Sometimes campaigns just put out statements to keep their candidate's name in the news... and by sometimes I mean often.

Today I received a release from Kathy Marchione's campaign for the 43rd Senate seat currently held by Roy McDonald.

The race for the Republican line has already been contentious with strange phantom endorsements in their race to the right.

Today's statement from the Marchione camp is also about a phantom vote.

Responding to a New York Post report by Fred Dicker, Marchione blasted the politics-as-usual back-door deals that she suspects are happening (and probably with good reason, knowing Albany) where word is legislators have been discussing giving themselves a raise (wish I could do that).

"This is typical Albany: secret meetings and shady deals that we don't know about until leaked," she said in a statement. "If Albany politicians want to give themselves a raise, they should propose the idea publicly prior to the election but I for one don't believe one is warranted."

Pointing to high taxes and unemployment and the sentencing of "yet another state senator" for tax evasion, Marchione said she thinks the last thing that politicians need is a raise (here here).

Then comes the political plug: "Roy McDonald needs to clearly and publicly promise that he will not go along with this proposal," she said in the last line of the release.

And so he did (when I asked his campaign manager).

"Senator McDonald has consistently expressed his opposition to pay raises for legislators," said McDonald spokesman Mike Veitch, who then upped the ante. "He's even gone as far to say that the amount of time spent in Albany, along with pay, should be reduced."

I personally think they should pay us, but I don't know if that would pass in either chamber.

Anyway, not a bad thing to get McDonald on-record with opposing the imminent pay raise... if that's even happening.

Until next time, stay classy Saratoga [and I don't know if John Tighe stole that from me (who stole that from Anchorman) but I'm launching an official inquiry].