Democrats rubbed out another five republican Congressmen in the Northeast yesterday, including three in New York, one in New Jersey, and, in a historic victory, finally ending the tenure of New England's last remaining Member of the House, Chris Shays.

In NY-29, Eric Massa succeeded in his second attempt to knock off incumbent Shotgun Randy Kuhl. In NY-13, City Councilman Michael McMahon took Vito "More families, more values" Fossella's formerly safe seat with over 60% of the vote. In NY-25, Dan Maffei will replace retiring republican James Walsh.

So that's that. Republicans just stopped being a national party. Too bad for them.

Brandon English at the DCCC emails over some further distressing news for Progressive NY-13 candidate Steve Harrison: his opponent in the Demcratic primary, Michael McMahon, has been added to the DCCC's Red to Blue program.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced today the next round of candidates who earned a spot in the DCCC’s highly competitive Red to Blue program. These 14 candidates qualified for the third round of the Red to Blue program by surpassing demanding fundraising goals and skillfully demonstrating to voters that they stand for change and will represent new priorities when elected to Congress.[...]

“The candidates for change being named to the DCCC Red to Blue program are running strong campaigns and are committed to making things easier for middle class families in their districts,” said Chris Van Hollen, Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “With less than five months to make their case for change to voters in their districts, the Red to Blue program will give these candidates the financial and structural edge to be even more competitive in November.”

Michael McMahon is the only candidate in the Northeast to be added to Red to Blue in this wave, joining Dan Maffei (NY-25) and Eric Massa (NY-29) on the rolls of the DCCC's frontline candidates.

As personal problems and scandal ended the political career of Staten Island Congress Member Vito Fossella, some Democrats and reporters seem to have awoken to what they say is a once in a generation opportunity to turn Democratic a Congressional seat long held by Republicans. (See also SI Advance, here .) As a result, the (in my opinion, conservative) Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, local Congress Members, Democratic Party "regulars" and the Working Families Party have endorsed NYC Council Member Michael McMahon over progressive, anti-Iraq-war candidate Steve Harrison. None of these groups, thus far at least, have shown any interest in the positions of either Mr. McMahon or Mr. Harrison. My sometimes ill-informed judgment is that ignoring the merits is a mistake. The reason why Democrats John Hall and Kirsten Gillibrand beat entrenched GOP Congress Members in 2006 was that they presented clear progressive programs to counter the Bush-clone policies of their opponents. In my view, to the degree that the Democratic party presents Bush-Cheney-Lieberman-clone candidates to the voters, it will lose.

To focus then on some of the issues which are crucial, in my view, I asked Council Member McMahon some questions He replied in part and you can (and should) judge those answers for yourself.

Below, however, are three questions which Council Member McMahon didn't answer. Because I respect the abilities of those who prepared the answers, I am persuaded that the omissions are deliberate. Those omitted answers concern issues which members of the next Congress will actually face.

More war? Mr. McMahon did not state whether, were he a member of Congress, he would favor or oppose further Iraq war funding. Billions of dollars, needed at home, are funneled into Iraq-war-profiteers and into an immoral and evil war. Check it out in more detail here . If we're to believe Nobel-prize economist Joseph Stiglitz, the total tab will come to three trillion . Can Mr. McMahon say no to such squandering? He doesn't say.

A great deal of virtual ink has been expended on a single quote from Conservative Party Chairman Jerry Kassar about Democratic City Councilman Mike McMahon. The quote, as it has been discussed at length, is this:

"[McMahon] appeals to us on his opposition to gay marriage, and he told us he continues to support U.S. action in Iraq.”

No one who has discussed it here knows what was said to Conservative Party Chairman Jerry Kassar to give him the impression that McMahon supports Bush's Iraq Quagmire. Focusing on the quote above also has allowed some to claim that McMahon's stand has evolved since the meeting with Conservative Party Chairman Jerry Kassar and perhaps he no longer supports the Bush Quagmire. This view rests on the assumption that some time has passed since the meetig between McMahon and Conservative Party Chairman Jerry Kassar and that the Conservative Party's view is out of date.

But let's look at the full quote from Politico:

In Daniel Millstone's excellent piece on the Iraq War positions of NY-13 Democratic primary contender Michael McMahon, the latter, a sitting member of the City Council, is quoted as saying this:

With regard to various city council resolutions on the War, I do not believe that the City Council, which has some very difficult issues to face, is best prepared to spend its time working on these issues. In my time in the Council, I have worked very hard on issues that affect the working men and women of my district and the City.

Now, one might argue that the Iraq War does indeed directly affect a district with 45,046 civilian veterans in the last census. One might further argue that the cost of the Iraq War in the Thirteenth District, $1.8B to date, with $462.7M online for FY 2008 and FY 2009 also coming from the district, is indeed a matter of interest.

Of course, as McMahon implies, resolutions by the City Council, even if passed by the bushel, do not in and of themselves carry much weight in the national legislature except as a debatably effective tool of persuasion. That would be an entirely fair point to make. However, a quick review of McMahon's record reveals that he has indeed sponsored and voted for such appellative resolutions, including some that should make Democrats cringe.

A while ago I asked Council Member Michael McMahon about his views on the war in Iraq and detainee policies. I received partial answers Friday night. and reproduce them below. It's a lawyerly reply with -- from my point of view -- good and bad news. It's most revealing, in my opinion, for what it doesn't say. Refer to my original questions, which I have reproduced below, to see what's not said. I will write about Mr. McMahon's reply further, later.

Statement by Michael E. McMahon in response to Daily Gotham Questions

I am opposed to the Iraq War and the time to start bringing home our fighting men and woman is now. That being said, we cannot allow politics to do anything that will threaten the lives and safety of our troops.

There were many in Congress who supported the war based on misinformation and the miscalculations of the Bush Administration. As documented in the recently released Senate report, the danger posed by weapons of mass destruction was exaggerated. It was these dangers that lead many, including the New York Times editorial board, to endorse military action.

But now that we are there we need a plan to get our forces home. I support the agenda that Senator Clinton has outlined;

* Phased redeployment
* Focus on stability with the assistance of the United Nations
* Intensive Regional Diplomacy

With regard to various city council resolutions on the War, I do not believe that the City Council, which has some very difficult issues to face, is best prepared to spend its time working on these issues. In my time in the Council, I have worked very hard on issues that affect the working men and women of my district and the City. As chair of the Sanitation Committee we have done some really good things on the environment, keeping the Landfill closed, and managing our solid waste.

Democratic Congressional candidate Steve Harrison (NY13th CD Staten Island, Southwest Brooklyn), who in 2006 received a higher percentage of the vote than any Democrat ever under the district’s current configuration, is challenging September 9th primary opponent Councilman Michael McMahon to five debates, 3 in Staten Island and two in Brooklyn. The primary winner faces the eventual Republican nominee in November to replace incumbent Vito Fossella, who is not seeking re-election because of his recent scandals.

Harrison wants to begin debating his opponent as soon as possible.

"I'm ready to go today" said Harrison, "Mike told the Staten Advance that he wants to discuss the issues. So let's discuss. I've been discussing Congressional issues for over two years. have a website, campaign team and money in the bank. It will be interesting to hear what Mike says about National issues and why he voted for congestion pricing and the largest property tax hike in history and why, as a Democrat, he's vying for the Conservative party endorsement."

Harrison soundly defeated Fossella, who ran on the Republican and Conservative lines ,all five times they debated in 2006.

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.