Following yesterdays swearing in of Rep. Garamendi, our newest member of Congress, Rep. Bill Owens was sworn in this afternoon. Rep. Owens won a special election in New York's 23rd Congressional District. The district became vacant when Rep. McHugh was confirmed by the Senate as the United States Secretary of the Army.

Rep. Owens becomes the first Democrat to represent his district since the mid nineteenth century. Owens' election is the fifth consecutive Congressional special election win by Democrats.

Voters in New Jersey can find their polling location here.

Voters in New York's 23rd District can find their polling location here.

Voters in Virginia can find their polling location here.

No matter where you are, you can help get out the vote in these key states by making phone calls from home using our online tools. Turnout is key in off-year races, and just a few minutes on the phone can make a huge difference in a tight race. 

Click here to call voters in New Jersey.

Click here to call voters in New York's 23rd District.

Click here to call voters in Virginia.

One year ago, we saw firsthand the impact that these phone calls and conversations can have. It's election day, and you know what to do.

The Republican Party is increasingly dominated by its radical right wing, which harbors extreme views on everything from tax policy and health care, to social issues and foreign policy.

Right wing groups spent more than $1 million against Scozzafava, while the national Republican Party spent $1 million on her behalf – to no avail. Her decision to drop out of the race – just four days before the election – is yet another indication that there is no room for moderate Republicans in today’s GOP.

From the Washington Post, “In NY: No Room for GOP Moderates”

The Republican civil war in New York’s 23rd congressional district has been resolved in favor of the right-wing: The abrupt withdrawal on Halloween of assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, the Republican nominee and a moderate, leaves the third party Conservative, standing alone for Tuesday’s election.

Conservatives -- who had been bashing Scozzafava as if she were some sort of socialist -- were elated that Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate, could now get full Republican Party support. Their war on moderates claimed its first scalp, and a very important one.

From the Politico, “Conservatives take aim at leaders, Crist, other races”:

...Right now, the power, the energy, the momentum — and the results — are on the side of the conservative activists…

Make no mistake: There is a huge divide between the public rants of this activist wing and the private angst of party leaders in D.C.

Numerous GOP officials have told POLITICO they worry that the party has been hijacked by a noisy and powerful minority that will keep the GOP in a noisy and not-so-powerful minority for a long time…

…There's a direct line between Palin, the most famous Republican to endorse conservative third-party congressional candidate Doug Hoffman in Tuesday's special election in New York, and moderate Republican assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava's stunning decision Saturday to suspend her campaign.

Hoffman could well win, giving short-term succor to the GOP and Palin's exclusionary, storm-the-barricades brand of Republicanism. And who knows when and where this will stop -- or where it will lead? It has all the elements of a runaway train, and very few Republicans are willing to step in front of it…

Despite the protestations of elected Republicans who say that they understand the diversity needed to win elections and majorities, and that this is an isolated case, you have to wonder what will happen to aspiring Republican moderates of the future -- or if there will even be any…

The law, co-sponsored by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), will make it easier for American military service members and citizens overseas to vote and make sure that their votes are counted. By some estimates as many as one in four ballots requested by voters overseas was not counted during the 2008 election. The law takes effect in 2010.

Specifically, the legislation will make voter registration applications, absentee ballot applications and blank ballots available electronically, require that ballots are sent to overseas voters no less than 45 days before Election Day, and eliminate the requirement that military and overseas ballots be notarized (in the states that still require it). It will also give more Americans the opportunity to use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot, which is currently available online and can serve as a “back-up” measure, if a local absentee ballot does not arrive in time.

The Pew Center on the States has a good write up on the issue. Read it here.

Today President Obama -- flanked by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers Christy Romer, former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank and others -- delivered a major economic address at Federal Hall in New York City.

During the speech, the President discussed the Administration’s plan to wind down government involvement in the financial sector, outlined a strong case for immediate action on regulatory reform and reiterated the importance of global coordination to prevent future crises.

Excerpts from President Obama’s prepared remarks:

”… We could not separate what was happening in the corridors of our financial institutions from what was happening on factory floors and around kitchen tables. Home foreclosures linked those who took out home loans and those who repackaged those loans as securities. A lack of access to affordable credit threatened the health of large firms and small businesses, as well as all those whose jobs depended on them. And a weakened financial system weakened the broader economy, which in turn further weakened the financial system.

