The Fighting 29th

All about New York's 29th Congressional District

Eric Massa is one of five veterans profiled in Taking the Hill, a documentary that will air December 12 at 9 p.m. on the Discovery Times Channel.  You can read more about the documentary here, or, thanks to reader vdomeras, watch a trailer after the break.  One of the five vets profiled won his race, and three others (including Massa) came within two points of beating their opponents in Republican districts.

The Working Families Party has posted pdfs of three mailers sent (on 10/30, 11/2 and 11/3) in support of Eric Massa.

Massa has a new ad on Social Security - it's a "positive/negative" or "pivot" ad.  It starts with photos of FDR, and Massa saying that he intends to keep FDR's Social Security promise: "I won't cut taxes or raise benefits on Social Security, and Randy Kuhl knows it."  At the mention of Kuhl's name, there's a brief cut to black-and-white and a picture of Kuhl, but after making the point that Kuhl sponsored a bill to privatize Social Security, we're back in cheerful, colorful Massa-land.  Video after the break:

Reader Rich writes to report that he saw a slightly altered version of the RNCC "Sniper" ad.  Instead of a the crosshairs of a rifle scope, the ad showed "pictures and a dart".   No video has been posted of the altered ad.

The Massa campaign's media firm has posted a slightly altered version of the "Kuhl's a liar" ad.  This version doesn't contain the shot of the WETM newswoman that caused WETM to pull the ad.  It also says it was approved by Massa but sponsored by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which indicates that the DCCC might be spending on ads in the 29th.  That would be a "coordinated" rather than an "independent" expenditure, and if so, it hasn't been posted yet by the FEC.

Majority Action, an independent action group, has posted an Internet-only ad in opposition to Randy Kuhl's position on stem cells.   Both the Majority action ad and the new Massa ad can be seen after the break:

New Massa Ad:

Stem Cell Ad:

The Massa campaign has started running a new TV ad attacking Randy Kuhl.  It contains a lot of grainy, black-and-white images of Kuhl, along with some brief glimpses of a couple of Kuhl ads, and a shot of Maj Gen (Ret) John Batiste.  Here's the script, read by a female announcer:

Randy Kuhl's not telling can't handle the truth.  He lied about bringing jobs upstate.  And Randy Kuhl's lying about Eric Massa on taxes and Social Security. The truth is Randy Kuhl tried to privatize Social Security. And he voted to cut Veterans' benefits.  No wonder General John Batiste said 'Randy Kuhl, he's not informed, he doesn't have moral courage, this guy needs to go.'  If Randy Kuhl won't trust us with the truth, we can't trust him with our vote.

The ad uses images from the first Kuhl Social Security ad, so my guess is that this ad was produced before the "Sniper" ad.     I'll post a video if it becomes available.  (Update:  Fixed the script, and video after the break.  This video doesn't have the "I approve this ad" tagline of the one I saw broadcast.)

Rochesterturning is reporting that a new RNC National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC)  attack ad is running in the Corning area.  Apparently the subject is Social Security, and the images involve old ladies in the cross-hairs.   (Update:  NRCC, not RNC.  Video after the break.)

The Massa campaign has posted a new ad.  The theme is how Massa and Eliot Spitzer will work together.  Video after the break:

According to Rochesterturning, Randy Kuhl is airing a new ad attacking Eric Massa on Social Security.  I'll post a video and a review once I see it.  Update:  Video after the break.

Randy Kuhl has posted a new ad featuring Amo Hougton's endorsement.  Houghton is Kuhl's widely respected predecessor in the 29th.

Eric Massa's web site features his new endorsement from the Messenger-Post Newspapers.  This chain publishes a Canandaigua daily and suburban weeklies in Monroe County.

Eric Massa has new television and radio spots out.  The TV ad features kids playing hide-and-seek, and says that it's time for Kuhl to stop hiding behind negative ads.  Over the video of kids playing,  Kuhl's votes against homeland security and increasing funding for vets, and a vote against funding Walter Reed Hospital, are listed.

The radio ad features quotes from Maj Gen (ret) John Batiste, "I tell you...Randy Kuhl -- this guy needs to go.  He's not informed, he doesn't have moral courage. That's not the kind of leadership we need in Washington right now." 

Video and audio links below:

Here's the mp3 of the radio ad. 

Thanks to MaryR, here's a link to a video of Kuhl's Ad on the New York Times site.   It contains the same basic charges that I reviewed earlier, along with a little extra rhetorical frosting.  In Kuhl's "I support this ad" tagline, he says that he voted to cut taxes.  As I noted earlier, when we're running big deficits, tax cuts alone don't impress even solid conservatives like Bob Lonsberry.

(The Times makes it hard to link to video.  If that link doesn't work, go here and search for Kuhl.)