Here is a round-up of news of goings on with the candidates in the 21st congressional district's Democratic primary.
Paul Tonko: Paul Tonko's campaign announced today that Tonko was endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, the largest civil rights organization in the country fighting and working for GLBT equality.
HRC Political Action Director Mike Mings said: "Just a few votes separate New York from achieving marriage equality, and we value every fair-minded official who votes in favor of it. Paul Tonko not only supports marriage equality, but also has shown himself to be a leader on the issue in the State Assembly. On behalf of the Human Rights Campaign, I urge voters to reward him with a seat in Congress so he can continue to be not only a tireless advocate for the people of the Albany area, but an advocate for the ideals that make our country great-fairness, justice and opportunity."
Which one, as a freshman representative, could stand out in a system based heavily on seniority?
Ms. Brooks has that edge. She has worked for and clearly studied one of the Senate's masters of political fine arts, Hillary Rodham Clinton, who distinguished herself as a freshman senator for her ability to forge bipartisan alliances. She is also the face of a new breed in Congress: young, articulate, forceful, energetic and progressive. She would fit well with the previous crop of freshmen, which has quickly gained influence because the Democrats' narrow majority in the House hinges on them. And, as Sen. Clinton's former regional director, Ms. Brooks knows the district as well, if not better, than her opponents.
This is a very glowing endorsement of Brooks by the most important publication in this race. Also, Brooks has out-raised all of her opponents on ActBlue. As of this writing, Brooks has raised $170,589. That is more than the other three candidates combined.
Phil Steck: Phil Steck has supporters among students in NY-21. There is a video on YouTube in support of Steck:
There are only a few more days until the Democratic primary for Congress in New York's 21st Congressional District, and people's mailboxes are being stuffed with mailer after mailer from candidate after candidate. But the last two from Tracey Brooks, in which her faceless cardboard men appear again in mailers pandered to targeted to women voters make blatantly false accusations about her opponent Phil Steck in relation to the issue of gun control.
The basic gist of the mailers is that, as an attorney, Phil Steck has represented illegal arms dealers, as well as that Paul Tonko and Darius Shahinfar either have a terrible record or no record on standing up to the gun lobby. The front of the mailers, one of which quotes former Albany County Sherrif Jack McNutly (the father of the current Congressman, Mike McNulty) framing Tracey as "the only one" who will stand up to the gun lobby.
But there's much more to the story that reveals that Tracey Brooks has been stuffing outright lies about her opponent in women's mailboxes below the fold...
Paul Tonko is a nice man. I will stipulate to that - he shows up at things, he remembers your name, he is a good dancer.
But nothing in his long career in public service convinces me he would be a good Congressman. In fact, the "experience" he loves to point to suggests just the opposite.
Paul was a member of the Assembly for over 20 years. He was Chair of the Energy Committee for 10. He was President of NYSERDA for nine short months. He has been a fixture in Albany for a very long time. And during that time, by any measure, New York has fallen further and further behind.
Back in the day, America looked to New York for leadership. We gave the nation Presidents and Supreme Court Justices and great Senators. We were the world's capital in finance, media, fashion, entertainment. Our state leaders in the legislature and the courts were visionaries - developing forward-thinking policies in commerce, in the protection of our citizens and our environment, in so many things.
Somewhere along the line, we began to relinquish that leadership. We began to slip. To be fair, it was not all the fault of our government. Our decline has many causes - for example, the natural ebb and flow of our mobile society.
A great deal of the blame, however, can be laid at the feet of our representatives in Albany - that sclerotic body famously called the "most dysfunctional in the United States", that has stifled progress and that has allowed so many other states to surpass us. Paul -- all too willing to sit back and take his marching orders from the Three Men in a Room, while cutting his deals with special interests -- certainly bears his share of the blame. Paul, as a card-carrying member of institutional Albany, failed us.
And now Tonko wants to take his act to Washington. I have heard it argued that Paul is the "safe choice" in this election, and I think I can understand why people say that. He has been around, everyone knows him, he seems like a nice guy.
