The NY Congressional Special Election is March 31. Keep NY-20 Democratic and make Michael Steele sad. Act Blue is raising funds for Democratic candidate Scott Murphy to hold the seat previously held by now-Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
***
In the latest episode of As the District Turns, Assemblyman Tedisco made it clear to a reporter from the Daily Star in Oneonta that he wasn’t at all impressed with putative party head Rush Limbaugh
Political commentators may see the 20th Congressional District race as a contest of national consequence, but Republican James Tedisco, 58, is focused closer to home.
“Rush Limbaugh is meaningless to me,” Tedisco told the editorial board of The Daily Star on Thursday. “The only constituency I’m worried about are the residents of the 20th Congressional District.”
…
Voters will go to the polls March 31. Tedisco, 58, noted that the National Republican Congressional Committee and GOP National Committee Chairman Michael Steele are focused on this race, but he said he is calling his own shots, running his own campaign.
…
“I was out in the streets, shaking hands, trying to meet everybody,” he said. “I hadn’t run a congressional race before, but I realized I had to get inside and take control of my message.”
His message is, apparently, Please don’t hurt me
In the hours since the story was posted, it has gone viral — the Huffington Post first linked to it and it is all over the blogs now.
In response, Tedisco spokesman Adam Kramer sent over the following statement:
“Jim’s comments were in response to a question about what voters are asking him about on the campaign trail. So far, the concerns he has been hearing from voters on the campaign trail have been local in nature, such as his support for lower property taxes, fiscal responsibility, and his opponent’s appalling support for the AIG bonus loophole. That was his point and any effort to characterize it otherwise is a distortion of the facts.”
After the jump: Mr. Tedisco’s generous birther friend from the National Republican Trust PAC makes an unfortunate phone call to the Albany Times-Union about the ad they were forced to pull of the air last week:
Yesterday, we had a blog post reporting that the National Republican Trust PAC had asked for its anti-Murphy ad to be taken off the air after NBC affiliate WNYT-13 asked for documentation proving the claims on their ad.
Last evening, National GOP Trust PAC Executive Director Scott Wheeler called to dispute elements of the post. It was an, erm, colorful conversation. I informed Wheeler early on that the conversation was on-the-record. You can hear the audio below. (Only part of the conversation is recorded, as it took a little time to set up my recorder).
Among a number of complaints, Wheeler says that his organization did submit documentation to the station.
However, when asked again about the documentation, NBC affiliate WNYT-13 general manager Steve Baboulis said, “They may have sent something — as far as we know, we didn’t have it. My general sales manager does not have any backup received from that group. Our national rep firm who handles that business out of their office, they said did not receive that. The operative message that we got was that that particular copy on that spot was to be discontinued and that we would see more copy forthcoming.”
Mr. Tedisco’s own ads are more positive. Here, he quotes r8ny (Ben Smith of Politico’s project) on the awesomeness of himself. Unfortunately, what he was linking to was a r8ny posting of a press release from his own campaign.
In other news: with national Republicans prioritizing this race (and Steele running for his life), the Democratic candidate is still outfundraising Mr. Tedisco.
And that’s down to you, and you’re doing an awesome job. If you want to keep going, you can donate here.
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Julia!
fyi, my thirteen year old takes credit for the title
Hey, Bets!
tis a great title – hey julia!
Yeah, I guess. What else they got?
Hey Julia!
I gave at the office. Seriously, made a contribution yesterday or the day before.
Evening, Julia? How be you?
My friend who lives in the district has only answered my emails about our next dinner together, not my Qs about the election, so no local anecdotes to report. I’ve encouraged her to donate, but …
Your 13 year old is awesome!
Hey, you.
Not bloody much. Their national poll numbers are tanking, and all the right to work states are turning down their stimulus unemployment money.
Sort of makes you wonder if they think they can stay in office long enough to run for president. It didn’t work out too well for our own Governor Pataki
My dinner with the couple who live in the district is 3/28, before the election. They’ll vote for the D (they’re more liberal than I am), but I probe them for local color. I don’t read the local newspapers.
I’m not in Murphy’s district but there’s a buzz here among committed dems. I think he’s going to win big.
