Kathy Hochul

Even before the Genesee County vote has been counted, the Buffalo News, along with other media outlets, have declared the race for Kathy Hochul.

According to the Buffalo paper's numbers, with 87 percent of the precincts reporting, Hochul has 48 percent of the vote to Corwin's 42 percent. Jack Davis picked up 9 percent and Ian Murphy 1 percent.

Corwin conceded the race shortly after 10 p.m.

It's unclear what will become of the court order Corwin obtained earlier today barring certification of the election results before a court appearance on Thursday.

Kathy Hochul made a campaign stop in Batavia today, stopping by Scooter's Family Restaurant on West Main Street.

Geoff Redick, of The Batavian's news partner WBTA, was on hand to snap a couple of pictures and talk with Hochul briefly.

She recently came out ahead of Republican Jane Corwin in a Siena poll – an eyebrow-raiser in New York’s 26th Congressional District race, which has been staunchly Republican in the past. Hochul gives the credit to her campaign.

"People are listening to us – the message is getting out there," Hochul told WBTA. "We've been pounding this message home for weeks. And (residents) want somebody who's a fighter, a very Independent Democrat, and I'm their candidate."

Retiree Art Wilford was sitting down to lunch when Hochul walked in. He thinks she’s got a chance tomorrow.

"I'm normally Republican," he said, "but she's got a nice personality. I don't know her that well, but she seemed to be well-spoken, and suited for the job."

Art says he may even vote for Hochul: "There's a good possibility," he said.

(via WBTA)

Ad from Jack Davis

Ad from Kathy Hochul

And that's all that I could find on YouTube.

• Get-out-the-vote drive reaches peak‎, Buffalo News
• Countdown: Five things to watch in NY-26, National Review Online
• Democrats Seek ‘Major Upheaval’ in New York Race Driven by Medicare Fight, Bloomberg
• Second poll finds Hochul with lead in N.Y.-26‎, Daily Caller
• Warning to Republican presidential hopefuls: Support Ryan plan — or else, Washington Post
• Election seen as test for Ryan, Medicare, Washington Times
• Poll Favors Democrat in Special Election, Wall Street Journal
• A word on the News’ response to misleading ad, The Tonawanda News
• Democratic ads also misleading, group says, Buffalo News
• Paper targets Chamber over Corwin ad, Politico
• Go with Jack Davis, Niagara Gazette
• NY-26: Corwin and Hochul on Medicare: The Deep Cuts, Slate
• The Ryan Referendum: Neither the Republican nor the Democrat in New York's congressional race is too excited about the GOP plan for Medicare, Slate
• NY-26: Batavia Interlude, Slate
• Chris Grant Will Be Wearing The Corwin Defeat, Maelstrom In WNY
• Phil Corwin Is Pissed!, Maelstrom In WNY
• Jack Davis for Congress NY CD-26: A Real Live Paleo-Democrat in Tea Party clothing?, LibertarianRepublican.net

Jon "Bowzer" Bauman, star of Sha-Na-Na, stopped by 400 Towers on Friday evening to talk with residents about Medicare, Social Security and his career in music and television.

Though Bauman's appearance was sponsored by Kathy Hochul, his talk was pretty non-political. Bauman mostly stuck to the facts of the programs and proposals, at least as he sees them.

Above, Bea McManis escorts Bauman into 400 Towers as Bauman displays Bowzer's trademark muscle flex.

The Jack Davis campaign is claiming that their own polling numbers show Kathy Hochul ahead in the NY-26 special election race with Jane Corwin coming in a distant third.

In the words of the Davis campaign press release, "it appears support for Jane Corwin is collapsing."

The Davis campaign claims that Corwin's numbers have dropped to 17 percent, with Hochul polling 44 percent. Davis, in the Davis poll, is at 27 percent.

According to the press release, 4,602 "frequent voters" were surveyed. The poll was conducted between May 18 and May 19.

Seventeen percent were undecided.

From the press release:

“It’s clear that if conservatives, Republicans and Tea Party patriots want to keep Kathy Hochul, a Nancy Pelosi Democrat, from representing this district, they must vote for Jack Davis,” said Jack Davis campaign manager Curtis Ellis.

Late last night, I emailed both the Corwin and Hochul campaigns for a response.

Fabien Levy, with Kathy Hochul, replied but has not provided a response for publication yet and we haven't heard from Matthew Harakal with Jane Corwin's campaign at all. This post will be updated with any responses.

