The New York Connection

Bloomberg Sings My Way

2005-10-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

There's an interesting article in the Times about Bloomberg's management style. I've heard a lot about this from various people. This article does a nice job of giving you a bit of insight into who this guy is and what he thinks about politics. While he is considered a 'liberal' by his friends, he's more just a rich guy who is personally generous and trusts his instincts unerringly.

Like a lot of billionaires, Bloomberg basically thinks that politics is dirty, and it frustrates him that there are so many conflicting interests. As an officeholder, he shows that this irritation dictates his management style. His money gives him freedom, true, but it also deprives him of essential pressure that allows a Mayor to do a good job.

One city councilman, Charles Barron, learned that when he tried to negotiate with the mayor over the 2003 budget and argued that the mayor should reverse plans to reduce the number of city firehouses.

Mr. Bloomberg, frustrated by the haggling, shouted angrily that he did not care, using colorful language, "if you vote for my budget or not," Mr. Barron recalled in an interview. "I think he has a real thin veil once you push his button. Remember, he's a C.E.O. used to having his way."

Mr. Bloomberg said that he remembered the conversation differently but that he had found the negotiation process in politics much different from that of the business world. "In business, not with everybody but generally, the objective is to get something done that you're talking about," he said. "Here it's more horse trading. The issues tend to be, 'I'll vote for this if you give me something that's totally unrelated.' The discussion is not about the merits of the particular subject."

"It disappointed me," he said.

I can just hear it now - we should run government like a business. The thing is, government is not a business. Businesses are supposed to make money, governments are to supposed to protect and promote the public. That means dealing with the public, with all its guts and glory, and not sticking to only what's on your mind.

Yet the mayor has been forced to adapt. During the battle over the stadium, the administration offered Sheldon Silver, the speaker of the State Assembly, a huge array of goodies for his district - a new school, new parks, new tax incentives for businesses in his area - in a failed bid to get support for the plan.

And his critics tend to object to his claims of being apolitical, noting, for instance, his new, election-year opposition to a freight tunnel that is woefully unpopular in a politically important area of Maspeth, Queens. He had previously called its financing "a priority."

Let me just say that I agree with the mayor's critics. It's not apolitical. It is however incompetent politics.

Still, even now the mayor sees himself as something of a stranger to the political scene.

"Keep in mind, I'm not the average officeholder at the mayoral level or any other level," Mr. Bloomberg said during the interview. "I'm not beholden to anybody; I didn't take any money. I had a freedom, I think, to go and to do things my way."

Thank God Bloomberg doesn't have to listen to the people and can do whatever he wants. Ok, that last bit is a little nasty, but really, the point is that absolute freedom for an elected official is only good for people who have perfect instincts and don't need to listen to other people. And no one has perfect instincts.

M-Lo Schizo

2005-10-13T15:03:00.000-07:00

Craziest day. I found these little pieces of paper that somehow didn't go down the memory hole.

Curious.

NY1 Reporter (Juan Manuel Benítez): And has it ever occurred to you to cross party lines, perhaps to back Mayor Bloomberg politically, a person with whom you have a good relationship?

Margarita López: I have an excellent relationship with Mayor Bloomberg, but I am a Democrat and a progressive. I cannot support a Republican with positions that stand against the interests of the people that I represent, the minority communities, the Gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Bisexual community. The Republican agenda stands against the issues that I understand must be represented in this city, which is the reason that I am a Democrat and I am a progressive.
[NY1 Noticias/Pura Política, Broadcast on 6.17.05]

***

...ever since, gay marriage supporters have blasted Bloomberg's actions from City Hall to the Internet as politically expedient... The same Bloomberg who had won office by convincing voters he was an independent-minded entrepreneur was suddenly attempting to save his hide with a blatant campaign maneuver. "The mayor has sent a message to the city that he is a political person--not just a businessperson--and can take positions with double meaning," says City Councilmember Margarita Lopez, a lesbian from Manhattan.
[Village Voice, 2/22/05]

***

Gay and lesbian advocates have been pushing Bloomberg to back gay marriage. Councilwoman Margarita Lopez (D-Manhattan), who is gay, said she plans to ask Bloomberg to perform a marriage ceremony for her and her long-time partner. "That would be a good test for him, to come out of the closet on gay marriages," she said.
[Newsday, 7/2/03]

***

Twenty black and Latino legislators yesterday denounced Mayor Bloomberg's plan for nonpartisan elections, saying it will hurt minority voters."Let's get clear and let's get real here. Nonpartisan elections is simply about destroying the democratic process of this city," said Councilwoman Margarita Lopez (D-Manhattan).
[NYP, 10/29/03]

***

Mayor Bloomberg fired three members of his Panel for Educational Policy last night - ramming through his plan to hold back failing third-graders this year. The power play caused a firestorm of complaint that Bloomberg ... had orchestrated a coup worthy of a Third World nation…The firings were announced by Schools Chancellor Joel Klein... as Klein started to announce what he called the "resignations," City Councilwoman Margarita Lopez stood and shouted, "They did not resign - they were removed!"
[Daily News, 3/16/04]

***

Just hours after United States and British forces began military strikes in Afghanistan, several thousand people attended a peace rally yesterday in Union Square Park and marched to Times Square, singing antiwar protest songs and carrying candles and banners announcing their opposition to military action….Margarita Lopez, a city councilwoman from the Lower East Side, shouted into the microphone: "Not in my name, not in the name of New York City, not in the name of my district, you're not going to kill anyone in Afghanistan, Pakistan, or anyone in the Middle East."
[New York Times, 10/8/01]

***

Bloomberg Told Bush All New Yorkers Were Behind The President on Iraq War. According to an article published in Newsday, “Bloomberg said he told President George W. Bush that ‘all New Yorkers are behind the president’ in his decision to go to war with Iraq.” [Newsday, 3/20/03]

***

Her capacity for double-think is Bloombergian.

Margarita Lopez endorses Mike Bloomberg’s refusal to perform her own marriage ceremony. Awesome. She throws her "progressive" political career away to endorse an oligarch's effort to “destroy the democratic process of this city.” Sweet.

Maybe she had a change of heart on the Iraq war. Big fan now.

Whatever the reason, she's dead to me. Dead to Democrats. Done.

Get back to your log cabin, Ellner, you sell-out

2005-10-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

Democrats! The reason Howard Dean keeps coming to New York City for Freddy Ferrer is because local races are an important venue for promoting progressive ideas, building an effective network of Democratic electeds at all levels of government and battling George Bush's agenda at a level where we can win.

