In the primary race to take on pro-war, Social Security flip-flopping Bush Republican Vito Fossella (NY-13), Daily Gotham is backing Steve Harrison over Dominc Recchia, though with the understanding that BOTH Democrats are a welcome change over Fossella's enabling of Bush's failed agenda.

Already, fellow Daily Gotham writer Daniel Millstone uncovered a major difference in where Steve Harrison and Dominc Recchia stand on Iraq: Steve Harrison supports withdrawal, largely taking a similar stand to John Edwards and Bill Richardson, while Dominc Recchia expresses openness to the idea of permanent US bases in Iraq and borrows Bush talking point (perhaps with more honesty) that we should keep our troops in Iraq until the Iraqi army can take care of itself. Richardson, Edwards and, it seems, Harrison all support a regional military force taking over from the US as soon as possible rather than waiting for an indefinite period with permanent bases.

This month there are four fundraisers I am pushing. One I am on the host committee of, two I am full on co-host (one of which is at my apartment) and one I am merely plugging for friends.

The first one was last Sunday, and I now have results from that. Sunday, Marjorie Gersten, Joy Romanski and I hosted a fundraiser for Norman Siegel, running for NY Public Advocate. You can read about my (3-year old interrupted) comments on the event here. And you can read another participant's obeservations here at the Brooklyn Optimist. But now I would like to add that the fundraiser did quite well for a small scale event put on by people like me who almost never do fundraising. We brought in $1400 for Norman Siegel. Now I am sure many out there see that as small potatoes, but it's damned good in my world!

If you want to add to this, please call his campaign at 212-448-6271. Tell them Marjorie, David and Joy sent you.

Just got back from a Norm Siegel for Public Advocate fundraiser in Brooklyn Heights (will blog it when I have a money report...turnout was good by my standard and lots of people were writing checks, but don't know the final tally)...

And just got off the phone with Jimmy Dahroug, running for NY State Senate, who is having a fundraiser Wednesday, January 9, 2008, 6 pm at 1050 Park Avenue, NYC (at East 87th Street). But I already blogged about that fundraiser (hope you all can make it! Jimmy's a great guy).

Tonight I want to invite you all to my apartment. Really! We will clean up all the toys lying around. Joy and I are hosting a fundraiser for my good friend, Josh Skaller on Thursday right in my own Park Slope, basement apartment.

Today, I received a fundraising letter from the DSCC, signed by former President Bill Clinton. If they want my money, they're going to have to earn it, something the Democratic leadership in Congress has so far failed to do. Following up on Democracy for NYC's (www.dfnyc.org) letters to DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen, I sent the following return:

Dear President Clinton:

Last November was the first election night on which I was able to cheer the results in 14 years. After spending the day in GOTV work, I had the pleasure of partying into the night with a large group of progressive political activists. The standard line that night was, “our long national nightmare is over.” Even though we understood that there was still much work to be done, and some things would get worse before they got better, we were (I felt) turning a very sharp corner.

Since then, the folly of the Senate in failing to stop the appointment of Justice Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court has begun to reap long-lasting, horrible results. Recently, in one day, that Court denied free speech to students but upheld them for big-money special interests.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg used his first public appearance since announcing switching from the Republican Party to being an independent, a press conference celebrating the alleged success of his 311 program, to showcase his policy creativity to the media.

Bloomberg’s aware that his leaving the Republican Party would confirm to the media, his current constituents and potential presidential voters, that he’s pursuing an independent Presidential candidacy, despite saying wink, wink, I’m not running, and knew the world be watching his first appearance after making public his official political independence. This is why Bloomberg is using a press conference honoring 311, a program that he is particularly but unjustifiably proud of, as the location of his personal Presidential Debutante Ball.

Bloomberg hoped touting 311 success would perpetuate the myth that he’s a non-partisan problem solver. But the emperor has no clothes. 311 is useless.

Well ... the sky is falling.

Pigs are flying.

Hell froze over.

James Tedisco has proposed legislation to regulate campaign fundraising "bundling".

I actually think this proposal is a good idea.

May 1, 2007 -- ALBANY - In a very public poke at Gov. Spitzer, Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco yesterday said he is introducing legislation that would limit how much fund-raising "bundlers" can pull together for a political campaign.

[...]

"If anything defines pay to play, this is it," said Tedisco (R-Schenectady), whose bill would limit the amount an individual can raise for a candidate, a practice known as bundling, to $100,000.

Comparing those who bundle to "bagmen," Tedisco would also require a campaign to identify those who bundle for them and how much they raised, list the names, occupation, employer, and spouse's employer of all individual contributors, and list specific access gained by contribution level.

As to what do I think about Spitzer's sauntering to California for a re-election fundraiser? I only have one thing to say :

WHAT THE HELL WAS HE THINKING?!?!?!

Domenic Recchia, go home.

Brooklyn City Councilman Domenic Recchia has been making the rounds on Staten Island in recent weeks. Some speculated that the Daily News Knucklehead award winner( http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2006/12/26/2006-12-26_how_stupid_can...) was visiting the forgotten borough because he was seeking citywide office. Others correctly speculated that he was contemplating running a primary against Steve Harrison for the right to attempt to unseat Vito Fossella, New York City’s only Republican member of Congress, who represents all of Staten Island and a portion of Brooklyn. Crain’s and the Staten Island Advance confirmed his potentially disastrous for those wanting to Veto Vito, ambitions.

Brooklyn attorney Harrison ran a gallant campaign last year, losing by a smaller percentage of the vote than any of Fossella’s opponents since he supplanted the Molinari dynasty in 1997. Harrison accomplished this despite being out spent 12-1 by Fossella, largely because people like Recchia, who represents a tiny portion of the Congressional District in the Council, did squat for Steve.

Harrison has not formally announced his repeat candidacy yet, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that he’s likely to run based on his ubiquitous presence on Staten Island since the election. He also couldn’t announce because of party chair John Lavelle’s death and three first quarter 2007 special elections in Staten Island.

Well, the demise of the Democratic Party has been predicted for some time...and when Howard Dean became head of the DNC more people than ever predicted it would spell doom and destruction for the party of the Donkey.

Since then, we did unexpectedly well in 2005 elections (NYC aside). Then in 2006 we kicked ass. Now it is too early to say what 2008 will bring, but my gut feelings about our candidates vs. their candidates may be playing out in the most important arena there is: fundraising.

From Politico:

According to preliminary fundraising numbers released by the campaigns this week, the combined Democratic field raised about $80 million, compared with roughly $50 million collected by their GOP adversaries.

This is huge. I mean really huge. At this point in time before a major election, Republicans have ALWAYS been substantially ahead. I mean, we always have a registration advantage and are generally more in line with the voters on most issues, according to polls. But...we always lose the fundraising game, and that is their secret to success. Only now things have turned around. We haven't just caught up with them...we have SURPASSED them.