And A Massa Mom's Barbecue, Part 4

Steve M. looks ahead a few moves on the chessboard from Eric Massa's resignation.

Eric Massa's district leans Republican. Even in the wave election of 2006 that ended GOP rule in Congress, Republican Randy Kuhl won, despite the fact that it was known that he'd once pulled a shotgun on his wife at a party, despite his praise for the Bush administration's handling of Katrina, and despite the fact that the increasingly despised Bush and Cheney campaigned for him. If that campaign strategy worked, we're talking a rather right-leaning district. In the even wavier election of 2008, Eric Massa did manage to beat Kuhl, but by only 2 points, while John McCain won the district.

And now Massa is in disgrace. And, of course, Democrats all over New York State are in disgrace.

And yet the right is going to spin this as (a) a surprise win for the GOP in the Northeast and therefore (b) a stinging rebuke to Obamaism, as well as (c) a do-over of the special election in NY-23, with the Doug Hoffman substitute winning this time.

This is a district that the Dems are going to lose.  It happens when you win so many districts in a fit of pique in 2006 and 2008 that you have to defend 60% of them in 2010.  Is this a signal that the Dems are doomed and the House will be 99% Republican next January?  Of course not.

But the Village will spin it as such.