Tedisco concedes

[hwmnbn]

Source: TPM

The NY-20 special election is now officially over.

GOP candidate Jim Tedisco, who trailed by 401 votes as of yesterday's vote count, has called Democrat Scott Murphy to concede, according to Murphy spokesman Ryan Rudominer.

Murphy takes over in the seat from its previous Democratic occupant, Kirsten Gillibrand, whose appointment to the United States Senate set up the special election for this marginal district.



Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/04/goper-tedisc...

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Here's part of his concession speech. Kinda classy:

"Earlier today, I called and congratulated Scott Murphy on a hard-fought contest and wished him well as the next Congressman of the 20th Congressional district. I also expressed my willingness to work with him to ensure that the families of Upstate New York are not left behind as our nation strives for economic recovery."


http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=...

[Stellabella]

1. Wow, an actual grownup Repuke. Who'd a thunk it?

Meanwhile, GO AWAY, NORM. We're sick of you and your big teeth.

[No Elephants]

45. Maybe not grown up. Maybe the RNC is more willing to fund a losing fight over a Senate seat than it

is to fund a losing fight over a House seat. Big difference between the impact one person has in the House and the impact one person has in the Senate.

I don't know, one way or the other, but I would not jump to conclusions. I don't know many Republicans who act like grown ups, unless it is in their own best interests to do so.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. Call Coleman.

[Froward69]

11. Second!!!

Some body call Norm Coleman... tell him reality is not so bad. Conceding now before he looks more of a fool is warranted.

[knixphan]

31. Second second-

[No Elephants]

46. No. I try to be a good person, but I am not THAT self-sacrificing. YOU call him.

[Tempest]

3. Has the GOP won any special elections since 2006?

I can't recall hearing about a single one since the Democrats took back Congress.

[hwmnbn]

5. Neither can I...

Talk about serious writing on the wall for 2010.

This race in particular was one the repugs were dying to win. It should've been an easy victory given the constituency. The repugs can't catch a break! LOL

[Tempest]

16. And the worst part for the Repugs...

Democrats won in special elections in strong GOP districts.

The writing is on the wall, but the Repugs refuse to see it. They continue with the same behavior that sent them to the wilderness in the first place.

[No Elephants]

47. Never count your votes before they're caged.

[Bleacher Creature]

4. You really can't overstate how big of a deal this is.

Scott Murphy was a complete unknown who trailed by 20 points a few weeks before the election, and Jim Tedisco was the MINORITY LEADER in the State Assembly. Not only that, but it's a district with 70,000 more Republicans in it.

[ErinBerin84]

7. yep

And, as much as the media tried to claim that this was about the stimulus, Tedisco/the GOP especially hinged their ads on anger against AIG/bonuses (the ads were all "Murphy would have voted for the bill that allowed the AIG execs to get bonuses"). The AIG thing would have happened at the opportune time for Tedisco to regain his lead IF this line attack would have worked, but it didn't. And as you say, Tedisco's been a local name here forever, and Murphy was an unkown businessman. I really thought it was a lost cause when Murphy was so behind in the beginning, this is def a big blow to the GOP.

[hwmnbn]

8. Yep, it looks like the rank and file...

republicans are disillusioned with their party. At every level of government the (R) designation next to a name seems to be a hindrance.

The party of NO is becoming the party of "are you outta your mind!?"

[bluestateguy]

6. Ted's Disco is closed

[onehandle]

9. This PROVES that Norm Coleman has a chance!...

... to continue to look like the biggest douche in history.

Good move, Mr. Tedisco.

[SkyDaddy7]

10. Another CRUSHING defeat for the GOP!

[hwmnbn]

12. Repugs might be starting to feel...

like the Washington Generals. They are on a serious losing streak.

[OswegoAtheist]

13. Fantastic!

Let's ask Michael Steele how that Congressional District with a +70K Republican advantage feels about Obama's financial plans. He did say that this race would be a mandate, right?

