Congressman Grimm is not pleased. (Photo: Facebook)

As President Barack Obama's opponents pile on in the aftermath of multiple recent controversies--notably his reaction to the Benghazi attacks, revelations that the Internal Revenue Service focused on conservative-aligned nonprofits and the Justice Department's unprecedented snooping on press communications--one local congressman wants it to be known that he is also not pleased.

To wit, Republican Rep. Michael Grimm, who represents Staten Island and southern Brooklyn, released a lengthy statement this afternoon blasting Mr. Obama for "bringing Chicago-style politics to the White House." This style of underhanded rule, Mr. Grimm said, has resulted in a presidency that is “the most secretive, deceptive, and divisive we’ve seen in modern times."

For its part, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney has said the administration had no knowledge of the Justice Department's secret efforts to obtain Associated Press reporters' and editors' telephone records, which the news agency slammed as a "massive and unprecedented intrusion."

Regarding the IRS subjecting conservative groups to additional scrutiny, Mr. Obama himself said Monday that he "will not tolerate it." But on questions as to whether his administration politicized its response to the September 11th, 2012 attacks on America's embassy in Benghazi, Libya, Mr. Obama insisted, “There's no 'there' there."

None of that was enough to persuade, Mr. Grimm, of course, whose entire statement ripping into the president can be viewed below:

“President Obama’s legacy is going to be one tarnished by scandal after scandal. This president had an opportunity to unite our country and move it forward better and stronger. Instead, he brought Chicago-style politics to the White House and divided us as a nation.

“Today this president continues to blame Republicans for politicizing Benghazi, when it is his very own administration that covered up the facts. He was slow to react to the IRS targeting conservative Tea Party groups, and today he denies knowledge of the Justice Department seizing the phone records of AP reporters.

“The president claims to be in the dark on one event after another. What are they doing over there? Who’s accountable if it’s not the commander in chief?

“Instead of a legacy of ‘hope and change,’ President Obama will be known for bringing Chicago-style politics to the White House. The most ‘transparent administration in history’ is actually the most secretive, deceptive, and divisive we’ve seen in modern times. This administration has misled the American people one too many times, and it’s time it is held accountable.”

(Photo: Getty)

Last year, Mark Murphy ran a sharply negative campaign against Staten Island Congressman Michael Grimm that focused on an ongoing federal investigation into the incumbent's 2010 fundraising efforts. The drumbeat was relentless; Mr. Murphy held regular press conferences about the investigation, worked it into his everyday messaging and even sent out direct mail with a faux mugshot of Mr. Grimm's face on it. Despite these intense attacks, Mr. Murphy went on to lose 46 percent to 53 percent to the Republican Mr. Grimm in a swing district narrowly carried by President Barack Obama.

Councilman Domenic Recchia, who is planning to take on Mr. Grimm next year, is charting a different course for his campaign.

"Listen, I don't get involved with people's private lives," Mr. Recchia told us as we sat down outside his government office earlier today. “This is not about Michael Grimm and his personal life, what he might have done or might not have done. I don't know. This is about myself running for Congress to support the people of Staten Island and southern Brooklyn so I can really help them."

Though he indicated he won't make personal attacks against Mr. Grimm, Mr. Recchia has plenty of criticism for the incumbent congressman's politics. Mr. Recchia claims his campaign was inspired by the Republican-controlled Congress' initial stalling of the Hurricane Sandy federal aid package. Mr. Recchia was previously been fundraising for an unnamed 2013 citywide race--probably comptroller or Brooklyn borough president--but said he decided to run for federal office after watching Speaker John Boehner stall the Sandy package. Though Mr. Grimm initially blasted Mr. Boehner, he later supported the Speaker in his confirmation.

"In my days in working with Superstorm Sandy ... I had to worry about my own district, worry about what was going on in the city. Then the [Council] Speaker called me, said, 'We have to get moving. We need money. Staten Island, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan. We need to fund hospitals, we're out schools.' We had to move money around. So I'd be working the district, meeting with her at night, going over funding," the councilman said. "I just came to realize, 'How are we going to make up this much money?' We're relying on the federal government. Then with the Republican Congress, they cancelled the vote. Then John Boehner started to use the [Republicans] of New York so he can get his support to be the speaker. That was unacceptable. I thought that was horrible that somebody would do that. To hear Michael Grimm say, 'I'm not going to support him.' Which is great, I'm glad. But then he goes and supports him. That's unacceptable."

Along with his concern about the handling of the hurricane, Mr. Recchia touted his legislative experience as another reason for his run. Referring to himself as a "numbers guy," Mr. Recchia cited unemployment as his "greatest concern" and touted his work as the chair of the City Council's Finance Committee as evidence he's ready to take on economic issues.

