Her moderation doesn't bother me. Hardcore progressives are in short supply here in Arizona. The dizzying spin to the center makes me question her conviction however. Many of us watched in real time as she went silent on immigration, community policing and the abuses of this administration. He only took us by 4 points in 2016! It is not that risky to criticize him here! The lack of consistency contributes to the narrative that she doesn't stand firm on policy. Pandering just reminds us why we have so little faith in political leaders.
28
When someone says that they are homeless, believe them.
It is a fact that AZ (D) Senate Candidate Krysten lived in a gas station as a child. A gas station is not a home. That means that Kyrsten Sinema was a homeless child. That is where the story should stop. Why is the NYT trying to validate whether she had electricity at the gas station as a child? There is no value to be gained from offering her some belated girl scouts badge in destitution. This is why people criticize our public dialogue.
51
She’s running as Independent, not Democrat
5
Soooo... she wasn't THAT homeless??? This article is crazy. What Sinema has accomplished is remarkable under any circumstances-- let alone those she grew up in.
As for her maturing since her early political career, I see that as a huge positive. We need more people like that who realize the importance of building bridges, finding common ground and serving the entire country.
62
What about Martha McSally’s sham marriage for advancement in the military? McSally’s shameful attacks on John McCain when his family stated they were withdrawing care? Both candidates in the AZ senate race have issues, report on both of them. I’m surprised this story came out as a news alert.
28
She seems intelligent and effective. If elected, the Democrats may be able to take control of the Senate and be able to check Trump.
If she loses, the Republicans will likely keep control of the Senate.
As an Arizona voter, I need know nothing more.
38
While I appreciate the desire to have accuracy in every detail of her childhood memories, I would argue most of us remember the themes of our childhood much better than minute details.
What is clear is Ms. Sinema grew up in a very trying circumstance most can’t relate to - a gas station. She’s progressive but found a way to be effective by working with others with different views. Our current climate needs far far more Kysten Sinema’s and fewer like Ted Cruz and Elizabeth Warrens
32
Ocasio-Cortez of NY lied with 14% and with voter turnout won and she was called by DNC head Perez the future of the party. Some future.
9
Someone ought to apply this same scrutiny to the media and to journalists. In fact, however, the human being who could not be found guilty of some "mismanagement" of facts at any point in his or her life doesn't exist. This article smacks of political propaganda.
17
Arizona has been a red-state since Barry Goldwater but is tending a lighter shade of purple. It will take time and smart, savvy women like Kyrsten Sinema to break the ice. It astounds me why the NYT would look a gift horse Senate seat in the mouth. Sinema is up 3-7 points with very tough Conservative opposition so what does a liberal East Coast paper that doesn't have a clue about Western issues do? Smear her over a few electric bills? Astounding to me. Sinema is no Chuck Schummer and Arizonas are happy about that.
48
A picture is worth a thousand words, eh?
The only person giving opportunism a bad name here is Jonathan Martin.
We in Arizona are enduring a torture of blatant lies in the advertising surrounding the race to replace Jeff Flake. There is a real flake here, but it's not Ms. Sinema!
29
If her details are fuzzy, she was a kid in a terrible situation, and kids often fashion some details that aren't true to make sense of what's happening around them.
When it comes down to it, I'd rather have someone like Ms. Sinema, whose "lies" are, at worst, how she dealt with a traumatic situation, than a Republican like Ms. McSally, who has dived headfirst into the Trumpian embrace and sold her soul in the process. These comparison stories by political writers represent what matters least, and it's like they didn't learn a bit from the 2016 campaign. Style over substance, let's not talk about issues, let's talk about personalities or backstory, even though the issues confronting this nation are severe.
I can't say I'm surprised, though. The Times has not learned one lesson from its litany of bad judgments over the past two years. The only question is whether the editors making these decisions will be around when the consequences hit.
