Democrats Turn Up the Firepower in Key Congressional Races in New York

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Democrats Turn Up the Firepower in Key Congressional Races in New York
By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ
Published: October 26, 2006

AUBURN, N.Y., Oct. 25 — Once pessimistic about making gains in the Republican bastion of upstate New York, Democrats have now made the region a focal point in their campaign to retake Congress, pouring money and troops into several districts where they believe the Republican incumbents are vulnerable.

With less than two weeks to go before the midterm election, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is financing new hard-hitting advertisements in three districts that criticize the Republicans for ethical lapses, supporting the war in Iraq and advancing President Bush’s agenda. It has spent $2 million in races in the state so far.

There are also extensive get-out-the-vote campaigns being organized in at least four Republican-held districts, with Democratic challengers receiving heavy support from national and state party operatives, as well as legions of volunteers and workers from unions, third parties and liberal advocacy groups like MoveOn.org.

And former President Bill Clinton, who has campaigned relentlessly for Democratic candidates locked in tight races elsewhere in the country, is scheduled to swing through New York on Thursday, when he will headline airport rallies for three Democratic candidates from Albany to Syracuse....

***

Democrats feel that their best opportunity for taking a Republican seat is the race for New York’s 24th Congressional District, which cuts a U-shaped swath through central New York south of Syracuse. The race pits State Senator Raymond A. Meier, a Republican, against the Democrat, Michael A. Arcuri, the Oneida County district attorney....Another Republican incumbent who is high on the Democrats’ list of targets is ( Rep. Thomas Reynolds from Erie County, the fourth-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives), who is trailing his Democratic challenger, Jack Davis, in recent polls after facing questions about whether he responded vigorously enough after learning about e-mail exchanges between Representative Mark Foley, a Florida Republican, and a young Congressional page....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/26/nyregion/26upstate.html

[bigdarryl]

1. NEWYORK !!! what about the rest of the country we know we..

have NY won so why kickin high gear for a state you know your going to win.

[DeepModem Mom]

3. We need House seats wherever we can get them...

and upstate New York's districts have been GOP. It looks like the Dems think we have a chance to win a few of them.

[fedupinBushcountry]

4. So true

My hometown is Auburn, and although it is very blue and the center of Cayuga county the rural areas always put Repubs in House seats, state and federal. It's time for change. I hope Arcuri pulls it out, I watched one of the debates and he did very well.

[djg21]

5. upstate is incredibly gerrymandered . . .

to favor the GOP. Take a look at a map of congressional districts.

&imgw=750&imgh=452.

and most of upstate NY is very red.

[Tom Rinaldo]

7. New York Red is not Utah Red, it's a very different shade.

There are a whole lot of Republicans in New York who don't like Bush.

[annabanana]

6. lotta districts up there in upstate. NY...

In the House, it's all a numbers game.

[KingFlorez]

2. We've got to gain here

This state is the most critical of the election in terms of House seats, with Pennsylvania being second.