“The only way to address successfully any of these challenges was to address them together, and so this administration – with terrific leadership by my Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner, as well the Chair of my Council of Economic Advisers, Christy Romer, and the Chair of the National Economic Council, Larry Summers – moved quickly on all fronts, initializing a financial stability plan to rescue the system from the crisis and restart lending for all those affected by the crisis. By opening and examining the books of large financial firms, we helped restore the availability of two things that had been in short supply: capital and confidence. By taking aggressive and innovative steps in credit markets, we spurred lending not just to banks, but to folks looking to buy homes or cars, take out student loans, or finance small businesses. Our home ownership plan has helped responsible homeowners refinance to stem the tide of lost homes and lost home values.

“And the recovery plan is providing help to the unemployed and tax relief for working families, all while spurring consumer spending. It’s prevented layoffs of tens of thousands of teachers, police officers, and other essential public servants. And thousands of recovery projects are underway all across America, putting people to work building wind turbines and solar panels, renovating schools and hospitals, and repairing our nation’s roads and bridges.

“Eight months later, the work of recovery continues. And although I will never be satisfied while people are out of work and our financial system is weakened, we can be confident that the storms of the past two years are beginning to break.

“In fact, while there continues to be a need for government involvement to stabilize the financial system, that necessity is waning. After months in which public dollars were flowing into our financial system, we are finally beginning to see money flowing back to the taxpayers. This doesn’t mean taxpayers will escape the worst financial crisis in decades unscathed. But banks have repaid more than $70 billion, and in those cases where the government’s stake has been sold completely, taxpayers have actually earned a 17-percent return on their investment. Just a few months ago, many experts from across the ideological spectrum feared that ensuring financial stability would require even more tax dollars. Instead, we’ve been able to eliminate a $250 billion reserve included in our budget because that fear has not been realized.

“While full recovery of the financial system will take a great deal more time and work, the growing stability resulting from these interventions means we are beginning to return to normalcy. But what I want to emphasize is this: normalcy cannot lead to complacency.

“Unfortunately, there are some in the financial industry who are misreading this moment. Instead of learning the lessons of Lehman and the crisis from which we are still recovering, they are choosing to ignore them. They do so not just at their own peril, but at our nation’s. So I want them to hear my words: We will not go back to the days of reckless behavior and unchecked excess at the heart of this crisis, where too many were motivated only by the appetite for quick kills and bloated bonuses. Those on Wall Street cannot resume taking risks without regard for consequences, and expect that next time, American taxpayers will be there to break their fall.

“That’s why we need strong rules of the road to guard against the kind of systemic risks we have seen. And we have a responsibility to write and enforce these rules to protect consumers of financial products, taxpayers, and our economy as a whole. Yes, they must be developed in a way that does not stifle innovation and enterprise. And we want to work with the financial industry to achieve that end. But the old ways that led to this crisis cannot stand. And to the extent that some have so readily returned to them underscores the need for change and change now. History cannot be allowed to repeat itself.

“Instead, we are calling on the financial industry to join us in a constructive effort to update the rules and regulatory structure to meet the challenges of this new century.”

On the Consumer Financial Protection agency:

”First, we’re proposing new rules to protect consumers and a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency to enforce those rules…The Consumer Financial Protection Agency will have the power to ensure that consumers get information that is clear and concise, and to prevent the worst kinds of abuses…By setting ground rules, we’ll increase the kind of competition that actually provides people better and greater choices, as companies compete to offer the best product, not the one that’s most complex or confusing.”

On closing loop holes in our existing regulatory system:

“…While holding the Federal Reserve fully accountable for regulation of the largest, most interconnected firms, we’ll create an oversight council to bring together regulators from across markets to share information, to identify gaps in regulation, and to tackle issues that don’t fit neatly into an organizational chart. We’ll also require these financial firms to meet stronger capital and liquidity requirements and observe greater constraints on their risky behavior…. Even as we’ve proposed safeguards to make the failure of large and interconnected firms less likely, we’ve also proposed creating what’s called “resolution authority” in the event that such a failure happens and poses a threat to the stability of the financial system. This is intended to put an end to the idea that some firms are “too big to fail.” For a market to function, those who invest and lend in that market must believe that their money is actually at risk. And the system as a whole isn’t safe until it is safe from the failure of any individual institution.”

On the necessity of a coordinated global response:

“…The United States is leading a coordinated response to promote recovery and to restore prosperity among both the world’s largest economies and the world’s fastest growing economies. At a summit in London in April, leaders agreed to work together in an unprecedented way to spur global demand but also to address the underlying problems that caused such a deep and lasting global recession. This work will continue next week in Pittsburgh when I convene the G20, which has proven to be an effective forum for coordinating policies among key developed and emerging economies and one that I see taking on an important role in the future… As the United States is aggressively reforming our regulatory system, we will be working to ensure that the rest of the world does the same. ”

Today the DNC released a new web video “Lest We Forget” which chronicles coverage of the financial meltdown one year ago.

