Even Republicans ready to write off Vito Fossella in DWI, lady 'friend' scandal (NY-13)

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Daily News

Pressure mounted on embattled Rep. Vito Fossella Wednesday to walk away from his congressional seat in the wake of his drunken-driving bust and relationship with a single mom.

Fossella tried to project calm by attending his eldest son's Confirmation on Staten Island, but some Republican campaign officials warned donors he was a "huge problem" going into the fall elections.

Some even told donors to withhold checks to Fossella, inside sources said.

Party officials were losing confidence Fossella could hold onto his seat even if he survived fallout from his drunken-driving arrest in Alexandria, Va., last week, the sources said.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/05/08/2008-05-08_e...

---

There are two Dem candidates for the seat: Steve Harrison (the 2006 candidate) and Domenic Recchia, a local City Councilman. Progessives are supporting Harrison, but Congressman Nadler told me he thinks Recchia is a stronger choice for the more conservative SI voters.

[rox63]

1. Either of the Dems would be better than Fossella

Even if one of the Dems would be better than the other.

[speedoo]

3. Fossella is horrible.

It's been a loooong time since anyone but a rethug has held this seat. Let's hope that changes this year.

[rasputin1952]

2. I sure wish they'd scrounge up a scandal on MY R congressman...

all they've come up w/so far, is that he's an idiot, (big deal, so are most R's, and a few D's). I'm stuck w/Fortenberry, a horrific bush lover that never worked a day in his life. He's a real tool...at a debate here before his re-election las cycle, I looked right in his eye and said, "You're an idiot"...his reply, "Thank You"...at least he's more polite than I am...

[Wabbajack_]

17. Was he even listening?

[rasputin1952]

18. I don't think so...he really is an idiot...

that night, he showed up here in farm country wearing a $750 suit to talk to farmers. He and his entourage looked like morticians, all wearing black suits w/white shirts, even the young female aide was dressed the same way, but in a skirt suit. the only thing that set them apart from each other were their ties, (one had an American flag tie, to which I took exception to. I went into the computer lab and printed off the US Code that describes respect for the flag w/the part about not using it for clothing or political rallies/purposes hightlighted...:evilgrin).

maxine Moul was running against him, she did well, and when the election results came down, Fortenberry won by 6 points, he was expected to win by 20+ because of the disparity of R's over D's here in this Nebraska District. We came close, not close enough though.

Can't wait for the bonehead to come around this time...people are really pissed now...

[NBachers]

4. Steve Harrison

Steve Harrison came very close to defeating Vito Fossella in the 2006 election. He's well into his 2008 campaign, and poised to defeat Fossella this time around. Steve is an excellent progressive candidate.

I live in San Francisco, but I've been donating to Steve in both elections. His ActBlue address is
https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/entity/18417

[DinahMoeHum]

5. One of Fosella's opponents has a website, the other doesn't

Steve Harrison for Congress:
http://www.steveharrisonforcongress.com /

Domenic Recchia, NYC Councilman, does not have a site yet.


Their primary will be in September.

[pattmarty]

6. As partisan as the Republicans have made our politics........

......in the last 25 yrs, having nobody representing you in your district would be better than having a Republican.

[barnel]

7. .17 = plastered

.17 isnt 'few too many', it's more like a 6 pack too many

an article also said he was asked to leave the bar he was at

plus, he's with another woman

he's done

[mcollier]

8. Thanks for the seat

I hope that a$$ was good...

[struggle4progress]

9. NY congressman admits affair, out-of-wedlock child

The Associated Press
Published: May 8, 2008

... When Fossella was pulled over, police said he told officers that he was going to see his daughter in the area. That prompted questions about who the daughter was.

"I have had a relationship with Laura Fay, with whom I have a 3-year-old daughter," Fossella said in his statement. It was Fay who got him out of jail after the arrest ...

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/08/america/Congr...

[struggle4progress]

10. Walls appear to be closing in on Vito

Congressman has declined to make clear his relationship with woman who fetched him from jail
Thursday, May 08, 2008
By TOM WROBLESKI
ADVANCE POLITICAL EDITOR

... A source close to the Fossella family told the New York Post the congressman's wife, Mary Pat Fossella, was "shocked" to hear about reports that he told police he was going to be with his "sick daughter" when he was arrested for drunk driving last week.

Mary Pat is unlikely to stay with her husband if he turns out to be the father. "She's not going to be standing by her man," the source said ...

http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news...

[Virginia Dare]

11. What an ass-clown..

he tells the cops he's on his way to take his "sick daughter" to the hospital to try and get out of a DUI. Outs his own self by telling a stupid lie...

[Carrieyazel]

19. Mary Pat isn't turning out like Wendy freakin' Vitter, that's for sure

She claimed that if David Vitter was ever caught, she would leave him. What a lying !@!@!

[struggle4progress]

12. GOP To Poll In The 13th (Updated)

National Republican leaders have "lost all faith" in Rep. Vito Fossella and are poised to begin polling in the 13th CD on potential candidates to take his place on the ballot, despite the fact that he has yet to make a definitive statement about his future political plans.

