The News from NY-25 blog, which we don't link to nearly enough, has footage of a debate between Democrat Dan Maffei and Republican Dale Sweetland about the bailout plan.
It's worth watching for a number of reasons. One is that I think I may have taken a 4H class from Dale Sweetland in the early 80s. The other is how well Maffei does in these settings. And another is the nice job the moderator does. I don't want to sound like I'm totally in the tank for local media, but I'm often struck by what a better job local reporters and anchors do than their national counterparts.
In NY-20, the group endorsed Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand in her reelection bid. The 21st Century Democrats included a profile of Gillibrand on their website, providing readers with some information on Gillibrand.
Kirsten's campaign for New York's 20th District is based on returning trust and accountability to government and reclaiming the days when government worked hardest for those who need it most. Kirsten is an accomplished civic leader, attorney, wife, and mother who understands that politicians are supposed to be looking out for you and are supposed to represent all citizens - not just those who can afford the most access.
The 21st Century Democrats also backed two candidates: Dan Maffei and Jon Powers in NY-25 and NY-26, respectively. The group also has profiles for Maffei and Powers.
The group had this to say about backing Maffei:
21st Century Democrats is excited to support Dan Maffei as he runs to represent New York's 25th district and convinced that he will continue to continue to fight for communities in New York and throughout America.
They had this to say about Powers:
Once elected to Congress, Jon Powers will demonstrate the positive and principled leadership our country needs. 21st Century Democrats is confident that Captain Powers' ability to lead by example will inspire other America to do the same and move our country forward.
Based on what I see, these are the only endorsements for candidates/elected officials from New York. Hopefully there are more to come (Eric Massa anyone?).
I really, really like the next Congressman from NY-25, Dan Maffei. He's a genuine progressive and he's running a great campaign. He's going to be one hell of an upgrade from the retiring Jim Walsh. It seems I'm not alone in my enthusiasm for Maffei. The College Dems of New York have officially endorsed Dan. Via email:
College Democrats of NY endorse Congressional candidate Dan Maffei
August 10, 2008- Heading into an uncertain economy with job loss, loan debt, an energy crisis and two wars, college students know that it is a time for a change in leadership in central NY. We need a politician from the grassroots who will move this country forward and who understands the issues of the everyday working man and woman. That is why the College Democrats of NY are proud to support Dan Maffei for U.S. Congress.
Dan Maffei has continuously supported the best interests of students, with his plan to forgive student loan debt for graduates who choose to stay in Central NY and enter service professions that we desperately need like teaching and social work. His plan to harness student talent coming out of local Universities to create job opportunities is something that every college student can be made proud. Dan Maffei is a real fighter for NY who will help bring the troops home and reinvest money into the upstate economy.
Daniel Levin, President of the College Democrats of NY, stated that "This is one of the most important races in the country and college students should be active in helping to change a history of Republican rule in Central NY."
The Cook Political Report has upgraded (sub req'd) the races in NY-13 and NY-25 from "Lean Democratic" to "Likely Democratic" and downgraded the race in NY-26 from "Toss Up" to "Lean Republican."
I can certainly see the reason for the upgrades, but I'm scratching my head over NY-26. I haven't seen anything in that race over the last month or so that would to seem to warrant such a move.
The other four are seats that are currently held by Republicans, three of which are open seats. In NY-13, Steve Harrison and Mike McMahon are vying for the Democratic nomination. Both received good news today as Rothenberg moved the race to Democratic favored. That designation can be attributed to many factors, namely the Republican recruiting woes that have made this race somewhat comical to watch.
Dan Maffei should also be smiling in NY-25. His race was ranked Democratic favored also. Dale Sweetland is his Republican challenger and doesn't come off as an overly strong candidate. Maffei has been strong on the issues, strong in the fundraising column AND a recently married man.
NY-26 and NY-29 both were ranked "Toss Up/Tilt Republican" by Rothenberg. In NY-26, Jon Powers is the front-runner on the Democratic side while Chris Lee has been sitting and waiting for the Democratic nominee. NY-29 has been a duel between Eric Massa and Randy Kuhl. Massa is looking very strong in NY-29 and has the ability to beat Kuhl. Kuhl is the only Republican who has decided to stick it out and run again.
The new Rothenberg Political Report 2008 House ratings are out with some great news for us. They have shifted two of our four races, all positively for the Democratic candidates.
NY-13 (McMahon, Harrison): This was the largest jump moving from toss-up/tilt Democratic to Democrat Favored
NY-25 (Maffei): This moved from Lean Democrat to Democrat Favored
Big news on the ad buy front today as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced more ad buys today, including $2.7 million for ad buys in NY-25, NY-26 and NY-29.
