Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Two more for Congress

Last Updated: 12:11 AM, June 20, 2012
Posted: June 20, 2012

Voters in eastern and central Queens are picking a successor to retiring Rep. Gary Ackerman, with the winner of Tuesday’s Democratic primary an overwhelming favorite to win in November.
Four candidates are vying for the 6th District nod: We recommend a vote for Assemblywoman Grace Meng.
Sure, the three main contenders are on pretty much the same liberal page when it comes to the issues. And all enjoy some union support, though the UFT’s backing for Meng is cause for some concern.
But her main opponent, Assemblyman Rory Lancman, has a well-earned anti-business reputation, and there already are enough folks of that ilk in Washington.
Helayne Seidman
Nydia Velazquez
If elected, Meng would be New York’s first-ever Asian-American member of Congress — perhaps appropriate, given that the new district is roughly 40 percent Asian.
None of the candidates has a particularly long legislative record, but Meng strikes us as a bridge-builder who understands the need to protect New York’s economy.
In the 7th CD, which includes parts of Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan, Rep. Nydia Velazquez is facing her first serious primary challenge after 20 years in Congress.
The reason? She refuses to kowtow to Brooklyn Democratic boss Vito Lopez, who is so offended that he’s running one of his sock puppets, City Councilman Erik Martin Dilan, against her.
Dilan claims Velazquez is anti-Israel. She’s responded with endorsements from such stalwart supporters of Israel as Ed Koch, Sheldon Silver and Jerrold Nadler.
Frankly, we’d be hard pressed to come up with even a scanty list of issues on which Velazquez agrees with us. But anyone who gives Vito Lopez that much agita can’t be all bad. The Post endorses Rep. Velazquez.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/editorials/two_more_for_congress_OD3mdqILOVYmmBlK11wObK#ixzz1yLF3joIp

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