But what if everyone in Congress was like Paul? What if we had 435 Paul Tonkos in Congress? Where would we be as a nation? More importantly, where would we be headed?
Tonko is the safe choice? Quite the contrary. If he somehow gets to Washington, he'll do what he has always done - he'll "go along to get along". And with the challenges we face as a nation, that makes him the most dangerous choice of all.
When Congressman Mike McNulty announced that he would not seek re-election after twenty years of service in November of 2007, a short list of possible candidates was published in the local papers that included the names of local political heavyweights and insiders. A handful of these hopefuls made big news simply by announcing that they would not run for Congress, and a couple of those from the early short-list are still out there campaigning as a five-way Democratic primary enters a heavily competitive home stretch.
Absent from the early pundits' list of future representatives was Albany County Legislator Phil Steck, who actually became the first candidate to announce his bid to go to Washington in December of last year. At the time, I wondered whether someone holding such a small office could actually make it to the endgame. Nine months later, Phil Steck is still around and is on many a pundits list of most-likely-to-win, yet the primary is still five days out. When I first met Phil to volunteer for his unlikely campaign, he told me that he enjoyed being the underdog in a field of well-known opponents.
Below the fold, he tells much more about his life, his politics, the race he is running in, and the issues of the campaign in the final issue in a series of diaries interviewing the four major contenders for New York's 21st Congressional District in a year that has become synonymous with the word "change." Of that one little, powerful word, Phil Steck had this to say:
"You can't get change by going along and getting along simply with the accepted ways of doing business, and that's what I've always been doing."
--Phil Steck, candidate for Congress, 21st District of New York
Phil Steck: Steck announced yesterday his support for a middle class tax cut plan being pushed by Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. The plan includes the following:
Cuts taxes for 95% of workers and their families with a tax cut of $500 for workers or $1,000 for working couples.
A variety of targeted generous tax cuts -- for low- and middle-income seniors, homeowners, the uninsured, and families sending a child to college or looking to save for retirement.
Dramatically simplifies taxes by consolidating existing tax credits, eliminating the need for millions of senior citizens to file tax forms, and enabling as many as 40 million middle-class Americans to do their own taxes in less than five minutes without an accountant.
Cut corporate taxes for firms that invest and create jobs in the United States, because the current tax code actually provides reimbursement for the expense of moving jobs oversees.
Steck said of the plan, "The anxiety felt by many working families is real. We have just come off the first economic recovery on record where ordinary Americans saw their incomes decline by nearly $1,000, after inflation. We need to focus tax relief on the middle class."
Also, it was announced today that Steck was endorsed by former NBA player Sam Perkins.
Tracey Brooks: Brooks unveiled a new television ad today which calls Phil Steck's attacks "false." It also touts her work with Sen. Hillary Clinton to get more families health care.
Today, Brooks rode the morning CDTA bus between Albany and Schenectady to talk with voters and discuss what issues are important to them. Tonight Brooks will be on the campaign trail once again when she walks door-to-door in Troy with Troy Democratic chair Frank LaPosta and then meets with seniors at the Ogden Mills Senior Center.
I've spent the summer listening to all the candidates, and I am convinced that Paul Tonko is the best choice to serve the people of the 21st District.
Over the weekend, Tonko praised Barack Obama's Plan for America that was presented during Obama's acceptance speech on Thursday.
"My energy plan calls for this exact kind of investment, to provide the resources our scientists and engineers need to develop the renewable energy sources of tomorrow, which will allow us to break free from our dependence on foreign oil," Tonko said.
Tonko also touted his education plan, which he also aligned with Obama on.
Darius Shahinfar: Shahinfar is back on televisions in NY-21 with his third TV spot. As of Sunday, Shahinfar was the only candidate to sign on to the Ethics and Good Government Contract that Shahinfar created in early August. Shahinfar has also said that he will reject a congressional pay raise and reject the congressional health care plan should he be elected to serve.
If Darius Shahinfar doesn't win this race, he can at least take pride in a few things, namely his appeal to voters and his message that he delivers clearly in a new television spot already airing through the 21st congressional district.
