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Contact: Damion Nielsen
Phone: (202) 378-3605
Date: November 10, 2009
Last weekend, in a late night session, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that assures a worsening economy and a cutback in health care services for the vast majority of Americans. It will hit especially hard those who make their homes in the fourth district. Make no mistake about it: the bill marks a government takeover of health care. Far from solving our problems in this field, this legislation
- Gives the government an unprecedented role in dictating treatment decisions;
- Costs $1.1 trillion;
- Cuts over $400 billion from Medicare; and
- Imposes a variety of new taxes upon families and small businesses.
When will the lesson be learned? Debt is not reduced by creating more debt, and it is wrong to pay for irresponsible decisions today by mortgaging the next generation’s future. On the heels of the news that our nation’s unemployment rate has hit double digits, we should not be penalizing those who create jobs in the first place.
Meaningful health care reform can be achieved at a lower cost to consumers without compromising the health of patients or bankrupting our country. I urge the Senate to do the right thing by
- Fighting to protect the integrity of the doctor-patient relationship from bureaucratic intrusion;
- Providing a wider field of health insurance choices for individuals and their families;
- Promoting portable plans that can be taken from job to job; and
- Enacting meaningful tort reform to curb the wasteful practice of “defensive medicine.”
- Its time to get someone into the congress that will represent the 4th district and not the wishes of Nancy and Harry.
Frank Scaturro, candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York’s 4th Congressional District, today released the following statement paying tribute to our nation’s veterans and their families:
Contact: Damion Nielsen
November 11, 2009
Phone: (202) 378-3605
Congressional Candidate Frank Scaturro Pays Tribute to America’s Veterans
NEW HYDE PARK, NY - Frank Scaturro, candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York’s 4th Congressional District, today released the following statement paying tribute to our nation’s veterans and their families:
“Veterans Day is a reminder of the contributions and the sacrifices that so many have made to safeguard our country and our community. Our nation is indebted to the exemplary service of those brave men and women who have served in the armed forces. At this time, our thoughts and prayers are especially with all who are serving abroad, and with the victims and families following the recent tragedy at Fort Hood, Texas.
“Americans of every generation since the Founding Fathers have risked their lives to ensure our freedom. Not only is Veterans Day a time to honor the armed forces, but it is also a day to reflect on our responsibilities as citizens and as patriots of this great country.”
by John Gizzi
Human Events
November 23, 2009
Twenty-five years ago, the thought of a Democratic congressman from Nassau County’s 4th District was laughable. Republican John Wydler had held what is now the 4th since it was first carved out in 1962 until his retirement in 1980, when he was succeeded by GOP State Assemblyman Ray McGrath. Both were reliable officers in “Boss” Margiotta’s army and were elected and re-elected with little difficulty.
by John Gizzi
Human Events
November 23, 2009
Twenty-five years ago, the thought of a Democratic congressman from Nassau County’s 4th District was laughable. Republican John Wydler had held what is now the 4th since it was first carved out in 1962 until his retirement in 1980, when he was succeeded by GOP State Assemblyman Ray McGrath. Both were reliable officers in “Boss” Margiotta’s army and were elected and re-elected with little difficulty.
But, after McGrath’s retirement in 1992, Republican control of the 4th unraveled. The district was then held by two different Republicans from warring factions within the county party. In 1996, Carolyn McCarthy changed her voter registration from Republican to Democrat and, in the wake of the nationally reported shooting of her husband and wounding of her son on the Long Island Railroad, won the House seat.
Along with being a national voice for gun control, McCarthy is also a dedicated liberal (lifetime American Conservative Union rating: 22%) on most other issues. The last time area Republicans made a serious effort at unseating her was in 2002, when physician Marilyn O’Grady drew 45% of the vote against McCarthy. But the outlook could change dramatically next year, as both conservative activists and GOP regulars are growing increasingly enthusiastic about the candidacy of visiting Hofstra University assistant law professor Frank Scaturro.
As one time counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee under the chairmanship of Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter (“When he was a Republican -- and I was part of a staff that was a lot more conservative than he was!”), the 37-year-old Scaturro meshes a background in national issues with strong local involvement. A member of groups ranging from an historical association he founded to the Knights of Columbus to the Republican club, Scaturro has a wide circle of friends from which to draw volunteers for a House race. He has already raised more than $120,000 for the campaign and keeps in touch with leaders in both the GOP and New York Conservative Party (whose ballot line Scaturro seems assured of carrying against McCarthy).
