He banks on bills (Vito Fossella takes cash for legislation)

[brooklynite]

BY GREG B. SMITH
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Days before Christmas, Rep. Vito Fossella gave a little present to some investment bankers - a bill that would hamper tough investigations of Wall Street fraud.

The Staten Island Republican already had received a gift of his own: $65,000 in campaign contributions from the bankers since Fossella arrived in Congress in 1997, a Daily News analysis found.

In the pay-to-play world of Congress, powerful interest groups sometimes actually write the bills that favored members of Congress sponsor.

Such was the case Dec. 17, when Fossella sponsored a bill that was drafted by the Financial Services Roundtable, a group of Wall Streeters seeking to curb what they call "excessive regulation" by federal investigators.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/430119p-362549c.html

[speedoo]

1. He's the only Rethug congressman from NYC.

Unfortunately, I live in his district. He's your basic rethug chickenhawk who does nothing for his constituents, got an "F" grade for his voting record in terms of middle class issues.

He basically inherited Susan molinari's seat, and she inherited it from her father.

[lisa58]

2. Is anyone running against him?

I used to live in Staten Island and was wondering if there's any hope of defeating this long-held republican seat.

[speedoo]

3. Yes, Steve Harrison.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vito_Fossella

See the end of the article. Some encouraging info.

[speedoo]

4. Steve Harrison's website....

http://www.harrison06.com/

I'm gonna try to meet him and see what I can do to help.

[speedoo]

5. Harrison's campaign strategy.... I like it.

http://takebacknewyork.blogspot.com/2006/04/ny13-interview-with-stephen-harrison.html

Fossella is apparantly distancing himself from *. He recently criticized the DHS reduced funding to NYC.

That's a sign he's worried.