As a candidate who has not gotten support from the party, Harrison is fairly independent of its leadership. It's one of the benefits of a grass-roots campaign. What pressure could they apply: loss of funds? They're already not giving him money. What inducement? Diane Savino's Senate Seat?

People already in elected office who'd have to give up their seats might think several times about running for Congress in the 13th. In 2010, there will be a census. In 2012, one or more New York seats may vanish. A junior Congress Member might find his or her district dismembered.

I've asked people about this fairly directly. Unless there is a special election, I do not see any of the local electeds running. But people do change their minds all the time.

I, who know only a few Island Republicans, certainly have no idea. It is, to my mind, a shame not to have Vito Fossella to kick around anymore come election day. He carried the Bush-Cheney baggage in addition to his own. Any GOP candidate will be lighter on his feet than Mr. Fossella could have been.

Will Steve Harrison be successful against some non-Fossella person? Absent careful polling, we're just guessing. However, he will run, I think, the same campaign against his opponent that he would have against Mr. Fossella. As between Mr. Recchia and Mr. Harrison, Harrison became my guy.

If others actually jump in? We'll probably all have to take a few minutes to think about it. Many months ago, Mr. Harrison told me that if Ms. Savino were running he'd have supported her. But now? This too is guessing.

If "party leaders" had actually gotten off their asses in 2006 and fought as hard for this seat as Harrison did, I might think they had a right to say something. But most people sat on their hands and did nothing in 2006. Harrison has full right to keep at it and if they want him out they'd better offer him something sweet because after all the effort many of us have put in, we aren't going to be very enthusiastic if Harrison gets muscled out. The groundwork has been laid by Harrison and a bunch of progressives, not the Party "leaders." They may have their reasons for courting someone else, but where have they all been all this time. I am sick of "Party Leaders" assuming we will play their game while we do the work. Nationally there is some pretty good harmony between progressive grassroots activists who work their asses off and the national party leaders. In NY State and City the party leaders are getting more and more mired in the same old crap and hard working folks are getting fed up. To Savino, McMahon, and Cusick, let me say this: we wanted this seat before you got off your butts. We laid groundwork. You want our help, you had better give that work some respect and for now the person who has given that respect is Harrison. If work isn't appreciated, believe me, I get requests for help from all over the country. I don't need to be fighting next door if it isn't respected.

Your're absolutely correct. I'm sick of "party leaders" telling me what's good for me. They didn't help in 2006 and then they were trying to shove Dominic Recchia down our throats. There's a heck of a lot of people who have been working their rears off for months on this race and like you, I won't feel obligated to help another candidate if Steve is dumped on and CD-13 is MY DISTRICT.