“What issues will I run on? Everything!” Scaturro told me during a recent lunch in Washington. “Whether it’s [McCarthy’s] vote for the Obama stimulus package or healthcare with public option or her support for cap and trade, I’m not only presenting an opposite point of view but a positive alternative.” The conservative hopeful backs a healthcare package with tort reform and greater opportunity for Health Savings Accounts and, like former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, wants a moratorium on the capital gains tax and abolition of the “death tax” rather than government bailouts. Strong pro-lifer Scaturro also offers a contrast to McCarthy, who opposed a ban on partial-birth abortion.
Will the Tea Party movement be a part of his campaign? Scaturro says, “Absolutely. I have attended Nassau County’s first Tea Party and talked to the local leaders of the Tea Parties. The spirit they demonstrated was key to the big Republican year we had here in Nassau County and their next step will be helping me take the fight for taxpayers to Congress.”
Posted by Brad Smith
Sunday, November 29th at 11:23PM EST
Frank Scaturro, a young, energetic, across-the-board conservative with the pragmmatic, problem solving style of Virginia Governor-elect Bob McDonnell, is challenging McCarthy in the 4th Congressional District race in 2010. McCarthy’s last rating from the American Conservative Union was an 8. Her lifetime rating is 20. The NRA, not surprisingly, gives her an “F.” Her last rating from the left wing Americans for Democratic Action was a 20. McCarthy was first elected as a moderate former Republican, but has drifted steadily left in 13 years in Congress. In the current Congress she has voted the Democratic Party line more than 98 percent of the time, according to the Washington Post. She voted “no” on the Stupak Amendment to the House version of the Obama-Pelosi healthcare bill, and then voted yes on the final bill. This district is simply not that liberal, and McCarthy could be far more vulnerable than past election results suggest.
Posted by Brad Smith
Sunday, November 29th at 11:23PM EST
From 1953 through 1996, New York’s Fourth Congressional District, in suburban Nassau County on Long Island, was a Republican stronghold. However, in 1992 Bill Clinton carried the district in the Presidential race in a Democratic breakthrough. In 1994 Dan Frisa, a conservative Republican, defeated one-term moderate Republican David Levy in a primary challenge, but then held the seat with just 50.2% of the vote in the general election, despite the strong Republican tide that year. Frisa was in turn defeated in 1996 by Democrat Carolyn McCarthy, a former Republicans and an ardent gun control activist who rose to public prominance after the death of her husband in the 1993 Long Island Railroad shooting. McCarthy held off a tough challenge in 1998 and since then has won without great difficulty. She won with 65 percent of the vote in 2006 and 62 percent in the strong Democratic year of 2008. The district voted for Obama, 58-41 in 2008.
This might not look like fertile ground for a Republican takeover in 2010, but times may be a-changing. Republican Ed Mangano appears to have narrowly defeated a two-term incumbent Democrat in the County Executive race this month, with the recount expected to conclude on Monday. Had a spoiler Conservative Party candidate not claimed over 9000 votes, the race would not even be close. Republicans also won a majority on the County Legislature for the first time in a decade, and unseated the Democrat County Controller.
Against this background, Frank Scaturro, a young, energetic, across-the-board conservative with the pragmmatic, problem solving style of Virginia Governor-elect Bob McDonnell, is challenging McCarthy in the 4th Congressional District race in 2010. McCarthy’s last rating from the American Conservative Union was an 8. Her lifetime rating is 20. The NRA, not surprisingly, gives her an “F.” Her last rating from the left wing Americans for Democratic Action was a 20. McCarthy was first elected as a moderate former Republican, but has drifted steadily left in 13 years in Congress. In the current Congress she has voted the Democratic Party line more than 98 percent of the time, according to the Washington Post. She voted “no” on the Stupak Amendment to the House version of the Obama-Pelosi healthcare bill, and then voted yes on the final bill. This district is simply not that liberal, and McCarthy could be far more vulnerable than past election results suggest.
Scaturro was formerly Republican counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee, a position in which he helped shepherd through the supreme court nominations of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Sam Alito. He is currently an Assistant Professor at Hofstra law school, teaching Constitutional law. Human Events’ John Gizzi recently profiled the race. You can donate or get involved here.
