Topic: The Media
So last evening I received the following news alert via email from the New York Times:
Representative Gary Ackerman, a longtime member of Congress from Queens and Long Island, announced on Thursday that he would not seek re-election, in an unexpected development that brings an end to a colorful political career.
In a statement, Mr. Ackerman said: “The residents of Queens and Long Island have honored me with their trust and support for the past 34 years, first as a New York state senator, and for the past 15 terms as a member of Congress. I’ve been truly privileged to have had the opportunity to fight for the beliefs of my neighbors in both the state capital and in the halls of Congress.” His term will end Jan. 2, 2013.
And it seemed to me that something was missing. But what? Oh, right, the Times neglected to mention that Ackerman is a Democrat. To be fair, the full story does allude to his party affiliation, if only to reassure nervous liberals. After noting that Ackerman's announcement has "suprised and baffled" his fellow Dems, the story went on to opine, no dount hopefully, that his redistricted seat is unlikely to flip to the GOP. Really? Maybe the retiring congressman knows something that they don't know…and that the Times is too discreet to mention…
