21st CD: Freeman is out


By albany layman, Section Diaries
Posted on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 07:42:12 AM EST

According to the TU, Freeman is dropping out of the race for the 21st Congressional seat.

Also, signatures are due to be turned in to the Board of Elections soon, either the 10th or the 14th, I think. So we'll see who got the 1250 signatures needed to get on the ballot for the primary. And we'll also see if any of the candidates are going to play the "challenge the opponent's signatures" game.

After the signatures are filed and the ballot becomes set, I will stop being so lazy and get back to posting about the candidates and the issues.

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21st CD: Freeman is out | 1 comment (1 topical, 0 hidden)
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by albany layman on Thu Jul 03, 2008 at 07:41:04 AM EST
Here is the TU's full article on Freeman and the 21st CD race.

Note this last sentence:

Freeman is the second candidate to drop out of the race. Former Plug Power CEO Gary Mittleman left in April, saying it was hard for him to ask people for money.

"Hard for him to ask people for money."  Here is what Mittleman said when he left the race:

My campaign has taught me a lot about our political system. It's no wonder that our representatives are so unproductive. They spend most of their time raising money by twisting arms. Some remind their constituents of the favors they have provided in the past. The $18.3 billion of our taxes which were spent on earmarks and pork barrel grants go a long way toward financing a campaign. Others stress the power they have to make good things happen (or not) for business owners. There are sophisticated consultants, hired by our lawmakers to help collect campaign contributions. These consultants use formulas to calculate whether the allocation of government contracts has been matched by corresponding political contributions. Is it surprising that our representatives fail to address our problems? They spend so little time thinking about them.

The magnitude of manipulation and waste in our political system is the biggest surprise I have confronted since I announced my candidacy. The average congressional contender in New York this year will spend close to $1.4 million. While I have welcomed financial support from those who believe that I would be an effective congressman, I do not have the expertise nor the interest in horse-trading my way into office.

I understand the need to write succinctly in a news article, and that doing so can sometimes come at the cost of context and nuance.  But that characterization - "hard for him to ask people for money" - is not at all a reflection of what he said.  And frankly, is insulting to him.

21st CD: Freeman is out | 1 comment (1 topical, 0 hidden)
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