Even the ultra liberal New York Times has admitted the special election to replace disgraced Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-New York) has become "a referendum on the president and his party that is highlighting the surprisingly raw emotions of the electorate." And Democratic National Committee member Robert Zimmerman says the issue defining the contest in New York's District 9 "is the confidence that the electorate has in this district about the national Democratic agenda." That's very good news for Candidate Bob Turner; the Republican in the race.

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Even in a district where Democrats out number Republicans 3 to 1 and which has a large Jewish population that is usually loyal to the Democratic Party, Mr. Turner has closed to within 6 points in the most recent poll.

Evidently that has Democrats so nervous they have resorted to lies and innuendoes sending out the message that retired cable television executive Turner is a "Tea Party extremist" who wants to dismantle Social Security and Medicare.

But Mr. Turner has more than just the truth on his side. He has the very popular former mayor of New York City Ed Koch. Mr. Koch, a Democrat who has endorsed Mr. Turner in the race, produced a "robo-call" attacking fellow Democrat David Weprin for lying. "David Weprin is making phone calls trying to scare seniors," Mr. Koch said in the recorded telephone message to thousands of seniors in the district, "They're nonsense. Weprin should be ashamed of himself...Bob Turner is running for Congress to protect your Medicare and Social Security. If anyone tries to scare you with lies about Bob Turner, tell 'em Ed Koch told them to knock it off!"

The call ends with Mr. Koch encouraging voters to "Send Washington a message: Vote for Bob Turner for Congress on September 13th." And that message to send a message has been resonating in the district almost since this special election campaign began.

At a recent Turner Campaign event, Dale Weiss, a 64-year-old Democrat, blasted the president for failing to tame runaway federal spending saying, "We need to cut Medicaid but he won't do that. He is a moron."

Retired teacher Theodore Feimer, 66, said he was upset with the president and Democrats over the rising national debt, “I have never spent more money than I made,” he said. “The president is way off base in his spending." Then making the connection that many in the district see between the failures in Washington and the Democrat in this race, Mr. Feimer added, "We live in a tremendously blue city in a blue state. Weprin to me is part of the party regime."

And that's the biggest reason why, when it comes to tremendously blue NY-9, that regime should be nervous.