A Gun Nut

When we wrote last week about the ridiculous press release put out by the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association claiming that David Yassky lost his run-off primary race for New York City Comptroller because he was a proponent of gun control we got the predictable stream of unpublishable screeds and a few comment arguing with our reasoning.

Putting aside the venom, several people wrote to say that Yassky had made gun control an issue in this race, one stating that Yassky had made it a “central issue of his campaign.” Others repeated that assertion in arguing we were off-base.

So since we like to deal with demonstrable facts here let’s cut to the chase. Here are the scripts for Yassky’s four TV spots:

#1 “Know Me”

YASSKY: I’m David Yassky. You don’t know me but I’m going to save you money.

I’ll get rid of government waste and stand up to the special interests.

It’s what I’ve always done.

I worked with Chuck Schumer to pass the Brady Law and the Assault Weapons Ban.

On the Council, I closed tax loopholes for luxury housing developers.

Sued Exxon Mobil to clean up our water.

And I put the entire City Budget online because it’s your money.

As Comptroller, I’ll demand accountability. The buck will stop with me and I will watch every penny.

#2 “Behind”

YASSKY: Behind every dollar that government wastes is a child without a textbook, or a senior without a hot meal.

And behind every budget loophole is a special interest that benefits.

That’s why I put the entire City budget online so taxpayers can see how our money is being spent.

As Comptroller, I’ll demand accountability and results for every dollar, and eliminate waste and sweetheart deals with tough audits of City agencies.

I’m David Yassky. The buck will stop with me and I’ll watch every penny, because it’s your money.

#3 “Endorse”

NARRATOR: For Comptroller, the New York Times endorses David Yassky as the candidate “most suited to do the job, with skill, intelligence, and independence.”

The Times praises Yassky’s work on affordable housing, gun control, and for putting the City budget online.

Democrat David Yassky for Comptroller.

#4 “Marty”

SCRIPT—“Marty.”

MARKOWITZ: Brooklyn’s got the best. Junior’s, Nathan’s, Cake Man Raven, Yassky.

WOMAN: Yassky? What’s a Yassky?

MARKOWITZ: David Yassky. Running for City Comptroller. He’s my guy.

NARRATOR: Democrat David Yassky. In the Council, he closed tax loopholes for developers, sued Exxon Mobil to clean up Greenpoint, and put the City budget online because it’s your money. As Comptroller, Yassky will demand accountability with tough audits of City agencies. The buck will stop with him and he’ll watch every penny.

WOMAN: Wow, we’ll take a Yassky.

MARKOWITZ: Me too.

MARKOWITZ: Brooklyn’s got the best. Junior’s, Nathan’s, Cake Man Raven, Yassky.

WOMAN: Yassky? What’s a Yassky?

MARKOWITZ: David Yassky. Running for City Comptroller. He’s my guy.

NARRATOR: Democrat David Yassky. In the Council, he closed tax loopholes for developers, sued Exxon Mobil to clean up Greenpoint, and put the City budget online because it’s your money. As Comptroller, Yassky will demand accountability with tough audits of City agencies. The buck will stop with him and he’ll watch every penny.

WOMAN: Wow, we’ll take a Yassky.

MARKOWITZ: Me too.

Sure enough when we wrote that there was no mention of gun control in the papers or TV coverage of this race we failed to recognize that there was a mention — actually two — in the ads Yassky put on local cable channels. Fair enough. We were wrong. But isn’t it true that the first mention is really just a way to point up his endorsement from wildly popular New York Senator Chuck Schumer? And isn’t the second one of several items the New York Times mentioned in their editorial endorsement of Yassky? It’s quite a stretch to say he made gun control a “central issue of his campaign.”

The truth is none of the people writing in addressed this from our last post:

And follow the logic: If “the citizens of New York City have delivered an unambiguous rebuke to the gun control movement” then Sen. Chuck Schumer should be in deep doo-doo. He’s up for reelection in 2010. So how are his poll numbers holding up? According to the Marist Poll last month 6 in 10 New Yorkers think he’s doing an excellent or good job — just 13% think he’s doing a poor job.

Please answer this question before you send out another round of “Yassky-lost-because-of guns” missives.

And while you’re at it explain to me, if gun control was a “central issue” in a very low turnout election in which every political pro will tell you organized labor backing is the only guarantee of victory, how it is that Bill de Blasio running for Public Advocate on the very same day, won. Unlike Yassky, de Blasio got a pretty fair amount of ink and airplay for airbrushing out a gun necklace on his daughter’s neck from a campaign flier. Remember that de Blasio was Hillary Clinton’s first campaign manager and has always supported Mike Bloomberg’s anti-gun crusades.

If Yassky lost because of guns, then Bill de Blasio should have lost for the same reason. But wait. He won, didn’t he. Facts are stubborn things.