What we have in Nick Pinto’s front page-blurbed, six-page gift to Vito Lopez purporting to be a profile of Congressional candidate George Martinez as a modern day Che Guevara is conclusive evidence that the thing which currently calls itself “The Village Voice” is no more capable of intelligently covering local electoral politics than the average junior high newspaper.
How bad is this story?
Let us analyze this one quote:
“Although there is technically no incumbent in the race, the biggest shadow is cast by Nydia Velázquez, the 20-year-veteran representative displaced by the redistricting from her stronghold in the old 12th District.”
Nydia Velazquez is an incumbent member of Congress. Like every other NYS legislative district at the State and Federal level, the old 12th CD Velazquez represents has been redrawn. Like many of these districts, it has been renumbered. 79% of her the new 7th CD is composed of parts of her old 12th CD, and she is running there for re-election.
That makes her the incumbent.
One can only deny Velazquez is the incumbent only if one is willing to say that there are no incumbent members of Congress or the State Legislature in the entire State of New York because all of the districts have been redrawn.
But there’s more:
“There are a lot of reasons to bet on Velázquez in this race. Her new district shares a lot of turf with the one she has had locked down through 10 terms, she's firmly ensconced in Brooklyn's Democratic machine politics…”
As everyone whose head is not up their ass knows, “Brooklyn’s Democratic machine” has put a price on Nydia Velazquez’s head, and she is locked in a death match with Brooklyn’s County Leader, Vito Lopez.
Further, the article, while mentioning Martinez’s job with the State AG, ignores the salient facts that that job was political patronage from convicted former County Leader Clarence Norman, and his underboss, Racetrack Empire figure Carl Andrews; it also ignores all of Martinez’s other unsavory political history of kissing up to political power, including Vito Lopez.
Additionally, Pinto’s snarky reference to the connections between Lopez’s candidate, Erik Dilan, and the fourth candidate, Dan O’Connor, reveal that Pinto’s distortion of the truth comes from willfulness rather than ignorance.
In the end, this article will draw votes to George Martinez which would otherwise have gone to Nydia Velazquez, thereby helping Lopez in his efforts to elect Erik Dilan.
It is my suggestion that the Voice quit covering politics and stick to its areas of expertise–arts listings and facilitating prostitution (which is a good way of describing this article). Can Occupy Wall Street Trust Its Own Candidate? – Page 1 – News – New York – Village Voice www.villagevoice.com
Rangel declares that no Latino elected supports Adriano Espaillat.
I'd call Rangel totally delusional here (with the exception that, contrary to the link, Ruben Sr. has endorsed Rangel) and I'd say the Charlie’s shooting from the lip was a sign of senility, if not for the fact that Charlie's been shooting from the lip before he thinks for decades.
It even used to be part of his charm. Rangel: No Latino Elected Officials Support Adriano Espaillat politicker.com
In fact, Rangel's confusion about endorsements appears to have been chronic. Charlie Rangel Is Confused About Andrew Cuomo’s Endorsement politicker.com
Scary picture of the day. http://bit.ly/NcOIVo www.nydailynews.com
Charles Barron: even his friends hate him. Charles Barron's Orthodox Jewish former 'odd couple' colleague says he must be stopped | Capital New www.capitalnewyork.com
Liz Crowley: Even her friends find her underwhelming:
The Queens Ledger (it its ENDORSEMENT of her!?!): "she has more intellect than most people give her credit for" http://bit.ly/LkBn9h www.queensledger.com
No guy who produced Jerry Springer is ever going to convince me he really has a problem with mind-altering substances GOP Rep. Bob Turner, running for U.S. Senate, rails against pot, Big Gulp ban during Staten Island p www.silive.com
In a year when Barack Obama heads the ticket, no Democrat can afford to be overconfident about the 45th AD, but things just got a hell of a lot easier for whoever will be the eventual Democratic nominee. Head of Brooklyn Young Republicans Eyes Assembly Campaign politicker.com
Former Republican wakes up and smells the coffee (Part 265). Why I Gave Up On Being a Republican www.cagle.com
Same sex marriage as the “Triumph of the Conservatives” (Part 1043). Gay Marriage and the Limits Of Consequentialism | The American Conservative www.theamericanconservative.com
Same sex marriage as the triumph of the conservatives, by the man who first made the case. Gay Families Are Not A Theory andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com
If Jews from Transylvania (the home region of the Satmar) want to suck some blood (and not to make matzah), who are we to object?
Even from an eight day old infant’s freshly clipped family jewels? (And they have the chutzpah to complain about same sex marriage between consenting adults?)
If I had my way, it would require a compelling government interest before a law, even if facially neutral, could be applied to impinge upon a religious practice (this was once the standard, until the Supreme Court screwed it up, and then Congress and state legislatures muddled matters further trying to undo their damage).
A compelling interests test would require a sincere belief among a religion’s adherents that the practice being scrutinized was religiously required.
There’s no doubt that such a belief is sincere in this instance.
But, protecting the health of infants, who have not developed any meaningful immune systems, from a disease, which could kill or disable them (even though, in adults, oral herpes is little more than a nuisance) would seem to fall into the category of a compelling government interest.
Nonetheless, as a free exercise demon, I’d permit this practice amongst those who, fully informed, still feel it is religiously mandated.
However, it should be noted that this practice is a matter of some controversy even amongst Orthodox Jews, with some scholars having eloquently concluded that the dangers inherent require that the practice be abandoned.
Not that this had much impact amongst Rabbis in Borough Park and Williamsburg, still unwilling to acknowledge that the great sage Maimonides was correct in his opposition to the pre-Yom Kippur ritual of swinging a live chicken over one’s head.
This division in opinion is significant.
There are a limited number of Mohels. It is quite common for Mohels to come from more traditional streams in Judaism than their clientele. Religiously liberal Jews often employ Hasidic or ultra-Orthodox Mohels.
Even if we permitted this practice to continue among those whose beliefs require it, it would seem, at the very least, that full disclosure be mandated so that those whose scruples do not require, or, in fact, even forbid, exposure to such dangers, not be put into that position.
Since most witnesses to this religious ritual avert their eyes during the procedure in question, it’s not as if most folks would even know if this highly questionable practice were taking place.
So evidence of informed consent seems to be the best solution for all concerned.
There is no free exercise basis to opposing informed consent. Those who oppose such a requirement are asking the government to enforce uninformed ignorance (which, of course, is nothing new for the people who are now complaining). New York Proposes Consent Waiver for Circumcision Ritual Associated With Herpes www.nytimes.com