President Obama is committed to passing health care reform that lowers costs, protects choice and expands access to quality, affordable care -- and making it happen by the end of the year. The interim goal is to pass legislation in the House and Senate before Congress goes into recess on August 8th.

Five Congressional committees (three in the House – Energy & Commerce, Ways & Means, Education & Labor; and two in the Senate – HELP and Finance) have jurisdiction over health care legislation. Given all the moving pieces and how quickly things are moving it can be difficult to keep track of where the legislation is in each committee, and what it means for the overall process.

Here’s a quick primer on what our Democratic Congressional leaders are working to do before the August recess:

In the House

- The three House committees with jurisdiction have released a "tri-committee" version of their legislation. Mark-ups (debating, amending, rewriting the legislation) in each committee are expected to begin next Monday.

- The full House is expected to vote on its version of the bill before the August recess.

Key players: Energy & Commerce, Ways & Means, Education & Labor Committee members, Chairman of Energy & Commerce Henry Waxman (CA), Chairman of Ways & Means Charlie Rangel (NY), Chairman of Education & Labor George Miller (CA).

In the Senate

- The Senate HELP Committee released its version of the bill late last week. They are currently in “mark up”.

- The Senate Finance Committee is expected to release its version of their bill as early as this week, and start its own “mark up” process as early as next week.

- Its expected that the HELP and Finance Committees will combine their versions of the bill, and bring one bill to the floor for a full Senate vote before the August recess.

Key players: HELP and Finance Committee members, Chairman of HELP Ted Kennedy (MA), Senator Chris Dodd (CT), Chairman of Finance Max Baucus (MT).

Once the House and Senate have passed their versions of health care reform legislation, Congressional leaders will work to create a combined version of the bill -- if the schedule above holds, this is the step that will happen during August recess.

Have you told your Congressional leaders where you stand? Have you signed a declaration in support of President Obama’s three principles? Have you shared your personal health care story? We've talked about health care reform for more than 50 years, now it's within our reach. Do your part to make it happen.

This week we’ve received hundreds of pictures from around the country of "Sotomayor" posters in interesting locations. We’ll be posting a bunch later today, but given Judge Sotomayor’s love of the Yankees (and the fact that she effectively ended the 1995 baseball strike by issuing an injunction against major league baseball owners), we couldn’t resist sharing these two to start:

Sotomayor, bringing people together: Fenway Park + Yankee Stadium

update: [jonah]
Here are more photos from around the country:

update 2: [jonah]
Share your photos with us! You can print out fliers and upload photos of them around your community.

“Nominating a justice to the Supreme Court of the United States is one of a President’s most serious responsibilities. Today, President Obama announced an outstanding nominee in Sonia Sotomayor. Her experience in the American judicial system, coupled with her inspiring life story and fierce intellect, make her uniquely qualified to serve on the nation’s highest court.

“Sonia Sotomayor was born and raised in a public housing project in the South Bronx. Her parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico during World War II. Sotomayor’s mother instilled in her a belief in the power of a good education and driven by that belief, Sotomayor graduated with the highest honors from Princeton University and Yale Law School.

“Sotomayor has worked at nearly every level of the American judicial system for the past three decades: as a district attorney prosecuting violent crimes, as a corporate litigator working on complex commercial cases, as a federal district judge, and most recently, as a judge on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. She has been lauded as a fearless jurist, with a sharp and independent mind and a deep commitment to the rule of law and our constitutional traditions.

“In every way imaginable, Sonia Sotomayor has lived the American dream. She will be the Court’s first Latina, its third woman, and the only Justice on the current court with experience as a trial judge. I commend President Obama on his choice and congratulate Judge Sotomayor on her nomination."

President Obama recorded a video about his announcement - check it out here.

You can also watch a slideshow of photos of Judge Sotomayor and her family from throughout her life on the White House blog.

"Scott Murphy's long-awaited victory is proof positive that Americans, even in this heavily Republican district, support the President and want him to succeed and the result is a repudiation of the failed policies of the past touted by Republicans," said Kaine. "Republicans decided to make this race a referendum on President Obama's leadership of the economy and his jobs and economic recovery plan - and given the result we are thankful that they did. Scott Murphy embraced President Obama's approach to the economy and his message of change while his opponent embraced the politics of division and the failed economic policies that got our country into the mess we find ourselves in today. While the Republican Party and its candidates appear to have learned nothing from recent elections and the nation's obvious desire for change, I commend the voters in New York 20 for supporting Scott and giving the President another strong ally for change as the Obama Administration moves forward with its plans to reform healthcare, invest in clean energy and improve education.”