Oswego "and George W. Bush must be tried for war crimes" Atheist

[barbtries]

14. norm coleman

paying attention?

congratulations NY

[Bleacher Creature]

15. Weird. I just went over to Drudge and there's nothing about this story. . .

Had Tedisco won, the only question is whether his coverage would have included the siren or not.

[Milspec]

40. Not a peep on that

other site either

[walkaway]

17. If he had won Patterson would have been one unpopular Democrat

He could have picked anyone for that Senate seat and he chose a far right Democrat and left her seat open in a conservative district vulnerable to the republics.

[No Elephants]

48. He got unpopular with me as soon as he picked her. Welcome.

[DUlover2909]

18. YAAAY! HOORAY!

[djg21]

19. Tedisco concedes; Murphy headed to Congress (CD-20)

Source: Albany Times Union

The race in the 20th Congressional District has ended: Republican Jim Tedisco has conceded the contest more than three weeks after election day.

Just before 4 p.m., Tedisco called Democrat Scott Murphy to concede, and Murphy has declared victory.

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=...

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The good guys win another. Finally.

Now there is just Senator Franken left hanging.

[Adelante]

20. YES!!

[county worker]

21. Wow, wasn't this supposed to show that the repukes were on the come back train?

[KamaAina]

23. They should have thought of that before cutting funding for Amtrak

[redwitch]

34. Ha!

This Democrat in the 20th is really, really happy!

Go get 'em Congressman Murphy!

[No Elephants]

49. LOL! Good one!

[hwmnbn]

35. oops!!...

The best laid plans and all that.

This has to hurt!

[haydukelives]

22. repugs

on the run. This is a very conservative district
Can the grand oil party win anywhere

[Patsy Stone]

24. Wow!

Hey, Jim... Can you please call Norm Coleman and show him how to do this?

[ScaryBob]

25. Norm.... NORM ?????

Are you LISTENING to this ? Come on, show us your not a completely brainless Repug and let Al have his seat...

[iandhr]

26. YEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[Muttocracy]

27. yay!!!!! :)

[NeoConsSuck]

28. This is a big win for the Dems

this district was gerrymandered for the republicans, and they still couldn't win it. A very republican district.

Congrats Murphy!

[Kahuna]

29. Woo hoo!!

[Mr. Sinister]

30. Isn't this supposed to spell doom for Michael Steele?

nt

[hwmnbn]

38. I think the clock is ticking...

on his chairmanship. There isn't much he can do now until 2010 elections to rehabilitate his reputation.

[No Elephants]

50. Failure is Steele's only skill.

[burning rain]

32. Gotta respect this on Tedisco's part.

He could've raked in the loot from gullible, rage-crazed conservatives by bawling that ACORN or George Soros or the man in the moon had stolen the election, and vowing to contest it forever.

[No Elephants]

51. Maybe. Maybe not. Please see Post # 45.

[wildflower]

33. Good...

Teh disco went out in the early 80's.

(That's what I think every time I hear the name.)

[Hepburn]

36. Hey, Coleman, you piece of shit....

...take a clue from this, OK?

[zbdent]

37. you misspelled "Loses badly" ...

[hwmnbn]

39. concedes.... loses badly...

Yep, my bad.

Too late now for me to fix it.... Like it's too late for Tedisco. bwahahaha

[Hissyspit]

41. Democrat Murphy Wins New York House Seat as Rival Concedes Close Rac

Source: CQ Politics

Democrat Murphy Wins New York House Seat as Rival Concedes Close Race

By Emily Cadei, CQ Staff – Fri Apr 24, 5:12 pm ET
Democratic businessman Scott Murphy clinched victory over Republican state lawmaker Jim Tedisco Friday afternoon in the special House election held March 31 in New York's 20th Congressional District. Tedisco conceded the race in a phone call to Murphy, whose razor-thin lead in an election night canvass expanded to hundreds of votes after a protracted counting process that took almost a month to resolve.

