Buffalo Beast Editor Ian Murphy Announces Congressional Run

It's been a month since Buffalo Beast editor Ian Murphy called up Wisconsin Governor's Scott Walker, pretending to be David Koch, to give Walker a pep talk and a promise to "fly [Walker] out to Cali and really show [him] a good time."

And a lot has happened. First of all, that whole "planting some troublemakers" plan that Walker says he "thought about" before dismissing as a bad idea? It was maybe actually a thing! How about that?

Also, Murphy himself started mulling a run for office himself, and about a week ago, was apparently in discussion with the local Green Party about running under their banner.

Well, this is actually happening now: Murphy will be the official Green Party candidate in New York's 26th District, to fill the seat vacated by Craigslist aficionado Chris Lee.

Here's Murphy's official "fireside chat" announcement:

Over at his campaign website, Murphy offers curious voters with a look at his issues, which include job creation, a plan to raise taxes on the rich, a promise to take on bloated defense spending, and affirming the need to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act. Also, he will maybe buy you a puppy? I mean, that would be nice, right?

Of particular importance to voters in the 26th is the fact that Murphy is "pro-Craigslist transsexuals" but, "Unlike [Chris Lee], however, I am not a terrible hypocrite."

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Comments

[mistlesuede]

11:41 AM on 04/01/2011

There has been no coverage of this at all here in Buffalo. I did not know anything about this until running across the story today.

[seeksthetruth]

10:57 PM on 03/27/2011

Murphy's platform includes "job creation, a plan to raise taxes on the rich, a promise to take on bloated defense spending, and affirming the need to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act". Works for me!

[CaptainVideo]

09:16 PM on 04/04/2011

Right On!

[gomezrules]

07:22 PM on 03/27/2011

So all it takes to satisfy one's ego when it comes to political aspirations is to deliver a prank phone call? Heck, Howard Stern is sitting on several 'viable' candidates!

[CaptainVideo]

09:18 PM on 04/04/2011

This prank caller exposed governor Ryan as being a lakey of the greedy, polluting Koch brothers and therefore performed a valuable service for the people of Wisconsin. We need more people like him who have the guts to fight back against the Pary of the Rich.

[conservicide]

06:13 PM on 03/27/2011

a beautiful way to expose Walker for what he is and keep him freshly between the crosshairs

[JoeBoy254]

02:02 PM on 03/27/2011

The guy is probably more honest and qualified than Comrade Walker.....

[Shawna Lit]

12:52 PM on 03/27/2011

I'd vote for him. Unfortunately I live in a different state so I can't but... maybe if I have the money. Can a person contribute to a campaign happening in a different state? Forgive my ignorance. I'm a recent citizenship approved transplant from Canada still learning the ways of the .. something left to be desired force..

[macombman]

01:57 PM on 03/27/2011

So let me get this straight. Someone pulls a childish telephone prank and you want to contribute money to vote him into office because you believe no other Democrat is more intelliogent than him? No wonder the Democrats took he shellacking they did in 2010. My 5th grade daughter just pulled a telephone prank on her girlfriend Friday, do me a favor, send her the money you were planning on donating to this other clown. Since you believe this type of behavior dictates your respect, if you have any questions on life in general feel free to ask her.

[mistlesuede]

11:46 AM on 04/01/2011

Perhaps you should return to school with your fifth grader. Concentrate on spelling, punctuation and grammar.

[AntiVIgilante]

06:15 AM on 04/22/2011

No. You fail it.

Murphy identified a threat.
Murphy identified a means of exposing the threat.
Murphy excuted a plan.

The threat proceeded to expose itself predictably.
Walker made his mistakes. Those are his responsibility.
The so called prank (great way to suggest a minor attack to ensure a huge amount of media time) was a vehicle.

It would be too much for you to actually read.

[Wendy Scoggins]

12:10 AM on 04/19/2011

You can. I did. I wish I lived in his district so I could vote for him.

