Murphy attacked on net neutrality, voted Friday to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

Rep. Scott Murphy got attacked from the left last week, for a letter sent to the FCC that net neutrality proponents claim was parroting big Telecom. Murphy and 73 other Democrats allegedly, “sold you out to AT&T, Verizon and Comcast,” targeted e-mail messages sent to constituents in the districts of Murphy and the other members of Congress who signed a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski on May 24 asserted. A letter from Working Assets, the progressive long-distance service, and their “CREDO Action” group says, “They signed industry-backed letters telling the FCC to abandon efforts to protect Internet users by prohibiting big companies from blocking Internet traffic.” Another e-mail from Timothy Karr at Free Press Action Fund said, “Almost every one of these representatives has accepted massive contributions from the phone and cable lobby. Now the industry is demanding a return on its investment.” Murphy’s staff lined up to defend their boss last week, with chief of staff Todd Schulte sending out an e-mail to supporters saying, “Congressman Murphy is in favor of an open Internet to benefit consumers and technological innovation. The email claims the letter states Scott is opposed to net neutrality – the letter says no such thing.” Yes, the letter Murphy signed is vague, but can easily be read as threatening to net neutrality proponents. Schulte also says Murphy favors, “dramatically expand[ing] broadband access, and that we need an internet regime that protects and benefits consumers first and foremost. Scott has concerns about using a decades old provision to regulate a medium totally unimagined when the telephone network first expanded across the nation.” Search Murphy’s website for the phrase “net neutrality” and “No documents match your query.” But search the OpenSecrets website, and Karr seems wrong about at least Murphy’s campaign coffers. Here is the top twenty list of Murphy’s largest contributors, sorted by industry:
Democratic/Liberal $414,467 $3
Securities & Investment $341,621
Leadership PACs $236,900
Candidate Committees $189,450
Lawyers/Law Firms $149,000
Retired $144,451
Misc Finance $101,013
Public Sector Unions $84,750
Commercial Banks $63,850
Building Trade Unions $62,350
Real Estate $61,944
Transportation Unions $59,500
Industrial Unions $50,000
Insurance $48,000
TV/Movies/Music $42,550
Misc Unions $42,500
Pro-Israel $41,598
Pharmaceuticals/Health Products $39,946
Lobbyists $38,459
Health Professionals $34,300

His top contributors:
ActBlue $307,407
Advantage Capital Partners $40,750
JStreetPAC $39,598
Goldman Sachs $34,150
JPMorgan Chase & Co $26,550
AmeriPAC: The Fund for a Greater America $25,500
Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers $25,000
Democratic Congressional Campaign Cmte $20,410
American Federation of Teachers $20,250
BRIDGE PAC $20,000
New Democrat Coalition $20,000
Impact $20,000
PAC to the Future $20,000
National Venture Capital Assn $20,000
American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees $20,000
Plumbers/Pipefitters Union $20,000
IntercontinentalExchange Inc $17,100
DE Shaw & Co $15,400
Service Employees International Union $15,000
American Resort Development Assn $15,000
Teamsters Union $15,000
Blue Dog PAC $15,000 $0 $15,000
United Food & Commercial Workers Union $15,000
American Crystal Sugar $15,000
Metalmark Capital $15,000

Attacks on Murphy from the right may begin again, as on Friday, he voted to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which passed the House, 234-194.

WGXC checked in with the staff of Murphy’s Republican opponent this fall, and Chris Gibson opposes net neutrality and the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

Schumer may become majority leader

Jason Horowitz in The Washington Post says there is a chance New York Senator Chuck Schumer will be the Senate’s next majority leader:

Now, with confidant Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) hanging on to his seat by a thread, the Brooklynite is nearing the goal line of his long game. Succeeding Reid would make Schumer the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in American history and, more important for the uber-competitive politician, the first among peers. The senator has thrust himself into the center of issues including jobs, immigration and Supreme Court hearings, but as that momentum has carried him into a more intimate arena where popularity matters, the grating architect of the current Democratic majority has become noticeably more collegial. Perhaps not coincidentally, his colleagues see him as the front-runner to be their leader. “It’s very much within the realm of possibility,” said Chris Dodd of Connecticut, who lost a race for minority leader to South Dakota’s Tom Daschle by a vote in 1994. “He’s always moving and always talking to people and he has a very good feel for what other people have to put up with. And that’s a critical point of that job, understanding the environment your colleague has to operate in.” Read the entire story in The Washington Post.

