Per the Advance, flag-burning amendment afficionado and rumored Iraq War waffler Michael McMahon has raised half a million clams in his pursuit of the seat of retiring Congressman Vito 'Family Values' Fossella.

The McMahon campaign touted the deluge of donor dollars as proof that the term-limited councilman has the support to win the congressional seat, although the campaign won't officially file papers with the Federal Election Commission until the July 15 deadline.

McMahon's opponent for the Democratic nomination, Brooklyn lawyer Stephen Harrison, admitted that his campaign has raised far less -- about $150,000, according to his best estimate.[...]

"If dollars could vote, he wins," said Harrison. "But they don't. It's a classic grassroots campaign against a machine campaign, and we'll see what happens."

It'll be interesting to see what McMahon's money looks like come July 15th. My guess would be that his filing will include a large number of $5,000 PAC checks and $2,300 maxed-out bigshot donors. Meanwhile, of course, Harrison's rather more meager filing speaks to that perennial challenge to New York Progressives, who often enough treat raising money as an afterthought. Some of us, and I'm not saying Steve is one of them, really seem to think elections are won merely by the blazing rightness of our ideas. Over here in the real world, that's unfortunately not the way it works.

It is to weep.

This can't be good news for Democratic candidate Steve Harrison, running in NY-13 to replace disgraced republican Vito Fossella. From The Hill:

Rep. Charles Rangel and other New York House Democrats endorsed City Councilor Mike McMahon on Wednesday in the race to replace outgoing Rep. Vito Fossella (R).

“This year, we have an historic opportunity to turn the last Republican congressional district in New York City Democratic,” Rangel and 11 other House Democrats from New York City said in a statement obtained by The Hill.

The DCCC is taking sides as well.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), the chairman of the Democrats’ House campaign effort, will appear with McMahon at City Hall in Lower Manhattan on Saturday, according to a Democratic source.

To name some names:

Tuesday Update: I am such a stupid idiot. After trying to reach Council Member McMahon over & over, I was told to call his brother Tom -- who, as it turns out, is one of the smarter people ever to work in NYC government and is now a lobbyist. Now I understand why, whenever I talk to people about Council Member McMahon, they start talking about his brother. In any case, Tom is working on his brother's campaign and, I am told, I won't get answers soon will get answers within a day .
Liz Benjamin has learned that the Working Families Party has endorsed McMahon over Steve Harrison in the primary. See note at the end. The WFP had other primary endorsements as well.

Wednesday Update Anti-climax of the week: Domenic Recchia drops out to support Michael McMahon. So far as I can tell, Mr. Recchia has not been in the district in months. Via Jonah at The Albany Project: Recchia said" As Democrats, we have an incredible opportunity before us, to turn a red seat blue and bring true change and real leadership to the residents in Staten Island and Brooklyn. That will not happen if we are not united as a party. Therefore, I am withdrawing my bid for the 13th Congressional district, and will support our party's nominee, Mike McMahon. Thank you to all of the people who believed in me, worked for me and fought for me over the last year - especially those who encouraged me to stay in the race despite the altered political landscape. Most of all, I would like to thank the voters of the congressional district, who welcomed me with open arms and believed in my message. I have not made any decisions about my political future and have no further comment at this time" But if he runs for Brooklyn Borough Presidentn in 2009 no one will be even mildly surprised.

Frank Powers, Fossella Fundraiser & Finance chair, will be the GOP candidate to succeed the recently retiring Vito Fossella Jr. Late Thursday night, the County GOP nominated Powers, a Todt Hill resident money-manager, who promised to personally contribute $500,000 to his own campaign and raise more. While Rep. Fossella was not present, his Father, Vito Fosella Sr. and his Uncle, Frank Fossella – both GOP movers and shakers – spoke warmly of Powers “I think Frank Powers is a wonderful person,” said Vito Fossella Sr. (The Fossellas did not, apparently, say that Powers was a family man). The GOP, therefore, by nominating a Fossella ally signals that the campaign they plan is more of the same: more war, more torture, more foreclosures, higher gas prices. In my view Mr. Powers’ past alliance with Rep. Fossella will cause any claim of independence from Bush-Chaney-Fossella to flunk the giggle test.

Some professional political consultants viewed the choice of Mr. Powers as an error . Indeed, even Brooklyn Republicans were said to be unhappy .

Back to the Democrats! As you may know, NYC Council Member Michael McMahon was selected by the State Island Democratic County Committee to run for the Congressional seat not Steve Harrison who has been campaigning all this time.

A key question for me is: What sort of campaign will Mr. McMahon run against Mr. Harrison? Both the Staten Island Advance and Islanders I’ve spoken with view Mr. McMahon as a conservative Democrat. For example, this Advance Editorial called Mr. Harrison “too liberal” for Staten Island and Mr. McMahon as just right. In what may be a harbinger of campaign tone, it also repeatedly calls Harrison a Brooklynite . (Another Advance edit worth reading is here.. In addition, those watching this race should read Tom Wrobleski's long somewhat gossipy analysis in Sunday's SI Advance . Mr. Wrobleski suggests what many of us expect, that this will be a Democratic year for Staten Island and the 13th Cong. District. My read of his column is that he favors Mr. McMahon over Mr. Harrison.

Will SI Democrats prefer a righter Democrat Islander to a lefter activist from Brooklyn? Will Mr. Harrison's grass roots campaign be able to overcome party organizations in Brooklyn and Staten Island? If Mr. McMahon runs as a conservative pro-war Democrat, many people like me will be extra inspired to work hard for Steve Harrison.