Since I wrote part one of this column, I have had many phone calls and e-mails about it. It seems that Lou Fidler does have many friends in the black-community (not that I didn’t know this); and all those who contacted me assured me that Lew Fidler is not behind the candidacy of Harry Schiffman (40th council district/ special election/February 20th, 2007). So Lew, I will personally grant you the benefit of the doubt, even though some of my more militant political acquaintances (who just happen to be black/lol), seem to want to dig further into this Schiffman candidacy. To me however, let’s let sleeping dogs lie. Lew Fidler said that he is not behind it and I believe him.
Still, in some quarters, Lew Fidler isn’t totally out of the woods as yet; there are those who seem to think that he is very tough on Charles Barron (too tough) in the NYC Council. They suggest that Biggie Lew fights for Jewish issues just as hard and aggressively as Barron fights over black issues, but that Barron is deemed a “racial flame-thrower”, while Fidler is seen as just doing his job, and working for his people. They think this is a double standard. When Barron was contacted for a comment, he said that Lew Fidler defends the state of Israel with a passion (and that’s okay to a point), but that Fidler is wrong to castigate him (Barron) for calling for even-handedness in American foreign policy-when dealing with the issues involved in the Arab/Israeli impasse. It’s an issue that affects us all in rather profound ways.
Things between Lew Fidler and Charles Barron have sometimes gotten to a simmering point. Barron claims that Lew has supported candidates (actual and potential) against him in the past; and I do know that Barron supported and endorsed the last candidate (Haitian-American/ Tamara Grandoit) to run against Lew in 2005. Barron also claimed that Fidler could have helped land the City Council Speakership to Brooklyn –if Lew had supported Bill deBlasio instead of going with Dems county-leaders Vito Lopez and Tom Manton.
In all fairness to Lew Fidler, let me say that he has reached out to me since I wrote my last article. In this the second and final part, let me reach back to Lew. I will like to be the moderator (chair) of a televised debate (BCAT) between Fidler and Barron. The topics can range from issues in the Middle East, to issues in Carnarsie and East New York, to issues of Brooklyn and the council, etcetera. If not me as the moderator, then we can get someone else to do it (Sam Taitt, Dave Miller or Verna Smith / or any others as suggestions). This way both council members will get a chance to publicly air their side of this important issue (Middle East), and be able to address other issues that they may hold dearly.
Get back to me Lew.
Stay tuned-in folks.