Road accident deaths drop by 50% in Saudi Arabia    SR 3.95 million fines for 3 employees of a company and 6-month jail for one for violating Capital Market Law    Qassim emir launches 52 health projects costing a total of SR456 million    BD and INS partner to elevate standards of infusion care in MENAT    Dubai Design Week launches its 10th edition, celebrating creativity and innovation    GASTAT: Passengers of public transport bus and train soar 176% and 33% respectively in 2023    Fakeeh Care Group reports 9M-2024 net profit of SR195.3 million, up 49% y-o-y driven by solid revenue growth and robust profitability    Italy's 'Libra' to arrive in Albania with just eight migrants on board    South Africa shuts border crossing with Mozambique over poll unrest    French families sue TikTok over harmful content that allegedly led to suicides    Harris tells supporters 'never give up' and urges peaceful transfer of power    HRT does not impact life expectancy — UK health body    Liam Payne's body to be flown back to the UK    Suspect arrested for banking fraud totaling SR493 million as Nazaha pursues corruption charges    Arab leaders and heads of state congratulate US President-elect Donald Trump    Neymar suffers muscle tear, out for 4-6 weeks    Crown Prince hails Saudi medical team that performed world's first fully robotic heart transplant    Al Nassr secures 5-1 victory over Al Ain to edge closer to knockout stage    Al Ahli extends perfect start with 5-1 victory over Al Shorta    Mitrovic's hat-trick leads Al Hilal to 3-0 victory over Esteghlal    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Muted Eid celebrations for millions of Nigerian Muslims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Democrats hunt upset in U.S. House special election
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 19 - 05 - 2011

Once predicted to be a Republican landslide, next week's special congressional election in upstate New York has turned into a tight three-way battle that has shined a spotlight on the national debate over spending and Medicare, according to Reuters.
The election on Tuesday to replace disgraced Republican Chris Lee, who resigned in February after his shirtless photo appeared on the Internet, features a struggling Republican, a disputed Tea Party candidate and an upset-minded Democrat.
Republican Jane Corwin was expected to cruise to victory in the conservative district where Republicans hold an eight-point voter registration edge and Republican John McCain easily beat Democrat Barack Obama in the 2008 White House race.
But Corwin has been under heavy attack from Democrat Kathy Hochul for backing a divisive budget plan put forth by Republicans in the House of Representatives, and has seen self-described Tea Party candidate Joe Davis siphon away support.
Political handicappers now say the race is too close to call. National parties and outside groups have poured money into the district, hoping to claim an early win in the battle over cuts in spending and the Medicare health program for seniors first proposed by House Republican Paul Ryan.
But one local political analyst said third-party candidate Davis was playing an even bigger role in the tight campaign.
"The national dialogue I've heard, which I think is wrong, is that the race is close because it's a referendum on the national budget. The only reason that it's in play is because Jack Davis is in the race," said Joshua Dyck, a political scientist at the University of Buffalo.
While special elections usually feature low voter turnout, making projections of the electorate difficult, a recent poll suggests 24 percent of likely voters -- many of them would-be Corwin supporters -- now support Davis.
The May 9 poll conducted by Public Policy Polling showed Davis drawing the most votes from Corwin, helping Hochul earn support from 35 percent of likely voters, to Corwin's 31 percent.
"This is not an election about message as much as it's about getting your supporters off the couch to vote on a Tuesday in May when they're not used to voting," Dyck said.
'TEA PARTY' BRAWL
Davis, a millionaire business owner, is a self-described Tea Party candidate and fiscal conservative. He has been condemned by the national Tea Party movement for supporting Obama and running three prior campaigns as a Democrat.
"He has no claim to the Tea Party Mantle," Tea Party Express co-founder Sal Russo said, citing in part Davis' past support for cap and trade legislation to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
At a rally last week, however, Davis said he voted for Republicans Richard Nixon and Barry Goldwater for president in the past. Davis failed to win Republican backing in the race before running as a Tea Party candidate.
"Jane Corwin has outsourced her campaign to the lobbyists and Washington insiders that have outsourced our jobs," the Davis campaign said. "The Tea Party Express is financed by these special interests."
The House Democratic campaign committee plans to spend $250,000 on ads to support Hochul, and a new independent group backing House Democrats, the House Majority PAC, has launched ads highlighting Corwin's support for Ryan's plan to cut billions from Medicare.
Hochul, who opposes Ryan's plan, has her own campaign ads attacking Corwin for backing Ryan's proposal. Democrats hope the issue will resonate into the 2012 congressional elections and help their drive to retake control of the House.
Republicans have fought back, with an independent Republican-aligned group and the House Republican campaign committee both putting money into the race. House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, headlined a fundraiser for Corwin.
The seat was left vacant when married Republican Representative Chris Lee resigned on Feb. 9 after shirtless photos he had sent to a woman he met on Craigslist surfaced on the Internet.
Only two Democrats have represented the heavily Republican Congressional District 26, which covers a big area of Western New York near Buffalo, since World War Two. Davis narrowly lost a 2006 bid for the seat as a Democrat to former Republican Representative Tom Reynolds, giving him name recognition that Dyck said has contributed to his support.


Clic here to read the story from its source.