The Nation: The "Vote For What You Believe In" Campaign (TASINI)

Stephanie

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Mon Sep-11-06 01:43 PM
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The Nation: The "Vote For What You Believe In" Campaign (TASINI)

Edited on Mon Sep-11-06 01:45 PM by Stephanie

Good luck, Jonathan!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20060910/cm_thenation/1119907_1

The "Vote For What You Believe In" Campaign

John Nichols
THE NATION
Sun Sep 10, 4:51 PM ET

The Nation -- Senator Hillary Clinton's army of political aides, strategists and tacticians has spent an inordinate amount of time in recent months worrying about the Democratic primary challenge that their boss faces from anti-war candidate Jonathan Tasini. The Clintonites maneuvered mightily to keep Tasini out of the spotlight at the state Democratic convention in May. They did the same when the small but influential Working Families Party pondered its endorsement. They discouraged Democrats from supporting the petition drive that eventually got Tasini's name on Tuesday's Democratic primary ballot. And they made it clear that Clinton would not join any debate that included Tasini.

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It should probably come as no surprise that Progressive Democrats of America, the energetic national grassroots group that has had the guts to push the Democratic Party to back a timeline for Iraq withdrawal and to support moves to impeach President Bush, is backing Tasini's run.

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Among the groups backing Tasini in his campaign to hold Clinton to account in the September primary are the Village Independent Democrats, a reform political club with roots going back to the days when Eleanor Roosevelt and Adlai Stevenson were its allies and mentors in struggles to break the grip of Tammany Hall on New York City elections. Also backing Tasini are New York City Democratic clubs such as the Downtown Independent Democrats, Brooklyn Democrats for Change, Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats and the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, a group named for a legendary gay rights activist that was formed to back Democrats who are strong defenders of LGBT rights.

The Democratic Progressive Action Caucus of New York backs Tasini's energetic-if-underfunded challenge to Clinton, as does the New York Democratic Socialists of America chapter

Individual endorsements for Tasini, the former head of the National Writers Union, have come from prominent New York progressives such as author and social welfare specialist Frances Fox Piven and actress Susan Sarandon, as well as national figures such as author Barbara Ehrenreich and peace activist Cindy Sheehan.

Of course, endorsements don't elect candidates. But the support Tasini has garnered did build the base of volunteers needed to gather the more than 15,000 signatures needed to place his name on the primary ballot. And it has helped him maintain an energetic campaign against one of the most recognizable politicians on the planet.

That attention has reminded New York State Democrats that, on the fundamental issue of the 2006 electoral season--the question of whether to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq--Tasini is more in tune with them, and the American majority, than Clinton. The same goes for a host of other issues--from federal trade policy to gay rights--on which Clinton has disappointed liberals. As the primary approached, the Gay City News, a widely circulated weekly publication in New York City that is well regarded for its political commentary, editorialized that: "Clinton has ducked fair dialogue on where she stands on the most pressing foreign policy question facing the nation. Just because she can get away with it does not make it the right thing to do. Clinton has also bobbed and weaved this year on gay rights. Activists have pressed her on her opposition to gay marriage--and come away disappointed that she did not even speak out on the dignity of gay families on the Senate floor when Congress debated the ugly Marriage Protection Amendment." The editorial concluded: " Hillary Rodham Clinton needs a wake-up call. Help Jonathan Tasini place that call."