Hey, thanks for the advocacy, I’m sure it means a lot more coming from a local.
Yeah, my thirteen year old is pretty awesome.
The R govs who have turned down the stim because they want to run for prez are like the flea floating down the river on his back: raise the drawbridge, I’ve got a hard on. (Apologies to those who are tired of my using that analogy.) That is especially true of Palin.
Win one house seat, and teh Goopers are all Navin Johnson, realizing that the new phone book is out, and he’s in it.
Gotta have hope.
I’m wildly amused by her. She’s trying so hard to be the perfect candidate, while she’s trying to get her state, which is the fattest piglet on the federal tit, to accept the fact that her ideology means that they have to live on their own revenue.
I suspect she’s forgotten what it’s like not to have a government check coming in. She never has had.
Of course, this begs the issure of what we NYSers do about DINO Gillibrand in the next election.
Mike Arcuri, otoh, who is my rep is in trouble. And I’m finding it hard to be enthused about him also. He was on our local news station last night and apparently read a speech from a few sheets of paper without ever even raising his head. And, from what I hear, didn’t even read it well. I didn’t see it, myself, but he was, reportedly, very unimpressive. Add that to the whiff of corruption and we could lose this seat back to the repubs.
Tits, hard-ons. Palin’s got ‘em all.
Any other Ds around to primary him?
Would you be interested in being on my emailist for FDL BBQs in mid-Hudson? (New Paltz) Thinking of have the next one on Memorial Sunday.
I’m agnostic, but I’d be a lot more comfortable if the Republicans are in full retreat by the time we have that conversation
I’ll vote for the dem. I just hope it’s someone other than Gillibrand. And Patterson is toast. I don’t know anyone who likes him.
Of course, I’m from central NY so we’re not going to determine the outcome of any Gov or Senate race.
TMI
meant with a certain admiration…
Ecahn: because marymccurnin is busy right now.
I can testify that those are some serious barbecues. I was at the last one. It was a real treat.
don’t forget the balls – turning down special education funding when she has a child with special needs – ballsy and we know how most decisions made by the balls turn out. can alaska impeach her now?
I guess Palin doesn’t give a rats ass about those special needs children after all, since she is turning the stim money down. Her kid is taken care of so fuck the rest.
Solai,
I donated a tiny amount to Arcuri a few years ago and was happy when he won, but like my own rep he’s a Blue Dog.
She sees Governor Sanford in her rear view mirror, and can’t afford to be out-goopered.
Julia, great post! I love it when repubs go berzerkio!!!
Was that you doing the interview? (din check all the links)
Not that I’m aware of. We were repub for many years. Boehlert, who was referred to as being moderate. Don’t be surprised if we return. I don’t think a rabid repub would win, but a moderate could. Arcuri lost in his own district last year but the press was brutal on what may be a sweetheart deal he has leasing a recently purchased building to the NYS Police. TobyWilkins down in the Corning area wasn’t aware of this ’scandal’ so it was mainly the local press that buried him.
Julia, thank you so much for these glimpses into NY politics. It is fascinating.
Tits, hard-ons. Palin’s got ‘em all.
Strangely enough, even with the words contained in that sentence, I find that I’m not aroused in the least.
The Palin factor, I’m thinking….
Well, I suppose a Blue Dog D is better than a R. Sigh.
And the BBQ Q?
I know Mike Arcuri personally. Been to a few social functions with him. A friend of a friend. Divorce changed the dynamics so I haven’t seen him socially in over 10yrs. I, too, contributed to his first campaign and my daughter volunteered for his campaign. Not so enthused anymore.
What Palin doesn’t give a rat’s ass about is education…period.
That is a good thing.
I forgot the snark tag.
My wingnut son (previously referred to) thought I would be thrilled back when McInsane chose Palin. He knew too much about my lifelong failure to be a VSP on Wall St. Don’t know where I went wrong that he thought that Palin would represent respectable women.
I forgot the snark tag.
yeah, that woulda done it.
I find snark tags strangely arousing.
Probably just me.
Oneota is a republican stronghold…lot of expensive small hotels…beautiful countryside with waterfalls, rivers creeks and wildlife. I you get a dem elected their you did some doing.
