The Coming Congressional Control Crisis

by: Amherst Guy

Mon Jan 25, 2010 at 15:42:35 PM EST

Silver is predicting that the Republicans chances of taking back the House next years are 50/50. Unfortunately, the winds are a-blowing in this country, and the pendulum is a-swingin. Republicans are gonna come out in droves this fall, and Democrats seem to have lost their motivation. We may not get as long on the top as the Republicans did and we need to hunker down now and play defense to keep our seats - and keep the State Senate.

I know we were hoping that the most important seats this year were 3 and 26. But they're not. We could run Jesus Christ himself and he'd probably lose them both. We have at least 7 seats at risk this year:

13: McCain 51-Obama 49   Bush 55-Kerry 45
19: Obama 51-McCain 48   Bush 54-Kerry 45
20: Obama 51-McCain 48   Bush 54-Kerry 46
23: Obama 52-McCain 47   Bush 51-Kerry 47
24: Obama 50-McCain 48   Bush 53-Kerry-47
25: Obama 56-McCain 43   Kerry 50-Bush 48
29: McCain 50-Obama 48   Bush 56-Kerry 42

Now normally, this early in the year, I'd think that the Democrats have a chance to adjust some public priorities, reset the agenda, and change the underlying dynamics of the year. However, our uninspiring Governor, inept Senate Majority Leader (he's gonna lose his own seat), and wildly unpopular Speaker of the House don't seem to be willing to try, so its up to us and our candidates.

If I were Weiner, McCarthy, Bishop, or Higgins, I'd be shoring up as much cash as possible. But the 7 I listed above need to be doing more than that: cash is king, but Get-Out-The-Vote will be what determines whether we finish the year with a 25 seat majority or a 11 seat majority.

I'm worried that no one is thinking about this, and terrified that no one is taking this seriously. If we bury our heads in the sand and try not to think about this, we're no better than that woman in Massachusetts. Two years ago this site was buzzing daily with how to pickup five seats, we won four. Today, we need to hunker down and set our sights on saving these seven seats, and hope we can save at least six. Unless you want to see the Republicans start to have their way again.

New York Congressional Delegation Quarterly Filings

by: robert.harding

Thu Oct 15, 2009 at 23:00:29 PM EDT

DISTRICT	INCUMBENT	CONTRIBUTIONS	EXPENDITURES	CASH ON HAND
NY-1	Tim Bishop	$263,189.53	$66,589.32	$710,928.46
NY-2	Steve Israel	$436,670.74	$173,169.91	$1,796,209.25
NY-3	Pete King	$89,287.00	$46,633.81	$1,341,242.55
NY-4	Carolyn McCarthy	$144,167.32	$87,679.05	$413,644.81
NY-5	Gary Ackerman	$42,178.00	$53,197.42	$1,241,122.25
NY-6	Gregory Meeks	$133,147.79	$85,059.25	$165,228.01
NY-7	Joseph Crowley	$65,998.28	$156,605.20	$1,116,438.99
NY-8	Jerrold Nadler	$111,469.86	$132,155.61	$1,071,938.73
NY-9	Anthony Weiner	$182,250.91	$69,776.52	$332,734.80
NY-10	Ed Towns	$252,311.01	$155,940.48	$187,729.28
NY-11	Yvette Clarke	$85,609.00	$97,684.01	$12,396.19
NY-12	Nydia Velazquez	$62,682.62	$29,832.88	$674,887.73
NY-13	Michael McMahon	$205,001.01	$82,926.39	$766,817.56
NY-14	Carolyn Maloney	$345,120.27	$259,630.25	$1,704,244.49
NY-15	Charles Rangel	$434,322.00	$454,669.23	$1,108,907.01
NY-16	Jose Serrano	$35,794.50	$9,328.75	$55,506.16
NY-17	Eliot Engel	$67,204.00	$49,086.25	$196,223.91
NY-18	Nita Lowey	$183,780.64	$93,564.01	$817,034.71
NY-19	John Hall	$132,363.44	$74,095.55	$350,710.38
NY-20	Scott Murphy	N/A	N/A	N/A (Not Yet Filed)
NY-21	Paul Tonko	$60,380.00	$41,823.89	$75,550.68
NY-22	Maurice Hinchey	$66,741.44	$34,272.05	$98,467.32
NY-23	VACANT	N/A	N/A	N/A
NY-24	Michael Arcuri	$136,249.10	$67,602.73	$385,080.72
NY-25	Dan Maffei	$326,254.50	$126,899.93	$784,210.52
NY-26	Chris Lee	$142,802.69	$95,665.00	$390,613.64
NY-27	Brian Higgins	$100,290.00	$96,556.25	$825,367.69
NY-28	Louise Slaughter	$139,424.00	$77,127.13	$306,497.62
NY-29	Eric Massa	$289,499.02	$122,273.64	$503,188.18

The 23rd wasn't include for obvious reasons. That race can serve as its own post, since three candidates are vying for it and there is no incumbent.