We thought that Brian Ellner understood that, by running his somewhat absurd ad asserting that he was running for Borough President to challenge George W.

Turns out Brian didn't get it. Either that, or he's just a fraud and a traitor. Because he's now working for Mayor Money...no doubt because he's getting his piece of the pie.

And in doing so, selling out the Democratic Party he pretended to be fighting for. And selling out the the gay community, which has not been served by a Mayor who has blocked gay marriage, blocked benefits for same sex partners, and just keeps buying approval across the city.

Congratulations, Mr. Ellner. Mayor Money is buying you a nice big Log Cabin. You win. We lose.

Also, bar Barowitz from the Party

2005-10-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

Jordan Barowitz worked on the Democratic coordinated campaign in 2000. Then he went to work for Bloomberg -- both in government and, now, on the political side.

He may think that he'll hop back to a Democratic campaign someday...but Dems should never allow it. He's not just working for a Republican (face it - many are), but he's spreading Rove's talking points and loving it.

In today's news: accusing Ferrer of inaccuracies and exaggerations, Barowitz asks, "What next? The Internet?" -- a clear reference to the GOP-driven smear campaign to make Gore out to be a liar in 2000.

Here's the truth: Gore never said he invented the Internet. That was rightwing spin that mainstream swallowed.

What Gore did claim was an instrumental role in supporting the creation of the pre-Internet networks from his role in the Senate -- a statement that is true and verified by the men and woman most often credited with pioneering Internet technology.

Gore had spoken the truth...and should be remembered and commended for investing in the technology (yes, government investment in infrastructure we all now use every day). Instead, he's falsely remembered due to a vicious, duplicitous campaign.

...that Jordan Barowitz is now quoting.

If Mayor's Money Merry Men want to quote Rove -- they are also using the "flip-flop" line which Rove created to convince the world that W's narrow-minded stubbornness was strength while Kerry's engagement in dialogue, nuance and problem-solving was weakness -- let them.

But don't let them back into the fold.

Find out who started calling Freddy a "flip-flopper." They are out.
And anyone who resurrects the internet line to deride it is out for good. Don't worry about them, Rove will give them a job...if he's not in jail.

"Didn't have time to prepare"

2005-10-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

Mayor Money shouldn't have started giving excuses. If he wants to skip the Apollo debate, he should have just skipped it, and stuck with his initial response: "I'm participating in two debates at the end of the month."

Instead, he felt the pressure...and rather than say what he was thinking -- "I'm the frontrunner and don't want to justify these other guys more than I have to" -- he started making excuses. And when excuses are false, they just sound dumb.

"The Mayor had to take time off for the Jewish holiday and therefore didn't have time to prepare," his staff was saying by yesterday afternoon.

First of all, you've been Mayor for 3 and a half years -- why do you need to prepare? Unless your recent Caribbean trip has tanned your memory of your Mayoralty out of your mind, you should be pretty fresh on your achievements and your vision.

This is amateur ball.

Second, Mayor Money is Jewish just as he's a "Democrat." He may have been raised that way, but he's not practicing what he's been preached. He's entitled to his religion, but he just wears the label when he needs to...and I doubt he spent a day in deep and personal meditation. If he was busy making the rounds of every denomination of voter, that's fine...that's "politics" and it's expected...but don't pretend it was "time off" for the holiday. That's just obnoxious.

Bloomberg's Lie to Me Finally Gets Noticed

2005-10-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

It shouldn't come to anyone's surprise that a George W. Bush sycophant like Mike Bloomberg would lie. It only took three months of prodding to get noticed by the Democrats.

Freddy's Public School/Private School flap last week apparently spurred the Ferrer camp to not just factcheck their own site and fire the staffer who had been writing Freddy's diary, but also got them to do a little Oppo at Mike's place.

Where they found Mike's lie to me.

Fred from Manhattan: How do you plan to get the homeless of this City permanent and secure places to live?
Mike Answers: We're already bringing down the overall number of homeless New Yorker [sic]; that's why we were able to close the biggest family shelter in New York...

Gifford Miller shot back...today: “When Bloomberg can’t confuse New Yorkers with millions in television ads, he’s willing to downright lie about his record. In the ‘Ask Mike’ section of his website, which Bloomberg said he personally oversees and approves, he writes that he is already bringing down the overall number of homeless New Yorkers."

Fact: Under his four years as mayor, homelessness has skyrocketed a staggering 26%! And he knows it.

The man closed the largest homeless shelter in the city during a spike in homelessness. Ouch. Perhaps when he says he's "finally addressing homelessness at its roots," he's saying - homelessness is a reality, and to change homelessness, we need to change reality.

Typical Republican problem solving.

Tone Deaf Much, Schumer?

2005-09-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

From Antiwar.com, on Schumer meeting (or rather, NOT meeting) with Cindy Sheehan.

UPDATE: According to my sources, the meeting with Schumer did not go well, to begin with, because he refused to meet with her, and instead sent an aide. She asked the aide if Senator Schumer would help in the effort to bring this war to an end, and the aide replied that: "Senator Schumer thinks this war is good for America." According to the source, Sheehan walked out, remarking "Wel, I guess this means Schumer thinks my son's death was good for America." Or words to that effect.

But guess who he does listen to?

Yesterday Charles Schumer and Dick Durbin attended a fundraiser for the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee. Schumer seemed to be in command...

[Schumer] indicated that conservative Senators including Coburn believe Roberts will uphold Roe v. Wade. He seemed inclined to vote for Roberts and to present an image of "reasonableness" though he said he is still undecided. The momentum seemed to be in favor keeping the powder dry for the "O'Connor" replacement. Schumer polled the room and the overwhelming majority supported voting for Roberts as a way of keeping our powder dry.

Gosh. But surely he must not be suggesting we follow the disastrous strategy of 2002 and 2004, ignoring the war in Iraq in favor of health care and education, right?

Schumer said that early next year the Dems will put out an agenda returning the focus to Bread and Butter issues... Education and Healthcare seem to be paramount.

Yay! A troika of dumbosity!

Republicans Are for Opposing - No, Really

2005-09-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

A month ago, The Times ran an article about Hillary Clinton strategist Howard Wolfson’s radical call to arms entitled "One Democrat Draws a Line: Republicans Are for Opposing."

Well, duh. Right? No. Sadly, the lesson needs to be reiterated in New York City where many New Yorkers who would like to consider themselves Democrats nevertheless support Mike Bloomberg for Mayor.

