One picture says it all. Thanks to FossellaFive.org, here's Vito Fossella's mug shot from his drunk driving arrest:

I think we all should be thankful that Vito Fossella didn't hit anyone while driving intoxicated. Such irresponsibility is disgusting in anyone, but particularly in someone who is supposed to be a leader. As Steve Harrison, Democratic Candidate taking on Vito Fossella in the NY-13 Congressional race, says:

"Lawmakers cannot expect the people to follow the laws if they themselves disregard them."

Steve Harrison, Vito Fossella's main Democratic opponent, has issued a statement regarding Vito (or is that Vino?) Fossella's Drunk Driving Arrest:

As Steve Harrison wraps up most of the local endorsements for his run for Congress (in both Bay Ridge and Staten Island) we need to get busy fundraising for him. After all, this is the only Congressional seat in NYC filled by a Repub, a corrupt one at that...and it's about time to get rid of him. Steve is the man to do that.

Steve has also recently signed on to the "Responsible Plan for Iraq," aimed at ending our military occupation of Iraq while preserving regional stability.

Here's a Staten Island fundraiser for him:

House Party for Steve Harrison for Congress
Sun., Mar. 30, 2008; 4:00 to 6:30
Hosted by Dave Hernandez and Rich Greve
125 Roe Street, Staten Island, NY
Suggested Donation $50

And if you can't make it but still want to help, you can donate at the Daily Gotham Act Blue site.

Democracy for America has nominated New York 13th Congressional District Democratic candidate Steve Harrison for consideration as a "Congressional Grassroots All-Star".

The winner of the competition receives in addition to bragging rights, a donation from the organization. Here's the link. http://democracyforamerica.com/gras

In the race to replace Vito Fossella in New York's 13th Congressional District the arguments among and between the partisans of the aspirants for the Democratic Party nomination in New York’s 13 Congressional District has focused on almost anything but the issues. Personally, I’ve been dissatisfied with what seemed to be shaping up as an intensely insider debate. (Who can raise enough money? Who is a pawn of Vito Lopez? Who supported Sen. Martin J. Golden?) Process questions are important, but they should not take the place of policy discussion, as I see it.

In order to understand the difference between them, I called up both candidates and asked them about key issues. I’ve run the statements below by each candidate again so as to ensure their accuracy and opportunity to fine tune the positions. Corrections are welcome. In my view, the statements below point to some policy differences between Mr. Harrison and Mr. Recchia.

I asked about the views of Mr. Harrison and Mr. Recchia on other issues too: health care, civil liberties, the economy, the sub-prime lending crisis. Suggestions are welcome The statements post jump.

As first reported on the Staten Island Advance blog and then here on Daily Gotham, Frank Barbaro, former worker organizer, assemblyman and New York Supreme Court judge as well as former candidate for NY-13, has endorsed Steve Harrison for Congress.

From the Press Release from Friday, Dec. 21:

Former State Supreme Court judge and assemblyman Frank Barbaro endorses Harrison

6 PM December 21 press conference at the ferry terminal in Staten Island.

(Staten Island, Brooklyn) Iconic 80 year old former worker organizer, assemblyman and New York Supreme Court judge Frank Barbaro will endorse Democratic Congressional Candidate Steve Harrison at a 6PM, December 21, press conference at the ferry terminal, St George, Staten Island.

Harrison, is challenging New York 13th Congressional District (Staten Island and Southwest Brooklyn) incumbent Vito Fossella, New York City’s only Republican House member, again in 08, after receiving a higher percentage of the vote in 06 than any Democrat since the district’s creation.

So I was getting some insider rumors that Frank Barbaro, the gentleman who ran against Bush Lap Dog Vito Fossella in 2004, was endorsing Steve Harrison, who ran in 2006 and is running again in 2008. Given that Dominic Recchia, who pretty much kept out of the fight to defeat Fossella in 2004 and 2006, is looking to challenge Harrison in the Democratic primary, this is potentially important news. But I was going to hold off until the actual press conference on the Staten Island side of the Ferry at 6:00 PM this Friday.

Seems the Staten Island Advance went public with the story prematurely [Note: the SI Advance has this in their blog] so the rumor seems public now: Frank Barbaro is endorsing Steve Harrison for Congress in the NY-13 race against Iraq War fan, Social Security Flip Flopper and opponant of Port Security Congressman Vito Fossella.

More on that Friday, I assume.

Below is a link to a story positioning Steve Harrison as the candidate of the people and Domenic Recchia as the Brooklyn machine's choice in City Hall News.

The article mentions the Daily Gotham, but the reporter didn't contact Bouldin and Mole as I suggested when he was writing the piece.

http://www.cityhallnews.com/news/128/ARTICLE/1316/2007-11-12.html

The word from the Steve Harrison campaign is that he currently has raised more than $50,000 for his rematch against Bush Republican Vito Fossella. This is a good sign given that Harrison got 43% of the vote while spending only $100,000 total in 2006. He already has more than half what he had to spend last year and it is more than a year before the election. Given that his performance with $100,000 led the DCCC to say that Steve Harrison had proven that this seat could be won, having $50,000 already is a good sign that he, with DCCC help, could win this time around, replacing a Bush Republican with a Democrat who is solidly for full withdrawal from Iraq and who is able to appeal to both progressives and moderates.

Last time around Steve got a late start, had low fundraising numbers, no help from the DCCC or MoveOn.org and had only low name recognition.

This comes from a diary on Daily Kos from Rosalie907 (a resident in NY-13):

Only 2 days left to the end of the quarter

Steve Harrison is running here in New York's 13th Congressional District to defeat Vito Fossella the ONLY Republican member of Congress in New York City.

Vito Fossella has been my Congressman for 10 years and has been a yes man for the Bush Administration and the Republican Party all that time.

In 2006, with a late start and only a drop of support at the very end from the DCCC and very little money Steve Harrison got 43% of the vote (he actually only lost by about 13,000 votes). This time having already declared we ask that you donate to him either through his Web Site at www.steveharrisonforcongress.com or through his Act Blue page.

A few weeks ago, Daily Gotham broke the news that Steve Harrison, the man who almost unseated Bush/Cheney buddy and Iraq war advocate Vito Fossella, wants a rematch. Steve Harrison is running against Vito only this time is starting much earlier and with more money on hand.

I think it is worth reviewing some of last year's race between Vito and Steve Harrison.

Last year, the NY Times endorsement of Steve Harrison went a long way to sum up the difference between the candidates. The NY Times SLAMED NY-13 Republican Vito Fossella as a Bush lap dog who refused to support our troops, help Staten Island's transportation needs and is part of the Republican Culture of Corruption. Here's what they said last year:

So according to Crain's Insider (always to be taken with a grain of salt) Vito Fossella made no earmark requests this year. Very strange right? Every other New York member made plenty of requests, particularly since Dems are finally looking to get a piece of the pie.

So why did Vito let his district get left out of the pork pit? According to his spokesperson, the new disclosure rules are too ambiguous, and could leave members open to ethics violations. Huh?

To me that sounds like BS. There are two possible explanations, I can think of. One is that Vito has been making some very questionable earmarks in the past, and is too afraid to put in for them again, given the new disclosure rules. Given that it might be too hard for him to tell the shady beneficiaries of his largess he can't fund them anymore, it's easier to just tell everyone he can't fund them.

Another possible explanation is that, since he's not in the majority party anymore, he stands to receive a lot less money than before, and will probably look bad if he tries ineffectively to get everything he did in the past.