37
If my mother told me when I was a kid that we'd have to live in a former gas station for a few years, I would count that as being homeless. A gas station is not a home, any more than a tent under an underpass or a mini-van rented by the month.
I think folks who call Sinema opportunistic may have a point, but all that means is that if you are going to rise from humble origins, you are going to have to take advantage of all opportunities that arise. Sinema is by far the best candidate in the race, and the weak criticisms lodged against her in this article are much ado about nothing.
I have noticed a pattern of late in which the NYT seems to be courting -- and believing -- sources with dubious motivations. The coverage of the recent kerfuffle over Rod Rosenstein is a good example of this. It's a little disturbing.
51
This Dem NOT voting for her, as are many others I know; won't vote for Repub either; just no vote at all for this office.
It's too bad she has to lie about her childhood. But, being a politician is not about what happened in your childhood. It's what you've done. Sinema has flip-flopped. She doesn't fit in any party. She doesn't fit in Arizona, she is Democrat, but won't support the Democrat running for Governor? All her ads prominently say "Independent" on them. She's voted with Trump. She voted yes for everything this last House session. I looked them up. She parades her Brother in ads like she was part of the military. It's her Step-Brother. Does she even see him anymore? I feel bad for her that she doesn't know where she belongs. She was a lawyer, but wasn't making enough money and thought she had better chances of making more money in Politics? How's that?
14
We all come to forks in the road, in many cases daily. Unfortunately she chose and she chose wrongly.
3
I might be missing something here, but if a family is unable to pay gas, electricity, and water bills, wouldn't they lose access to these services provided? I get how Synema may have embellished some stuff about her childhood, but living in an abandoned gas station with only intermittent access to all these things would seem pretty visceral to me too.
Even if the power were on for more than I could remember, I still think I would pretty vividly remember when it was out, especially as a child with little understanding of 'official' reasons why they were losing access to these things.
39
I too spent a couple years in Arizona as a kid, “knocking around”. I could say my family was homeless, but the reality is very messy and complicated. Over that time my 6 brothers and sisters and my mom and I lived: in a pickup with a camper shed parked behind the Mormon church...in an unfinished house...in a Buick (I slept in the trunk)...with generous church members...it was an incoherent time, it is burnt into me so deep, even though it was 35 years ago. If I ever told anybody about that time it would take a couple days—otherwise it would just be incoherent glimpses. It and the rest of a childhood in poverty turned me into a pragmatic realist. People can be amazing. People are struggling. People can use help. And it’s better to live in a car than out of doors, better to eat rice for two weeks straight than not eat, and better to have forward political momentum by working with other people you don’t agree with than end up with nothing.
60
Enough about Kyrsten! I would be very interested in investigative articles about the backgrounds of Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Orrin Hatch, Chuck Grassley and others in Congress who seem to be leading our Country down a dangerous path. Who are their major donors? Why are they so hard line on women's issues? Do they have past indiscretions?
I'm sure that these articles would be much more interesting than reading about whether Kyrsten did or did not flush her toilet!
81
OK. Fair enough. Now how about an investigative story on Sinema's opponent, Martha McSally. All I can say is that McSally's political hit ads are high on ominous innuendo and low on substance. I wish both of these congresswomen would give me some reasons to vote FOR one of them instead of against their opponent. Based upon the nastiness of McSally's hit ads I will vote for Sinema. A comparison of the legislative accomplishment of each of them would be a better story.
37
She grew up in an abandoned gas station. Sounds like poverty to me, no matter if her patents could scrape together enough money to keep the lights on a few months out of the year.
27
I hate seeing myself write this except that it is true than ever in this election cycle: any Democrat is better than any Republican. There may be an exception, but I haven't seen it and in the case of Ms Sinema it is doubly true.
30
She sounds like Hilary did. Whatever way the political winds were blowing she was going there.
12
Lyndon Johnson, running for office in red state Texas, had to embrace some fairly conservative views to get elected. When finally reaching the presidency, he reportedly exclaimed his famous "free at last! etc." statement, and went on to help pass more civil rights and progressive social legislation than any president in history.
