JONATHAN CHAIT MAY 6, 2011
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Why are Republicans in Washington freaking out about the Paul Ryan budget? Here's one reason why. It's almost single-handedly made a special election for Congress in a Republican district highly competitive:
Only weeks ago, top Democrats appeared to have all but written off a special election for a Congressional seat in the suburbs of Buffalo. After all, Republican voters vastly outnumber Democrats in the district, and the Republican candidate, Jane L. Corwin, a well-liked state assemblywoman, seemed to be a shoo-in.
Then along came Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin. Mr. Ryan, a top House Republican, released a plan calling for the most extensive overhaul of Medicare since it was created.
That, it seems, has significantly changed the contest in New York’s 26th Congressional District.
The Democratic challenger has surged by relentlessly hitting Corwin for voting to end Medicare while supporting upper-bracket tax cuts, a lethal combination that utterly belies Republican claims that their changes to Medicare are a product of fiscal necessity.
If Democrat Kathy Hochul pulls off the upset here, it could break the discipline of Republicans in Congress. Of course, they already voted for the Ryan budget, but they may be a little more skeptical the next time they're asked to accept on faith voting for a wildly unpopular stance.
5 comments
From your (or the NYT's) lips ... while it feels like this Medicare business is cresting too soon, a R loss here may influence actual governance over the next 15-18 months. On another note ... did any of you who did not know these candidates actually have to read the text to know which one was the Republican, and which the Democrat? It's amazing how much they both fit the type ... one well turned out, reasonably attractive, and blonde, to boot, and the other oozing earnestness from every pore :-)
- NR409654
May 6, 2011 at 10:24am
Goodie goodie!
- allen@post.harvard.edu-old2
May 6, 2011 at 11:41am
Best of luck to Kathy Hochul.
- liberalref
May 6, 2011 at 11:44am
"It's almost single-handedly made a special election for Congress in a Republican district highly competitive" Single-handedly? I'm not so sure. There's a third candidate in the race which has made things far more complicated in this predominantly Republican district. The Ryan budget has certainly had an impact, but I'm not sure what the numbers would be in a traditional 2-way race. Still, it's an opportunity for the Dems.
- dsimon
May 6, 2011 at 2:00pm
It's kind of funny, really. I see this sort of thing all the time in my industry. It's just what they asked for but not what they wanted.
- GSpinks
May 6, 2011 at 5:10pm