Will Glenn Greenwald Run For Congress Against Peter King?

Terrorist supporter Peter King and civil libertarian Glenn Greenwald

Long Island as a geographical entity includes all of 4 counties: from east to west, Suffolk, Nassau, Queens and Kings (Brooklyn). Long Island as a state of mind is Nassau and Suffolk. When someone in NYC says they're going to "the Island," no one thinks they mean Brooklyn or Queens. There are 3 Long Island congressional districts, NY-01, NY-02 and NY-03 (although NY-03, represented by Steve Israel has a significant slice of Queens in it now). Although NY-01 and NY-03 are represented by Democrats, Obama did best last year in NY-02, the "Republican district" represented by Peter King. Here's how Obama performed in the 3 districts last November:

• NY-01- Obama- 49.6- 49.1%
• NY-02- Obama- 51.6- 47.2%
• NY-03- Obama- 50.8- 48.2%

[Update: I left out the new 4th CD, represented by Democrat Carolyn McCarthy, which now takes many of the Democratic-leaning South Shore Nassau County towns formerly represented by King. Her new district went for Obama with 56.3%, easily the most Democratic of the 4 (not 3) Long Island districts.]

Point: NY-02 is hardly a district the DCCC should be leaving uncontested as a red stronghold. But they do, especially under Steve Israel, a longtime crony of Peter King's. The district's PVI is R+1. Democrats represent 15 districts that are R+1 or worse. They are winnable seats, as Democrats like Carol Shea-Porter (NH), Raul Ruiz (CA) and Joe Garcia (FL) showed last year when they beat Republican incumbents in R+1 districts. The trick to it, though, is that the Democrats need a viable candidate and need to wage a real campaign. This is not something Peter King has had to face. When King first ran in 1992, it was an empty Democratic seat that Congressman Bob Mrazek had left so he could run for the Senate). King won 49.56 to 46.46%. But he never had a serious challenge after that. Blue America backed Dave Mejias in 2006 and he came close with 44% but the DCCC stabbed him in the back, Mejas spending only $908,135 to King's $2,075,502. And its been worse since then with the DCCC discouraging anyone from running and undercutting those who tried. Last cycle Vivianne Falcone took 41% of the vote after spending $11,115 (against King's $1,201,207), Needless to say, the DCCC spent exactly zero trying to help her, wasting millions of dollars are far redder districts where their conservative candidates had no chance at all.

King, probably best known for supporting violent foreign terrorists in Ireland, for his intense bigotry against Muslim-Americans and for picking fights with Michael Jackson, is back in the news this week.

Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) made waves yesterday on a Fox News interview in which he called for “legal action” to be taken against Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald. The congressman’s comments were delivered in his usual stentorian style, with absolute certainty and conviction, even though they appear to lack any factual basis.

Abridging the whole situation, however, involves something of a brain-twister, but we’ll give it a try anyhow: Legal action should be taken against Greenwald, says King, not only because of the NSA intelligence leaks that he has already published but also because of information he has threatened to publish-- specifically the names of CIA agents. Even though he hasn’t threatened to publish any such thing.

Here’s how King articulated the matter to Fox News host Megyn Kelly:

Not only did he disclose this information, he has said that he has the names of CIA agents and assets around the world, and they’re threatening to disclose that. The last time that was done in this country, you saw a CIA station chief murdered in Greece. No right is absolute. And even the press has certain restrictions. I think it should be very targeted, very selective and certainly a very rare exception. But in this case, when you have someone who has disclosed secrets like this and threatens to release more, then to me, yes, there has to be-- legal action should be taken against him. This is a very unusual case with life-and-death implications for Americans.

That stuff about the CIA-- not true, wrote Greenwald on Twitter:

...Wherever he’s fetching his information, King’s comments reflect one of three disturbing possibilities:

1) He knows something about Greenwald that none of us does;

2) He’s spouting off to a large Fox News audience on topics with which he has little familiarity;

3) He’s willfully misquoting and misconstruing the many public comments made by both Greenwald and Snowden on this case.

...Peter King would make a poor journalist. May he never, ever complain about being quoted out of context.

His words yesterday don’t speak to his acumen as a public servant, either. As argued previously in this space, the recent explosion of leak news has highlighted the centrality of governmental self-restraint in preserving freedoms.

Blue America is trying to recruit Greenwald to run against King. A prominent constitutional lawyer and author, Glenn was born on Long Island and got his law degree from NYU. Although he'd love to see Peter King retired, he doesn't want to serve in Congress. I can't blame him-- but I'm still trying to persuade him... and I'm willing to pledge a maximum legal contribution personally and endeavor to raise as much money for his campaign as we have done for Alan Grayson and Donna Edwards, each over $100,000 from Blue America donors.