Campaign operatives not waiting on Fossella

Republicans and Democrats are not waiting for Rep. Vito Fossella to decide his future in Washington, as campaign operatives for both parties are already sizing up an open race should the embattled New York Republican resign.

Fossella, through a spokesman, said he has yet to decide if he will step down before July 1, which would open the door to a special election for the Staten Island district.

{mosads}But Democrats say they are already poised to turn the only red New York City congressional district blue, even without a Fossella resignation or an open seat.

Downplaying the obvious — his arrest for drunken driving and his admission of fathering an illegitimate child — these Democrats instead point to Fossella’s lackluster performance in 2006 and his limited campaign resources.

“This is a district that we’ve been targeting since long before recent events,” said DCCC regional press secretary Carrie James. “We’re ready for a election now, or we’ll be ready in November.”

New York City Councilman Domenic M. Recchia Jr. has $325,000 cash on hand compared with Fossella’s $248,000, according to the candidates’ Federal Election Commission filings. Stephen Harrison, who is most often mentioned as a viable Democratic challenger — having narrowly lost to Fossella in 2006 — is reporting $91,000 cash on hand.

Republicans said that without an announcement from Fossella himself, any speculation on GOP candidates would be inappropriate.

Yet even though the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) said it was confident it could keep the seat in Republican hands, the committee spokeswoman spoke in general terms about who would be the candidate.

“I believe the people of New York from the 13th district will continue to send a Republican to Congress who will fight for a strong economy and a strong national defense,” said NRCC spokeswoman Julie Shutley.

Some Republican aides pointed out that the NRCC’s tepid statement may be as much about economics as politics.

The committee, which has just $7 million on hand compared to the $44 million in the Democratic coffers, would be faced with financing a candidate in the country’s most expensive media market.

Meanwhile, Fossella remained back in his district and out of public view on Monday.

“He’s in Staten Island today and no decision has been made yet,” said Susan Del Percio, who was hired in the aftermath of Fossella’s May 1 arrest for driving under the influence and who has stayed on to weather the crisis that seems to be worsening by the day. Del Percio said Fossella would make a decision “on his own timetable.”

A number of Republican aides on Monday said that even as bad news continues to spill off the New York City printing presses, there is not a growing sense among GOP leaders that Fossella needs to decide his future now, or even soon.

“Certainly, this has not been a good week,” said one GOP aide. “But it’s only been a week. Compare that to [California Rep. John] Doolittle and [Arizona Rep. Rick] Renzi,” the aide said, referring to two GOP congressmen who are now plagued by federal investigations and who waited months before deciding not to seek reelection.

Renzi left the GOP hanging for four months following his acknowledgement that his family business was the target of a federal probe. Doolittle, whose Virginia home was raided by federal agents investigating his connection to imprisoned former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, waited nine months before announcing in January that he would not run again.

And on the Senate side, GOP leaders had to endure Idaho Sen. Larry Craig — who was arrested in a bathroom sex sting operation and entered a guilty plea to disorderly conduct — first saying he would resign, then changing his mind and promising not to run for a fourth term.

House Republican leaders, including Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio), continued to give Fossella space on Monday.

“As Rep. Boehner has said, this is a matter between Rep. Fossella, his family, and his constituents,” Boehner’s spokesman Michael Steel said.