"I have to work with Washington right now!" he exclaimed at one point. "We had the preliminary budget hearing on Monday. There are many questions asked about the storm, financing, where the money's going to come from. What the impact's going to be. How much are we going to be reimbursed? We're still waiting to be reimbursed! ... We really need someone from Congress that can make a difference. That understands the budget. That really knows how to get things done."

Of course, Election Day 2014 is a long way out, and Mr. Recchia's messaging could change with time. Though Mr. Recchia maintains he will focused on substantive financial and policy issues, he didn't completely rule out the possibility he would bring up Mr. Grimm's fundraising controversy in the future.

"The campaign is a year and a half away, alright?" Mr. Recchia said when we asked if he might change his tune. "I'm sure many issues are going to come up. I really want to keep this about what I have done, my track record. I have a good track record on serving communities, building consensus, working with both sides of the aisle. That's what we need. I want to do what's necessary, not what's easy. That's why I'm running for Congress."

Cardinal Dolan (Photo: Getty)

Earlier today, Pope Benedict XVI surprisingly announced his abidcation--the first time a Pope has stepped down since 1415--setting the stage for the dramatic process of electing a new Vatican leader. And, although Congressman Michael Grimm doesn't get a vote in that select process, the Staten Island lawmaker wants everyone to know he's backing New York's own Cardinal Timothy Dolan for the holy vocation.

"It is too early to determine the full extent of Pope Benedict’s legacy; however, New Yorkers will never forget the gift he gave us with the elevation of Cardinal Dolan," Mr. Grimm announced in a statement. "Cardinal Dolan has lifted the spirits of Catholics and non-Catholics throughout New York and the world, and renewed the faith of many. If it were up to me to pick the next pope, Cardinal Dolan would have my vote!"

Mr. Grimm, who is Catholic, additionally praised Pope Benedict's unusual decision to step down, calling it "a sign of a great leader."

"Like most Catholics throughout the world, I was surprised and saddened to hear the news of Pope Benedict’s resignation. For seven years, he served honorably as our holy pontiff - seeking to reawaken Christianity throughout the world," he said. "One sign of a great leader is knowing when to step down. While we are shocked by this news, I commend Pope Benedict for putting the future of the Catholic Church before all else, and today I join Catholics around the world in praying for his health and well-being."

For his part, Cardinal Dolan--who was only elevated to his current position last year--said it would be "highly improbable"  that he would be considered for the papacy.

Governor Andrew Cuomo speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill yesterday. (Photo: Getty)

Governor Andrew Cuomo spent the day in Washington yesterday lobbying for the approximately $40 billion in federal aid he is asking for to help the state recover from Hurricane Sandy. Politicker spoke with sources familiar with the governor's schedule to get details on how he spent his time and who he met with on his first trip to Washington since taking office.

"The governor hit the trifecta; the White House, the Majority Leader and the speaker,"  an administration official said.

With the country facing the fiscal cliff and the tense budget talks in D.C., securing such a large aid package is a tall order. Last week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg also made the trip to Washington to lobby for the funds.

Mr. Cuomo's afternoon began at the White House where he met with President Barack Obama's Chief of Staff Jack Lew, budget chief Jeffrey Zients, Director of Legislative Affairs Rob Nabor's and the White House's point person on the long-term Sandy recovery effort, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. The governor was accompanied by his spokesman Josh Vlasto and his senior advisor Howard Glaser. On his way out of the White House, Governor Cuomo also bumped into the president's senior advisor Valerie Jarrett and economic advisor Gene Sperling and he talked with the about the request for recovery aid.

After his time at the White House, Governor Cuomo went to the Capitol Building where he met with New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. The trio had a meeting with Senator Dan Inouye, chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, and Senator Thad Cochran, the committee's vice chairman. They also met with Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu, who also sits on the appropriations committee and personally dealt with another large request for federal storm after her state was hit by Hurricane Katrina. Following their meetings with the members of the appropriations committee, Mr. Cuomo, Mr. Schumer and Ms. Gillibrand met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Next, Mr. Cuomo met with leaders of the House of Representatives. He began by meeting with Speaker of the House John Boehner accompanied by two of the New York City area's Republican congressman Michael Grimm and Peter King. Mr. Boehner's support will be pivotal to the push for Sandy aid because, according to Mr. Grimm, he has expressed willingness to approve a package without offsets from other items in the federal budget. This is expected to face opposition from other members of the GOP House majority and Mr. Boehner and other Republicans who support the aid request will be crucial to turning sufficient Republican votes for it to pass. After his meeting with Mr. Boehner, Governor Cuomo also spent about a half an hour meeting with the Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

The last item on the governor's list was a press conference with all of the members of New York's congressional delegation. At the press conference, Mr. Cuomo said he hoped to have an aid package finalized by Christmas. Mr. King, who also spoke said Mr. Boehner was strongly supportive of the push for federal Sandy recovery funds.

