Staten Island Congressional Race Looking A Little One-Sided

Conservative Molinaro endores conservative McMahon

The other day we looked at ominous signs -- for generic Democrats -- that, nationwide, generic Democrats were no longer polling double digits ahead of generic Republicans. (Note: all Republican members of Congress are generic.) They're still ahead but by a rapidly shrinking margin. As I said at the time, Blue America endorses outstanding progressives and never generic Democrats. We don't much care for generic Democrats.

One very generic Democrat we really don't care for, Michael McMahon comes right out of the deepest, darkest bowels of the Republican wing of the Democratic Party. He won his primary battle last Tuesday for the mostly Staten Island seat being abandoned by Republican incumbent Vito "Two Families Values" Fossella. He isn't rated as a sure thing... but almost. The generic Democrats losing ground finding will have no impact on McMahon. In fact, his GOP opponent, hot dog vendor Bob Straniere, is so intensely disliked by the Republican Establishment that they are publicly declaring they won't vote for him. Back in May the biggest shot in Staten Island Republican politics, Guy Molinari, said he "would rather vote for a Democrat" than Straniere. Now that the Conservative Party decided to not endorse Straniere, Molinari is saying he'll probably vote for the Conservative Party candidate, Paul Anatasio. And that's just the beginning of Straniere's electoral woes.

Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro, a right wing kook, has actually endorsed McMahon. He wasn't exactly gracious about Straniere either:

"I don't think he's fit to run," Molinaro said of Straniere, a state Assemblyman for 24 years. "Straniere is the best friend of Straniere, and that's it. He's a loner; he never helped anybody."

Straniere released a statement that accused Molinaro of turning his back on party values for "personal, petty vendettas." Straniere in 2001 ran against Molinaro for borough president, and is somewhat of an outcast among Island Republicans.

And beyond Molinaro and Molinari, the guy Straniere beat in the Republican primary on Tuesday, Republican Party treasurer, Dr. Jamshad Wyne, said out loud what everyone already knows, that Straniere is a racist swine, something that works better for Republicans in the Deep South than in the Northeast.

Straniere accused the Pakistani-born Dr. Wyne of trying to hide his ethnicity by referring to himself as “Jim.” Dr. Wyne, who is also a cardiologist, said that Mr. Staniere was “race baiting,” and “trying to stir up fear” by repeatedly highlighting his ethnicity in a largely white electorate as well as the fact that Dr. Wyne is Muslim.

It was a point Dr. Wyne made in his resignation letter to John S. Friscia, the chairman of the Republican Party on Staten Island.

“Honestly, I cannot serve effectively under the current leadership who instead of denouncing, supports a racist candidate Robert Straniere for Congress who attacked my race and religion to become a congressman,” the letter states. “And I believe I was not given the nomination of the Republican Party because of my religion and ethnic background.”

And yet another wingnut, GOP write-in candidate Carmine Morano, who took 10% of the Republican vote on Tuesday, is running as the Independence Party candidate in November.

In the money raising department (as of August 20), McMahon had taken in $717,124 and had $413,062 on hand. Straniere had raised $14,968 and had $11,777 on hand. The DCCC is willing to spend freely to capture the last remaining GOP seat in New York City and Republicans have already written Straniere off as a loser with no chance. We have no horse in this race, but if I were betting, I'd put my $20 down on McMahon. That way when McMahon starts voting straight Republican in Congress I'll at least have $20 to use for postage to send nasty letters to the DCCC.