Stephen M. Saland: Professional Grudge Holder
Stephen M. Saland is an impressive guy. Devoted husband and father of four sons. New York State Senator from Poughkeepsie for 22 years. State Assemblyman for a decade before that. He’s been representing his district in Albany since 1980.
You always know what you’re getting with Sen. Saland. He speaks from behind the podium, from in front of stone walls, and always from the heart.
Recently, Sen. Saland was profiled in the New York Times Magazine with three other Republican state senators over changing their vote to support same-sex marriage in New York.
You might think that Sen. Saland, representing a district less than 100 miles from NYC (a city that overwhelmingly supports same-sex marriage), when asked to speak to the Times (a publication which supports same-sex marriage) would be happy to add a few quotes. But then you don’t know Stephen M. Saland.
Saland agonized over this issue with his gay-marriage-supporting wife, but one acquaintance said his decision seemed to grow out of his immersion in the legislative language. He refused to talk for this article because of an old grudge against The Times over what an aide described as “an out-of-context quote.”
Yes, that’s right, the Assistant Minority Whip of the State Senate, whose district is about 75 miles from Manhattan, (reportedly) has refused to speak with the New York Times on principal for maybe multiple decades!
After committed googling, I still cannot tell what pearls of wisdom Senator Saland wishes he had never wasted on some hack with a notepad. If anyone can figure it out, please let me know.
Until then, Senator Saland: from one committed grudge-holder to another, respect.
