Say it with me New Yorkers

[shadowknows69]

TASINI! Don't believe the hype. Let's pull off another Libermanesque upset! We want representatives that that stand for NY's beliefs and I believe we want and end to this bullshit war! Lets show SHilary the door today.

[BurtWorm]

1. Tasini.

I'm voting for him, but not expecting miracles.

[shadowknows69]

2. Me either but we can send a strong message.

and possibly give Tasini a leg up when Hilary inevitably leaves the senate in two years anyway to hit the campaign trail. She doesn't really want the job. I wish she would have inflicted herself on a different state.

[shadowknows69]

3. kick for primary day

n/t

[acmejack]

4. You mean you don't love HRC?

But, but she's just like Raymond! (edit: Please don't tell me I need that stupid sarcasm thingie!)

go Jonathan!

[shadowknows69]

6. I'd watch Hilary in a sitcom

don't want her as my Senator no mo.

[BurtWorm]

7. One of the unfortunate traits of being a true pacifist in NYS politics

is the inability to be sufficiently aggressive, which is what was needed to make a serious dent in Hillary's armor. Mind you, lack of aggressiveness is one of my favorite personal traits in people. But Hillary never had to even glance in Tasini's direction. His voice never seemed to penetrate her aura.

Is it because the media in NY were pro-Hillary? I think that accounts for a lot of it--not that they were pro-Hillary on principle (given that Hillary's principles are so ambiguous), so much as pro-Hillary by default, because they're always for the strong, rich and famous over the outsider. Tasini was always written about as "the guy no one knows is running against Hillary"--when he was written about at all.

I wanted to give more than just a vote to Tasini, but I have to confess, I never got over the hurdle of feeling like I'd be wasting energy on a lost cause. I wish I had gotten involved months ago.

[Cassandra]

11. I met Tasini last Saturday...

at the Greenmarket. He was very pleasant and upbeat. He seemed to feel like the effort has been worthwhile regardless of the outcome. I'll give him my vote in the primary and I hope to see him run again for another office (since I don't expect him to win). Anything that gives Hillary a zetz will be worth doing.

[KurtNYC]

16. If she hadn't run here Giuliani would be sitting in that Senate seat

right now.

[Stephanie]

20. I voted for him

Of course. :)

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

5. I'm leaving in a few minutes for the polls and will be voting for Tasini.

[shadowknows69]

8. Soon to be right behind ya OSO

I'm not giving up hope for an upset.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

9. I just voted shaddowknows. The polls were empty. I was the 4th person in

my district today. Hoping that those who would vote for Hillary would figure it is fait complete and not vote!

[shadowknows69]

10. True, voter apathy could be to our advantage.

ah, I'm going back to bed for a while so I can wake from this dream.

[Ignacio Upton]

12. Tasini with 20% in primary = No Hillary in 2008

I don't hate Hillary like some on this side of the spectrum, but I don't want her running in 2008, and I see voting for Tasini as a way to protest against that.

[BurtWorm]

17. I don't want her running in 2008 either.

I'm voting against her because I don't like her position on the war, and I'm much more comfortable with Tasini on that and every other issue. I wish the Senate were filled with people like Tasini. It's discouraging to think it's filled with people like Hillary. Odly enough, I don't hate Hillary either. I just think she is symbolic of the cowardly centrism of the DLC.

[hedgehog]

13. I'm off to vote for Tasini in half an hour.

I may be the only Democrat in this entire precinct to vote today, so he'll carry my precinct!

[Ignacio Upton]

14. Question: Why do polls in Upstate only open at noon?

I can't vote for at least two more hours because the polls around here don't open until 12:00.

[KurtNYC]

15. Done / voted -- Light turnout means every vote counts like 10+

There has been no real buzz about Tasini, expectations are for a walkover by Hillary so anything above 20% for Tasini would be a wake up call.

[BurtWorm]

18. I hope to hell it's above 20%.

She needs a wakeup call.

[CollegeDUer]

19. PDA and Democracy For America have endorsed him

I'm sure they'll be bringing out their voters in droves. If Tasini hits 1/3 of the votes he'll get enough to be on the airwaves in opposition to HRC.

[BurtWorm]

22. DFA endorsed Tasini?

I've been thinking they've been awfully quiet about that. Daily Kos, too, doesn't seem to know Tasini exists. Or they've joined the conspiracy of silence.

[Stephanie]

23. Kos has been infiltrated, IMO

Remember Hillary hired her own personal professional blogger, Peter Daou? Well he's gone underground. His blog is silent. He's posting something, somewhere, but not under his own name. I suspect he's behind the attacks on Tasini at Kos, but I don't know what screenname he's using. There are a few very hostile posters there. I think Peter Daou is earning his pay at Kos.

[BurtWorm]

25. That's disturbing, if true.

Kos's silence on Tasini, given his vocal support for Lamont, is deafening.

[Stephanie]

26. well Daou has not been seen since she hired him

so obviously he's doing something, and Kos is the most logical place for him to do it

[BurtWorm]

27. It certainly would explain

the almost studied silence from kos himself...

[Stephanie]

24. endorsements >

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?bid=1&pid=119907

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.

PDA is all about pushing the envelope in a party not known for taking risks and thinking big. And PDA activists in New York--who have formed a half dozen chapters around the state -- well understand that the best way to get a message to Clinton before she starts campaigning for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination is in the 2006 Democratic Senate primary. The same goes for the three New York State chapters of Democracy for America -- the group founded to maintain the spirit of Howard Dean's 2004 presidential run--that have endorsed Tasini.

Perhaps even more significant is the support that Tasini has earned from the "reform clubs" of New York City.

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.

[Stephanie]

21. Did you see this Ward Sutton cartoon in the Village Voice?