Profiles in Courage: Steven Harrison takes on the Republicans (and the Democrats, too)

PoliSciAfterParty Previews the 2008 Elections

Attempting to defeat a Congressional incumbent is a lot like trying to chug a gallon of milk – an extraordinarily difficult task which, while theoretically possible, is far more likely to leave you violently ill and thoroughly disgusted with the whole process.

Being an experienced politician helps. So do local fame, friends in high places, and the ability to raise large sums of money.

Steven Harrison has none of these qualities. But that didn’t stop him from throwing his hat into the ring in 2006, where, as the Democratic nominee in New York’s 13^th District, he bravely (or perhaps foolishly) challenged Vito Fossella for a seat that has been in Republican hands since 1980. And goshdarnit, he nearly pulled it off.

The 13^th District consists primarily of Staten Island – a borough known as a bastion of conservatism in an otherwise liberal city – as well as a few socioeconomically similar neighborhoods on the Brooklyn side of the Verrazano. Despite the fact that registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in the district by a margin of nearly 2 to 1, Islanders tend to elect GOPers to Congress, and usually by wide margins. By 2006, it was New York City’s only House seat held by Republicans – and one of only six in the state’s 29-member Congressional delegation.

The Reason Why She Looks Pregnant

Because she is, apparently. While Palin continues to deny the allegations that her most recent child wasn’t hers, she has admitted that her daughter is pregnant and intends to marry the father- which explains a lot. This passes the smell test for me and so I believe any further investigation into the child situation will be unnecessary. I, for one, am convinced.

The Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has announced that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, in an announcement intended to knock down rumors by liberal bloggers that Palin faked her own pregnancy to cover up for her child.

Bristol Palin, one of Palin’s five children with her husband, Todd, is about five months pregnant and is going to keep the child and marry the father, the Palins said in a statement released by the campaign of Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

Hat Tip to Kate for the Link.

Palin Wisdom

Since most of the coverage on this site of Gov. Palin has been negative, I felt it only fair to give credit where credit is due: She readily admits that Iraq was a war for oil. While I fully expect her to change her tune under the pressure of McCain’s support of said “legitimate” war, it was nice to hear a national candidate acknowledge what everyone else pretty much already knows.

We are a nation at war and in many [ways] the reasons for war are fights over energy sources, which is nonsensical when you consider that domestically we have the supplies ready to go.

Other Palin Problems

Like, say, the fact that she thinks the Pledge of Allegiance was written by the Founding Fathers:

1. Are you offended by the phrase “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance? Why or why not?

SP: Not on your life. If it was good enough for the founding fathers, its good enough for me and I’ll fight in defense of our Pledge of Allegiance

I guess when you’re the Mayor of a tiny town or even the Governor of a tiny State, things like “facts” aren’t very important. You know, like the fact that gays don’t choose their sexual preferences or the fact that the Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1894- which, for you history buffs in the McCain crowd, is a little over 100 years after the founding fathers, well, founded our country.

This woman could be president- she may actually be less qualified than our last failure of an executive. Kinda scary.