Gary Ackerman decides not to run for another Congressional Term!

[eb22]

I just got home from a terrific JTF meeting and saw some great news:

Gary Ackerman,   who has been in Congress since 1983,    decided not to seek another Congressional Term.    Last week,    Ackerman said he would run for Congressional in a new District that would be all in Queens,   if a Judge's recommendation for the new districts was adopted.   

Considering that this article described Ackerman as supporter of Israel,     it's yet another example of why its so important that Ackerman and those like him who are in reality not supporters of Israel,  no longer remain in office.


http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-03-15/gary-ackerman/53555130/1?csp=34news

Democrat Rep. Gary Ackerman of New York retiring
Updated 52m ago Comments WASHINGTON (AP) – Rep. Gary Ackerman, a 15-term Democrat who has held key committee posts that help shape foreign policy in the Middle East, announced Thursday he will not seek re-election.


The congressman, who has represented diverse communities in Queens and part of Long Island, said in a statement Thursday that although new congressional boundaries were extremely favorable he would not seek another term.

"I have been truly privileged to have had the opportunity to fight for the beliefs of my neighbors," said the 69-year-old lawmaker, who lives in a houseboat while in Washington, D.C.

Ackerman is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and has been outspoken on several global issues, including U.S. support for Israel and the threat it faces from Iran. Prior to his tenure in the House, he served as a New York state senator.

Ackerman said he was making the announcement on the eve of a federal court decision of new congressional boundaries for New York.

Ackerman, whose term in office is set to end Jan. 2, joins 23 other Democrats and 16 Republicans not seeking re-election.

Last October, Ackerman traveled to Israel to bring home a U.S.-Israeli citizen detained in Egypt for four months and accused of espionage.

[Former Reformed Jew]

He's only 69.  He was a shoe-in.  I am paying close attention to see if there was some hanky-panky from this Ed Koch look alike.  It doesn't make sense. 

[eb22]

He's only 69.  He was a shoe-in.  I am paying close attention to see if there was some hanky-panky from this Ed Koch look alike.  It doesn't make sense.

Whatever Gary Ackerman's reasoning for his decision to retire,    I'm thankful that starting in 2013 his influence will be substantially less.     The damage that Ackerman has caused over the years has been off the charts.       

[eb22]

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2012/03/rep-gary-ackerman-wont-seek-re-election

March 15, 2012 7:40 PM 2 comments .Rep. Gary Ackerman Won't Seek Re-Election
BY Celeste Katz

Breaking: On the heels of Assemblyman Rory Lancman's decision not to run for Congress, the man he would likely have had to primary, Rep. Gary Ackerman, says he's not seeking re-election because of redistricting. His term ends Jan. 2, 2013. Stand by and we'll hopefully update with what, if anything, this means for Lancman and everybody else...

Just so we have all this in order, which might possibly help stop my brain from exploding: Bob Turner is elected to NY-9 after Anthony Weiner's resignation. Redistricting rolls around and NY-9 and Ackerman's NY-6 get redrawn. Turner announces this week that he'll go up against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand if he can get the GOP nomination. Lancman then announces he has no desire to run a divisive Democratic primary against Ackerman and says he'll put his Congressional hopes on hold. Then we all get an email saying Ackerman's not running again.

Here's the full statement from the office of Ackerman (who, I might add, recently said he was full steam ahead with a campaign, redistricting or no redistricting...):

U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Queens/L.I.) today announced that he will not seek re-election to the United States Congress.

On the eve of the Federal Circuit Court’s approval of Congressional district lines that were seen to be extraordinarily favorable to Ackerman, and with the primary-free backing of the Democratic Party virtually assured, Ackerman has informed his family, staff, friends and party leaders that he will not seek a 16th term of office.
 
“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,” said Ackerman.

“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. During my years in Congress, it has been my pleasure to address the needs of thousands of individual constituents and to influence domestic and global policy while serving on the Financial and Foreign Affairs Committees in the House. I am most thankful for the opportunity I’ve had to serve my country and my community.”

Congressman Ackerman went on to say that he remains extremely passionate about the causes related to his Congressional activities and expects that he will continue to be aggressively involved in many local and global issues as he moves into his role as a private citizen.

Update: Here's a statement from DCCC Chairman Steve Israel (who, of course, is a Long Island rep):

“For nearly 30 years Congressman Gary Ackerman has served the people of New York and worked tirelessly in their service. From his early days fighting for family leave in New York, through his legislation that mandates HIV testing for newborn babies, there’s never been a moment where Gary hasn’t put the people of New York first.

“He’s been a leader on the Foreign Affairs Committee, particularly when it comes to the Middle East, and been a staunch and steadfast ally for Israel. For me, Gary has been a good friend for a long time and we'll miss his New York deli event.”

“On behalf of the DCCC, I thank Gary Ackerman for his distinguished service in Congress and wish him and his wife Rita all the best in their next phase of life.

“The Queens and Long Island areas that he has represented supported both President Obama and Senator John Kerry. We look forward to electing a Democrat in November who will work to rebuild the middle class and protect New York seniors.”

Update: Mayor Bloomberg says in a statement, “When Gary Ackerman and I visited Israel at the start of Operation Cast Lead in January 2009, rocket alarms went off as we visited the police station in Sderot. As everyone scrambled into the bomb shelter, Gary was cool and collected, which is exactly how he went about business in Congress for more than three decades. The borough of Queens – and the people of Israel, Africa and so many other areas of the world – have rarely had a stronger ally in Congress, and our entire nation will miss Gary's encyclopedic knowledge of foreign policy and so many other issues. I wish Gary, his wife Rita and his entire family all the best."

Update: City Comptroller John Liu of Queens says in a statement, "Congressman Gary Ackerman has been an exemplary public servant for three decades and his decision to retire will be a loss for his constituents.  As a constituent myself, I wish him the very best. Gary will be a tough act to follow."

..................................

Unfortunately,    Steve Israel will likely be representing most of the people who were in the Nassau County portion of the District  ( 5th,  not the 6th )  that Gary Ackerman represented.       Steve Israel in many ways is Gary Ackerman lite  (  nothing to do with weight ).

[angryChineseKahanist]

that pile of fat is gone!
maybe his tiny heart could no longer force blood through his clogged arteries.

[Dr. Dan]

I hope that he's not retiring just for the sake of retiring. I hope he is retiring because he is dying from something.  Hopefully he'll croak very soon.