10
@Paul Shindler
"... to help pass more civil rights and progressive social legislation than any president in history."
Lemme help with that; he hoodwinked the country and set into motion the end of the black family in the US.
7
We plan to vote for her and she has our unequivocal support. Being centrist is probably critical to getting the independents like us to sign on with her. That said, this is Arizona and she has the wrong letter stamped on her forehead. But I truly do hopes she wins because for us, that D on her forehead is all that matters.
25
@Paul Kucharski
Who are "we"? How many votes do you all get?
5
A spigot is not indoor plumbing or hot water for shower or bath. Electricity may likely not have always been turned on. And was there a functional kitchen in this place? It does not look like a standard modern home and likely wasn't. And her family likely was listing the cost of the bills rather than always paying them. It looks like very unfortunate circumstances and not stable comfortable housing in a modern highly developed country. It appears the intent of this article is only to damage the candidate's credibility and chances of success in the upcoming election.
42
@nellie
The point is truthfulness.
Sure, the conditions are rough for five. But the building had water and electric, at some point. It's on concrete and, if the roof is good, it sure beats a viaduct. They probably got mail and needed only a space heater. Anyway you look at it, it's not being homeless - and she should be called on it if she misrepresented such an important thing. Of course, NYT should not deploy their fact checkers based on their political agenda.
6
The unsubtle message of this article is that she is a hypocrite, a liar, and an opportunist: a candidate with no principles.
Given the precise same facts presented here, one could just as easily portray her as a candidate who, just as she has said, experienced real poverty, and yet had the self discipline to not only transcend that poverty as a young woman, but to excel academically. An ambitious person with no principles would not have chosen social work, yet she did.
She was concerned and motivated enough to enter politics to try to make a difference, and realistic and determined enough to make a difference that she was willing to make bipartisan compromises. Some might call that being effective, rather than opportunistic.
And, if shifting political positions in order to appeal to an electorate is to be the measure of opportunistic and unprincipled, few if any US politicians can be said to be worthy, including, for example, President Obama or Secretary Clinton, whose positions changed on many matters, including gay marriage.
If hair-splitting to justify baseless condemnation is the order of the day, it is a perfect sequel to the Times publishing broad allegations without context (the Rosenstein article), then denying the validity of the condemnation that has followed.
67
I want to thank you for a very well stated, very accurate argument, regarding both articles.
14
So, it's one set of scrutiny for a Supreme Court nominee, but another for elected officials? Ok, got it.
24
Weird child childhood, insecurity, sense of homelessness, fear coupled with academic, artistic and political precocity as a child are things I can understand. All those things happened to me. Our Arizona senatorial candidate could have interesting stories to swap. My own parents were brilliant, talented raging alcoholics. I lived in motels, and other rental properties. Eventually I lived with my grandmother, and my grandmother would not let my parents live in her huge house. I even bailed my parents out of jail, and gave them money that I earned as a US Capitol Page for Bob Dole/Gerry Ford. My brother and I got the committed for treatment at one point. Teachers and other very wise people mentored me. I choose to witness the weirdness of my childhood not to garner sympathy but to show challenge the pop psychology that a troubled childhood is not destiny.
50
She is a liar plain and simple. These aren't accusations from 35 years ago but actual facts. But somehow we need to be nuanced? Oh I forgot - she's a Democrat and this is the NYT reporting the story.
16
@Bill
No, she is a complicated person who in adulthood tries to make sense of a difficult and confusing childhood. We don't get to choose our families. So far as her political evolution, so do all politicians evolve as they face the realities of dealing with a complicated society, electorate, and government. Her progressive credentials may not be unimpeachable, but she is far preferable to the conspiracy theorist and hate group sympathizer who is her opponent.