One of the things that stuck out to me was the great quarter Eric Massa had. His district - NY-29 - is a rural district that isn't really a wealthy district. So when he can bring in over $289,000 in a quarter where most upstate representatives only brought in half of that amount, it shows that he is a strong incumbent. The Republicans are gunning for him, but he's tough.

Dan Maffei had a very strong quarter - the best of any upstate representative and fourth-best of any member of Congress in the state.

If there is one thing you can say about Rangel, he is a great fundraiser. He was second to Steve Israel in this quarter, but not by much. His expenditures were high, but he still has a lot of money in the bank (not that he needs to worry about that).

For the most part, these are solid and typical numbers. As a resident of NY-26, it is interesting to see Lee's numbers. I wouldn't read too much into his mediocre quarter, but the list of donors who have contributed to his campaign makes for a "Best of Wall Street"-type list.  

Call Slaughter And Arcuri To Support Nadler, SUPERTRAINS

by: phillip anderson

Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 14:49:56 PM EST

Things are moving fast on the stimulus bill, but a short window has opened where we can make a difference on rail and mass transit funding in the stimulus. Here is the situation:

As reported by WI Dem in Quick Hits, several House members are submitting amendments to  increase rail funding to the stimulus package:

The amendment would distribute $1.5 billion for the Transit Capital Assistance Program and $1.5 billion for Capital Assistance Grants, known as the New Starts Program.

The bill is introduced by Representative Nadler, and can be read here. There are other amendments introduced by Representatives C. Brown and Hare, that would increase rail funding by $3.9 billion and $500 million respectively. Any and all amendments to increase rail funding would be great.

These amendments must be approved by the House Rules Committee today in order to be considered on the floor tomorrow. The Rules Committee will be meeting at 3:30 p.m. eastern to consider amendments to the stimulus bill.

This gives us two hours to make our voice heard for more rail funding in the stimulus bill. To do so, please contact the Rules Committee. Politely state your support for the Nadler, Brown and Hare amendments for increased rail funding. Ask the committee to approve these amendments for a floor vote tomorrow.

Their phone number is 202-225-9091.

This is a very short window, as the situation is fluid and happening fast. However, this also means we can make a difference. Please call now, and let the Rules Committee hear your support for the Nadler, Brown and Hare amendments to increase rail and mass transit funding.

Here's the contact info for Reps Arcuri and Slaughter:

Chair Louise Slaughter, New York 28th
(202) 225-3615

Rep. Michael Arcuri, New York 24th
(202) 225-3665

Light 'em up.

2010: NRCC 'Targets' McMahon, Gillibrand, Arcuri, Maffei and Massa, Gives Up On Hall

by: phillip anderson

Mon Jan 12, 2009 at 18:35:17 PM EST

It makes some sense to me that they'd think they might have a shot at taking back NY-29. It's a pretty red district. Massa is smart and tireless. They'll make a run at him, but they ain't gonna out-hustle the guy.

To take back NY-13, they'd have to, ya know, actually find a candidate, something that turned into quite a soap opera last summer for them. And I don't think they are going to have a realistic shot at Maffei, even as a frosh.  

They damn near picked off Arcuri in NY-24 last year, but I don't think that they'll catch him napping again, not to mention D-trip.

Gillibrand has proven to be one hell of a fundraiser and has worked her tail off to seal the deal with her district. She isn't going to be beaten anytime soon. I'm also pretty sure that they won't be lucky enough to find another self funding gazillionaire moron to take her on. Running a credible challenge to Gillibrand is going to cost money. Will they have it? I have my doubts. Even if they do have the moolah, I find it hard to believe they'd dump it into NY-20.

What's interesting to me is who didn't make their list. It seems that the NRCC won't be taking another shot at John Hall in NY-19.

Sorry, Mr. Lalor.

