On March 21, Daily Kos published this fairly lengthy blog post about the Working Families Party of New York.
Also on March 21, the New York Working Families Party put out a statement on the congressional vote on health care. It says, “This is how change is made. A week ago today, we were in Albany presenting thousands of your petitions to New York Congressman Scott Murphy, who hadn’t yet decided how he was going to vote on health care reform. This evening, Rep. Murphy and all but two other New York Democrats voted ‘yes’ – and the House passed health care reform…Together, we used the unique position of the Working Families Party to make clear to these Congressmembers that voting ‘no’ would have real consequences – and that voting ‘yes’ was the right thing to do. We succeeded. This bill doesn’t have everything we wanted. But it is one of the most significant pieces of legislation passed by Congress in decades.”
Here is an article from New York’s Hudson Valley on whether Murphy’s vote will help him or hurt him when he runs for re-election this year. The story is in the Post Star of Glens Falls, New York.
When people realize the higher taxes and being forced to buy health insurance or go to jail, maybe those folks in congress who voted yes will be voted out of a job.
Eric Sundwall is a 41 year old IT consultant from Niverville, NY tired of watching the world work the way it does. In 2006 he tried to run for Congress in NY’s 20th Congressional District and was knocked off the ballot by attorney Thomas Spargo representing three disparate clients. Despite collecting over 5200 signatures from people in the district, the NYS Board of Elections determined that he would not be on the ballot. Sundwall took his case to Federal Court, but was unable to convince Judge Lawrence Kahn that the NYS Election Law was unconstitutional.
In 2009, Governor David Paterson appointed elected representative Kirsten Gillibrand to replace Senator Hillary Clinton. A special election is being called and Eric has decided to try and get on the ballot again.
Sundwall accomplished something in 2009: he put Murphy in office. A guy named Jim Tedisco – kind of a skuzzy Republican from the New York State Assembly- ran in the race with support, and the ballot line of, the New York State Conservative Party. The Conservatives initiated the petition challenge that got Murphy bounced. But this happened after Sundwall had already participated in a debate against Murphy – a debate Tedisco refused to attend. There seems to have been a wide consensus that Tedisco was afraid of Sundwall, and that even though he didn’t personally raise the petition challenge he certainly (obviously) welcomed it. This district has historically been receptive of third parties. A lot of Sundwall voters broke for Murphy when stories broke of how Tedisco was running away. Tedisco had given up some New York State Assembly committee assignments in anticipation of winning this race.
clay – extend your logic and Gillibrand is my fault too. I realize we’re both redheads, but Murphy didn’t get bounced . . . not sure I’m seeing the receptiveness of third parties in the district.
Be that as it may, the ‘accomplishment’ lies in the entry into any debate in such circumstances, forcing Tedisco to reconcile a position on the bailouts and exposing the similarity between the two at such events like the AARP debate in Saratoga. Include a firm stance against foreign occupations and fiat currency are also high end issues promulgated in the otherwise vacuous political landscape. I’m just not accepting the mantle for the latest trillion dollar fiasco. There’s not any practical evidence to ultimately separate where the ‘Sundwall’ support went to . . .
If a sentiment exists to vote for a third party alternative, why blame the candidate or party ? Some voters are simply responding positively to another choice. No party owns those sentiments however practically poised one may consider the denial of the sentiment. In this case, not being on the ballot can’t be blamed. Perhaps being on the ballot and accruing actual votes might make a case, but a poor one at that.
A sentiment cannot be denied. I vote can be denied. We cannot assume that an individual is selecting the best candidate to suit his or her interests when they step into a voting booth. Often, an individual will vote based on cursory knowledge of the candidates before them. In truth every individual who votes selects the candidate which the individual’s knowledge thereof best fits the individual’s own personal criteria for selection. Individuals form their opinions on candidates due to the influence of electronic information and propaganda transmitting devices. The chorus of media information aimed at individual voters just before the 2009 special election was calculated to tell a story about how Jim Tedisco classlessly denied Eric Sundwall ballot placement, and of how implicitly individuals who would have liked to have voted for Eric Sundwall were left with no recourse except to vote for Scott Murphy because he had greater dignity than Jim Tedisco. This story is a credit to Eric Sundwall because it’s a narrative of his success in influencing the election.
Using the redistricting state constitutional case Loeber v Spargo USCA than appellate justice Sotomayor was asked to stay the election process based well upon Schulz v Berman decision(s) of 1994. Sotomayor refused and may ultimately be forces to reconsider her decision once Obama is forced out as ineligible POTUS.
clay – I appreciate the sentiment ! Thank you.
As I understand it, the Working Family Party is basically willing to endorse major party candidates and work with major party candidates with electoral fusion. Some what like the old New Party? Both activities can good polices to follow for the major party and the minor party.
Creating legislative districts has always been a rather ugly and messy political business. Sadly, we inherited single member districts where a winner is chosen by plurality vote. Using some form of proportional representation for say, the state house or the U.S. House might address the problem.