21
@Bill I once lived above a small garage for a short while. No electric (until we had paid a deposit and had it turned on.) No water in the house (until we paid a deposit and had it working.) No heat or hot water, (until we fixed the condemned oil furnace and pump) for radiator and bath water. It all took near a month. Some might call that homeless or 'near' homeless during that time. I called it adventure, but then I wasn't a young kid trying to go to school, etc.....
4
@Bill Bill, you're writing of a woman who experienced real homelessness when she was a child, and criticizing her for (perhaps) misremembering some facts. That doesn't make her a liar.
7
Sounds like Ms Sinema has plenty to talk about in her past and her accomplishments. It is strange if she feels embellishment is necessary to impress voters. As some suggest, her memories of her life in a gas station may be somewhat confused. But she should understand these limitations and face them rather than pushing them forward as hard fact.
47
@John Brews ..✅✅ Totally agree with you. Hardly a beacon for truth if you're going to make things up. Just the photo of the place shows hardship. Could have been without water until the pump got fixed, and then, cold only. Maybe moved in without the power turned on... We all try to improve living conditions. Read Hawthornes' 1836 Customs House note on meeting a politician.. When neither candidate seems 'real', we must choose the lesser of bad.
3
Maybe she is an opportunist, maybe that is what one must be in politics? You certainly must be ambitious: she certainly has to appeal to a wide constituency. I hope she hold some progressive ideals in her heart, of course.
As for all the work put into calling her out on being homeless: the old gas station was crude, at best. It may have only had cold water. It may have been jury-rigged for minimal electricity use. To repeat, she wasn't homeless per se, but "home" was primitive and did not have the basic things we have come to think of as necessary, like plumbed showers or kitchen sinks. It wouldn't have been given a certificate of occupancy in NYS -
96
I’ve never been this way before but I say do whatever she needs to do to win the seat for Democrats. This is so much bigger then one candidate. Our democracy turned plutocracy is hanging on by threads. We all need to be more Machiavellian about 2018. Trump needs to be impeached- full stop.
128
@Dan I couldn't agree more about the Trump part. And I also agree that Dems need to play tougher if they intend to compete with what currently calls itself the Republican party. But The Times is only credible if it pursues the truth with equal zeal whether its a Democrat or our sociopathic president that might be playing loose with it. That's their job and when they stop doing it, we all lose.
14
@Dan As a conservative I would like to see Kavanaugh confirmed, the Senate to stay with the GOP, and Trump elected to a second term. Conservatives aren't perfect, but apparently liberals aren't either.
Can we agree that both sides see the best in their candidates, overlook major or minor flaws, and want results regardless of the process that it took to get there?
6
High school valedictorian at the age of 16, finished a 4 year college program in 2 years....this woman is very intelligent and hard working. Chose a career in social services, to improve the lives of others in her community. I'm impressed.
261
Lying is lying. From whichever party, it undermines public confidence in our elected officials. Good for the "New York Times" for calling it out and pursuing the truth right down into the weeds where the gas bill is...or isn't. Whether it's Trump or a down ballot Democrat doing it, I value solid, bipartisan journalism to root it out.
21
I can’t help but wonder.... if this candidate was a man would they have been subjected to a fact check of their childhood?
11
@Christina Hefel just check out what is being done to Judge Kavanaugh going to his high school experience and the same was done to Mitt Romney.
6
@john s I'm confused. Are you comparing trying to rape someone to discussing one's homelessness as a child? Judge Kavanaugh's attempted rape is much more important than whether Rep. Sinema misremembered (or not) whether she had gas, electricity, and running water when she was 8. If you think otherwise, that's a shame.
7
An opportunist is an apt identifier. Perhaps throw a few adjectives in front. "Reagan and Bush are the real Osama lovers". Avoids criticizing Trump. Was Green Party. Now a blue dog. Using military fire power in campaign ads. She's been all over the place. It obvious what she stands for is whatever it takes to get elected. Which means she fits in with most politicians. Whether her step-dad paid elec bill 30+ years ago is not what defines this candidate. Article should have been about difference between her and her opponent. Not a People Magazine type article.