Changes in dairy safety net expected

Marc Heller in the Watertown Daily Times reports:

In the next few years, dairy farmers are likely to see big changes in the safety net that protects them from crashing milk prices — including a first-ever comprehensive system to limit milk production, the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee said. Rep. Collin C. Peterson, D-Minn., said he believes the past year’s deep decline in milk prices will result in momentum for fundamental changes in dairy policy when Congress considers the five-year farm bill in 2012, as long as farm groups can find common ground and opposition from milk processors can be kept to a minimum. Mr. Peterson outlined his expectations in an interview at his Capitol Hill office in which he also disputed widespread criticism that the dairy industry is plagued by price manipulation and discussed the role Rep. William L. Owens, D-Plattsburgh, may play on the committee, to which he was named two weeks ago. Mr. Peterson’s committee already has begun weekly field hearings on the farm bill, which have generated hundreds of comments from farmers around the country. The farm bill sets farm, food and nutrition programs, as well as rural development initiatives. Read the entire story in the Watertown Daily Times.

Murphy ranks 370th in bringing home pork

U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy, the Democrat from Glens Falls who represents Columbia and Greene counties, ranked 370 of 435 with $6.09 million federal pork-barrel funds for local projects, according to the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste’s annual “Pig Book,” William J. Kemble reports in The Daily Freeman. In comparison, longtime U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, who represents an area just south of Murphy’s district, ranked 50th with $54.96 million in projects. Murphy has served less then one full term. Murphy recently posted his appropriations requests online. Murphy is facing Republican Chris Gibson this fall.

Green Party nominates Hawkins for Governor

Saturday New York’s Green Party nominated Howie Hawkins for Governor. Gloria Mattera, long-time peace activist from Brooklyn, was nominated for Lt. Governor. Colia Clark, a long time social justice activist from Harlem, won the nomination to run for the U.S. Senate for the seat presently held by Democrat Chuck Schumer. Cecile Lawrence, a resident of Apalachin in Tioga County who is a leader in the movement against hydrofracking for natural gas due to concerns over water and other environmental issues, will run for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand. Julia Willibrand, a long-time environmental leader from Manhattan, was nominated for State Comptroller. The Green Party needs 50,000 votes for Governor to regain its status as an official ballot access qualified party.

Chris Gibson opens campaign headquarters in Kinderhook

Chris Gibson opens his campaign headquarters in Kinderhook May 12, 2010.

Republican Congressional candidate Chris Gibson opened his campaign headquarters in his hometown of Kinderhook Thursday, May 12, packing the small space with loyal supporters down the street from Ichabod Crane High School, where Gibson was the point guard and co-captain of the basketball team. The candidate sat down for a few minutes with WGXC to talk about the issues he is hearing about from residents of Greene and Columbia counties, and you can listen to the mp3 file here or paste this url into your computer’s media player:
http://archive.free103point9.org/2010/05
/ChrisGibson_WGXC_051210.mp3

Gibson says stimulus didn’t; would abolish Homeland Security

The Republican Congressional candidate Chris Gibson would abolish the Department of Homeland Security, and says the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was “a loser for our country, but especially for our area,” in an interview with Jimmy Vielkind in the Albany Times-Union. He writes: “[Gibson] said that the regional management of the conflict is good — he even said that President Barack Obama has made “good choices” in managing the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan — but the separation between military efforts and civil defense, or homeland security measures, must be improved.” The Kinderhook conservative is challenging incumbent Democrat Scott Murphy for New York’s 20th Congressional District seat. Read the entire story in the Times-Union.

Murphy hires a campaign manager, Gibson meets volunteers

From Jimmy Vielkind in Capitol Confidential:

Rep. Scott Murphy’s re-election campaign buried a tidbit in two e-mails they sent soliciting campaign cash before a deadline: Murphy has brought on Mitch Wallace as his campaign manager. A Wisconsin native, Wallace has been involved in several campaigns there and in other states. Also this weekend, Murphy’s Republican opponent Chris Gibson met with over 200 volunteers at West Mountain. A narrative account written… by Gibson’s press aide Rob Clark is reproduced in the link below. Read the entire story at Capitol Confidential.

