A Big Win for Kathy Hochul and Medicare in the 26th Special Election

NY's 26th Congressional District election is all but over and Conservative Jane Corwin conceded to Democrat Kathy Hochul this evening when it became clear that Corwin had lost by a wide margin, at least as wide as the polls were indicating earlier this week.

Blueskygirl dares to say Hochul might have won even without third candidate Jack Davis, who ticked off the tea partiers by running on their ticket without permission. From whom might that have come in a party that eschews formal structure?

Thinking that the race was going to be close, Corwin this morning got a NY Supreme Court order to bar certification of a winner and to impound ballots and equipment pending a recount. That news of the court order didn't get around until later in the afternoon and might have worked against Corwin if it were released in a more timely manner.

What makes this an especially important win for Hochul and Democrats is that Karl Rove and his American Crossroads gave Corwin $350,000 in the past few weeks for TV ads and promised her another $300,000 if need be, according to this article from buffalonews.com:

http://blogs.buffalonews.com/politics_now/2011/05/rove-backed-committee-rushes-to-rescue-corwin.html

Thankfully there won't be a recount, so there won't be a chance for Rove to manipulate the outcome.

Need Blueskygirl add that American Crossroads and Karl Rove gave Ann Marie Buerkle a shot in the arm recently?

Blueskygirl is honestly puzzled about people such as the tea partiers who will vote against their own self interest again and again. Does anger blind them to the treachery of the Republicans? One would think that they would find better allies among Democrats. Why, oh why, would they trust all that money?

They remind Blueskygirl of Gianelli's dancing piggy, dressed up in a tutu and sweetly selling Gianelli's sausage on billboards all around CNY ahead of the State Fair.

Tea Party Wants to Control Who Runs on Their Line..Is This an Oxymoron?

On May 11, Blueskygirl wrote about the rise and possible win in the vote next Tuesday of Democrat Kathy Hochul in NY 26 Congressional District between Rochester and Buffalo. 

Today the NYTimes published the second article in a week about the race for the 26th, this time particularly about Jack Davis, who is running as a third candidate on a Tea Party line and splitting the vote with Conservative Jane Corwin, giving Hochul a gift from heaven.

Here's the NYTimes article from this morning. Blueskygirl linked to the first NYTimes article on May 11.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/17/nyregion/jack-davis-makes-tea-party-bid-in-ny-congressional-race.html?_r=1&hp

Davis has created alarm among Republicans and Conservatives, so much so that John Boehner came to the 26th last week on behalf of Corwin. Karl Rove has sent Corwin a bunch of tea-colored money. The Tea Party is calling in ever-classy baseball batman Carl Paladino to denounce Davis.  

Better yet, tea partiers all over NY are up in arms about Davis. They are angry and trying, at the last minute, to organize (not their best skill) resistance to him and support for Corwin. It is a refreshing turn of events,. Blueskygirl is totally enjoying herself.

Blueskygirl doesn't think Davis is deliberately trying to create a win for the Democrat. Still, could intentional Trojan horses become an election tool next time around? Anything could happen, given the tea partiers inate inability to organize. Ah, can relegation "to the dust bin of history" be far off?

Working Families Party Supports Kathy Hochul's Close House Race in NY District 26 and Update

The race for the NY 26th Congressional District seat in the House of Representatives, twelve days away, is close and the Democratic candidate has a chance of winning.

Kathy Hochul is the Democratic candidate. She is the county clerk for Erie County and is well liked. She has a serious chance of winning the race against conservative Jane Corwin and Democrat-turned-Tea Partier Jack Davis. Davis is splitting the Republican vote, giving Hochul a real chance.

From the Working Families Party website earlier this week:

"... [T]he other [Republican] side also knows it's close. Yesterday, Speaker John Boehner flew in from Washington and just moments ago we learned that Karl Rove has directed $650,000 into the district for the Republican [candidate]." 

Just as Ann Marie Buerkle got an infusion of BIG money in the final days of the election in November, the 26th Congressional District is attracting national right-wing attention now.

Here's a summary of the race from the New York Times on May 9:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/nyregion/boehner-visits-ny-to-bolster-flagging-house-candidate.html

Take a look. Give a bit of money via the Working Families Party if you can. It could be an important victory for Democrats.

To donate to this race on the side of Kathy Hochul, go to the Working Families Party page set up for that purpose:

https://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/1306/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=4903

Working Families', always supporters of progressive candidates, main page is here:

http://www.workingfamiliesparty.org/

Update: 
The US House R. clowns from NY, including Buerkle, aren't lifting a finger to help Corwin.
Thanks to Roll Call Politics                                                                                                                        By Steve Peoples

• Roll Call Staff
• May 14, 2011, 12:24 p.m.:

              Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, whose 25th district is adjacent to Corwin's, does not appear to have done anything to help Corwin at this point.  
          "There's been some conversation and she's seeing what her schedule will allow," Buerkle spokeswoman Liza Lowery said Friday, noting that Buerkle, like most of the delegation, will be in New York this week during recess. "She would like to do something, but as you can imagine, there's a lot already scheduled for the Congressional district work week."

Just too busy (sigh).