"The Speaker is committed to making this work," he said. "To do what has to be done."

Mr. Cuomo echoed this sentiment and described his meeting with Mr. Boehner as "positive."

"We're trying to cooperate--collaborate our politics, if you will," he said of working with the GOP.

Grace Meng and Michael Grimm (Photo: Meng Campaign/Getty)

New York State started off as a key battleground in the Democrats' battle to retake control of the U.S. House, especially after the courts intervened in the redistricting plan and shook up a lot of traditional boundaries. However, most of these races were focused in areas further Upstate and the suburbs, leaving the heavily Democratic New York City with just two congressional elections of note.

In Queens, Democratic Assemblywoman Grace Meng faced off against GOP Councilman Dan Halloran for a seat crafted from the district remnants of outgoing Congressmen Bob Turner and Gary Ackerman. Despite Mr. Halloran's polling showing the race a tie, those numbers did not pan out and Ms. Meng is currently ahead by roughly 2-to-1, which matches how Democrats have historically performed within the area.

In a more hotly contested race spanning Staten Island and southern Brooklyn, Republican Congressman Michael Grimm successfully defeated Democrat Mark Murphy, according to multiple projections. Democrats were initially hopeful that a barrage of bad headlines, notably an FBI investigation into Mr. Grimm's fundraising during his 2010 congressional campaign, would shift things in their favor. However, Mr. Grimm was an energetic legislator and an aggressive campaigner, resulting in an electorate apparently unwilling to indict him based on headlines alone.

Elsewhere in the state, endangered Democrats Tim Bishop and Bill Owens have both won as well, but Rep. Kathy Hochul, occupying staunchly conservative territory in Western New York, is narrowly trailing GOP challenger Chris Collins. In the Hudson Valley, Republican Congressman Chris Gibson has a modest lead over Julian Schreibman, while Mr. Gibson's GOP colleague, Nan Hayworth, is currently trailing her Democratic challenger Sean Patrick Maloney. Seats in Rochester and Syracuse have already been called for Democrats Louise Slaughter and Dan Maffei respectively, with Mr. Maffei's being a pickup for his party.

(Photo: Congressman Grimm's Office)

Staten Island Congressman Michael Grimm isn't letting Hurricane Sandy slow him down.

"It's a little crazy, I've been driving from one side of the island to another," he told us over the telephone earlier tonight. "A 93 year-old woman who has breathing issues, she can't lie flat in the shelter and they don't have beds that incline. So they have them in the other shelter at the south part of the island, at Tottenville High School. And every which way I've been going, the streets have been down because of flooding or because of trees down. I'm driving, I'm just about there so I can bring back this cot."

Mr. Grimm, a veteran and former F.B.I. agent, said he directed his staff to run their shop like a "military operation" between the various evacuation centers, but he was the only person in his office still out in the dangerous winds tonight.

"My staff, we set up a command post," he said. "Each staff member had a specific shelter they checked in with. We've been running pretty much like a military operation. Everyone has their assignments, everyone filters down to my district director and then to me."

The congressman also heaped praise on the volunteers toiling away at the shelters and explained how he and another local lawmaker managed to get emergency ziti to the hungry inhabitants of a Mid-Island facility.

"Most of the staff at the shelters are volunteers, and they've been incredible," he extolled. "Just the little things, at the Petrides School they were about to cook pasta for everyone and the power went out. So myself and Assemblyman Michael Cusick called one of the diners I know, and they cooked up pasta for everybody. The power ended up coming back on later on, but at least everyone got fed."

Congressman Grimm standing alone at the Dyker Heights debate.

Last Friday night, all of the candidates for local office gathered for the Richmond County American Legion Political Forum. “The candidates were contacted by letter in August, and follow-up e-mails were sent in September and early October to each, asking for confirmation of attendance," Ted Cohen, an organizer of the event, explained in an email. "Positive responses were received from almost every candidate. There was one notable exception."

Mark Murphy, the Democratic candidate against freshman GOP Rep. Michael Grimm, did not attend. "I find it a bit disturbing that a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives would ignore an invitation from an important Veterans organization in his district," Mr. Cohen continued in the letter, which can be found in full below.

