Now who's "independent"

Patricia Slavick, criticized Albany County and its Comptroller, Mike Conners yesterday for delays and overspending on the project to rehab the County Court House. Conners's response was lame. If he'd pointed at Mike Breslin as responsible for the project, he would have been highlighting Slavick's independence of Breslin.

Here's part of the News Channel 9 account:

ALBANY COUNTY, N.Y. -- With five weeks until primary night, the race for Albany County Comptroller is heating up with a back and forth exchange between an endorsed candidate and the incumbent she hopes to replace.

Guilderland Town Board member Patricia Slavick says County Comptroller Mike Conners isn't doing enough to alert taxpayers of construction delays and overspending in an ongoing county court house renovation project. Conners says his challenger is pointing the finger in the wrong direction. He says he's been outspoken on the project's lagging status and he's voicing his concerns to the appropriate people.

"These typical negative attacks are not only inaccurate, but illustrates a lack of familiarity about how the project is managed in the county," Conners said.

Conners never has trouble getting press. It's how he communicates. So when "he's been outspoken on the project's lagging status," where was the coverage? "Voicing his concerns to the appropriate people"? Like who? Yeah, right. And why didn't a reporter ask, "like who?"

Slavick beat Conners badly here. And caught with his pants down, he faked it on his response.