18 mrt 2009

Tedisco downplays GOP ties

Republican Jim Tedisco is trying to shed his partisan affiliation and connect himself to President Obama in his latest ad – his first TV spot since announcing that he would be running a more positive campaign last week.

“Like the president said, in these difficult times, we’re not Republicans or Democrats, we’re Americans.” Tedisco says in his latest ad. “And that’s the team I’m on.”
We'll see if the bipartisan theme sticks: In the state Assembly, Tedisco is not just a Republican but the leader of his party. When he announced his campaign, he highlighted his record of taking on former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, and blocking some of his proposals -- particularly, his plan to give drivers' licenses to illegal immigrants.
The advertisement comes just after he announced that he would have opposed the president’s stimulus package after spending weeks refusing to take a position on the legislation.
The district, vacated by now-Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, is the most Republican district in New York based on registration figures, but gave President Obama 51 percent of the vote last year.


Tedisco is running against Democrat Scott Murphy for the special election to fill the seat, which will be held on March 31.