Although Mr. Cohen has been publicly friendly to Mr. Grimm in the past, his point is further emphasized by other events. At a recent Dyker Heights debate, Mr. Murphy was again the only candidate for local office not in attendance, leaving Mr. Grimm  standing next to an empty chair. Mr. Grimm was also alone at the Bay Ridge Real Estate Board's candidates forum, and while neither candidate attended the Arab American Civic Association's forum, Mr. Murphy had told the group he would be there.

It's difficult to run for Congress, especially against an incumbent. Candidates in such situations typically make every effort to attend these sorts of events in order to boost their name recognition and presence in the community. Asked about his absences, Mr. Murphy's campaign spokesman Nathan Smith pointed towards today's New York Times' endorsement editorial and said the Democratic contender was doing just fine.

"The New York Times agrees, in their endorsement this morning, that Mark is running a dynamic campaign and is exactly the reform candidate that Staten Island and Brooklyn deserve," he contended in a statement. "Mark has personally delivered his pro-middle class message to countless voters, and he will participate in three upcoming debates, two of which will be on television. Mark has been a visible and vocal candidate with a vigorous schedule of community meetings, forums, door-knocking, fundraisers, press interviews and voter contact. He cannot attend every meeting, but his campaign talks to thousands of voters every day, and his support is growing."

To illustrate this point, Mr. Murphy's campaign also provided a list of his activities in the last two weeks:

-Visited a dozen transportation hubs (express bus and train stations and ferry terminal) between 6:30 and 9 a.m.
campaigned with Hakeem Jeffries (this past weekend: two churches/two housing complexes)
-Walked door-to-door 8 nights in the district (Staten Island and Brooklyn)
-Held 6 fundraisers
-Met voters at 4 supermarkets on the weekends
-Made numerous calls to undecided voters in between his fundraisers and voter engagement efforts
-Attended dozens of weekend voter-contact events (cultural fests, churches, and street fairs)
-Spoken to hundreds of his volunteers at events at Staten Island and Brooklyn headquarters
-Prepared for three upcoming debates with Michael Grimm (two will be on TV)
-Attended the Marlboro Houses Tenants Association Meeting
-Attended Arab Muslim American Federation Meeting
-Met with Brooklyn Democratic district and party leaders
-Met with Staten Island Democratic leaders

On the other hand, here is the discontented Mr. Cohen's email:

Subject: Richmond County American Legion Political Forum

The Political Forum sponsored by the American Legion of Richmond County was held on Friday, October 19th, at 7:00 PM at the Kells-Grennie Post on Amboy Road.

All declared candidates for every political office in Richmond County were invited to speak at the forum, which is held every two years.

The event was coordinated by our very able Mr. Lester Modelowitz, who expended a great deal of effort to make the evening informative and enjoyable. As always, he did a superb job.

The candidates were contacted by letter in August, and follow-up e-mails were sent in September and early October to each, asking for confirmation of attendance. Positive responses were received from almost every candidate. There was one notable exception which will be discussed below.

Each candidate was informed that he/she would have 6 minutes to speak, and no questions from the audience would be permitted. The topics were: key positions in the candidate's platform, and specific opinions on Veteran issues ( education, housing, support of troops, VA health care, Veterans' tax exemptions, war monuments, etc.).

The forum was very well attended by Legion members and the candidates' comments were extensive, varied, helpful, and sincerely appreciated.

Sadly, Mr. Mark Murphy did not respond to the several contacts we made, and he did not show up. Had he decided to attend, even at the last moment, he would have been able to speak to the group.

I find it a bit disturbing that a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives would ignore an invitation from an important Veterans organization in his district. Mr. Murphy did not even give the Richmond County American Legion the courtesy of a response in order to decline our invitation.

Conversely, Congressman Grimm, the incumbent, perhaps facing less of an up uphill struggle than Mr. Murphy, did indeed address the group.

I'm sure all of the candidates for the various offices had multiple commitments and scheduling challenges. Nevertheless, the various contenders for State Senate and State Assembly chose to honor us with their presence, as did Congressman Grimm.

I felt it was important to advise you of the facts, and trust you will report same to your readers. I'm sure the general public would be interested in a potential Congressman's slight of war Veterans in our district.

As word is passed throughout the Veteran community on Staten Island, I believe Mr. Murphy will receive little support from our members.

Thank you for your attention.

Ted Cohen
Captain, USAF Retired
Watkins-Kellett American Legion Post #277

(Photo: YouTube)

GOP Congressman Michael Grimm has faced a barrage of bad headlines since the start of this year, most recently an article in today's New York Times with the word "mob ties" in the title. These headlines have been further amplified by his Democratic opponent, Mark Murphy, bombarding Mr. Grimm on the airwaves and implying the incumbent is a crook. Well, Mayor Rudy Giuliani--possibly buoyed by the boat the congressman is trying to name after him--has come to the rescue.

