Bad week for Johnny Boy?

First, Kirsten Launches her campaign with an endorsement from Spitzer:

Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand officially kicked off her campaign Tuesday to oust U.S. Rep. John Sweeney, R-Clifton Park, from his seat in the 20th Congressional district.

She announced her bid in her hometown of Hudson and again later at Canfield Casino in Saratoga Springs.

'I am here to launch my campaign to bring accountable government and honest leadership back to Washington,' Gillibrand said. 'Our system of government -- our democracy -- is built on a foundation of trust. Today, that foundation is cracked. I am running this campaign to earn your trust and help repair that foundation.'

Gillibrand said she has heard from many families throughout the district that are 'deeply dissatisfied and distressed about the direction our country is headed and with the leaders taking us there.'

She highlighted the high cost of healthcare, rising energy prices and the 'insiders in Washington,' who are 'too busy working for special interests to spend time working for us.'

Gillibrand chose Saratoga Springs to make her second announcement because of its Democratic sweep in the November elections.

'Saratoga Springs is an exciting place to be right now,' she said. 'The residents here are committed to changing how government works.'

Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, Democrat front-runner for the 2006 race for governor, added his endorsement to that of Saratoga Springs Mayor Valerie Keehn, who briefly spoke of her own commitment to putting people first and special interests second.

While Sweeney's lackies have to post phoney astroturf protests of the event, according to this email:

Sorry for the very late notice. Congressman Sweeney's campaign staff has asked us for help in turning out some people for an 11:00 AM rally at the Canfield Casino in Saratoga Springs on Tuesday, Jan. 31st. At that time, his probable opponent, Kirsten Gillibrand, will be making her formal campaign announcement there. The Congressman's staff feel it is important that we start carrying the fight to her immediately, which is why we need to have as many folks as possible show up to help out. We will have some signs available, along with a press release from the campaign. We will meet across the street from the Casino in Congress Park in downtown Saratoga. We know it's often difficult to get hard-working Republicans to take time off from their jobs to help out, but the Congressman is counting on Saratoga County to play a key role in this year's campaign. This rally is our first opportunity to show the media and the Dems that this election year, Saratoga County is Sweeney Country. If you have any questions, please contact Sweeney For Congress Campaign Director Chris Nedwick at the Campaign HQ at 371-2230, or County Coordinator Steve Bulger at 369-2847, or County GOP HQ at 584-7900. Sweeney For Congress '06 Campaign Team MEETING PLACE WILL BE 11AM IN PARKING LOT BY THE BEN & JERRY'S ACROSS FROM THE PARKING GARAGE AND RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE CAROUSEL IN CONGRESS PARK

Then Sweeney's play-acting of being a reformer gets axed by the house leadership:

House GOP kills Sweeney's reform effort: WASHINGTON Representative John Sweeney's effort to get new elections for all House G-O-P leaders died on a 107-to-85 vote by Republicans seeking to defuse a growing congressional corruption scandal."

And now Sweeney has to vote against the GOP leadership on the budget. For a guy whose power consists mostly of kissing up to those above him, he's not doing well. Do you suppose he's sleeping ok these days?