Entries from Gothamist tagged with 'thepoliticker'
February 6, 2008
Photograph of Hillary Clinton giving a speech last by Angela Radulescu on Flickr After successful (if not decisive enough overall for the nomination) Super Tuesday primary results, Hillary Clinton is thinking about the immediate future of her campaign, by considering loaning $5 million to the effort. And this comes as her campaign spokesman Howard Wolgson revealed she already loaned the campaign $5 million last month! From the Post, here's Wolfson's quote:Late last month Sen.......
Continue Reading "Hillary Clinton's $5 Million Campaign Loan - And Does Obama Have the Delegate Lead?"February 6, 2008
Graphic from CNN It was an exciting night of Super Tuesday primary returns. In the Democratic contest, Hillary Clinton won eight states, including New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and California, but Obama won twelve - Illinois, Connecticut, Alabama, and Missouri - among them (New Mexico is still undecided as the two candidates are in a tie). The NY Times notes that since there were no decisive victories, "an electoral fight...will unfold for weeks to......
Continue Reading "Democratic Frontrunner Far From Clear After Super TuesdayMcCain Racks Up Many States"
February 6, 2008
The Politicker has this hilarious photograph outside the East 60th Street location of strip club Scores touting a Hillary Clinton-Barack Obama ticket, as well as John McCain-Michael Bloomberg one. Nice to know that even though manager Harvey Osher and owner Richard Goldring failed to pay $3.1 million in taxes, they still believe in the democratic process. (Osher is serving weekend stints in prison; Goldring is getting probation.) And after Perez Hilton endorsed Clinton, her......
Continue Reading "Times Endorsement, Check; Scores Endorsement, Check"December 6, 2007
Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff, who was in charge of Economic Development and Rebuilding in the Bloomberg administration, announced he would resign by the end of the year. The Post called the news "stunning," but we'd like to call it "classic," because his new job will be president of a little company called Bloomberg LP. At a City Hall press conference, Mayor Bloomberg said, "As a result of Dan's efforts, we've allowed for the creation of......
Continue Reading "Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff Leaves City Hall...to Work for Bloomberg"
November 29, 2007
Today is a citywide "Day Out Against Hate." City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and the Reverend Al Sharpton have spearheaded the event, which was prompted by a number of disturbing hate crime incidents, from swastikas in Brooklyn Heights to a noose found at the Columbia University campus. The Politicker was at one of the events this morning, where Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz "suggested, rather strongly, that city public school students be required to make......
Continue Reading "Tolerance Field Trips Ahead for School Kids?"November 16, 2007
Governor Eliot Spitzer had a busy week. Not only was he working himself up to admit his driver's license plan would not pass, Spitzer suggested instituting the state's 8.375% sales tax on Internet goods - just in time for holiday shopping! But only hours after the NY Sun reported on the plan, Spitzer changed his mind, deciding to wait until the new year to implement taxes on Internet purchases. Currently, online retailers who don't have......
Continue Reading "Spitzer's Holiday "Gift" to Online Shoppers"September 7, 2007
Just when we thought Roger Stone, the GOP operative accused of leaving a menacing voicemail for Governor Spitzer's father, couldn't be more amusing, he outdoes himself. Stone's assistant sent The Politicker's Azi Paybarah some photographs of Stone, supposedly "taken at The Ink Monkey tattoo shop in Venice Beach, California" where he was "getting a tattoo on his back of Richard Nixon’s face." Really. Why bring up a bizarre tattoo and photographs? Because Stone says......
Continue Reading "GOP Operative's Alibi By Bizarre Nixon Tattoo"September 5, 2007
Mayor Bloomberg, Schools Chancellor Klein, City Council Speaker Quinn, and other city and school officials celebrated the first day of school yesterday with an appearance at P.S. 53 in the Bronx. P.S. 53 was selected because it will be receiving almost a half million dollars more in funding, due to Bloomberg's "fair student funding reforms." The Mayor happily said, "We are becoming the poster child for what you should do with a school system that's......
Continue Reading "1.1 Million Students Back in Classrooms"September 3, 2007
Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: A hostage situation at Rockaway Boulevard and 147th Street in Queens, a train job at East 180 St in the Bronx and a pedestrian was struck at West 66th and Amsterdam in Manhattan The disgruntled former employee who shot and killed a former supervisors and injured two others at Co-op City is claiming self-defense. The Politicker finds out that Lieutenant Governor David Paterson supports non-citizen voting (but Paterson is......
Continue Reading "Extra, Extra"August 29, 2007
Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: Is there a bank robber hitting up multiple banks on the Upper West Side? There were robberies at 2438 Broadway and 59 West 86th St; there were also two separate police vehicle MVAs in The Bronx and Brooklyn; and a fatality under a train in Jackson Heights (it says A, but we'll assume it's the E). If any Wall Street types you know were depressed yesterday after the Dow......
