Erie County Democratic Chairman Len Lenihan Backs Higgins

by: robert.harding

Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 21:04:12 PM EST

Len Lenihan, Chairman of the Erie County Democratic Committee, just sent out this statement expressing his support for Rep. Brian Higgins to replace Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Concerning the pending vacancy in the United States Senate, Governor David Paterson was asked recently whether it mattered to name someone from an area in New York that is currently under-represented. He replied: "Well, it's very important," and went on to speak of the "...history and familiarity that people have who come from different parts of the state, or have unique backgrounds that we'd like to see in government."

In addition, Governor Paterson recently stated that when it comes to settling on a successor for Senator Hillary Clinton, he is "looking for a person...that can represent a state that has significant rural, suburban and urban communities." I submit that both statements speak directly to attributes held by Buffalo-area Congressman Brian Higgins.

After beating back a well-financed Republican effort in 2004 and winning a seat held by Republicans for 12 years, Brian Higgins has become an electoral force to be reckoned with in Western New York, even winning a resounding 75% of the vote in a three-candidate race in 2008. Higgins' victories reflect an impressive ability to win votes across the 27th District's geographic strata. Liberal urban communities in the City of Buffalo, moderate suburban Buffalo areas and conservative rural communities in Chautauqua County don't have much in common -- but they all voted to send Brian Higgins back to Congress in huge numbers. This is the appeal Higgins has, and what he can bring to a statewide ticket.

Higgins' tenure in the House of Representatives indicates a depth of knowledge of the issues of concern to Upstate residents and a willingness to fight hard for Upstate's economic interests. During his first term he waged an unprecedented campaign for Western New York when he took on the New York State Power Authority, which for decades generated vast amounts of electricity in Western New York, only to ship it to other communities. Higgins won a record financial settlement to keep Power Authority revenues in Western New York and to dedicate them to waterfront development, which had been ignored for decades by the existing power structure. This fight -- at its core -- was a fight for forgotten communities in New York State. It is a record -- and a message -- that will resonate with voters statewide.

The Governor he has many great public leaders from which to choose to make this appointment, and at the end of this process, I am confident that Governor Paterson will appoint a Senator who will serve all of New York's residents well. I simply believe that an upstate voice is critical at this point in time, and I believe that Congressman Brian Higgins is the right person at the right time.

I expressed my support for Higgins earlier and you will see other Western New Yorkers support Higgins. Higgins is the strong choice from Western New York and Lenihan did a great job of explaining why he's such a solid option.  

Buffalo News Editorial: Consider Upstate Senator

by: robert.harding

Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 10:50:10 AM EST

In an editorial today, the News mentioned Rep. Brian Higgins as a possible replacement to Sen. Clinton. They also mentioned a couple of other familiar names:

Consider upstate senator

About the only Western New Yorker to receive even a passing glance in the state's press is Buffalo's U. S. Rep. Brian Higgins. And, maybe, Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown, if only because he is known to be an old friend of Paterson's from the days both served in the State Senate.

The name of Rep. Louise Slaughter of Fairport also belongs in the mix - unless there's a feeling she's too near the end of her career or that she, or her constituents, wouldn't want to give up her powerful spot as chairwoman of the House Rules Committee.

We won't pick a favorite here, at this stage of the speculation. We will encourage the governor to remember that so many of the state's most powerful offices - including his own, the leadership of both houses of the Legislature and the state's other U. S. Senate seat - are held by people who hail from New York City and its immediate environs.

Naming a new senator who could bring real Western New York knowledge and feelings to the job - and have a two-year head-start on running for statewide election against rivals that will almost certainly be from downstate - could do a lot for the area's political pull. And, unlike so many other favors we seek, it won't cost state taxpayers a dime.

I would say Higgins is probably in the top five of individuals Governor David Paterson is considering, especially since Higgins is from upstate and that would help Governor Paterson politically.

But Byron Brown is an interesting name to bring up because Brown and Paterson are friends from their days in the New York State Senate together. That fact alone (and the fact that Brown is the mayor of New York's second largest city) could make Brown a sleeper.

Rep. Louise Slaughter would be appealing, but she is aging. Rep. Slaughter will be 80 next year, so while she would make a decent appointment, I'm not sure if she would be willing to run for election in 2012 for a six-year term. Maybe if a compromise can't be reached on who the candidate should be, Slaughter would fill in until 2010 or 2012 and then retire. Not the most ideal scenario, but not impossible either.

10 New York Dems Vote For Lawlessness, Monarchy

by: phillip anderson

Fri Jun 20, 2008 at 14:18:47 PM EDT

There's so much to despise in the bill these 10 NY Democrats voted on today, but Glenn Greenwald tries to pick the worst:

Perhaps the most repellent part of this bill (though that's obviously a close competition) is 802(c) of the telecom amnesty section. That says that the Attorney General can declare that the documents he submits to the court in order to get these lawsuits dismissed are secret, and once he declares that, then: (a) the plaintiffs and their lawyers won't ever see the documents and (b) the court is barred from referencing them in any way when it dismisses the lawsuit. All the court can do is issue an order saying that the lawsuits are dismissed, but it is barred from saying why they're being dismissed or what the basis is for the dismissal.

So basically, one day in the near future, we're all going to learn that one of our federal courts dismissed all of the lawsuits against the telecoms. But we're never going to be able to know why the lawsuits were dismissed or what documents were given by the Government to force the court to dismiss the lawsuits. Not only won't we, the public, know that, neither will the plaintiffs' lawyers. Nobody will know except the Judge and the Government because it will all be shrouded in compelled secrecy, and the Judge will be barred by this law from describing or even referencing the grounds for dismissal in any way. Freedom is on the march.

