Rev. Al Sharpton has cancelled a “unity rally” in Harlem Saturday with Rep. Charles Rangel and rival state Sen. Adriano out of fear it would devolve into disunity, sources said.
Rangel beat back a strong challenge from Espaillat by a slim 2,000 votes in Tuesday’s fierce Democratic primary.
It took Espaillat two days to concede — and then immediately announce he was running again for his state Senate seat.
He pulled the same tactic in 2012, when he also took on Rangel and lost.
But this year former City Councilman Robert Jackson, a Rangel ally who previously represented northern Manhattan, has announced he’s going after Espaillat’s seat and is prepared to take on the incumbent.
Sources said Sharpton called off the unity rally at the National Action Network headquarters because the Rangel camp couldn’t guarantee that the congressman wouldn’t endorse Jackson at an event when he was supposed to be burying the hatchet with Espailla.Sharpton did not want to be caught in the middle of the cross fire, sources said.
“Al Sharpton after speaking with Congressman Charlie Rangel will not be holding the unity rally tomorrow. Congressman Rangel will join Rev Sharpton at a later date. During tomorrow’s Saturday action rally Rev. Sharpton will be joined by NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer who will discuss his tenure to date, including the Central Park jogger case,” Sharpton’s office said in a statement.
“There were more questions than closure,” said one Rangel pal, who expressed surprised that Espaillat announced his re-election bid for Senate before the Sharpton unity event. “That muddied the waters.”
“Espaillat was concerned Rangel would say something about backing Robert Jackson. Rev. Sharpton decided he didn’t want to get in the middle of that. It was getting complicated. Nobody tells Charlie Rangel what to say or not say.”
Yahoo Local News – New York Post
http://ift.tt/1vfoimn
via Great Local News: New York http://ift.tt/1iZiLP1
No comments:
Post a Comment