Category: Congress

NY-25: Maffei Concedes, Buerkle Wins

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Got the good news via the Lonely Conservative, who got it from Robert Harding’s Tweet.

With last night’s concession in TX-27, Buerkle’s win puts the incoming GOP House majority at 242 seats.

A 4 p.m. press conference is scheduled.

UPDATE: Auburn (N.Y.) Citizen:

Maffei issued a statement this afternoon thanking the residents of the 25th for the opportunity to serve.
“I served every day honored to live in a community where a shy kid of modest means from a proud Syracuse family and a graduate of the Syracuse public schools could grow up to earn the trust of his community to represent you in Congress,” Maffei said in the statement. “And I learned from you every day, listening to your stories and working tirelessly on your behalf.”

I had a brief telephone interview today with Mrs. Buerkle. I’ll be writing this up for tomorrow’s American Spectator.

UPDATE II: Steven Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Buerkle’s victory “one of the biggest election surprises of the year”:

“Almost no one saw this one coming,” said GOP pollster John McLaughlin. “Ann Marie was definitely below the radar screen of most political experts.”
One person who never saw it coming was Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne, who had championed Mr. Maffei as the kind of new liberal Democrat America needs and the Northeast wants. “Absent a Republican wave of historic proportions, his seat now seems out of the GOP’s reach,” wrote Mr. Dionne back in September.

Here’s your “historic proportions,” E.J.

Attagirl, Ann Marie!

UPDATE III: Publius at BigGovernment.com on the significance of NY-25: “John McCain received only 43% of the vote in this district in 2008. George W. Bush received only 48% in 2004. Hope and Change!” The Syracuse Post-Standard analyzed the arguments for and against Maffei seeking a recount.

Linked by Ruby Slippers. Thanks!

UPDATE IV: More reporting by The Hill, Roll Call and CNN, which notes:

Buerkle’s win . . . makes New York the state with the most GOP House pickups– six districts changed sides in the 2010 midterms. Republicans picked up five seats in Ohio and Pennsylvania respectively.

Someone in the comments had asked for details on the historic nature of this election:

  • In the 1946 mid-term election — a postwar backlash against Truman and 14 years of Democrat “New Deal” majorities –Republicans gained 55 House seats and held a majority of 246 seats.
  • In 1948, with Truman campaigning against the “do-nothing Congress,” the GOP lost 75 seats.
  • In 1952, with the popular wartime commander Eisenhower at the top of the Republican ticket, the GOP regained a slender House majority, 221-213.
  • In 1954, Democrats recaptured a House majority that they held for the next 40 years.
  • In 1994, Republicans gained 54 seats for a 230-204 majority.

So in 2010, Republicans gained more House seats (63) than in any election since 1938 (when they gained 81), and they now control more seats (242) than at any time since 1949.

UPDATE V: Remember that (a) Buerkle was endorsed by Sarah Palin, and (b) Buerkle is pro-life and was a former spokeswoman for Operation Rescue.

In 2008, Maffei was elected after the NRCC appeared to write off NY-25. This year, Buerkle — the kind of “right-wing extremist” that the GOP Establishment dreads — put the seat back in Republican hands, despite being out-spent 5-to-1. Maybe there’s a lesson there, huh?

UPDATE VI: Over in NY-1, Left Coast Rebel reports that Randy Altschuler has apparently come up 235 votes short in his challenge to Democrat Rep. Tim Bishop.

UPDATE VII: The Wall Street Journal notes that Maffei’s concession may allow some folks to settle their bets in the office pool. Remember that the title of my Election Day column was “Too Close to Call.”

Oritz Concedes TX-27 to Farenthold; GOP Reaches Historic 241 Seats in House

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Most House seats held by the Republicans since 1949:

U.S. Rep. Solomon P. Ortiz conceded late Monday to Congressman-elect Blake Farenthold.
Noting that the recount of more than 106,000 votes had been completed in the district, Ortiz said: “Therefore, with great respect and admiration in the Democratic process, I congratulate my opponent, Mr. R. Blake Farenthold, in his election to the 27th Congressional District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives.” . . .
During the recounts, Farenthold, the Republican challenger, continued his lead over Ortiz by nearly 800 votes.
For his part, Farenthold said that, “it’s a great relief to have the uncertainty gone.”
Farenthold also told The Brownsville Herald that he is “very happy” and that Ortiz had been “very gracious.”