22
Gee, that was brutal, but mostly irrelevant to deciding for whom to vote for in the AZ Senate race.
Arizonans can vote for Kirsten Sinema, someone who doesn't remember exactly everything about the gas station she lived in as a child or a candidate that whole-heartedly supports Donald trump's awful policies and votes with him 97% of the time.
How about a policy discussion of where each candidate stands?
66
Even old filling stations have toilets and running water...and gas tanks underground. Might look into standards for such places, eveyrplace has them..
3
@Monty Brown
how wonderful that you know of her living situation. Ask her brother. He will tell you the same thing she has. Not all filling stations, particularly those that are closed for a long time, have running water and working toilets.
5
We can split hairs if living in a permanent structure is really being homeless or not. We can point a finger and cry liar because someone does not have a clear memory from when they were 3 yrs old. Or we can focus more on the fact that Ms. Sinema does not fit the mold of what is currently acceptable for the Democrat Party leaders. This is one of the problems with the current DEM leadership. They do not support you if you are even an inch out of line from the prescribed mantra.
If elected, I hope Ms Sinema does focus on poverty and her Mormon upbringing that teaches charity and assistance for those in need. I also hope she does not blindly support unworthy people just because they have a D after their name.
12
If she wins, I hope she doesn’t continue to vote for Trump’s agenda nearly 60% of the time.
1
I’m not sure what the point of this article is.
If anything it seems to make serious inferences about lack of truthfulness from a fairly trivial foundation. There isn’t a huge difference from living temporarily in a gas station (not a home) and being homeless. From a child’s perspective, perhaps no difference.
In other words, this is not news fit to print. What is news are more profound issues of character and, most of all, policy and deeds. .. neither of which are partisan.
39
Huh? Am I on the New York Times site or Fox news?
At a time when most thinking people know that the future of democracy is in the balance, the New York Times appears to be
helping Republicans in one of the most important senate races in the country. I will lump this in with the "Morning Joe" crowd giving candidate Trump unlimited prime time appearances, for ratings and ad dollars.
Kyrsten Sinema was clearly living in horrid conditions as a child. With amazing motivation and nonstop hard work, she has achieved great success. You can nit pick over details and policies she has embraced, but her very real and amazing story is indisputable.
88
@Paul Shindler Did you red the article? She may be a Democrat but she's a fraud.
12
@Bill
There are numerous people on here from Arizona who like her and are voting for her. They have first hand experience with her. And reaching out to the other side is something we need a lot more of right now. You are certainly entitled to your opinion, however wrong it may be. The Democratic tent needs to open a few new wings - especially the "ex-Trump section".
3
@Bill
and you came to that decision how?
3
Typically a scholarship or even attendance at BYU requires missionary service as well. For her to graduate in two years, and return to Florida is another question that needs to be explored.
12
@Ray Ozyjowski
NYT is pretty good at fact checking. I suspect that was explored by the reporter.
3
Shocking honest reporting. The woman appears to be nothing but an opportunist and a serial liar.
Compared to McSally, the first combat A-10 fighter pilot, she is a total light weight.
8
What ever happened to relying on a "voting record" and vision for the future? The real story here is the lack of responsible "journalism." No such thing anymore, I guess.
26
@Mark the media doesn't concern itself with appropriate facts like voting or judging record, just character assassination using facts even from childhood or high school to tarnish a person.Non-partisan Investigative journalism is dead.
2
"But with few major legislative accomplishments to her record, both Democrats and Republicans said, Ms. Sinema is largely running on a political image that she has shaped and reshaped over the years. And nothing is more central to it now than her childhood homelessness."
I found this paragraph to be the most disconcerting. She has been in Congress for 6 years yet she lacks a legislative track record. One has to work hard to do that.