First it should be stated that if Wolfson means what he said, he should get his boss Senator Clinton to endorse Freddy Ferrer… or, better, have President Clinton go shaking hands in Harlem with Ferrer. Why? Because while I may not be a Ferrer supporter, I am a good Democrat. Are the Clintons good Democrats? Shelve that discussion for later.

Look, primaries are rough, but New York primaries contain the especially pernicious possibility of a run-off – a dream come true for any incumbent. It’s like getting the two wounded dolts who just barely survive a circular firing squad to face each other and joust to the death.

And then the winner of that matchup gets to take on a bottomless campaign war-chest.

Lately in New York elections, run-offs have been all too common. In a city with many ambitious politicians, vacancies for elected office have always brought out more than enough candidates. Racial, ethnic and religious tensions have been inflamed in many of the contests. In short, they’re a mess.

I don't like him, but I believe Ferrer has the best chance to beat Bloomberg because Bloomberg will be beaten by someone who can draw out Mayor Mike’s major weakness: that he’s out of touch with outer-Borough New York life. To those who have tried to explain the sanctity of voting one’s conscience, I say: There’s no god, fight Republicans.

Party discipline is paramount when your party is out of power. When affiliated voters vote, they are participating in the election with a partisanship above that of independent voters. You enter an election as a member of a party to win the election.

Is that Howard Wolfson and me pushing the envelope or is it common sense?

And for those of us who would like to take back the reins of the party and rebuild a new model of political participation, Wolfson says it well:

"Democratic donors at all levels, I think, understand the importance of party and institution building, and I know that we need to do a better job in these areas to compete with Republicans.

But I would hope that our friends understand that this applies here in New York City as much as it does anywhere else in the country."

Do our friends understand?

Dumbass Schumer

2005-08-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

This is an audio recording of Senator Chuck Schumer talking about pushing Democrats out of various primaries, including Casey in Pennsylvania.

(via Mark Crispin Miller)

My sources tell me that Casey is running a horrible campaign, that Casey doesn't know where he stands on 'Federal issues', and that he doesn't want to attack Santorum for fear of being forced to come out with what he stands for.

Great. Get a guy to run for Senator who doesn't want to be a Senator. That'll do it, Chuck.

Let Nature Take Its Course

2005-07-06T23:41:00.000-07:00

This morning's New York Times reminds us our neighborhoods need help. And that the Bloomberg Administration is unbearably out of touch with many of the city's neighborhoods most in need.

A Times reporter followed up on the "Report Card on Parks" which gave failing grades to many NYC Parks. He found crack-smoking prostitutes, drugs dealers, piles of trash and 13 year old homeless encampments.

And Bloomberg Administration's response?

"Let nature take its course," Adrian Benepe said. "Trees are growing, insects are buzzing, oxygen is being produced, and there's nothing wrong with that."
No. It is not the job of 'Nature taking its course' to maintain the City's parks - it is the job of Government, specifically the Parks Department.

What did he say about that? "Just because something is in our inventory doesn't mean it's worth taking care of."

Surrendering parts of our neediest neighborhoods to Drug Dealers, Prostitutes, Violent Crime and Crack is NOT acceptable.

Um. Actual advocates for Parks (not apologists for irresponsible Republican administrations) believe that with better funding and better management, broken things can be fixed.

The man gets paid $162,800 a year to do the opposite of his job.

Read the whole article.

West Side Stadium: Dead or a Zombie?

2005-06-14T06:43:00.000-07:00

I heard that the owner of the Mets is thinking of raising the funding the West Side stadium on his own, and that though there are substantial legal obstacles, they aren't insurmountable.

Weird.

Getting Things Done in NYC

2005-06-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

A lot of people are starting to say that we have a culture of inertia, and nothing can get built. I even hear cries like 'We need another Robert Moses'. But there's actually a pretty good roadmap to development, it just isn't a top-down roadmap. Those days are over for two reasons. It's a lot easier to build consensus around a project if you take a sensitive to neighbors approach, and it's a lot harder to build consensus for a project if you don't. You just can't hide the protests and costs, like Moses did by befrieding the publishers of the Times and using that relationship to suppress stories.

The Neighborhood Retail Alliance offers a sense of the new model of getting things done:

The Alliance is in a good position to comment on this issue because we have been involved in derailing more projects than anyone else over the course of twenty years. From our vantage point one thing is clear: where broad-based community support for development is present projects have a good chance of success. In addition, where local stakeholders are given a real piece of the action, generating a successful opposition will be especially difficult.

The best example of this is the building of a Pathmark supermarket in East Harlem. The primary reason for the success was the central role played by the Abyssinian Development Corporation. Abyssinian, as the developer, gave the project a powerful local stakeholder and by doing so enabled proponents to overcome some powerful arguments (related to questionable subsidies), of the independent Hispanic supermarket owners in the area (also helpful was Councilman Guillermo Linares’s betrayal of his fellow Dominicans).

Pathmark played this model successfully a few years later when it co-ventured with the Mid-Bronx Desperados (MDB) on the New Horizons shopping center in Crotona. Giving locals a real stake, then, helps create a tangible support and momentum for development.

We can see some of these same elements in the Ratner plan for Atlantic Yards (we are, admittedly, far from unbiased here). With ACORN and BUILD as stakeholders it has been tough for opponents to get real good traction even with the sticky issue of eminent domain.

All of which brings us to the West Side and the Bronx Terminal Market. The top-down, full speed ahead, we know what’s good for you approach created local enemies and gives ammunition to opponents. The lack of transparency and the presence of cronyism and public subsidies only exacerbate the situation.

So proponents of development need to cultivate local stakeholders and develop a genuine public interest rationale that resonates with local constituencies as well as wider publics. Failing to do this, more than any anti-development climate, is what often dooms the grandiose plans of deputy mayors and developers.

Democrats forgive so easily

2005-06-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

There are many New York Democrats who are ready and willing to vote for Bloomberg. Up to this point, their concern with the stadium has been one of their main reservations...one of the few topics that generated real discussion around the Mayoral election.

And now that Shelly Silver has sunk the stadium, we're amazed at what we're hearing: Democrats saying that without the stadium it's now even easier to vote for Bloomberg.

What are they thinking?

Bloomberg may be losing the stadium battle, but it doesn't change the autocratic style with which he negotiated this process. It doesn't change the corporate cronyism he tried to extend to his friends at the Jets. It doesn't change the dismissiveness with which he treated the concerns of the public.

But as long as the Stadium gets stopped by the happy power consolidation of Albany once cutting our way, are we really willing to forgive the entire process that brought us to this point?