"Hi, I'm Rudy Giuliani," the former mayor says directly to the camera in Mr. Grimm's latest television ad. "Don't be fooled by the shameful attacks in the media, Michael Grimm's character and integrity are second to none. Michael Grimm is a great congressman and an outstanding representative for Staten Island and Brooklyn."

Attacking the media is a common tactic of Mr. Grimm's when faced with criticism, so it's unsurprising Mr. Giuliani would echo that position. In the campaign commercial, he also praises the congressman's status as one of the most legislatively productive freshmen in the U.S. House.

"Michael's record is remarkable for a first-term lawmaker," Mr. Giuliani continued. "And I'm proud to strongly support our congressman, Michael Grimm. So join me, Rudy Giuliani, in supporting Michael Grimm for Congress. An effective leader, whose record is as impressive as his lifetime of service."

Update: Mr. Murphy's campaign spokesman Dan Morris wasn't impressed with Mr. Giuliani parachuting in to help his Republican friend and issued the following statement: “Scandal-scarred Michael Grimm knows he has lost the support of many voters and is now seriously worried about losing the election. Surrogates like Rudy Giuliani and John Boehner do nothing to change the fact that Grimm is facing multiple federal investigations, and getting buried under an avalanche of unanswered questions about his shady associations with criminals and mobsters. Grimm will need to do a lot more than roll out TV ads to convince people he isn't crooked."

Watch below:

Peter Ward, President of the New York Hotel & Motel Trades Council, AFL-CIO. (Illustration by, Fred Harper)

The Hotel Trades Council, which has become one of the most influential unions in New York City politics thanks to their aggressive organizing efforts and willingness to back both Democrats and Republicans, dove into the five boroughs' most competitive congressional race this afternoon by endorsing Democrat Mark Murphy over incumbent GOP Rep. Michael Grimm.

“We’re all in. This is a priority race for us," Josh Gold, HTC's political director, explained in a statement. “We plan to do everything we can to elect Mark. He is someone who will stand up for all working men and women. He will fight hard for policies and legislation that will improve the lives of our members and help rebuild the middle class."

The union is the latest to make Mr. Murphy's electoral efforts a top priority, following a similar announcement from the RWDSU last week. Other Democratic-aligned unions have also endorsed Mr. Murphy, but HTC may be his first union backer with significant bipartisan tendencies.

Indeed, Mr. Grimm is no stranger to unions himself and has secured more labor endorsements than the typical congressional Republican. In fact, in all of New York State, the Staten Island representative had the only notable congressional race where the AFL-CIO outright declined to endorse the Democrat.

While the campaign arm of the House Democrats drew a giant target on Mr. Grimm's back, the general feeling among insiders is that Mr. Murphy has a decent amount of ground to catch up before voters head to the polls on November 6th. The last public survey of the race showed the incumbent leading by 10%.

Mark Murphy (Photo: Facebook)

Congressman Michael Grimm's Democratic opponent, Mark Murphy, is apparently enjoying the ongoing saga that's unfolding after an incident of vandalism occurred at Mr. Grimm's campaign office over the weekend. Mr. Grimm initially aggressively responded to the incident where windows were broken at his Staten Island headquarters by alleging acts of computer tampering and data theft also occurred and describing the situation as most likely "politically motivated." After it turned out that the vandal in question was only a mere eighth grader, Mr. Grimm admitted it may have been a volunteer for his campaign who mistakenly caused his technological troubles rather than someone with more nefarious intentions.

Nathan Smith, a spokesman for Mr. Murphy, responded to Mr. Grimm's admission he may have jumped to conclusions by releasing a strongly worded statement this evening criticizing the incumbent's handling of the situation.

“We commend the young man for coming forward," Mr. Smith said of the teenage perpetrator. "The wild accusations and apparently totally false conspiracy theories of the last 48 hours have made this bizarre situation a sad spectacle."

Mr. Smith, like most of Mr. Grimm's Democratic foes, pivoted to the federal investigation into the congressman's 2010 fundraising operations, where media reports allege he extorted hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the congregation of an influential rabbi.

"It’s pretty clear at this point that Congressman Grimm is caving under the pressure of multiple ongoing investigations but hopefully he can now stop blaming the media, calling the NYPD liars, and start honestly answering the other criminal questions that have plagued him the last 2 months,” Mr. Smith claimed.

It's unlikely that Mr. Grimm has any interest in holding back on the media, however. In his long statement responding to the child's confession, the congressman attacked the press for "shameless media spin and speculation fueled by unscrupulous sources."