Sounds to me like she's campaigning to win a Senate seat in order to gain another rung in the political ladder. If she was such a "firebrand" there would be more legislative victories on her resume, more indications of bi-partisan legislation she pushed.
Part of the problem of our politics in America is that people campaign on promises just to win the seat, and then spend the time occupying that seat doing only that. Ms. Sinema sounds like that type of politician unfortunately.
10
There are many reasonable explanations for the inconsistencies, without concluding that she is a liar. Homelessness is often a turbulent experience, with relative highs and lows. Perhaps there was water and electricity at times, but it was shut off when the family was unable to pay utility bills. It is also possible that the step-father misrepresented his situation to the court - claiming that there was financial difficulty but not abject poverty - out of fear that the children would be taken by the state. This would certainly explain his reticence to answer questions about the situation.
Homelessness is still a major problem in America. If we are to solve the problem, we need to start realizing that instability takes on many forms. We tend to associate homelessness with substance abuse and mental health disorders, with folks living in tent cities and sleeping on park benches; more often, there are families living out of motels and cars, or staying on the couches of benevolent friends and neighbors. There may be a greater degree of comfort and safety, yet we know that the latter type of instability still causes significant childhood traumas, poor performance in school, and substantial stress for the entire family. The Great Recession put many families into this situation. While the stock market has recovered and unemployment is down, wages have not grown and these families have been left behind. We need an advocate in the Senate whom understands their plight.
47
Ms. Sinema's accounts of her youth are certainly questionable. The toilet story is interesting. I'm a Democrat, and Ms. Sinema may be of my Party, but she does not represent anything I believe about that Party. Her stance on immigration is particularly at odds with mine. And, I'm not shocked to know that a Democrat can be just as grasping for power as a Republican. Her state is Arizona, after all, so a liberal-leaning Democrat won't stand a chance. In reality, it sounds like both Sinema and McSally are Republicans, and it hardly matters which one wins. Although, at least McSally's childhood story appears to be true.
7
@Ms. Pea
In the Senate — the Majority is everything. The Majority sets the agenda. The Minority has very little influence.
So it matters a lot who wins this race.
6
@Ms. Pea
Ms. Sinema representated my district in Arizona for years and I can tell you that she's a Democrat . And her stance on immigration is spot on. For the past few years, more undocumented immigrants have been leaving our state than coming in. And the number of Dreamers is close to a million. That notwithstanding, her account of her childhood is not questionable. It is her recollection of a very difficult life and one she worked really hard to overcome. She has not run one negative ad, unlike the biggest trump supporter in our state, Martha McSally, whose ads are scurrilous. I don't recall ever reading in any magazine or new source about Martha McSally's, but hers would be based on her recollections. I know McSally is a liar from her ads about issues I knew well. Please don't believe that a Democrat doesn't have a chance in Arizona.
10
She is using “memories” of childhood to sell herself to the electorate.
Maybe that is OK for a job in social services, but is is unacceptable for a Senator.
Course, very few that run are worthy.
14
This story does not have enough depth or breadth. for example, of how many other candidates can similar half-truths be told? What are the long-term repercussions of having the Democratic Party become a mirror image of the Republican Party? I refer to 'faction,' which is known to have caused the British to lose North American colonies (us). Two parties, both populated by politicians who only want to win each using their set of ideological simplicities. How has that worked elsewhere? Does it work in business? How many Republicans switched from Pro-choice to Pro-life when it became convenient?
2
@rjb I doubt many switch from pro-life except on the coasts and even then they were always of that mindset to even get started in politics on the coasts. However, the discussion is pointless as every abortion issue is decided by the courts and nothing will change. About the only impact a elected official can have is how much to throw at Planned Parenthood. Social issues shouldn't even be part of campaigns.
2
We have plenty of excellent examples of lying in politics today, but this does not look like one of them. It's amazing that there is even a senate candidate who grew up in poverty, which is something most politicians clearly can't relate to. I'm donating to her campaign today.
