IT’S CHRIS-MAS! Christine Quinn stumps yesterday, while her campaign e-mailed (left) her young interns, urging them to cut the first two days of school for the mayoral primary. (
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Christine Quinn’s mayoral campaign is encouraging her interns to skip the first days of school so they’ll be available for the critical get-out-the-vote drive before the Democratic primary, The Post has learned.
In an e-mail blast to all the campaign’s summer volunteers, Quinn staffer Ross Adair said he was “pretty sure” that teachers wouldn’t mind if their students miss class on primary day, Tuesday, Sept. 10, “or even Monday and Tuesday” — a reference to the day before the primary.
“Thinking about election day: ALL INTERNS WHO PARTICIPATE IN ELECTION DAY WILL RECEIVE BOTH A LETTER EXCUSING THEM FROM CLASS IN ADDITION TO A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CAMPAIGN AND CHRIS,” Adair wrote, adding the capital letters for emphasis.
He told the high school- and college-age workers that the rewards of working for Quinn would be paid back big-time when they move on to careers.
“If you want me to be real for a second, a letter coming from the next mayor of New York City saying that you helped her on election day is something you can definitely put on your resume or application, and I’m pretty sure your teacher will be ok with you missing Tuesday, or even Monday and Tuesday,” he wrote.
The e-mail was sent to all of Quinn’s past and present interns.
Campaign spokesman Mike Morey said the excused-absence offer was par for the course in all political campaigns.
“We have thousands of students who have been working hard all summer long to help elect Chris Quinn mayor of New York. If their professors are willing to give them an excused absence to work on a political campaign on Election Day, we will certainly provide a note to their teachers to prove they did work that day,” he said.
“We can’t think of anything better for a student to do on Election Day than get some hands-on experience in a major political campaign,” he added.
But the e-mail made no mention of the interns asking their instructors for permission in advance.
Additional reporting by Beth DeFalco and Yoav Gonen