Perhaps a Dr. Ruth issue.
I work with a wingnut everyday. I can’t tell you the fun I’ve been having the last week. She hates the stimulus, tax and social programs. She owns a condo in Myrtle Beach that she’s been trying to sell for the last 6mos. I’ve been rubbing it in that Sanford is refusing the stimulus money so I guess MB isn’t going to get their expanded airport or new Convention Center. “Too bad, it might have made your condo more appealing.” (I know this might not be true, but I’m not letting that ruin my fun)
no, that was a reporter at the Albany Times-Union named Irene Jay Liu, who I’m very impressed with. She’s covering the ads in that race, and she’s doing a marvellous job.
any truth to the rumor that Dr. Ruth is a lousy lay?
I favor that kind of reality twisting.
Politics, they say, is a contact sport. I wish it weren’t so. BUT, if you’ve got the advantage, use it. It’s up to her to counter your take. Did she?
How the hell would I know?
No kidding. Boehners playing himself as a moderate?
Because not so much, really
And not really the public face of restraint, either
No. But it might not be a lie. Wasn’t he told it’s all or nothing? That the stimulus money isn’t an a la carte selection?
No idea. I do know she can field strip an uzi blindfolded, which I’m pretty impresssed by.
what – you never wonder about things like that?
/s
I actually don’t know whether the stim is all or nothing. Didn’t read it. Schumer sez it is, but who could possibly trust him?
Frankly …
(Think there’s some frankly I don’t give a damn from GWTW that seems appropriate here.)
Good point.
Now, I’m off to bed. Have a mid-morning brunch tomorrow at our local casino. I expect to be a millionaire by 2.
Best of luck!
Remember your friends.
Probably work if you’re starting out as a billionaire.
dugg
Dugg back
They’re still looking for their Special Purpose.
Keep Calm and Carry On.
O/T … Wisc downs Fla St. 61- 59
Blue state/Red state!
dude…
I am ignoring the whole tourney until the last 3 games. How’s Obama’s bracket doing?
No clue … but I was watching this one and the Ohio St V Siena games cuz I had a feeling … both upsets !
We have insane politics here. I go back an forth between thinking it’s because there’s so much money involved and my other theory, which is that my state is completely insane.
More Bad news for Geithner – McCain gives Timmy the kiss of death – from HuffPo
In CA, it is nothing but money, but is numbingly corrupt AND, although urgent (a defecit of tens of billions of dollars), boring as Hell. Ahnold is the only personality in the whole place.
Lieberman up next.
Then Leslie … to complete the trifecta ?
In truth, Geitner may be the least lucky guy on earth. His task is impossible, just impossible. It is thankless, fraught with new threats daily, unceasing criticism from all corners, and it is quite possible that someone kind of smart decided that lying his ass off is the only path to sustaining any confidence in the remaining markets.
Having been there at the inception of this mess however, this could be his just desserts. It will probably kill him if he fails or succeeds.
Did y’all see this – One day after Tedisco declared, “Rush is useless to me !”, he rejoins, “Nothing I Said Should Be Construed As Criticizing Rush” – these guys are putting comedy writers out of work … – from TPM
Nice summary, and I concur.
I was struck but not surprised when Shumer was panned for telling truth about banks, only to see them fail, and get blamed for the run.
I don’t know how to feel about this – it is so much worse than can be comprehended that in this case, the truth may be the enemy of the recovery.
And tomorrow I will wonder why I just typed the above. But there it is.
Edit: I love it when Shumer gets blamed for anything/everything, whether he was there or a million miles away from it.
Spot on ! The malaise is so deep that Schummy got smacked down for daring to depart from the standard talking points. Marcy had a great post today, about BO’s analogy of the Bankers with suicide vests – Linky
Oneonta, where the wind comes sweeping down the plains?
Oh, sorry, that’s Oklahoma.
-G
Governor Eliot Spitzer was getting close to the bank fraud when they busted him…wall street knew he had the goods on them so they went this route and got saved by Bush/Obama. Cost us trillions…saves them trillions. Yeah NY is corrupt beyond imagination.
Yay!
And education funding! With her eldest a high school dropout!