Staten Island's Bizarre Fairy Tale - Fossella Seat Still Up in the Air

[struggle4progress]

Staten Island’s ‘Bizarre Fairy Tale’ - Fossella Seat Still Up in the Air
By Marie Horrigan, CQ Staff

Staten Island Republicans apparently are dissatisfied with their candidate for Congress — again.

The latest news is that the New York County GOP is nominating Robert Straniere, who won the Sept. 9 Republican primary, to a judgeship in Manhattan, one of the few legal ways to get a candidate off the ballot.

If Straniere (stra-NEER-ee) accepted the nomination, the party would be able to endorse a different candidate or even Rep. Vito J. Fossella , who announced he would retire after a drunken driving arrest led to the discovery that he has a daughter from an extramarital relationship. The party has until midnight tonight to submit its petition of nomination to the New York City Board of Elections ...

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docid=news-000002958512

Door open for Fossella after GOP nomination not settled
By Michael O’Brien
Posted: 09/23/08 06:34 PM

... Since < Vito > Fossella announced his retirement earlier this year after being arrested for driving under the influence, which led to an admission he fathered a child out of wedlock, a series of unfortunate events have proved a stumbling block for Republicans hoping to hang onto the seat.

The GOP’s first pick for the seat, Frank Powers, died suddenly in June before his campaign could get off the ground. (That was after his son, Fran Powers, threatened to run against him as the Libertarian Party’s candidate.)

Former state Assemblyman Bob Straniere was then brought back from Republican exile after angering district Republicans in past elections.

But after <ormer state Assemblyman Bob> Straniere won the primary, some members of the GOP expressed doubts about his ability to hold the traditionally Republican seat ...

On Monday, Manhattan Republicans nominated Straniere for a judgeship ...

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/door-open-for-fossella-after-gop-nomination-not-settled-2008-09-23.html

Unconventional Tactics Tried To Restore Fossella to Ballot
By Associated Press | September 23, 2008

WASHINGTON — ... Robert Straniere won the Republican primary, and the only ways to remove him from the ballot at this point are death, moving out of state, or a judicial nomination. Removing Mr. Straniere would open the door to putting Mr. Fossella back on the ballot ...

Asked if he would consider becoming a judge, Mr. Straniere said: "Absolutely not" ...

Manhattan Republicans did not immediately return a call about the nomination today.

If Mr. Straniere is determined not to budge, it's not clear how party leaders could pry him off the ballot. Republican judicial nominations aren't worth much in Manhattan, where Democrats win almost every elected office. Without a Republican governor, there are fewer government titles to dangle in front of Mr. Straniere to get him to give up his spot ...

http://www.nysun.com/new-york/unconventional-tactics-tried-to-restore-fossella/86428/

Fossella maintains he's not a candidate
Molinari made last-ditch appeal to congressman over weekend
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
By TOM WROBLESKI
Staten Island Advance

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- ... "I've maintained all along that I'm not a candidate," Fossella (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) said in a telephone interview. "That's still the case now. Very simply, nothing has changed."

But former Borough President Guy V. Molinari, believing that GOP congressional candidate Robert Straniere "can't win," had been unwilling to see the Republicans lose their only seat in the New York City delegation.

To that end, Straniere was nominated as a Manhattan judicial candidate last night, according to the New York Post. The move could pave the way for Fossella to get back on the ballot and run for re-election ...

Molinari said he met with Fossella and state Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) at Molinari's home on Saturday in an attempt to get the congressman back in the race ...

http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1222172127324310.xml&coll=1

[BrklynLiberal]

1. VERY strange politics...indeed.