Assini's Extraordinary Effort

As you may know, I was a strong supporter of Mark Assini in his race for Congress in New York's 25th District.

It was always going to be an uphill battle...the incumbent, Louise Slaughter, is a 14 term member of Congress and a powerful member of the Democrat leadership in Washington (e.g., ranking member on the Rules Committee). Moreover, Mark was really left largely on his own by national, state, and local GOP leadership. No one really believed in Mark's chances except Mark, his family and some die-hard friends.

Well, as you know, Mark has brought the race down to the wire and beyond. The counting of absentee and affidavit ballots continues and the margin remains razor thin.

Mark may lose the final tally, but in my mind he is already a winner. Talk about fighting the good fight! Mark left nothing on the table in this one. He and his family should be proud.

I want to thank Mark for allowing me to have been a small part of the effort. He will be a role model for anyone who has a dream or goal and who seeks that dream or goal albeit against long odds and against the naysayers and notwithstanding whether he/she is likely to prevail. Mark knew what he wanted to do. He had a message and he found a way to convey that message to many, many voters. He did so with good humor, class, and competence.

Three days after the election, it is still being talked and written about. It was an extraordinary effort by an extraordinary guy.

Way to go Mark.

Can the GOP Make Tuesday Count?

The GOP won quite a victory on Tuesday. But will they use the fruits of that victory wisely?
That's the question Charles Krauthammer posed in this Washington Post column. 

Krauthammer warns the GOP that "[Their win] was a negative judgment, not an endorsement of the GOP. The prize for winning is nothing but the opportunity for Republicans to show that they can govern — the opportunity to seize the national agenda". 
He offered a plan to accomplish that. Here are some of the high points of the plan:

"It needs to be urgent, determined and relentless. Say, a bill a week for the first 10 weeks. Start with obvious measures with significant Democratic support, like the Keystone XL pipeline.

Like fast-track trade negotiation authority that Harry Reid killed and that Obama, like all presidents, wants. Republicans should propose and pass it, thereby giving Obama a victory and demonstrating both bipartisanship and magnanimity (as well as economic good sense).
Then a simple, targeted bill to repatriate the $2 trillion of assets being held by U.S. corporations overseas, a bill to authorize and expedite the export of liquid natural gas and crude oil (the latter banned by an obsolete 1975 law) and a strong border security bill.
As for Obamacare, a symbolic abolition that Obama will immediately veto is less important than multiple rapid-fire measures to kill it with a thousand cuts. Repeal of the medical device tax. Repeal of the individual mandate. Repeal of the employer mandate. Repeal of the coverage mandate, thereby reinstating Obama’s broken promise that “If you like your health-care plan, you can keep it.” And repeal the federal bailout for insurers on the Obamacare exchanges".

He also warns against taking the "impeachment bait" that he thinks Obama will wave before the GOP in the form of unilateral action on immigration.  
Krauthammer is a doctor. I hope the GOP leadership is smart enough to follow his prescription.