Crain's Insider Mash-Up: March 7, 2013 - Rather Unusual City Council Endorsement by Chris Bragg

Richard Stallman, who is widely known in the tech world as the dean of the "free software movement," made his first-ever political endorsement, backing Manhattan council candidate Benjamin Kallos. In a statement, Mr. Stallman also took a shot at the competition ... "Kallos's opponents don't impress me, and in particular they show no commitment to freedom in technology," he said. Mr. Stallman said that he was supporting Mr. Kallos, an attorney, in part because he supports a free tax credit for developing free software. Mr. Stallman, a native New Yorker living in Cambridge, Mass., continued in a statement: "I did find one major issue of disagreement: he gives support to Israel's defense without denouncing the occupation of Palestine. However, since the New York City Council has no authority over US foreign policy, I can overlook that disagreement in this race." Mr. Kallos and several others are running for Councilman Jessica Lappin's Upper East Side seat.