Free Republic

With the defending Republicans facing twists and turns confirming that truth can be stranger than fiction, the Democrats now appear to hold a solid edge in the battle for the seat New York Republican Rep. Vito J. Fossella left open — after the married father of three admitted in May that he has a daughter from an ongoing extramarital relationship. The Republicans’ lack of a consensus replacement candidate less than two weeks before the July 10 candidate filing deadline, with no top-tier prospects at hand for the party’s Sept. 9 primary, has prompted CQ Politics to change its rating on...

Frank Powers, the wealthy Wall Street retiree tapped to run for disgraced Rep. Vito Fossella's congressional seat, died Sunday- sending shock waves through the already reeling state GOP. News of Powers' fatal heart attack had many party insiders wondering if Fossella would change his mind and run again - but he quickly moved to quash the speculation. "Congressman Fossella will not be seeking re-election," said a Fossella aide. Powers, a 68-year-old MTA board member, philanthropist and father of seven, died at home early Sunday, relatives said.

The Democratic County Committee a short time ago nominated North Shore City Councilman Michael McMahon for Staten Island's Congressional seat, which will be vacated by Vito Fossella in January. The vote was 131-40 with 4 abstentions. Additional information from the Crystal Room in South Beach will be posted as it becomes available.

If Staten Island Republicans can't find a candidate to replace GOP Rep. Vito Fossella in Congress, radio talk-show host Curtis Sliwa says he'd think about running. "I'm sure that you will be able to find a well known or well qualified candidate, with a distinguished record of public service," Sliwa said in a letter to borough GOP chairman John Friscia today. "If however the party is unable to, if you think it would be of help, I might be willing to be considered as a possible candidate." For the full text of Sliwa's letter, check out Tom Wrobleski's "Polit.bureau" blog....

Two potential heavyweight candidates in the race to replace Rep. Vito Fossella (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) in the House of Representatives have withdrawn their names from consideration. GOP District Attorney Daniel Donovan and state Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn) announced today they will not enter the race for the congressional nomination. In a statement issued by his office, Donovan said, "I feel that at this time, I am best able to serve the people of Staten Island in the position to which they re-elected me by such an overwhelming margin just six months ago, as their District Attorney. Therefore, I am now...

If Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.) is unable to reach a deal with prosecutors on his DUI arrest, he will likely have to serve five days in jail before the end of the year, making him only the fourth sitting member of Congress to be locked up following a criminal conviction and dragging his troubles back into the spotlight just as Republicans were counting on them having vanished. Not since Rep. John Dowdy (D-Texas) was sent to prison for his 1972 conviction for bribery, obstruction of justice and perjury has a sitting member of the House been sentenced to jail or...

The decision by Vito J. Fossella not to seek another term in Congress has roiled the political waters of his reliably Republican district, as both parties are searching for consensus candidates to succeed him when his term ends in January. The departure of Mr. Fossella might seem to present the Democrats with a major opportunity, but the party’s leaders have yet to agree on a candidate, and disputes have broken out over whether the candidate should come from the Staten Island or Brooklyn side of the district. Mr. Fossella’s decision is not clearly a blow to the Republicans. District Attorney...

Embattled Republican Rep. Vito Fossella will not run for re-election, the New York Times reported last night, relieving at least a small burden on House Republicans nervous at the prospect of another scandal-tainted member hurting their party's national image. Arrested for driving while intoxicated on May 1 in Alexandria, Virginia, Fossella was bailed out of jail by his girlfriend, with whom he has a young daughter. Fossella also has three children with his wife in New York. "This choice was an extremely difficult one, balanced between my dedication to service to our great nation and the need to concentrate on...

In a bombshell announcement that brings the curtain down on one of the most storied careers in Staten Island political history, fifth-term Republican Rep. Vito Fossella will not seek re-election this fall. Mired in scandal after revelations about the secret daughter he fathered with Virginia divorcee Laura Fay became public, Fossella (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) tells constituents in a letter to be posted on his Web site tomorrow, and released exclusively to the Advance, that he will no longer serve them in Congress after his current term expires on Jan. 3, 2009. "After a great deal of consideration, I have made the...

By CARL CAMPANILE May 11, 2008 -- Defying disgusted constituents and angry Republican leaders, disgraced Rep. Vito Fossella has told pals he plans to seek re-election. And, shockingly, the Staten Island pol is feeling "pretty good," he confided to friends. "I got every indication that he's planning to run again," said Guy Molinari, Fossella's mentor, who's been in close contact with the embattled, 43-year-old politician. Fossella, a 10-year incumbent, is up for re-election in November. "He's not just inclined to run. He plans on running," said Molinari, a former congressman and Staten Island borough president who was succeeded by Fossella...

