In New York's 13th Congressional District, things are getting REALLY interesting. Disgraced ex-Rep. Vito Fossella got the Staten Island GOP Executive Committee's official nod over much less tainted Republican candidates Michael Allegretti and Michael Grimm. For those that don't know, Vito Fossella was disgraced back in May 2008 when he was arrested for a DUI in Virginia, leading to revelations that he had a secret second family. He chose to not run for re-election, leading to the victory of Democrat Mike McMahon in a landslide in a district that went 51% for McCain in 2008 and was won by Bush by a 10 point margin in 2004. Now it seems ol' Vito may be back for some unfathomable reason...and it makes me very happy.
From NY Daily News:
I just confirmed with a source who was at tonight's executive committee meeting of the Staten Island GOP that both Michael Allegretti and Michael Grimm were turned down for the nomination for ex-Rep. Vito Fossella's old seat (now held by Democratic Rep. Michael McMahon) in favor of... Vito Fossella.
The ex-rep was not present at the meeting, but his name was put up by Chairman John Friscia, the source told me.
That's right, in a surprising upset, the tainted candidate was put back in play, even though he isn't officially running (although it's being said that Vito Fossella is planning to make a comeback). This was a complete surprise.
Both Allegretti and Grimm went through the interview process before Fossella was nominated in absentia, the source said: "There was no explanation. Everybody walked out with their mouths, like, hung open. [Fossella] didn't ask for our endorsement or our support. John Friscia did."
Wow, does their chairman even want to win this fall? Either he's a saboteur or he's immensely stupid...or maybe both.
Ex-Rep. Guy Molinari (father of Susan Molinari), senior adviser to Michael Grimm's campaign, has made it clear that his camp will not take this lying down.
"I'm deeply troubled. I think the status of the Republican Party on Staten Island has reached a new low tonight. Fossella has been playing his usual game at the expense of two other candidates, Michael Grimm and Michael Allegretti," Molinari said.
"I have a difficult time that Fossella would put his own personal ambitions above his family. His family has been through enough and I couldn't believe that he would be willing to put them through all of that once again. If Fossella were to win, the investigation that was dropped when he (chose not to run for reelection) would be reopened. I am told that there are other matters that would be brought to the surface if he were to win again."
Asked if he believed Fossella had any knowledge of the Executive Committee's plans, Molinari said bluntly: "There's no way this would have been done tonight without his knowing it."
Added Molinari: We have a fine candidate in Michael Grimm. I welcome a primary with Fossella...It's going to be ugly, it's going to be nasty, but he has to know that would come out in the course of a campaign...Everything he has done will be brought to light by me in this campaign."
Did you say there may be a nasty, competitive primary? We welcome it, anything to bring down the Staten Island Republican Party even lower.
Current Representative Michael McMahon may be a conservadem, but that's irrelevant right now. The point is that I love watching Republicans destroy each other in New York. They stumble over each other like the Keystone Kops!