Finding Ulysses

Les Roberts, the Johns Hopkins University epidemiologist who ran for the Democratic nomination to the House of Representatives in our congressional district this year, and who has led two studies of civilian mortality in post-invasion Iraq, will be back in Trumansburg tonight, for a Back to Democracy meeting at the Fire Hall.

There are some who suggest that Les Roberts could run for Congress again in 2008, challenging incumbent Democrat Michael Arcuri for the Democratic nomination. Throughout his campaign, soon-to-be-Congressman Arcuri demonstrated a remarkable disinterest in national policy, combined with a reluctance to interact with his prospective constituents.

We shall see whether this distant shallowness continues to characterize Mike Arcuri’s public life, but whatever Arcuri’s record turns out to be, it seems unlikely to me that an insurgent campaign against a sitting Democrat would be well tolerated by our district’s county Democratic Party committees. After the anti-Republican surge of this year, the Democrats may well be struggling to hold on to its gains in 2008. When the Democratic committee members feel vulnerable, they stick with candidates who have establishment connections, as Arcuri does, and are not likely to accept the campaign of someone who has not spent time cultivating relationships with party leaders, even when the candidate is someone as well-qualified as Les Roberts.

Besides, it’s not at all clear that Les Roberts is interested in running for public office again. If you’re curious, go to the Fire Hall tonight, and ask him yourself.