Oh, and I have a feeling that much of their effort in New York just might be sunk into defending NY-3.

Just sayin'.

2012 Congressional Map: Discuss

by: Amherst Guy

Fri Nov 21, 2008 at 16:36:02 PM EST

Context: NY stands to lose 2 seats this year, and by pure population, one will almost inevitably have to come from the Albany area, while the other will have to come from NYC. It is nearly impossible to draw a map without Albany losing the upstate seat, and truly impossible to draw a map where upstate loses 2 seats; there are just too many people upstate.

I took a whack at it; this map is crude: the district lines are not precise; the districts don't all have exactly 770,000 714,000 people in them (the new target number), and Buffalo, Syracuse, and Albany are all split in this map, it's kind of hard to tell. Also, I may have drawn congressmen outside of their seats, this was unintentional.

Most importantly, this map leaves Upstate with 1 Republican, as Chris Lee could not hold the seat I drew for him.

Criticize away.

NY-24: Hanna Finally Concedes; NY-29: Kuhl Still Not Conceding

by: robinia

Wed Nov 19, 2008 at 20:17:20 PM EST

Still no words of concession from Randy Kuhl, though, even though he could not possibly win the seat even if he were to get every single absentee and military ballot still left to count.

Update: Sean, in comments, sends the link to a more complete Oneida Observer-Dispatch (correction to newspaper name noted) article.

Two Unconceded Congressional Races-- NY-24 and NY-29

by: robinia

Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 08:52:00 AM EST

Arcuri's race is at the Utica Dispatch:

One-term incumbent Michael Arcuri, D-Utica, appeared late Tuesday to have a nearly 6,000 vote lead over Republican Richard Hanna - 118,137 to 112,308, according to unofficial election results from across the 11-county district.

Massa's race can be read about at The Corning Leader for the more conservative approach, or, The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle for the "he won already" approach. DKos has the final numbers as:

Massa- 131,646
Kuhl-  127,232

Meanwhile, Rottenchester has this excellent post over at The Fighting 29

In case you missed it last night, Sean Carroll of WHAM reported that Amo Houghton and Eric Massa met last night:

   Sean Carroll: Just got done talking Amo Houghton - and he just got here after visiting with Eric Massa!

   Evan Dawson: Sean -- WOW WOW WOW. And why was he with Massa?

   Sean Carroll: said he respects him - "stands for the right things" even though he's on the other side of the aisle. said he's still pulling for Randy, but after all "we're all Americans"

Amo Houghton would have racked up another 60/40 or 70/30 win last night against almost any Democrat, probably with my vote. If Republicans want to come back in New York State, they need to take a serious look at what Amo did right and what Randy Kuhl did wrong.

My Surprise of the Night: NY-24 (Arcuri) Is Only a Maybe

by: robinia

Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 01:23:01 AM EST

There is one House race that is too close to call in NYS, and it is my district.  What's more, I spent the whole afternoon and evening with the Congressman yesterday, and, I gotta say, nobody seemed the least bit anxious.  We were all going "huh?" at the party I was at, too.  If you have a clue what happened, please, explain it to us!

98% of precincts reporting, vote split 50-50:

Arcuri-  105,858
Hanna-   104,020

That means we won't really know until the absentee ballots are in, I think.

UPDATE: This is looking a little better.
Arcuri- 116,675
Hanna-  110,833

51-49 now.

NY Congressional results thread

by: Albanius

Tue Nov 04, 2008 at 22:55:19 PM EST

NY-13: McMahon takes Fossella's seat, D pickup
NY-20: Gillibrand reelected over Treadwell
NY-21: Tonko elected to safe D seat, replacing McNulty
NY-23: McHugh (R) reelected
NY-24: Arcuri in a contest
NY-25: Maffei elected to open Reynolds seat, D p/u

Also, Hinchey and Hall re-elected

NY-29: Called for ERIC MASSA by Chris Bowers of OpenLeft.com
Chris is a cautious analyst who doesn't count unhatched chickens.

