Tag: bill owens

Rep. Bill Owens (D, New York-21) cuts and runs.

Nice.

 

This was that thoroughly contested seat (the one involving Doug Hoffman) that drove the GOP nuts in 2009 and 2010 in trying to take it back. As Politico implies, Bill Owens hasn’t really been fitting in in Congress and the Republican party has been actively planning to go for it in 2014; we just took a large step towards retaking it.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

PS: Circumstances in 2009 (GOP assigning candidate) and 2010 (loser of the GOP primary making an abortive third-party run) are what gave Owens his chance in the first case; his 2012 win against a regular GOP candidate was razor-thin.  Without incumbency, this race shifts in the GOP’s direction pretty much immediately.

American Action Network’s targeted advertising and the redistricting wars.

It’s interesting.  If you look at these two ads from American Action Network – one for California, and one for New York – solely from the perspective of a national observer, it’s a headscratcher as to why a conservative-leaning group is targeting six Democratic Members of Congress (Tim Bishop, Lois Capps, John Garamendi, Jerry McNerney, Bill Owens, & Louise Slaughter) in two Blue States; particularly since none of the individuals involved are freshmen.  And yet AAN did not merely do the ads; they’re going to be backing them with targeted online advertising.  And why are they doing this?

Because California and New York both had… unexpected… results in the redistricting wars.  Ones that actually ended up not hurting Republicans as much as expected. Continue reading American Action Network’s targeted advertising and the redistricting wars.

Doug Hoffman withdraws from NY-23.

Via AoSHQ: state law requires that he’ll still be on the ballot, but he’s calling on his supporters to throw theirs behind Matt Doheny.  This must have been a hard decision for Doug Hoffman; but as he himself noted, the important thing here is to not split the Republican vote against the Democratic squatter currently in it.  It is my humble suggestion that we take the time to thank Doug Hoffman for ending a potential split in this race.  It is also my humble suggestion that we start asking incumbent Bill Owens a question that should have started being asked a month ago: What bribe did Nancy Pelosi give you to get you to break your word on opposing Obamacare, Congressman?

Or was it a threat that Pelosi used to break him?  Although there’s not much choice between greed or cowardice when contemplating the motivations of an oathbreaker: Owen’s word is worthless either way, and he’s just as contemptible, too.

See also JammieWearingFool and The Other McCain.

Moe Lane (Crosspost)

NY-23 not yet certified.

For the record, I expect that in the end the results will probably still show that Owens won in that district – and if the final count does result in Hoffman winning, the campaign did concede and didn’t contest the preliminary election results, so Owens was properly sworn in.  So it thus won’t reverse House Democrats’ health care rationing ‘victory.’

Unless the Democrats want it to. Right now, if I was the Speaker of the House I’d be looking for any excuse to avoid the Democrats’ looming civil war over the Stupak amendment.  This would… do.

Crossposted to Moe Lane.

Rep. Bill Owens (D NY-23) breaks his word on the public option.

(H/T: Big Government) I’m actually not upset about this, seeing as I knew all along that he’d break his word.  Fish swim, birds fly, ‘conservative’ Democratic legislators betray their principles on cue.  And so it is, here:

GOUVERNEUR, NY – Congressman-elect Bill Owens was sworn in at noon today.

Owens indicated in a press release that he was now in favor of the bill in direct contrast to his earlier position during his campaign.

According to Politico.com, Mr. Owens assured voters that he felt the public option had no place in the health care reform bill.  Contrary to that position, Mr. Owens now indicates that he intends to vote in favor of the bill even though it now contains a public option.

More at the link, including the three other promises that Owens has already broken. I would like to believe that this is a record of some sort, but it’s probably not.

Moe Lane

PS: Do not expect any so-called ‘Blue Dog’ or supposed ‘conservative’ Democrat to voluntarily get in the way of their party’s health care rationing bill.  They vote as they are bid – and the ones doing the bidding are not their constituents.

Crossposted to RedState.