A face only a mother could love.

Vito Fossella is one of those politicians many an activist loves to not so much to hate but smack around. ">If you go to our archives, you're going to find our peeps here at the TDG have been working hard to help Steve Harrison smack Fossella down come November and it looks that the congressman is giving them plenty to work with these days.

Here's a list that'll put you up to date on the face of NYC's GOP :

Roy Moskowitz's Letter to the editor

Michael Bouldin's Baghdad Vito Freaks Out and Harrison, Steinem, and the GOP's Catholic problem

This morning I heard a Staten Island Republican ranting about how Vito Fossella's fathering an illegitimate child had nothing to do with his stand on the issues and he should stay in office.

Well, much as I would love to see him stay in office because he'd be easy to beat, it struck me immediately that a.) Vito Fossella's typical Bush "family values" stand and calls for Spitzer to resign mean Vito is a grade A hypocrite; and b.) seems amazing that breaking the law and endangering lives by driving drunk doesn't bother Republicans.

I called for Spitzer's resignation not because I gave a crap what he did with his free time, but because of his massive hypocrisy in prosecuting prostitution while being a participant himself. Similarly, any Republican who feels Vito Fossella's fathering an illegitimate child is ignoring the effect that will have on the life of the mother and child, as well as his own family and the gross hypocrisy that allows him to condemn others while engaging in fun himself. Fossella's family values rhetoric has to be contrasted with the reality of his screwing around, something that was well-known among Republican circles in Staten Island.

Republican Congressman Vito "Vino" Fossella is really not looking too good right now. His conduct the night of his drunk driving arrest is something he is going to have a hard time living down.

Mug Shot thanks to FossellaFive.org

Drunk driving AND a secret love child all revealed in one scandal. People are arguing over what to call this scandal. Simple "Vinogate?" "Double the Family Values?" "A Congressman Walked into a Bar?" Or, a suggestion on Daily Kos, "In-Vito Fertilization."

The behavior of Vito Fossella leaves much to be desired, though perhaps by Republican standards where even pedophilia is accepted, maybe he isn't so bad.

One picture says it all. Thanks to FossellaFive.org, here's Vito Fossella's mug shot from his drunk driving arrest:

I think we all should be thankful that Vito Fossella didn't hit anyone while driving intoxicated. Such irresponsibility is disgusting in anyone, but particularly in someone who is supposed to be a leader. As Steve Harrison, Democratic Candidate taking on Vito Fossella in the NY-13 Congressional race, says:

"Lawmakers cannot expect the people to follow the laws if they themselves disregard them."

Steve Harrison, Vito Fossella's main Democratic opponent, has issued a statement regarding Vito (or is that Vino?) Fossella's Drunk Driving Arrest:

Haha.

Rep. Vito J. Fossella (R-N.Y.) was arrested overnight in Alexandria and charged with driving while intoxicated, court records showed today.

Reached by phone, Fossella's communication director had no immediate comment on the report.

Shocking, I know.

Vito Fossella (aka "Bush's Lap Dog") always claims to be "indepentent." In fact I had some Fossella supporters actually get angry and nasty at me because I called Fossella a Republican (his actual registration). They were telling people (falsely) that he was an Indepentent. And yet this so-called "independent" keeps bringing none other than Dick Cheney to NYC to fundraise for him. Well, this time a protest is planned to tell the big Dick that NYC does not approve of the failed Bush/Cheney/Fossella policies that have ruined America. From a Press Release from the Steve Harrison campaign:

Progressive groups protest Dick Cheney/Koch Industries’ Vito Fossella fundraiser

Truth 13 and other progressive groups are organizing a protest Monday morning [April 21] outside a fundraiser for New York City’s only Republican House member, Vito Fossella, organized by Vice President Dick Cheney and polluters Koch Industries (pronounced Coke)..

As you may know, Wednesday March 19, 2008 is the fifth anniversary of President’s Bush’s immoral, illegal and wrongheaded war in Iraq. Opportunities for protest are vast. The War Resisters, for example, plan to travel to Washington DC to blockade the IRS. But an early spring DC journey is not required. Protest in NYC. Those listed below are my favorites.

Noon

”Grannies' Peace Brigade Knit-In for Peace" rain or shine & with full program for
non-knitters", at Times Square Recruitment Center, Broadway & 44th St. Trains: #1, 2, 3, 7,
S, N, Q, R or W train to Times Sq-42nd St; B, D, F, V to 42nd-Bryant Park; A, C, E to 42nd St.-Port Auth.)

Protest hawk Congress Member Vito Fosella, 8505 4th Ave in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. R train to 86th St. Brooklyn.