Scaturro can put this seat back in the red column, especially if, as now appears likely, 2010 is a strong Republican year. This is the type of race Republicans need to get involved in early, stretching the Democrats defense to the breaking point. Remember, early fundraising dollars matter most.
Please join former Senate Judiciary Committee counsel Frank Scaturro and many of your neighbors tomorrow at the 9/11 Coalition Rally as they march to Foley Square Park to protest the decision of Attorney General Eric Holder to prosecute the 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his co-conspirators in federal court in New York City.
Please join former Senate Judiciary Committee counsel Frank Scaturro and many of your neighbors tomorrow at the 9/11 Coalition Rally as they march to Foley Square Park to protest the decision of Attorney General Eric Holder to prosecute the 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his co-conspirators in federal court in New York City. Prosecuting these terrorists in federal court threatens to damage national security. It will compromise both the underlying fight against terrorism and confidence in our criminal justice system. The decision reflects a mistaken pre-9/11 approach that treats terrorism as a routine criminal matter rather than an act of war.
What: March to the 9/11 Coalition Rally at Foley Square Park
Where: Corner of Broadway and Barclay Street in Manhattan by City Hall Park
When: Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 11:00 a.m.
Who: Congressional candidate and former Senate Judiciary Committee counsel Frank Scaturro, former Congressman Rick Lazio, former Nassau County Legislator Bruce Blakeman, Young Americans for Freedom, NYPD Superior Officers Association Retired, Tea Party activists, Long Island Association of Retired NYC Firefighters, and numerous police officers and firefighters.
Review and Outlook
December 2, 2009
Republicans won a squeaker in Long Island, New York's Nassau County this week. And according to the loser, Democratic County Executive Tom Suozzi, it should serve as a warning to politicians nationwide, especially those in high-tax states.
"People are angry about property taxes, and they held the county executive accountable," said Mr. Suozzi after conceding to Ed Mangano, a little-known local Republican legislator. "You'd better be careful, because you're all at risk."
Review and Outlook
December 2, 2009
Republicans won a squeaker in Long Island, New York's Nassau County this week. And according to the loser, Democratic County Executive Tom Suozzi, it should serve as a warning to politicians nationwide, especially those in high-tax states.
"People are angry about property taxes, and they held the county executive accountable," said Mr. Suozzi after conceding to Ed Mangano, a little-known local Republican legislator. "You'd better be careful, because you're all at risk."
Mr. Suozzi is not your typical tax-and-spend liberal. He's been a sensible Democrat who has repeatedly called for tax reform and picked up the pieces of Nassau County after the GOP imploded. In 2001, when Mr. Suozzi became Nassau's first Democratic county executive in three decades, the county's bond rating was barely above junk.
But Nassau residents today pay the second-highest property tax bills in the nation (after New Jerseyans) and Mr. Suozzi got caught up in the revolt against rising levies. He wasn't the only one. Last month in Westchester County, the high-tax suburb just north of New York City where Democrats outnumber Republicans by 2 to 1, popular Democratic County Executive Andy Spano lost by 16 points to low-tax Republican Rob Astorino, whom he beat by the same margin four years earlier.
The GOP now gets another chance to regain its footing in Long Island, and we can hope it's learned something from the days of the Al D'Amato patronage machine that nearly bankrupted Nassau County. The broader lesson for other elected officials is that taxpayers have a breaking point, and this may not be the best time to test their limits.
Waugh, Joan. U.S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth. The University of North Carolina Press, 2009.
Posted By Suhail Khan at DailyCaller.com On January 14, 2010 @ 12:07 am
Conservatives have long written-off New York as a state taken over by social-welfare liberals, union bosses, and dependents on big-government. New York lost its only Republican senator, Alfonse “pothole” D’Amato, in 1998, and after three Republican terms under George Pataki, the governorship slipped to liberals Eliot Spitzer in 2004 and then (through scandal) David Paterson in 2008. Reflecting an overall trend in the northeast, liberals won congressional seat after congressional seat in both upstate New York and the Long Island, Staten Island and other New York City suburbs. President Barack Obama’s appointment of Republican Rep. John McHugh as his Secretary of the Army appeared to spell doom for yet another Republican seat. And sure enough, Democrat candidate Bill Owens won the seat just in time to vote in favor of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s health care bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.
