In the wake of a red-hot extramarital scandal, the Washington Post’s Mary Ann Akers picks up the inside buzz that this term will be Staten Island Republican Vito Fossella’s last:
The consensus on Capitol Hill is: Vito is finito.
The clock is ticking on Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.) — or “Vino” Fossella, as the New York tabloids have taken to calling him — who is battling not just drunken driving charges but much more personally scandalous allegations that could damage his party’s prospects in the November congressional elections.
GOP political insiders say Fossella, whose blood-alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit when he was busted at 12:15 a.m. last Thursday, stands little chance of running for reelection at this point, and their Democratic counterparts agree. Buzz on the Hill and around town Wednesday was that Fossella would be announcing sooner rather than later that he won’t seek another term in what has quickly become a hotly contested seat for embattled Republicans. Fossella was not voting in the House Wednesday. […]
GOP aides speaking on the condition of anonymity said they expected Fossella would announce imminently that he won’t seek reelection. But Fossella spokesman Craig Donner tells the Sleuth that no announcement or press conference is planned.
The last thing that the GOP needs is an open seat battle in this D+0.8 district. On both a macro and a micro level, this year is shaping up to be a major disaster for the GOP.
(H/T: RandySF)
has a bench here…they have a few strong candidates in State Senator Andrew Lanza, Staten Island DA Dan Donovan and NYC Councilman James Oddo.
The Democrats have pretty strong candidates Assemblymembers Michael Cusick and Janele Hyer-Spencer, State Senator Diane Savino, and NYC Councilman Michael McMahon, but I live close to her and there’s a reason why they call Staten Island “Texas on the Atlantic”
But just the fact that it has a slight Dem lean at the Presidential level and it’s in NY should give us a decent shot.
This is an excellent shot at another Congressional seat. Could the Dems top their performance last time in NY and win 4 seats, leaving only two left. One to be redistricted out of existence and the other, well, if there is only one left, it’s only a matter before Dems target him.
7 Repubs gone in just two cycles possibly, that is quite a hit.
Has to be from the Staten Island part of the district. Only way we can win it. I don’t know the S.I. pols very well, but I know that Harrison and our other candidate come from the Brooklyn section. They have the misfortune of being in the wrong part of the district. Battle Ground S.I.
Vito Fossella needs to retire. We need to sweep our party clean of these folks mucking it up, and drunk drivers certainly make that list.
I have been covering this district for over three years now so it is exciting to see the coverage Fossella has brought upon himself but exhausting at the same time. I just rolled out VinoFossella.com tonight which is a chronology of Fossella’s arrest and the events since. If you need help figuring out what happened or when it happened I should have it covered. I am not going to be able to jump into any analysis tonight unfortunately but will try to have some later this week depending on work.
The money line from today’s (May 8) New York Daily News article about Vito (“Vito’s Career Dying on the Vine” on the net version) is, “Some officials told donors to withhold checks to Fossella, inside sources said.” They want him out bad.
from Observer;
“I have had a relationship with Laura Fay, with whom I have a three year old daughter.
“My personal failings and imperfections have caused enormous pain to the people I love and I am truly sorry.
“While I understand that there will be many questions, including those about my political future, making any political decisions right now are furthest from my mind.
“Over the coming weeks and months, I will to continue to do my job and I will work hard to heal the deep wounds I have caused.”
From the NY Post no doubt…
http://www.nypost.com/seven/05…