10 New York Dems Vote For Lawlessness, Monarchy

by: phillip anderson

Fri Jun 20, 2008 at 14:18:47 PM EDT

There's so much to despise in the bill these 10 NY Democrats voted on today, but Glenn Greenwald tries to pick the worst:

Perhaps the most repellent part of this bill (though that's obviously a close competition) is 802(c) of the telecom amnesty section. That says that the Attorney General can declare that the documents he submits to the court in order to get these lawsuits dismissed are secret, and once he declares that, then: (a) the plaintiffs and their lawyers won't ever see the documents and (b) the court is barred from referencing them in any way when it dismisses the lawsuit. All the court can do is issue an order saying that the lawsuits are dismissed, but it is barred from saying why they're being dismissed or what the basis is for the dismissal.

So basically, one day in the near future, we're all going to learn that one of our federal courts dismissed all of the lawsuits against the telecoms. But we're never going to be able to know why the lawsuits were dismissed or what documents were given by the Government to force the court to dismiss the lawsuits. Not only won't we, the public, know that, neither will the plaintiffs' lawyers. Nobody will know except the Judge and the Government because it will all be shrouded in compelled secrecy, and the Judge will be barred by this law from describing or even referencing the grounds for dismissal in any way. Freedom is on the march.

Is that what a democracy looks like? Are you telling me that we stood down a Soviet Union with tens of thousands of nuclear warheads aimed directly at us but that some half literate cave dwellers have driven us to basically gut the Fourth Amendment and bless the ones wielding the knife? And don't even get me started on how this whole vote went down.

When Democrats took over the Congress, they issued a document vowing to "end the 'dead of night' special interest provisions that turn bills into special-interest giveaways" and proclaimed: "Lawmakers must have the opportunity to read every bill before they vote on it. It's common sense."

Today, the House leadership has set aside a grand total of one hour to debate the FISA/amnesty bill, and gave its members less than 24 hours from the time it was released yesterday until they have to vote on it today. That's the same bill which the NYT this morning calls "the most significant revision of surveillance law in 30 years." They're going to enact massive changes to our spying laws without having the slightest idea what they're voting on. All they know is that the President demanded this, and that's enough, because -- as Kit Bond says -- "when the government tells you to do something, I'm sure you would all agree that I think you all recognize that is something you need to do." In this formulation, "the government" means "The President."

Disgraceful.

The following Democrats should remove me from their lists:

Ackerman (NY-5)
Arcuri (NY-24)
Bishop (NY-1)
Crowley (NY-7)
Engel (NY-17)
Gillibrand (NY-20)
Higgins (NY-27)
Lowey (NY-18)
McCarthy (NY-4)
Meeks (NY-6)

NY-24: A GOP Challenger For Arcuri

by: phillip anderson

Thu May 15, 2008 at 09:35:02 AM EDT

Hanna to run for Congress

The race is on.

After several months of waiting, local businessman Richard Hanna will formally announce his candidacy for the 24th District Congressional seat today, a news release from his campaign stated.

Hanna, a Republican, will run against first-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Michael Arcuri, D-Utica. Arcuri won the seat in 2006 after longtime U.S. Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, R-New Hartford, retired.

In a previous interview, Hanna characterized himself as, a "self-made businessman and philanthropist," and "a social moderate, a fiscal conservative, and just as importantly to me, an environmentally progressive person."

He has residences in Barneveld and Cooperstown and is the owner of Hanna Construction.

Like most other GOP challengers this cycle, he'll have to largely self finance. The NRCC just blew most of the cash on three successive losses in what they believed to be "safe" seats. They aren't likely to put a dime into this race. Richard Hanna will be on his own.

NY-20, NY-24: Gillibrand, Arcuri Fare Well In First Quarter

by: robert.harding

Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 13:03:02 PM EDT

You might remember the NRCC memo that said Arcuri and Gillibrand would be targeted this year. But both will be hard to contend with.

Arcuri had an outstanding quarter, raising $137,285.82 and now has $590,541.26 cash on hand. To date, Arcuri has raised $918,919.52 in this election cycle.

Gillibrand's filing was even better. Gillibrand raised $556,518.59 in the first quarter, bringing her total raised this election cycle to $3,068,553.12. Gillibrand has $2,474,445.41 cash on hand.

The Republicans will have a tough time challenging both these two. Gillibrand is very strong. The money in her bank doesn't tell the whole story. She is a terrific representative for the people in NY-20.

I have seen Arcuri firsthand at a Dan Maffei event in Syracuse. Arcuri is incredibly smart and should win NY-24 with ease. He is a very strong representative and candidate for office.  