But on the way to Owen’s win, a funny thing happened. The Republican establishment’s hand-picked candidate State Assembly member Dierdre Scozzafava was rejected by the rank-and-file Republican primary voters in favor of Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman. Before Scozzafava dropped-out for lack of support and just as importantly funds, the conservatives in New York found themselves energized like never before. And despite Scozzafava’s spiteful endorsement of the Democratic candidate and Hoffman’s loss, the newly-galvanized conservative movement in New York has vowed to forge ahead. Hoffman will once again fight for the seat in 2010, Governor David Paterson’s and appointed-Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s support have eroded as the state continues to lose jobs opening the door to Republican wins in the next election, and a new crop of young, talented and committed conservatives are vowing to fight to take back the state.
Take Frank Scaturro, the Republican candidate for Long Island’s congressional district, for example. The son of [an] Italian immigrant, pro-Second Amendment, pro-family, and a fiscal conservative, Scaturro is just the candidate who could defeat the liberal incumbent, Carolyn McCarthy. The renewed wind in the conservative sails didn’t just happen overnight, and it not due solely to voters’ buyer’s remorse after the 2008 election.
Conservative activists have been planning, working, and diligently rebuilding. There are, for example, two regular conservative coalition meetings in New York, one in Manhattan and another in the state capital Albany. At the meeting in Manhattan hosted by conservative activists Mallory Factor and James Higgins, for example, over two-hundred activists, elected officials and staff regularly attend each monthly meeting. As Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform, states, “Center-right Americans across the country are organizing, strategizing and working harder than ever to limit big government’s reach and to preserve their freedom. New Yorkers are no stranger to the high taxes and out-of-control spending, and its exciting to see a renewed sense of enthusiasm on a grassroots level.”
And this January, many of these very conservative grassroots activists, journalists, and leading thinkers plan to gather for first-of-a-kind leadership conference in Manhattan at the Union League Club. Organized by the conservative Harbour League, the conference promises to be a major gathering of both national and the state’s leading conservative lights. According to Harbour League President Eli Gold the event “will highlight conservative solutions to issues important to New Yorkers, and do so with a renewed passion and energy for real reform.” Featured speakers include John Stossel, National Review’s Rich Lowry and Kate O’Bierne, New York Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long, Norquist, Roger Kimball of the New Criterion, John Fund of the Wall Street Journal, and a host of others speakers including several thinkers from New York’s own Manhattan Institute.
New York, the home of the Yankees, Kodak, the Brooklyn Bridge, Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty, has always effectively been America’s (if not the free world’s) national capitol, and especially more so after the horror of 9/11. Its no wonder that, after years of liberal dominance, conservatives are re-emerging, communicating and organizing with a renewed sense of energy and vision so that, hopefully, our freedom may be preserved for generations to come.
Suhail A. Khan serves on the Board of Directors of the American Conservative Union.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Damion Nielsen
Phone: (202) 378-3605
Date: January 17, 2010
On Saturday, January 16, 2010, congressional candidate Frank Scaturro took part in a program at the Roosevelt Public Library commemorating the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A visiting professor at Hofstra Law School who teaches and has written about civil rights, Scaturro addressed those gathered for the program about the sacrifice many have made for rights too often taken for granted today. “As we often say in the context of battlefield sacrifice, freedom is not free. The same is true of those who gave their lives in the struggle for civil rights, a number that included Dr. King – who died a violent death that contrasted with the principle of nonviolence to which he dedicated his life.” Scaturro noted that the voices of many members of the generation that led the Civil Rights Movement “have been silenced by time” and that “it is for us, the living, to preserve the memories of these great figures and great deeds as we each try in our own modest way to make the dream come true.”
The commemoration included remarks by a number of elected officials and other dignitaries, and was highlighted by a keynote speech delivered by Rev. Dr. Herbert Daughtry, Sr.
NEW HYDE PARK, NY - Today Frank Scaturro, candidate for Congress (NY-4) issued the following statement congratulating Scott Brown on his victory against Martha Coakley. For the first time in more than 30 years, a Republican senator will now represent the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
“The American people have spoken once again—this time in Massachusetts, where last night the 41st Republican Senator, Scott Brown, was elected to the 111th Congress. This victory may have spared our nation’s health care system a blow from which it might never have recovered.
“Scott Brown effectively spoke out for fiscal responsibility and responsible government. I congratulate Senator-Elect Brown on his victory and commend him for his perseverance and integrity throughout his campaign. His success in one of the most solidly Democratic states in the nation indicates that the people are ready to end one-party rule and restore accountability to Washington.”