Moving quickly to capitalize on their massive financial advantage, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has reserved television time in nearly two dozen more House districts, bringing their total investment in competitive contests to $53 million.
The new buy encompasses 20 districts and comes ten days after the DCCC dropped an estimated $35 million on ad time in 31 House districts. (A full list of districts in the new DCCC buy is after the jump.)
It also comes on the heels of the latest fundraising figures that show the DCCC outraised the National Republican Congressional Committee $22 million to $15 million over the last three months and, more importantly, ended June with $55 million in the bank, $46.5 million more than the NRCC.
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* An ad buy of 1000 points means the average viewer will see the ad 10 times during a given week.
This is big, especially since these three districts are districts we can win. I believe NY-13 isn't much of a contest and it's a seat that we will win fairly easily in November. But these three seats still need help from the DCCC. This shows the DCCC is committed to win these seats.
Also, the DCCC is spending under $3 million in the three seats Democrats won in special elections (IL-14, LA-04, MS-01). All three were Republican districts, so keeping them is crucial. I woud compare that to taking back the New York State Senate while keeping SD-48 on our side with Darrel Aubertine.
Other notables:
- Two of California's congressional districts will see a total of $2.03 million in advertising come their way. That means great things for CA-04 Democratic candidate Charlie Brown.
- WA-08 will see $949,000 in an ad buy to help out Darcy Burner.
However, none of the races that made the list are from upstate New York, where NY-25, NY-26 and NY-29 are all winnable seats and include three candidates - Dan Maffei (NY-25), Jon Powers (NY-26) and Eric Massa (NY-29) - that are on the DCCC's Red to Blue list.
DCCC Executive Director Brian Wolff issued this statement today explaining this decision:
"Our initial media buy is the first act of a many act play. As we have been all cycle, the DCCC is focused, prepared, and organized. Watch what we do over the next four months and our aggressive strategy to expand the playing field and strengthen the Democratic Majority will become clear."
The only New York target with this ad buy will be NY-13, which bodes well for Mike McMahon, another Red to Blue candidate.
I could understand why you wouldn't buy ads initially for Powers. He is in a primary and even though the DCCC has given him their backing, I don't think they want to gamble with money in a primary, at least money like this for ads.
But why Maffei and Massa were left off is inexplicable. I understand that this isn't the end of the line, but Maffei and Massa are proven contenders. While McMahon has been backed by the DCCC, he hasn't been in his race nearly as long as Maffei and Massa have been in theirs. Maffei is arguably the front-runner in NY-25. Massa is putting the heat on Kuhl and is poised to win that seat in November.
A big and expensive television ad campaign began Tuesday for Democratic congressional hopeful Dan Maffei in his bid for the seat of retiring Republican Rep. James T. Walsh of New York's upstate 25th District.
Maffei's campaign said it would run television spots through Election Day, giving him a leg up over his Republican opponent, former Onondaga County legislator Dale Sweetland, who has been in the race for only three months. By contrast, Maffei barely paused after losing to Walsh by less than 2 percentage points in 2006 before gearing up for a rematch in 2008.
Walsh easily won his re-election bids until the near-upset in 2006, but demographics in the 25th mean Republicans do not have a stranglehold over the seat. They hold a slight registration advantage over Democrats, 36 percent to 32 percent, but a quarter of the district's voters are independent and the district favored Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry by 1 percentage point in 2004.
Maffei's fundraising advantage and exposure has led CQ Politics to change its rating on the race to Leans Democrat from No Clear Favorite.
Maffei had this to say after CQ's decision:
"Voters are clearly responding to my message of change and a new direction for upstate New York," said Maffei. "They are tired of the policies of the past that have hurt hard working men and women and caused this area to lose thousands of jobs. We can do better - we must do better in order to make our region a place where people can stay and raise their families."
Maffei is a very strong candidate. You couldn't ask for any better in the 25th.
With the fundraising figures slowing rolling in, Dan Maffei's campaign announced today that they raised more than $470,000 in the second quarter, topping their previous high of $369,000.
According to the campaign, they have raised a total of $1.3 million and now has over $950,000 cash on hand. Overall, more than 4,000 individual donors have given to the campaign including 1,700 in the second quarter.
Maffei also has a television spot out with the first airing set for today.
