Colby Hamilton, Writer, WNYC News
Colby Hamilton is a general assignment reporter. He originally joined WNYC as a political blogger. He's a proud graduate of the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.
UPDATED: Espaillat Camp Says It Never Received an Endorsement Invite from the Amsterdam News
Friday, June 08, 2012 - 10:11 AM
A day after accusing state senator Adriano Espaillat of ignoring its endorsement meeting announcement, the Espaillat campaign is saying they never got it.
The Amsterdam News wrote a strongly worded criticism of Espaillat in its announcement that Congressman Charles Rangel was receiving it endorsement for this year's primary challenge:
"Espaillat did not even bother to respond to the Amsterdam News’ endorsement meeting announcement. Maybe he believes the Black community is not one he needs to reach out to in representing the newly constituted district."
A campaign spokesperson sent over a statement in response, saying, "We would have been happy to sit down with Amsterdam News' Editorial Board and discuss Senator Espaillat's message of bringing bold, new ideas to Congress, had we been asked."
The Amsterdam News' publisher, Elinor Tatum, maintains strong connections with many local political leaders. Rangel, in fact, led Tatum down the aisle at her wedding in 2010.
UPDATE: Curtis R. Simmons, the Amsterdam News' executive editor and associate publisher, issued a statement in response to the Espaillat campaign:
"Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat has mischaracterized the Amsterdam News editorial board process.
"It is the practice of the Amsterdam News to announce its endorsement meetings on the front page of the newspaper in advance of its endorsement meetings. All interested candidates who contact the paper are welcomed to sit in front of the editorial board including Assemblyman Espaillat who did not reach out to the paper requesting inclusion."
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Comments [1]
For decades, It has been standard practice at the Amsterdam News to invite candidates for endorsement interviews in one way only: a notice printed on the paper's front page with instructions on how to schedule a meeting. If Espaillat's handlers didn't know that (or, even worse, aren't reading the paper) they have only themselves to blame.
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