The
Albany Times Union endorsed Kirsten Gillibrand today for Congress in NY-20. This is great news for Kirsten. In the past, the paper endorsed John "Kick Ass" Sweeney. After his recent problems - maybe his nom de plume should be John "Getting His Ass Kicked" Sweeney.
The editorial:
Gillibrand for Congress
The Democratic challenger has emerged as a better candidate than the Republican incumbent.
It's time for a change in the 20th Congressional District in New York and across much of the country. The elections of 2006, potentially historic in their scope, ought to be when the Democrats regain control of Congress. Rarely has such an overall change been needed more, especially to restore the checks and balances that the Constitution provides.
In each of his last two re-election campaigns, we endorsed U.S. Rep. John Sweeney. We cannot do so this time. Instead, our endorsement goes to his challenger, Kirsten Gillibrand.
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Yet Ms. Gillibrand has emerged as unquestionably qualified for Congress by virtue of her vision and intelligence. She would be an articulate advocate for the people who would become her constituents. She's especially passionate about saving the small farms in the Hudson Valley, and she sees the dredging of the Hudson River as the economic opportunity that it truly is.
This election is about more than who's best for the interests of the 20th Congressional District. It's about who's best for the interests of the country. Ms. Gillibrand is clearly the better choice.
The editorial doesn't reference Sweeney's recent ethical problems. The Times Union, as well as other papers and local TV have been hammering Sweeney for his failure to release the domestic incident report that he said he would release on Wednesday. On Friday, he lawyered up, said his lawyer advised him not to release anything, and directed the lawyer to "investigate" the leak of the domestic incident to see who was behind it. Does this remind you of OJ?
The Glens Falls Post Star rescinded their endorsement when Sweeney stonewalled.
Also in the paper today, columnist Fred Lebrun chastizes Sweeney for this ethical lapse
He should have known that a domestic incident call to police initiated by a congressman's wife would come back to haunt him if he didn't confront it head-on. Last December was the time to deflate the impact. Like Hevesi has done recently, Sweeney could have pleaded human failings. He and his wife, Gayle, were under extreme stress at the time because of concerns about John's health and his son's legal problems. John Sweeney is not an unsympathetic character. People would have responded charitably, I'm sure, and that would have been the end of that.
Instead, over the months as this newspaper and others tried to get the details of the incident, we were stonewalled, by him and by the cops. There were denials from higher-ups in the State Police that any official reports or documents even existed from the night in question. That proved to be quite untrue.
Sweeney got a second chance to defuse the situation when three newspapers published information last week that gave the bare bones of the incident, obtained from what we are confident are official reports. He flunked a second time. More bluster, more denials instead.
So, should any of this become a significant factor in his bid for a fifth term in office? No and yes. Sweeney called the original domestic incident "a nonissue" in terms of his re-election. He's right. But his mangled attempts at suppressing it, his bullying, posturing and denying during the cover-up are not. They go right to character, and that's fair game.
So, should any of this become a significant factor in his bid for a fifth term in office? No and yes. Sweeney called the original domestic incident "a nonissue" in terms of his re-election. He's right. But his mangled attempts at suppressing it, his bullying, posturing and denying during the cover-up are not. They go right to character, and that's fair game.
It all comes down to GOTV! If you are around Troy - stop into Dem HQ and help. Jim Dean (Howard's Bro and head of Democracy For America is supposed to stop by today at 1pm.
The Canon Building
5 Broadway, 2nd Floor,
Troy NY 12180
518-273-1424
rensselaer@gillibrand2006.com