By Tom Deignan

President George W. Bush’s election in the presidential race has widely been seen as a convincing victory for the Republican Party. The GOP also picked up a number of seats in the Senate, so Republicans are feeling giddy these days. 

But don’t tell that to Congressmen Pete King, John Sweeney or a number of other Irish American Republicans who represent New York State. That’s because across New York — which went heavily for Senator John Kerry — the Republicans performed terribly in the recent election. 

As a recent New York Daily News editorial put it, “Trounced every which way on Election Day, New York Republicans are engaged in the kind of soul-searching and recriminations that Democrats are going through on the national level. Party stalwarts like Long Island Rep. Pete King and upstate Rep. John Sweeney are speaking out, describing the party as bankrupt of ideas and bereft of strong candidates.” 

Indeed, the one-two punch of Sweeney and King suggests just how deep the state Republican woes run. It also shows just how pivotal a role Irish American lawmakers will play in attempting to turn the Republican ship around. 

King, of course, has been a force on Irish issues for years in Congress. He’s been a key player in the Irish peace process and has even written a number of books about how Northern Ireland’s troubles have affected both the U.S. and Ireland. 

Sweeney is a bit of a newcomer to Irish and Irish American circles. But since becoming a mover and shaker at the statewide level he has made Irish issues a priority. 

An upstate native whose father was a union leader, Sweeney, in some ways, represents what was once the great strength of the New York State Republican Party. 

Among Irish Catholic and other ethnic voters, Republicans stole a lot of votes from traditional Democrats (such as the pro-union Sweeney clan). New York Governor George Pataki certainly benefited from this. 

Pataki, with strong Irish roots himself, rode a wave of victory in 1994 and has spent the last 10 years tending to Irish matters. He pushed to have the Irish Famine taught in New York schools and also spearheaded the effort to open an Irish Famine memorial in Battery Park City. 

But now even Pataki is being targeted by some Republicans who say he has not capitalized on his past victories. The result is that Republicans across New York state have hit an historic low point. 

As the Daily News editorial put it, “All but surrendering without a fight in the U.S. Senate race, the party allowed Chuck Schumer to score a landslide against little-known, under-funded, under-supported Howard Mills. It also turned over a congressional seat to Democrats, saw its caucus in the 150-member, Democratic-controlled Assembly drop from 47 to 46 members and suffered a significant erosion of strength in the state Senate. There, a narrower Republican majority lost at least two seats, with recounts threatening two more. 

“The GOP’s losses extended even to judgeships in their former strongholds of Westchester and Nassau counties. Voter registration trends clearly bear out that the Republican Party has lost touch with New Yorkers. Since 2000, Democrats have signed up 291,000 new voters, while GOP registration increased by just 38,000. Overall, 5.5 million Democrats now outnumber 3.2 million Republicans.” 

In the wake of all this, Irish American Republicans came out swinging. “We face a disaster in 2006,” Sweeney was quoted as saying in one newspaper article. 

In another interview, King added that the state Republican Party had “lost its way,” and was “a party that doesn’t stand for anything anymore.” 

King also noted that other “than the governor, there is no one of statewide stature and the party itself has no overwhelming vision or course.” 

Assemblyman Tom Kirwan went even further, directly aiming his guns at Pataki, saying, “Pataki did absolutely nothing to help us.” 

To be sure, Pataki has legions of Irish American defenders. But this discord is a sign that the GOP’s troubles will last a long time. 

You can also be sure that when the dust settles, Irish American leaders — and voters — will play a key role straightening the party out. 

It’s no accident, for example, that Sweeney is said to be among those interested in running for governor soon in 2006. 

(Contact Sidewalks at tdeignan@irishvoice.com.)