This comes from Steve Harrison:

I’d like to invite you all to a fundraiser for Debi Rose at my home this coming Wednesday. That’s right, THIS Wednesday, January 14th, 8PM, 317 79th Street, Brooklyn. Light fare will be served. (RSVP ... 917-971-3180).

So who’s Debi Rose and why such short notice?

Debi is running for the City Council seat in Staten Island recently vacated by Michael McMahon who was elected to Congress. Only last week the Mayor set a Special Election for February 24th - hence the fast action.

I’m inviting quite a number from Staten Island who already know and support Debi.

But if you’re one of the many I’m inviting from Brooklyn you’re probably asking, “Why do I care about a Council election in Staten Island?”

Well, Staten Island and Southwest Brooklyn are actually joined at the hip. We share four political districts. But here’s the thing – Staten Island is the majority in each of those districts and in each case the elected official comes from Staten Island. True, we have some great elected officials here in Brooklyn, but it's good to make friends across the bridge. We need all the help we can get.  read more »

I want to give both my endorsements for Tuesday's primary as well as the endorsements from some of the organizations I respect. First my endorsements:

Brooklyn's 1st Civil Court Seat: Devin Cohen

Devin is the clear choice in this case, and not just because he is a friend of mine. Devin Cohen has extensive civil court experience while his opponent has mainly criminal and appellate law experience. Devin is widely known for his fairness and honesty as well as his commitment to the community as a volunteer EMT. My wife has known Devin since high school. And I once called him, long before he was running for judge, the most honest person I know in Brooklyn politics. His opponent is best known politically for his donations to and legal help for both Brooklyn party boss Clarence Norman (currently serving a prison sentence for corruption) and for the Conservative Party. Devin is politically best known for his work on Community Board 6, his dedication to reform politics in Brooklyn, and as former president of the Independent Neighborhood Democrats. Roger Adler has also run an exclusively negative campaign, trying to smear Devin Cohen as if Adler has nothing positive to offer himself. Adler has claimed to be the outsider, an despite having donated to Clarence Norman AND done Norman's legal work despite the fact that the county party bound his petitions. Devin is known to have been a voice for judicial reform so Adler basically lied about their relative political connections. Adler also admitted, in my presence and before an entire room full of people, that he in essence tried to get a judgeship through political donations and political favors. This is what he said publicly, I checked with others who heard him and they agreed. He also expressed admiration for the judicial philosophies of Supreme Court justices Scalia and Thomas, who are about as conservative as you can get.  read more »

Via email, Steve Harrison, Democratic contender in the Thirteenth District, was endorsed by the 504 Democratic Club, which advocates on behalf of the disabled.

(Staten Island/Brooklyn/Manhattan) The 504 Democratic Club, the oldest Democratic Club in the Country focusing on disability rights has endorsed Steve Harrison in the September 9 NY 13th Congressional District (Staten Island/Southwest Brooklyn) Democratic primary. The club, named after section 504 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibited discrimination against People with Disabilities, will endorse Harrison and other NY area candidates in a 2pm August 17 Press Conference at the Steps of City Hall in Manhattan.

“The 504 Dems represent a constituency whose needs aren’t currently being taken care of by the government,” said Harrison. “In Congress I will fight to guarantee the no person with a disability is ever discriminated against.”

504 President Edith Prentiss concurs. “Steve Harrison brings a fresh perspective on disability and needed Federal legislation. We believe he will add a new and welcome voice to the NY delegation and its progressive agenda.”

In 2006 against incumbent Vito Fossella, Harrison received a higher percentage of the vote than any Democrat ever under the Congressional District’s current configuration. The scandal ridden Fossella is not seeking re-election. Harrison faces Councilman Michael McMahon in the August 9 primary.

For more information about Steve Harrison visit harrisonorcongress.com. For more about the 504 Democratic club visit the504democraticclub.org.

That's quite interesting both in its own right and because endorsements have been going heavily to DCCC-backed candidate Michel McMahon.  read more »

[Ed. Note: for residents of parts of the world other than The Rock, please go here to attend your own platform session. The Queens session is today, Manhattan tomorrow, Brooklyn on July 29th, and you're well advised to RSVP]

This was sent to be by a friend who was a Green until Barack talked her into being a Dem again. Steve Harrison is attending...Mike McMahon is blowing it off (in the Recchia tradition?). Barack Obama's campaign in Staten Island:

Staten Island for Barack Newsletter
July 21, 2008
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Help SHAPE The Democratic Party's Platform for Change: Come To Staten Island For Obama's Platform for Change WITH Congressional Candidates Open House on Thursday, July 24th from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
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Traditionally, the platform of a political party is written by paid professionals and then presented to the American people. This year, this is going to change. As the presumptive nominee, Senator Obama is now the leader of the Democratic Party, and he has asked for OUR input as to creating a platform for the Party. On Thursday, July 24th, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., Staten Island for Obama is hosting a SHAPE The Democratic Party's Platform for Change/Meet the Congressional Candidates Reception and Open House.

Steve Harrison. Mike McMahon. You've heard their names, you've read about their positions. Both candidates have been invited to join us for this important forum that will decide the future of the Democratic Party. Now you can meet them and ask the questions YOU want answered (Mike McMahon is unable to attend but will either send a representative or provide a written statement).

This event will be held at Teri's Staten Island HQ, located at 6 Plank Road in Bull's Head, Staten Island from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 24th. Please JOIN US as we discuss how Barack Obama and his campaign can move country forward and discover how we can move our Congressional District to the final Democratic Congressional District in New York City by talking to the Democratic candidates themselves. Please R.S.V.P. at Platform for Change WITH Congressional Candidates, or by contacting Chris McCreight at chris@brooklynforbarack.org, (773) 771-6369.

Please join us as we learn more about our future representatives and create the platform that will be presented at the Democratic Convention in August. A few participants may even be invited to appear and testify at the National Hearing and at the Convention! We can write the next chapter in the history of not only the Democratic Party, but of OUR 13th Congressional District.

Per the Advance, flag-burning amendment afficionado and rumored Iraq War waffler Michael McMahon has raised half a million clams in his pursuit of the seat of retiring Congressman Vito 'Family Values' Fossella.

The McMahon campaign touted the deluge of donor dollars as proof that the term-limited councilman has the support to win the congressional seat, although the campaign won't officially file papers with the Federal Election Commission until the July 15 deadline.

McMahon's opponent for the Democratic nomination, Brooklyn lawyer Stephen Harrison, admitted that his campaign has raised far less -- about $150,000, according to his best estimate.[...]

"If dollars could vote, he wins," said Harrison. "But they don't. It's a classic grassroots campaign against a machine campaign, and we'll see what happens."

It'll be interesting to see what McMahon's money looks like come July 15th. My guess would be that his filing will include a large number of $5,000 PAC checks and $2,300 maxed-out bigshot donors. Meanwhile, of course, Harrison's rather more meager filing speaks to that perennial challenge to New York Progressives, who often enough treat raising money as an afterthought. Some of us, and I'm not saying Steve is one of them, really seem to think elections are won merely by the blazing rightness of our ideas. Over here in the real world, that's unfortunately not the way it works.

It is to weep.