Politico writes: “Republicans have now won at least 62 House seats. The GOP leads in one of four unresolved races.” Meanwhile, in NY-25, where Republican Ann Marie Buerkle leads by 567 votes after the absentees were counted, the chairman of the Onondaga County GOP called on Democrat incumbent Rep. Dan Maffei to concede:

“It’s over. Dan Maffei has no chance to win the 25th congressional seat and it’s time for him to stop wasting taxpayer dollars and do the honorable thing and right thing for the residents of the 25th District and concede.”

A court hearing originally scheduled for Tuesday on Maffei’s request for a hand recount has been postponed to Wednesday. Over on Long Island, meanwhile, the count in NY-1 continues seesawing back and forth, as Jim Geraghty points out, linking our friends at Left Coast Rebel. The latest count seems to have Democrat Rep. Tim Bishop leading GOP challenger Randy Altschuler by about 200 votes and, pending “challenged” ballots, that one might not be decided until after Thanksgiving.

So the GOP has scored a net gain of at least 62 seats and possibly as many as 64. Yet with the Republican victory in TX-27, Republicans have now crossed the threshold to 241 House seats — the most they’ve held in more than 60 years.

UPDATE: Welcome, Instapundit readers!

UPDATE II: Welcome, Gateway Pundit readers! Up near Syracuse, N.Y., the Lonely Conservative is angry:

Rep. Dan Maffei (D) continues to deny the obvious. I suppose he’s thinking that perhaps a few voting machines or bags of ballots will magically appear so he can continue with his Keynesian fantasy. . . . No matter how you slice it, Ann Marie Buerkle has won the election. Yet Dan Maffei still refuses to concede.

Dan’s clinging. Bitterly.

UPDATE III: Guy Benson at Townhall has been riding the NY-1 roller coaster. If Altschuler wins there — and if Maffei ever concedes — Republicans will have gained an impressive seven House seats in New York alone. Not like there’s any kind of “mandate” there or anything.

UPDATE IV: One of the most-overlooked results of the national GOP landslide was that the state legislature in Alabama, which had been controlled by Democrats since . . . . well, since forever, was swept by Republicans. And now four Democrat incumbents who managed to get re-elected Nov. 2 have switched parties to join the GOP majority.

Republican Buerkle Leads by 567 Votes in NY-25; Still No Concession From Maffei; UPDATE: Buerkle Campaign Says, ‘We Need to Allow the Process to Proceed’

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The incumbent Democrat appears to have been defeated, according to the Syracuse Post-Standard: 

Republican Ann Marie Buerkle holds a 567-vote lead over U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei in the 25th Congressional District race after Wayne County election officials released their unofficial tally of absentee votes today.
Buerkle added 269 votes to her lead after getting 790 votes to Maffei’s 521 in the absentee vote tally in Wayne County. Elections officials in Wayne County completed the tally today and posted the results on their Web site.
With those votes in, the total unofficial vote count for the entire district stands at 104,374 for Buerkle and 103,807 for Maffei, who is seeking his second term in Congress.
Abby Gardner, a spokeswoman for Maffei, said the campaign had no immediate comment on the Wayne County results.

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports that the total number of “challenged” ballots is not enough for Maffei to make up the difference. The Lonely Conservative states the obvious:

It’s time for Dan Maffei to concede already. It’s over. Ann Marie Buerkle will be the next representative from NY25. There’s nothing left for him to cling to.

Remember that a victory for Buerkle would make history.

UPDATE: Tim Sahd of National Journal explains why Maffei is unlikely to overturn Buerkle’s win:

Attorneys will head to court early this week to argue over whether a handful of disputed absentee ballots should be counted. But a Onondaga County elections official noted that Maffei’s campaign was the one that objected to most of those disputed ballots, meaning that any count would likely only boost Buerkle’s lead.
Maffei has indicated he may ask for a recount, but Democrats should not put too much hope in that process. In several other House contests this year, recounts have changed the final result by just a handful of votes; certainly not enough to overturn the certified result.

UPDATE II: Statement from the Buerkle campaign:

“We are pleased with the numbers released by Wayne County today. There is another court hearing set for Tuesday morning, and we will wait to hear Judge DeJoseph’s determination now that all absentee ballots in New York’s 25th Congressional District have been counted. While we remain confident that Ann Marie Buerkle will emerge the victor, we need to allow the process to proceed as set forth in the original court proceedings initiated by the Maffei campaign.”

Ann Marie Buerkle Win in NY-25 Would Give GOP Biggest Majority Since 1949

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As noted in my last update about Renee Ellmers’ victory in NC-2, Republicans are now at 240 House seats and they haven’t had 241 seats since 1949. And Sam Foster at Left Coast Rebel reports that Ann Marie Buerkle is 411 votes ahead of Dan Maffei in NY-25 after the count of absentee ballots from Onondaga County.

