McGovern fortunes tied to N.Y. (NY Redistricting + MA Rep. = US Trouble?)

A redistricting battle in New York could have an effect on U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern's congressional fortunes.
     U.S. Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, a Democrat from the Rochester area who is one seniority step ahead of Mr. McGovern on the House Rules Committee, is fighting for her political survival.
     If Ms. Slaughter were to lose in the fall election to U.S. Rep. John L. LaFalce, a Democrat from the adjacent district, the Worcester Democrat would become the second-ranking minority party member on the influential committee.
     Mr. McGovern could even become chairman of the committee if Democrats in November win back the five congressional seats they need to regain a majority in the House, a possibility that is not out of the question.
     If that happens, the ranking minority Rules Committee member, U.S. Rep. Martin Frost of Texas, has said he will give up his committee seat to seek a leadership post. That would make Mr. McGovern the top Democrat on the Rules Committee.
     The Rules Committee is considered one of the most powerful panels in the House because all legislation must pass through it before being taken up by the full chamber.
     “Because the only people who testify before the committee are other House members, it offers an opportunity to build relationships with other members of Congress,” said Michael Mershon, spokesman for Mr. McGovern. “If you're in a position to help every member of Congress, that benefits the district and the state.”
     The New York redistricting fight is coming to a head.
     Impatient with state lawmakers' slow progress, a federal court two weeks ago imposed a deadline of yesterday for the legislature in Albany to redraw the congressional districts to reflect population changes since the 1990 U.S. Census. New York must lose two districts in the redistricting.
     As of yesterday, the plan included merging Ms. Slaughter's and Mr. LaFalce's districts. Political observers see Mr. LaFalce, who is serving his 14th term, as the stronger candidate in a head-to-head contest.
     Mr. Mershon said Mr. McGovern's “No. 1 priority is to win back the House, and that means winning back as many seats as possible.
     “Jim will be working hard for Louise Slaughter because she's a valuable member of the Rules Committee,” he said.
     Mr. McGovern took his seat on the Rules Committee in May, giving up a position on the Transportation and Resources committees.
     The Rules Committee, which is closely tied to House leadership, sets debate rules for when a bill reaches the floor of the House, and it determines which amendments are allowed.
     The Worcester congressman briefly served on the Rules Committee after the death of his former boss and mentor, U.S. Rep. J. Joseph Moakley, D-Boston.
     Before he died, Mr. Moakley appealed personally to House Democratic Leader Richard A. Gephardt, D-Mo., to allow Mr. McGovern to serve on the committee, which has had a Massachusetts member almost continuously since 1955.

Good old Rep. McGovern represents a fair amount of elderly in Worcester Massachusetts. His style of campaigning is typical limo liberal Democrat lies. I saved his campaign flyer from his election bid a few years ago. He had it on disply in the elderly housing in Worcester. The ad paper had his photo and bullet points.

This is a quote from Jim McGovern's campaign literature. ............

Jim McGovern

........ Respecting our senior citizens. Our represntive in Congress, Jim McGovern, is committed to protecting our nation's seniors from a Republican Congress intent on dismantling Medicare, robbing pension programs, and recklessly privatizing Social Security.

Every senior citizens got this information and was intent on saving their check. He had them convinced and petrified he stood between the bad guys taking their only money. They were in a panic. You could not talk to any elderly in that building as he had them to the point they were only thinking of survival. They were not thinking beyond the check and he knew it. Using scare tactics on the elderly is beyond criminal. McGovern knows two things for sure. The elderly vote and are scared about money and security. Maybe the justice department ought to take a serious look at this campaign tactic. My frail elderly parent is no longer living. They lived all their lives in Worcester. He had my mother almost irrational over her social security.

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