Obama Agenda Faces Early Electoral Test

March 30, 2009 -- Tuesday's special election in upstate New York to fill the House seat vacated by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., is quickly turning into a referendum on President Obama's stewardship of the economy.

The Democratic candidate, venture capitalist Scott Murphy, has embraced Obama's economic stimulus package and is attacking his opponent, Republican Assembly Leader Jim Tedisco, for opposing it. Tedisco is fighting back by hammering Murphy for not reading the stimulus bill closely enough to realize it included language that retroactively protected bonuses for executives of companies like American International Group, which accepted taxpayer bailout money.

"There's no question that the issue of the stimulus and AIG bonuses has swallowed whole the fight between" Tedisco and Murphy, according to the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan newsletter that analyzes congressional elections.

The White House was initially keeping its distance but steadily increased its involvement last week, perhaps, some analysts believe, after concluding that Tuesday's outcome will be viewed through an Obama prism whether or not the president goes to bat for the Democratic candidate.

Obama's first step into the contest came Tuesday, when he e-mailed a personal endorsement of Murphy to 60,000 of his supporters who live in and around New York's 20th Congressional District.

"Scott has the kind of experience and background we desperately need right now in Washington," wrote Obama. "He's created jobs by building and growing small businesses while bringing people together to address difficult challenges. He supports the economic recovery plan we've put in place, and I know we can count on him as an ally for change."

Vice President Joe Biden entered the fray Wednesday, cutting a radio ad for Murphy that plays up ties the vice president forged to the region while he was in law school. "As a graduate of Syracuse Law School, I not only root for the orange, I root for upstate New York as well," Biden says in the ad. "That's why this special election you'll be holding next Tuesday, March 31, is so important to me. I'm supporting Scott Murphy for Congress, and so is President Obama."

In a last-minute push for Murphy, the New York Democratic Party confirmed on Monday that it sent a mailer to voters which seeks to tie Tedisco to former President George W. Bush, Gov. Sarah Palin, R-Alaska, and conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh.