NY-13: The Other Debate In NY Last Night

While we were all getting for the rumble on Long Island, the candidates running for Staten Island's Congressional seat geared up for a debate of their own. McMahon, Straniere, Cochrane and Morano all had a chance to say what they had to offer as one of them will ultimately replace the current and toxic Congressman Fossella. McMahon showed his strength even before it got started with a rally outside the event. It has been quite an interesting road getting here, as CQ Politics shows us in this recap video. Now we are finally getting to the end of the line and things are as heated as ever.

Here's the responses from one question last night:

Q. Mayor Bloomberg has thrust the issue of term limits back into the spotlight. What is your position on limiting the terms of elected officials at any and all levels of government?

Bob Straniere tells the audience he supports going to voters and letting them decide if there should be term limits for city officials. "If they're going to revisit this issue, they should go back to the voters. We are not some dictatorship," he says. The Republican says that the idea that only one person can lead the city now is "elitist. It's a terrible idea."

Carmine Morano chimes in: "I'm going to say something I never thought I would say: I gotta agree with bob on this." The Independence candidate says he will not seek more than three terms if elected.

Tim Cochrane tells his opponent, "Carmine, you think you have it hard. I have to agree with both of you." Cochrane says that the Bloomberg plan undermines democracy and the will of the people. "Everybody gets stale, folks. It's the way of the world."

Michael McMahon responds last: "I do not believe in term limits."

The Democrat wonders why Straniere didn't call for term limits while he was serving in the Assembly for 24 years. In a pointed dig, McMahon tells the crowd that when voters turned Straniere out of office... "THAT was term limits."

Regardless of the term limits aspect, McMahon took the opportunity to land a punch on Straniere's lapel and it connected. So as Vito leaves office (but before he goes to court today) the residents of New York's 13th got to see the candidates up close and personal and help the undecideds decide. Of course, that may not matter so much, since this race is looking so good for a Democratic pickup.

Return Of The Vito In Staten Island?

Rumor, or shall I say a targeted polling operation has it that Vito Fossella may try to re-enter the race for the Congressional seat that still bears his name. Originally Vito dropped his re-election bid when he was arrested for driving under the influence and the subsequent story of his hidden family (hidden from his wife and three kids) surfaced. The result was the not-so-surprising revelation that the GOP is a fractured bunch down in Staten Island.

Now that Straniere is the nominee and the fact remains that he isn't well liked even amongst his own party, perhaps Vito thinks he can become the hero and save the day (or at least hang on to one seat for the Republican caucus). Either way, this sounds like the latest piece of bad news for an already desperate race on the part of the Republicans.

From The NY Post:

Embattled Staten Island congressman Vito Fossella may be trying to make his way back onto the ballot this November, sources confirmed to The Post last night.

Pollsters reached out to Staten Islanders over the weekend looking for their opinions about Fossella, who chose not to seek re-election after being arrested for DWI and amid revelations that he fathered a child with a mistress. The polling was originally reported in the Staten Island Advance.

Making a run on the Republican ticket might be next to impossible because another pol, Robert Straniere, has already locked up the nomination. "I just don't see it," said one friend, noting Fossella's DWI trial starts next month.

I don't see it working out either, but frankly, I don't see it working out well for the GOP no matter what they do. Straniere is the name on the ballot and Vito would have to presumably be a write-in candidate. It may be more probable for that to work on the Island rather than any other borough, but it is still a long shot for them to even get the party to coalesce, let alone the majority of voters. The really sad thing is though (for the GOP) that an attempted Vito comeback may just be the best thing going for them.

Republicans Eat Themselves Alive In Staten Island

With all the focus on the Democratic Convention this week and the Republicans' main event next week, not much attention is being paid to the local races. However, that does not mean that things are all quiet in the Congressional primary races. Things are especially brutish in what was once thought a Republican-leaning district, that of NY-13 that encompasses Staten Island and a sliver of Brooklyn. Vito Fossella is on his way out and the local GOP has had to fill the gap. Unfortunately for them, the situation has become hellish.

From Staten Island Advance:

In a verbal barrage worthy of the hardcore political battle the Republican congressional primary has turned into, Bob Straniere accused Jim Wyne of trying to hide his Pakistani and Muslim heritage by "changing his name," while Wyne said Straniere wanted him to make an "illegal" campaign contribution when Straniere ran for Staten Island borough president in 2001.

Wyne -- who uses the name Dr. Jamshad Wyne professionally -- said Straniere asked him to take $5,000 of his personal cash and disburse it to relatives who would, in turn, write checks in the amounts of $250 or $200 to Straniere for Borough President, thereby maximizing the amount of matching funds Straniere could receive from the city Campaign Finance Board.

That would be illegal, and as the Advance notes, people have gone to jail for such schemes before. Crookedness and corruption is nothing new to New York and especially the GOP, though of course it can be a bipartisan practice to be fair. However, talk like this is exclusively a "conservative" affair:

Meanwhile, during an interview yesterday, Straniere said Wyne has been using the name "Jim" on the campaign trail because "he is trying to remake himself into something other than who is. He obviously doesn't want people to know he is Pakistani and a Muslim."

Way to play the race card Straniere, you must do the GOP party proud....oh wait, no, Straniere doesn't even do that. Straniere and GOP Borough President James Molinaro have gone head to head before and the two have, shall we say, less than warm feelings for each other. However this primary plays out, it is the Dems that have the advantage here.

GOP Reject Now Carrying Their Banner In Staten Island

Just as Charlie Cook keeps uprating the Democratic party's chances in NY-13, the Republicans of Staten Island play along and make the prospects of flipping the district that much stronger. The Republican machine (if you can call it that) has decided to go against Independence Party pick Carmine Morano for ex-Assemblyman Robert Straniere. Straniere was defeated a few years back in a re-election bid in his South Shore area. Now this isn't all said and done, that would be too simple. It appears that many Republicans, including James Molinari are not too happy about Straniere's endorsement.

From The Staten Island Advance:

Straniere was tabbed by a five-member GOP committee on vacancies last night to replace the late Frank Powers as the party designee for the bi-borough seat. Straniere is now set to battle Dr. Jamshad Wyne, the GOP finance chairman, in a Sept. 9 party primary.

The vote was 4-1 in Straniere's favor, with only Joseph Borelli, chief of staff to South Shore City Councilman Vincent Ignizio, casting a vote against Straniere.

Ignizio defeated Straniere in a 2004 GOP Assembly primary, ending Straniere's 24-year career in the Legislature, and last night said that he "will not be supporting Bob Straniere for Congress."

So to beg the question, why is there so much hostility in SI Republican-land, especially with the limited pool of talent that the party has down there? Well, as Molinari points out ominously:

Two words that strike me: Ethics and morality," said Molinari. "There have been so many questions raised about ethics in government over the last few months, the last thing we could have expected is to see someone put up for office with serious ethical concerns. That's mystifying."

Ouch!

I'm going to take a wild guess and say this has nothing to do with hot dogs and everything to do with his time in the Assembly. Of course this could also be a way for Republicans like Molinari and Ignizio to play down expectations of holding onto the seat following Fossella's shameful departure.