A Clear Choice in NY25 - Washington Insider Maffei or Outsider Buerkle

The voters of New Yorks' 25th Congressional District have a clear choice in the upcoming election. We can choose Dan Maffei, a career DC bureaucrat and politician; or we can choose a woman of principle, Ann Marie Buerkle, who isn't beholden to any special interest group.

Residents of Central New York have been treated to a deluge of Dan Maffei campaign ads in recent days. One is a puff piece portraying Rep. Maffei as the ultimate Washington outsider. But all one needs to do is look at his bio to know he's anything but a Washington outsider.

He was press secretary for U.S. Senator Bill Bradley in 1996, then served in the same post for Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan from 1997 to 1998. After working on Senator Bradley's presidential campaign from 1998 to 1999, Maffei went to work for U.S. Representative Charlie Rangel from 1999 to 2005, serving as a senior staff member of the House Ways and Means Committee.

In 2005, Maffei returned to Syracuse to coordinate the successful 2005 re-election campaign of Syracuse Mayor Matt Driscoll. Following his successful return, Maffei decided to make his first bid for public office, challenging popular nine-term Republican Congressman Jim Walsh. He earned the Democratic nomination and mounted the first serious challenge to Walsh in years, coming within two percentage points of defeating the incumbent. Maffei won in the City of Syracuse and the rest of Onondaga County, Walsh's home turf, as well as Monroe County.

Does anyone believe he didn't return to the area to run for Congress?

I don't know if the first ad didn't have the desired effect, but shortly after it came out an attack ad against Ann Marie Buerkle started airing. He's trying to portray her as some sort of "fringe" candidate because she doesn't want to spend our republic into oblivion.

Dan Maffei has voted with Nancy Pelosi on every major piece of legislation that the public opposed. He would hem and haw about the bills just before casting his "yea" vote. I think he did that to get positive coverage from the local press. And have no doubt, when it comes time for endorsements, the local press will pick Maffei as the guy who "knows how Washington works" and can bring home the bacon.

Now we find ourselves 50 days out from the election, and the news was released that Dan Maffei has raised most of his money from outside our district. Most of his donations don't come from people here in Central New York. He's the special interest candidate.

To highlight the point that Maffei is bought and paid for by special interests, see page three of this PDF. Note page 3, line 11 (a) ii regarding "unitemized" contributions. Those are contributions from average people. (FYI, itemized personal contributions are contributions from $200.00 - $2,400.00. Unitemized personal contributions are contributions from $0.01 - $199.99.) Do you see how low that number is for Dan Maffei? Compare that to the money he received from PACs which is found on line 11 (c).(FYI-PACs are the special interest groups the Democrats cry about.) (Also note, the son of George Soros, Alexander, sent Maffei a donation that's listed on page 35.)

Now look at Ann Marie Buerkle's fundraising disclosure. You'll see that she out-raised Maffei from "unitemized" individual contributions (ie: the "country class"), but she can't compete when it comes to PACs and special interests. (Hey, Gov. Pataki, are you paying attention to NY25?)



There's a reason Dan Maffei is one of the top political fundraisers in Congress, even though he's a freshman congressman. It has nothing to do with his ties to Central New York. The ruling class sees him as one who will toe their line, and he's one of them. He went to Washington to learn how to game the system, and he learned well. He still refuses to return any of the tainted money Charlie Rangel raised for him.

This election is a turning point, not just for Central New York, but for our entire republic. The choice couldn't be clearer in the race for NY 25. Dan Maffei is a CNY outsider and Ann Marie Buerkle is a CNY insider. If elected, Ann Marie Buerkle will go to Washington to represent the people of her district, not special interest groups. She will also uphold the Constitution, a concept that has fallen out of favor of late.

If anyone out there has a few extra bucks to help a conservative woman in New York go to congress, please consider sending a donation to Ann Marie Buerkle. Dan Maffei and his ilk have had their chance. It's time for something new.

Oh, and let' not forget who wagged his finger at constituents for daring to suggest he might read bills before he signs them!

Cross posted from The Lonely Conservative