Diamond is a senior vice-president at Realty Capital International, a real estate investment banking firm, and a former vice-president at Bear Stearns. Prior to his career in finance, he served in the U.S. Navy and was the Navy's legislative liasion to the House of Representatives. A Truman Security Fellow, he also serves as vice-chairman of the Democratic National Committee's Veterans and Military Families Council.

According to a Times story about his 2004 wedding, Diamond's mother served as the district director to former Staten Island Republican Congressman Vito Fossella.

Grimm was a political novice when he eked out a win 2010 against one-term Democrat Mike McMahon. The district covers parts of Brooklyn and all of Staten Island, and has voted heavily Republican in presidential elections over the last several cycles, but is likely to become more Democratic after the most recent round of redistricting, and is seen  as the quintessential New York City swing district

McMahon has been hinting that he will run himself, but has made no moves yet to put together a campaign.

Grimm has come under fire in recent weeks for his full-throated endorsement of Paul Ryan's budget, even though cuts in that proposal could hurt seniors.

A phone call to Diamond was not returned.

The two most visible figures in the war over bike lanes, NYC Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan (pro) and her predecessor, Iris Weinshall (con) ran into each other. Weinshall embraced the commissioner by the elbows and both smiled and nodded at one another.  (I didn't get my camera out in time to capture the moment.) What did she say to the commissioner? Weinshall told me, "That's between me and Janette Sadik-Khan, don't you think Azi?"

During former School Chancellor Joel Klein's remarks, ABNY's president, Bill Rudin tried hushing the crowd. After he did, Klein joked, "This was like every education meeting I've ever been to. Nobody ever listens."

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, in presenting an award to the Council's Education Chairman Robert Jackson, joked he had so much spirt and energy, she feared he might combust.

Former comptroller, and current mayoral candidate Bill Thompson greeted his one-time fund-raiser, Suri Kasirer (who again is the top lobbyist in NYC). "I cam here looking for you," he said.

State Republican Chairman Ed Cox chatted with former Democratic City Councilwoman Eva Moskowitz; Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. chatted with former Congressman Mike McMahon. And former State Senator Craig Johnson and consultant George Fontas worked the room.

The meeting was closed to the press, but according to several sources present, McMahon mentioned the flare-up immediately, and explained that the campaign wanted to track who was giving money to one of his opponents, Republican Mike Grimm. He said that no one was authorized to label the document, "Jewish Money."

"He reiterated his apology and his anger about the situation, he talked about firing the aide. He was very genuine in feeling bad about it and in making the case that that's not who he is," said one attendee.

Those in attendance included Rabbi Yechiel Kaufman of the Boro Park Jewish Community Council, Michael Miller of the Jewish Community Relations Council, Rabbi Shea Hecht of the National Committee for Furtherance of Jewish Education, as well as representatives from the Orthodox Union, and the Council of Jewish Organizations of Flatbush. McMahon was introduced by Rep. Jerry Nadler.  Brad Lander, who represents the area in the City Council, was also present.

The area is outside of McMahon's district, and sources say that the meeting seemed mostly like a chance for members of the Jewish community to get to know McMahon, who has only been in office for a year and a half. After McMahon's brief remarks, he took questions from the 50 or so attendees, and sources say that the question were more focused on specifics--the foreclosure crisis, how to get more services to the neighborhood, McMahon's views on Israel--than on the events of the last several days.

"It was very nice," explained Rabbi Kaufman of the Boro Park JCC. "He explained everything that they were doing. Hopefully we can work together to bring services to the community."

dfreedlander@observer.com

Both are vying for the right to take on incumbent Democrat Mike McMahon in the November, who surely is hoping that these two get into a knock-down drag-out primary. In a release, Allegretti touches upon this point

"A debate will allow both of us to talk directly to the voters, and to make our respective cases as to why we should take on Mike McMahon," Allegretti said. "The one thing the Democrats fear most is a well organized, thoughtful Republican candidate with ideas and grassroots support. This gives us a chance to tell the world what either of us would do as a member of Congress, and to shore up our support."

As Celeste notes, calling for a debate is a common practice for underfunded challengers going against early favorites; the challenger gets to stand on the same stage, making the challenger seem equal in stature to the favorite, and it creates the opportunity for the favorite to say something stupid.

In the case of the Staten Island G.O.P. primary, sources tell me that Grimm has a slight edge: he has raised more money, has the Conservative Party backing, and the support of national G.O.P. leaders like Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Sarah Palin. But Allegretti has the support of the Island Republican establishment, and can dump a whole lot of his personal wealth into the campaign.

However, people who have seen them debate in person before (which, unlike Maloney-Saujani, they actually did) tell me that Allegretti seemed much more fluent on the issues than his opponent.

Full Allegretti letter below:

Letter to Grimm for Debate - Allegretti for Congress

According to Maggie Haberman:

Nelson said the lists were put together after a discussion involving the congressman's chief of staff in his Washington office, Chris McCannell, and done after a conference call with him, the campaign finance team and others.

If true, this could be more bad news for the McMahon campaign. The lines between official government work and campaign work are pretty thick, and electeds will go to great, sometimes absurd lengths to not cross them.

More from Maggie:

  [Nelson] said the impetus for creating the lists came "from the official office...I know [McCannell] was on the phone call. The decision to create that list came as a result of a discussion with the finance (team). He was aware of it."