###
Considering that the Congressional Budget Office reported an increase in government expenditures of 22 percent over the last year, the announced freeze on discretionary spending – roughly $20 billion per year – is hardly the savings needed to initiate an economic recovery. It is also unclear how the President could call for a freeze and a new spending bill at the same time.
Looking overseas, I applaud the President’s decision to bolster our mission in Afghanistan. Success there is essential to our national security. On other fronts, however, the response to the failed attempt to blow up an airliner on Christmas day and the decision to prosecute terrorists in federal court reflect serious errors in judgment on issues of national security.
Our challenges at home and abroad should be confronted with more of the bipartisanship that was promised during the campaign season.
by Frank Scaturro
Febraury 13, 2010
Justice Samuel Alito has been unfairly criticized by several legislators, as well as by media commentators, following his reaction to a surprising rebuke to the Supreme Court delivered during the State of the Union Address. The rebuke, directed at the majority of the Court that issued the recent Citizens United campaign finance decision, was a surprise not only because of the venue in which it was delivered, but also because it mischaracterized that decision as “revers[ing] a century of law.”
by Frank Scaturro
February 13, 2010
Justice Samuel Alito has been unfairly criticized by several legislators, as well as by media commentators, following his reaction to a surprising rebuke to the Supreme Court delivered during the State of the Union Address. The rebuke, directed at the majority of the Court that issued the recent Citizens United campaign finance decision, was a surprise not only because of the venue in which it was delivered, but also because it mischaracterized that decision as “revers[ing] a century of law.”
The reaction caught by the cameras was so subdued that it strains credulity to suggest that the Justice was trying to do anything remotely distracting or disruptive. That did not stop Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Ted Kaufman (D-DE) from pointedly accusing Justice Alito of acting inappropriately. Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy (D-VT) went as far as to single out Justice Alito in a floor speech with a snide attack on the Justice for supposedly going back on his testimony during his nomination hearings about the limited role of judges. Sen. Leahy proceeded to make the same mischaracterization of Citizens United as the State of the Union Address with an uninformed reference to “100 years of the Supreme Court’s own precedents.”
There is a century-old federal statute that prohibits direct contributions to campaigns by corporations, but the Court’s decision did not touch that. It struck down a more controversial 1947 provision banning independent expenditures by corporations and labor unions. That provision only became law over the veto of President Harry Truman, who warned that the ban was “a dangerous intrusion on free speech.” In cases that arose during the 1940’s and 1950’s, Justices Hugo Black, William O. Douglas, Frank Murphy, Wiley Rutledge, and Chief Justice Earl Warren reached the same conclusion that the Court would in Citizens United. Although a majority of the Court did not decide the issue back then, no one would consider those names of the past—all considered liberals in their time—to be pawns of corporations. Regardless of whether you ultimately agree with their conclusion, the justices who joined the recent decision deserve credit for taking seriously the weighty free speech considerations involved in the case.
As a constitutional law counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee who worked on Justice Alito’s nomination, I was glad to see the nomination prevail over bitter party-line opposition, but disturbed by the tactics used against him. Before and after his nomination, Justice Alito has consistently displayed the decorum and respect that was sadly denied him by opponents of his nomination when he faced the Senate. He did not deserve this latest round of demagoguery, particularly from the body that handled his nomination.
Note: Frank Scaturro, currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at Hofstra Law School, served as Counsel for the Constitution on the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2005 to 2009. He is a candidate for the United States House of Representatives in New York’s 4th Congressional District.
Mid-term campaign weekly round-up: March 5, 2010
by Kerry Picket
Mid-term election season is well under way, and 2010 is likely to be a remarkable year for a number of statewide elections with challengers taking on incumbents sitting in Capitol Hill offices and Governor seats across the country.....
Since so much scandal from Capitol Hill to Albany is coming from New York lawmakers this week, let's take a look at some challengers who are already mounting campaigns in the Empire state
Mid-term campaign weekly round-up: March 5, 2010
by Kerry Picket
Mid-term election season is well under way, and 2010 is likely to be a remarkable year for a number of statewide elections with challengers taking on incumbents sitting in Capitol Hill offices and Governor seats across the country. The Water Cooler will begin a weekly round-up of some these races and other stories relating to the elections happening around the nation, so be sure to stop by and check out who may be running for office in your state.
