The Fighting 29th

All about New York's 29th Congressional District

Jimmy Vielkind of the New York Observer calls Massa's set of committee appointments a good haul. I agree. Half of the press releases issued by the Kuhl office announced a Homeland Security grant for some local fire department or ambulance service. Massa's appointment to that committee will allow him to influence legislation that will have a real impact on the district.

A recent Politico Story on John Boehner includes this comment:

In a speech to his rank and file down at the Homestead resort this weekend, Boehner will encourage them to use Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, blogs and any other electronic tool to communicate with constituents.

This reminds me of a friend's comment on "communication" as a cure-all in relationships. He said that most of his relationships fell apart as soon as he and his girlfriend started communicating, because both of them realized they had nothing in common.

Boehner needs a new message, not a new way to distribute it.

Eric Massa, and most other Democrats, voted for the economic stimulus package. All Republicans voted against.

Since the Senate bill is different from the House version, there will be another vote on the bill after it goes through conference. Swing-district Republicans who voted against this bill will probably vote for the "compromise" bill, and they'll highlight some change or other that supposedly tipped their hand.

John Boehner has apparently convinced endangered Republicans that this is a clever strategy. Randy Kuhl, a Boehner protegee, used it a few times on tough votes in the previous session. I've always felt that it was too clever by half.

Voters aren't moved by technicalities on tough legislation, and this bill is one of the biggest gut-checks to come around in recent memory. Our country is in big trouble, and we're facing the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Either you're for stimulating the economy with massive spending, or you're not. The bullshit expenditures that Republicans are bloviating about on talk radio (e.g., money for STD's !!) are nothing in comparison to the totality of this $800+ billion package. A few little additions or deletions are simply window dressing.

I think voters will see this for what it is: Republicans betting against the economic well-being of their country in hopes of a political advantage. I'm sad to see it, and I'm sad to say it, but I can come to no other conclusion.

Reader Elmer sends today's Corning Leader story [pdf] (and jump [pdf]). The topic is stimulus, and Massa is for it.

The Massa Office sent over a few more shots of Monday's swearing-in. Here's a pure Chuck Schumer moment. Others after the break.