He delivers a few key points: He's not going to take lobbyist money and he won't accept the congressional health care plan until everyone has a good health care plan for themselves.
Also, the taking out the trash imagery there is great. I liked Shahinfar's spots in the past, but this one is the best one to date.
Everything the Steck campaign has said- from her working for numerous lobbyists, to taking tons of money from lobbyists, to being a Republican well into adulthood are true and verified. That's why she has to respond with a lie. Everything Steck has put out about Brooks is true.
Phil is nothing if not thorough. That's how Democrats take over Republican strongholds like Colonie.
We can argue over campaign tactics, but the facts are facts no matter how inconvenient.
Tracey Brooks, Darius Shahinfar, Phil Steck, and Paul Tonko Make Closing Statements
The full transcript of the final forum between the four serious contendors to replace retiring Rep. Mike McNulty, held Sunday August 24, concludes below the fold with their final case before a shared audience as to why Democratic primary voters in New York's 21st Congressional District should nominate them for the general election in November.
Tracey Brooks, Darius Shahinfar, Phil Steck, and Paul Tonko Debate Audience Questions
The full transcript of the final forum between the four serious contendors to replace retiring Rep. Mike McNulty, held Sunday August 24, continues below the fold...
Tracey Brooks, Darius Shahinfar, Phil Steck, and Paul Tonko Debate Energy Policy
The full transcript of the final forum between the four serious contendors to replace retiring Rep. Mike McNulty, held Sunday August 24, continues below the fold with the candidates' answers to questions on energy policy.
Tracey Brooks, Darius Shahinfar, Phil Steck, and Paul Tonko Debate Each Other
The full transcript of the final forum between the four serious contendors to replace retiring Rep. Mike McNulty, held Sunday August 24, continues below the fold with the candidates' answers to questions they ask of each other.
Tracey Brooks, Darius Shahinfar, Phil Steck, and Paul Tonko Debate Domestic Policy
The full transcript of the final forum between the four serious contendors to replace retiring Rep. Mike McNulty, held Sunday August 24, continues below the fold with the candidates' answers to questions on domestic policy
Tracey Brooks, Darius Shahinfar, Phil Steck, and Paul Tonko Debate Foreign Policy
The full transcript of the final forum between the four serious contendors to replace retiring Rep. Mike McNulty, held Sunday August 24, continues below the fold with the candidates' answers to questions on foreign policy.
Tracey Brooks, Darius Shahinfar, Phil Steck, and Paul Tonko Make Opening Statements
After eight months of campaigning and several previous debates, and with less than three weeks before primary day, the four serious contenders for retiring Representative Mike McNulty's seat converged upon the Bethlehem Town Hall for the last candidates' debate.
The "Final Forum" as I like to call it was sponsored by Democracy for the Hudson Mohawk Region and the Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace. It appeared to be the most heavily attended debate, and by my reckoning the most comprehensive as far as the issues and differences between the candidates are concerned.
As such, over the past week since the debate took place, I have compiled a full transcript that is far too long for one diary. In Part I of the Final Forum, the candidates give opening statements below the fold.
Tracey Brooks has released her third television that will be airing for voters in the 21st congressional district.
"With our three TV ads, our radio ads, mailers, continued grassroots and netroots efforts, daily door-knocking, and growing volunteer-based movement, we know our message of change is getting out to and resonating with the voters as our campaign continues to gain the momentum to win the September 9th Democratic primary," said Brooks.
Brooks returned from her one-day trip to Denver for the Democratic National Convention where she attended several events and spoke before a large crowd at the WomenCount event where she shared the stage with Senator Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton.
Upon arriving at Albany airport this morning, Brooks headed to Montgomery County to meet with voters and visit seniors at Centro Civico and Jorace J. Inman Senior Center, both in Amsterdam. Brooks also met with the publisher of The Jewish World, a Bethlehem-based local weekly paper and voice of and for the greater Capital Region Jewish community and then continued on to more campaigning.
One of the big issues that is being discussed in the 21st congressional district Democratic primary is health care. Two weeks ago, the candidates in this race debated about health care and discussed solutions to our health care problem. Phil Steck supports a single payer health care system. Today Steck held a single payer health care event in Troy to discuss his health care plan.
