Dateline: Still in Brooklyn, But on Vacation; Still Sick but Getting Better.
I got the Lopez news a bit after the fact on Friday, as I forgot to remove my phone from my pocket while running into Delaware Bay to make sure a rubber raft containing nine year old Dybbuk did not float out to Cape May.
When I got back to my rental, there were emails from Marty Connor, Ernie Lendler and Orthodox Pundit.
The details shocked. I sat down and posted a piece where I made a few correct suppositions:
A lot of people who’ve written premature obituaries for Vito Lopez, whether literal or political, are now remembered, if at all, with yartzheit candles, whether literal or political. Lopez is one wily and ruthless player, but it is hard to see how he gets out of this one…with the loss of the smoke and mirrors symbolized by his vanishing institutional support, it is hard to see how Lopez survives.
I also noted:
Progressives who delight in the coming storm should note that the bandwagon is filling up rapidly, and the final knife will probably be placed by those who come as friends.
This also turned out to be true.
Those who see hope here should proceed with caution. The last time we had such a quick and dirty transition of power in the Brooklyn Democracy, we got Vito.
Ben Smith, writing on the old Politicker blog (from which all comments have been lost to history) perceived it as more of the same, posting an item called “Meet The New Boss,” harkening to the savvy lyric Pete Townshend wrote for The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”
But, Ben was fooled. As a reader noted, there were very different men:
Same as the old boss?
The old boss was an incompetent bumbler who refused to punish traitors who backed Republican and usually sat on his hands during general elections, which he regards as a day off. The new boss is a highly organized, brilliant tactician, who was one of those traitors, and often spends general elections actively working for Republicans.
The old boss was a small time grifter only interested in his party issued credit card. The new boss is the builder of a multi-tentacled social service empire supporting a well oiled political machine (including large consulting fees for the boss), as well as actually and competently delivering social services.
The old boss was a cipher in Albany, interested only in bringing some money to his father’s church and the right factions in Chabad. The new boss is a major Albany player, often for good, sometimes not, but always for himself.
The old boss built his career on Hasid bashing (not entirely without cause), and then made his peace. The new boss built his career on Hasid bashing (not entirely without cause), and may just have made his peace.
The old boss usually played progressive and often put right wingers on the bench. The new boss often plays conservative and made Abbie Hoffman’s attorney, and a bunch of like minded Guild lawyers, including Margarita Lopez-Torres, judges.
If he didn’t knock you off the ballot (and sometimes he took a dive) there was little consequence to defying the old boss. The new boss would rather let you stay on the ballot so he can take the extreme pleasure of publicly slaughtering you in the street in the presence of others to set an example.
You could piss on the old boss’s fancy Italian shoes in front of his wife, and he’d still come back to next year looking for a favor. The new boss carries an old grudge like a concealed weapon, except he doesn’t conceal it.
We’ve traded Fredo for Sonny (or maybe Tartaglia for Barzini).
Ben was so impressed with the post, he reposted it himself, making it the oldest Gatemouth comment preserved for history.
Typically, Vito was said to love it, especially the part about pissing on the shoes, which was repeated to me on separate occasions by two different Lopez allies.
I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised.
There was almost nothing in the post that Vito would have found displeasing.
I praised Vito’s selection of judges, his anti-poverty work, his work ethic, and his legislative acumen. The criticisms were either for things for which Vito has no apology, like past support of Republican, or for things Vito would consider praise, like being merciless in punishing his opponents.
The post was practically an advertisement for the concept that Vito was a force to be reckoned with; I had clearly portrayed as Vito saw himself.
But, in the pre-Room 8 days, the post pretty much made my bones as a blogger.
And now we’ve come full circle.
Before we proceed to other topics, I’ll repeat my Friday warning to my friends in what is referred to as the “Reform” movement:
“Progressives will not control the outcome, and the outcome might not be an improvement.
My suggestion is they get together, decide on a list of their negotiable demands, and then start preparing for the negotiation. They might not have many votes, but they are worth the same as everyone else’s, and rules changes are just as negotiable as patronage, if that’s what you’re really looking for.”
Before I go, let me note that Lopez is not giving up his Assembly seat (or for that matter, his District Leadership).
Unlike the County Leadership, which is the provence of all Brooklyn Dems, the Assembly seat Lopez occupies is at the pleasure of the voters of the 53rd AD.
Under the circumstances, it would be nice if Lopez faced a real challenge—even Lopez should welcome a challenge, given he is seeking vindication (and will surely claim it in any event).
But Lopez has no primary and only a token challenge in the fall.
Further, it is too late to file an Independent Nominating Petition.
This is unfair to the voters. It is even, I believe, unfair to Lopez.
Lopez should be given a real chance to re-establish his mandate.
Or not.
I believe there is only one person who can plausibly offer him such an opportunity:
Councilwoman Diana Reyna, who happens to be term-limited out next year.
I humbly suggest that Councilwoman Reyna, who Lopez attempted to beat last time out, run a write in campaign against Lopez.
I further suggest that Nydia Velazquez and the New Kings Democrats support Reyna in this endeavor.
Given my own severe reservations about Reyna’s judgment in supporting Charles Barron for congress, I will withhold any endorsement at this time (and might even support Lopez).
But seriously Diana, you should go for it.
The voters deserve a choice.