Republican Congressman Vito "Vino" Fossella is really not looking too good right now. His conduct the night of his drunk driving arrest is something he is going to have a hard time living down.

Mug Shot thanks to FossellaFive.org

Drunk driving AND a secret love child all revealed in one scandal. People are arguing over what to call this scandal. Simple "Vinogate?" "Double the Family Values?" "A Congressman Walked into a Bar?" Or, a suggestion on Daily Kos, "In-Vito Fertilization."

The behavior of Vito Fossella leaves much to be desired, though perhaps by Republican standards where even pedophilia is accepted, maybe he isn't so bad.

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

SIBRO Civic (Staten Island and Brooklyn Civic) and South Beach Civic are sponsoring an Anti-Bloomberg Congestion Pricing Plan Forum, Sunday, April 6th at 7 PM in Xaverian High School, 7100 Shore Road,Brooklyn, NY 11209.

Speakers include Democratic Congressional Candidate Steve Harrison (NY13th CD, Staten Island/Southwest Brooklyn) and Queens City Councilman Tony Avella. One very prominent elected official is also trying to make it, but doesn't want his name released in case he can't it.

Councilman Bill de Blasio and Vinnie Gentile will send representatives.

There may also be speakers on behalf of the People with Disabilities community, who would suffer under the proposed congestion pricing.

Steve Harrison opposes Bloomberg's Congestion Plan, but not congestion pricing in theory.

For more information on Steve views on congestion pricing visit steveharrisonforcongress.com

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.

[UPDATE: I have heard from two others that they have heard the same, that Recchia is dropping out. On the other hand, someone is claiming to have heard right from someone close to Recchia himself that the rumor is not true. Well...that's the nature of rumors! Take it all with a grain of salt.]

[SECOND UPDATE: I am hearing Recchia's campaign is denying the rumor. Time will tell. It may just be a case of them not being ready to bow out or it may be that a decision hasn't yet been reached by there has been discussion, or it could be Albany gossip was wrong.]

A rumor from Albany was passed along tonight at the Independent Neighborhood Democrats meeting. It is unconfirmed. I have only one person's word on it, but that person is not one to spread random rumors. That person thinks the rumor is reliable, but will check on it.

Democratic Congressional candidates around the country - Darcy Burner, Eric Massa, Steve Harrison, Donna Edwards, and many more - are embracing the Responsible Plan, an effort to get American troops out of Iraq while preserving regional stability, United States interests and restoring American moral leadership. Every Progressive should read this document. If there is a way forward, this is it.

Here's Steve Harrison, running for Congress against Bush lap dog Vito Fossella in New York's Thirteenth District, speaking on why he was one of the ten original supporters of the Responsible Plan.

On the web: Steve Harrison for Congress
Donate: Steve Harrison's ActBlue Page

Daily Kos has been highlighting a new coalition of Democratic challengers with the stated goal of ending the Iraq war in 2009:

What interests us locally in New York State is that two members of this coalition are from New York: Steve Harrison (NY-13) and Eric Massa (NY-29). Here's the press release from the Harrison campaign:

Steve Harrison joins other top-tier Democratic challengers to issue “Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq”
Harrison (NY-13 Staten Island/Southwest Brooklyn), Darcy Burner (WA-8), Donna Edwards (MD4), Eric Massa (NY-29) and 6 other candidates will unveil detailed strategy to end the war

Friday, March 14, 7 pm

Jerry Stiller & Ann Meara, Laura Flanders, Bill Fletcher, Carolyn Eisenberg, Jonathan Tasini, Diane Shamis, Frances Anderson, Vin Gopal, Ina Howard-Parker, Jeff Cohen, Barry Keating, Bob Fertik, Dana Balicki, Judith LeBlanc and Norman Solomon

Invite you to a special Benefit Screening of the acclaimed documentary: "War Made Easy"

A benefit for Progressive Democrats of America and their 2008 election-year organizing efforts

Post-show reception with Laura Flanders, Norman Solomon, and Introducing PDA-endorsed candidate in the 13th Congressional District Steve Harrison

Date: Friday, March 14, 2008 at 7:00pm
Location: The Quad Cinema, 34 W. 13th Street, New York, NY 10011

Post Show Reception: The Kaplan Room in the GLBT Center 208 W. 13th Street
Tickets: $100.

Purchase tickets on line at www.pdamerica.org
For more information email: frances@pdamerica.org

About the film: "WAR MADE EASY: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning us to Death"

Democrats Steve Harrison and Councilman Dominic Recchia Jr., candidates for the 13th Congressional District (Bay Ridge-Staten Island), are scheduled to speak at a forum in Bay Ridge on Monday, March 10 at 8:30 p.m., sponsored by the Brooklyn Democrats for Change. The candidates' forum will be at the Knights of Columbus-Thomas Dogan Council, 8122 Fifth Ave. It's their first forum together in their primary election contest to unseat Republican Congressman Vito Fossella in the November General Election. For further information, call (718) 619-5110

This could be your chance to confront Dominic Recchia on his seeming support for permanent bases in Iraq and his endorsement of an unqualified, homophopbe for a Brooklyn judge, and confront Steve Harrison for his past support of a Republican candidate.

I'll freely admit that Steve Harrison, the Democratic candidate in NY-13, is one of my favorite challengers in this cycle. Yesterday, his team emailed over a press release that underscores the essential rightness of that assessment. It appears some controversy over endorsements is brewing in that race, and he's handling it exactly as he should.