Defying disgusted constituents and angry Republican leaders, disgraced Rep. Vito Fossella has told pals he plans to seek re-election. And, shockingly, the Staten Island pol is feeling "pretty good," he confided to friends. I got every indication that he plans to run again," said Guy Molinari, Fossella's political mentor, who's been in close contact with the embattled 43-year-old politician. Fossella is up for re-election in November. "He's not just inclined to run. He plans on running," said Molinari, a former congressman and Staten Island borough president who was succeeded by Fossella as the de facto leader of the borough's GOP.

Two Democrats are seeking the nomination. Stephen A. Harrison held Fossella to the lowest winning percentage of his House career in 2006, despite being outspent 10 to 1. Also running is New York City Council member Domenic M. Recchia Jr. Recchia is on track to outraise Harrison; as of April 1, the date of the most recent campaign finance report, Recchia reported raising $350,000 while Harrison reported raising $151,000. Fossella reported raising $851,000. Several Republican names have been floated as possible replacement candidates should Fossella resign or retire, including Staten Island District Attorney Daniel M. Donovan Jr., state Sen. Andrew...

Ever since my congressman, Vito Fossella, was arrested on a DWI last Thursday, the local papers were spreading gossip about Fossella's love child with the woman who bailed him out of jail.

Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.) said Thursday that he had an extramarital affair that has resulted in a three-year-old daughter in a statement released through a public relations firm. “My personal failings and imperfections have caused enormous pain to the people I love and I am truly sorry,” Fossella said in the statement. “While I understand that there will be many questions, including those about my political future, making any political decisions right now are furthest from my mind,” the lawmaker, who was arrested for drunk driving last week, said. “Over the coming weeks and months, I will to continue to...

When cops stopped Rep. Vito Fossella for drunken driving, the married congressman said he was rushing to see his sick daughter on nearby Grimm St. - the home of the mystery woman who later plucked him from jail. Fossella's spokeswoman has insisted the single mom, Air Force Col. Laura Fay, 45, was only a "good friend," but the Staten Island Republican implied to suburban D.C. cops that Fay's 3-year-old was his. "The subject stated that he was driving down from Washington, D.C., to Grimm St. because his daughter was sick and needed to go to the hospital," a police report...

Rep. Vito J. Fossella (R-N.Y.) was arrested overnight in Alexandria and charged with driving while intoxicated, court records showed today. Fossella is scheduled to appear in Alexandria General District Court on May 12 for an advisement hearing, the records said. No other details were immediately available. Reached by phone, Fossella's communication director had no immediate comment on the report. Fossella was elected to Congress in a special election to represent the 13th Congressional District of New York in November 1997, according to a biography on his Web site. The district includes Staten Island and the Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and...

Congressman Vito J. Fossella (R-NY) sent a letter to Secretary Rice yesterday asking the State Department to deny Ahmadinejad's visa. HUMAN EVENTS couldn't agree more with Rep. Fossella's sentiments. The letter is posted below. The Secretary Department of State 2201 C Street NW Washington, DC 20520 Dear Madame Secretary, It has been reported that Iranian President Mahmound Ahmadinejad has requested that he be allowed to visit the site of the 9/11 terrorist attacks when he travesl to the opening of the United Nations later this month. I believe that Mr. ahmadinehad has only one motivationfor wanteing to tour Ground Zero...

2006 Congressional Election Cycle Has Begun  50 Republican Incumbents Undeserving of Support by Pro-life Voters   The Republican National Coalition for Life PAC is currently receiving phone calls from Republican candidates for Congress in the 2006 Republican primaries. Our usual practice is to mail our Candidate Questionnaire to Republican candidates in each district as soon as the filing deadlines are reached. When we receive the results of the questionnaire, they are recorded on our website at www.RNCLife.org so that voters can see for themselves it those seeking to represent them in Washington are truly pro-life. We hope that this service...

Listening to speakers at the Democratic National Convention last week, most Americans were left with the impression that our economy is mired in depression. We were told that John Kerry's plan of raising taxes on American families and increasing government spending by hundreds of billions of dollars would spur economic growth. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a result of nearly 30 different tax-relief measures passed by Congress since 2001, unemployment has dropped to 5.6%, 1.5 million jobs have been created in the past year alone, household wealth is near an all-time high and inflation, interest rates and...

When Representative Vito J. Fossella strode into a Staten Island senior center on a recent snowy afternoon, he was greeted as something of a conquering hero. After entering the dining area, he was introduced by the center's director, who mentioned that he was a possible candidate for mayor. "Maybe he'll run for mayor and we can get rid of Bloomberg," the director said. With that, the group of about 50 people erupted with wild cheers and sustained applause. It is not uncommon these days for Mr. Fossella, a Republican from Staten Island, to be described as a possible challenger to...