McMahon's karate stunt: neat trick or low blow?

The McMahon campaign has taken of the gloves, and kicked Mike Grimm right in the nut sack.

The Advance did some deep investigative work to find out that Mike Grimm's ex-wife was given a preferential front row seat in Tuesday night's Battle Royale debate between Grimm and Mike McMahon.

"Observers saw four Team McMahon placeholders, who had arrived early to stake out front-row seats, give them up just before the debate began to Grimm's ex-wife, Susan Kim, her father and two brothers. The four took seats directly in front of the podium at which Grimm would stand."

Add to the mix that the Kim family are taekwondo experts who own a chain of karate schools.

The apparent goal: to make Mike Grimm shit himself in fear.

What has Mike Grimm done for Staten Island?

The midterm Congressional election on Staten Island is a competition between a politician who has served the borough for the past decade and a mystery man who recites Sarah Palin talking points.

Last night on NY1, Mike Grimm and Mike McMahon slowly devoured each other in a preview of Tuesday night's discussion at Wagner College.

Both candidates landed a few jabs, there was only a modicum of policy discussion, and the event set a precedent for the closing weeks of what is purportedly a battle for the future of Staten Island's soul.

But it's not. It doesn't matter. Tuesday's debate will likely revolve around the same nonsense that we were subject to in the NY1 preview: all spit and no substance.

John McCain endorses Staten Island congressional hopeful

More Staten Islanders voted for John McCain than Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election - an extreme oddity for a NYC boro.

So it might be significant that the former presidential candidate has backed the conservative Mike Grimm for his fledgling shot at the GOP nomination.

The septuagenerian released a statement on the endorsement on Monday.

"We need leaders like Michael Grimm in Congress. Michael served as a Marine in combat for our country, continued his service for 11 more years as a special agent in the FBI, and then went on to become a small business owner."

McCain, currently in his own fight for his political career, joined some political blowhards like Rudy Guiliani with his backing of Grimm. But it's not likely to be much of a game changer - unless, of course he actually shows up to campaign rallies. And no, robocalls don't count.

The endorsement muddys up an already deluded race for the Republican nomination. A race that, at its lowest point, sent up a degrading trial balloon of re-running Vito Fossella for his old seat.

Grimm faces the GOP-backed Mike Allegretti for the name on the Republican line. Both trail Democratic incumbent Mike McMahon in fundraising.

In case you wanted to know more about your "fellow patriot" Mike Grimm, here is a video he recorded for the local arm of the Tea Party.

Staten Island Says 'No' to Health Care

Staten Island's Rep. Mike McMahon was the only "No" vote on health care reform out of the New York City delegation.

In a sense he gave the island exactly what they wanted: blind obstruction.

It's no surprise that most of the island, although grossly misinformed, is decidedly against the president's health care initiative -- or any other initiative he has for that matter.

But now in the exegesis stage of the debate the Advance has decided to run a celebratory piece on McMahon's "No" vote.

Never mind that the paper has done a piss-poor job of explaining the bill and how it will affect Islanders, small businesses, hospitals, etc. Also, never mind the the paper has given saturating coverage to the local looney tune chapter of the Tea Party. But, to add insult to injury, they feed us this bullshit piece on reaction to McMahon's vote that cites such veritable sources as "mrbabydeema" and "Weepeople."

The piece also sights more legitimate sources like the Tea Party who said, wait for it, they won't vote for McMahon in November anyway -- even though he caved on their demands.

People close to the Dump have done reporting on this topic and the feelings from the mid-island business community was generally weary of this elusive plan.

Here is a sampling for Sept 09:

“My husband has his own business and he pays $2,000 a month for insurance. We’re hurting but I do have three kids. I don’t know what I’m going to get (if reform passes).”

- Pat Siringo, clerk at Uniquely Yours

“It’s not the cheapest but at least I have insurance. I am concerned about the effect this plan will have on seniors. I don’t want any more change; I’ve had enough change.”

-Lorraine Graziano, owner of S I Quick Print.

“My wife had to get a job at (Staten Island University) Hospital so I could get health care. I went for two years without insurance. But, if you work 20 years to get to a certain point with your business why should you be penalized (with higher taxes). It’s not right, I hope it doesn’t pass.”

-Michael DiGuido, owner of The Animal Pantry.