UPDATE 8:16 a.m.: Statement from Levy: "Every poll shows Kathy Hochul garnering the support of more and more voters in the 26th District. Voters here know Kathy is the only candidate in this race fighting to protect both Social Security and Medicare, which is why they are running away from her two conservatives opponents."

New from Jack Davis.

New from outside money group American Crossroads.

In light of our story Tuesday about the sad state of our roads and bridges, at the candidates' forum yesterday, I wanted to ask the candidates what they would do about the problem.

Jane Corwin said we have a big problem with infrastructure and we need a comprehensive, long-term plan for funding from the federal government. She said infrastructure should be one of the highest priorities of the federal government.

But, she said, the government is spending too much money, driving up debt.

"We're spending too much money that is going toward interest payments not enough toward infrastucture," Corwin said.

Hochul's response contrasted the government's infrastructure spending with current foreign policy.

"I’m going to go out on a limb here," Hochul said. "We are probably spending more on roads in Pakistan and places like that where they’re not exactly our friends than we are right here in Genesee County. We’ve got to get our priorities straight. I’m starting to reexamine a lot of our commitment internationally."

Jack Davis and Ian Murphy did not attend the forum.

More than 20 advocates for independent living for people with disabilities were at a candidate forum Tuesday morning with the four candidates vying for the NY-26 congressional seat.

All four candidates were invited and expected to attend, but only Jane Corwin and Kathy Hochul made it. Jack Davis sent a spokesman who said Davis had an emergency at his manufacturing plant and Ian Murphy just didn't make it.

Both Corwin and Hochul opened with statements about their support for independent living, weaved in their usual stump speech remarks about jobs, Medicare and taxes, and then took questions.

In her opening, Corwin said as an Assembly member she has supported legislation benefiting independent living, including pushing for more group homes.

"I am certainly very supportive of the issues that are important to you," Corwin said.

Melissa Golpl (pictured above), disability rights advocate for Independent Living of Niagara County, came prepared with detailed questions for the candidates.

One of her questions was about Corwin's position on federal legislation to assist people with autism.

Corwin said she had a son who used speech services when he was young, "so I've seen from the inside how the system works and how important it is to get those services to children, especially at young ages."

As for autism, Corwin said that cases of autism in children have increased dramatically and in the Assembly, she said she worked to raise awareness among her colleagues to be more sensitive to the needs of people with autism. She also said she sponsored legislation to get more services for students with autism, including make it possible for them to participate in sports.

Greg Bruggman asked Corwin about her position on block grants for Medicaid, a proposal from Rep. Paul Ryan but opposed, Bruggman said, by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Corwin said she supported the block grant proposal because there is a lot of fraud and waste in New York's Medicaid system and a competitive block grant formula would be the best way to eliminate it.

Hochul opened by saying she strongly supported the people who provide services to people with disabilities.

"I feel strongly the 26th district needs somebody in Washington looking out for people like you and the people you work with," Hochul said.

She said her concern with people with special needs is why she opposes the Ryan budget plan, which she said would decimate Medicare and Medicaid.

"What kind of community are we if we don’t supply support for people with special needs," Hochul said.

While Medicare and Medicaid need to be reformed, Hochul said, it's a matter of priorities and ensuring the programs are fixed in a cost-effective way that still takes care of people of people with special needs.

"I guarantee I will be a strong advocate for people with special needs," Hochul said.

Golpl asked about housing for people with disabilities and Hochul said there needs to be more housing built to accomodate the needs of people with disabilities and said she favored offering incentives to builders to construct such houses and apartments.

Above, Curtis Ellis, spokesman for Jack Davis, speaks to the gathering at the YWCA for the candidates forum. Media from Rochester and Buffalo were on hand, as well as a reporter from the D.C. bureau of the Los Angeles Times and a cameraman from CNN.

Jim Owen, who taught 35 years in Hamburg and is now a substitute teacher in Batavia City Schools, came to the candidate forum at the YWCA today to see his former typing student, Kathy Hochul. She is running for Congress and was one of Owen's students in the mid-1970s. (Previous Story.)

All four candidates for the NY-26 special election race on May 24 were scheduled to appear at the YWCA on North Street this morning at the invitation of the Western New York Independent Living Project.

