All Over Albany

Scanning Tedisco-Murphy, take 5

Election day is just a week away in the race to fill Kirsten Gillibrand's old House seat. We've been reading the coverage so you don't have to. (The last scan.)

The big news this week: two debates!

The debates

+ Jim Tedisco and Scotty Murphy will participating in a debate sponsored by WNYT this evening at 7 pm. It'll be streamed both on TV and online.

+ Tedisco, Murphy and Libertarian candidate Eric Sundwall are scheduled for a "town hall" style debate sponsored by WROW this Thursday at the Holiday Inn Express in Latham at 7 pm. (No, the hotel is not in the 20th Congressional District.)

What about Sundwall?

+ It's looking like Sundwall might not make it onto the ballot next Tuesday. A challenge to his signatures has resulted in more than half of his total getting bounced -- which means he's about about 600 short of the required total. The final decision from the Board of Elections comes on Wednesday. [Post-Star] [Daily Gazette]

Money

+ Both the Tedisco and Murphy campaigns have raised more than a million dollars. [TU]

The chatter

+ The latest issue to surface: Murphy's opposition to the death penalty. He told Fred Dicker on the radio that he's against the death penalty for terrorists. That led to an exchange of statements in which the Tedisco campaign called Murphy's position "a shocking, stunning and deeply troubling revelation" and the Murphy campaign responded "Scott was in New York City on 9/11 and understands the horrors of that day." [Politico] [NCPR]

+ Whatever influence Rush Limbaugh may have on Republicans, Tedisco says the radio talker is "meaningless to me." [Oneonta Daily Star]

+ The National Journal's Amy Walter says this special election marks the beginning of the 2010 midterm battle.

+ The AP's Liz Sidoti writes that the race is "seen as a referendum on President Barack Obama's policies and a test of GOP strength."

The TV ads

+ Price Chopper CEO Neil Golub appears in this spot, recorded in a Price Chopper, endorsing Jim Tedisco:

Take home: Tedisco's a local guy who understands us. And he probably enjoys fruits and vegetables.

+ The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee put together this ad accusing Tedisco of giving special attention to David Silipigno, a local financier who pleaded guilty to fraud.

Take home: Tedisco's one of those "Albany politicians" -- you know, not like all those upstanding politicians from DC.