Nancy Calhoun, Roxanne Donnery, and Chris McKenna

Who are the folks I refer to in this post's title?

Well... two of them are politicians... the third is - at least by title - a "journalist."

Roxanne Donnery is the Democratic Party candidate for NY's 96th Assembly District.

Nancy Calhoun? She's the long-serving incumbent Republican running for re-election.

Chris McKenna? He's a reporter for the Times Herald-Record, my regional daily. He actually cursed me out in public last night following a public political debate...

And lived to (not) tell the tale...

(Don't worry, though... I'll tell it!)

(*GRIN*)

First off... please click on this link and read the article in question.

Well... that article doesn't tell the half of it!

First off, what the article's author fails...

(*SMIRK*)

...to point out is that his colleague - Chris McKenna - acted as moderator for part of this debate. As moderator, apparently he thought his job was to ask asinine questions concerning the past rather than using his time stick to the present, the future, and policy questions.

Point blank, McKenna (mis)used the opportunity the League of Women Voters gave him and instead of serving the public interest, he deliberate asked questions he knew would provide fodder for personal attacks by the candidates upon each other.

It was disgusting. It was self-serving. It was the worst type of tabloid "journalism" meant to "juice up" at story in an effort to sell newspapers.

While McKenna was going through his act, I actually gestured a representative of the League over and protested that this "moderator" was wasting our time and making a mockery of the goal of the debate - that goal being to inform the public of the policies and beliefs championed by the candidates.

Whether it was due to my pleadings or not, within moments of our finishing our "sidebar" the League representative went up on stage and took control of the proceedings.

Returning my focus to Calhoun and Donnery... their performances were appalling. Calhoun was "on offense" from the start, launching personal attacks upon her foe; but Donnery was no better - refusing to give straight answers to question, justifying wasting public money on junkets...

(*SIGH*)

Here's all you've gotta know, folks: When asked directly (by me in fact) to critique their own Parties, Calhoun had "one thing" to note while Donnery didn't even attempt to answer the question.

Both women insisted they were well aware of Albany's dysfunction, yet neither would identify specific leaders of their own Parties responsible.

Both women acknowledged that both Albany - the state government - and Washington, representing our federal government are in a hole financially... "broke"... yet at the same time both candidates bragged about the pork they brought home - Calhoun as a sitting Assembly member and Donnery as a (Orange) County legislator and before that local school board member.

Calhoun refused to directly endorse Carl Paladino for governor against Andrew Cuomo...

(Meaning she'd be just as happy - perhaps more so - if Cuomo won...)

...while Donnery refused to rule out voting to re-elect Sheldon Silver to the Speakership of the NYS Assembly.

Folks... bottom line... whichever of these two women wins on Tuesday, "We The People" of the State of New York are screwed.

Oh... and finally... back to McKenna...

As McKenna's colleague Doyle Murphy noted, the debate ended with Calhoun and Donnery literally screaming at each other. It was appalling. Both women should be ashamed of themselves. Their behavior was beyond infantile.

McKenna's reaction...?

(*SNORT*)

He couldn't get enough!

There he sat in a front row seat smirking and chuckling - as if what we were witnessing was funny.

Well, Chris... if you're reading this... let me reiterate what I said to you last night: This kind of behavior isn't funny. This state and this nation have huge problems and the time for "amusement" at the dysfunction is over.

While the candidates were going at it on stage, totally ignoring the audience, totally ignoring the League representatives, making a complete and utter spectacle of themselves... demeaning themselves... I called across the 20-ft. or so separating McKenna's seat from mine asking, "Chris... you think this is funny...?!"

Now bear in mind, folks... McKenna knows me. (Both candidates knew me as well.)

Getting McKenna's attention I asked again, "Chris... do you really think this is funny... is this a joke to you?"

Well, McKenna wasn't pleased that I had "caught" him. He certainly wasn't pleased that other folks in the audience were following our... er... conversation.

I walked over to McKenna (the candidates simply continued screaming at each other) and challenged him on his own shameful behavior. I had a handout - a piece of paper - in my hand and as I was gesturing a tip of the paper touched McKenna. The little priss took that as an excuse to say "Don't hit me."

(*SMIRK*)

Anyway... I said, "Oh, please! What... did it hurt?"

Next thing you know McKenna is throwing around the F-bomb and calling me an "A--hole."

Yep... a supposedly professional reporter... acting this way in public.

His big complaint against me was summed up with his whine of, "What business is it of yours how I act?!"

Well... since McKenna was not only the debate "moderator" whose "official" behavior reflected badly upon the sponsors of the event and shortchanged the public, but also an identified representative of the Times Herald-Record... I thought McKenna's "question" a bit ridiculous.

To reiterate from something I said last night: "If journalists like you, Chris, are going to claim that you're working for the public good under the protections of the First Amendment, then for God's sake do your jobs and serve the public."

Anyway, folks... you all should have been there!