Only Jane Corwin and Kathy Hochul actually made it. Curtis Ellis, spokesman for Jack Davis, claimed that Davis couldn't make it because of an emergency at his plant. Ian Murphy, well, by the time I left, nobody knew what happened to him.

Each of the candidates were scheduled to speak in 15 minute increments with each of hopeful arriving and leaving separately. Corwin was up first and exited before Hochul entered the room.

When Corwin reached the parking lot, another reporter asked Corwin a question and when Corwin kept walking without saying a word, he said, "Can you stop?" Corwin said, "I'm on my way to another meeting, Dave, thank you."

I had one question I wanted to ask Jane Corwin, "where is the second tape?"

The second tape is one shot by a GOP operative in Greece last Wednesday when Corwin's Assembly chief of staff, Michael Mallia, confronted Jack Davis and produced a 15-second YouTube video in which Davis is caught on tape saying, "hey, you want punched out," then takes a swipe at the video camera and Mallia reacts by wailing like a banshee.

We know there was a second camera operator because she was caught on tape by WGRZ-TV.

Nobody from the Erie County GOP or Jane Corwin's camp has denied that there was a second camera operator and that she was there on behalf of the GOP.

When other reporters pressed Nick Langworthy, ECGOP chairman, on the second tape -- under the assumption that it would tell the full story of what really happened during the incident -- Langworthy said there was no tape because the battery was dead.

However, the WGRZ footage shows the GOP operative is operating a camera, something no reasonable person would do if the battery was dead (as Judge Judy says, "If it doesn't make sense, it's not true").

Since there must obviously be a second tape, the logical question is, where is it and why hasn't it been released? The most logical person to ask about it is the CEO of the Corwin Campaign, which is Jane Corwin.

Certainly, Corwin, with all of her busienss experience, understands that the buck stops with the CEO. She's the one who needs to explain the conduct of the people she's chosen to surround herself with, which is something she hasn't done yet.

The result of my attempt to ask the question of Corwin can be seen in the video posted above.

Meanwhile, after Kathy Hochul (picture below) finished speaking, rather than rushing to get into her car, she stayed for another good 20 minutes and answered every question every reporter could think to ask.

As soon as I can, I'll post a story on what Corwin and Hochul said during the forum.

Press release:

ERIE COUNTY – Kathy Hochul, candidate for New York’s 26th Congressional District, today released a new television advertisement entitled “Look For Yourself.”

The 30-second ad speaks to the false attacks Jane Corwin has made about Kathy Hochul’s plan to preserve and protect Social Security and Medicare.

“In a desperate attempt to distract voters, Jane Corwin has created a false attack on Kathy Hochul that the Buffalo News has called an ‘attempt to deflect attention from her support’ of the Republican budget that would decimate Medicare, while giving massive tax breaks to multi-millionaires and billionaires,” said Fabien Levy, Director of Communications for Kathy Hochul for Congress.

“Independent sources have said ‘don’t believe’ Jane Corwin’s ad and called it ‘bogus.’

“The Buffalo News agrees, Kathy Hochul has the right approach to fixing and protecting Medicare for future beneficiaries and that ‘she understands health care for seniors to be an appropriate federal issue, while Corwin does not,’” Levy continued."

Here are links to articles related to the NY-26 special election race from the past day or so.

• 26TH NOTEBOOK: The debate and the debate about the debate‎, Tonawanda News
• DUVALL: In the race for NY's 26th district, it's TEA for two‎, Tonawanda News
• American Action Network Targets Davis‎, Roll Call
• NY-26: Mediscare Returns!‎, Slate Magazine
• Carville raises for Dem in race for 'shirtless' congressman's ...‎, The Hill
• Tea Party Express backs Jane Corwin in 26th District‎, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
• Paul Ryan's Medicare Plan at Issue in NY Special Election‎, U.S. News & World Report
• Douglas Turner‎, Buffalo News
• Medicare Revamp Exposes Divisions Within the GOP‎, Wall Street Journal
• Schumer joins Hochul in campaign for House‎, Buffalo News

The latest TV ad from Jane Corwin.

Jack Davis speaks at neighborhood meeting.

DCCC commercial.

MSNBC segment with ThinkProgress spokesperson.

A video from AmericanCrossroadsWatch.org.

NRCC television ad.

And we close with comedy from Ian Murphy.

UPDATE: Found another Jane Corwin ad.

Press release:

The following is a statement from Fabien Levy, Director of Communications for Kathy Hochul for Congress:

“Jane Corwin’s desperation has never been more evident than it is today.

