Hilary Clinton Faces John Tasini in NY Senate Primary

Among certain segments of the Democratic Party, the junior senator from the State of New York has a divine right to the party’s nomination. Hillary Clinton is as beloved by them as she is loathed by the pain-pill popping Rush Limbaugh and his ditto-heads. However, among other Democrats, she is a collaborator and deserves rejection at the polls. Their man is Jonathan Tasini, and he could be the next Eugene McCarthy.

Mr. Tasini is a writer from the Upper Manhattan who has virtually no name recognition. He told the press earlier this week, “People often ask me, “Don’t you think this race is impossible?’ My answer is, ‘Of course! You’re dealing with someone who has enormous name recognition and celebrity’.” Does he think he can defeat her? To paraphrase her husband, that depends on what one’s definition of “defeat” is.

Mr. Tasini is running on the premise that the US troops should get out of Iraq now. Mr. Tasini asked, “What makes us different from Republicans? Where is the soul of the Democratic Party if we do not stand against immoral, illegal wars -- pre-emptive wars?” Simplistic, and doomed to fail, but clear.

By way of contrast, Senator Clinton’s position is, well, the same as the president’s. To be fair, she has complained about the way the war has been fought. However, in her November 29, 2005 letter to constituents she wrote, “I do not believe that we should allow this to be an open-ended commitment without limits or end. Nor do I believe that we can or should pull out of Iraq immediately.” So, she’s against immediate withdrawal and against staying indefinitely. So apparently, she’s for getting out later.

Frankly, this journal takes a similar, though much clearer, position – if the Iraqi security forces look like they’ll fight for the soon-to-be named government, the US can justly persist for a year or so. If not, there is no reason for GI Joe to fight for it, and the withdrawal order should be made by Christmas. However, the New York Democrats are an odd bunch. And it is not inconceivable that, by primary day in September, Mr. Tasini's position will be much more attractive to them than a still-undefined withdrawal later.

He doesn’t have to win. Gene McCarthy lost the New Hampshire primary to LBJ in 1968. However, in garnering the votes of a substantial minority, he proved that President Johnson couldn’t continue in office. Mr. Tasini may achieve the same. If nothing else, he will force Mrs. Clinton to tell her constituents what her position actually is.

© Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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