The Man Who Would Be Queen

Let me introduce you to John Tasini, who has taken on the uneviable task of challenging Senator Hilalry Rodham Clinton in the Democratic primary race for re-election to her Senate seat.

Tasini's bid is, well....quixotic, to say the least. He's hoping to ride the same thudded-headed anger that bloggers like Kos and Fireedoglake have exhibited towards Joe Lieberman (in supporting Ned Lamont) to a wave of victory overcoming a substantially bigger war chest and a substantially stronger candidate in Clinton.

What a doosh, in other words.

Look, I know Kos and Jane are crowing over their victory over Lieberman, only it wasn't their victory because they were for Lamont for the wrong reasons (or rather against Lieberman for the wrong reasons).

Lieberman's position on Iraq wasn't the pressing issue these folks (and by extension, the main stream media) made it out to be. Principled people of all beliefs are welcome in the Democratic party, and it is on THIS point that Lieberman lost: he appeared to sell out his party, time and again, for the sake of cozying up to the Republicans and to Bush in particular.

Clinton supports the invasion, and has never repudiated her vote on Iraq. I have a problem with those positions, but I also know a few things:

1) On substantially more issues, I agree with Hillary. Some of these issues are not as important as the Iraq invasion, granted, but adding them all up, it's enough for me to vote for Hillary because,

2) I live in New York, and Hillary along with Chuck Schumer have stood toe to toe with Republicans to get a better deal for the state. But maybe pork isn't enough? In that case, I'd urge you to vote for Hillary because,

3) Unlike Lieberman, Hillary has made no bones about holding the administration's feet to the fire in the invasion, as witnessed by her recent antagonistic grilling of Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld.

So John? Sorry.

If you were running for Congress first, and showing that you can do more than throw stones (former president of the National Writer's Union, and you know how much of a union man I am, as well as the lead plaintiff in the case forcing the New York Times to turn over on-line residuals and royalties for articles sold out of their archives to the writers who wrote them), and then ran for Senate against Hillary, I might give you a passing look.

This election is far too important. Try making a name for yourself first, then come talk to this progressive.

tags technorati : John Tasini Hillary Clinton