Asked for comment, McMahon's campaign manager Jonathan Yedin referred to what he told Politico:

Ms. Nelson's actions and statements were unauthorized, inappropriate and not reflective of the congressman or his staff. Congressman McMahon apologized for her behavior and took decisive action to terminate her employment with the campaign. However, this election isn't about Jen Nelson, it's about how best to create jobs, grow our economy, and represent the people of Staten Island and Brooklyn. Mike McMahon has been staunchly independent, working with Democrats and Republicans alike to deliver real results. That's why he will be re-elected in November."

UPDATE: A source close to McMahon just called to clarify that any work McCannell did for the campaign was during his own time, and not part of his duties in the office, a common practice for aides to politicians. My bad.

According to McMahon campaign manager Jonathan Yedin,  "This is an event with Congressmen McMahon and Nadler and other leaders of the community.  It has been in the works for more than a month."

Still, this represents the first time that McMahon has formally met with leaders of the Jewish community since news broke that his campaign was keeping reports of opponent Michael Grimm's Jewish fundraising.

Expect a decent photo-op and series of statements issuing support for McMahon.

dfreedlander@observer.com

Yesterday, The Observer published a story about how the McMahon campaign had compiled opposition reseach of Jewish donors to the campaign of Mike Grimm, who is battling Allegretti for the G.O.P. nod.

Asked if that meant that McMahon was scared of a general election against Grimm, Allegretti responded, "Mike McMahon should simply be scared of his record."

Allegretti received the nomination of both the Staten Island and Brooklyn Republican parties, but he has lagged in fundraising, garnering only $90,000 in the last period, compared to over $200,000 that Grimm raised.  Allegretti's family owns Bayside Fuel Oil Corporation, which was once one of the city's largest private business, and observers have been expecting him to write himself a big check.

Allegretti said that he had not considered doing that, and added that "my support is profoundly confident and profoundly deep."

And on a day where everybody from the state G.O.P to the Republican Jewish Coalition took shots at McMahon, Allegretti demurred.

"I am not going to exploit this issue for my own political gain."

dfreedlander@observer.com

Responded state chairman Jay Jacobs "It should go without saying that residents in Staten Island and Brooklyn deserve better than to be characterized as violent thugs in the press, let alone by Grimm, who's seeking to represent them in Congress.  Grimm insulted the character of every man, woman, and child who calls Brooklyn or Staten Island home, and he owes each and every one of them an apology."

McMahon was one of the few New York Democrats to vote against the health care bill, something that led to him not receiving the Working Families Party endorsement, which led him to seeking the Independence Party line, which led him to try to kick off his primary opponent from the IP ballot earlier this week.

Although most observers think that McMahon will hold on (Rothenberg lists it as one of its 88 "toss-ups," but also as "Democrat favored") his district did vote for John McCain in 2008.

dfreedlander@observer.com

"I regret to have to take these affirmative actions but under our existing election law the only way these filings will get a line by line scrutiny is if we take this step," Congressman McMahon said.

McMahon says that 402 of Tabacco's 678 signatures appear to not be valid.

McMahon will be on the Independence Party line in the September primaryafter submitting more than 1300 signatures of Indy Party members, but his campaign hoped to avoid a costly primary for the right to run on the line in November.

Tabacco ran on the Indy Line for the City Council last year but was defeated.

He has recently been embroiled in an allegations that he paid the wife of the state party's chairman $10,000 to earn the Indy Party endorsement.

McMahon did not get the Working Families line due to his "no" vote on health care, and his backers have seen him securing the I-line as crucial to his re-election prospects.

The vote tonight, according to the Staten Island Advance, was 23 to 4.

"I think many people are surprised at the actions of the executive committee," said Vinny Ignizio, a Republican City Councilman and former county chairman. "Clearly there is a large contingency of the Staten Island GOP who want to see Vito Fossella on the ballot come november. Their voices were heard."

"In the future we'll hear from Vito himself about what he'll do with the endorsement," said Ignizio, who has not endorsed any candidate in the race.

Another Republican, who asked not to be identified, called the move "disgusting."

Fossella did not seek re-election in 2008 after a drunk driving arrest in Virginia led to the revelation that the married congressman fathered a child with a woman there. He was succeeded by Mike McMahon, a Democrat who represented a part of the district as a member of the City Council.

Rumors about Fossella's return has circulated for weeks, even as two other Republicans were seeking the nomination: Mike Grimm, a former soldier and FBI agent, and Mike Allegretti, whose family runs a well-known business in the district, which includes all of Staten Island and portions of Brooklyn.

After announcing he would not seek re-election, Fossella displayed a level of popularity and clout that few elected officials without scandals could match.

He was the guest of honor at a tribute breakfast on Staten Island on December 15, 2008. The room was packed with well-wishers, including Republican elected officials from throughout the borough. And seated next to him was Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Later, when Bloomberg opened a campaign office on Staten Island, there was Fossella, standing right behind him.

Bloomberg, a man who places a high value on loyalty, may be conflicted should Fossella enter the race. The current congressman, Mike Mcmahon, crossed party lines to endorse Bloomberg for re-election in 2009.

And Staten Island Borough President Jim Molinaro, a Bloombeg ally and registered Conservative, has already endorsed McMahon.