as a result, the amount of traffic to WNYMedia's Paladino's story has reportedly crashed their servers multiple times throughout the day. And now, the Buffalo News has chimed in with an article on the controversy.
The emails, which are too crude to publish here, contain images of Africa tribesmen dancing entitled "Obama Inaugaration Rehearsal" and an email showing chimpanzees doing an Irish dance entitled "proof the Irish discovered Africa" and another email depicting bestiality.
Paladino's campaign manager, Michael Caputo, has responded by saying "Many of these emails he received were off-color, some were politically incorrect, few represented his own opinion, and almost none of them were worth remembering. We're not surprised the political establishment feels threatend by Carl's drive to take Albany back for taxpayers."
He went on to say that "It figures that members of the party who brought us record taxes, record spending and record debt would want to change the topic from reform to having sex with horses and S&M parlors."
Of course, we all knew Paladino's campaign for governor would be unorthodox and off-color. But few of us expected he would be at the center of this many controversies this quickly. We're not 3 weeks from Paladino's already-notorious comparison of the passing of health reform to 9/11 and now he's in the middle of another firestorm.
Paladino, a love-him-or-hate-him figure if ever there was one, was a long shot to win the governor's race prior to the recent controversies. Now, one wonders if his campaign is over before it really started. Maybe Paladino could benefit from Mayor Brown's offer of hug therapy.
Does this change your view of Paladino? Should these emails have been released? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Paladino responds to reporter's questions. Video from WNYMedia.Net.
Update: Keith Olbermann
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The emails, which are too crude to publish here, contain images of Africa tribesmen dancing entitled "Obama Inaugaration Rehearsal" and an email showing chimpanzees doing an Irish dance entitled "proof the Irish discovered Africa" and another email depicting bestiality.
Paladino's campaign manager, Michael Caputo, has responded by saying "Many of these emails he received were off-color, some were politically incorrect, few represented his own opinion, and almost none of them were worth remembering. We're not surprised the political establishment feels threatend by Carl's drive to take Albany back for taxpayers."
He went on to say that "It figures that members of the party who brought us record taxes, record spending and record debt would want to change the topic from reform to having sex with horses and S&M parlors."
Of course, we all knew Paladino's campaign for governor would be unorthodox and off-color. But few of us expected he would be at the center of this many controversies this quickly. We're not 3 weeks from Paladino's already-notorious comparison of the passing of health reform to 9/11 and now he's in the middle of another firestorm.
Paladino, a love-him-or-hate-him figure if ever there was one, was a long shot to win the governor's race prior to the recent controversies. Now, one wonders if his campaign is over before it really started. Maybe Paladino could benefit from Mayor Brown's offer of hug therapy.
Does this change your view of Paladino? Should these emails have been released? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Paladino responds to reporter's questions. Video from WNYMedia.Net.
Update: Keith Olbermann
WTH is it with republicans and sex with animals? I honestly can't think of what kind of people wouldn't respond to such an email with horror (I mean, I assumed, before today, that such a video would be illegal) and delete it at the least? What kind of wacko would FORWARD IT? Seriously, why do their brains go there, again and again? Lets add Carl Palamino :) to Man-on-Dog Santorum and Sex-with-Ducks Robertson in the library of twisted people who should not lead ANYTHING.
Republican?
Paladino was a Democrat for 30 years. He switched to the Republican party just a few years ago.
So think twice before throwing those generalizations around.
So, he had to become a republican before he could be into it?
Yes labgrrl. He never dared look at any email like that until he turned republican. Now go back to sleep.
;)
Of course he was never really a Democrat, but you know that.
BRLifer, what does not "real" mean?
Paladino registered himself as a Dem for almost his entire adult life until recently, and by far he has donated more money to Dem candidates and the Dem party over the years than he has to Repubs. All public record.
On another note, I agree with bflobr's comment that it seems off-topic to have Byron Brown's picture in this article. Not that it matters much but it's strange.
Carl was a DINO, he knew he had to place nice with the Dems in order to feed at the public trough here in Buffalo.
ROFL. Nice, defend your peeps
WNYMedia is frigging gutless - no comment section, just a blatantly false "We don’t pass judgment on what people want to send around to their friends."
Yeah. No judgment passed here whatsoever. Classic PC fake offense.
I don't agree. He was very much a Democrat in name and action up until about 8 years ago. He was a big supporter of Bill Clinton, both in terms of local campaigning and contributions. Granted, he was never a truly far left leaning liberal, but I don't think he was a right wing conservative until people started to listen to him a few years ago. He has an audience that strokes his enormous ego, and he says what they want to hear. I personally believe he would do the same thing if there was a far left party that would give him the time of day. He has a lot to gain from an adminstration led by Democrats, probably more than a Republican led regime. Look at where he has made his money, and look at who sponsors the bills that make it possible for him to make his money.
I am not a fan of Paladino, never was nor will I be in the future. I am laughing at his stupidity and the uncloaking of the real Carl. I am sure that Phil Rumore is laughing his a$$ off right now, with the same smug satisfaction the Blackrocklifer has in his commments.
So you are "laughing at his stupidity, sounds like "smug satifactiion" to me.
Most of your comment was reasonable, too bad you felt the need to end it with an insult.
I am not feeling any personal vindication or self-satisfaction from his disgrace; however it appears that you do from the comments that you have posted.
BRLifer, the many Democrats who Paladino supported weren't just locals. You can claim to read other people's minds all you want, but his public record is a matter of fact.
Paladino chose to register as a Democrat for most of his life and has generously donated to Democrats at the fedeal level including
Hillary Clinton, Richard Gephardt,
John Kerry, Al Gore,
Charles Schumer, Eliot Spitzer,
Louise Slaughter, Eric Massa, ...
All of those are staunch liberal Democrats who aren't from Buffalo. Why would someone who isn't a Democrat support candiates like Gore, Gephardt, Clinton, Massa, etc.?
The facts are Paladino for may decades registered as a Democrat and supported many Democrat politicians at the national level then only recently switched affiliation - perhaps planning ahead for this run for NY gov as an R.
He contributed to both parties because he needed their collusion to continue his exploitation of the system. He gave more to Democrats because Buffalo is a Democratic city. If you look at his personal philosophy and his public statements here is clearly on the far right.
Nice spin. Lacks truth and honesty, but that is not your trademark anyway.
I can't blame you for trying to distance your party from him, but I don't see how Buffalo being a "Democratic city" would cause Paladino to favor only Dem candidates for president until his recent supposed conversion.
There's no reported donations from him to any Republican presidential candidates until this last election, but he donated to at least 5 Democrat presidential candidates previously - Kerry, Gore, Gephardt, and each of the Clintons.
http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/04/04/1008510_paladino-gave-cash-to-variety.html
He sounds like a mainstream loyal Democrat. His insensitivity fits in with leaders like Robert Byrd, Jesse Jackson, Harry Reid, Al Sharpton, etc.
Paladino even supported and donated to Democrat Eric Massa. Massa wasn't connected to Buffalo at all. His district doesn't even touch Erie or Niagara counties. It isn't even close enough to tickle Erie or Niagara, or mess up their hair.
"If you look at his personal philosophy and his public statements here is clearly on the far right."
Seems recent and he might be faking. He sure doesn't favor fiscal conservatism based on his love of corporate welfare.