Murphy votes against Congressional pay raise

From Maury Thompson in the Post-Star:

U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy, D-Glens Falls, voted to reject a congressional pay raise for the coming federal fiscal year….Members of Congress receive an automatic annual cost-of-living adjustment, unless Congress votes specifically to reject it, as the House did overwhelmingly this week….Salary for House members would remain at $174,000 annually. Read the entire story in the Post-Star.

Murphy, who represents Greene and Columbia counties in NY-20, is running for re-election against Republican Chris Gibson.

Scott Murphy speaks to constituents in Palenville

Scott Murphy photo from April 1 at Coxsackie's Senior Center.

Congressman Scott Murphy held a town meeting in Palenville Monday, April 19, at 1:30 p.m. at the Palenville Fire Department, 717 Rte. 32A, Palenville. Murphy is running for re-election against Republican Chris Gibson. Listen to an audio mp3 recording of Murphy answering questions from constituents (recorded by WGXC’s Debra Kamecke) by clicking here or by pasting the following link into your computer’s media player:
http://archive.free103point9.org/2010/04/
ScottMurphy_Palenville_WGXC_041910.mp3

Murphy employed pollster who settled with Attorney General

From Jimmy Vielkind in Capitol Confidential:

Rep. Scott Murphy paid $23,100 in the last three months to Global Strategy Group, a Democratic polling firm which recently paid a $2 million settlement in connection with a pay-to-play investigation. Murphy’s quarterly filing shows the payments to Global were made on Feb. 4 and 24 for polling. They were Murphy’s largest expenditures (others include payments to Act Blue, for Murphy’s fund-raisers and some travel) of the quarter, during which he raised $475,000. Global Strategy Group acknowledged to Cuomo’s investigators that they acted as an unlicensed placement agent when they arranged a meeting with Intermedia Partners and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli in 2007. Intermedia’s investment from the state’s common retirement fund was increased thereafter. The firm has many marquis Democratic clients: it advised former Gov. Eliot Spitzer in his 2006 election and is currently on retainer to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. Murphy has used Global as his pollster since his 2009 special election. Gillibrand’s Republican opponent David Malpass has called on her to break with Global, and other Republicans (including Doug Hoffman, the likely Conservative Party candidate against Rep. Bill Owens) are issuing similar calls…. “We have spoken with Global Strategy Group are satisfied that they have worked with the Attorney General’s office to resolve the issue,” said Josh Schwerin, a Murphy spokesman. “Furthermore, it is evident that this incident is unrelated to our relationship with the firm and our campaign will continue to employ their services.”

Read the entire article in Capitol Confidential.

Gibson vs. Murphy: Quarterly FEC reports

CONGRESSIONAL COMPARISON

Click here to search for Federal Election Commission finance reports from candidates from March 31.

Chris Gibson (Republican)
Receipts $108,519
Individual $102,119
PAC $1,500
Party $0
Candidate $4,900
Other $0
Cash on hand $91,826

Scott Murphy (Democrat)
Receipts $3,730,535
Individual $1,821,342
PAC $1,252,403
Party $8,807
Candidate $250,000
Other $397,983
Cash on hand $1,090,368

Malpass to challenge Gillibrand

The Associated Press reports economist David Malpass announced Wednesday he would seek the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

Pataki will not challenge Gillibrand

From North Country Public Radio:

State Senator Kirsten Gillibrand looks less and less vulnerable these days, and more and more like a juggernaut. The last truly viable Republican who might have taken her on, former Governor George Pataki, has formally bowed out. So have the Democrats who once threatened to challenge her in a primary. Meanwhile, Sen. Gillibrand’s war-chest has grown dramatically — she’s raised more than $8 million dollars in the year since Governor Paterson anointed her. Read the entire article from North Country Public Radio.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

Gibson has $91,825 for race against Murphy

From Jimmy Vielkind in Capitol Confidential:

Chris Gibson, the retired Army colonel from Kinderhook who is running against Rep. Scott Murphy, has raised $108,000 toward his race against Rep. Scott Murphy. According to his quarterly FEC filing, Gibson has $91,825.97 on hand for his run against Murphy, a freshman Democrat from Glens Falls. Murphy’s quarterly disclosure is not yet filed (it’s due tomorrow) but his aides have indicated he raised $475,000 this quarter, bringing his total war chest to $1.1 million. Gibson formally declared his candidacy March 6, and said he would report a “respectable” amount of money, that would make him competitive “in the air” against Murphy. Read the entire article in Capitol Confidential.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

Chris Gibson positions

Conservative blog The Daily Sok reports on what Kinderhook’s Republican Congressional candidate Chris Gibson said, meeting with a group of so-called “tea party” citizens outside NY’s District 20 at Duke’s Pub in Glenmont last Wednesday, about his positions in his quest to unseat Democrat incumbent Scott Murphy:

The Colonel didn’t miss a beat answering the opening question (posed by a local activist sporting a symbolic Tin Foil Hat), “Will you support impeaching President Obama for violating the terms of his Oath of Office?” His level reply: “No”. Rather, he said, he will focus on “making him [President Obama] a one-termer”, which drew a cacophony of applause from those gathered. Other answers drew mixed reactions. On Abortion, the Colonel, who was “raised Catholic”, doesn’t oppose Abortion “in the first trimester”, which split the crowd roughly evenly. He responded to calls from the crowd that the “Fed has no place [in Abortion]” by re-emphasizing that his position is “aligned with limited government”. When asked “Why can’t you be bought?” Gibson revealed he intends to turn back his military pension when he is elected, to avoid any semblance of “double-dipping” and sees the opportunity to represent NY-20 as “not a job, a cause”. He sees a balanced budget and term limits as steps towards shifting power away from Washington and back to the local communities. He indicated that, as a 24-year Veteran, he is keenly aware of the need to cut Soviet-era systems and his 4 combat tours in Iraq have given him a unique insight into effective strategies for dealing with threats like Al Qaeda, including (exceedingly popular with the crowd) dismantling the Department of Homeland Security.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

Murphy holds town meeting in Coxsackie

Democrat Congressman Scott Murphy (NY-20) held a town hall meeting at 2 p.m. today in Coxsackie at the Senior Center (formerly Knights of Columbus building) at 127 Mansion St., with several constituents asking him about his recent “yes” vote on the health care reform bill. WGXC recorded the Town Hall, and you can listen to an mp3 recording here. Afterwards, Murphy answered a few questions from the local media, including a WGXC question about his appropriation request for the Cairo Library. Listen to the Greene County media ask Rep. Murphy questions here, another mp3 recording. Yesterday, Republicans made it official that Kinderhook’s Chris Gibson will run against Murphy in November.
Audio links:
http://archive.free103point9.org/2010/04/
ScottMurphy_CoxsackieTownHall_WGXC_040110.mp3
http://archive.free103point9.org/2010/04/
ScottMurphy_Coxsackiemediaquestions_WGXC_040110.mp3

Listen to Scott Murphy Tele-Town Hall

Listen to a recording of Rep. Scott Murphy’s Tele-Town Hall from 6:30 p.m. March 10, 2009 on WGXC Online Radio by clicking here. Rep. Murphy represents NY-20, which includes Columbia and Greene counties.

That link should open an mp3 recording in Quicktime Player on your computer. Note: This does not work in Internet Explorer, use a different browser. If you have Quicktime Player Pro, you can download the recording.

You can also paste this in to your iTunes, or whatever media player you use, under “Open URL”:
http://archive.free103point9.org/2010/03/ScottMurphy_TeleTownHall_WGXC_031010.mp3

Murphy votes for Local Community Radio Act

Yesterday the U.S House of Representatives passed on a voice vote, HR 1147, the Local Community Radio Act of 2009. This bill will expand the low-power FM program, and allow communities throughout the country to have access to their own airwaves via their own community radio stations. A spokesman for Rep. Scott Murphy (D-NY20), who represents Greene and Columbia counties, says the congressman supported the measure. Now Senate bill 592 must pass that half of Congress before the bill goes to President Obama for a signature or veto.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on DADT

New York Senator — and former U.S. Representative for Greene and Columbia counties — Kirsten Gillibrand has called for Congressional hearings this fall to allow homosexuals to join the military without the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Last night she talked about the issue on “The Rachel Maddow Show” on MSNBC. Watch clip above.