Fundraiser to support Upstate Congressional candidates

By Sam Foster
Via the Politico

A trio of NY Republican leaders is holding a fundraiser for several candidates running in Upstate NY.  Politico has the story.  However, I was most impressed with a letter sent by Dan Senor regarding the candidates and the congressional political climate in NY.  Below is a copy.

As we enter the crucial final months of this election year, we are all being contacted by excellent Republican candidates from across the country looking to raise campaign funds in New York. Indeed, our state often seems like the national party's ATM machine.

What makes this year unusual, and nearly unique, is the confluence of three things.

First are the stakes involved in the mid-term elections, which are as important as any mid-term election I can recall. President Obama is attempting to transform our nation, at home and abroad, in ways that are far-reaching and deeply damaging. He is a man of enormous talents and ideological ambitions — and it is clear that the only way to slow him down is by a massive repudiation at the polls this November. That would shake to the core the confidence of the Democratic Party in the president and his policies. It can begin the process of reversing the Obama agenda.

The second factor is that the political environment is as good for the GOP as it has ever been in our lifetime. For example, Gallup's most recent generic ballot poll shows a six-point lead for the GOP, the largest lead for Republicans since the poll started in middle of the last century. Republicans are also far more energized than Democrats. President Obama's signature domestic initiative, health care reform, is hugely unpopular. Trust in government is near an all-time low; so is the approval rating for Congress. And President Obama and his agenda are becoming millstones around the necks of Democrats.

In short, all the ingredients are there for a "wave" election. But that will not happen by itself; we still need to produce candidates who can win the confidence and votes of the residents of New York. All of which leads me to the third factor.

What is so encouraging to me as a New Yorker is how many principled GOP congressional candidates are running effective and viable campaigns right here in our own backyard.

Take Chris Gibson, who is running in the 20th congressional district. Over the course of his 24-year Army career, Chris rose to the rank of colonel and deployed seven times; including four combat tours to Iraq, and separate deployments to Kosovo, and the Southwestern U.S. for a counter-drug operation. Awarded the Purple Heart, Chris also holds an MPA and PhD in Government from Cornell University and has taught at West Point.

Or Randy Altschuler, who is running in the 1st congressional district. Randy is a successful entrepreneur who has founded two companies, the first of which he started in his one-bedroom apartment. Both of his companies have enormous global reach. Randy truly understands — in a practical way — what it takes to create private sector jobs and for America to regain its economic competitiveness.

Ann Marie Buerkle, running in the 25th congressional district, is a registered nurse and accomplished attorney. After graduating from St. Joseph's Hospital School of Nursing, Ann Marie worked at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City and St. Joseph's Hospital in Syracuse. While juggling a growing family (today she has six kids and 11 grandkids), Ann Marie was a substitute school nurse for many years before obtaining her law degree from Syracuse University. She ultimately became an assistant New York State attorney general.

In the neighboring 24th congressional district, Richard Hanna came within a few thousand votes shy of winning this seat in 2008, a very tough year for Republicans in New York. Fortunately, he's running again. Richard started Hanna Construction to work on small residential projects. Over the next 27 years, he grew the company to 450 employees — many from the construction trades — and successfully completed a myriad of multimillion dollar commercial and municipal projects in Upstate New York. He's also one of the largest philanthropic and civic leaders in the Mohawk Valley.

And in the nearby 29th congressional district, Tom Reed is running, after having been the successful mayor of Corning. Tom has been an attorney in private practice in Corning for nearly 10 years. Tom also is a co-owner of several small businesses, and has served on many boards in the community.

Farther downstate, in the New York City suburbs, Dr. Nan Hayworth is running in the 19th congressional district. Nan served her community as an ophthalmologist for 16 years, both in her own solo practice — which she grew from scratch to become a thriving office — and as a partner in the Mount Kisco Medical Group. Along the way Nan also raised two sons. In 2007 Nan became a vice president in Medical and Scientific Affairs at a large health care communications agency.

These are all decent, principled and hardworking people whom I have gotten to know. They also are committed to the issues we all care about.

Their Democratic opponents, on the other hand, all have the following in common: None of them has consistently stood up against ObamaCare or the reckless spending and debt policies which threaten our economic futures. None of them has stood up for New York's economy and for responsible financial regulatory reform; instead, they have joined in the effort to demonize investors and employers, who of course are key to job creation and economic growth. None of them has shouted "No!" to President Obama's near-rupture of the U.S.-Israel relationship, which is doing tremendous harm to one of America's most important alliances and best friends. And none of them has had the courage or wisdom to try to reverse President Obama's counter-terrorism and foreign policies, ones that are making our nation less secure and less respected. American weakness is being met with aggression on almost every foreign policy front.

What I have been trying to say, in so many words, is that I believe we are at a hinge moment in the life of this nation, when things could go very much one way or very much the other. The next months will be crucial, and in some ways even pivotal, for our country and for many of the causes we care about. That is why John Faso and I have spent a lot of time conducting due diligence of these congressional candidates and their races.

What we have found is this: They all can win. Our help will make a meaningful, and quite possibly a decisive, difference.

And that is why I'm asking that you join us for a Joint Candidate event for these six candidates. If they win, Republicans in New York's congressional delegation will increase from 2 to 8, no small feat.

The stakes in November could not be higher — and the field of candidates could hardly be better. Please see the attached form let us know if you can participate.


Thanks so much for your thoughtful consideration of my request. I'd love to include you as a co-host.

Sincerely,

Dan

P.S. This event will be Tuesday, June 29, 2010, just prior to the critical June 30 financial reporting deadline.