"He won't vote for it, and it won't pass. Financially it doesn’t make any sense. Staten Island is a conservative place in general. Staten Island can take care of itself.”

-Warren Crapo owner Crapo Realty

Every single business owner, the reporter tells us, complained about the rising costs of health care. However, every single business owner was strongly against health care reform.

Is there a disconnect here? Where are they getting their info? Fox News? The Advance? The Marketeer?

It'd be interesting to go back to these various business owners and see how they feel about the bill, now that it passed. Are they hopeful, scared, concerned, angry?

A companion piece on the health care issue also appeared in the paper: an epic, above-the-fold, front-page, Sunday piece that leans toward advocating "secession legislation."

Great, so let's remove ourselves further from the city. It's not like the 4 boros already look at us with the disdain of a red-headed stepchild. Let's capitulate this nonsense by advocating this ridiculous plan and desperately attaching it to the "national issue" of state sovereignty and tangentially the entire misguided and paranoid Tea Party movement.

The paper and the boro's embrace of this rabid ideological stance is wrong, not representative of the entire borough, and will only hurt us in the long run.

For a borough that put Mayor Bloomberg over the top in the last election, we have leverage. Let's use it.

Who is the greatest Mike on Staten Island?

The Democrats are still reeling from their Senate loss in Massachusetts, and the question for Staten Island's Congressman Mike McMahon is: can he hold on to his seat in the 2010 elections?

McMahon rode into office during the presidential election of 2008. It didn't hurt that he was vying for the seat of the scandal-plagued Vito Fossella and to top it off his main rival, Frank Powers, died of a heart attack during the campaign.

McMahon won handily with 61 percent, in the only district in New York City that voted for John McCain. But the political winds are changing, to say the least.

McMahon faces a fresh crop of Republican candidates, and a growing storm from the activist Staten Island Tea Party.

Staten Island Republicans have backed former FBI agent and Gulf War veteran Michael Grimm as a potential nominee. The first-time candidate has the sacred blessing of former borough president/ SI kingmaker Guy Molinari. During his coming out ceremony at the Hilton Garden Inn, Grimm came out swinging in, trying to appease the Tea Party crowd.

"The only thing we can trust is that (McMahon) will be a faithful vote for the Pelosi liberal regime," said Grimm.

Coming from the Brooklyn side of the district (which includes a few influential neighborhoods) is another Mike: Michael Allegretti. Allegretti made the convenient move over the Verrazano to Rosebank and has been endorsed by the Islandwide Republican Club -- which has about 100 members. The Brooklyn transplant was a bit more guarded in his statements about the current congressman, stressing smaller government and fiscal conservatism -- stuff the 13th district can get behind.

So it’s looking to be a race of the "three Mikes," as the Brooklyn Eagle has called it. It will be interesting to see which Republican candidate can grab the attention of the Island: the more dignified, perhaps milquetoast approach of Allegretti, or the partisan backbiting Tea Party enthusiast Grimm. Only time, and enormous campaign contributions, can sorts these things out.

Fringe Groups Battle for McMahon's Attention

Staten Island's Democratic Congressman Mike McMahon has had to beat back criticism from both the left and right as he tries to contemplate issues such as health care, national security, financial stimulus and energy independence.

Never mind the fact that as a freshman congressman McMahon has secured funding for local terrorism task force and to spruce up the Ferry. Also, forget the fact that as a member of both the committees on Transportation and Foreign Affairs McMahon has had a direct seat in negotiating vital changes in airline safety and fighting terrorism overseas.

He's also made strides on local issues including the Brookfield landfill, the new ER at Staten Island University Hospital and the Manor Road post office.

But none of this matters -- not to the Peace Action people on the Left and the Tea Party on the Right.

Both groups have been on a crusade to influence the congressman in blatant disregard for the facts that as a freshman legislator McMahon has gone a long way to do what's best for the Island and the majority of his constituents.

To be fair, we encourage civic engagement of any kind. But the criticism for both wings has been excessive and unwarranted.

Movement for a Democratic Society:

“He [ McMahon ] voted to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, once again, not only against his constituents’ wishes, but to aid and abet the further destruction of two countries that were invaded illegally and against the will of the people..."

Staten Island Tea Party:

"...the subjugation of the American people and their Constitution - is being accomplished by a Chicago punk and a radical Democrat Congress...."

Ease it up guys. I know we're all competing for Mike's attention, but we think a little more civility is called for.