Fundraising Likely For Adams

SINN Fein leader Gerry Adams will very likely get the ban on fundraising lifted when he comes to New York next week for the annual Sinn Fein dinner at the Sheraton Hotel on Thursday, November 9.

Adams has been personally banned from fundraising by the Bush administration because his party has refused to sign up to supporting the new police force in Northern Ireland, the PSNI.

However, following the recent St. Andrews Agreement which put Northern Ireland on a path to a devolved government and to Sinn Fein accepting policing, the fundraising ban seems unlikely to stay.

It would be an important symbolic victory for Adams, who has pointed out that even when the IRA campaign was going on he was allowed to fundraise in America as he worked to bring about a ceasefire.

The Bush administration, however, especially in the National Security Council, contain a number of hardliners who want nothing to do with Sinn Fein or Adams. Against all common political sense they have insisted that Sinn Fein can continue fundraising in America, but that Adams himself cannot.

Adams is expected in New York on Tuesday, Election Day, and will go to Washington before coming back to New York to appear at the annual Sinn Fein dinner. The party is expected to raise in the region of $500,000 at the event.

Any move to deny Adams fundraising on this occasion seems the height of folly. After all, the American influence in the peace process has been at its best when it encourages rather than discourages the players to move.

Adams can be expected to brief senior members of the administration when he is here on recent events.

Fine Gael Cancels Fundraiser

MEANWHILE, another Irish party has canceled its fundraiser for New York which was also scheduled for November.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny had set up a fundraising event for Manhattan at Harbour Lights restaurant but has now canceled the gathering.

It is not hard to see why. Recent opinion polls have put Fine Gael far behind Fianna Fail in the quest to lead the next government. With an election due in April or so, there is little time for Fine Gael to make up the ground.

Given that reality, it is not surprising that Kenny has decided to stay home. He will need all his political skills to close the gap on Fianna Fail over the next few months.

King Pulling Away?

CONGRESSMAN Pete King is now seven points clear of his Democratic challenger Dave Mejias in the race for the Third Congressional District in New York on Long Island.

A previous poll had King up by only two which created a flurry of speculation that King might be vulnerable. However, this latest poll seems to show King, who has a massive financial advantage, is pulling away.

King was criticized last week by a leading rabbi who accused him of trying to foment anti-Muslim feelings in his district. Many of King’s mailing are directed at Jewish voters and hint darkly that many of the mosques on Long Island, particularly one in Westbury, are bastions of terror activity.

However, the rabbi took issue with King’s message, stating that relations between Jews and Muslims on Long Island are very good and that the overwhelming majority of Muslims there are moderates.

Rabbi Jerome Davidson of Temple Beth-El in Great Neck criticized King for labeling the Islamic Center a hotbed of “radical Islam.”

“He’s trying to scare people,” Davidson said. “I really hate to say it, but it is a demagogue tactic similar to McCarthy.”

There are signs that Democrats have not given up on the King seat too. Last week the King race was moved into the top 50 targets by the Democratic National Committee, and extra money was funneled to challenger Mejias.

However, with time running out, King, with his huge financial advantage, appears safe barring a tidal wave.

Walsh on the Brink?

THE same polling firm that placed King ahead also showed Congressman Jim Walsh in New York’s 25th District, in the upstate region, behind by four points in his race to newcomer Dan Maffei, a former staffer for Bill Bradley when he was in the Senate.

Other polls have shown the contest near tied, while Walsh says his internal numbers have him up by about 4%.

Either way Walsh, head of the Friends of Ireland, and true friend of the Irish, is in the toughest race of his career to try and retain his seat in a year when Republicans in his state will perform poorly at the top of the ticket.

Kennedy Stumps For Menendez

WHEN the going gets tough bring in the big guns. Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey is in the race of his life against Tom Kean Junior in the only toss-up race for a Democratic held Senate seat.

On Wednesday of this week Senator Ted Kennedy will headline an Irish night for Menendez which is expected to bring Irish activists out from all over the state, including a large number of Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform volunteers. Recent polls have Menendez just shading the race, but it will be a nervous election day for the New Jersey senator.

Special election night party at O’Neill’s at 7pm at 45th and 3rd. Avenue.