New York, NY—Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate in New York, Jonathan Tasini, released the following statement in the wake of the Massachusetts Senate race.

The Massachusetts Senate race shows what I have been arguing for some time—there is a great rumbling among voters. Progressives can either hear the rumbling and try to capture its passion—or ignore it and let the right-wing capture it. If Kirsten Gillibrand is the Democratic nominee in New York, Democrats will lose the Senate seat.

Rather than look at the the Massachusetts Senate race as Democrats vs. Republicans, I would suggest that the race—and the New York Senate Democratic primary race—is far more about the “insiders” v. “outsiders”. Voters are angry about the dysfunction of the government, the understandable feeling that politicians are not doing the peoples’ business and, obviously, the economic crisis that has deeply scarred people.

Contact: press@jonathantasini.com

TASINI: "I WILL BE A LEADER IN THE FIGHT FOR LGBTQ EQUALITY"

(New York, NY) — The following is a statement by Democratic candidate for US Senate Jonathan Tasini in response to the failure of the New York State Senate to pass the proposed marriage equality bill.

"I am deeply disappointed in the failure of the New York State Senate to pass the Marriage Equality bill today. I have been a staunch and unwavering supporter of the rights of LGBTQ people since the early nineties, when I fought for and won the right to full recognition of same-sex partners by the UAW. As Senator I will be out front on this issue, and will not rest until all LGBTQ Americans have full equality."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TASINI: “I BELIEVE IN OPEN DIALOGUE ON THE MIDDLE EAST. MY OPPONENT DOES NOT”

(New York, NY)—The following is a statement by Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Jonathan Tasini in response to reports that Kirsten Gillibrand has dropped her support for an important conference to advance peace in the Middle East. The conference is sponsored by J-Street, a pro-peace organization founded to “promote meaningful American leadership to end the Arab-Israeli and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts peacefully and diplomatically.”

“J-Street is an important and critical emerging voice in the search for a just, lasting peace in the Middle East. While people are dying in this conflict, is it troubling that my opponent does not find open dialogue worthy of her support. I plan on attending and participating in the J-Street conference and praise the organization’s courage to try to forge a progressive direction to peace through dialogue.

I believe in open dialogue on the Middle East. My opponent does not. J-Street was founded to broaden the perspectives and policy options debated here in the U.S.--perspectives and policy options that are vigorously debated in the Middle East but, because of the decades-long monopoly exerted by U.S.-based lobbyists who represent a narrow slice of the political spectrum, those perspectives and policy options are too often absent, or misrepresented, in the media and in the halls of Congress.

As many voters in New York know, my views on this topic come from a deep, personal connection and experience. My father was born in Palestine and fought in the Israeli underground. I lived in Israel for seven years, during which I was involved, as a teenager and young man, in the fledgling peace movement. I went through the 1973 Yom Kippur war, and one of my cousins was killed in the war and that cousin’s brother was wounded. My step-grandfather was killed while he was quietly sitting on a park bench by a Palestinian who sought revenge for the killing of 29 Palestinians by a right-wing Jewish zealot. Half of my family lives in Israel, some within a few miles of the West Bank border.

My broad philosophy on peace in the Middle East includes a simple principle: Everyone must be at the table. And I again applaud J-Street for its efforts to enhance dialogue and debate that can lead to peace.

This is a pattern that increasingly makes clear to New York voters that my opponent has a very difficult time maintaining any core principles. Once she was an enthusiastic proponent of the National Rifle Association, but now she is trying to cover up that relationship. Once she was an advocate for the tobacco companies and took Big Tobacco money, but now she wants to deny that record. Once she was anti-immigrant, now she claims to be supportive of immigrants rights. Now, having previously put her name on a conference list—in other words, a forum for discussion—she now has rejected discussion as a path to peace. Voters in New York are left to wonder—does my opponent actually have any set of principles she will stand by?”

(New York, NY)—U.S. Senate candidate Jonathan Tasini today released a letter that he has sent to all New York Democratic House members asking that they petition the Congressional Budget Office to score the cost of single-payer health care.

In the letter, Tasini, a long-standing advocate of single-payer health care, acknowledges that political leaders may disagree on the solutions to the health care crisis. “But, I think you would agree that the competing health care plans and proposals that are currently under discussion should be debated on an equal basis. That is not the case.”

“Surprisingly, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has yet to score the economic impact of single-payer, though CBO has provided cost estimates for other health care proposals.”

“So, I am writing to you today to ask that you petition CBO to provide an immediate scoring of HR676 and the American Health Security Act of 2009. A fair debate on policy must include a complete analysis of all the options available.”

The full text of the letter is below:

As you may know, I officially entered the race for the Democratic nomination for the New York Senate seat in 2010. In the coming months, our campaign will be focusing on issues important to New Yorkers. Today, I am writing to you about health care.

I have been, and continue to be, an unwavering supporter of single-payer health care (and, specifically, HR676 and the parallel Senate bill, the American Health Security Act of 2009) as the only moral and economic solution to the crisis millions of New Yorkers face every day when it comes to trying to get and receive affordable, quality health care. Only single-payer will cover our people in an appropriate fashion. And only single-payer will relieve businesses of the health care costs that makes many small and large businesses uncompetitive vis a vis companies operating from countries where national, single-payer style health care has been the norm for decades.

You may have a different position. But, I think you would agree that the competing health care plans and proposals that are currently under discussion should be debated on an equal basis. That is not the case.

Surprisingly, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has yet to score the economic impact of single-payer, though CBO has provided cost estimates for other health care proposals.

So, I am writing to you today to ask that you petition CBO to provide an immediate scoring of HR676 and the American Health Security Act of 2009. A fair debate on policy must include a complete analysis of all the options available.

Please feel free to call my campaign office at 646-462-2120 with any concerns or questions. We will publish on-line any responses—or, the lack thereof—from the people elected to represent New Yorkers.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Tasini