Murphy's win keeps the upstate New York seat, until recently a Republican stronghold, in Democratic Party hands. He will succeed Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, who was appointed in January to fill the U.S. Senate vacancy created when Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton was confirmed as President Obama's secretary of State. Gillibrand had been re-elected last November for a second term in the 20th District seat.

Tedisco, who stepped down as leader of the Republican minority in the state Assembly shortly after the April 7 election, also issued a press release congratulating Murphy.

"Earlier today, I called and congratulated Scott Murphy on a hard-fought contest and wished him well as the next Congressman of the 20th Congressional District," Tedisco said.
He added, "This was a close campaign every step of the way. Ultimately, it became clear that the numbers were not going our way and that the time had come to step aside and ensure that the next congressman be seated as quickly as possible."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/cq/20090424/pl_cq_politics/poli...

[sharp_stick]

42. I wonder how this fits into

Michael Steeles plans? You know that he's always one step ahead, always on top of everything, at least according to his own big damned mouth.

This is excellent, when we can pull off a special election in this district I'm quite hopeful about the future for the good guys.

[rpannier]

43. I'll say something nice about Tedisco

He has shown enough class to call it quits rather than dragging it out for months.

(Yes...It's also a slam of coleman)

[No Elephants]

52. Maybe it's class; maybe not. Please see Post # 45.

[Scurrilous]

44. Good news.

K & R

[steven johnson]

53. Democrat Wins House Race Seen by G.O.P. as Obama Referendum

Source: New York Times

A 39-year-old Democrat in his first run for office emerged Friday as the winner of a hotly contested Congressional race in upstate New York, dashing Republican hopes for the start of a comeback after the party's disastrous November losses.

The Democrat, Scott Murphy, a venture capitalist who echoed President Obama's promises of bipartisanship, expanded health care and an economic turnaround, said his victory after a drawn-out vote count showed that voters had no patience for partisan bickering and wanted their leaders to work together like grown-ups.

Republicans downplayed the loss in the special election, held on March 31, as predictable given recent Democratic gains in the district, and more generally in the Northeast. But the party had invested heavily in Mr. Tedisco's race, and with good reason: Republicans hold a 75,000-vote registration edge in the district, the party's biggest advantage in New York. And Mr. Tedisco, 58, who was the Assembly minority leader, was a familiar and feisty party spokesman on Albany television, while Mr. Murphy was unknown.

Mr. Tedisco's defeat came as an embarrassment for Michael Steele, the Republican national chairman, who publicly identified the race as a prime target and campaigned twice for Mr. Tedisco. (The Democratic National Committee quickly threw Mr. Steele's statements back in his face on Friday, posting a YouTube video called "Broken Steele.")




Read more: http://mobile.nytimes.com/article ;jsessionid=20930F9C35FC60AE0085D2A5572D66C5.w6?a=358146&f=22

[saltpoint]

54. The GOP wanted this one bad and counted on winning it.

The voters saw it quite differently and now there will be one more blue vote in the 111th Congress.

Congrats to Murph and thanks to the voters of that district.

[Arkana]

55. There's really no positive to this for the Republicans.

When they can't spin it, you know it's bad.

[Joanne98]

56. YAY

[Born Free]

57. Yet another reason for the GOP to hold up Franken

the GOP is stuck to using the lawyers and the courts because they can NOT win in the court of public opinion, their time of ideas has run out and people know it.

[pacalo]

58. Penn. Gov. Ed Rendell was on Rachel's show the other day talking about this race.

He & Rachel were discussing how the Repubs continue to hurt themselves, & I was so impressed with Gov. Rendell's good old-fashioned common sense. This interview made me a fan of Gov. Rendell's.

He talked about how many Repubs have moved to the Democratic party both in his state & in NY. He & Rachel talked about the times when we had a good, healthy two-party system, but, sadly, it seemed there are only two semi-moderate Repubs left in the Senate (Spector & someone else whose name I forgot) & that they can't really be counted on to do what's right.

Here's the interview, in case anyone's interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PGkzjGeJ1A

[OKNancy]

59. Already a long thread about this

since it happened yesterday
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...