Republicans launch campaign to retake District 19
The National Republican Congressional Committee has launched a first salvo in the fight to recapture the District 19 seat Democratic Congressman John Hall won from six-term Republican Sue Kelly of Katonah in November.
The Republican committee in Washington has sent out a press release attacking Hall for joining Democrats and many Republicans in votes made during the first 100 hours of the 110th Congress to increase the minimum wage, bolster homeland security, fund stem cell research, order the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare, cut some student-loan interest rates, and eliminate tax breaks for oil companies to finance alternative-energy research.
The Republican committee’s take on Hall’s votes on those issues:
Congressman John Hall, despite promising to put his district’s interests first in Washington, cast … votes in the first 100 hours of Democrat control of Congress, siding exclusively with his party’s leadership, rather than the voters of the 19th District of New York.
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Who other than Runaway Sue would have a shot?
This Republican campaign concept is pretty ridiculous. They’re acting as if the 100 hours wasn’t in the interest of any of these lean districts, and they’re basically hanging Republican supporters of the 100 hours out to dry.
there is no such thing as a blanket release that applies
to all congressional districts..sue kelly’s district is not
going to be upset by many of the initiatives taken by the
democratic congress in the first 100 hours..in fact that
attack by the republicans is simply going to reinforce the
fact that john hall and the new democratic majority
took action immediately ….and the main issue is still
IRAQ…
The issue of faction aside, one would assume that doing the people’s work with due diligence and reflection, would be the hallmark of a prudent newcomer’s representation of our interests, in Congress.
With more sizzle than substance, the first 100 days is neither a magical timetable nor a benchmark of quality. So far, running with the herd’s yield, has been unimpressive.
Truly proving that haste makes waste as well as poor legislation.
The people are better served by carefully crafted legislation, hewn in the tried and true manner, with the valued practice of research, debate, reflection and compromise. Anything else is nothing more than grandstanding for the sake of sensationalism.
Should we accept virtual gadflies of a pack mentality as fitting representatives?
All the current issues require the informed participation of minds prepared to do what’s best for the country, despite the party rhetoric. Taking immediate action when there is not sufficient time to do otherwise is one thing. Rushing to accomplish “something� for political points and media coverage is reprehensible.
Issues like global warming, energy dependence, and other environmental concerns trump punishing the Oil Companies for their unexpected windfalls. If tax breaks bring us alternate fuels, self-sufficiency, energy efficiencies, cleaner production and consumption, should we take the incentives away? The pros and cons of other initiatives similarly require greater analysis to weigh the cost to the nation versus the benefit promised.
John Hall was elected by the voters of the 19th U.S. Congressiona District, New York, to represent them as a leader for positive, meaningful and long lasting resolutions to the needs and concerns of the people. We don’t want a rubber stamp follower of the party line. We don’t need reckless abandon in pursuit of an arbitrary deadline. We deserve better!
john hall was elected for one reason..to get us out
of Iraq..and as long as he keeps his eye on the ball his seat will never be in jeopardy from the republican
cabal which is not representative of republicans in
new york’s 19th cd
John Hall was elected as a backlash against the status quo. If GW had been on the ballot to provide a cathartic outlet for the populace and Ms. Kelly had warmed up her appeal to the electorate through a proactive listening campaign, John Hall would be singing the blues. Ms. Kelly did not distinguish herself in the eyes of the people and failed to rally her base.
If John Hall’s only and single goal is the immediate withdrawal of our troops from Iraq, he has no attainable goal. Will he step down once the inevitable is beyond question? Or is he living out a fantasy reminiscent of a Vietnam era flashback?
If the people only wanted to send a message that they no longer support our deployment of troops in the Middle East, a petition and plebiscite would have done a better job without the taxpayers taking care of Mr. Hall for the rest of his life. Would you allow a Doctor, whose sole qualification is his hate for cancer, operate on you or a loved one? We deserve better represantation for our money!
It’s true that John should keep his eye on the Ball, Greg Ball! I wouldn’t be surprised that as Mr. Hall transmogrifies from newcomer to rubber stamp party insider the people elect someone that is willing and able to do all the people’s work. Time will tell.
John Hall will serve one term. The 19th is a good seat for the GOP, there are great republicans in Putnam and Dutchess.
If the Republican Congressional Committee believes that stem cell research and other “100-hour” initiatives are against the interests of the voters of the 19th CD, I think that goes a long way toward explaining why they lost the seat in the first place.
How pathetic! Sue Kelly was a cowardly rubber stamp for her party, so the Republicans having the audacity to label Hall a rubber stamp is a prime example of the pot calling the kettle black. Their jealousy of Hall’s winning over their incumbent is obvious.
John Hall has a chance to be a truly good Congressman. Give him a chance before attacking him.
And, who is Greg Ball? I’ve never heard of him.
I am beacon resident for 23 years,a life long Republican and almost everytime I voted, I voted on straight Republican ticket but this time around I voted for Democrats.
Kelly voted for war in Iraq but never confidently came clean on how to solve the problem. Her website said “mistakes have been made”. When I read that I said to myself…what mistakes…how many mistakes…but most importantly what are we doing to fix those mistakes. She was trying to duck us all…and then all the negative compaigning adds just made me sick of her.
I cannot speak for all the residents of 19th district but certainly for myself that I support most of the things in Democrats 100 hour agenda and its about time that Congress got back to do something..other than just plain old Bickering.
The faction of political parties ideally serves the nation by providing alternate paths and perspectives in the furtherance of the greater good. The dissention those paths represent, honest differences between proponents and adherents of varying ideology, should ideally yield the optimal solutions.
Forging our way through to this middle ground is public service’s highest calling. It truly is the people’s work when party and partisan keep the electorate’s well being as the prime objective.
The sad fact of it is that elections have become a form of popularity contest. Games played for party or personal glory and power where we the people rarely win. Sound bites, gotcha politics, and party chauvinism dominate the greater part of the content the news media provides.
It should come as no surprise, in this age of instant gratification, that 100 hour drive through McVote Legislation is touted as a great achievement. Worthy causes and issues merit due diligence. One thing is certain. If the consequence of hastily adopted legislation becomes indigestible, the nation’s heartburn will last longer than 100 hours.
No comments on how the state of the nation address relates to this thread?