34
Thank you for exposing yet another fraudulent politician. It is incredible that people would vote for someone like her.
9
I agree that this feels like a non-story that has been given too much prominence. My brother and I were raised by a single mother who was a successful academic but still struggled with finances. We were deeply loved and well taken care of but I could put a positive or negative slant on my childhood depending on what aspects I wanted to highlight. Living in a former gas station sounds grim even if there was electricity and I expect that Ms. Sinema felt very deprived when she compared herself to the lives of her classmates. She obviously was highly motivated to succeed and to help others. She is clearly a talented politician who gets things done and is not tied to the orthodoxy of a specific position. Give her the benefit of the doubt when it comes to describing her childhood experiences. She has earned that.
38
Maybe her stepfather lied to the court about what their bills were. I would guess she would not want to nuke her family just to explain everything to the press. And maybe, to use the toilets, they used to do what we had to do after an earthquake; go get water elsewhere and put it in the back of the toilet.
30
I hope she wins. Arizona is a tough nut to crack.
21
I'm speechless. It's amazing how your readers shape the truth to fit an ideology, but they are only following their leaders. Reminds me of Joe Stalin and his lackeys. And two, the NYT publishing an article critical of another lying Democrat. Did this one slip through the censors; or do you finally realize the readership you are losing?
12
No, because if you would take off your ideological blinders for a moment, you would realize that the New York Times pursues newsworthy stories whether they involve Democrats or Republicans.
Indeed, many liberals chided their fawning coverage of Clinton and Trump, and their marginalizing of Sanders.
They also, thanks to Judith Miller, helped give us Bush's Iraq War.
But, at least, unlike Fox Fake News, they try to uphold journalistic standards rather merely being a mouthpiece for far rightwing ideologues and ideologies.
11
@Steve Carlton Fawning coverage of Clinton. Are you kidding. This is the newspaper that treated Clinton Cash, a film the director even acknowledged was fake propaganda, as fact, and promoted it. Lied about the Trump campaign being under investigation, didn't vet Donald Trump's mob connections, and had Clinton and Email on the front page daily, pushed the Clinton Foundation as a Scandal, when the real one was the Trump Foundation where that reporter won a Pulitzer. Not one article over 6 months on policy. They have hated the Clintons back to when Bill was president. So spare me the Clinton lovefest from this paper.
3
Really, 10 paragraphs on whether her stepdad paid an electric bill? Not quite to the stature of "but her emails " in the last election. I expect better from the NYT.
106
Sometimes it feels like the NY Times believes its job is to feed the GOP more Trumped up hyperbole (pun intended) to fuel their destructive fire. Why? Are you looking to keep the country’s soul locked up for another term? Stop digging for dirt on Democrats and focus on the real issues, please! You have a moral obligation to right the wrongs the media has created by giving way too much real estate to this kind of minutiae and missing the point entirely. Between this article and your entirely irresponsible reporting about a conversation Rod Rosenstein may have had as he watched our so-called president go off the rails (again), you are doing a fine job of hurting this country for the long haul. And I am quite seriously considering ending my subscription to what was once a smart, fair minded newspaper.
49
It is apparently true that she grew up in poverty, that the family lived in the gas station. The only question is if there was electricity and running water? What a non-story. Many politicians move to the right or left as they need voters from a larger constituency. How about Kirsten Gillibrand whose position on gun rights has changed from the time she was in the House to where she stand currently?
59
Was this article intended to smear Ms. Sinema? To question her honesty for being a child in a difficult living situation and not remembering what bills her parents paid? Amazing. She has a background to be extremely proud of and she is one of the hardest working people in congress. She works across the aisle, something everyone says they want, but she actually does it as she believes consensus is important. Her public service record is second to none. Principled, tireless, smart and dedicated, it seems to me that she's the perfect choice to fill Jeff Flakes seat in the Senate. With all the reports about mr. Kavanaugh, and so many other important issues, I wonder what, or who, Mr. Martin was influenced by to write this story.