Because his cronyism and dismissiveness won't disappear with his stadium dreams. And with Mayor Bloomberg, this type of absurdity will happen again.

What He Said

2005-06-06T13:13:00.000-07:00

Slantpoint is right. He deserved mention.

Stadium Smacked Down

2005-06-06T12:30:00.000-07:00

I just heard from a friend that Shelley Silver said no. And since he's on a three person panel that requires unanimity, he gets to take his ball and go home.

Wow. Cool.

Eh, I'm Voting for Mike

2005-06-06T06:45:00.000-07:00

I talked to several yuppies at a party this weekend - Bush-hating, blog consuming, hyperpolitical yuppies who hate the stadium deal.... and they're going to vote for Bloomberg. I brought up the points. He raised money for Republicans? Eh, so what, he's not really a Republican. He's an autocrat. Eh, at least he's doing something for the schools. You're weakening the Democratic Party. Eh, I hate the local Democratic Party. I especially hate Miller and Fields. Ferrer is ok I guess.

And that's the level of debate, even though the local retailers that make the city great are going to be threatened by the Bloomberg agenda. Top-down management approaches, while nice when the folks are competent (which Bloomberg surely is), simply destroy neighborhoods. No matter how smart you are, you can't work for the city unless you are from the city and know the city and buy street hot dogs and get mad when the price of ice cream cones with chocolate dip goes up to $3. Ok, I'm rambling, and I'm hungry.

It's a blog, mmkay?

La la land NYC Mayoral Race

2005-06-06T06:37:00.000-07:00

What to do with the budget surplus? How about recognize the property bubble and save it for when the city has a massive deficit in a few years?

Nah, that's crazy liberal talk.

No Rush on the Stadium

2005-06-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

For anyone who is ready to bang down Shelly Silver's door for stalling the Stadium question, here is a brilliant round-up of the ever-changing "absolutely positively drop-dead final deadlines" the pro-Stadium monomaniacs keep pushing...courtesy of our friends at The Politicker.

Same Old Polls

2005-05-27T06:33:00.000-07:00

Via Political Wire:

In the Democratic New York City mayoral primary race -- 16 weeks before the vote -- Fernando Ferrer leads C. Virginia Fields, according to a new SurveyUSA poll. Ferrer gets 30%, Fields 23% with Gifford Miller in third place with 12% and Anthony Weiner fourth with 10%.

When you look at the specifics of the poll, you see that the whites are split, blacks flow to Fields, Hispanics to Ferrer, and Miller and Weiner have no clear base. It is interesting that Weiner draws a much less diverse group of supporters than Miller; it's probably because he's delivered fewer pothole fixes.

Overall, this is not great news. What I see in these numbers is that whites are mostly not paying attention, enough of them having decided to give their support to Bloomberg. Actually it's not so much that people are going to vote for Bloomberg, but that there's no conversation around who they can choose from.

No candidate has set the room on fire. Like that's news.

Media Whore Schumer Caves

2005-05-24T14:15:00.000-07:00

Chuck Schumer voted to end debate and send Priscilla Owens to the floor of the Senate.

Go fuck yourself, Senator Media Whore.

NYC's Foreign Policy

2005-05-24T07:18:00.000-07:00

The Lion and the Donkey, the awesome blog by Columbia University Democrats, points to anger on the part of both Jews and Muslims at Laura Bush on her trip to Israel.

Those Bushes, they forge alliances wherever they go.

Uniters, not dividers.

Nuclear Deal

2005-05-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

This deal is horrifying. Frist and Bush got most of what they wanted, and it's been admitted that the nuclear option is constitutional. And the Republicans reserve the right to use the nuclear option whenever they want.

Dems lose again.

UPDATE: Bottom line from a Redstate commenter:

"This might (probably) close the door on Saad and Myers (the smearing of them is disgusting), but as those 2 are thrown to the wolves in this deal, let's not lose sight of getting 5 constructionalist appellate judges through and paves the way for Associate Justice Brown (she can't be 'extraordinary' anymore)."

The Problem with Billionaire Mayorality

2005-05-23T16:08:00.000-07:00

Look, I'm not one to say that Mike Bloomberg is acting immorally when he gives hundreds of millions of his money to groups that help him politically. It might actually surprise you to hear that I think he's a philanthropist who feels he's doing the right thing for the city, and that by and large, the charities he gives to would in many cases get the money regardless of whether he were mayor. I think Bloomberg is a principled guy.

But that's not really the point. He may be principled, or he may not be, but he certainly is unaccountable. When your personal wealth can in the short-term make up for city budget cuts, that's a problem because the long-term effects of what you're doing are masked. Private property is critical for our democracy precisely because it insulates individuals from political pressure, and requires them to take responsibility for the services that they want. What Bloomberg is doing is part of the whole Republican saga of taking more and more power for a smaller and smaller group of people.

He may or may not be a reasonable guy. And he may be a good listener, though I have my doubts. The point though is that the system is no longer forcing him to be either a reasonable guy or a good listener. He no longer must behave as if he must be responsive to the city's constituents. He may choose to anyway, but that's his choice, and whether a mayor works in the best interest of the city should not be up to the mayor's private whims simply because that person has amassed a large personal forture.

Absolute Power in New York City... Nothing to See Here

2005-05-23T16:05:00.000-07:00

Lovely.

All incumbents dispense favors. But Mr. Bloomberg's personal wealth has made him a modern-day Medici - a role that, some critics say, can also stifle dissent from institutions that have quietly absorbed city budget cuts because they worry that what the mayor gives he can also stop giving.

"It's an unusual picture: a mayor whose generosity we sincerely appreciate as a person, countered by cuts," said Tom Finkelpearl, executive director of the Queens Museum of Art, which received $100,000 last year through Mr. Bloomberg's ostensibly anonymous gift to the Carnegie Corporation of New York. "There's no question there's a different dynamic."

The Diabolical Charm Factor

2005-05-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

Bill Weld is a funny guy. He tells good stories. Remembers names. The man doesn’t blink when listening to morons blather at cocktail parties. He’ll touch your arm, laugh at your jokes, hold your door. In short, he’s a good flirt. He’s actually a super-charming, personable “nice guy.” He had to use these talents to work with heavily Democratic Beacon Hill.

Edward Cox is by all accounts as great a guy. He’s one of those multi-national oil industry corporate lawyers who volunteers with enough charitable institutions so that buried under the feel-good extracurriculars, his actual occupation gets short shrift in his bio. He is Chair of the New York State Council of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and is a member of the executive committees of the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and the National Stroke Association. And then, squeezed into the last paragraph, one learns he also just happens to sell Middle East oil and buy Argentina’s oil fields.

