Everyone knows that I worked on the re-election campaign of congressman Ed Towns last year; and most of you on the blogging scene also know that I have had a long friendship with him, which has helped shield him from some of my wicked political slap downs. Although I have taken one or two parting shots at him whenever I felt he wasn’t on the right side of an issue or political race (Ken Evans v. Diane Gordon or Inez Barron /for examples), I have been pretty easy on Ed, when compared to say Charles “Chucky B” Barron, Al Vann-winkle or Darlene Mealy-mouse. In some Brooklyn political circles, I have taken big flack for not going after Ed much harder: and probably rightly so. But there are things I do know that are about to show. I suspect that Ed won’t be around in this seat too much longer. For years now there have been forces wanting to replace him. The forces are gaining momentum folks.
Last year -while I was on the campaign trail- I realized something which I brought to his attention: a significant number of his constituents think that he should ride off into the sunset (retire). Ed assured me that he is considering retirement (to some extent), and that one day he will retire and go play some golf (which he enjoys), and do other fun things. He is a family man, so he may devote more time to his relatives and good friends; or he may go into the ministry full time: after all, he is an ordained minister who loves to give sermons from pulpits, on various Sundays of any year.
Look; let’s be straight here, Ed Towns was re-elected in 2006 because his opponents (Charles Barron and Roger Green) were both tainted. Then last year he was re-elected again because his opponent (Kevin Powell) was tainted even more than Barron and Green put together. In other words, Ed won because of his opponents; not because of some sterling congressional record. I have told him for years now that his public relations people haven’t done him justice; but he never listened. And that’s why he is in big trouble as congressmen go.
Word on the street is that Hakeem Jeffries is about to drop an unexpected challenge on Ed. It could come as early as next year or as late as 2012. If this happens then Ed is going to need all the help he can get folks.
Stay tuned-in: always.