102
@zizzi
Maybe, just maybe, the NYT is trying to show a wee bit of balance?
13
@zizzi--It sounds like Ms. Sinema does more than work across the aisle. It sounds like she's actually moved across the aisle. Calling herself a Democrat does not make her one. I'd like to know what positions she holds that would be recognized as being in agreement with the Democratic Party.
9
@zizzi-It sounds like Ms. Sinema does more than work across the aisle. It sounds like she's actually moved across the aisle. Calling herself a Democrat does not make her one. I'd like to know what positions she holds that would be recognized as being in agreement with the Democratic Party.
Since she was a child when she was living in the gas station, it is not surprising that the specifics of the situation are not extremely clear. However, it is clear that in America (and other parts of the world) housing is becoming a luxury rather than a guarantee. She lived through a childhood when the money coming in could not cover all the bills. She may have had times without electricity or not... Who knows. All we can do is hope that if she is elected she remembers what it was like to struggle and works to ensure all people have what they need to survive.
77
Many people grow up in difficult circumstances and succeed, often using early life’s struggles as their motivation. However there’s a big difference in living in an albeit unusual home with parents living paycheck to paycheck and living on the street, in a cardboard box or a tent. No need to embellish. What else is she lying about?
18
The reporter calls Sinema's relationship with truth into question, connecting her political evolution (maturation?) with her accounts of her childhood. Her stepfather is cited for saying that the family could not pay utility bills. Isn't is entirely possible that for periods of time they didn't? Sometimes it feels like reporters see politics as a blood sport. Someone does well in the polls so it is time to exert journalistic power to level the playing field. Well, this reporter has power in this very critical senate race. Your subscribers would ask that as in all sports, you play fair.
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@Ann W. S. Sorry. She is lying and should be called on it.
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@JPE
I'm sorry you feel that way. She is not lying. she was my representative for six years in Phoenix and the story of her life was published in the Arizona Republic and nothing led to anyone challenging her credibility. She lived what she lived. You didn't.
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I suppose this is a relevant story but it does seem like an extreme case of hair-splitting.
She may have criticized Paul Ryan for his marathon time--but perhaps this was to point out that he is a liar. He is an adult, and this is a quantitative fact which is recorded, and which an adult can verify.
She is speaking of her conditions in childhood. She's not lying about her fundamental situation in childhood. She lived in the gas station. This is clearly not a fancy place. There are documents revealing the family's want. It's not hard to imagine why she remembers no running water and electricity if the family could not pay their bills. My elderly next door neighbor in Ohio had no running water or electricity for years. It shocked me since the houses in that neighborhood seemed perfectly fine. Electricity was possible, but she could not pay her bills so lived without it. You can flush the sewage down the toilet by dumping water from elsewhere into it. This is what my neighbor apparently did, as she had no outhouse.
Childhood memories can be fuzzy or incomplete. Relating more complex facts in more blanket ways is common, and does not make a person a liar. The fundamental truth that she is telling that she grew up in poverty appears to be well-documented. Her point in telling the story is likely to demonstrate the level of poverty that is possible in this wealthy nation. I question why this non-issue is receiving this extensive coverage in the Times.
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@Ray Vinmad Yeah. And Kavanugh didn't assault any women. they are all liars.
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@Ray
Thank You. This is indeed a curious smear considering Sinema has the best chance of winning. I live in Sedona AZ and we like Kyrsten a lot. She is smart, savvy and understands western politics far better than one Jonathan Martin. One does not turn a red-state blue, oe even purple in a day. You work at it, Cinema is doing it and not talking to Wall Street about it like Chuck.
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@Ray Vinmad I thank the Times for revealing that this candidate is dishonest. She didn't make a few honest errors. She lied her head off and when confronted with the truth tried to weasel out of the situation.
She's a member of Congress. The fewer dishonest politicians we have in office, the better.
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