The poll could start as early as today, according to a Washington GOP source, and will likely include at least two names: Sen. Andrew Lanza and Staten Island DA Dan Donovan ...

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2008/05/...

[tanyev]

13. Republican Family Values. It brings tears to my eyes.

[Jim Lane]

14. As long as Republicans keep having adulterous affairs, the RNC needs to brief them on a few basics.

1. When you have sex with your paramour, use a condom. Those out-of-wedlock children complicate the situation.

2. When you're on your way to visit your paramour, don't run any red lights. (Fossella was initially pulled over for this reason.)

3. On the days when you're visiting your paramour, get plastered after you drive over to her (or his) place, not before. RNC interns are available to provide Designated Driver service for your trip home.

Note that McCain's admitted adultery, which didn't involve any children or DUI (that we know of), has largely disappeared from public consciousness (as compared with, say, flag lapel pins).

[NewEnglandGirl]

15. I Must Be Naive

but I thought it was disgusting that if he is going to
acknowledge the child, at least he could refer to her as more
than "a problem." I wonder how hurtful that will be
to her in years to come.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

16. How’s That ‘Rule of Law’ Work Now?

How’s That ‘Rule of Law’ Work Now?

By CLYDE HABERMAN
Published: May 9, 2008

Join us on a journey in the time machine. We’re not going back terribly far, only to December 1998, when the House of Representatives impeached President Bill Clinton for having lied about sex with “that woman.”

... The “rule of law” had to be preserved, Mr. Fossella said then. It is what “so many Americans have been willing to die for,” he said as the House began its impeachment inquiry.
....

Now, we have Mr. Fossella snared in his own sex scandal and his own rule-of-law problem. He did not lie about sex under oath. But was he, nonetheless, less than truthful about having had an extramarital affair with a woman, Laura Fay, who gave birth to their baby girl? That he most definitely was, until Thursday anyway, when he belatedly acknowledged rumors that had been percolating for days.

As for the rule of law, New Yorkers in Mr. Fossella’s district might reasonably ask themselves which is the worse violation: lying about sex with a young but adult White House intern, or being so drunk behind the wheel that you can’t even keep the letters of the alphabet straight and, far worse, you run a red light? That, the police in a Virginia suburb of Washington charge, is the crime that Mr. Fossella committed late one night while driving to Ms. Fay’s house.

[struggle4progress]

20. I don't quite know what to say

[Judi Lynn]

22. Wow! Good one!

Good work, Vince! You've done a heckuva job.

[nwliberalkiwi]

21. Just a Minor Question

I just wonder if he's paying child support? Oh, wait he's just a repuke---protect them in the womb, but screw them when they're alive.

[Moderator]

23. kick

[brooklynite]

24. Fossella Resignation Could Come Soon

Source: WNBC

Several top New York Republicans said that Congressman Vito Fossella's resignation will come very soon.

There was political concern about how best to preserve the seat for the Republicans -- questions about immediate resignation versus finishing out his term and retiring -- but the calculation is there's nothing to be gained from Fossella sticking around. While Staten Island Republicans believe Fossella could at least serve out his term (the rest of the year) national Republicans want him gone. Now.

...snip...

The Democratic lead in the House has been growing since the dramatic 2006 election results and 2008 looks increasingly difficult for the GOP. Twenty-seven incumbent Republican House members are retiring this year, including two in New York state and two in New Jersey. By historical standards that's a huge number, and it's significant because open seats are relatively rare and present the best opportunity for either party to flip seats. Republican seats in the Northeast are at the most risk because the region has turned pretty reliably Democratic in this decade.

That's why top national Republicans want Fossella gone ASAP. They've got enough problems as it is and a quick Fossella exit coupled with a special election with a strong Republican candidate (Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan?) could give the party something to brag about going into the fall.

Read more: http://www.wnbc.com/politics/16214543/detail.html?dl=ma...

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Reportedly, Gov. Paterson may leave the seat vacant, rather than hold a by-election within month, and then a regular election only a few months later.

[bluestateguy]

25. What kind of a stupid name is "Vito" anyway?

nt

[Traction311]

31. A common Italian name

What kind of stupid name is Barack anyway? Ahh, now you see how offensive your question was.

[DeSwiss]

26. "...could give the party something to brag about going into the fall."

And this is it? What ever happened to: "The Surge Is Working?" or "Mission Accomplished?"

Now the best the can brag about is: "Vito's Gone and We Got Ourselves Another Guy That's Not Vito?"

- Oh my, how the mighty have fallen....



K&R

[JI7]

27. i read somewhere else he is going to run for re-election

[pattmarty]

29. Boy, I hope so.

[Ian David]

28. He wants to spend more time drunk-driving wit hia families. n/t

[jpak]

30. K&R

T'row da bum out...

[rasputin1952]

32. If anything, a special election would not go over that well, especially

this close to a GE...just one more R that will bite the dust. Throw him out and let the crows have at him. HE's nothing but another anchor to the GOP, and even though it's the GOP leadership shoving him out the door, they're not all stupid...