Is that what a democracy looks like? Are you telling me that we stood down a Soviet Union with tens of thousands of nuclear warheads aimed directly at us but that some half literate cave dwellers have driven us to basically gut the Fourth Amendment and bless the ones wielding the knife? And don't even get me started on how this whole vote went down.

When Democrats took over the Congress, they issued a document vowing to "end the 'dead of night' special interest provisions that turn bills into special-interest giveaways" and proclaimed: "Lawmakers must have the opportunity to read every bill before they vote on it. It's common sense."

Today, the House leadership has set aside a grand total of one hour to debate the FISA/amnesty bill, and gave its members less than 24 hours from the time it was released yesterday until they have to vote on it today. That's the same bill which the NYT this morning calls "the most significant revision of surveillance law in 30 years." They're going to enact massive changes to our spying laws without having the slightest idea what they're voting on. All they know is that the President demanded this, and that's enough, because -- as Kit Bond says -- "when the government tells you to do something, I'm sure you would all agree that I think you all recognize that is something you need to do." In this formulation, "the government" means "The President."

Disgraceful.

The following Democrats should remove me from their lists:

Ackerman (NY-5)
Arcuri (NY-24)
Bishop (NY-1)
Crowley (NY-7)
Engel (NY-17)
Gillibrand (NY-20)
Higgins (NY-27)
Lowey (NY-18)
McCarthy (NY-4)
Meeks (NY-6)

NY-27: Higgins To Face Challenge From Independent Humiston

by: robert.harding

Tue May 20, 2008 at 12:28:10 PM EDT

Daniel J. Humiston acknowledged today, when he officially announced his candidacy, that mounting a Republican challenge to incumbent Rep. Brian Higgins will prove formidable.

But, standing outside West Seneca Town Hall, he pointed down the road to where he founded his first Tanning Bed outlet in 1985, and said he has faced challenges before.

"Fast forward 23 years and here I am again in the same spot," he said. "I have the same feeling, except this time my vision is for Western New York. It's a vision of growth, it's a vision of prosperity, and it's a vision of optimism."

Humiston, a member of the Independence Party, will run on the GOP line against Higgins in what is expected to prove a tough assignment. But he said today he is willing to spend significant amounts of his own money in a race he expects to cost between $1 million and $2 million.

"I will spend whatever it takes to get my message out," he said.

Higgins is tough. He has a strong base in the 27th congressional district. He won reelection in 2006 by 58 percentage points (79 percent to 21 percent). I saw Higgins speak last month and he was strong on the issues affecting our environment and critiqued the political atmosphere in Washington D.C.

Humiston will be a well financed candidate and will receive the Republican line against Higgins. As Bob McCarthy pointed out, Humiston joins a number of other local businessmen who are running for office.  

Higgins Speaks On Environment, Economy and Washington

by: robert.harding

Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 22:33:29 PM EDT

Rep. Brian Higgins (D-Buffalo) spoke today at SUNY Fredonia about the environment and policy in Washington D.C.

Higgins talked about the economic benefits of taking care of the environment and said that "the federal government is not responding as aggressively as we need to do." He also discussed how we are "financing both sides of the War on Terror" with oil and the money for that oil going to our enemies.

Higgins was asked about ethanol and argued that sugar cane-based ethanol is "much more efficient" than corn-based ethanol. He called corn-based ethanol "problematic" because there is no economic balance. While he hopes to see alternatives, he also hopes we can overcome Big Oil's influence in our politics.

Higgins also discussed the fact that oil producing nations no longer depend solely on the United States as a country who will purchase their oil, but other countries like China, India and South Korea are big consumers of oil.

He also talked about his two trips to Sudan and more specifically, Darfur. He mentioned how that conflict is partially fueled by natural resources and the power grab for these resources.

I was impressed with how Higgins handled himself regarding the environment. I am glad to see he is a congressman from New York. He is very smart and he is particularly knowledgeable regarding environmental issues.  

Local Disabled Vet Receives Help In Fighting Redeployment

by: robert.harding

Sat Apr 19, 2008 at 11:47:09 AM EDT

He wants to continue his education at the University at Buffalo. The military, however, wants him back.

From the Buffalo News.

In urging the Department of Defense on Friday to grant special consideration in Raymond's case, Reps. Brian Higgins, Thomas M. Reynolds and Louise M. Slaughter point out that he was honorably discharged four years ago and rated 10 percent disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

"Many of our returning veterans have sustained serious and permanent injuries as a result of their selfless service to this great nation," Higgins, D-Buffalo, said.

The letter, in part, asks that the order activating Raymond, 2 6 , from the Individual Readiness Reserve - an eight-year obligation following active duty - be postponed until at least June 1, when he completes the current semester, or until the end of the upcoming fall semester when he is scheduled to graduate in December.

Raymond attends the university through VA educational benefits he earned during his three years of active duty, which took him to Afghanistan for 10 months in 2003-04. In addition, he receives a $120-a-month VA disability pension for life.

The lawmakers also asked defense officials to consider Raymond's plans to appeal the mobilization order and be exempt from future activations.

Not only has Raymond suffered a loss of hearing and the knee injury, but he also told the Buffalo News that he has had a documented case of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Raymond has been ordered to report on May 18 to Fort Benning, Ga..

"I'm thrilled for the congressional support. It speaks volumes about the Western New York comm unity," said Raymond, reacting to the support, which also includes efforts by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY.

Raymond added that he would "go back in a heartbeat" if he thought "that it wasn't going to risk the lives of the soldiers around me or my own personal life."

I don't see how a man who is partially deaf would be a good fit in battle. That is not good for him and it is not good for the troops around him.

Hopefully James can stay and complete college, at the very least, and then head back for another tour. I don't think he should be headed back at all in his condition but we will see how this plays out over time.