Since so much scandal from Capitol Hill to Albany is coming from New York lawmakers this week, let's take a look at some challengers who are already mounting campaigns in the Empire state.
(NY-22) George Phillips : Mr. Phillips is starting his campaign in New York's 22nd Congressional District running on the Republican line against Democrat incumbent Congressman Maurice Hinchey. A pro-life conservative and history teacher from Endwell, New York, Mr. Phillips previously worked on Capitol Hill for Rep. Chris Smith (R - NJ). Mr. Hinchey, was first elected to the seat in 1992, and won 66 percent of the district in 2008. Mr. Phillips seems unfazed by the uphill battle he has and cited growing tea party movement support he receives in the district. "We have a theme--'had enough?' The bailouts, the out of control spending, the families leaving New York. We're just going to repeat our theme again and again, and I think that's going to appeal to a third of the voters who can't stand my opponent, but it will also appeal to a third of the voters who are also in the middle," he says.
(NY - 4) Frank Scaturro: Mr. Scaturro is a Nassau County, New York native, who has returned to the state's 4th Congressional District, after working on Capitol Hill in the Senate Judiciary Committee serving as the Counsel for the Constitution. The Republican is running against Democrat incumbent Rep. Carolyn McCarthy who has held the seat since 1997. A Constitutional Scholar and visiting professor at Hofstra Law School, Mr. Scaturro was a key aide on President Bush’s nominations of Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court."This country will remain an example to the world for the same reason it always has: the energy, talent, innovation, hard work, and faith of its people. Government should aim to foster these qualities rather than stifle them with a heavy hand," says Mr. Scaturro.
(NY - 29) Tom Reed: Mr. Reed, the former Mayor of Corning, New York is running for the seat currently held by freshman DemocratCongressman Eric Massa, who recently announced an early retirement from office this week following rumors of sexual harassment allegations, which the New York Congressman has denied, saying he is leaving office due to health issues. Mr. Reed, a Republican, was originally running on the campaign theme that Mr. Massa is too liberal for New York's 29th Congressional District, an area that went for Sen. John McCain (R - AZ) during the 2008 presidential election. Mr. Reed will take on another candidate the Democrats will likely disguise as a so-called "moderate" for this district as they did with Mr. Massa previously in 2008, so Mr. Reed's campaign strategy is changing from going after an incumbent's record to competing for an open seat.
“The health care legislation passed by the House creates a massive, open-ended entitlement at a time when our government has failed to pay the obligations it already has. It will neither reduce our budget deficit nor reduce the cost of health care. With its sizable list of mandates and controls on the insurance market, the measure amounts to a government takeover that threatens to diminish choice and competition for private sector health insurance. For the foreseeable future, the portion of our economy that is spent on health care—an estimated 17%—can be expected to grow, slowing economic growth and diminishing the government’s ability to invest in basic priorities like education, defense, and public works. The legislation also marks one of the largest tax increases in U.S. history, which is the last thing we need as we struggle to encourage job creation amid an unemployment rate just under 10%.
“The health care legislation passed by the House creates a massive, open-ended entitlement at a time when our government has failed to pay the obligations it already has. It will neither reduce our budget deficit nor reduce the cost of health care. With its sizable list of mandates and controls on the insurance market, the measure amounts to a government takeover that threatens to diminish choice and competition for private sector health insurance. For the foreseeable future, the portion of our economy that is spent on health care—an estimated 17%—can be expected to grow, slowing economic growth and diminishing the government’s ability to invest in basic priorities like education, defense, and public works. The legislation also marks one of the largest tax increases in U.S. history, which is the last thing we need as we struggle to encourage job creation amid an unemployment rate just under 10%.
“Nancy Pelosi and Carolyn McCarthy had the chance to work with Republicans to lower the cost to families through national competition, health care portability, tort reform, and returning control of health care decisions to patients and their doctors. As the next Congressman from New York’s Fourth Congressional District, I will vote to repeal all in this bill that does not do so. Our country is in need of bipartisan health care reform that lowers costs and protects the vulnerable without sacrificing quality. We deserve better than a one-party bill that was drafted behind closed doors, without transparency or accountability.