4:00 PM

Antiwar contingent in rally at City Hall to stop NYC public school budget cuts. Unions, parents and children protest education budget cuts. The Iraq war has drained billions from our economy that might have been productively spent. The impact of the Bush recession has led Mayor Bloomberg to impose draconian school budget cuts. Protest Trains: R, W to City Hall; #4, 5, 6 to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall; J, M, Z to Chambers; 2, 3 to Chambers; A, C to Chambers; E to WTC.

I'll freely admit that Steve Harrison, the Democratic candidate in NY-13, is one of my favorite challengers in this cycle. Yesterday, his team emailed over a press release that underscores the essential rightness of that assessment. It appears some controversy over endorsements is brewing in that race, and he's handling it exactly as he should.

Harrison is running against the only republican sent by the City to Washington, one Vito Fossella. Recently, Gloria Steinem, founder of Ms. Magazine and currently otherwise in some hot water for what can fairly be described as over-zealous advocacy for Hillary Clinton's Presidential ambitions, hosted a fundraiser for Harrison and endorsed his candidacy. Unfortunately, she also recently made remarks to the effect that John McCain's military service does not automatically qualify him for the Presidency.

While that seems a fairly unobjectionable statement - military service alone does not qualify someone for political office, though it's not a detriment, either - apparently, some veterans have demanded that Harrison renounce her support for being, as the phrase goes, anti-military.

In the past, of course and usually to the grim displeasure of Progressive activists, Democratic candidates have tripped over themselves to buy into (and thereby reinforce the legitimacy of) frames like this, abjectly groveling that no, they don't hate America, mom, the troops, apple pie, and so on. Harrison isn't doing that. Instead, he said this:

I honor and admire the service of Senator John McCain and I always have. I believe that his service to country and grace under confinement are factors, among many, that can be weighed in determining who is best qualified to be our next president. But, as was true with the Democratic nominee in 2004, military service is only one of many factors to be considered. If military service were the sole determinant of presidential timber, then George Bush is unqualified for the position. Like Gloria Steinem, I believe that both Democratic presidential candidates are better qualified to lead our nation than the Arizona Senator.. But the fact that we do not support Sen. McCain's candidacy is not inconsistent with honor for his service.

That statement neatly reframes the issue at hand, creating a distinction between the respect owed by a public figure to the service and sacrifice of another, and the political opposition to the political goals of the person that brought the sacrifice in question. In a district with an unusually high percentage of veterans - for New York City - that's a smart move, and it's also the right and decent thing to do.

Meanwhile, however, the question of endorsers opens a huge can of worms for republicans in this district and the rest of this state, a fact tied in to the Presidential candidacy of John McCain, which Vito Fossella has endorsed, underlining his endorsement by campaigning with the Arizona Senator in Manhattan and New Jersey prior to his final securing of the nomination. John McCain is supported by people who subscribe to a particularly virulent strain of anti-Catholic bigotry, support he eagerly sought and refuses to disavow.

[UPDATE: Rep. Fossella's formidable fundraising factory showed prowess with more $300,000 raised in the just ended quarter -- with $250,000 cash on hand reports Liz Benjamin (Previous claims for Recchia were $220,000 and for Harrison $110,000.). Those keeping up with the race in the 13th Congressional District may also want to read the Sunday’s Strictly Political column by Tom Wrobleski in the Staten Island advance.]

I sometimes wonder if I have become a Yellow Dog Democrat – you know the sort who would vote for a yellow dog if it were the Democratic candidate. And then I remember Susan Molinari who represented Staten Island in the NYC Council and in Congress with wit, intelligence and care. I thought she was very good. I liked as well her Council successor and Finance Commissioner Alfred Cerullo. I have not admired the work of Congress Member Fossella. Let me give you an example of his work which in my view is bad not just because I disagree with his views (which I do) but because his views are couched in misstatements of fact and law.

Mr. Fossella’s essay appeared as a column in the NY Post by GOP Rep.Vito Fossella on a crucial issue pending before Congress; the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. (FISA) Congress Member Fossella also read this piece as the Republican radio address of the week and you can access from his website here .

[For a fair, left-partisan, discussion of the FISA issues, try Dahlia Lithwick's essay in Slate or try mcjoan's post at Kos . For the ACLU's view go here]. The Senate may vote on FISA Feb 4th or 5th. Consider calling your Senator .

As I read it, however, it misstates the facts and law about FISA and it repeats a part-fact part-fiction story which has been discredited. If this is the level of debate that Mr. Fossella is going to advance, the only question left is whether anyone will stay fooled by him