Continue Reading "Extra, Extra"August 14, 2007
Something we did not realized happened on Sunday: Governor Eliot Spitzer attended a Nascar race in Watkins Glen, NY (the only NY State town that has a Nascar track, same town where the Farm Sanctuary is located) and was called "the best Jewish Nascar fan" by cable executive and race car driver Leo Hindery. The NY Times explains that his brother-in-law is an engineer at Hendrick Motorsports and that Hendrick driver Jeff Gordon is......
Continue Reading "Steamroller Meets Speed Racers"August 10, 2007
Last Sunday, Mets pitcher Tom Glavine finally won his 300th career game with a victory over the Chicago Cubs. To honor Glavine, Mayor Bloomberg presented the 41-year old lefty the Key to the City on Wednesday. This was enough to upset at least one New Yorker. The Politicker noted that a caller to the Mayor's radio show today suggested that Bloomberg should have rescheduled with Glavine considering the city's subway system was deluged by early......
Continue Reading "With Flooded Subway, Mayor Gives Glavine Key to City"August 7, 2007
Governor Spitzer's ethics woes went to the national stage yesterday when the Today show ran a segment (see it here) about the mess that included the on-screen caption "Spitzer Scandal." Sure, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office did not find any law-breaking by Spitzer's aides, just dirty tricks-ing by way of using the state police to discredit Spitzer's main Albany rival, State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno. Though Spitzer has maintained he had no idea that......
Continue Reading "Spitzer's Scandal Rolls On"July 27, 2007
State Ethics Commission, long time no see! It's been about eight months since you found State Comptroller Alan Hevesi had violated state law, and now you're back on the radar with an investigation into Governor Spitzer's administration's conduct regarding use of the state police to track State Senate Majority Joseph Bruno. The SEC has the power to subpoena people to answer questions, a power the Attorney General's office does not have - which means that......
Continue Reading "State Ethics Commission To Examine Spitzer's Staff"July 11, 2007
Yesterday, The Politicker reported that Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver "quietly" met with Governor Spitzer and Senate Leader Bruno (separately) and that congestion pricing was one of the topics discussed. Silver has publicly doubted the feasibility of Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan, leading the Mayor to go on the offensive and try to shame Silver and other lawmakers for holding up the legislation - especially when there's $500 million in federal funds for the taking.......
Continue Reading "Slight Movement on Congestion Pricing in Albany"June 28, 2007
The Politicker posted this video of Mayor Mike going after both Republican and Democrats during a Crain's Business breakfast. Specifically, when questioned by WNYC's Brian Lehrer, Mayor Bloomberg said, "I don’t think I disagree with what any national party stands for because I don’t think either national party stands for anything." Cue the cheers! More shocking was Mayor Bloomberg's thoughts on crowded conditions of the 4/5/6, "I take the Lex line most days and......
Continue Reading "Video of the Day: Bloomberg Pooh Poohs Political Parties"June 7, 2007
Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: A home invasion robbery in Queens, an attempted abduction on 4th Avenue & 17th Street in Brooklyn, and a possible electrical shock at Broad and Bridge Streets in Manhattan Trees rejoice: Phone books are getting thinner because so many people have cell phones nowadays - with 1,796 pages, the 2007 Verizon white pages for Manhattan are the smallest EVER. A-Rod lashes out at paparazzi following him in Chicago Those......
Continue Reading "Extra, Extra"April 20, 2007
A who's who of the Democratic party has been at the Reverend Al Sharpton's National Action Network conference in Midtown this past week. Opening day saw hopeful John Edwards and Democratic party chair Howard Dean, yesterday included former president Bill Clinton, Senator Joe Biden, Senator Christopher Dodd, and Governor Bill Richardson, today has Senator Hillary Clinton and tomorrow Senator Barack Obama and Representative Dennis Kucinich are appearing - which is why it's called the "Sharpton......
Continue Reading "The Reverend Al Sharpton Primary"March 19, 2007
At 7AM, the three detectives indicted in the shooting of Sean Bell last November turned themselves. WNBC reports that Michael Oliver, Gescard Isnora, and Marc Cooper will be fingerprinted and processed before their arraignment this afternoon. The grand jury came to a decision last Friday, but said it would wait until today to make the official announcement. However, news of the indictments got out when defense lawyers for the cops involved found out whether their......
Continue Reading "Indicted Cops Involved in Bell Shooting Surrender"February 27, 2007
- The confusing question of elected-to-the-City-Council- but-not-sworn-in Mathieu Eugene's residency persists. Over a week ago, he told Brian Lehrer he hadn't moved into the 40th District, but now his people say he's been living since February 1. The Politicker spoke to a campaign consultant for Eugene who claims he's seen "a lease whose term began February 1 for 40-46 Argyle Road. I've seen a check written to the landlord dated February 1." Oh, like no......
