This is, of course, the special election called for NY-09; the seat was vacated after incumbent Democrat Anthony Weiner got caught showing his genitalia to his Twitter followers. There was supposed to be a debate tonight, but it’s been canceled at the last second. Bob Turner‘s (the Republican candidate) campaign is calling said cancellation ‘hiding‘ – which is what I’d call it, myself.

Weprin is blaming Hurricane Tropical Storm Irene for the cancellation (I’ll let New Yorkers on the scene decide whether that’s a legitimate excuse), but there’s widespread suspicion that the real reason that Weprin is dodging the debate is because there’s only one real answer to the question “Why did you think that the national debt’s only four trillion, Davey?” – and that’s “Because David Weprin thinks that the universe started on January 20, 2009*.”

The special election’s in two weeks, and there aren’t going to be very many more opportunities for voters in this district to assess the candidates. On the other hand… as this surprisingly readable Huffington Post article indicates, the candidates are possibly the least important elements in that election, anyway. Seriously, you don’t want Democrats writing articles like that about Democrats; it’s kind of… jarring. Or diagnostic.

Bob Turner for NY-09.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

*Oh, OK, I suppose that the answer is “Because David Weprin is a blithering idiot” – but I think that I’ve used that particular epithet this week, and while it would certainly be accurate in this case I don’t want to be too repetitive.