“Even worse, the legislation that resulted failed to meet the first rule that binds our representatives—adherence to the Constitution—by imposing a health insurance mandate on every individual, on pain of paying a tax penalty. Our Constitution limits the powers granted to Congress, and true deliberation over the bill might have included discussion on a topic that barely seems to have concerned the majority.
“In contrast to other landmark legislation passed over the last century, this bill drew every vote from a single party, and it passed over the objections of both Republicans and moderate Democrats. Carolyn McCarthy ill served her constituents by voting for this measure. It further mortgages the next generation’s future.”
“The announced retirement of Justice Stevens from the Supreme Court sets in motion a constitutional process to replace him. In recent years, the process of nominating judges has become terribly contentious, not only because of the polarization that has afflicted Congress, but also because of activism on the part of the Court itself."
NEW HYDE PARK, NY -- Today, congressional candidate Frank Scaturro (NY-4) issued the following statement regarding the retirement of Associate Justice John Paul Stevens:
“The announced retirement of Justice Stevens from the Supreme Court sets in motion a constitutional process to replace him. In recent years, the process of nominating judges has become terribly contentious, not only because of the polarization that has afflicted Congress, but also because of activism on the part of the Court itself."
“I hope that President Obama takes this opportunity to nominate a Supreme Court justice who matches the description of a judge given by Chief Justice Roberts during his nomination hearing: ‘Judges are like umpires. Umpires don't make the rules; they apply them. The role of an umpire and a judge is critical. They make sure everybody plays by the rules. But it is a limited role.’ Our government retains its democratic character when those elected by the people are permitted to make the rules within constitutional limits. Judicial activism undermines the ability of elected officials to fight for their constituents and undermines confidence in our judicial system as well. Judges at their best do not lose sight of their duty to apply the Constitution, and they do not allow their personal policy preferences to get in the way. Hopefully, the next justice will reflect these values.”
During the first quarter, Scaturro raised significantly more than any of his potential Republican challengers, and most importantly, doubled his donor base. Additionally, Scaturro has more than six times as many reported donors within the district as his likely Democratic opponent, incumbent Carolyn McCarthy, does. According to itemized reports, less than 10 percent of McCarthy's reported donors come from within her own district, a further indication of how out of touch McCarthy is with the interests of her constituents.
The latest fundraising totals for the first quarter reaffirm how committed Scaturro is to representing the people of the 4th district and to repairing the damage inflicted by McCarthy and her liberal voting record of increasing taxes and adding to the national debt.
Newsday.com Spin Cycle
by William Murphy
Frank Scaturro continues to outpace his fellow Repubicans in fundraising as he seeks the GOP nod to unseat U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-Garden City.)
Scaturro, a Hofstra law professor, has raised $268,148 to date, including his personal loan of $62,000, according to data complied by the Center for Responsive Politics. (At opensecrets.org)
by William Murphy
Frank Scaturro continues to outpace his fellow Repubicans in fundraising as he seeks the GOP nod to unseat U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-Garden City.)
Scaturro, a Hofstra law professor, has raised $268,148 to date, including his personal loan of $62,000, according to data complied by the Center for Responsive Politics. (At
)
Peter Zinno, a former dean of students at East Meadow High School, has raised $121,310, with $95,250 of that a loan from himself, the website shows.
David J. Seidemann, an attorney from Lawrence, has filed with the Federal Election Commission, but did not report any fundraising.
Daniel Maloney of Baldwin, who works in finance, has said he is interested, but has not filed with the FEC. Ditto for former Village of Hempstead Mayor James Garner, and Rich Petrone of Garden City.
McCarthy has raised $898,827.
Here’s the rundown of fundraising through the first quarter of this year:
—
District 01
Timothy H Bishop (D)* $1,275,575
Randy Altschuler (R) $2,073,630
Christopher N. Cox (R) $739,318
George Demos (R) $427,151
Gary Berntsen (R) $56,506
District 02
Steve Israel (D)* $1,598,994
Stephen A. Labate (R) $36,757
John Gomez (R) $31,600
David Dileo (I) $1,315
Anthony E. Tolda (R) $125
District 03
Pete King (R)* $889,397
District 04
Carolyn McCarthy (D)* $898,827
Frank Scaturro (R) $268,148
Peter A. Zinno (R) $121,310
David J. Seidemann (R) $0
District 05
Gary Ackerman (D)* $500,874
James Milano (D) $51,100
*Denotes incumbent.
Source: Center for Responsive Politics.