"We need to be able to communicate Dan's message of change and a new direction for central and upstate New York to as many people as possible between now and November," said campaign manager Daniel Krupnick. "Voters are anxious to hear what the candidates have to say now - not later. Dan Maffei wants to get his message about jobs and a new direction for upstate New York out to the voters every chance he gets. The ads will tell Dan's story and begin to lay out his plans to bring jobs back to central and upstate New York."
Great figures from the Maffei campaign. Also, that is a great spot. It sends a great message to voters and will resonate with the voters in NY-25.
Yesterday, NY-25 Democratic candidate Dan Maffei issued a statement regarding recent legislation targeting FISA that would provide immunity to telecom companies.
National security is essential to protecting our freedoms, but that doesn't mean we must sacrifice those very same freedoms because the Bush administration fails to respect the Constitution. Granting amnesty to telecom companies would set a precedent that would allow others to arbitrarily ignore the constitution. No one should be above the law in America. Because of this I would not have supported the recent legislation.
It is refreshing to know that candidates like Maffei, who could be in Congress next year, would vote against this legislation.
Earlier this week, NY-29 Democratic candidate Eric Massa wrote a blog post on Daily Kos explaining why he would have voted against this legislation. Massa concluded that blog post with these words:
I am running for Congress not to defend the White House, or the House of Representatives but rather to fulfill the oath of office that see to it that I Protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. If I fail in my votes to protect the Constitution then I will have not only failed the people who sent me to Washington but I have also failed the many generations of Americans who sacrificed to give us a Constitution that should guide each and every vote in the House of Representatives.
That is the story in a nutshell. You take an oath upon entering the House or Senate to protect the Constitution. It is great to see someone stand up and say that they will actually abide by that oath. This country is bigger than political parties, politicians and huge corporations. This country is epitomized in our United States Constitution. We need to keep it that way.
The editorial implied that the race between Maffei and Sweetland would turn into a bunch of negative attacks and "half-truths" instead of debating the real issues. However, only one candidate in this race is discussing the issues.
Maffei's website features an issues page to give the voters a chance to get to know more about his positions on the issues. Sweetland's website features nothing. Unless you count "website coming soon" as something.
I attended a town hall meeting last year featuring Maffei where he talked about the Iraq War. I have read live blogs featuring Maffei and he is talking about the issues.
The problem is that his opponent has nothing on his website about the issues and isn't talking about the issues. If Sweetland does want to run an issues-centered campaign, when is that going to start?
Maffei might have the most money (he does) but he also has the better grasp of the issues. The Republicans will lose this seat and NY-25 will be represented beginning in January by Dan Maffei.
Via TPM, the Cook Political Report has upgraded its ranking of ten House ratings in favor of Democrats. Among them are CT-04 (Chris Shays) from Lean Republican to Toss-up, and NY-29 (Kuhl), also from Lean Republican to Toss-up.
NY-29 now joins NY-13, NY-25 and NY-26 in the toss-up category; of the three seats we took in 2006, NY-19 and NY-24, represented by Hall and Arcuri respectively, are ranked by Cook as Likely Democratic, and the weakest, NY-20's Kirsten Gillibrand, is considered Lean Democratic at this point. The full report (.pdf) paints a staggering picture of republican weakness.
In the money race, most Democrats are eminently competitive, with one glaring exception: the contenders in the Thirteenth. The FEC database reveals more.
NY-13: no data on either Harrison or McMahon. Anecdotally, Harrison has raised about $140,000, with about $40,000 coming in in the last quarter, McMahon supposedly has less than that.
NY-19: Hall, CoH $1,141,961, raised $1,608,537
NY-20: Gillibrand, CoH $2,474,445, raised $3,165,043
NY-24: Arcuri, CoH $590,541, raised $897,684
NY-25: Maffei, CoH $675,661, raised $853,982
NY-26: Powers, CoH $402,137, raised $598,327
NY-26: Kryszan, CoH $206,747, raised $287,508, debt $97,000
NY-29: Massa, CoH $565,320, raised $898,780, debt $75,820
So there's your New York Congressional battlefield; four pickup opportunities - or three and a half, until NY-13 finally gets some real money raised by the contenders, and some tactical defense in the three districts we took in the last cycle. At this rate, we can probably look at sending some ground troops to take out the faltering republicans in Connecticut and New Jersey, where NJ-03 and NJ-07, both open seats, and CT-04 are ripe for the taking.
Part of 'thinking big' is working for U.S. energy independence By Dan Maffei
Your article May 20, "It's here: $4 a gallon gas," is a clear sign that we need to rethink this country's energy policy. In 1950, a gallon of gas cost an average of 26.8 cents per gallon. By 1998 it had risen only by about 80 cents, to an average of $1.06 per gallon.
