Dateline: Charlotte, NC
I originally intended to separate my Gateways from convention coverage, but two things militated against that.
One is the lack of time to write and unreliability of the wifi.
The other is that, in covering the convention one must report on what people are talking about, and in the New York delegation, the thing they are talking about is the Lopez scandal (unless they are talking about Naomi Rivera, Shirley Huntley or Michael Grimm.
Republicans have criticized the Dems for moving the President's speech indoors.
Apparently, they were hoping lightning would strike.
Yesterday, they held a NARAL held a pro-choice rally at a large venue near the convention.
It may have been the first time self-proclaimed progressices were ever heard to say "I'll meet you at the Nascar Hall of Fame."
Blogger briefing with Sandra Fluke; I try to think of something clever to say, but flounder.
There are a few electeds who've quoted back something I've written back to me (some because they liked it and some not), but only Jerry Nadler can begin a sentence "On December 31, 2010, you said…"
He got the date right too.
Part of the reason New York gets so much respect at the convention is our esteemed Congressional delegation. Maybe this one should have finished college.
Let's be fair though, she wasn't living in Brooklyn at the time. Yvette Clarke Struggles With History on Colbert Report [Video] politicker.com
A very dapper black man, replete with red pocket handkerchief, sat down next to me at LaGuardia.
I said "you look familiar." He put out his hand and said "Greg Meeks."
I respoded "Between you and 'Flower in the Lapel,' you Queens guys corner the market on dap."
He laughed and I handed him my card, complete with icon (Gatemouth's Blog–Political Commentary, Media Criticism & A Shot of Rhythm and Jews").
Realizing who I was, he smiled and said "That's why we have the First Amendment."
It's about a week out from the New York primary; so of course, it goes without saying that the Counsel for the NYC Board of Elections, Steve "Costanza" Richman is in Charlotte, partying away.
In Richman's defense, it must be said that he is useless anyway.
Yesterday morning at the New York delegation breakfast, I got down on my knees in front of Assembly Ethics Chair Dan O'Donnell (perhaps not the best choice of positions) and said "on behalf of myself and the people of Brooklyn I thank you for all your good works.”
The charming subtlety which is the hallmark of Vito Lopez:
“If you see me, you’d better cross over to the other side of the street. If you’re driving and you think you see someone in your rear view mirror following you, you’ll be right,… it’ll be me.”
Additional money quote: “I think Vito has done a lot of good in the community…But he believes he’s right about everything. He doesn’t like to have discussions.”
Special bonus: a local reprise of Abner Mikva’s famous "We don't want nobody nobody sent story” Assemblyman Lopez Is a Fierce Politician Who Tolerates No Dissent, Associates Say www.nytimes.com
This important Nahmias piece about the fall of Vito gets so much so right, all in one place, that it's ashamed there are a few glaring errors.
On the upside are these insights:
"Baruch College School of Public Affairs professor Nicole … Marwell, who wrote the book Bargaining for Brooklyn about nonprofits in Queens and Brooklyn, was struck by a section of the complaint detailing how Lopez made his staffers write letters to him saying how much they loved him and their jobs and then berated his employees for not being effusive enough in their praise.
“It’s that kind of ego stuff that I expect from Vito, and it’s the piece that rings truest,” Marwell said. “He takes up a lot of space in the room. He has a sense of entitlement, which comes by the sense that he’s worked hard for it. It doesn’t excuse it, but it doesn’t come out of nowhere. It’s not that he thinks he’s above the law, but that he thinks he can do things that are legal but not necessarily appropriate, with impunity, in certain kinds of social settings.”
and
"Some viewed Silver’s blunt admonishment of Lopez as an angry response to Lopez’s repeating a behavior that Silver had already helped to cover-up in a prior settlement—an agreement that was never supposed to come out into the open."
and
“If the decision to do this was calculated to hide and protect Vito then that’s corrupt, and it would be a matter to be looked into,” the source said. “If someone was just being an idiot, then being an idiot is protected under state law.”
On the other hand, Vito did not start out in the Jefferson club, which is located in an entirely different area of Brooklyn from his base. Erik Dilan, who is the District Leader in the 54th AD would not, once the November post-reapportionment election is held, be eligible to be named the Democratic candidate in Vito's 53rd AD.
And the idea that Vito, who has mostly been incommunicado in recent days, would be calling people on Seddio's behalf is ludicrous, given Seddio would surely not want it, and Vito being Vito, would not being doing it on behalf of someone who's publicly called upon him to resign all his positions. The Fall of Assemblyman Vito Lopez is Weakening Speaker Sheldon Silver www.cityandstateny.com
Colin gives a guided tour of NYC corruption.
It's pretty funny, but the laughs do tend to get stuck in your throat. We’ve Still Got It! When It Comes to Corrupt Pols, New York Is Still Tops politicker.com
The Michael Grimm/Rabbi Pinto/Ofer Biton circus works on so many levels, but it is hard to beat the fun of watching sanctimonious members of the religious right being tripped up by worldly pursuits.
This paragraph wins the twinight doubleheader in the world of "perhaps not the best choice of words" awards:
"Biton, formerly one of Pinto’s top aides, also had a hand in adult entertainment. Florida business records list him as being the president of AMOB Inc." NY congressman’s reliance on rabbi as rainmaker leads to embarrassing associations, FBI probe www.washingtonpost.com
Another reason to vote for Adam Bermudez.
It will probably nip his musical career in the bud. Vote For Me Maybe by Adam Rene Bermudez