“In an effort to distract voters from her support for the Republican-endorsed Ryan budget that the Associated Press has said ‘would cut billions of dollars from Medicare and recast it as a voucher program,’ while at the same time giving massive tax breaks to multi-millionaires and billionaires, Assemblymember Corwin has distorted Kathy Hochul’s plan to protect Medicare and Social Security.

“The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle says Kathy ‘Hochul strongly opposes GOP plans to replace Medicare with vouchers for private insurance.’ Meanwhile Jane ‘Corwin remains a staunch supporter of the GOP plan, though some Republican leaders are wavering. It’s also unsettling that this could be a sign that Corwin is a strict GOP partisan.’

“And the Buffalo News has said Jane Corwin ‘supports the Republican proposal for Medicare, which would turn it into a voucher system.’ The paper agrees that Kathy Hochul has the right approach to fixing and protecting Medicare for future beneficiaries and that “she understands health care for seniors to be an appropriate federal issue, while Corwin does not.’”

“Kathy Hochul is the only candidate in this race to be endorsed by the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare, a non-partisan, multi-million member organization that fights to ensure the survival of Social Security and Medicare.”

We now have answers from all four candidates in the NY-26 to our questions on personal liberties, with Jack Davis being the last to respond (answers had been due on Friday).

We posted the questions Friday, so won't repeat them here, except in context of the answers. The answers are after the jump in the order received.

Ian Murphy

What is your position on the 2nd Amendment – what controls, if any, should be placed on the right of a private citizen to own guns?

The right to bear arms is guaranteed by the Constitution. We're really good at killing each other with guns, and I'd hate to see that American tradition come to an end, but it's probably a good idea to outlaw automatics, semi-automatics, RPGs, Scud missiles and nuclear arms. Anything beyond personal protection and hunting is not necessary, nor should we allow crazies, murderers, people convicted of gun violence, etc. to continue to carry guns.

In February, the House voted to extend the Patriot Act. If you had represented the NY-26 at that time, how would you have voted?

I would have voted against the Patriot Act. It's an idiotic piece of legislation pushed through in the fearful wake of 9/11, which violates the Fourth Amendment on many levels, doesn't keep us safe, and hands an ideological victory to the enemies of freedom.

Should marijuana be decriminalized at the Federal level?

Yes. Incoherent puritanism aside, there's no reason Joe Sixpack shouldn't be able to smoke a joint in his own home. Tax it like we do booze and cigarettes, which kill about a half million people each year combined.

What is your position on the controversy surrounding TSA scanners and enhanced pat downs?

Well, that's a  complicated situation. It's real easy to get bent out of shape about some dude touching your “junk,” but some very credible reporters have claimed that the whole “Opt Out” movement was a carefully orchestrated PR campaign aimed at demonizing the TSA, which has been involved in a decade-long struggle to gain the same collective bargaining rights enjoyed by employees of all other federal agencies. And lo they have been demonized.

Astroturf aside, I have no problem with being scanned. And if you do “opt out” prepare to be frisked. I don't feel like I'm giving up any rights in this case, and I'd like to know that everyone on that plane was checked for explosives and other weapons too.

There's a  very big difference between something like this and something like the warrentless wiretapping in the Patriot Act. Our Constitution provides us protection against unwarranted search and seizure. It doesn't, however, give us the right to enter a potential flying bomb with weapons. To me, this seems by definition warranted.

Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank is trying to push through legislation to make playing online poker legal and to legalize online poker sites within the United States. Will you support such legislation?

If rampant speculation and grift is legal on Wall Street, why not on my lap top? But Frank being in Wall Street's pocket is not the issue at hand. According to the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative, Americans spend $100 billion annually gambling online with offshore providers, which don't answer to U.S. regulators. It's better to make it legal, regulate it and tax it, because like most vices, people will do it anyway. 

Kathy Hochul

What is your position on the 2nd Amendment – what controls, if any, should be placed on the right of a private citizen to own guns?

My record on gun issues is clear.  I am a strong advocate of the 2nd Amendment and the right of law-abiding citizens to own guns.  As Erie County Clerk, I streamlined the pistol permit process, allowing Erie County residents to more easily navigate the bureaucracy of purchasing a firearm.

In February, the House voted to extend the Patriot Act. If you had represented the NY-26 at that time, how would you have voted?

