Video Touting Republican King's N.Y. Fundraiser Not Oscar Material

By Emily Cadei | June 1, 2009 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Peter King(Getty)

New York Rep. Peter T. King said his fundraiser scheduled for June 13 in Wantaugh, N,Y., will be "nothing fancy." The same could be said for the video promoting it.

First flagged by Politicker New York, the grainy YouTube video features the nine-term congressman touting his upcoming fundraiser in front of Mulcahy's Pub and Music Hall, a sign advertising $3 SoCo and Lime and Jagermeister shots prominently featured in the background. The noise from passing cars drowns out much of what the Long Island Republican is saying.

In the portion that is audible, King offers up some red meat for the conservative base. "To get my message out to the people for next year's election, I need financial help," he says. "I can't count on Newsday, in fact, Newsday is the enemy. The liberal media is working against me."

"It's going to be a great afternoon," King promises of the $50-a-head open bar event. "Just a bunch of people getting together, having a few drinks, enjoying ourselves."

King reported $1.1 million in the bank as of March 31. He needs to build a hefty war chest whether he decides to defend his House seat or runs for Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand's Senate seat in 2010, a bid he is currently mulling.

House Democrats would love to take a shot at King's 3rd District seat whether or not the incumbent decides to stay put. King is one of six House Republicans the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee began targeting this week with radio ads, robo-calls and e-mails criticizing their opposition to the Democratic-backed stimulus package.

Though traditionally a Republican stronghold, Long Island has become more Democratic over the last few election cycles. King is now the lone GOP House member left in the area, in a district that voted for Republican presidential nominee John McCain 52 percent to 47 percent for Democrat Barack Obama. But to make any sort of race of it, Democrats need to field a top-tier, well-financed challenger, something they have yet to do.

Next: Kasich Formally Announces Bid For Ohio Governorship
Previous: GOP's Coburn to Seek Senate Re-election in Oklahoma