Novak Pessimistic On GOP Chances in NY, Says Powers Favored in NY-26

by: phillip anderson

Wed Mar 26, 2008 at 16:39:25 PM EDT

The more recent spate of Democratic pickups has been in upstate New York, in blue-collar cities surrounded by rural counties. These are some of the most economically depressed parts of the country, with voters who are more socially conservative. The three-seat pickup last year and the two to three seats likely to go Democratic this year suggest that the Bush Administration, the Iraq War, and recent Republican incompetence and corruption play a real role here.

The upstate districts -- in their demographics and in the issues that helped Democrats win -- mirror much of the turf Democrats conquered in 2006, such as the Ohio River Valley seats. Cast in terms of the presidential election, this is Clinton country.

While Republicans will probably have only three or four U.S. congressional seats in New York after the 2008 elections, things can certainly get worse. The three safe New York Republican representatives this year -- Peter King in Long Island's Nassau County, Vito Fossella of Staten Island, and John McHugh from the Northern end of the state -- all occupy seats that could go to Democrats upon these GOPers' retirements.

Although they face real troubles these days, thanks to disgraced former Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D), Democrats in Albany could control both legislative chambers and the governorship in 2010. Redistricting that year (which could involve the loss of a seat in reapportionment), could bring New York's Republican congressional delegation down to zero.

...

New York-24: Republicans held this district two years ago, but they now appear to have given up on it. Freshman Rep. Mike Arcuri (D) picked up this sprawling Upstate district after the retirement of Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R). Not a single Republican has announced to run here yet. While there is still time before the July filing deadline, for the foreseeable future this district will be represented by a Democrat. Likely Democratic Retention.

New York-25: The matchup appears set in the race to replace retiring Rep. Jim Walsh (R), and it still looks like a Democratic takeover in this Syracuse-based district.

Former Capitol Hill staffer Dan Maffei (D) barely lost to Walsh in 2006, and he is the Democratic standard-bearer right now. Maffei has strong liberal backing and is a skilled campaigner who now has experience. Currently, he is unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

The only Republican in the race right now is former state fair director Peter Cappuccilli (R). Cappuccilli is inexperienced, and there are murmurs that the National Republican Congressional Committee is giving up on this district to focus on stopping losses elsewhere.

Although held by a Republican in recent years, this is really a Democratic district. A third of the population lives in Syracuse, which is a Democratic town. Walsh benefitted from his family connections -- his father was Syracuse mayor and a congressman -- but still, in his narrow '06 win over Maffei, Walsh lost the city and won on the strength of the rural vote, which has benefitted from his pork-barrel spending.

In short, any Republican but Walsh would be hard-pressed to win this district, and Maffei is a strong candidate. Maffei is a favorite now, and by the fall, he could be a shoo-in. Leaning Democratic Takeover.

New York-26: Rep. Tom Reynolds (R), perhaps facing electoral defeat, will retire this year after an ignominious stint as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Fittingly, he looks to be leaving his district to the Democrats.

Reynolds' district in Western New York voted for Bush in 2004, but Reynolds barely held on in 2006 after revelations about his handling of the Mark Foley scandal.

Democrats have two strong potential candidates: wealthy businessman and two-time candidate Jack Davis, and Iraq War veteran Jon Powers, who was already engaged in a challenge to Reynolds. Davis could fund his own race, and Powers has backing among liberal bloggers who showed real success raising funds in 2006.

Republicans failed to get their top candidate, State Sen. George Maziarz. State Assemblyman Jim Hayes is currently the leading Republican. Republicans have an enrollment edge here, but the sagging economy and the Democratic cash advantage tilt this one towards the Democrats. Leaning Democratic Takeover.

New York-29: Rep. Randy Kuhl (R) could be the next New York Republican to fall. His Western Tier district spanning eight counties is largely rural and basically Republican, but that's no guarantee he can hold it.

This year he faces a rematch against his 2006 opponent Eric Massa (D), who outraised him and lost by only 6,000 votes. In the past, Kuhl has had trouble garnering support from conservatives here (Conservative Party nominee Mark Assini picked up 17,000 votes against Kuhl in 2004), and his personal problems, stemming from ugly incidents in his divorce papers, continue to plague him. Massa will have serious support from the liberal blogosphere and the DCCC and will likely outspend Kuhl.

The district's makeup, however, gives Kuhl the edge. If he could hold on in his first re-election -- by far the hardest historically -- in such an awful year, he should be able to hold on in 2008. This is no sure thing, however. Leaning Republican Retention.