In a perfect world a politician’s charm should be in direct proportion to their level of empathy for the least among us. Instead, these nice guys are Republicans and it’s diabolical.

Gandhi would have been as lovable as Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant’s love child sprinkled with the coolness of Brad Pitt. And conversely, Josef Stalin would have looked like one of the Hutts. Only an enormous drooling slug could have instituted the pogroms, Siberian death camps and genocides that killed 20 million Russians over a 30 year reign of terror.

No doubt they’re nice. If these really sweet, charming people get into office they’ll receive talking points and get brow beaten into backing policies dreamed up by men who should look like deformed monsters.

When Bloomberg Fails, You Are Governed by Donald Trump

2005-05-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

From Steve Gilliard:

There's always the temptation to write Donald Trump off as an asclown with a big mouth.

But that would be wrong. I have never been much of a Trump fan, but he can capture the zeitsgeist of the city. When he ranted about he wronglyfully convicted Central Park Jogger attackers, he was representing a lot of the city. While his record on race is nothing to brag about, Trump may be on to something besides his ego here.

Mayor Bloomberg has invested almost no effort in the WTC reconstruction. Almost all of his energies have been directed towards the West Side and the boondoggle called a stadium. The governor has been more interested in running for President than getting his major project off the ground. And make no mistake, his governorship will be judged by the WTC reconstruction. His weak, almost invisible, leadership has caused the project to stall. And Bloomberg's almost spiteful disinterest hasn't helped matters much either.

Trump is stepping in because there is no real leadership. As Michael Goodwin in this Sunday's Daily News said it "we need a Robert Moses." Well, we don't need an out of touch autocrat, who hated blacks and the city, but we need a strong leader who will make this a primary focus of his administration. It is simply outrageous that Bloomberg can talk about a stadium, two if you count the Atlantic Avenue Nets project, while there is a massive hole where two of the world's largest buildings use to be. Talk of anything else is offensive and irritating.

But Bloomberg wants the Olympics, a legal nightmare waiting to happen, and seems to pay only lip service to Ground Zero and the buildings there.

One thing Trump is right about, no one likes the new design. They don't hate it, but it's just there, chosen by politicians and left to flounder.

So in steps Trump, not so much to push a design or get PR, but to force movement. Which, sad to say, is needed. The Twin Towers got more attention in the last few days than the last six months.

Oxymoron

2005-05-18T13:05:00.000-07:00

I recently overheard that members of the gay community may start "Gays Against Weiner."

I mean, with a name like Anthony's, we can occasionally be juvenile, right?

I don't get it

2005-05-17T14:53:00.000-07:00

How can Democrats in New York whine about George Bush... wine about how he is EVIL... wine about how he "lied about the war"... or "stole the election"... and then go merrily like lemmings to vote for Mike Bloomberg?

Listening is cheap

2005-05-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

From The Jaker:

The NY Daily News reports that Mayor Bloomberg has already spent $10m on his re-election campaign, "including $267 on tropical fish, $210 for Mets tickets and $255 on a nifty clock that counts down to Election Day".

As I said before, I think there's something wrong with a candidate spending so much of his own money to get elected ($73m in 2001, a record outside of Presidential elections). It has the feel of subverting the will of the people for personal gain, believing that you know better than the people. And I think Bloomberg is clearly in that territory (hence I support Gifford Miller for Mayor).

I would add one other point. When you spend this type of money you're doing it to broadcast, not listen.

Just ask Neil Giacobbi

2005-05-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

Parks aren't the most important issue in this year's elections. They matter, but this race will be decided by our schools, the Stadium, whether this City will be Blue or Red...and yet, Mayor Bloomberg is ducking issues on the softball questions of whether our parks deserve more funding.

Just ask Neil Giacobbi.

Who is he? That's what The Metropolist asks. Because Neil, evidently, is the first wave of defense for Candidate Bloomberg against the public's efforts to ask him questions.

Bloomberg doesn't allow emails to be sent to his campaign. You have to fill out a form. That discourages comments...not surprising from a Mayor who has discouraged commentary from the public, the press and his own education advisors.

Why won't he just set up an info email address? I don't know. Why don't we ask Neil Giacobbi.

Daily Gotham Launches

2005-05-16T04:33:00.000-07:00

The Daily Gotham launches. Lots of bloggy goodness over there.

Manly Slantpoint

2005-05-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

Manly NYC conservative blogger Slantpoint insists on challenging the masculinity of us anonymous bloggers.

And matched up against Slantpoint...

Oh oh Slantpoint! Show us your muscles!

Win one for the Giffer

2005-05-13T06:03:00.000-07:00

The young men who would be Mayor still like being young men, it would seem.

Gifford Miller and Anthony Weiner both stopped by Drinking Liberally at its original Hell's Kitchen last night, after short talks at the McManus Mayoral forum.

The Metropolist covers the night, pointing out that Miller and Weiner fit in at a place known for cheap beer and hot dogs.

But the bigger story is that Giff was a hit.

Weiner held on through a few jeers to give a good speech; but Gifford stayed nearly an hour, talking, drinking, eating, singing part of the Puerto Rican national anthem on request and being very, very human.

His endurance paid off: the Liberal Drinkers were impressed.

One maybe a little too impressed. A young woman who told Gifford his red tie made him look too much like a salesman pulled the Speaker a little too close as she studied his tie...she soon learned that he has a loving wife and two kids.

UN and NYC

2005-05-12T06:20:00.000-07:00

New York Denizen Peter Daou's UN Dispatch is on a lonely battle. Despite overwhelming support for the UN on the part of the American public (favorability/unfavorability rating is something 57%-14%), the organized opposition is quite strong. They are a curious mix of isolationists and aggressive empire-builders who despise any institution with the power to dissent from the increasingly imperial course that we're on.

New Yorkers should care, if only because the UN just gave a middle finger to us by not moving to the former World Trade Center site, instead choosing Brooklyn. If we want to continue as the world's capital, with all the economic and cultural benefits that accrue from attracting the world's best in art, finance, technology, culture, etc, we might want to start helping out lonely fighters like Peter.

Rasiej Turns His Fire on Dem Insiders

2005-05-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

Well he's got the talk down.

