Fulani: Mayoral Candidate Bill de Blasio Can Be Proud of Progressive Activist History

From today's Capital New York:

Lenora Fulani, one of the city's best known Independence Party figures, released a statement today criticizing the New York Times, which reported on de Blasio's work in Nicaragua, and "some mayoral candidates" for "political mudslinging" against de Blasio over his Sandinista advocacy.

"Mr. de Blasio's history as a progressive activist who spoke out against reactionary policies of the U.S. government in Latin America and its support of brutal and greedy dictatorships is something he can be proud of," Fulani said.

Lenora Fulani says de Blasio's Sandinista work is 'something he can be proud of'

By Azi Paybarah

11:39 am Sep. 24, 2013

Bill de Blasio's opponents in the mayor's race are trying to broaden the narrative about his work in Nicaragua, in support of the Sandinista rebels in the 1980s.
After attacking de Blasio yesterday, Republican candidate Joe Lhota issued another statement this morning, saying de Blasio "needs to explain himself [to] the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who escaped Marxist tyranny in Asia, Central America, and from behind the Iron Curtain in Eastern Europe."
Lhota sought to connect de Blasio's work in Central America to his current mayoral agenda, saying de Blasio's "class warfare strategy" is "directly out of the Marxist playbook. Now we know why."

Independence Party mayoral candidate Adolfo Carrion criticized de Blasio too, saying in a statement yesterday that de Blasio was "busy propping up a brutal dictatorship in Central America" in the 1980s, and that "in the early 90’s he even chose to honeymoon in Cuba in what would appear to be a violation of Federal Law. It may not seem as important today, but it sends a clear message about who he is and his worldview."

But de Blasio has one defender, from a surprising corner.

Lenora Fulani, one of the city's best known Independence Party figures, released a statement today criticizing the New York Times, which reported on de Blasio's work in Nicaragua, and "some mayoral candidates" for "political mudslinging" against de Blasio over his Sandinista advocacy.

"Mr. de Blasio's history as a progressive activist who spoke out against reactionary policies of the U.S. government in Latin America and its support of brutal and greedy dictatorships is something he can be proud of," Fulani said.

Fulani has her own controversial past in her own right, having briefly embraced Pat Buchanan as a presidential campaign, and sought elected office herself. She apologized in 2007 for anti-Semitic comments she made back in 1989.