(Pictured from left: Dr. Paul Sorum (Chairman of the Capital District Chapter of Physicians for a National Health Plan), Troy City Councilman Ken Zalewski and Steck.)
Steck said that a national single-payer health care insurance program will eliminate that unfunded mandate. Single-payer, also called "Medicare for all," will eliminate the need for the Medicaid program and result in immediate property tax relief. The single-payer legislation currently in Congress, H.R. 676, includes a 7% payroll tax and a 1% income tax to pay for the program. The payroll tax would be far less expensive for most businesses than what they currently pay for employee insurance.
Steck said that single-payer is an efficient program because it works just like Medicare, which is a single-payer program for the elderly. Medicare spends $0.03 per dollar on administrative costs, while private HMOs might spend an overwhelming $0.40 per dollar on administration.
"We have a system just like this in the United States that has worked very well; it's called Medicare," added Steck. "Escalating health care costs are crippling our local economy, and are disastrous to small businesses and American companies competing globally. If we enact a single-payer system, the local property tax burden could be eliminated, or local governments could use that revenue for other pressing local needs."
This is a big issue for Steck and I know from talking with him last month that he is really focusing on this issue and pushing for single payer health care.
Tracey Brooks is in Denver today for a WomenCount event. WomenCount has endorsed Brooks and Brooks is in Denver today to speak alongside Sen. Hillary Clinton and former New Hampshire governor and current U.S. Senate candidate Jeanne Shaheen. Here is her schedule for today in Denver. She will be back in NY-21 tomorrow.
9:25-10:00 AM- EMILY's List Reception
Korbell Ballroom 2C
Colorado Convention Center
700 14th Street
Denver
10-12:00 PM DNC Women's Caucus
Colorado Convention Center
5:00-9:00 PM Convention Proceedings, Pepsi Center
1000 Chopper Circle, Denver
Kudos to Brooks for this opportunity. She should make the most of it, especially when she is being highlighted by many women's political groups as a top candidate.
Paul Tonko has received more union backing today when NFFE Local 2109 announced that they have endorsed Tonko in his campaign for the 21st congressional district seat.
NFFE National President Rick Brown said, "Now is the time that we need Paul Tonko's experience to represent the 21st District in Congress. Paul Tonko knows the importance of the Arsenal and its federal employees to the people of the district and this country. He has a long record in the New York State Assembly of standing up for the working men and women of this region, and we know that he will continue that fight in Congress."
Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari (D-Cohoes) said "Paul Tonko is the best choice to continue the work of Congressman Michael McNulty and keep the Watervliet Arsenal and its workers productive. Paul knows this district, and has experience working to meet the challenges of its rural and urban communities."
"I want to thank the men and women who work at the Watervliet Arsenal for their valuable support," said Paul Tonko. "They are true patriots, who devote their careers and protecting our citizens and our country. The Watervliet Arsenal is a cornerstone of the Capital Region, a place where thoroughly trained workers engage in highly technical and sophisticated manufacturing. It is highly technical facilities like the Arsenal, where a unique public and private partnership has thrived to protect jobs and create jobs, on which we need to build our innovation economy for the future. I will fight in Congress to keep the Watervliet Arsenal a hard working and vibrant part of this district."
Tonko has been backed by four unions in the last two weeks. AFSCME/CSEA, Letter Carriers and PEF all backed Tonko. Tonko has strong union support in this race and it is growing week by week.
Darius Shahinfar became the latest Democratic candidate in the 21st congressional district to come out with television ads with two spots discussing health care and special interests, respectively.
Here is the first discussing special interests (Wall Street and insurance companies) and how Shahinfar will go to Washington and not accept lobbyist money.
This is the second ad entitled "Busted" where Shahinfar discusses health care and if elected to Congress, he will not accept the congressional health care plan.
I found both spots to be a very personal look at Shahinfar. The first one ("Wall Street") features his newborn daughter which should really play to the hearts of voters and give Shahinfar that family man (or woman) appeal you haven't really seen from the other candidates.