But after watching everyone - from major Senate and Congressional party leaders all the way down to local council members - smile, act as if they're listening but then fail to act on ANY of the advice or change their behavior, only follow up by asking for a check with at least three zeros on it, I've decided to stop aiding the ongoing dysfunction of the Democratic party.
A few weeks ago, I attended a state Democratic Party dinner, and was appalled to watch DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe honored for - guess what? For raising millions from high donors for the national party. Why is this the benchmark for being honored? What about winning the Presidency or winning - NOT losing - Senate and Congressional seats, which is what happened on our Chairman's most recent watch?

Gifford Miller, Singer

2005-05-11T07:28:00.000-07:00

The Metropolist has a great post on the political power of song. Apparently, a great NYC machine politico never made a speech because he could always sing an ethically appropriate song instead. Singing can make you look superstoopid on TV, but it's actually great at political events. That's probably why it's declined among candidates in the TV age.

Alas.

Bloomberg Ahead, But There's a Surprise

2005-05-11T06:44:00.000-07:00

From the NY Daily News:

The Quinnipiac University Poll released Wednesday showed Bloomberg leading Ferrer 47 to 38 percent. The mayor was six points behind Ferrer, a Democrat, in Quinnipiac's last poll released March 30.

Bloomberg led Fields 43 to 38 percent, and was ahead of Miller 42 to 35 percent, the poll found. He led Weiner 44 to 32 percent.
Among Democratic primary voters, Fields continued to gain ground against Ferrer, whose numbers have tumbled steadily since his statement in March that the 1999 shooting of Amadou Diallo was not a crime. In the latest poll, 27 percent of primary voters said they backed Ferrer, versus 23 percent for Fields.

So Bloomberg is leading, no surprise on that. But I was surprised by his soft reelect numbers.

Bloomberg's approval rating stood at 47 percent, about the same as the 46 percent rating he received March 30.

Slightly less than half of respondents, 47 percent, said Bloomberg cared about "the needs and problems of people like you," slightly higher than the March figure of 41 percent. The mayor has long struggled to come across as sympathetic to the concerns of ordinary New Yorkers.

Bloomberg is ahead and seems inevitable. But the numbers show he's very beatable. I expect this race to tighten - Mayor Mike is not making friends among firefighters, for instance, and every one of these slights is a nick and cut.

In the primary, here are the numbers:

Among Democratic primary voters, Ferrer gets 27 percent, with 23 percent for Fields. This is down from a 40 – 14 percent Ferrer lead March 2 and a 36 – 21 percent Ferrer lead March 30.
Weiner and Miller have barely moved among Democratic voters, with 13 percent for Weiner and 11 percent for Miller.

The absolutes are meaningless, but the trends matter. And Weiner and Miller are competing for the same pool of votes, the white liberals who think Bloomberg is 'a good manager'. This explains the increasing tension between the two campaigns. They are structurally opposed, with Weiner having the upper hand and Miller afraid to pick a fight. Importantly, the Weiner/Miller white base are the same voters that in the general election will swing this race to Bloomberg, or against him.

I give the slight nod to Fields. What do you know about her?

UPDATE: The Jaker implies that Miller's religion (Protestant) makes the White Jewish liberals flow into Weiner's camp.

Updated Blogroll

2005-05-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

Added a bunch of stuff to the blogroll, most notably:

http://www.bootbloomberg.com

The Lion and the Donkey is a pleasant site from Columbia U Dems.

Why Miller's Scared of Weiner

2005-05-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

Gifford is ranking low in the polls for Democratic Mayoral hopefuls, but who pays attention to polls in May? Not Gifford Miller...but he does pay attention to Anthony Weiner.

The Speaker's staff is baffled that the progressive populists of 2004 would even consider the Congressman. Weiner voted for the war. He blasted Howard Dean. He's calling himself a moderate.

So why are former Deaniacs swooning?

Maybe it's the enegy thing. Weiner comes out all-guns blazing, neck veins popping, wisecracks cracking. Gifford, maybe more Dean in dialogue, is more demure in demeanor.

How can you tell people that you're the progressive candidate if you're not willing to shout it?

If you're worried that Weiner's at your back, Giff, do what anyone should do when pursued: shout, shout, shout.

Why the Embarrassing Bob Kerrey Didn't Run For Mayor

2005-05-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

Bob Kerrey is being told to Shut Up:

"The school's board of trustees, upset at Kerrey's flirtation with running for mayor and his criticism of Mayor Bloomberg, sent out an e-mail last week stating that Kerrey must get the board's approval before he makes any political/policy statements in the future.

Kerrey is a political junkie with a penchant for embarrassing himself. After the 9/11 commission (he said at a speech I heard that the commission read blogs), he flirted for running for DNC Chair, and backed out, bashing Dean and progressives all the way. Now the same silliness is happening with the Mayoral election. The rumors are that he 'backed out' after realizing that there was no way he could get on the ballot and that he had no support.

If he wants to pontificate, Kerrey now must shut up and start an anonymous blog like the rest of us.

A Guy Dumping Coal

2005-05-10T07:55:00.000-07:00

New York uses a lot of energy. A lot. It's something we don't really notice that often.

That's not to say that New York is inefficient. Dense cities are extremely efficient per capita; mass transit, apartment heating, fewer oil-intensive consumer purchases, etc. They also have the advantage of being electrically powered, not gas powered, which means that any fuel works to power them rather than just oil or natural gas.

Anyway, it's just something to keep in mind, that power matters here.

Zack Exley: Kick 'Em When They're Down

2005-05-10T07:41:00.000-07:00

Wow.

I just watched Labor apply Karl Rove tactics to a platform that includes increases to social services, increases to foreign aid, Third World debt cancellation, a national minimum wage, and resistance to (rather than embracement of) angry Tory rhetoric on immigrants and asylum seekers. Coming from our 2004 elections, I can't tell you how bizarre it was to watch the take-no-prisoners ass-kicking party using their powers for good instead of evil.

Slantpoint

2005-05-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

Slantpoint has a nice post on mock campaign sites.

I should say that this guy is a conservative, and grrr, but I like his blog. So it's going on the blogroll.

UPDATE: The New York Times has more on funny campaign sites.

Shorter NYT article: The internets is mean.

Joe Klein Holding Court on Hillary: "Please, please, another Clinton saga!"

2005-05-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

Why is Joe Klein of Time Magazine considered an expert on anything? As far as I can tell, he happens to have a column in Time, and that's kind of it.

I was having a fascinating conversation with a Middle East expert about the intricacies of Israel's disengagement from Gaza when I noticed the fellow growing impatient. "Enough of this," he said. "What about Hillary?" Welcome to my life.