The Buerkle campaign says victory is a “mathematical certainty,” and the Lonely Conservative headlines it: “Buerkle Lead Can’t Be Beat.”

C’mon, Ann Marie. This one’s for the history books, sweetheart.

Did I hear somebody say “mandate”?

UPDATE: Now a Memeorandum thread, more reporting from the Auburn Citizen and blogged by Lucianne.com, This Ain’t Hell, South Capitol Street and Dan Riehl.

BREAKING: Renee Ellmers Wins Recount; Bob Etheridge to Concede; UPDATE: In Concession Speech, Dem Says He Was Victim of ‘Dirty Politics’

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UPDATE 3:50 p.m. ET: Yeah, he’s a victim:

“The combination of the national tide that swept the country, massive amounts of secret corporate cash funding a campaign of distortions, and dirty politics by Washington D.C. partisan operatives was just too much to overcome.”

Full text of Etheridge’s statement here. (A) Etheridge outspent Ellmers about 3-to-1; and (B) since when is it “dirty politics” to ask a Democrat congressman if he supports the Democrat president?

UPDATE 4:05 p.m. ET: Statement from Rep.-elect Renee Ellmers:

“The first words for me to say are ‘thank you.’ It took sacrifices by many fine people working together to make this victory possible. I thank each of them – the people of the 2nd District, the people who volunteered and gave of their time and money and worked selflessly.
“This is the way American Democracy works: Through elections. That, inevitably, leads to debate and conflict which can be bruising. It is, I can now say from experience, at times a harsh endeavor. But it has served our democracy well for over 200 years.
“After receiving a gracious call from Congressman Etheridge, the election is over and rather than debating our problems we begin work on how to solve them and as I begin my part in that work I want to wish Congressman Etheridge and his family the best.
“This election Americans voted to change Washington. And I have been elected to play a role in bringing that change to Congress. I will do all that I can to meet that challenge. I ask for your prayers and I ask you to join me in praying for Congressman Etheridge and his family during this transition. Thank you.”

UPDATE 4:40 p.m. ET: Michael Memoli of the L.A. Times:

Etheridge had been reelected with more than 60% of the vote in each of his last four campaigns, but Ellmers, a nurse, made opposition to healthcare reform a top cudgel against the incumbent. . . .
If all current leads win in [the five remaining undecided House] races, Republicans’ final tally in the 112th Congress would be 243 seats to the Democrats’ 192, a final pickup of 64 seats.
Republicans have not held more than 240 seats in the House since 1949.

Yeah. The biggest GOP majority in 60 years. Not like there’s any kind of “mandate” there, eh?

UPDATE 3:30 p.m. ET: Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-N.C.) concedes in Raleigh:

“[T]he election recount has concluded, and the numbers confirm that despite the incredible support we had — and neither candidate getting to 50 percent — in the end we came up just a little too short,” Etheridge said. “I congratulate Mrs. Ellmers and wish her well as she prepares to serve the people of North Carolina’s Second District.”
“Every single day since we opened our doors in 1997, my staff and I have worked hard to provide outstanding constituent services to anyone and everyone who needed our help,” Etheridge said. “I’m so proud of my staff for their constituent service to this district. I’m biased, but I think it has been second to none.”

PREVIOUSLY (1:40 p.m. ET): WXII-TV in Raleigh, N.C., reports:

 A recount in North Carolina’s closest congressional race has confirmed a victory for Republican candidate Renee Ellmers.
 State Board of Elections director Gary Bartlett said Friday that a recount in the 2nd Congressional District has found that Ellmers defeated Democratic Rep. Bob Etheridge by about 1,500 votes.  A recount in North Carolina’s closest congressional race has confirmed a victory for Republican candidate Renee Ellmers.
State Board of Elections director Gary Bartlett said Friday that a recount in the 2nd Congressional District has found that Ellmers defeated Democratic Rep. Bob Etheridge by about 1,500 votes.

UPDATE: Tim Sahd of National Journal was the first to report that Etheridge is expected to concede at a 3 p.m. ET press conference.

UPDATE II: Etheridge, of course, became notorious for grabbing a student videographer and demanding to know, “Who are you?” And thanks to my friend Joe Marier for making this important point:

Indeed, and let me remind you of Ellmers’ Ground Zero Mosque ad:

UPDATE III: Remember that Ellmers accused the NRCC of being MIA in NC-2. As I noted at The American Spectator, “The victory by Ellmers means that the GOP has scored a net gain of 61 seats in the mid-term election, and Republicans lead in three of the five seats where a winner has not yet been decided.”

Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit points out that Ellmers is one of eight Republican women elected to the House this year, a number that we hope will include Ann Marie Buerkle in NY-25. (Via Memeorandum.)

