| Think back to the race last year: sitting Congressman Vito Fossella gets drunk in DC, crosses the bridge into Virginia, blows a red light, blows twice the legal limit on a breathalyzer, gets hauled to jail, calls not his wife, not his chief of staff who lives walking distance away, but his mistress, mother of his other child...there you are, you're laughing....H/T to Matt for sending over info on the GOP primary contenders. It hasn't undone my current sadness, but it certainly has brought back good memories. Sometimes House races are interesting because of the issues, or because of historical import - and sometimes they're inspiring for their "train wreck" content. Such was the case last year watching Vito! self-destruct. I think my favourite part was the fact that his wife, instead of standing by him in the blue suit, pearls and stoic impression just told him to not come home. The first two GOP candidates have announced for NY-13, 2010. First is Michael Grimm: A Marine Gulf War vet and ex-undercover FBI agent who helped take down mobsters, crooked pols and Wall Street fraudsters is teeing up a GOP run at Democratic Rep. Michael McMahon next year.
He's not a pol. There's no info yet on his politics, but my gut guesses that he'll be moderate on social issues, conservative on economic issues, but will run as a law and order candidate. Here's the fun part: One candidate is environmental lawyer and ex-legislative aide Michael Allegretti, 31, who has raised nearly $200,000 -- and is facing tough questions about a Gambino mob family capo who worked for his family's business for almost two decades.
I want to be clear: I prefer organized crime to disorganized crime. I have never thought that the "old" mob was worse than some "legal business" practices. I accept that crime is a part of society. I don't LIKE crime, but it will always exist, and the old mob had rules and ways of doing business. But a lot of politics is about appearances, and it doesn't work well to have any association with crime if you are running for office. OK, let's be honest, once you're in, it's different (Shout out to Ted Stevens, et al) but running with mob ties against a Law and Order guy... the potential is there. The most fascinating thing is that if this is the field, the GOP won't be able to bring the evangelical aspect into the race. It becomes secondary. And Staten Island isn't upstate NY (aka "Canada" to those of us born in the City) - teabaggers won't play as well that far downstate. Since both candidates and the sitting Congressman are all named "Michael", it's going to take some work to come up with nicknames. It's going to be a fun race! Will keep you posted. |
