Medicare key to shocking Dem win in NY House race

BETH FOUHY and CAROLYN THOMPSON, Associated Press

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Kathy Hochul told her supporters they had picked the right issue to fight a Republican on long-held Republican turf.

The Democrat rode a wave of voter discontent over the national GOP's plan to change Medicare and overcame decades of GOP dominance here to capture Tuesday's special election in New York's 26th Congressional District.

Hochul defeated Republican state Assemblywoman Jane Corwin on Tuesday night, capturing 47 percent of the vote to 43 percent for Corwin, to win the seat vacated by disgraced Republican Chris Lee. A wealthy tea party candidate, Jack Davis, took 9 percent.

The special election that became a referendum on the health care plan for the nation's seniors may serve as a warning shot to further GOP efforts to cut popular entitlement programs.

"The three reasons a Democrat was elected to Congress in the district were Medicare, Medicare and Medicare," Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel, D-N.Y., said in an interview.

Hochul's supporters at a union hall in Amherst, outside Buffalo, chanted, "Medicare! Medicare!"

And she replied in kind.

"Did we not have the right issues on our side?" she exhorted. "We cannot balance our budget on the backs of our seniors."

"How about ending big handouts for Big Oil?" she said. "How about making millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share? We can do all that and not decimate Medicare."

The rural-suburban district between Buffalo and Rochester is one of New York's most conservative and has been held by a Republican — including national names like Jack Kemp — for years. But Corwin saw her early lead dissolve after coming out in favor of a Republican budget plan that would cut billions from Medicare.

Hochul's victory gave a lift to Democrats still reeling from an electoral drubbing last November that cost the party control of the House. It also bolstered their resolve to push back on GOP efforts to cut Medicare and other entitlements — efforts that have drawn support among some tea party members but are widely opposed by independent voters.

National leaders were quick to react.

President Barack Obama, traveling in Europe, issued a statement saying he looked forward to working with Hochul.

"Kathy and I both believe that we need to create jobs, grow our economy and reduce the deficit in order to compete with other nations," Obama said.

Vice President Joe Biden personally called Hochul to offer his congratulations.

Corwin conceded to supporters gathered at a strip mall outside Buffalo.

"The discourse of this election leaves me concerned. We cannot continue to play 'gotcha' politics and avoid confronting the real issues facing this country," Corwin said, her voice breaking.

The seat became vacant in February when Lee, a married father, resigned after shirtless photos he sent to a woman he'd flirted with on Craigslist surfaced online.

The district, which covers a swath of rural and suburban towns between Buffalo and Rochester, was one of only four districts in the state — out of 29 — that favored Republican John McCain over Obama in 2008. It's also been mentioned as a possible target of redistricting, since the state must trim two congressional districts next year as a result of the 2010 census.

But the race emerged as a test of the viability of a budget plan crafted by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., that included sweeping changes to Medicare. All but a handful of House Republicans voted in favor of the budget plan, and Corwin said she would have supported it as well, insisting such cuts would preserve Medicare for seniors in the future.

Hochul seized on Corwin's position and quickly cast herself as the protector of Medicare in a district with a large population of voters over 55. Her television ads hammered the issue even as Corwin tried to shift her position, suggesting she'd favor changing the Ryan plan if elected.

Both national parties and several independent fundraising groups spent more than $2 million to influence the election. They included a new Democratic group, House Majority PAC, and American Crossroads, a Republican-leaning group founded by GOP strategist Karl Rove.

Rep. Pete Sessions, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, warned that it was unrealistic to believe the race was predictive of the future.

But Crossroads spokesman Jonathan Collegio said Hochul's victory was a sign of a tough time for Republicans to come.

"What is clear is that this election is a wake-up call for anyone who thinks that 2012 will be just like 2010," he said. "It's going to be a tougher environment, Democrats will be more competitive, and we need to play at the top of our game."

Fouhy reported from New York City. Associated Press writer Ben Dobbin contributed to this report from Amherst, N.Y.

More like this story

Graceful 1 year, 12 months ago

Proof that this country cannot avoid "bankruptcy." Peiople want soemthing for nothing and there are not enough reasoanble people left to prevent collapse.

hkchas 1 year, 12 months ago

Shame on folks for wanting medicaid, medicare, and social security, something they have paid for all their working lives--

Proves that the public is catching on to the fact that the Republicans care only for big business and want to eliminate the middle class....