UPDATE IV: Just checked in on the NY-25 ballot-counting where Buerkle is “approaching mathematical certainty” — like Ellmers, Buerkle is a nurse and a pro-lifer, so they’ll be a natural tandem in the 112th Congress.

Meanwhile, back in North Carolina, my source close to the Ellmers campaign was enjoying a delicious homestyle lunch when I called. Ellmers will not release an official statement until after Etheridge’s 3 p.m. press conference.

UPDATE V: Ellmers didn’t get much help from the NRCC. She did, however, get a lot of help from a Mama Grizzly.

UPDATE VI: My Spectator colleague John Tabin pointed out on Twitter that New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino ran a GZM ad. I replied via Twitter that (a) Paladino wasn’t running for Congress, and (b) well . . . go read the rest for yourself.

UPDATE VII: SusanAnne Hiller takes a victory lap at BigGovernment.com and Ellmers gets congratulations from Sister Toldjah.

More Lame-Duck Madness

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You know how all those pollsters and pundits were so eager to tell us that the mid-term election — in which Republicans gained more House seats than in any election since 1938 — were not a “mandate” for the GOP agenda?

Yeah, well, how the hell was this election a mandate for repealing “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” pushing through the DREAM Act amnesty, imposing Internet censorship or approving Democrat campaign donors as federal judges? And exactly where is the mandate for the executive imposition of “net neutrality”?

What’s going on here, of course, is the same kind of dark-of-night trick beloved by Nancy Pelosi, as when she scheduled a major health-care debate for the Saturday after the 2009 off-year election, a day when normal red-blooded Americans were watching LSU-Alabama or Penn State-Ohio State.

They know damned well that the liberal agenda can’t withstand public scrutiny — does anyone remember any Democrat in a contested election running TV ads declaring his support for granting citizenship to illegal aliens? — and so they try to sneak these things through when they think nobody’s paying attention.

Most people are now looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. The election is over, the Democrats lost, and voters therefore cannot be blamed for thinking they had fixed that “wrong track” problem that had been apparent in polls for months.

Do me a favor: If your congressman or senator is a Republican, call their office and ask them to take the floor to give a speech reminding their Democratic colleagues that they just got a “shellacking” from the voters.

Elections have consequences, and this business of Democrats trying to ram through their unpopular agenda during a lame-duck session should not be tolerated.

Remember When Nancy Pelosi Promised Democrats Were Going to Clean Up the ‘Culture of Corruption’ in Washington?

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Charlie Rangel: Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! And now he’s going to get a very serious wrist-slapping:

The House ethics committee’s chief counsel recommended Thursday that veteran Rep. Charles Rangel be censured for financial and fundraising misconduct as lawmakers neared closure on an embarrassing 2½-year-long scandal. . . .
Rangel on Tuesday was found guilty of 11 of the 13 charges of ethics violations against him by a panel of four Democrats and four Republicans.
That finding came after a two-year long investigation into charges against Rangel that relate to his personal finances and his fundraising efforts for a new center at New York City College. . . .
A censure or a reprimand is a legislative procedure where the full House, by majority vote on a simple resolution, expresses a formal disapproval of the conduct of a member, according to the Congressional Research Service.
The censured representative generally must stand before the House and receive the rebuke, but entails no actual loss of privileges.

In other words, a meaningless verbal scolding. He gets to keep his job, his pension, etc. Michelle Malkin live-blogged the hearings, complete with Rangel claiming he had been “smeared” and John Lewis calling Rangel a civil rights hero.

Charlie Rangel: Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!

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Even his fellow Democrats can’t deny he’s a crook. Isn’t it amazing that a guy who’s been in Congress since 1971 — and indeed was chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee — still manages to claim victimhood?

“How can anyone have confidence in the decision of the ethics subcommittee when I was deprived of due process rights, right to counsel and was not even in the room? . . .
“While I am required to accept the findings of the Ethics Committee, I am compelled to state again the unfairness of its continuation without affording me the opportunity to obtain legal counsel as guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.”

Right. In all his corrupt swindling — his seaside resort in the Caribbean, arranging tax loopholes for his benefactors, setting up a bogus campaign consulting contract for his son, running a shakedown over rum taxes  — it never occurred to Rangel to set aside any of his ill-gotten gains to pay for lawyers to defend him if he were to get caught.

BTW, for youngsters who may not remember Watergate, the headline on this post is borrowed from a once-famous “Doonesbury” cartoon about Nixon’s Attorney General John Mitchell:

Youngsters probably also don’t remember when “Doonesbury” was occasionally funny.