What does the author of Primary Colors expect? He has made his life the elevation, bashing, and trashing of the Pop Culture Clintons, so why would he expect anyone to give two shits about what he thinks about the Middle East? He's an uber-insider who traffics in the irrelevancies of inside baseball, and now whines when he can't opine with adequate adulation from the crowd. But don't take my word for it. Here's Klein covering himself in gossip slime:

In airports, on checkout lines, at the doctor's office: "What about Hillary?" (Everywhere except in Washington, where everyone "knows" she's running.)

Everyone? Kind of reminds you of an old joke about a conversation between two Vanity Fair employees.

"There was a plane crash today. 233 people died."
"Anyone on it?"
"No."

But the Hillary supporters aren't particularly great, either. And it's all a big kabuki dance, too, the fight between the trashy Klein and the insider idiotic old corporate feminists.

"You mean she can't run just because her husband was President?" a Hillary supporter yelled at me. "That is the most incredibly sexist thing I've ever heard."

"Not women anymore": rape as a weapon in DR Congo kind of puts the whole thing in perspective.

Ugh.

(By the way, I doubt Klein hears about Hillary 'everywhere'. He just wants to so that he can sell another Primary Colors and be a personality expert circa 1990s, probably the most profitable career track for pundits. I've met this guy, and he's profoundly weird.)

Ha Ha Alert

2005-05-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

From the New York Times:

Every mainstream news organization has its own sets of ethics rules, but all of them agree broadly on what constitutes ethical journalism. Information should be verified before it is printed, and people who are involved in a story should be given a chance to air their viewpoints, especially if they are under attack. Reporters should avoid conflicts of interest, even significant appearances of conflicts, and disclose any significant ones. Often, a conflict means being disqualified to cover a story or a subject. When errors are discovered or pointed out by internal or external sources, they must be corrected. And there should be a clear wall between editorial content and advertising.

It's like someone stuck a 'kick me' sign on their back and they're like 'What? What? Why do people keep kicking me?'

Well Rasiej Sure Has Online Supporters

2005-05-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

In my first post on Andrew Rasiej, I wrote a little bit skeptically on his chances. Lo and behold, this blog gets its first comment from Michael Bassik (picture to the left):

I'm working for Andrew's campaign and am a true believer that if we can get his message out to New Yorkers across the city, we'll be able to shake the system from the bottom up and win on Election Day.

So I go over to his campaign's blog and find the following suggestion:

What about “endowing” every citizen with one street parking spot near his or her apartment or house, and then allowing free trade in these spots? this would allow those who do not own cars to reap benefits for their environmentally helpful position, while allowing those who do own cars to save the time in hunting for on-street parking.

Ack! Geeks are remaking New York!

Ok, this is a good idea, and I'm getting closer to supporting at least one candidate for a race other than Mayor.

Miller Momentum?

2005-05-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

Giff just sold out his May 11 fundraiser.

(via the Jaker)

Kidding on the Square

2005-05-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

Ben Smith pierces Bloomberg:

The number of political operatives in this town not employed by the Mayor continues to drop...

It's a joke. But in my last conversation with a savvy operative (let's call him 'M'), M brought up precisely this point. If you've got two kids, a house, and a lifestyle to support, Mike will pay you $300k/year for help, which is pretty hard to turn down.

Let's look at what this means. The basis of our government is people, not ideology. Good people in government and politics means a good system of government. Stupid incompetent people in government and politics means a stupid, incompetent system. The lesson of Mike Bloomberg is that the route to advancement in government and politics is to make a lot of money and buy your way in. Why in their right mind would anyone with any talent or ambition want to go into government, politics, or advocacy when there's simply no hope to effect change unless you have billions or inside connections backing you?

To put it another way, George Bush is out of touch with the country because he's never had to deal with real life, floating on his connections and insider status as the son of a President. He doesn't have to listen, and he's not going to. Though his governance style is very different, why are Bloomberg's politics any different? And if Democrats don't use positions like the Mayorality of New York to build a stable of powerful politicians, what hope is there for us?

Bloomberg's Balanced Budget BS: Calm Before the Storm

2005-05-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

Mayor Bloomberg is cutting taxes during a real estate bubble.

In 2004, according to the mayor's Office of Management and Budget, wage earnings in the city grew by 6.8 percent, the highest rate of increase since before the World Trade Center attacks.

And since 1994, the average price of housing in the city has surged from $160,000 to $399,450, according to the budget office. Prices have more than doubled since 1998.

Come on, people. These types of increases are unsustainable, and if the city's budget is balanced now, when real estate prices or incomes stop rising at ridiculously inflated rates, it will fall into deficit. Let's not cut taxes when the roof is leaky.

I'm not being picky, either. Gifford Miller is right to say that if you have a choice between spending or tax cuts, you spend. The reason is simple; if you give cash back, people will spend it on consumer goods or put it into financial instruments (like US debt), neither of which helps increase the ability of New York to generate revenue. If you invest extra tax revene while the sun shines, you can create better subways, schools, health servces etc. All of these pay back immensely in the long run. Think about it this way. In a few years, with gas prices at $5/gallon (which works out to oil at $105/barrel as Goldman Sachs predicts), a cross-town cab will cost $40 and the pressure to cut subway maintenance will be intense. I guarantee you're going to wish you had done the work now to make sure that getting to work in a year or two is, well, workable.

Up Chuck Schumer

2005-05-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

Chuck Schumer may or may not be a good guy, but he's not a good Democrat. One of the themes I'm going to return to on this blog are what I call 'Benedict' Democrats. These are people who for whatever reason find it useful to cooperate with Republicans for their own personal gain, all the while undercutting the growth of a larger movement. No one exemplifies this better than Schumer. It's not just that he supports Republicans:

New York's senior senator, a Democrat, defended Bloomberg's record fighting for the city's fair share of federal dollars - undercutting a central campaign theme among the Democrats seeking to boot Bloomberg, a Republican, from City Hall.

"I know the candidates don't like me to say this, but the facts are the facts," Schumer said, suggesting the city needs Republican leaders who can work on the inside.

"Whenever I call Michael Bloomberg and ask him to help in Washington, he has," Schumer said. "And even though I will support a Democratic candidate - there are a lot of things that I disagree with Mayor Bloomberg on - I am not going to take that away from him."

Chuck Schumer is lauded as a media genius, because he holds Sunday press conferences when no one else does. I've been in the meetings where people plan these events, and it's all about making sure that reporters show up. Will there be food? Is it too early for them? Will the place be convenient? The only question that does not come up is 'Do I have something to say?' Chuck Schumer rarely does, but he's always talking. And since he gets press coverage, he feels confident that this path of always looking good to the press and not really caring about principles is worthwhile.

