Posted on 04/01/2010 3:12:59 PM PDT by autumnraine
In an unwelcome bit of news for the GOP, New York governor David Paterson has announced that he would not call a special election to fill the House seat left vacant by former Democratic Rep. Eric Massa.
Massa resigned last month amid in ethics investigation into accusations that he sexually harassed male members of his staff and subsequently acknowledged groping a staffer non-sexually.
Paterson had initially vowed to call a special election to replace Massa before the midterm elections in November. But his spokeswoman said that the embattled Democratic governor would not do so, citing the cost to taxpayers in the cash-strapped state.
"We have some serious concerns about the financial impact that a special election could have on the county level, especially because those counties are facing the same fiscal crisis that the state is facing," Maggie McKeon said in an e-mail to Gannett News Service.
Republicans saw Massa's Corning, New York-area seat as a likely GOP pickup that they hoped would have generate momentum for the party heading into the midterm elections. John McCain won the district over Barack Obama by a slim margin in 2008, and Republicans have a 46,000 edge in voter registration there, according to Hotline on Call. Massa lost in his run for the seat in 2006.
Paterson last year called two special elections. One was for the seat formerly held by Kirsten Gillibrand, who he appointed to the Senate; the other was for the seat previously held by John McHugh, now secretary of the Army. (That later election gave us the Doug Hoffman run that was seen as the first test of the Tea Party movement.)
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Thanks again mewzilla for the link/info.
Thank you for posting it, autumnraine!
The Democratic governor is concerned about costs now?
Democracy? Not any more. That’s part of the “change” that the Socialist-in-Chief promised. We can “hope” that we will be permitted to vote in November.
Republicans saw Massa’s Corning, New York-area seat as a likely GOP pickup that they hoped would have generate momentum for the party heading into the midterm elections.”
Duh. So did the Dems. Way to play it close to the vest, Pubbies.
The state of New York ought to be sued, the governor is denying the people of the district a voice in Congress.
If Rangel were to flee the country to escape tax charges and abandoned his seat, would Paterson have allowed the Harlem district to be without a representative for such a long period of time?
I really doubt it.
Why does s thug like David Patterson have the right to disenfranchise New York State voters?
So an entire District goes unrepresented, because “cost concerns” trump representative democracy???
Lack of special election for Massa seat probably won’t hurt GOP
The 'Rats have just told the entire district to go to Hades.
Estimated cost for “democracy and representation”
$700,000 and $750,000
Someone posted on another thread that according to New York state law, the governor decides whether or not to call the special election of a representative.
(New York) State put freeze on hiring, then added 51,464 people
Because we follow the rules and never think that the new socialists are going to break them until too late. We're too trusting and too civil.
Thanks for that clarification. How does he hope to avoid it then, just tie the decision up in a court until the election in November?
That is all irrelevant! It doesn’t matter if the GOP saw the seat as a possible pick up! The Dems don’t get to forego elections because they might lose a seat!!
THIS IS NOT ABOUT STRATEGY, this has come down to the very reason we HAD A REVOLUTIONARY WAR!! Taxation without representation!!
Oh yeah, for sure! Thanks for the link.
Paterson has been told the House doesn’t want a new GOP member.
This is a huge, important district,,,The Dems don’t have a candidate. Monroe County’s Maggie Brooks has it right...The Dems need time to find a candidate and raise some money.
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