As a Member of Congress, I would have voted to extend the expiring provisions. While we must continue to ensure that we are protecting basic civil liberties, we must also continue to take a proactive approach in our fight against terrorism both here and abroad. 

Should marijuana be decriminalized at the Federal level?

I oppose the legalization of marijuana.

What is your position on the controversy surrounding TSA scanners and enhanced pat downs?

I understand the importance of airport safety and support the use of full-body scanners. However, we must take every step necessary to ensure that we are balancing the privacy of airline passengers with airport security.  That is why I support efforts to make it illegal to distribute or record images produced by TSA scanners.

Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank is trying to push through legislation to make playing online poker legal and to legalize online poker sites within the United States. Will you support such legislation?

As a Member of Congress, I would support legislation that implements strict regulations on online gambling to protect consumers and prevents underage gambling. 

Jane Corwin:

What is your position on the 2nd Amendment – what controls, if any, should be placed on the right of a private citizen to own guns? 

I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and am the only NRA-endorsed candidate in the race. I am a member of the NRA and SCOPE.

In February, the House voted to extend the Patriot Act. If you had represented the NY-26 at that time, how would you have voted? 

I would have voted to extend the Patriot Act because I believe it affords our intelligence community necessary tools to keep our country safe. However, I believe that Congress must constantly review the Act to ensure that the components in the legislation are still needed and effective and do not infringe on individual freedoms.

Should marijuana be decriminalized at the Federal level?

No.  

What is your position on the controversy surrounding TSA scanners and enhanced pat downs?

The TSA has a mission of keeping our airlines safe, however it seems clear – at least from some of the reports I’ve seen – that in some cases they have gone too far with their pat down policy.

Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank is trying to push through legislation to make playing online poker legal and to legalize online poker sites within the United States. Will you support such legislation?

It would depend on what specifically the legislation that would be voted on would say, and it hasn’t been finalized yet. Generally speaking, I believe that if an individual would like to play poker online they should be able to, so long as they abide by gambling regulations already in place.

Jack Davis

What is your position on the 2nd Amendment – what controls, if any, should be placed on the right of a private citizen to own guns?

I am a life member of the NRA and support the Second Amendment which gives individuals the right to keep and bear arms. It says this right “shall not be infringed”, and I agree. "Shall not be infringed" means don’t mess with my stuff. 

In February, the House voted to extend the Patriot Act.  If you had represented the NY-26 at that time, how would you have voted?

We saw a great uprising of principled conservatives opposing the Patriot Act’s abrogation of the rights the founders wrote into the constitution and the bill of rights. I would have joined them. We must protect our civil liberties as well our economic liberties.

Should marijuana be decriminalized at the Federal level?

This can be regulated at the state level.  

What is your position on the controversy surrounding TSA scanners and enhanced pat downs?

We need to start concentrating our resources on real potential threats and not squander them hassling average citizens.

Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank is trying to push through legislation to make playing online poker legal and to legalize online poker sites within the United States.  Will you support such legislation?

Yes, the Commerce Clause was designed to allow Congress to create a free market within the fifty states.

Popular local teacher Jim Owen, who has been turning students into fans for more than four decades, has an interest in the NY-26 special election race that's a bit different from a lot of other Genesee County residents.

One of his former students is on the ballot.

Back in the mid-1970s, Kathy Courtney took a typing class from Owen.

Eventually, she would marry Bill Hochul, become a member of the Hamburg Town Board, then clerk of Erie County and now, she's the Democratic nominee for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"As a teacher, you have students in a classroom as juniors or seniors and you have no idea where they might go," Owen said. "Then when you read the paper that they've been very successfully -- obviously, I had nothing to do with it -- but it's nice to say, 'hey, I had her as a student.'"

Kathy Hochul isn't the only famous name that Owen can list as a typing student during his 35 years of teaching at Hamburg High School. 

Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Tom Toles was also a student.

"I wish I'd gotten one of his cartoons back then," Owen said.

Owen, who also coached her brothers and cousins in track and field, remembers Hochul as a diligent student.

"Now, in typing, we don't communicate too much because you're supposed to be typing, and she was," said Owen. "She did her work."

Owen wasn't sure Kathy would even remember him.

On the campaign trail today, Hochul had time for a brief conversation and said Jim Owen is certainly "somebody stuck in my memory bank" as an important person in her young life.

"The students loved him," Hochul said. "He had a real way to take something as mundane as typing and make it real fun. He was very popular with all of the students."