The DSCC, of which Schumer is chair, is a great example. In the Pennsylvania contest to unseat Rick Santorum, Schumer picked pro-lifer Bob Casey as a challenger early, and has forced out everyone in the race except for Chuck Pennachio. The marketed idea behind this choice is that pro-life conservative Democrat Casey, who is well-known in the state because of his Dad, is the most likely victor over Santorum. But that's only the glossy sheen. The real point of picking Casey is that it's not a risky pick. If Casey loses, it doesn't ding Schumer at all; he'll just say Santorum was too strong. At least he was in control and raised a lot of money, losing Democratic consultants will bleat. But if Schumer lets a primary happen, then he'll look like he wasn't in control of the process (even though letting a primary happen is being in control of a process, just not of the outcome). The single best way of generating press coverage and interest in a race is a primary, but that's not important to someone like Schumer. He doesn't care. He just wants to not look bad.

The DINO strategy is one of the dumbest strategies in modern political history - it depresses your base, which is especially important in off-year elections. And it doesn't convince the middle because it makes you look unprincipled. Does anyone really think that a social conservative will vote for Casey over Santorum?

There's a larger issue at stake here. I frequently hear bitching about Democrats don't stand for anything or have no message, usually with a remark thrown in about Kerry and nuance. This is fundamentally an observation about governance, not politics. What standing for something means is having a sense of where you want the country to go, and supporting political change that moves the country in that direction. And message and organization comes from that. I guarantee you that Bloomberg and Casey represent a very different path for this country than the one you believe in.

Yet, when push comes to shove and we actually have a choice of who to put in power, Democrats - base Democrats, like you and me - run squealing into the arms of the tactical fear-mongers (like Schumer), which directly builds the lack of message inherent in our candidates.

The connections between the incentive Schumer plays to - building press for himself - and destroying progressivism, is something we need to work on. It's why we have Republican Governors in California, New York, Massachusetts, and a Republican Mayor crusing to reelection in New York City. It's a very very bad thing. And we need to start letting our elected officials know that we don't appreciate it.

Chuck Schumer is not going to start acting magnanimously, but if we can make it in his self-interest to stop fucking over Democrats, we can make a difference.

Let him know you don't appreciate his positive comments towards Mayor Bloomberg:

Send him an email here. Or call his office at 212-486-7803.

Missing the Middle

2005-05-05T10:35:00.000-07:00

Here's a sketch of the skyline with the new Freedom tower in place:

A New Blogroll Addition: The Jaker

2005-05-05T08:47:00.000-07:00

I just found this good blog, The Jaker, on NYC politics.

For a snippet of The Jaker's bloggy goodness, check out this post on why NYC Mayoral elections are so odd. He's a Giff supporter.

Andrew Rasiej: The Quixotic Candidate for Public Advocate

2005-05-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

Andrew Rasiej is running hard for Public Advocate.

What is with this office? I mean did everyone get bored with Mayor and decide that it's no fun to have a campaign for an office with actual responsibility? Also, what does the public advocate even do? Oh, look, some text in blockquotes to the rescue!

The office of Public Advocate is currently defined by the City’s official voting guide as follows: “The Public Advocate represents anyone who uses City services. As the City’s chief ombudsman, the Public Advocate investigates complaints about city agencies; reviews the responsiveness to the public and recommends improvements in programs and complaint handling procedures of City agencies; and helps to resolve problems individuals have with City agencies. The Public Advocate is elected to serve a term of four years.”

Or, in Mark Green-speak:

LOOK AT ME! I'M THE PUBLIC ADVOCATE! COME TO MY PRESS CONFERENCE! I WILL FIGHT FOR YOU AND ALSO YOU SHOULD QUOTE ME!

Ok, that's not so funny. But actually, and mostly theoretically, the public advocate is a great testing ground for lots of new technowizardry. Camera phones, blogs, online community combined with old fashioned organizing models, can really create a powerful sense of community to supplement and surpass the 311 success. Can Andrew pull it off? I don't think so. But I wish it were possible, because the office is actually pretty neat. Here's how Andrew sees the position:

Andrew said he views it as a great untapped opportunity – a truly unique platform that could be used in countless ways to reconnect New Yorkers to each other and their government, re-imagine the city’s possibilities, and ultimately recharge our democracy.

Sadly, New Yorkers don't care about this level of abstraction, except when heroic size war and peace like events are involved. Dean's message of inclusion worked, so did Bush's 'war on terror' metaphor. But the idea that a minor municipal office can 'recharge our democracy', well, perhaps he could begin with something more prosaic. Though I like it, even this is too high concept: 'The New York Times has a letters to the editor page. Shouldn't New York City have a letters to the mayor page?' Or maybe, 'We don't send all of our trash upstate. Some of it we keep right here, in city hall.'

I'm looking to see what Rasiej does. I don't think he'll win, but he is already forcing the current public advocate Betsey Gotbaum to do a slightly less crappy job. The rap on her - very nice, very ineffective, very plugged in. Someone not to fuck with. I get the sense - on good authority - that Andrew's making enemies. Not that many yet, but we'll see where this goes.

The Problem in a Nutshell

2005-05-04T14:24:00.000-07:00

On Bloomberg and the Log Cabin Republicans:

Mike told the crowd that he knows the rap on him is that he used to be a Democrat, but that Giuliani was once a Democrat, and Reagan was once a Democrat.

"Badillo, weren't you one too?" he asked, and then called for a show of hands of lifelong Republicans, and found very few.

Shouldn't it be a problem to liberal New Yorkers that you've got the frontrunner in the mayoral election comparing himself proudly to Reagan?

Two NYC Conversations

2005-05-03T21:22:00.000-07:00

So Anthony Wiener is one of the flailing candidates running against Bloomberg for Mayor of New York City. Anyway, Wiener makes it a point that he drives a hybrid car. "How can I shake my fists at the Saudis and then hop in my SUV?"

Meanwhile, Bloomberg sort of has the liberal wealthy Jewish vote in place. Bloomberg is cozy with the Republican leadership, and has helped them in everything from fundraising to allowing New York to be their backdrop for destroying Kerry. While he's not a functionally bad city manager, he's bad for New York City because when Bush wants something from him, he's going to deliver.

A vote for Bloomberg is a vote for Bush. I know you don't really believe it, but you should. He's sold us out before, and he'll do it again.