KINGSTON – Congressional district lines got blurred Monday night, when U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D, NY-18) staged a progressive pep rally against his neighboring Congressman in Kingston.
The “adopt-a-district” idea struck a deliberate poke-in-the-eye to U.S. Rep. John Faso, (R, NY-19) whose district sits adjacent above Maloney’s northern outskirts.
Over 400 Faso opponents assembled at the Senate House Garage meeting
room, in Kingston’s Uptown Stockade, for the invitation-only gathering,
delivering a political ambush upon Faso, the first-term Republican.
Maloney had no trouble filling the large venue last night
Faso was attending a fundraiser at the Fort Orange Club in Albany at the same time, where he was greeted with a smaller crowd of protesters.
Maloney, who has a record of sometimes cooperating with Faso, and his GOP predecessor, on common issues, had called Faso to alert him to his visit to Faso’s district and told him he would go home if Faso showed up to explain his “yes” vote for Trumpcare last week.
Maloney explained to his newfound audience that he “adopted” Faso’s district over his refusal to publicly discuss health care reform. “It’s a little unusual, making a few people nervous,” Maloney observed, adding that he hoped similar sandbagging of next-door Republicans becomes a popular national trend.
“He [Faso] may be upset that I am in his district, but I will just point out that he is not,” said Maloney over his Republican colleague’s absence. The hour-long diatribe against Faso and Obamacare repeal was punctuated by humorous Maloney-isms, plus flash-mob group hashtag twitter-bombs.
“I represent a Donald Trump District,” Maloney said. “My
district is 60 percent rural, it is 25 percent military families, it’s
a conservative place for the most part and that’s fine by me. You
know why? Because it means I have to be on my toes. It means I have to
be responsive. I have to listen to everybody. What comes out of my mouth
better make sense or somebody is going to say, we’re going to swap
you out and find somebody else.’ It is a competitive seat. Isn’t
one of these gerrymandered districts where everybody always knows the
outcome. We compete in my district. You deserve that in every district
in America and that is what ought to happen with adopting a district.”
According to Maloney, the whole idea was inspired by resident Andrea Mitchell, who confronted Faso on his front lawn, about her medical insurance coverage. “Unfortunately, John Faso was less than sincere, He broke his promise. And here we are, fighting for our health care, hoping that the Senate will listen to us, and protect health care in this country,” she said.
Ulster County Executive Michael Hein delivered the warm-up introduction. Other politicians in the room included State Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, Ulster County Comptroller Elliot Auerbach, Ulster County Democratic Chairman Frank Cardinale, and New Paltz Deputy Supervisor Daniel Torres. For the first time in several years, competing Democratic factions put aside their bickering to unite against a common adversary.
Representatives from Planned Parenthood spoke of confronting Faso earlier Monday afternoon outside the Kingston public library, where he met with a small group of senior citizens, but declined any comment on his recent House vote to repeal Obamacare.
Maloney urged Democrats to conduct their opposition movement in a civil and respectful manner, warning activists to refrain from approaching Faso at home, or any other similarly inappropriate confrontations.
