SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Zephyr Teachout, law professor at Fordham University and candidate for New York attorney general, speaks during a press conference outside of Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan, August 8, 2018 in New York City. Teachout and New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon endorsed each other's campaigns during the press conference. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Progressives Cheer NYT Editorial Board Endorsement of Zephyr Teachout for Attorney General
New York Democrats can find in Teachout "their most effective champion for democracy and civil rights, good government and the environment, workers' rights, fair housing, and gender equality," the editorial board writes.
Aug 20, 2018
The New York Times editorial board just made "a wise choice" and endorsed Zephyr Teachout, the most outspoken progressive among the candidates in the Democratic primary for New York state attorney general.
Teachout, whose progressive platform includes abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ending cash bail, increasing access to the polls, and making fossil fuel companies liable for the climate crisis, is "an independent-minded lawyer unusually well prepared to curb abuses of power and restore integrity and pride to this office," the Times writes. In fact, she "has written the book on political corruption--literally."
"Even in the best of times the office [of attorney general] plays a critical role," the Times writes, noting that its "influence is felt across the nation." But of course, "These are not the best of times."
"With the right leadership," the endorsement continues, "the office could serve as a firewall if President [Donald] Trump pardons senior aides, dismisses the special counsel, Robert Mueller, or attacks the foundations of state power."
"We believe that Democrats who are seeking a means of standing up to the Trump presidency and graft in Albany can find in Ms. Teachout their most effective champion for democracy and civil rights, good government and the environment, workers' rights, fair housing, and gender equality," the editorial board concludes.
Among the progressives praising the endorsement was author and 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben, who tweeted, "There's rarely been a better match between a candidate, a job, and a moment."
In addition to calling Teachout "a true progressive leader," Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) tweeted, "This endorsement also suggests that the NYT is becoming more open to new voices outside the establishment. Great to see!"
New York Democratic congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez similarly cheered the Times' endorsement of Teachout--the pair endorsed each other--tweeting: "A lot of folks talk tough on Trump, but Zephyr would be one of the few w/ direct power to act. She knows that we can't tackle 45 without tackling our shady system of money in politics."
New York's Democratic primary is on Thursday, Sept. 13.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The New York Times editorial board just made "a wise choice" and endorsed Zephyr Teachout, the most outspoken progressive among the candidates in the Democratic primary for New York state attorney general.
Teachout, whose progressive platform includes abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ending cash bail, increasing access to the polls, and making fossil fuel companies liable for the climate crisis, is "an independent-minded lawyer unusually well prepared to curb abuses of power and restore integrity and pride to this office," the Times writes. In fact, she "has written the book on political corruption--literally."
"Even in the best of times the office [of attorney general] plays a critical role," the Times writes, noting that its "influence is felt across the nation." But of course, "These are not the best of times."
"With the right leadership," the endorsement continues, "the office could serve as a firewall if President [Donald] Trump pardons senior aides, dismisses the special counsel, Robert Mueller, or attacks the foundations of state power."
"We believe that Democrats who are seeking a means of standing up to the Trump presidency and graft in Albany can find in Ms. Teachout their most effective champion for democracy and civil rights, good government and the environment, workers' rights, fair housing, and gender equality," the editorial board concludes.
Among the progressives praising the endorsement was author and 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben, who tweeted, "There's rarely been a better match between a candidate, a job, and a moment."
In addition to calling Teachout "a true progressive leader," Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) tweeted, "This endorsement also suggests that the NYT is becoming more open to new voices outside the establishment. Great to see!"
New York Democratic congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez similarly cheered the Times' endorsement of Teachout--the pair endorsed each other--tweeting: "A lot of folks talk tough on Trump, but Zephyr would be one of the few w/ direct power to act. She knows that we can't tackle 45 without tackling our shady system of money in politics."
New York's Democratic primary is on Thursday, Sept. 13.
The New York Times editorial board just made "a wise choice" and endorsed Zephyr Teachout, the most outspoken progressive among the candidates in the Democratic primary for New York state attorney general.
Teachout, whose progressive platform includes abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ending cash bail, increasing access to the polls, and making fossil fuel companies liable for the climate crisis, is "an independent-minded lawyer unusually well prepared to curb abuses of power and restore integrity and pride to this office," the Times writes. In fact, she "has written the book on political corruption--literally."
"Even in the best of times the office [of attorney general] plays a critical role," the Times writes, noting that its "influence is felt across the nation." But of course, "These are not the best of times."
"With the right leadership," the endorsement continues, "the office could serve as a firewall if President [Donald] Trump pardons senior aides, dismisses the special counsel, Robert Mueller, or attacks the foundations of state power."
"We believe that Democrats who are seeking a means of standing up to the Trump presidency and graft in Albany can find in Ms. Teachout their most effective champion for democracy and civil rights, good government and the environment, workers' rights, fair housing, and gender equality," the editorial board concludes.
Among the progressives praising the endorsement was author and 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben, who tweeted, "There's rarely been a better match between a candidate, a job, and a moment."
In addition to calling Teachout "a true progressive leader," Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) tweeted, "This endorsement also suggests that the NYT is becoming more open to new voices outside the establishment. Great to see!"
New York Democratic congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez similarly cheered the Times' endorsement of Teachout--the pair endorsed each other--tweeting: "A lot of folks talk tough on Trump, but Zephyr would be one of the few w/ direct power to act. She knows that we can't tackle 45 without tackling our shady system of money in politics."
New York's Democratic primary is on Thursday, Sept. 13.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.