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Did Yassky Lose Another Endorsement?
It sounds like David Yassky lost another endorsement! Or someone isn't being straight with us. Which is it?
Remember Thelma Davis, the mother of the slain city council member James Davis, first endorsed Yassky, then, after Yassky proved insensitive to her and a group of 200 seniors, she withdrew her endorsement one week later. Embarassing, wasn't that.
Well, either it has happened again or someone is lying to us.
Two weeks ago Yassky told an audience at a debate at Medgar-Evans College that district leader Lisa Kenner had endorsed him. He made the same claim in an email he sent to supporters. Well, something happened between then and this last weekend. At a candidate forum in Brownsville on Saturday, Lisa Kenner specifically proclaimed her neutrality in the CD-11 race. You can't both be neutral AND have endorsed someone 2 weeks previously! Unless, like Thelma Davis, Kenner changed her mind.
Did Yassky lie about Kenner's endorsement? Did Kenner lie about being neutral, something that would be kind of bad since she was hosting the event in Brownsville? Or, did David lose another endorsement?
Shouldn't people be able to get it right? I mean, if someone endorses you, don't you think you'd remember? How do people get it wrong? Either people lie about endorsements and don't expect to get caught, or they don't bother to keep track of their endorsements, showing something of a lack of appreciation for those who really have endorsed them. Well, lack of appreciation was what lost Yassky the Davis endorsement, I guess.
Normally it is Yvette Clarke's camp who has been somewhat infamous for misrepresenting endorsements. One Clarke supporter, in a letter to the membership of the Independent Neighborhood Democrats, claimed that the club had endorsed Clarke in her previous bid for Congress. The fact that she got only one or two votes, right behind "no endorsement" and distantly behind Major Owens, didn't stop this person, an IND member himself, from making such a claim. Then Yvette Clarke herself told an audience at a DFNYC event that she had been endorsed by Emily's List. It was months later that Emily's List actually endorsed her, apparently not minding that she had jumped the guy. And I am told that Yvette also lied in 2004, claiming a NY Times endorsement that never happened.
Now we have David Yassky. Is he emulating Clarke's record of misrepresenting endorsements?
These things should NOT be so difficult. Either someone has endorsed you or they haven't. These kinds of inaccurate claims are quite simply dumb since they are bound to be discovered.
For the record, I am unaware of any such false claims of endorsements from either the Andrews or Chris Owens camps. Although I will say rumors about 6 months ago that Chris Owens was dropping out sounded a lot like the kind of false rumors started by the old Clarence Norman machine (of which Andrews was a part) as their standard operating procedure. But that is a whole other kind of dirty trick.
UPDATE: The Politicker Blog reports Kenner has maintained her endorsement, reiterating it AFTER the Brownsville forum. So I guess her statement of neutrality at the forum was the inaccurate statement, not Yassky's.
Andrews' problem is not
Andrews' problem is not claiming endorsements he does have (like Clarence).
According to Politicker,
According to Politicker, this story is not true. Don't know, not sure I care, but you probably should clarify the facts.
Read the whole thing
I added the update last night around 9 PM indicating that she had reiterated her support for Yassky after her expression of neutrality at the forum. Guess it was merely a misleading statement during the forum rather than a change. Which is what I figured.
Do appreciate the fact check, though.
UPDATE NEEDS TO BE ON FRONT PAGE
Unfortuately, your UPDATE only appears if you click on "read more". People reading the front piece won't know that. i think you should make it known that the story was incorrect more clearly, not just for people who click through to the entire story.
It's too bad you don't think more highly of Yassky. I think he's a phenomenal candidate, a true progressive and would be a great leader to serve the 11th. He has a very large career ahead of him and will be going to great places in elective office. He's the hardest working man in politics, going after every single vote with face-to-face contact (the "old" way).
Chris Owens has never held elected office in his life. Congress is too important to leave to neophytes.
I agree that the AY issue is an important one (and I'll be there at the 4:30 hearing to make it known), but how is the 11th CD Congressperson going to change that? Thinn of the national and internation policy that David would help shape as opposed to Chris.
I'm stepping down from the soap box.
Jake
Thanks
The update is somewhat beside the point in that my main point was that people are not honest about endorsements. In this case Kenner was not honest at the forum.
I have known Yassky for some time. I supported his City Council bods. He WAS progressive. He has become consistently less so over recent years. He's good. He isn't great and he is misleading or evasive about some of his stands. Or, at least, is a fence straddler. I have discussed many issues with him. I will give him that he never shies away from discussing things even with people he knows are not currently his supporters, like my wife and myself.
I have only gotten to know Chris in the last 2 years or so. Chris is far more progressive. You say he has never held an elected position before. THat is not at all true. He was elected to the school board and in a very contentious district he served with great distinction. Both Chris and Yassky have worked with sitting Congressmen in Washington. Chris has served in more community service positions than Yassky, including Weeksville Society and NARAL-NY. Both have qualifications.
You also imply Atlantic Yards is the only position that Chris is strong on. That also isn't true. CHris has taken very solid stands on many national and international issues, often with more complexity than Yassky has. That is why more actual sitting Congressmen by far have endorsed Chris than any of the other candidates. The other candidates get endorsements from city and state officials mainly. Chris gets endorsements from Federal level officials. Tells you something! Chris also has been endorsed by Sierra Club and Planned Parenthood, indicating his strength on environmental and choice issues. Add to that his experience on the board of NARAL-NY and you are starting to get a VERY strong candidate.
I would say, compared with the national average of Congress Critters, ANY of our four choices would measure up. I happen to think Chris is a much better candidate. And the other candidate I know best is Yassky.
Yes David Yassky loses another endorsement
David Yassky claimed to have an endorsement from Jessie hamilton who's the Lincoln Place block Assosc. Pres. and also the 43rd NYS Assmbly candidate.
Recently in an article publish in the NY Times regarding the un endorsement from the Davis family, Yassky stated that he still had the endorsement of Hamilton which Hamilton clearly denied. David's endorsements are not secure because of his lack of appriciation.
(Read the article in the Times)
Yassky is a hard worker, but his lack of cultural knoledge within the 11th CD makes him a week US Congress candidate. Geoff Davis is a talented gem who should be handle vey carefully considering all that he's been through. The bus issue was calculated by Davis to institute the Civil rights movement regarding Rosa Parks. (ie Congersswomen Chisolm) Vote for Owens
Thanks
Thanks for the comment. I do think Yassky, hard worker and well meaning, has a bit of a problem with arrogance and that gets him into trouble whith endorsements.