Why rest following the 2013 Citywide election, when the only high-profile seat left for a Republican in NYC is already all geared up for a hot match between Rep. Michael Grimm (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) and Democratic councilman Domenic Recchia in 12 months from now.

Republicans and Democrats alike, pundits and operatives from both sides, see this as the most competitive seat for the Democrats in 2014, where Governor Cuomo is favorited to sweep with Dem. victories across the State.

The latest in the race for NY’s 11th Congressional district came when Congressman Grimm slammed Democrat Recchia for not speaking out on President Obama’s signature healthcare law rollout.

Mr. Recchia later told the Staten Island Advance that he was “dismayed and incredibly frustrated by the glitches that occurred with the rollout of the Affordable Care Act website.”

“It was, frankly, inexcusable,” he said. “What’s more, I think that the president and this Congress should work together to honor the promise that was made to Americans regarding their ability to keep their health care coverage after ACA was implemented.”

Earlier today, Mr. Grimm took the debate a step further in challenging his opponent to publicly speak out against the unpopular Obamacare legislation, calling Mr. Recchia “phony baloney,” Politicker reports.

“It also begs the question, where is my phony baloney opponent on the issue?” Mr. Grimm asked. “Domenic Recchia has been parading around spewing out regurgitated DCCC talking points, telling people what they want to hear, instead of talking to the people of Staten Island and Brooklyn who are losing their coverage, doctors, and their businesses on account of Obamacare.”

Reached for comment, Recchia spokeswoman Ashleigh Owens called the “phony baloney” attack “childish name-calling behavior.”

“Michael Grimm’s childish name-calling behavior reflects the sad lack of leadership we have in Congress today and is exactly why people want change and someone to represent them who is focused on delivering commonsense solutions to our problems,” Owens told Politicker. “Instead of voting over 40 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and sending us back to a time when insurance companies held all the cards and would deny people with pre-existing conditions coverage, let’s talk about how we can improve the law to work for everyone. Instead, of being the ‘Party of No’ that throws temper tantrums and uses insults from the 1950s, let’s talk about the future and what matters to New Yorkers like how we’re going to create jobs, offer comprehensive immigration reform, and end gun violence in this country.”

(Jacob Kornbluh – YWN)