Tasini campaign not 'fit to print'?
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NYT Erases Progressive Senate Candidate
Over the course of the past year, the New York Times has provided ample coverage to a series of potential U.S. Senate candidates from New York--none of whom are actually running for office. Meanwhile, a candidate who is in fact challenging incumbent Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand in the September 2010 primary has been all but erased from the picture.
That progressive activist Jonathan Tasini is running against Gillibrand, who was appointed to the seat in 2009, is known to Times readers who happened to catch a single January 27, 2010, story by N.R. Kleinfeld, headlined "An Underdog Who Isn't Daunted by a New Try for the Senate"--the only mention to date in the paper of record of Tasini's candidacy, which was launched in June 2009.
Meanwhile, the Times has treated possible high-profile candidacies as if they were real news. Former Democratic Rep. Harold Ford from Tennessee, for example, contemplated a run, which elicited substantial coverage (1/6/10, 2/15/10, 2/19/10, 2/24/10) before Ford decided against the idea. His formal decision to not run garnered him a news story and an op-ed piece on the same day (3/2/10), with a piece the next day (3/3/10) that re-capped the non-campaign. The Times has devoted at least nine articles to other Democrats who thought about but in the end decided not to run against Gillibrand.
Gosh, I wonder why the New York Times is so unfair to Tasini?
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Well, well, well
NEW YORK TIMES CO. V. TASINI, eh?
That just about takes care of it, doesn't it? How easily bruised those big boyz are.
On the other hand, the FAIR article to which you've linked does point out that the Times maybe doesn't like his views on (some of?) these matters:
'He is against the healthcare bill, and wants Medicare for all. He is against the dual wars. (''I will not vote for a single penny to continue either war.'') He wants to increase the minimum wage immediately to $10 an hour and see it quickly reach $15 to $20. He wants a stronger labor movement. (''People say you're antibusiness. I'm pro-business because I want jobs. What I'm against is foolishness.'') He wants a tax on every transaction on Wall Street. He supports gay marriage and gun control.'
Well, you can't have that... (But, if you're an American citizen, you're entitled to...)
A former New Yorker (which is kind of like being a former Catholic), I still spend a few months a year in the city. Next trip is next month for nine or ten weeks. I am considering volunteering for Tasini for a few hours each week that I'm there. Thanks for your post.
editor_u
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Makes me wanna vote for him...
But the legacy parties suck the life out of everybody they touch. Look at Sherod Brown and the entire Progressive Caucus. I'd definitely slip him some coin if he ran as an independent. But voting for or donating to a Democrat--any Democrat--in my view is an endorsement of what they, as a whole, are doing. The good ones just don't stay good once the legacy party bile encapsulates them. Sad but true.
So far Tasini is the ONLY Democrat that I have donated to
Tasini is the real deal and I forked over $$ . I made a vow not to support any Dem ever again, but Taisini is for working Americans and for combating Dr. King's triple evils of racism, militarism, and economic injustice. He's also extremely smart and articulate and can communicate with great clarity. His appearances on CNBC are great. He should be a left spokesman everywhere.
I too would be more comfortable if he ran as an Independent because gqmartinez is right. The good ones don't stay good.
FAIR action for Tasini
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=4056
ACTION:
Contact New York Times public editor Clark Hoyt and ask him to investigate why the Times is giving so little space to an actual candidate in this year's Senate race, while giving unusually broad coverage to non-candidates.
CONTACT:
New York Times
Clark Hoyt, Public Editor
public@nytimes.com
Phone: (212) 556-7652