Just 10 years later, prices now exceed $4 per gallon. Contrast the 80-cent increase in the first 48 years I just mentioned with the $3-dollar increase in just 10 years, and you can see how gas prices are squeezing the hard-working middle class.
It appears that President Bush's "solution" is going on bended knee before the Saudis and begging them to increase production. If we need any further reminder of how far American power and prestige have fallen over the last eight years, we got it when the Saudis told President Bush they weren't going to lift a finger to help us.
I am running for Congress because we need change. It's time for new leadership in Washington so we can finally have a real energy policy that fully addresses the root causes of skyrocketing prices and develops solutions that will give us permanent relief at the pump.
My plan takes the power away from Big Oil by taxing their huge windfall profits and eliminating the unconscionable subsidies they receive. It would reinvest the money into alternative and renewable fuels so we can end our dependence on foreign oil. In the long run, a workable and realistic energy policy is the only thing that will ensure affordable energy prices for our middle class and small businesses.
I have challenged my supporters to think big -- and that's what we need to do on energy. Let's make it a goal to be free from our dependence on foreign oil by 2020. This isn't a Democratic proposal, and it's not a Republican proposal. It's an idea that will benefit all Americans. Not everything we try will work, but if we don't have the courage at least to try, then nothing will change. It certainly seems as if prices are not coming down any time soon if we continue down this path.
For example, many politicians have been calling for gimmicks, like a cap on sales taxes on gasoline. Here in Onondaga County, we can say from experience that these schemes simply do not work. They offer a false promise of relief and in the end only cost taxpayers even more. Unfortunately, property taxpayers lost out on an estimated $20 million before our new county executive, Joanie Mahoney, wisely pulled the plug on this poorly devised policy. Taxpayers have a right to know who profited from this gimmick.
If I am elected to Congress, I will never support measures that do not benefit hard-working men and women. They need real solutions so they don't have to worry about how they can afford to fill up their cars without breaking the family budget. Together, we can end our dependence on foreign oil if we have the courage to think big and change the direction of our country.
NY-25 Democratic candidate Dan Maffei has a statement on his website talking about gas prices and how to bring these high gas prices down to levels that the working class people of NY-25 can comfortably afford.
Here is an excerpt of that statement:
My plan takes the power away from big oil by taxing their huge windfall profits and eliminating the unconscionable subsidies they receive. It would reinvest the money into alternative and renewable fuels so we can end our dependence on foreign oil. In the long run, a workable and realistic energy policy will be the only thing that will ensure affordable energy prices for our middle class and small businesses.
Let's make it a goal to be free from our dependence on foreign oil by 2020. This isn't a Democratic proposal ... and it's not a Republican proposal. It's an idea that will benefit all Americans. As I have said before, not everything we try will work ... but if we don't have the courage to at least try, then nothing will change. It certainly seems as if prices are not coming down anytime soon if we continue down this path.
Finally, a lot of politicians have been calling for gimmicks like a cap on sales taxes on gasoline. Here in Onondaga County we can say from experience that these schemes simply do not work. They offer a false promise of relief and in the end only cost taxpayers even more. Unfortunately, property taxpayers lost out on an estimated $20 million before our new County Executive, Joanie Mahoney, wisely pulled the plug on this poorly devised policy. Taxpayers have a right to know who profited from this gimmick.
On the subject of gas prices, according to Gas Buddy, the average price of a gallon of gas in New York is $3.915. That is down a few cents from some of last week's highs, but it is still not acceptable.
When Maffei mentions that Onondoga County has learned from experience, they have. Onondoga County had a gas tax cap that was ended in April. The gas tax cap proved to be a burden on taxpayers because there was no gas tax, but there was an increase in property taxes and because there was little proof that such a tax cap was passing on that relief to consumers.
Maffei talked about in his introduction that in 1950, the average price of a gallon of gas was 26.8 cents. In 1998, gas was up to $1.06 per gallon. In 48 years, gas increased 80 cents.
But in the last 10 years, gas has increased nearly $3.00. There is something very wrong with that picture.
Appearing at a 10 a.m. news conference at Clinton Square, the three urged Republicans to coalesce behind Sweetland as he takes on a heavily-funded Democratic candidate, Dan Maffei.
Walsh said he has urged two other Republican candidates seeking his job - David Gay and Mark-Paul Serafin - to also withdraw from the race and not force a primary election.
Sweetland looks to be the guy, especially with the Onondoga County GOP endorsement.
