The New York Observer » House

‘House’ Producers Announce Show Will End

In a press release, the producers and star of Fox's medical series House have announced that the current season (the show's eighth) will be its last. "By April this year [we] will have completed 177 episodes, which is about 175 more than anyone expected back in 2004," wrote executive producers David Shore, Katie Jacobs and Read More

As the Debt Ceiling Rises, the Dow Drops

It would almost seem that the stars had finally aligned. After weeks of stalled talks and contentious meetings between House Republicans and Democrats that escalated into a public spat between Speaker John Boehner and President Obama, a bill finally made it through the House and into the Senate, where it was speedily approved Tuesday morning Read More

The Golden Globe Nominations: On Television, Everyone Remembers Laughter

Call us crazy—or maybe a little loopy—but we might be more excited for the Golden Globes than we are for the Oscars and the Emmys combined. Think about it: not only will everyone from our favorite movies (yes, that was a nomination for The Hangover in the Best Comedy category!) and television shows be together—at Read More

NY-23: The Democratic Bench

Now that State Senator Darrel Aubertine is out of the running, here's a quick review of the other potential Democratic candidates to replace John McHugh in Congress: --Daniel French, a former federal prosecutor and aide to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, considered by many to be one of the strongest choices. He would offer a firm Read More

Aubertine Bows Out

ALBANY—State Senator Darrel Aubertine is not running for Congress. "My priority must continue to be the work I have started in the state Senate, representing Oswego, Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties. My commitment is to the people of the 48th Senate District and has been all along. Before I could even consider the possibility of serving Read More

Dems Tight-Lipped on Aubertine Run as Deadline Bears Down

ALBANY—Democrats insist they're not in a rush to pick a candidate for a special Congressional election, and are treating the potential Congresional run of State Senator Darrel Aubertine like a state secret. "We're talking about days rather than ... We're not following the Republican program," said Sean Hennessey, the Jefferson County Democratic chairman, who has Read More

Conservative Jim Kelly Ready to Run Against ‘RINO’ Scozzafava

ALBANY—Less than 24 hours after her designation as the Republican candidate to replace John McHugh in Congress, Assemblywoman DeDe Scozzafava is about to get a challenge from the right. "I did call up Mike Long, and Shaun Marie Lavine. Clearly they are not backing DeDe Scozzafava," said Jim Kelly, a Conservative Party operative from Wilmington Read More

Scozzafava Gets the Nod

ALBANY—Republicans have picked Assemblywoman DeDe Scozzafava as their candidate to replace John McHugh in Congress. The 11 county chairs in the sprawling 23rd District met this afternoon in Potsdam and selected Scozzafava, of Gouverneur, to be their candidate. The move follows a month-long series of interviews and forums around the district. "It's been a good Read More

Scozzafava Gets the Nod

Republicans Ponder Scozzafava, Attack Still-Balking Aubertine

ALBANY—Republicans are lashing out at State Senator Darrel Aubertine, the most likely Democratic candidate to succeed John McHugh in Congress, releasing this TV ad tomorrow and a robocall painting him as a tax-and-spend liberal. "Call Darrel Aubertine. Tell him he voted for too much spending," says the ad, which the National Republican Congressional Committee says Read More

Carolyn Maloney and Bill Clinton, Friends

Bill Clinton helped Carolyn Maloney get over her N-word incident by helping her raise money last night, but he carefully avoided endorsing her in her prospective Senate primary bid against Kirsten Gillibrand. That wasn't surprising to several bundlers I spoke to who are loyal to the Clintons (and who now contribute to Gillibrand). One such bundler said Read More

Massa Says Gillibrand Has Not Sought his Endorsement

ALBANY—Representative Eric Massa has still not endorsed Kirsten Gillibrand's re-election, and insists she hasn't brought it up. "No, not at all," he said during a conference call with reporters. "I speak to her almost weekly about matters of legislative business that we collaborate on for the benefit of the people in the district and the Read More

Murphy Makes a Show of Fund-Raising

ALBANY—Here's a glimpse into Representative Scott Murphy's campaign strategy moving forward: show you can raise lots of money, fast, and hope that, despite the party enrollment disadvantage, potential Republican opponents will be scared off. Murphy raised $363,151 during this quarter, and according to his chief of staff Todd Schulte, has raised $567,000 since April 1, Read More

Paid Maloney Supporter, Paid Maloney Strategist

Back on June 24, Democratic consultant Joe Trippi blogged on the Huffington Post about how polls showed Representative Carolyn Maloney would make a much better, and more viable, candidate for U.S. Senator than Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and said that he hoped she "does decide to enter the race." Trippi later added the following update to his post: Read More

A Young Republican Goes for the McHugh Seat, Seriously

ALBANY—Joshua Lynch is 26, but there is nothing cutesy about his bid for John McHugh's House seat. "My reception has been pretty good," said Lynch, the youngest of nine people currently seeking the Republican nomination to succeed McHugh, who has been recruited to serve in the Obama administration. "I think it's a center-right district, and Read More