All the fuss here about Senator Martin Conner and Daniel Squadron has, for me, left the waters muddied. Let me tell you my position and how I got there. Obviously, you'll decide for yourself. I am carrying Martin Conner's nominating petitions (I live in the district), even though the Senator has not been an inspiring leader. The bad news is that when, as a constituent, I'd ask Senator Conner for something concrete (for example for support for the Domestic Workers Bill Of Rights or foreclosure prevention), I'd get excuses, reasons he can do nothing or just no answer at all. The good news is that he favors a progressive agenda. That is: He talks the talk, but so far hasn't walked the walk. On the other hand, Democratic Senators live in a special powerless limbo where they are rarely able to effect or affect actual change. So, I am inclined to cut people in that position some slack. Daniel Squadron, on the other hand, is running from right field, as I see it. He may be proud of his connections to Mayor Bloomberg and Education Commissioner Klein, but that rules me out as a supporter. The Bloomberg-Klein-Squadron Department of Education has been a mismanagement nightmare, at least to public school parents like me. Mr. Squadron may have a progressive agenda somewhere, but I haven't heard about it yet and I've heard him speak, talked to him and reviewed his website. Has anyone found any indication that Mr. Squardron has a progressive bone in his body? Show me. So far, it seems to me, he won't talk the talk. If you compare Mr Squadron to other Schumerites, he seems shorter on substance than they are. Both Council Member Yassky & Congress Member Weiner seem like serious people (even when I disagree with them); I don't yet see any sign that Mr. Squadron is. (Has anyone else?) I knew slightly, from a distance, Daniel Squadron's father Howard Squadron who, many years ago, was a progressive democrat and Civil Rights advocate. It would give me great satisfaction to support the son but I haven't seen reasons to do it. Rosie Mendez, my Council Member (who, fyi, has been a Conner election law client), was critical in her evaluation of Conner's work but came out totally for Conner in the end, as of course did CODA. If Conner wins but decides not to take leadership in a Democratic controlled Senate, I'll be done with him and look for a left candidate in 2010. Other than "throw the rascals out," does anyone have a policy or programmatic reason to prefer Mr. Squadron?