The N.Y. Times endorsement edition: Against Rangel, for Lazio and Maloney
The New York Times weighs in this morning with a lump-sum package of endorsements, and — as its citywide poll focusing on whether Rep. Charlie Rangel ought to go posted last night hinted toward — the paper's edit-heads declined to back his reelection bid.
Instead, they're going with Joyce Johnson, one of the four primary challengers facing him. Interestingly, the paper declined to attack Rangel, instead noting the situation he faces, saving its toughest commentary in that race for his chief rival, Adam Clayton Powell IV, whom the Times gave A-1 treatment to a few days ago.
The paper also backed Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who's facing a primary fight from political newbie Reshma Saujani, saying they see no reason to "discard" the incumbent. For Maloney, this is a significant validator, leading into her one and only debate with Saujani on Tuesday.
The toughest language was in the GOP primary between Rick Lazio and Carl Paladino, in which the paper — not surprisingly — backed the former Long Island congressman.
The paper calls Paladino a potential "national embarrassment" who was disqualified from serious consideration by a string of racist and sexist e-mails he forwarded before he joined the race.
However, given that Paladino is running a tea party-tapping, anti-elites campaign — witness his trashing of three NYC boroughs yesterday — this doesn't seem like something he's going to be crying over. |
