Andrea v. Nick...Here We Go Again?

Last week’s election was probably one of the more important elections in many years. Many Americans were feeling that stuck in a war that they never asked for. Many were speaking out against the present

Administration’s civil rights violations, including illegal wiretapping. Few would argue that the middle class is rapidly becoming extinct, and fewer still would dispute the probability that recent elections were stolen, and our nation’s finances have very seriously deteriorated under a President who has shown little respect for our Constitution. The American people would appear to have shown President Bush that they’re fed up with ‘business as usual’ by their behavior at the polls. As a result, Democrats gained control of both the House and Senate.

The election resulted in a virtual reversal of fortune for the Bush White House. As a result, voters are now anticipating greater accountability, expecting newly-elected members of both the House and Senate to stand up to Bush and Cheney. John Hall was elected for just that purpose.

Election night I covered Hall’s campaign at the Colonial Terrace Ballroom in Cortlandt Manor for the Westchester Guardian. Hundreds of people were gathered to watch the election returns while enjoying cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. There were people from all over the entire 19th Congressional District, and several from other districts as well. Many were people who had worked and campaigned hard for Hall.

Mingling with Hall’s supporters, I had the opportunity to speak with several about their support for him, and their expectations come January. From a group of 20 Local 1199 SEIU members, I spoke with a Ms. Lisa Brown who said she was there to support Hall, “because of his stance on Healthcare.” Dennis Rivera, Union President of Local 1199, had endorsed Hall for Congress. Arnie Paglia, a Cortland Manor resident and owner of the Division Street Grill in Peekskill, declared, “Sue Kelly didn’t have peripheral strength to stand up for the right thing.” He was happy to see the unseating of a complicit incumbent.

In his victory speech Hall spoke about “taking our country back” and said, “we as US citizens have a right to air our grievances with our government.” Taking a moment to thank his supporters, staff, family, and music industry colleagues, Hall said, it was “People-power which overcame $2 million in special interest money,” and, “Truth overcoming lies which sent him to Washington.” He told the crowd, “ We’re on the move to take back the country and returning power to the people from Corporate America.”

Being a founding member of the music group Orleans, Hall also felt that the power of music gave his campaign a spiritual recharge which lifted his drive to succeed in the election. Appropriately, he ended his speech singing, “I Am A Patriot” as the crowd joined in with jubilation.

The 19th Congressional District which encompasses Orange, Rockland, Dutchess, Westchester and Putnam counties, was grossly under-represented by Republican Congresswoman Sue Kelly for the past 12 years. Sensing her impending loss, as a last-ditch effort Kelly’s campaign, aided by the Republican National Committee, literally bombarded voters with constant negative phone calls about John Hall, to the point where some complained that they were being called at least 10 times a day. It would appear that plan backfired.

Of course Jay Townsend, Kelly’s campaign spokesman, claims that she lost because of anger over Iraq, which he referred to as “a Democratic tsunami.” Townsend went on to further speculate, “it’s a six-year itch, when one party is in control of the White House for six years, it is normal to lose seats.”

It would appear, however, that there were more reasons. Kelly had voted to go to war in Iraq but in June voted with most Republicans to reject a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops. She refused a series of face-to-face debates, having voted along with the GOP for tax cuts to the wealthy and having expressed her belief that Indian Point did not need to be shut down. Furthermore Kelly, having held her seat for 12 years was seldome seen by the people in her district except on television at election time or when showing up for photo-ops with Republican office-holders at ribbon. As of last Thursday, Kelly had not conceded and was challenging the outcome of the election

Sentiment amongst most voters in the Hudson Valley was that John Hall had won. Hall expressed his belief that when all of the votes are tallied, he will be victorious. He had promised more visibility and accountability upon going to Washington.