Posted on 03/14/2009 12:48:02 PM PDT by St. Louis Conservative
Despite a considerable Republican enrollment advantage, the Democrat seeking to replace Kirsten Gillibrand in the 20th Congressional District has cut into his Republican opponent's lead in the race.
According to new poll out today from Siena College, Scott Murphy of Glens Falls only trails Assemblyman Jim Tedisco of Schenectady 45 percent to 41 percent with less than three weeks to go before the March 31 special election.
The phone survey of 712 likely voters was conducted March 9-10 and has a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points.
The GOP holds the edge in voter enrollment in the district, which covers a 10-county area from the mid Hudson Valley to the Adirondacks.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
It’s not the GOP that’s losing it. It’s Tedisco.
Still. The GOP desperately needs a convincing win. This is a Republican district.
In response to thepolls, Tedisco is taking a more positive approach.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2206289/posts?page=11#11
Plus, the National Republican Trust PAC is planning to dump $190,000 into the NY-20 race.
How much credibility for a poll on MSNBC?
It’s from Siena.
Tedisco is STILL ahead.
I know. I can walk into it from where I live.
This should be a cakewalk for Tedisco and he’s made it much harder than it needed to be.
Frankly, I see no indication that the Republicans ‘get it’ yet. I’m sorry to say that, but it’s the truth. They have betrayed those who believed in them and in order to get those people back, they need to STRONGLY say what they mean and mean what they say. Tedisco not being willing to take a position on a matter as simple as the stimulus package is simply inexcusable and it may well have done irreparable damage to his campaign.
The Messiah did narrowly carry the district in 2008.
They have less credibility than MSNBC, but make no mistake, Tedisco is stinking up the place.
Murphy SUPPORTS everything Obama has done. How can Murphy beat Tedisco, if the issue is Obama?
Yeah, I remember that. What is he thinking?? The entire Republican caucus opposed the stimulus and he was going wishy washy. We want a choice, not an echo!
I remain hopeful that Tedisco can pull it out in the end - what are your thoughts?
Is the RNC sending any heavy hitters in to campaign for Tedisco? They should be pulling out all stops for him at this point. On the other hand if the polls were reversed and Murphy was ahead by 3 points the election would be declared over by the MSM. In any case it all will be determined by which party’s faithful turn out in the highest number. The Dems will probably send in ACORN to seal the deal.
I think he can still do it. I don’t think that the district really wants to vote Dem, especially considering how Gillibrand ‘changed her position’ on so many things after getting into the Senate.
It just seems like Tedisco is getting his advice from McCain’s campaign manager or something. The very idea that he needs to consult with anyone to know what to think about the ‘stimulus’ package is worrisome to begin with.
It would do a great deal for the morale of the GOP and conservatives to win this seat. I think the momentum is there and I do hope that winning it can be with Tedisco’s help instead of in spite of him. The guy’s a household name and a career politician. He should know better.
Tedisco Sets The Record Straight: Fights Back Against Scott Murphy’S False Accusations And Negative Attacks
March 11, 2009
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National watchdog group says Murphy’s ad is false –Tedisco calls it “Spitzer-esque”
During a press conference held this afternoon at his campaign headquarters in Halfmoon, candidate for the 20th Congressional District, Jim Tedisco (R,C-Saratoga), set the record straight and fought back against the false accusations and negative attacks launched by Democrat Scott Murphy.
Murphy is running a new television commercial that falsely asserts Tedisco “created” a job for a donor. In fact, the position – Chief Counsel to the Assembly Minority Conference – had already existed when Tedisco named respected Schenectady attorney Michael Cuevas as the first Latino American to ever hold the post. Cuevas, who is recognized as one of the state’s foremost experts on labor relations and was appointed to a commission by Democrat Governor Mario Cuomo, also filed the lawsuit that helped stop former Governor Eliot Spitzer’s unlawful plan to give driver’s licenses to illegal aliens.
“Scott Murphy’s latest attack represents a new low. He made false accusations and negative attacks about my public service record precisely because he doesn’t have one of his own. It’s time to set the record straight about Murphy’s attempt to mislead voters by smearing not just me, but my staff as well,” Tedisco said.
Yesterday, Fact Check.org, a respected national watchdog group that reviews the validity of campaign advertisements from Democrats and Republicans said the following about Murphy’s ad accusing Tedisco of not supporting a cap on compensation for CEOs whose companies received a taxpayer bailout: “Murphy and the DCCC claim that Tedisco won’t say whether he supports capping salaries for executives of companies receiving federal bailout money. That’s false. Tedisco has said that he supports the idea.”
“Just because you made millions on Wall Street doesn’t give you the right to lie about people and smear their good name. Scott, that’s not how it works in Upstate. Here, if you accuse someone, you better have your facts straight – and the guts to say it yourself. Instead, Murphy’s been hiding behind his misleading advertising. His level of dishonesty is ‘Spitzer-esque’ – and we all know how he turned out,” Tedisco stated.
