In one of the many victories that helped the Republican gain power of the House of Representatives, former FBI agent Michael Grimm beat incumbent Michael McMahon (D) to win the seat that was ceded to the Democrats when after Republican Vito Fossella's DWI and love child meshugas. Grimm told his supporters last night, "If I was Nancy Pelosi, I'd be scared. But I'm not Nancy Pelosi. I am a Marine. I was FBI. And I am the new congressman for the 13th District."
Grimm, a native of Queens, was targeted in the Republican primary by Michael Allegretti for not being a "paisan." What Grimm did have was Rudy Giuliani's and Sarah Palin's backing. Grimm also said, "They said Mike McMahon was popular. They said Michael Grimm came out of the woodwork. They said Mike McMahon had $2 million. But on Staten Island and Brooklyn, we got heart. This is our country and we are taking it back. People have said to me, 'America is gone.' They have said, 'We can't bring our country back.' They couldn't be more wrong. Not only can we do it, but tonight, we did!"
Grimm had 51% of the vote, to McMahon's 48%. McMahon, a former City Councilman, said, "We fought the good fight and we worked ourselves to the bone. Unfortunately, we came up just a little bit short tonight. I respect that this is what the residents of Staten Island and Brooklyn want." The Staten Island Advance thinks that McMahon's campaign messed up when they brought Grimm's ex-wife to last week's debate.