Harrison is running against the only republican sent by the City to Washington, one Vito Fossella. Recently, Gloria Steinem, founder of Ms. Magazine and currently otherwise in some hot water for what can fairly be described as over-zealous advocacy for Hillary Clinton's Presidential ambitions, hosted a fundraiser for Harrison and endorsed his candidacy. Unfortunately, she also recently made remarks to the effect that John McCain's military service does not automatically qualify him for the Presidency.

While that seems a fairly unobjectionable statement - military service alone does not qualify someone for political office, though it's not a detriment, either - apparently, some veterans have demanded that Harrison renounce her support for being, as the phrase goes, anti-military.

In the past, of course and usually to the grim displeasure of Progressive activists, Democratic candidates have tripped over themselves to buy into (and thereby reinforce the legitimacy of) frames like this, abjectly groveling that no, they don't hate America, mom, the troops, apple pie, and so on. Harrison isn't doing that. Instead, he said this:

I honor and admire the service of Senator John McCain and I always have. I believe that his service to country and grace under confinement are factors, among many, that can be weighed in determining who is best qualified to be our next president. But, as was true with the Democratic nominee in 2004, military service is only one of many factors to be considered. If military service were the sole determinant of presidential timber, then George Bush is unqualified for the position. Like Gloria Steinem, I believe that both Democratic presidential candidates are better qualified to lead our nation than the Arizona Senator.. But the fact that we do not support Sen. McCain's candidacy is not inconsistent with honor for his service.

That statement neatly reframes the issue at hand, creating a distinction between the respect owed by a public figure to the service and sacrifice of another, and the political opposition to the political goals of the person that brought the sacrifice in question. In a district with an unusually high percentage of veterans - for New York City - that's a smart move, and it's also the right and decent thing to do.

Meanwhile, however, the question of endorsers opens a huge can of worms for republicans in this district and the rest of this state, a fact tied in to the Presidential candidacy of John McCain, which Vito Fossella has endorsed, underlining his endorsement by campaigning with the Arizona Senator in Manhattan and New Jersey prior to his final securing of the nomination. John McCain is supported by people who subscribe to a particularly virulent strain of anti-Catholic bigotry, support he eagerly sought and refuses to disavow.

Two new endorsements in the race to defeat abramoff buddy and Bush-Republican Vito Fossella:

This week the Democratic Organization of Richmond County (Staten Island's oldest Democratic organization) voted 22-3 to endorse Steve Harrison.

Last week the Staten Island Democratic Association voted 42-6 to endorse Steve Harrison for Congress.

Fundraiser for Steve Harrison for Congress (NY-13)
Wed., Feb. 27, 2008, 6:30 PM
Hosted by Lewis Cohen. Honorary host Gloria Steinem. Special Guest Frank Barbaro.
Social Bar and Grill, 795 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10019

Fundraiser Suggested Donations $100-$2300

Gloria Steinem and Frank Barbaro are joining in a fundraiser for Steve Harrison in his race against Bush Republican Vito Fossella.

Frank Barbaro has already endorsed Steve. Here is an excerpt from the press release from that event:

Barbaro cites Iraq, universal healthcare, preserving social security and protecting worker rights as among the reasons for his support of Harrison.

“Your positions on these issues demonstrated a deep commitment to American Values set forth in our Constitution and to our core Democratic values.”

Barbaro, whose public service career spans more than 50 years, also lauded Harrison’s community involvement.

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.

[UPDATE: Rep. Fossella's formidable fundraising factory showed prowess with more $300,000 raised in the just ended quarter -- with $250,000 cash on hand reports Liz Benjamin (Previous claims for Recchia were $220,000 and for Harrison $110,000.). Those keeping up with the race in the 13th Congressional District may also want to read the Sunday’s Strictly Political column by Tom Wrobleski in the Staten Island advance.]

I sometimes wonder if I have become a Yellow Dog Democrat – you know the sort who would vote for a yellow dog if it were the Democratic candidate. And then I remember Susan Molinari who represented Staten Island in the NYC Council and in Congress with wit, intelligence and care. I thought she was very good. I liked as well her Council successor and Finance Commissioner Alfred Cerullo. I have not admired the work of Congress Member Fossella. Let me give you an example of his work which in my view is bad not just because I disagree with his views (which I do) but because his views are couched in misstatements of fact and law.

Mr. Fossella’s essay appeared as a column in the NY Post by GOP Rep.Vito Fossella on a crucial issue pending before Congress; the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. (FISA) Congress Member Fossella also read this piece as the Republican radio address of the week and you can access from his website here .

[For a fair, left-partisan, discussion of the FISA issues, try Dahlia Lithwick's essay in Slate or try mcjoan's post at Kos . For the ACLU's view go here]. The Senate may vote on FISA Feb 4th or 5th. Consider calling your Senator .

As I read it, however, it misstates the facts and law about FISA and it repeats a part-fact part-fiction story which has been discredited. If this is the level of debate that Mr. Fossella is going to advance, the only question left is whether anyone will stay fooled by him

DFNYC's Merle McEldowney invites you to an event in support of Stephen Harrison, Candidate for US Congress.

January 17, 2008 – 6 to 9 PM
2166 Broadway 16F
(between 76 & 77 streets)

On Thursday, January 17th, from 6:00 pm - 9:00 Merrle is having a party in my home to support and honor Steve Harrison, candidate for the US Congress in the 13th District. From her invitation:

I feel strongly about this race. Steve is a person who reflects all that I want to see in a representative. His values are consistently well thought out, and come from a fundamentally humane base. I think you will like him as much as I do.

As the Congressional representative for the 13th District, Steve will work to bring integrity and reform to Washington and get the representation that district deserves. In last year's race Steve nearly defeated Fosella in the district's closest election in decades. The New York Times, major unions, and our top Democratic leaders endorsed Steve.