Do you remember the scene from "The Godfather" where the movie producer refuses to give the part to Vito Corleone's godson. So Vito makes him an offer he can't refuse and the guy
wakes up with the head of his prized horse in his bed?
The bent windshield wipers annoyed her. The sex toy glued to her windshield back in June made her furious. But finding a horse's head in her swimming pool yesterday hit Wawayanda Councilwoman Gail Soro right where she lives.
Gail Soro is the lone Democratic councilwoman in Wawayanda in Orange County, N.Y., where relations between Republicans and Democrats have been testy.
Gail Soro is the lone Democrat on the five-member Town Board, and the only woman. She's outspoken on the issues that dominate discourse in the town, namely how to manage the transition from rolling hills full of farmland to New York City commuter suburb - or whether that's the course the town should follow.
Other council members acknowledged that they've had words with Soro, but they flatly condemned the attack on her.
"I do hope they find whoever's responsible for this," said Supervisor John Razzano, who has clashed with Soro. "It's terrible to think that things like that go on."
Oh yes. It's just awful, isn't it?
So far, there has been no claim of responsibility by any of the known terrorist organizations or from any known GOP groups.
But the state police are wondering whether politics is the motive.
Captain Wayne Olson said they are trying to determine the reason for the incident.
"We don't know what the motive is," he said. "Because this woman has been a victim of harassment to a lesser degree we think may be related to her political position in the Town of Wawayanda, we're looking into politics as maybe part of the reason why this occurred."
Trying to identify where the horse came from would be "one of our primary focuses at this point," Olson said.
It is unknown at this time if the horse was dead before its head was virtually surgically removed or if it was killed and then decapitated.
The Orange County Democratic Women are treating it as an attack not only against a Democrat, but against women:
The president of Orange County Democratic Women Thursday called for the arrests of the "thugs" who have harassed Wawayanda Town Councilwoman Gail Soro, most recently by dumping a horse head into her backyard pool.
Sandra Sciortino pointed to the attacks on Soro, including gluing an obscene object to her car a while ago, and vandalism to the home of former Orange County legislator Bonnie Kraham. "In both instances, the victims are elected officials, Democrats and women," said Sciortino. "The common characteristics whether taken individually or collectively do not justify the treatment."
Sciortino said citizens of every community "are entitled to open government where opinions can be voiced without fear. Elected officials have a right to represent the people who elected them without fear that harm will come to themselves or their families. Women have a right to hold public office without fear of harassment."
The state police have released a photo of the horse's head (cleaned up, of course) in hopes that someone in the community will recognize it and they can find out who owned the horse.
But if they are looking for clues, I'm gonna suggest they try this blog devoted to getting rid of Gail Soro, which apparently has been suspended.
However, a poster at Freeperville has posted this excerpt from the blog:
The purpose of this Blog is to follow the rants and antics of Councilwoman Gail Soro until the 2007 election period. We hope that there is enough computer memory and new Limo-gate rides to last until then.
As we last left Ms Soro, She had seen the defeat of the entire Democrat slate, "F" Dan Myers, Carole Hurst and Wayne Skinner, by The Wawayanda Republicans - led by John Razzano!
The faces and sneers are one thing but the comments the residents of the town " you just come to the meetings because the Republicans liquor and drug you up afterwards " are quite another!
Face it Gail, your slate of candidates lost and now you have to face the fact that your lies and intimidation do not work!
Meanwhile, the initial shock is giving way to anger.
"Everyone's seen 'The Godfather,' " Gail Soro said last night, doing a slow, sad burn as she pondered whether to put surveillance cameras among the many bird feeders hanging above her immaculate lawn.
She was born and raised in this town, and she's never feared for her safety until now.
"There's a message here," she said.