A staunch Republican, Owen won't reveal who he's voting for, but admitted he can't help but root for Kathy.

"It's kind of neat to say, 'Here's a young lady I had in class and now she's running for Congress,'" Owen said. "I wish her a lot of luck. I hope things work out for her."

He added that he thinks "all three" candidates, especially the "two young ladies," would represent the community well, and he's expecting close results -- so close that a recount may be necessary.

Now a substitute teacher for Batavia City Schools, Owen doesn't know if he'll be required to work Tuesday. If he's off, he plans to attended the candidates' forum at 11 a.m. at the YWCA on North Street. If he makes it, it will be the first time teacher and student have seen each other in more than 20 years.

Press release:

The following is a statement from Fabien Levy, Director of Communications for Kathy Hochul for Congress:

“Last night, Representative Paul Ryan sent out a fundraising plea in support of Jane Corwin and her endorsement of the Republican-endorsed budget that would decimate Medicare. 

“This just shows how out of touch Assemblymember Corwin is with the people of the 26th District. Voters are undoubtedly rejecting her support of a budget that would throw our seniors under the bus, while giving massive tax breaks to the multi-millionaires and billionaires, yet she and Congressman Ryan continue to push it down our throats.

“Jane Corwin and the Republicans in Washington are out of touch with the voters of this district, including the thousands of Republicans. And on May 24th, voters will not only reject Jane Corwin’s plan to decimate Medicare, but they will reject her.”

Press release:

WILLIAMSVILLE – Career politician Kathy Hochul joined Nancy Pelosi for a swanky fundraiser in New York City last night, underscoring the deep admiration between the two liberal Democrats. The event continues a weeklong showing of affinity from Hochul towards the former Speaker of the House, an icon to the liberal special interest groups funding Hochul’s campaign. On Tuesday, Hochul said that Pelosi did “a great job for this country” during her time as Speaker, despite the fact that during Pelosi’s time as Speaker our country borrowed trillions more dollars from China and millions of jobs were lost.

“Kathy Hochul’s proud support of Nancy Pelosi shows she just doesn’t understand the congressional district she wants to represent, which isn’t surprising considering she doesn’t even live here,” said Matthew Harakal, Communications Director for Jane Corwin for Congress. “It comes as no surprise that Pelosi would expect Hochul to report back to her, considering that Hochul is Pelosi’s handpicked candidate. Kathy Hochul has followed Nancy Pelosi’s lead in supporting massive tax increases, the Obama health care law, and growing government, but where does she disagree with Pelosi?”   

This is at least the second time in recent weeks that Hochul has traveled to New York City for a posh fundraiser with downstate leaders who have helped decimate Western New York’s economy, all the while leaving Western New Yorkers behind.

“Kathy Hochul just doesn’t get it,” Harakal added. “Voters across the country rejected Nancy Pelosi’s tax-and-spend economic policies which have brought our economy to a screeching halt, but Kathy Hochul continues to push that same failed agenda. Maybe Kathy Hochul should actually spend some time in the district and instead of sipping champagne with liberal special interests in Manhattan, explain to taxpayers why she thinks it’s smart to raise taxes on job creators to fund her ideas for growing government.”

The press release contained the following links:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJyEoBzl1PE
• http://www.observer.com/2011/politics/maloney-host-fundraiser-kathy-hochul

As part of this week's questions for candidates, we told the candidates that we would delay publishing answers if by the deadline (which was late this morning) one or more of the candidates hadn't responded.

But we also said we would update readers on the status of the questions and answers.

This week's topic (questions after the jump) is personal liberty.  

We've received responses from Ian Murphy, Kathy Hochul and Jane Corwin. We haven't received a response from Jack Davis.

I spoke with his representative this afternoon Curtis Ellis, who said the Davis campaign has just been kept very busy the past couple of days, but the answers would be forthcoming.

So, stay tuned for the answers as soon as we hear from Jack Davis.

What is your position on the 2nd Amendment – what controls, if any, should be placed on the right of a private citizen to own guns?

In February, the House voted to extend the Patriot Act. If you had represented the NY-26 at that time, how would you have voted?

Should marijuana be decriminalized at the Federal level?

What is your position on the controversy surrounding TSA scanners and enhanced pat downs?

Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank is trying to push through legislation to make playing online poker legal and to legalize online poker sites within the United States. Will you support such legislation?