Update: As Chris Hass points out on the Organizing For America blog that thousands of the President's supporters made phone calls and walked door to door in the closing weeks of the election. Shortly after Jim Tedisco conceded President Obama released the following statement.

I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Congressman-elect Scott Murphy for his victory in New York's 20th Congressional District. With this hard fought win, Scott has shown he is willing to fight the tough battles on behalf of the people in his district.

As a candidate, Scott courageously championed the economic plans we need to lift our nation and put it on a better path, and he will continue to do so in Congress. With his proven record of creating high paying jobs and standing up for Upstate New York, Scott will bring to the nation’s capitol the change New Yorkers need.

You can use the comments below to congratulate Scott Murphy, and wish him good luck as the newest member of Congress . . .

Despite Tedisco's efforts to crown himself the winner election officials continue to actually count ballots. The same problem persists for Tedisco. Scott Murphy's lead keeps growing.

Friday, 10AM
Scott Murphy (D): 79,722
Jim Tedisco (R): 79,458
Difference: 264

Sen. Gillibrand's vote has also officially been counted. And via a blogger on DailyKos this is one of the best wrap ups of where we are at;

7141 total ballots, 127 void (or "set-aside"), 1652 challenged, 2554 for Murphy and 2265 for Tedisco, 543 left to count (126 in Dutchess, and 417 in Warren). We are about 92% done phase one and then will have about 1790 challenged ballots to start examining to either void them or count them. We also have about 51 "set-aside" ballots left in one or more counties (other than Columbia) that could be counted today if all the people required to do it can get together and agree to do it.

• Saratoga County has completed their count which has netted Republican candidate Tedisco 168 votes. Saratoga is Tedisco's base and he was expected to make major gains here
• Washington County has finally reported their full results which have netted Democratic candidate Scott Murphy 81 votes
• Columbia, Warren and Dutchess Counties have not completed their counts yet and Murphy carried all of these counties in the returns on election night
• And via the DCCC; "A Dutchess county judge ruled this afternoon that most of the 1,200 challenged absentee ballots were cast legally, and will need to be included in the count. Since Tedisco's campaign has objected to a majority of these ballots, Murphy is expected to further increase his lead as they are counted."
• One of those ballots Tedisco is challenging is from Sen. Gillibrand, no joke

So here is where we stand at the moment;
Murphy (D): 79,105
Tedisco (R): 79,019

update: (jonah): As of 11AM Murphy now leads by 167

update: (jonah): As of 4PM Murphy now leads by 178

You can sign up to volunteer here.

I'm writing to you now because you have the opportunity to make a big impact on my efforts to bring about a lasting economic recovery.

Today I'm announcing my support for Scott Murphy, candidate for New York's 20th Congressional District.

On Tuesday, March 31st -- just one week away -- voters will have the chance to send Scott to Congress, where we'll work together to get our economy moving in the right direction.

Volunteer this week and help in the final push to send Scott Murphy to Congress.

Scott has the kind of experience and background we desperately need right now in Washington.

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.

To restore our economy and build a foundation for lasting prosperity, I'll need Scott's help. This week, Scott needs yours.

Sign up and pitch in to elect Scott Murphy to Congress.

What you do now can make all the difference as we work in the coming weeks and months to lead our country in a new direction.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

You can learn more about Scott Murphy and next Tuesday's special election at the DCCC and The Albany Project.

Watch here.

Republicans are fast becoming an endangered species in New York’s Congressional delegation.

Democrats are aiming for a Yankee grand slam next week, hoping to pick up four more Republican seats to turn the delegation a deep-blue 27-2.

“When I first came to Congress there were 13 Republicans” in the delegation, said Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-N.Y.), who is retiring after a decade in the House and whose seat is in danger of falling into Democratic hands. “There are now six and coming out we’re likely somewhere between two to four.”

A blue tide has been washing over the state for the past two election cycles. In 2006, Democrats took back the governorship for the first time in 12 years and are now threatening to take the state Senate next week for the first time in 46 years — and that chamber’s flipping could have huge implications down the line for redistricting.

“The Republican Party has totally fallen apart and there’s a lack of leadership on a statewide level,” said a New York Republican consultant.