The Fighting 29th

All about New York's 29th Congressional District

Eric Massa wasn't there to vote on it, but the main reform bill passed by a vote of 220-211 last night. Massa's vote wouldn't have made a difference either way, no matter what he said when he was flailing around and making accusations a couple of weeks ago.

Tom Reed thinks that Massa should use his campaign money to pay for the special election. There are huge restrictions on use of that money, and politicians tend to hoard it. For example, John J. LaFalce, who represented the 29th before it was redistricted and retired in 2003, has more than $400 grand in his campaign account, collecting interest.

Lucy at Mustard Street, who seems to have some good connections, reports that David Koon was in the St. Patrick's Day parade in Hornell on Saturday. She also says Sandra Frankel is out.

It looks like Koon might be the sacrificial lamb put forward by Democrats.

Reader Elmer sends this link to a Washington Post story (free registration required) that contains an interesting and detailed bio of Eric Massa. It sheds a bit of light on Massa's career as a (Republican) staff member on the House Armed Services Committee, and his party switch.

I missed posting Jerry Seinfeld's riff on Massa from Saturday Night Live.

Unless I see something exceptionally funny, that's it for the Massa jokes from me.

Reader Elmer sends a couple of cartoons from the NY Daily News:

Up in Prattsburg pointed out this OpenSecrets story about Massa's contributors. For some reason, they're a bit upset with him.

Another commenter pointed out that a skit about Massa opened Saturday Night Live last night. Here's the video.

Eric Massa will keep most, if not all, of the money he raised and will be able to use it to fund donations to other candidates, according to this Hornell Evening Tribune story.

The story speculates about what Massa will do with the money. If I had to guess, he'll probably end up returning most of it, or donating it to charity. No politician will want a donation from Massa, it's just too tainted.

The biggest danger to Tom Reed's campaign at the moment is a replay of NY-23, a three-way Republican, Conservative and Democratic race where teabagger Doug Hoffman's challenge helped Democrat Bill Owens squeak out a win.

The Reed campaign has been quietly working to make sure this doesn't happen in NY-29. This week, they announced that Reed has been endorsed by the Chemung County Conservative Party. Reed already has the endorsement of the Monroe County Conservative Party.

By taking the #1 and #4 counties, by 2008 vote, out of play for a Conservative, Reed has gone a long way to insulate himself from a challenge from the right.

I asked Sanford Dickert this question: "Did you know that Eric Massa had a habit of sexually harassing men at or around the time you filed your lawsuit?" Here's his answer:

I can honestly say that the Eric Massa I knew when I worked on his campaign was an incredibly hard-working campaigner who was looking to make a difference for the people of the 29th. No - I never had any inkling of this kind of behavior back then, so I had nothing to "out" him with.

Maggie Brooks is officially out of the race. It looks like Tom Reed will be the Republican candidate in the special election, if and when Governor Paterson calls it.