Democrat Steve Harrison outdueled Rep. Vito Fossella (R-Bay Ridge) in a raucous final debate on Tuesday, capping a week in which Harrison’s campaign earned national recognition, and Democrats gained confidence in a candidate who has — at least until recently — had trouble gaining traction and much-needed campaign cash.
Also on Tuesday, Harrison received some national exposure, appearing on MSNBC, where he was interviewed by “Hardball” host Chris Matthews — and won praise from the tough-nosed anchorman, who ended the interview by saying, “Sir, you sound like a qualified candidate to me.”
Meanwhile, the Congressional Quarterly, the wonkish-yet-influential non-partisan newspaper, downgraded Fossella’s status from “Safe Republican” to “Republican Favored,” arguing that “anti-Bush sentiment could be a problem for Fossella” with the “growing Democratic population on the district’s Brooklyn side.”
CQ also pointed out that, since 2001, Fossella has voted with Bush roughly 90 percent of the time.
On Tuesday night, the Shore Hill Senior Center in Bay Ridge was packed with Harrison partisans, and the crowd was lively, to say the least.
The debate got off to a reasonably polite start until the testy 12-minute question-and-answer session (see below).
When one woman criticized the incumbent’s environmental record, she got so angry that her voice began to break. Others repeatedly heckled Fossella as he spoke, causing the normally unflappable Congressman to snap, “Excuse me … I gave you the courtesy of asking, now I ask you for the courtesy of listening to my answer.”
At another point, after thanking a woman for her question about the 9-11 Commission, she responded by yelling, “Maybe you can answer it!”
“Answer the question!” others screamed.
“If you’re quiet, maybe he can answer!” yelled a Fossella supporter.
The president of the Bay Ridge Community Council, which organized the debate, scolded the audience like so many unruly children:
“As members of a very well respected community, we are not going to allow anyone here to be insulted,” said Barbara Vellucci. “This is a forum for information. If you feel that this is not the right place for you … you may leave.”
After the debate, Fossella campaign manager Matt Mika blamed Harrison’s supporters for the unruliness.
“A candidate should appeal to the very best of people, not the worst,” he said. “These same folks who were screaming and cursing … are part of the Harrison team. It says a lot about a person by the company he keeps.”
Harrison admitted that the crowd’s reactions were “a little bit over the top,” but added, “In fairness, you’re looking at people who are extremely frustrated with the Bush administration and with the congressman’s failure to respond to questions directly.”
In other campaign developments, Fossella refused to comment on whether he plans to return the $10,000 donated to his campaign in 1998 by disgraced former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas).
As The Brooklyn Papers reported earlier this month, Fossella donated $1,000 he received from former Rep. Mark Foley (R-Florida) to a Staten Island charity.
A Vito vs. Steve scorecard
Q: “Mr. Fossella, two weeks ago, you said you voted in favor of the [creation of] the 9-11 Commission. You did not. Why did you lie to us?”
VF: “The most serious issue in this country is what happened on 9-11. There is a vast difference between my opponent and myself in ensuring that we are never attacked again. We have secured billions of dollars of homeland security funding for New York. I have dedicated my time to securing $125 million for 9-11 responders. I supported the Patriot Act. I supported terror surveillance programs, and I support efforts to question and interrogate terrorists. When I determined there was sufficient reason for a 9-11 commission, I voted to create a commission. And we have worked to implement many of those recommendations.”
SH: “Three times you denied you voted against the 9-11 Commission. [But] you did vote against the 9-11 Commission … I believe you owe an explanation.”
Edge: Harrison
Q: “Mr. Fossella, I have over a dozen articles from newspapers outlining the money you stole and your admission of guilt [a reference to reports that he misused campaign funds]. Are they telling the truth or are they lying?”
VF: “No.” (He did not go further that that.)
SH: “It’s a matter of credibility. It’s a matter of trust. That’s what the election is about. Foley, Hastert, Ney, Abramoff, DeLay, Elmo, Vail, Las Vegas. Take your choice.”
Edge: Harrison
Q: “Congressman Fossella, I went onto the American Association of Retired Persons Web site and [saw] a questionnaire they sent around. For some reason, you chose not to tell them anything! Why won’t you answer AARP with reference to Social Security and health benefits for the elderly?”
VF: “Social Security is a sacred covenant that must be maintained for all generations … With respect to Medicare, it’s another sacred program. I worked with AARP to create the Prescription Drug Program, which has been beneficial to thousands in this community. I opposed privatization [of Social Security].”
SH: “In 2002, Congressman Fossella favored privatization [of Social Security]. [When] he found out that 70 percent of Bay Ridge doesn’t want [privatization], he sent out a letter saying ‘I never have and never will favor the privatization of Social Security.’ That wasn’t true. Then he turned around and said that everything should be on the table. So his position is that he’s against it, he’s for it, then he doesn’t know what to do with it.”
Edge: Harrison