[GG NV]

12:41 PM on 03/27/2011

Though I very much believe in his platform, he needs to be more serious about it. In my book he is a hero in exposing Walker as he truly is. However, in order to run for congress he needs to cut out the clowning and get down to business for the people.

[AntiVIgilante]

06:16 AM on 04/22/2011

Clowning was meant to produce the most media coverage. It was a serious decision to clown his way into the situation.

[keramos]

10:30 AM on 03/27/2011

Think I'll contribute

[RealistBC]

04:28 AM on 03/27/2011

If I lived in his district, I'd vote for him. I'm tired of my choices being limited to Blue Dogs and Republican corporatists.

[Eidolas]

03:12 AM on 03/27/2011

Other than pranking Walker, this guy stands for.........what again?. He's a one trick pony whose 15 minutes were up more than a month ago, but the Green Party? He's going to get smoked. The Democrats will align against him, never mind the Republicans.

[Matthew Pringle]

09:03 AM on 03/27/2011

Using the power of reading I read the following "Murphy offers curious voters with a look at his issues, which include job creation, a plan to raise taxes on the rich, a promise to take on bloated defense spending, and affirming the need to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act."

Using the power of reasoning I suspect he stands for reinstating the Glass-Steagall Act thus bringing banks back into meaningful regulation.

To raise taxes on the rich and stop the money being drained from the economy at an increasing rate.

To take on bloated defense spending and as such really tackle the deficit and corporate welfare programs.

[keramos]

10:31 AM on 03/27/2011

Probably both sides will align against him - they don't like real competition.

[Shawna Lit]

12:53 PM on 03/27/2011

All the more reason to support him. I don't give a rip what two major parties there are. I'm going to vote for those who are more in align with what I would like. NEITHER dems or repugs are that.

[Peanut Santiago]

01:22 AM on 03/27/2011

I wish him luck.

Bernie Sanders needs help. (He needs more politicians who are "socialists" and will work for the people and NOT the oligarchs.)

WE need more of their kind.
Or much of the middle class is toast and most of us will have no safety net.

[Shawna Lit]

12:56 PM on 03/27/2011

And voting either dem or repug will ensure the continued downfall. This whole voting for the lesser of two evils is bunk and the way the powers that be want it. When we stop doing that... we take back for ourselves.

[Snerdgronk]

12:18 AM on 03/27/2011

Speaking of pictures of Walk-(R) ... I`d love to have seen his face when he found out he`d just been punked

Snerd

[Django48]

10:01 PM on 03/26/2011

Every time I see a picture of Walker, I become more convinced that he was the model for Steve Carell's clueless Michael Scott character on The Office.

[Snerdgronk]

10:11 PM on 03/26/2011

Nice ... !

[Snerdgronk]

08:22 PM on 03/26/2011

Ian wants to introduce a candidates' competence test ... You get a phone call and if you can be punked that it's a famous person, you fail.

It's going to be called, "Murphy's Law for Political Competence".

Snerd

[CJHAN]

08:59 PM on 03/26/2011

The guy being pranked is no the issue its what he said when he thought he was talking to a rich guy who might be able to help him monotaraly.

[Roy Merritt old car guy]

05:19 PM on 03/26/2011

We need some serious candidates for congress and the senate not someone who makes a joke of it. Come on people this is serious business and we Democrats had better take back our country or we will be a Fascist country run by the corporations. The people can do it but it is going to take some intelligent candidates and something to stop the big lie that the Republican/Tea Party is going to roll out. VOTE damn it, VOTE!

[RealistBC]

04:30 AM on 03/27/2011

How are you going to take back control of the country when your own party is as complicit in surrendering it to corporatists as is their "opposition"? It is past time voters considered other options, and supporting someone who isn't afraid to act independently is a great start.

[AntiVIgilante]

06:18 AM on 04/22/2011

The joke was so the media would carry it. Are all voters armchair snobs/generals?