David Strathairn, reprising his role as Edward R. Murrow, films web video for Gillibrand campaign
Hudson NY - Today, Kirsten Gillibrand, the Democratic candidate in NY-20 released a web video staring longtime district resident and academy award nominee, David Strathairn. Mr. Strathairn reprised his role as courageous newscaster Edward R. Murrow from the 2005 movie Good Night, and Good Luck.The film explores the discredited tactics of Senator Joseph McCarthy and Mr. Murrow's decision to open the discussion to nation via his news broadcast. The video was written and produced by Spitzer's ad-man, Jimmy Siegel and his firm a-political. The video was directed by Danny Levinson.
Both the short and long versions can be viewed in the multimedia section of the campaign website, www.gillibrand2006.com [1] or link directly at www.gillibrand2006.com/decency [2]
Text of the video, "Have you no decency?" (Short version)
David Stathairn as Edward R. Morrow:
A politician who rides roughshod over the truth and resorts to personal attack: no, not the junior Senator from Wisconsin in 1954, the Congressman from NY's 20th district today.
John Sweeney hasn't just attacked Kirsten Gillibrand he stooped to attacking her family as well. Someone once stood up to the biggest bully America has ever known and asked, "Have you no decency sir?"
It is time for us to ask the same of Mr. Sweeney because in America someone always gets the last word, the people.
Text of the full version, "Have you no decency?"
David Stathairn as Edward R. Morrow:When a politician rides roughshod over common decency, when he is able to character assassinate others with lies and smears, it is not enough for us to shake our heads and bemoan our baser instincts.
When good men and woman stand by and do nothing, they are tacitly agreeing to anything, to government by bullies, to lies as the coin of the realm.
John Sweeney has spent 6 months smearing Kirsten Gillibrand with the kind of personal attacks that should have been forever relegated to the long condemned past. Not content to simply smear her, he has stooped to attacking her family as well. Her father. Her brother. We can only imagine that her Aunt Pam is next.
Maybe at a time when this administration has desperately resorted to leaks and bullying to get its way, with Congressman Sweeney, as a loyal rubber-stamper;
Maybe when the candidate he's trying to destroy has presented the first positive vision for change in her district--standing up to big oil, to the failed political leadership on Iraq, for better health care and tax relief for the middle class who desperately need it- things Sweeney has stood stolidly against.
Maybe then it's not surprising he's resorted to the basest form of political bludgeoning.
This is, after all, a man who's trod on democratic principle before- personally going down to Florida to help shut down the recount in 2000. Once upon a time, someone had the guts to stand up to the biggest bully America has ever known and ask "Have you no decency, sir?" It's time for this county and this country to stand up and ask much of the same of Mr. Sweeney. Because this is still America, and in America someone always gets the last word.
And it's always the people.