Wesley Clark's ex-aide to run for Congress

[wyldwolf]

A retired Navy commander and former aide to Gen. Wesley Clark plans to run for Congress next year against freshman Rep. Randy Kuhl.

Eric Massa, a 24-year Navy veteran who lives in Corning, is actively seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Kuhl in November 2006 and is already raising money for his campaign.

Massa said the 29th Congressional District, which runs from Monroe County to the Southern Tier, needs an independent representative and accused Kuhl of voting in lock step with Republican leaders during his six months in office.

Massa, 45, said he's bothered by the "stringent right-wing nature of (Kuhl's) politics."

Massa served as Clark's aide in the late 1990s when Clark was NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. After recovering from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which he believes he got in the Gulf War, Massa moved to Corning in 2001 and worked briefly at Corning Inc. before being laid off. In 2003, Massa garnered publicity in Washington when he said he was forced to resign as a Republican staffer on the House Armed Services Committee. He said he was pressured to leave after he was spotted outside an event for Clark and also because he opposed the war in Iraq.

Massa then switched party affiliation and worked for Clark's failed 2004 presidential bid. Clark attended Massa's first fundraiser last week in Washington, and Massa said he expects Clark to stump for him in the district.


http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050626/NEWS01/506260353/1002/NEWS

[KingFlorez]

1. Go!

We need to get rid of Kuhl, people who abuse their wives shouldn't be in Congress.

[Totally Committed]

2. Massa , as any Clarkie will tell you,

is a damned nice man. He deserves to win this election, and we are pulling for him!

TC

[FrenchieCat]

3. Oh yes...Eric Massa....

http://www.raisingkaine.com/blog/?p=414

[wyldwolf]

4. good article...

At his campaign kickoff event on Tuesday night, speakers - in addition to Wes Clark - included former Navy Secretary John Dalton and Rep. Gene Taylor(”Blue Dog” D-MS). In other words, this was a heavily pro-military and conservative, southern Democratic crowd. No, these people don’t excite liberals, but they are a critical part of what used to constitute the Democratic majority in this country for decades — from FDR to LBJ. And they are also part of the “big tent” that must be reconstituted for the Democratic Party to become the natural ruling majority once again. I’m talking about an alliance between (mainly) urban progressives and (mainly) rural working class folks like the Eric Massas of the world. Then, we can send the theocratic ultra-right-wing Republican back where they belong — to permanent minority status.