Israel hasn't paid his dues

The New York Senate race is definitely heating up after Steve Israel decided not to pony up money to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. In one sense, I see it as very smart and strategic of him to be ensuring that his war chest will be large enough to mount a well-scaled attack. Having money doesn't always translate into wins, but the more you have the more chances you have to get your name out there and potentially taint the campaign of your challengers. However, this strategy may also come back to haunt him if he is not able to rally up the support from his colleagues because their PACs and influence may just steer the ultimate winner into the Senate. I have real trouble believing that Gillibrand is actually going to wind back up in her current position and if that is the case then a strong campaign run by a Representative like Steve Israel may be just what is needed to steal the coveted position. Israel and others considering similar strategic moves will need to weigh these options and decide whether the rewards outweigh the risks because a wrong move now basically could take you out of the race early and end any potential shot at moving up the career ladder in the future.