Steele's Fate May Rest in the 20th Congressional Race in NY

Steele's Fate May Rest in the 20th District Congressional Race in NY

By: David Phillips

March 23, 2009

Yoda’s World

Chairman Michael Steele has said that the race in the 20th Congressional District is “going to be a battle royale. We’ve come to play.”

The national Main Stream Media is starting to take notice of this race a bit more than they normally would because of the grumblings in the Republican Party about whether Steele can handle the job as Chairman of the RNC, all because of Steele’s recent openness about Rush Limbaugh where Steele said that Rush was "incendiary" and just an "entertainer. Then the following week in an interview with GQ magazine's Lisa Depaulo Steele said a woman should have the right to choose an abortion.

So first Steele pissed off the retarded right wing of the GOP who worship Rush Limbaugh and who see him as the GOP leader, and then he pissed off the religious right wing of the GOP which wants abortions abolished completely.

So now it's put or shut up for Steele, if he can deliver the 20th congressional district to the GOP in the special election on March 31 then these grumblings will fade away.

The House seat up for grabs was held by Kirsten Gillibrand who on January 23, 2009, was appointed by Governor David Paterson to fill the Senate seat vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The Republican candidate is Jim Tedisco who has been a State Assemblyman since 1982 and his Democratic opponent is Scott Murphy who is a businessman.

So, Steele has a seasoned politician in Tedisco running against a businessman who is new to politics. The RNC Chairman has been pouring money into Tedisco’s campaign so the cards are in favor of the republican candidate, and if he loses, Chairman Steele may lose as well.

Steele was elected on the sixth and final ballot beating out South Carolina Republican party Chairman Katon Dawson 91 to 77.

I wonder what her thinking is on the outcome of the election, is she hoping that Tedisco wins because another republican would be in the House, or is she thinking that if Tedisco loses and Steele is voted out of his RNC Chair, that she might have another shot at the job.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Update: April 27, 2009

Murphy Wins New York 20th Congressional District

Democrat Scott Murphy, a businessman making his first race, has won the special election (held March 31) in New York's 20th Congressional District to replace now-Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D). All the votes are apparently in, and Murphy has defeated Jim Tedisco, the former state Senate minority leader, by 401 votes. Tedisco conceded the race this afternoon.

In congratulating his opponent, Tedisco defended holding out until today:

This was a closely contested election that perhaps lasted a little longer than anyone may have expected or wanted. But it was important for our electoral process and for the hard-working people of Upstate New York that it be resolved fairly and decisively.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, had a message for the GOP:

In trying to win the NY-20 special election, the RNC, NRCC, and their Republican allies went all in on the losing gamble that voters would prefer their 'just say no' approach to President Obama's bold plans to get the economy back on track.

Scott Murphy's victory in this district where Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than 70,000 represents a rejection of the obstructionist agenda and scare tactics that have become the hallmark of House Republicans.

The House now stands at 256 Democrat, 178 Republican and 1 vacancy -- the solidly Democratic CA 32, formerly represented by now-Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.

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