Senate hopeful rides through Ithaca

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By Andrew Tutino
Journal Staff

ITHACA — When Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived in Ithaca in March to speak at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, her entourage rolled up in black SUVs, windows tinted, security tight.

On Wednesday, her opponent in the Democratic Primary Election for U.S. Senate rolled into Ithaca on his bike.

Jonathan Tasini, who is conducting an almost-improbable campaign to unseat Clinton as New York's junior senator, stopped at DeWitt Park as part of his Ride For Peace tour, a 600-mile journey from Manhattan to Buffalo he began to drum up support for his campaign and call attention to the Iraq war.

Tasini's visit brought out about 35 local faithful, as Ithaca is an area that embraced his candidacy.
At precisely 3 p.m., Tasini arrived at the park on time, took a few minutes for small talk with his supporters and then began an all-out verbal assault on Clinton.

He said Clinton's position on the war is no different than the Bush Administration's, and she doesn't deserve re-election.

“The incumbent does not deserve re-election just based on the war in Iraq,” he said. “She voted for the war. Democratic primary voters in this state should reject someone like that and not vote for someone who is basically walking lockstep with the Bush administration on the war.”

Tasini, who is asking people at his bicycle tour stops to sign a petition that calls for an immediate end to the war, said Iraq is the main issue.

“Everything we want to do when it comes to housing, health care, roads and alternative energy is influenced by the war in Iraq,” he said.

Tasini wants to deliver the petition to delegates at the state Democratic Convention next week in Buffalo.

Clinton's Washington press office did not respond to a phone call seeking comment on Wednesday.

Tasini's campaign has resonated with some local Democrats, especially those of the progressive ilk, but not in many other places across New York.

Zogby International, the polling outfit, has not polled voters on the Senate race while mentioning Tasini's name, according to data released by Fritz Wenzel, Zogby's director of communications.

Tasini's Senate run has also failed to generate any where close to the amount of money Clinton's has. Clinton's campaign raised $27.5 million, spent $13.3 million and has $19.9 million left in her war chest as of March 31, according to the Federal Election Commission.

Meanwhile, Tasini raised $73,770, spent $48,204 and has $25,565 in cash as of March 31, according to the FEC.

The long odds don't seem to dissuade the candidate or his backers, though.

“The campaign is great,” Tasini said on Wednesday when asked how the race was going. “You can measure it in different ways.”

He went on to rattle off a list of endorsements, including smaller political organizations, progressive Democrat organizations and the actor Susan Sarandon.

Roberta Wallitt, an Ithaca resident, said she supports Tasini because she finally has the opportunity to support a candidate who believes in the same things she does.

“At this point, (Clinton) seems to be a Republican,” Wallitt said. “I see no ways where she differs from Bush on things like the war, immigration and other issues important to me.”

Wallitt added that she and Clinton have similar views on a woman's right to choose, but she is not happy with the senator's shifting position on that issue as of late.

Theresa Alt, of Ithaca, said she backs Tasini because of his steadfast opposition of the war. She said Democrats are ignoring people's needs and the party's shift to the center of the political spectrum is hurting it.

“This kind of looking around, ‘Where is the mainstream? We've got to follow the mythical mainstream' is what is getting the Democratic Party in big trouble,” Alt said.

Originally published May 25, 2006