One more 'Blabbeando' shout out from "Pura Politica" on NY1

Bear with me a little bit.  I know this might come out seeming as self-serving as the last time I mentioned something like this but this just tickles my bones.

Last week I shared a translated clip from the weekly political Spanish-language show "Pura Política" which airs Friday nights at 6pm on Time Warner Cable's NY1 Noticias. In it,  New York State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr., who we have criticized profusely on this blog due to his homophobia, gave props to this very blog.

Well, I'd saved the show on DVR and decided to finish watching it today. Little did I know that the show's host, Juan Manuel Benitez, followed up the Reverend's comments by doing a small segment explaining this blog to the show's viewers (click on the clip above).

I know more than a few people have expressed dismay to me that I posted the Senator's comments last week telling me I had fallen hook, line and sinker for a strategy to paint himself more moderate and friendly. As I said then, I don't think there is any love lost on either side, even though I also think the Senator was being sincere.  It was just an acknowledgment of civility.

Something I didn't mention last week is that I did find his comments to the effect that I loved "Pura Politica" or, more specifically, Juan Manuel Benitez, to verge on a homophobic dig at the show's host. The Senator, of course, knows exactly what this blog is about, and obviously takes pleasure in telling Benitez that I like him.

Never met the guy before (actually maybe once when he was covering some event and I was there shooting a few pictures) but I insist he runs one of the best political television political shows in the New York City metropolitan area for the same exact reasons that the Senator says he reads this blog: Benitez is impartial and lets guests like the Senator dig their own holes.

I also wanted to point out the following: Benitez thanks this blog for not only covering the show but also taking the time to translate those segments that might be relevant to readers of the blog. He says that it helps the show to reach people who might not otherwise watch "Pura Politica".

I wish other media sources would take note of that. Others would ask for this type of content to be taken down. Instead, Benitez recognizes that the type of coverage I give the show increases the opportunity for people to find out about the show.  I thank him for his words about this blog and I thank him for recognizing just that.