Obama Applauds Hochul Victory
President Obama weighed in last night on Democrat Kathy Hochul’s nationally watched victory in the 26th congressional district, which stretches from Erie County to Monroe County.
“I want to extend my congratulations to Congresswoman-elect Kathy Hochul for her victory in New York’s 26th Congressional District,” the president said in a statement. “Kathy and I both believe that we need to create jobs, grow our economy, and reduce the deficit in order to outcompete other nations and win the future. Kathy has shown, through her victory and throughout her career, that she will fight for the families and businesses in western New York, and I look forward to working with her when she gets to Washington.”
Other reactions.
From Hochul:
“Tonight’s victory is an achievement many called impossible. Tonight we showed that many voters are willing to ignore a party label and vote for the person and for the message they believe in. We showed that thousands upon thousands of voters are more powerful than millions of dollars in outside money. We showed that our grassroots army – including thousands of donors and thousands of volunteers, who knocked on more than 53,000 doors and made more than 77,000 calls and over the last four days –could overcome our enrollment disadvantage and the fact that we were outspent by more than 2-to-1.
You have all shown me, and this campaign, so much support.
We have shown that with forward-thinking vision, with new leadership, and the right issues behind us, we can make real change for the future.
We can help Western New Yorkers get back to work by helping small businesses create jobs.
And we can balance our budget the right way—- not on the backs of our seniors——but by closing corporate loopholes for companies that ship jobs overseas, and ending subsidies to Big Oil and yes, by making the multi-millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share.
And we can ensure we do not decimate Medicare.
We will keep the promises made to our seniors who have spent their lives paying into Medicare, so they can count on health care when they need it most.”
From House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi:
“Kathy Hochul’s victory tonight is a tribute to Democrats’ commitment to preserve and strengthen Medicare, create jobs, and grow our economy. And it sends a clear message that will echo nationwide: Republicans will be held accountable for their vote to end Medicare.
“Congresswoman-elect Hochul will add an independent, strong, passionate voice to the House Democratic Caucus as she works to build a better future for her constituents and for all Americans, bolster our middle class, support small businesses, and restore our economic prosperity.
“We look forward to welcoming her to the House of Representatives.”
From National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions:
“Republican Jane Corwin ran a hard-fought campaign against two well-funded Democrats, including one masquerading under the Tea Party name. Obviously, each side would rather win a special election than lose, but to predict the future based on the results of this unusual race is naive and risky. History shows one important fact: the results of competitive special elections from Hawaii to New York are poor indicators of broader trends or future general election outcomes. If special elections were an early warning system, they sure failed to alert the Democrats of the political tsunami that flooded their ranks in 2010.”
From state Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs:
“The voters of the 26th Congressional District gave voice tonight to the growing national consensus that Republican leadership has failed. Kathy Hochul’s come-from-behind victory is a testament to her hard work, perseverance and commitment to the values and principles that have defined Western New York. I congratulate Kathy while I extend our thanks to Congressman Steve Israel and the DCCC for all of their help as well as to Governor Cuomo who directed a full out effort to win this seat.”
From Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-Fairport, Monroe County:
“Tonight is a great night in Western New York. I offer my wholehearted congratulations to Kathy on her victory in the 26th district and look forward to welcoming her to Washington and to our hard-working New York delegation.
“Kathy ran an extraordinary campaign and her steadfast support for Western New York’s seniors who count on Medicare and Social Security was certainly noticed and endorsed by the voters of Western New York.
“We’re anxious to have Kathy in Washington and in case she needs it, I’ve got an extra bedroom.”
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some conservative republicans are going to argue that because
there was a tea party candidate in the race that split the republican vote…however
they are kidding themselves..this election should have gone to the republican in
that western new york district no matter how many candidates were in the race.but
it didn’t and it didn’t because of the ryan medicare plan …that plan changes medicare
from a single payor system covering all retirees to a voucher plan which alots a certain
amount of money to each person and then has them buy an insurance plan to cover
their medical costs..that’s simply not medicare.what it does is to shift the burden of
increased medical costs to the recipient…and that means YOU….republicans in the
congress particularly tea party people want government to go away…they want to
get rid of any government spending that they beleive is unnecessary even today they
passed a bill to cut back on the amount of funding for food inspections…I don’t know
about you but slamonella and me don’t get along…if they don’t wise up and take a different
approach they will lose the congress they just won…there are plenty of other smarter
ways to fix medicare and social security…other than changing the way it functions entirely
Hey Ryan; HAAAAA HAAAAAAAA! I’d tell you to stick it in your ear, but you’ll need a voucher to get it removed and they’re not worth SHIT!
Hey Ryan; Solution, Give all your vouchers to the Pubs and the Dems will stay on Medicare and social security. That’s fair.
The Consultant is correct. Some of these Republicans are too smart for their own good.
The Republicans have shown a hatred for middle class taxpaying Americans, pure and simple with their devious and bought and paid for tactics.
Middle-class and working-class citizens of Western New York, seniors and younger people alike, cast a vote for a better America today.
In the words of the late Senator Paul Wellstone, the voters of the 26th CD were basically saying again that “we all do better when we all do better.”
They were not willing to buy the Ryan-Boehner-Pawlenty-Romney-Whoever view that we don’t actually have any obligations to one another, that we are just islands unto ourselves.
Medicare is a promise, from one generation to the next, that all Americans deserve to be treated with dignity.
Nothing more, but nothing less either.
A “hatred for middle class, taxpaying Americans?” You negate any intellectual attempt at finding solutions when you open with that kind of off the cuff, jackass partisanship.
Its not a ‘hatred for the middle class” its a failure to realize that the middle class has
expectations about their retirement that include receiving benefits like medicare and
social securtiy…republicans don’t hate the middle class…they hate the federal
government and they hate government programs that subsidize the middle class..
unfortunately it is way too late too role back the social safety net…a al ayn rand…
its not gonna happen…and those tea party republicans who espouse these views
will get runover by the independents who understand that the US is a quasi european
society…its a republic with a huge safety net in place…and NO ONE wants that
safety net taken away
“They hate programs that subsidize the middle class?” That kind of sweeping, shotgun statement puts you in the same sawdust saloon with Get Real.