Another Brick In The (Blue) Wall

In November, Rep. Michael McMahon was elected to Congress from New York's 13th district, taking over disgraced former Rep. Vito Fossella's seat. McMahon's win completed the Democratic takeover of New York City congressional seats, adding another brick in the blue wall the party has built in the northeast. NationalJournal.com's David Herbert spoke with the former city councilman on March 10 about the challenges of representing a conservative district and his hopes for the New Democrat Coalition. Edited excerpts follow. Visit the archives page for more Insider Interviews.

NJ: I know you're headed to the White House today with the New Democrat Coalition. What are you hoping to hear from President Obama?

McMahon: Just to connect with him and to make sure that he understands that the New Democrats are supporting him but want him to continue putting forward policies that will quickly bring stimulus to the economy -- but at the same time be mindful that the businesses that help run the economic engine of this country are very valuable to us, and we have to do all we can to support them.

Coming from New York City, coming from Staten Island, I understand that the financial services industry is very important to the economy. We let things get out of control. We need some regulation to get things back under control. The sooner our financial services industry and financial markets get going, our overall economy will get going. And that's of course particularly important to New Yorkers, because so much of the local budget is driven by that.

NJ: Where do you see the New Democrats in comparison to the Blue Dogs?

McMahon: Certainly the New Democrats occupy the center in the political continuum. The Blue Dogs are certainly much farther to the right. You hate to pigeonhole things, so those are generalizations. For me, I joined the New Democrats because I myself have always been a centrist. I come from a district where, for New York City, there's a very strong Democratic Party and Republican Party, so races are competitive. In the city council I was considered a centrist, someone who was pragmatic, who could work with Republicans and Democrats to get things done. I was endorsed by the conservative borough president, the Republican mayor and the Democratic county leaders. We've been able to attract support from all sides of the aisle. Both sides of the aisle. All three sides of the aisle! (Laughter)

NJ: You mentioned that Staten Island is a pretty centrist borough, even right-leaning a bit. Is there anything in the stimulus package or Democratic agenda that worries you?

McMahon: No. I am so pleased that the president's plan, in particular the stimulus plan, is so balanced. A third of the money creating jobs through infrastructure investment, a third of the money going to stabilize the budgets of the states and the cities -- very much needed in Albany and in New York City right now. Without it, we'd be laying off teachers and laying off cops and laying off firefighters.

And I'm also pleased that a third is going to help those individuals who need help the most right now to get through these tough times. So it's a very balanced package, and I support the president in doing it, and that's why I voted for it. Sometimes you get concerned that the messaging can be better, and I think that's something we all need to work on, but all in all I'm very pleased.

NJ: If you were advising your opponent in the next election cycle, what would you tell him? What do you think opens you up to the most potential criticism in your district in 2010?

McMahon: Well if I were advising my opponent in 2010, I'd tell him or her not even to bother. (Laughter) He said, smiling.

My favorite motto is "all politics is local." We just did a telephone town hall meeting last week throughout the district. So we were speaking to 8,000 people at once through this great technology, and I was pleased that the vast majority... supported the stimulus package. It's a very good percentage -- and in a district that voted for John McCain 52-48, Staten Island and Brooklyn. So it shows that people understand that the economy is in bad shape and it needs work and that the president is doing a good job.

NJ: GOP moderates during the Bush years sometimes complained they weren't listened to by the far-right wing of the party and ended up being hung out to dry in their districts. How do the Democrats push ahead with an ambitious agenda while still being mindful of the fact that their large majority in Congress is due to Democrats winning seats in moderate and right-leaning districts like yours?

McMahon: I think by doing what the president and the Congress have done so far: addressing issues not ideologically, but addressing them pragmatically -- doing what is best for the people. A third of the president's package was tax cuts. If someone is saying, 'Oh the government now is pushed too far to the left' -- well, wait a second, a large portion of this package is tax cuts, which some would argue that the right wing owns.

But I don't think that's correct. If you look historically, the Democrats have always been the ones who have cut taxes for the middle class and been more fiscally responsible. It was President Clinton who balanced the budget. It was President Bush who blew a hole in it, even drawing a lot of ire from conservatives because he created such a large deficit. So what we're doing is, we're not doing things from ideological purposes; we're doing it because we want to do the right thing.

NJ: But there are issues that will necessarily be viewed through an ideological lens by some, like the president overturning the Bush ban on funding stem cell research. Have you gotten feedback about that particular decision?

McMahon: You know, I could not believe how many people said to me on Sunday -- we had a St. Patrick's Day parade, so you have a very Catholic crowd -- and I couldn't believe how many people said to me, 'Right on with the change in stem cell research.' I should point out that my predecessor originally opposed stem cell research and ultimately came around to supporting it himself.

NJ: In the vice presidential debate, Joe Biden offered foreign aid as one possible area for budget cuts. Are there any campaign promises you think may need to be delayed or cut entirely given the economic crisis?

McMahon: We came in very much under a campaign that we needed serious investments in the capital infrastructure of this country and of the district, and I think people are going to appreciate that that is going to come at a slower track. Even on the stimulus package, I started out wanting the whole thing to be investment in infrastructure, but realized, 'Wait a second, we're going to have to do tax cuts, we're going to have to do some programs to help people who are facing unemployment, mortgage foreclosure.' We have more to do. The thing that I've focused on the most is going to have to... be done, but over a longer period of time.

NJ: Your predecessor had a number of personal problems. There are a number of representatives -- Joseph Cao in Louisiana, Tom Rooney in Florida -- who came into office this election cycle to replace disgraced congressmen. Do you feel an extra level of scrutiny because of the seat's history?

McMahon: If you look more globally -- and don't forget our governor, Eliot Spitzer -- there is a little more scrutiny, also some cynicism on the part of the American people, because so many of these people who've got in trouble were sort of 'family values' or 'law and order,' so there's some hypocrisy there. I think people look a little more cynically at elected officials. I think that's unfortunate because a majority of us are just like regular working folks, going to work and doing our jobs. I think over time that will fade.

I don't feel any particular focus because of the circumstances of my predecessor. I think there's more of a general feeling about that.

NJ: I'll give you the question that tripped up Hillary Rodham Clinton. Mets or Yankees?

McMahon: Yankees. Yankees. Yankees.

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