For Republicans, if even Novakula has given up on you, you're probably screwed.

Oh, and notice his repeated mentions of "liberal bloggers" and the "liberal blogosphere?" I like that.

NRCC Memo: Gillibrand and Arcuri Are Targets, Hall Is Not

by: phillip anderson

Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 14:09:25 PM EST

NRCC Memo Reveals 24 Democratic Targets (Sub req'd)

The National Republican Congressional Committee is targeting 23 Democratic incumbents, including several freshmen, and one open seat, according a memo obtained by Roll Call that was prepared by the NRCC for a March 5 briefing to political action committee officials.

The memo, titled "Two Dozen Reasons the NRCC will Pick Up Seats in 2008," shed some light as to where the NRCC might direct its limited resources in the fall, although the seats included on the committee's target list come as no surprise. The NRCC used the memo to highlight pickup opportunities in the November elections and urge PACs to donate to the committee and help Republicans take back the House.

The full list, which is heavy with freshmen in districts won by Bush in 2004, is in the extended entry...

NY-24: Has The GOP Found a Challenger For Arcuri?

by: phillip anderson

Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 09:28:17 AM EST

GOP says it may have candidate to challenge Arcuri

With time running out to find a challenger to freshman Rep. Michael Arcuri, D-Utica, for the 2008 election, Republicans said today they may have a candidate.

Richard L. Hanna, an Oneida County businessman, is giving serious consideration to running on the Republican ticket for the 24th Congressional District seat, a party spokesman said. The 11-county district includes parts of Oneida and Cayuga counties, and all of Cortland County.

Hanna, owner and president of Hanna Construction Inc. in Barneveld, did not return phone calls this evening.

Ken Spain, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee in Washington, D.C., said Hanna has been considering a challenge to Arcuri.

...

"Michael Arcuri has become a willing accomplice in the Democratic-led Congress's effort to raise taxes and hike up spending," Spain said. "With these kinds of far-left policies, and a plummeting approval rating for this incompetent Congress, it should come as no surprise that an accomplished individual like Richard Hanna is strongly considering running against him."

...

Arcuri has more than $458,000 cash on hand for the 2008 campaign, according to disclosure reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

"The NRCC has been saying for months that they would have a candidate to challenge Congressman Arcuri, and the reality is they can't find anyone willing to challenge such a strong member of Congress," James said. "Congressman Arcuri isn't worried about what inaccuracies the NRCC is spreading right now; he is focused on fighting for Central New York families in Congress."

Something tells me that Hanna wasn't exactly their first, or even fourth choice.

Where Do You Stand, Kirsten Gillibrand? UPDATED

by: phillip anderson

Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 11:02:04 AM EDT

Now I read over at MyDD that you may be one of the Blue Dogs who can't bring themselves to vote for a bill that sets a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. Granted, Matt added in an update that rumor has it that you want to see the bill first. Fine. But, I want to know just where you stand on this issue.

And, yeah, I know. I get it. I know you are in a marginal district. I know it can't be as easy to stand up to this idiot president from the 20th as it would be in other places. I also know that the president is going to do whatever he damn well pleases no matter what Congress does. But, damn it, Kirsten, you and many others were sent to DC for a reason and ending this god forsaken war was certainly a large part of it. I and most of the country have had enough. Take. A. Stand.

Where do you stand, Kirsten Gillibrand?

UPDATE: I just got a call from Gillibrand's Chief of Staff and he informs me that Kirsten will indeed be voting FOR the supplemental and that it was "never in question" that she would do otherwise. This is very, very good to hear. Cheers to you Rep Gillibrand.

BREAKING: Reps Hall, Gillibrand and Arcuri Added to DCCC's "Frontline" Program

by: phillip anderson

Thu Feb 15, 2007 at 13:15:03 PM EST

From the press release:

Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chair of the Frontline Program, said: "Our Frontline Members inspired the confidence of their constituents during their campaigns for Congress. They made the commitment to move our country in a new direction. They are our Majority Makers. The Frontline program will build on their strengths, providing them with the money, message and strategy they need to successfully position themselves for reelection in 2008."

...

The Frontline Program is a partnership between the DCCC and Members which lays the ground work for the 2008 cycle by supporting and expanding their fundraising and outreach operations. This competitive program requires members to meet aggressive fundraising goals, accelerate volunteer and recruitment efforts, and increase on-line networking.

The full roster on the flip...