“Scott Murphy is the poster boy for the greed and corruption on Wall Street that’s hurt the folks on Main Street. For the past several weeks, he hasn’t answered a single question about his failure to pay his business taxes, his handing out of bonuses to CEOs whose companies lost money, or his failure to vote in eight elections,” Tedisco said.
“Murphy’s free ride is over. If the media won’t ask him those questions, I will. And I’ll keep asking them every single day until voters get the answers they deserve,” Tedisco said.
“That Scott Murphy is trying to attack me on ethics after he has repeatedly refused to come clean about his murky past, is political hypocrisy redefined. In the Assembly, I haven’t just ‘talked the talk’ about ethics – I’ve ‘walked the walk’ by supporting comprehensive, sweeping reforms to increase openness, transparency and accountability, and decrease the power and influence of the lobbyists and special interests,” Tedisco stated.
“What has Scott Murphy done? Who has he stood up to? Who has he fought for? If Scott Murphy can’t tell it straight as a candidate, how can Upstate voters trust him to fight for them in Congress?” Tedisco asked.
“In Congress, I’ll lead the fight to drain the Washington swamp that’s spawned a culture of cronyism, pay-to-play and shameful corruption. Just as I did against Spitzer, I will stand up, and speak out, for stronger ethics and demand greater accountability from elected officials. I will fight to clean up Congress and make the ‘people’s house’ more responsive and accountable to the people,” Tedisco said.
Do you think the fact that he is taking over the campaign communications himself as a good sign going forward? Was he being badly served by consultants/politicos?
We REALLY need this seat, not for the extra vote, but for the morale boost.
Wow, you’ve got everything figured out, don’t you? How cute. Yep, you’ve got me all figured out. I’m a ‘troll for the Dems’.
I’d explain things to you, but I fear I would be wasting my time.
Honestly, I don’t know. I hope so. This seat SHOULD go GOP.
As a conservative, it troubles me that this happened at all in the first place, but I’d still vote for him over Murphy in a second. I think a lot of others feel the same way. Probably enough to take the seat. Especially if Tedisco steps things up and says the right things.
I agree on the morale boost. NJ and VA too would help. NJ is fool’s gold, but Corzine is in deep crap.
Buzz up! SARATOGA SPRINGS - In the first debate of the 20th Congressional District race, Republican James Tedisco refused to say if he supports the massive federal stimulus package signed into law by Democratic President Barack Obama.
His Democratic opponent, venture capital manager Scott Murphy, strongly supports the measure that will bring $24.6 billion to New York over two years and could continue to cost taxpayers for even longer.
Tedisco, the minority leader in the state Assembly, said cutting taxes is essential to reviving the economy, although the federal plan and the state plan to use the stimulus includes billions of dollars in new or higher taxes.
Murphy said he would work with the Democratic administrations in Washington and Albany to get federal dollars spent on important economic projects in New York.
The candidates met in the heart of the district that stretches from Essex to Dutchess counties in a March 31 special election to replace Kirsten Gillibrand.
Social Security was a recurring topic, with Tedisco saying it's crucial to reform the system in coming years as more people live longer. He said it would be a top priority for him to protect people like his 94-year-old mother who survives on $12,000 a year in security checks.
“I'll oppose any attempt to reduce benefits, raise taxes, increase the retirement age, or privatize Social Security,” Tedisco said.
Murphy argued Republicans haven't held the answers for Social Security's shortcomings.
He said if former President George W. Bush's plan to privatize social security had passed, millions would have lost that money during the Wall Street meltdown.
The debate was organized by the American Association of Retired Persons, so the topics were often shaped around health-care issues, including the possibility of universal coverage, the cost of prescription medication and cost containment.
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009903040329
So, Murphy STRONGLY supports the porkulus bill, and people who do not support the “Stimulus” will -— vote for Murphy because Tedisco has not been firm enough in taking a position?
I hate to say it, but yes, some will. Why? Because it would seem that at least one of them knows what he believes and isn’t afraid to defend it.
You mistake someone pointing out that a problem exists with someone who is advocating for Democrats. Scott Murphy is the worst kind of leftist scum.
But if the GOP’s primary argument is going to be ‘Our guy sucks less than Scott Murphy’, then the results are going to be a nailbiter.
This quote is also troubling: “I’ll oppose any attempt to reduce benefits, raise taxes, increase the retirement age, or privatize Social Security,”
If he’s against every single damn thing that’s been proposed to try and fix the problem then what’s he gonna do, vote ‘present’? Every solution is unpopular with someone, so he’s against all of them. That’s his prerogative, but it’s not decisive leadership and I really think that is what people, not only in this district, but all over the country, are looking for.
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