Congrats to Hochel

I can see 2012 from my back porch

Graceful 1 year, 12 months ago

Yes, they paid but only a fraction of what they recieve. The system is broke. No, the public is not catching on. At least not ones that read AP reports. AP does indicate there was a split in the republican ranks. It seems quite likely that without that split the republicans would have won. Second, the winner berated Obama on his plans on cutting medicare. No, the public is ill informed, immature and irrational. They system is well on it's way to collapse due the irrationality of the American people.

hkchas 1 year, 12 months ago

The AP does not indicate that if frogs had wings they'd be bluebirds either. Hochel won on the strength of the Republicans trying to kill medicare and use the funds to replace the taxes they want to cut from million and billionaires.

Millionaire tax cuts vs medical aid for seniors

Pick a side

Graceful 1 year, 12 months ago

Here is something else to consider: humanevents.com/article.php?id=43707 Apparently, the elcctorate in the district is confused. They hate Obamacare but supported an Obamacare advocate. More signs of America's ultimate demise. But it is New York. If the rest of us could serperate ourselves from New York and California we may yet save ourselves.

jcyalater 1 year, 12 months ago

Ever been to CA? It's awesome.

tonto 1 year, 12 months ago

I have. It is. NY not so much.

rmsberengaria 1 year, 12 months ago

the fact is hkchas under the Obama health plan 500 million was/is to be cut from Medicare. Another fact is that Medicare will be broke in 13 years! Just pushing out millionaire tax cuts as a solution is just another Democrat, MSNBC, DLC, talking point. No one is ending Medicare they are putting options on the table rather than putting their head in the sand and ignoring it! Tax the rich 100% ride the class envy pony all you want the most you'll get is 800 billion the country in 2011 has a 1.6 trillion debt take all the richs money and you still have 800 billion in the hole!

spelchek 1 year, 11 months ago

Mr. Chase, what exactly is wrong with being rich? The disdain you display on this board for millionaires and billionaires is disturbing. What exactly did they do besides working hard and making good decisions that they deserve to help pay your bills? What gives you the right to demand more from someone simply because they are successful? What percent of their income do you think is fair to confiscate for working hard? Lose the chip on your shoulder and start focusing your energy on how you can become wealthier to ensure your financial freedom. Stealing more from successful people is lazy and the easy way out.

bluesfan13 1 year, 12 months ago

Graceful wrote-"Yes, they paid but only a fraction of what they recieve"

Isn't that the point of insurance? Those that get the benefit from it do so at the cost of those that don't.

wcywing 1 year, 12 months ago

State and Fed gov do not have infinite money. the gov should not give favors or money to corporations, but they do. the lawmakers and highly paid officials should cut their pay and benefits, but i don't see that happening. that being said, people should start saving $$, because i don't think i will see a check from Soc. Sec. changes need to be made but politicians are just giving lip service.

i would want to my money that i put into soc security into a bond fund or something, someone else might want to put it in a mutual fund. just about anything is better than what washington is trying to do. who knows where all the money for soc security goes.

something needs to be done about Soc Security, at the current rate it won't last.

wcywing 1 year, 12 months ago

then what, spend it? let the fed take care of it? lol. it important that the interest earned can beat inflation, its what at 5% now? i guess its time to buy some gold. heh.

tonto 1 year, 12 months ago

Social Security has always been on a pay-as-you-go basis. It is a big Ponzi scheme. There's no fund to put your money into because it goes out to pay someone's benefits.

evenkeel 1 year, 11 months ago

The Federal government is broke. Broke as in collapsing. Broke to the tune of 14 TRILLION dollars and sinking at a rate of 4 BILLION dollars A DAY. Ho-hum, another day, another 4 BILLION dollars deeper in debt.

It only gets worse. There are 10,000 people who reach 65 years of age EVERY DAY. It is going to be 10,000 more each and every day for the next 19 YEARS.

These newly retired folks understandably want Medicare, which is not a trust fund. There is not a fund and we cannot trust it. These newly retired folks understandably want Social Security, which is not a trust fund. There is not a fund and we cannot trust it.

We've got a big pile of IOUs. A massively growing pile of IOUs. The Federal government is broke. By any reasonable measure, it is broke.

This is all very icky isn't it?

Congressman Ryan has a plan to save Medicare by REFORMING it.

I have not yet seen or heard the thumbsuckers plan. What is it?

"Did we not have the right issues on our side?" she exhorted. "We cannot balance our budget on the backs of our seniors."

Nope, but we can balance it on the backs of our children and their children's children (whom will be seniors some day). Birds of a feather flock together.

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