Years after U.S. Rep. Steve Israel (D-Long Island) first spent much time in Queens, newly drawn Congressional maps are sending him back to his childhood roots.
“I spent every Sunday of my youth in Queens,” Israel, who is running for re-election in a district that will now include parts of northeast Queens, said during a sit-down interview with the Chronicle on Thursday. “My grandparents lived in Flushing. I feel I have Queens in my blood.”
A panel of federal judges in March approved new political boundaries for New York’s Congressional districts, which added Bay Terrace, Beechhurst, Whitestone, Douglaston and Little Neck to the district for which Israel is vying. Israel currently represents the 2nd Congressional District, made up solely of neighborhoods in Suffolk and Nassau, and is running to represent the newly drawn 3rd CD.
Republican Stephen LaBate, a Deer Park resident who graduated from St. John’s University in Jamaica, is challenging Israel.
During Israel’s interview with the Queens Chronicle, which we’ll be writing about more extensively in this week’s paper, the congressman said he immediately began meeting with civic leaders, borough politicians and other Queens residents after the judges approved the new lines.
“I said, ‘Gary, I’ve got a lot to learn,’” Israel said in reference to U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Queens, Long Island), who recently announced he would not be running again.
After being drawn into the new 3rd Congressional District, Ackerman announced he would not run against Israel, nor would he make another bid for the 6th Congressional District, which represents much of northern Queens.
“It won’t be very long until people in Queens say, ‘We can’t get rid of this guy,’” Israel joked.
Describing himself as leaning right on issues regarding Israel and national security, and left on civil rights, gay rights, education and the environment, Israel was tapped by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) to head the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2012. Now the fifth highest-ranking Democrat in the House, Israel said he has particularly focused on veterans’ issues, infrastructure and middle-class economics while in Congress.
His focus on economics has not always landed him in the same camp as President Obama, Israel said.
“The president said, ‘We should raise taxes on the rich,’ and I said, ‘Fair enough, but what’s your definition of rich?’” Israel said. “He says $250,000. Two hundred fifty thousand dollars may make you rich in Nebraska, but $250,000 does not make you rich in Little Neck, where you’re paying the highest cost of living in America.”
As for other local issues, Israel said he would likely not be a fan of expanding the JFK Airport’s runways into the Jamaica Bay.
“I would lean against anything I’d consider to be potentially degrading to the environment,” Israel said.
On a more international scale, Israel said he believes the U.S. “should use all the tools in our tool box” when it comes to addressing Iran’s nuclear ambitions, including keeping the possibility of a military strike on the table.
“Right now the sanctions are crippling the Iranian regime,” Israel said. “We need to continue applying those sanctions.”
Phil B posted at 7:40 pm on Fri, Apr 13, 2012.
Unlike the phony baloney Steve Israel, his opponent – Stephen Labate - the next Congressman from the new 3rd CD actually grew up and lived in Queens and went to high school and college in Queens. Stephen Labate is a business man, family man and combat vet. He is a Lt. Col. in the US Army Reserves and continues to serve his country. He has been endorsed by a number of prominent local, area and national political figures and business leaders like Steve Forbes. His campaign is well funded and already has 100s of volunteers from Queens, Nassau and Suffolk Counties - the area that the new 3rd district covers. Stephen Labate loves Queens and knows it well. He isn’t just a “visitor.” As a member of the majority party in the House, he will be in a better position to help Queens while working on improving the national economy and keeping us all safe by maintaining a strong defense.
I call Mr. Israel a phony baloney – an old NYC expression – because he says he supports Israel, yet he supports a President who, when not golfing or on vacation, is busy throwing the State of Israel and the Jews therein under the bus. Steve Israel’s Boss has supported and encouraged Islamic revolutions in mostly secular states that were at peace with America and Israel. Those states are now likely to be in the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood – the mother of all Middle East terrorist organizations. Christians have been attacked and murdered in these countries and historic Jewish Synagogues have been attacked. Yet, the Democrat leadership – including Steve Israel have been relatively silent about these atrocities.
We in Queens have many wonderful Muslim friends and neighbors and most Muslims here and around the world just want to live in peace like the rest of us. But, the only "revolution" that Steve Israel and the Democrat Party (that he helps lead) didn’t back was the one true secular revolution in Iran; a revolution lead by young Iranians who like being Muslim, but want a modern democracy.
The clerical dictatorship in Iran is trying to build a nuclear weapon with the express purpose of destroying the State of Israel. A true supporter of the Jewish State would be constantly and publicly challenging the current occupant of the White House, a man who clearly tolerates terrorist friendly regimes. Instead, Steve Israel hangs out and associates himself with pro-Islamic terrorist groups. Queens’s native – Stephen Labate - stands with our ally Israel and with the Jewish people. As someone who fought in the Mideast, Mr. Labate knows the true dangers and difficulties of the region; his opponent does not.
Stephen Labate is pro-America, pro-Israel and pro-economic growth. He wants a good future for his kids and yours. It will be good to finally replace one more of the worn-out hack politicians who did nothing to help the economy during this ongoing and terrible recession. One of those hacks is Steve Israel, a scandal ridden life long tax and spend leftist Democrat Party operative – and Nancy Pelosi's lap dog. He strongly supports 0bama's disastrous domestic policies and pro-extremist and anti-Israeli foreign policies. He can’t run away from that as he is part of the Democrat Party leadership. As such, he is no friend of Queens or the people of the new 3rd CD. The wonderful people of Queens will get the chance to elect a great new Congressman on Election Day 2012 – that man is Stephen Labate, the Conservative Republican. I urge all my Queens friends and neighbors to come out and vote as this is the most important election since 1860; and remember Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. were Republicans. God Bless America!
long island patriot posted at 2:10 pm on Fri, Apr 13, 2012.
[sad] "Describing himself as leaning right on issues regarding Israel and national security" are you kidding me, nothing could be furthur from the truth. Steve Israel is in bed with the most vile anti-israel organization, that is not Islamic, out there. Don't believe me, listen to Steve Israel's own words http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8Vwf49u6eg