Continue Reading "Eugene in the House (Maybe) & More Political Notes"February 22, 2007
Just after the victory of Mathieu Eugene’s 10-candidate run for Brooklyn’s 40th Council District on Tuesday, questions regarding his residency in the Flatbush district have now put his official claim to the seat on hold. Elected candidates must reside in the electing district during the time of the election, but not necessarily during the time of filing for nomination. There’s the rub. So today at City Hall, the expectations and celebrations of a political newcomer......
Continue Reading ""Haitian Sensation" Councilman Eugene Needs a Home!"February 9, 2007
Hours ago, former State Comptroller Alan Hevesi was fined $5,000 and sentenced to probation for "unlawful use of a state vehicle and driver" when he used his employees to drive his ill wife. The Times Union has an 18-minute video of the sentencing; reporter Rick Karlin noted that Albany County Court Judge Stephen Herrick said to the Queens Democrat, "Your fall from grace has been total and from a very great height…You are now......
Continue Reading "As Bad Blood Boils in the NY Democratic Party"January 2, 2007
- Brooklyn Papers talks to Brooklyn Beep Marty Markowitz who tells them they are biased about the Atlantic Yards project and updates them on his diet - An eighth grader tells The Politicker's Azi Paybarah that Eliot Spitzer's inauguration speech was positive but "mean" to George Pataki. How naive the young are - wait till you pay taxes, kid! - Speaking of Spitzer, good luck to him on trying to introduce gay marriage proposals......
Continue Reading "Extra, Extra"December 14, 2006
- The NY Times reports that the Democratic party will decide on where the 2008 convention will be held either tomorrow or Monday. New York and Denver are the finalist cities; while Denver is attractive for its swing-state quality, NYC can guarantee better "financing, hotel rooms, entertainment space, logistical support and labor union cooperation." - The Politicker has the U.S. Attorney's flow chart detailing how NY Senator Efrain Gonzalez allegedly stole money from federal funds......
Continue Reading "Politics News Roundup: Convention Decision To Come and More"December 4, 2006
Eliot "Big Reform" Spitzer rejected a $25,000 campaign donation check from the company that owns the MTA's headquarters...but ended up accepting $25,000 from the company's owner Tamir Sapir himself (the MTA even sued Sapir's company for the poor job it did renovating the offices!) Unbelievable: Eric Ng was actually the second NYU student hit by a car last week. Willa Thompson, an NYU junior, got hit by a UPS truck on her way home......
Continue Reading "Extra, Extra"November 7, 2006
Hilarious: The NY Times' election blog, The Empire Zone, reports that Chelsea Clinton's name wasn't found in the book of registered voters at the West 20th Street polling place: "The book containing her name was apparently forwarded to the wrong district, denying her the ability to enter a polling booth." D'oh! So she - and probably the other people in that book - had to fill out an "affidavit vote," ensuring that she would be......
Continue Reading "Chelsea Can't Vote in Chelsea and Other Election Day News"November 2, 2006
A Halloween addendum: Mayor Bloomberg marched in the Jackson Heights Halloween Parade Tuesday night (it's hard to tell who looks more uncomfortable in this picture - the Mayor or the baby.) We like the Mayor's orange sash and we understand he wore a suit to still look mayorly. But an easy costume could have been a "Mike in 2008" pin on the label for "Bloomberg the Presidential Candidate." Or maybe he could have gone......
Continue Reading "He Went as the Mayor!"October 25, 2006
A number of politicians are calling for State Comptroller Alan Hevesi's resignation in the wake of the State Ethics Commission's report that asserted Hevesi lied about using a state driver for his wife's personal use. Naturally the Republicans are leading the chorus for resignation, but Attorney General and gubernatorial frontrunner Eliot Spitzer said he was evaluating whether to continue his support for Hevesi (who is running for re-election in less than two weeks). And if......
Continue Reading "Should Hevesi Resign?"March 13, 2006
This past weekend saw a tradition that involves the Mayor dressing up in chainmail and belittling his various policies and efforts: The annual press corps spoofing of the city government. Last year, the Mayor skipped the follies because of Pope John Paul's death, but this year, he donned an outfit from Monty Python's Spamalot to sing "Spendalot," an ode to his super expensive campaign, and according to Newsday, he was "shimmying and kicking like a......
Continue Reading "Mayor Bloomberg Gets Medieval"March 3, 2006
The FBI raided the offices of State Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin, suspecting him of helping electrical contractors to win city streetlight and traffic-signal bids. McLaughlin represents a part of Queens in the State Assembly and is also the president of the NYC Central Labor Council (that West 15th Street was also raided), and has been a supporter of Mayor Bloomberg. Right now, two electric companies have about $162 million of city contracts for street lights with......
Continue Reading "Assemblyman's Office Raided By FBI"
