Brian Higgins, who is not a Bush Dog but does come close (FISA), got some coverage in the New York insider political blog the Politicker because of this post. The article by Steve Kornacki, who I like very much, was fairly good, but ignored the fact that we are not calling for primary challenges, just criticism. That said, I found the first comment on the post quite instructive.
With a close relationship with Erie Dem Chair Len Lenihan, Mayor Byron Brown, and likely the next Erie County Executive, Jim Keane, any primary challenge to Higgins is DOA.
Down here, we know the machine is dead. Up in Erie, Democrats are poised to sweep the Republicans out of office, solidify their hold on the county legislature, and target Tom Reynolds and perhaps a GOP state senator or two in 2008.
Brian Higgins is the most popular politician in Western New York, his approval numbers are in Clinton-Schumer range.
Stoller, who is not from Erie County, and probably has never been there, would probably be better served in supporting Captain Jon Powers against Reynolds than in leading a vain and silly fight against a politically powerful and very popular incumbent Democrat.
I don't know why there's so much bitterness that we are simply offering up criticism, but it's kind of funny that the arguments from the other side are never 'Bush should have more wiretapping authority' or 'The Bankruptcy Bill was a good bill', but always seem to boil down to 'We're the machine and you're a dirty hippy'.
I wonder why 80% of Democrats are unhappy with Congress.
The working conservative majority thesis implies that we must convert or defeat conservative Democrats in vulnerable districts. One such politician is Brian Higgins in New York's 27th. There's an overwhelming Democratic registration advantage in the district, with 207,734 Democrats to 123,544 Republicans, and Gore beat Bush in 2000 by 14 points. It's a district that encompasses a good deal of Buffalo and some of its suburbs, and Higgins comes from a labor background, which fits the district well. The AFL-CIO pushed him over the top in 2004, one of the few pickups for Democrats that year, and he enjoyed very strong support from the New York Democratic Party in a crowded primary.
As a politician, Higgins lives on local pork and a DLC voting record. He's a member of the New Democrat coalition, he voted for the FISA wiretapping expansion, and he voted for the Bankruptcy Bill in 2005. His instincts lean hawkish, but he can be pushed around by House leadership. Higgins looks to me like a young local politician with familial roots in the district, but no particular aptitude to lead. He's one of the least powerful House members in the New York delegation, with little understanding of what leading in Congress means.
He's not a bad guy, but he is one of 41 Democrats that voted to shred the Constitution. These are my initial impressions from calling around and doing some Google-ing.
New Yorkers, please feel free to chime in. I could be reading this wrong.
The working conservative majority thesis implies that we must convert or defeat conservative Democrats in vulnerable districts. One such politician is Brian Higgins in New York's 27th. There's an overwhelming Democratic registration advantage in the district, with 207,734 Democrats to 123,544 Republicans, and Gore beat Bush in 2000 by 14 points. It's a district that encompasses a good deal of Buffalo and some of its suburbs, and Higgins comes from a labor background, which fits the district well. The AFL-CIO pushed him over the top in 2004, one of the few pickups for Democrats that year, and he enjoyed very strong support from the New York Democratic Party in a crowded primary.