Towards the end of the Jesse Jackson event, one elderly volunteer kept emphasizing upon me the point that it was okay to take Bloomberg's money if he gives ... democracyforum.blogspot.com/2005/10/jesse-jackson-on-martin-luther-king.html
I rooted for Fernando Ferrer when he ran for Mayor. One day I found myself in the Bronx, and this old, Hispanic dude approached me and said in all earnesty: "Take Bloomberg's money if he gives it to you, just don't do the work!"
I don't know what he saw in me but apparently he knew me better than I knew me back then. It helped that Bloomberg who changed from Democrat to Republican changed from Republican to Independent.
I am declaring myself an Independent for Bloomberg. He will win a third term easy.
He is a billionaire. I am going to be a billionaire.
He is Mayor. I am a bigger political talent than him.
He is Jewish, Jesus was a Jew. I am a Madhesi, Buddha was a Madhesi.
He has been a very good Mayor.
He is for Caroline Kennedy for US Senate. So am I.
He is no Michael Corleone, he is Michael Bloomberg. I am Barackface.
The Plenty of Fish Compatibility Predictor (CP) measures five broad relationship variables that are each essential for building romantic relationships. People don't need to score "high" on each of these characteristics to be in a fulfilling relationship. What's important is how your profile interacts with the profile of a potential romantic partner -- or what is commonly called “chemistry.” Based on decades of empirical research in the social sciences, the CP captures the five key ingredients that can determine whether or not two people have the “right” psychological chemistry. The relationship variables are: Self-Confidence, or the degree to which a person feels comfortable with him or herself. People that are high in self-confidence tend to be assertive and competent in both their private and public relationships. People that are low in self-confidence tend to be reticent and somewhat anxious. Family Orientation, or the degree to which a person supports and values the family. People that are family-oriented tend to want or already have children, are very close to their immediate relatives and prefer cooking at home to eating at a restaurant. People that are not family-oriented tend to be individualistic, unconventional and very much enjoy attending parties and social functions. Self-Control, or the extent to which a person exerts control over various aspects of life. People that are high in self-control tend have strong emotional reactions to things and try to regulate those feelings by micromanaging and attending to specific details. People that are low in self-control are usually relaxed, even-tempered and lenient. Openness, or the extent to which a person is open to and dependent upon others. People that are high in openness tend to like a wide range of things (e.g., food, music, movies, etc.), in part because they are concerned with pleasing other people. In contrast, people low in openness are very independent and opinionated; they know what they like and aren’t apt to change their opinion. Easygoingness, or a person’s work ethic and degree of mental flexibility. People that are high in easygoingness are very relaxed, broadminded and unaffected by change. In contrast, people low in easygoingness tend be hardworking, firm, and sometimes inflexible. IMPORTANT: Before reading your profile, remember that the report is based on generalizations from research on an international validation sample. Some feedback may not apply to your case. For instance, we know that overall those scoring "moderate or high" on Family Orientation tend to either want children soon or are open to the idea in the future. However, this generalization may not be accurate for all moderate and high scorers. Use these results for self-awareness and self-reflection...and hopefully as a conversation piece with other Plenty of Fish members!
Your Chemistry Test Results
Self-Confidence
As someone with high self-confidence, you feel quite comfortable interacting with other people. Indeed, you find the company of others very stimulating and enjoy meeting new people. Your relaxed demeanor in groups makes people around you comfortable too. Perhaps because you feel comfortable talking about yourself, others tend to enjoy being around you and perceive you as socially competent.
The confidence that helps you feel comfortable talking to people also spills into your own personal beliefs about yourself. Although you have several strengths, it’s likely that you also acknowledge and accept your weaknesses. But unlike some people, you take full responsibility for your actions—you rarely regret things you’ve done in the past and are not embarrassed easily.
Perhaps the defining feature that sets you apart from most people is the exceptionally high standards that you set for yourself. Your competence in social gatherings as well as at work should provide ample evidence for this. With these characteristics, it’s very likely that people come to you for advice and generally think of you as someone with leader-like qualities.
Family Orientation
As someone who is oriented to familial matters, you value the company of family-members and domestic life. If you have children already, you enjoy spending time with them very much and work hard to be a good parent. If you don’t have children, you very much desire having children in the future. And your preference for cooking and entertaining guests at home will likely ease the transition into parenthood.
You take pride in maintaining and cultivating a healthy family and work hard to achieve this. This natural tendency is easily illustrated by your preference for doing things around the house as opposed to going out to clubs and restaurants.
What really sets you apart from people that are low in family orientation is that you know how to manage your frustrations and work well on your own. This means that you are well-equipped to manage a family without letting all the work that is involved wear you down. However, as someone with strong family values, all the work that is involved in maintaining a tidy home and well-stocked kitchen might occasionally make it difficult for you to finish everything that you need to do.
Self-Control
The self-control personality dimension captures the way in which a person regulates and directs him or herself. Being low in self-control can be both good and bad. Occasionally people may be compelled to follow their intuitions and give in to their temptations, and your degree of self-control makes this likely to happen more often than not. This can be good in circumstances where being relaxed and open are important. However, in situations where it is necessary to be focused and careful, you might find that you do or say things that may be inappropriate.
As someone who exerts little control over your actions, you may find that you commit social blunders that might offend other people and get yourself in trouble. For example, if you’re given responsibility to work on a project that requires close attention to detail, you may be likely to overlook important details because you have difficulty staying focused. Consequently, you might feel more comfortable delegating such tasks to other people who are more detail oriented. Being able to recognize such characteristics in yourself and having more detail-oriented people do such tasks could be an effective way to manage your own stress level.
Low self-control may diminish your effectiveness at work. Acting too relaxed can make it difficult for you to focus on projects that require organized sequences of steps or stages. Thus, your ability to accomplish may be inconsistent. Indeed, it’s possible that you might be criticized periodically for being unreliable or unable to “stay within the lines.” Nonetheless, you may still experience many short-lived pleasures and never be thought of as boring.
Openness
As someone high in openness, you have a strong appreciation for beauty, both in art and nature. Indeed, it’s likely that you are easily absorbed in music and art, as well as natural phenomena. Another aspect of your openness is your emotional insight; that is, you probably have good access to and awareness of your own emotions.
Another aspect of the openness dimension is the tendency to think about abstract concepts and ideas. This thinking style may take the form of artistic and metaphorical use of language, and/or music composition or performance. Thus, it is likely that, either in your work or spare time, you enjoy activities that get your “creative juices” flowing.
Your tendency to be open-minded can have advantages and disadvantages. For instance, when there are no clear rules about how to approach a particular problem, your openness makes it easier for you to identify new ways to solve problems that might not be very obvious to people that are not as open as you are. In contrast, you may be bored easily in situations that lack high amounts of intellectual stimulation. In such cases, you might have difficulty excelling on projects that do not provide much stimulation or require much creative thinking.
Easygoingness
Easygoingness refers to one's ability to relax. Based on your score, you appear to work and play hard. The benefits of being moderate in easygoingness are that you achieve success through hard work, but you also know when and how to relax. Your colleagues and friends likely consider you as reliable and fun to be around.
Being moderate in easygoingness can cause you some stress, however. For example, you may sometimes find it difficult to complete tasks thoroughly and efficiently, which can cause stress for both you and the people around you. You may occasionally experience stress by working hard to reach your goals, but you value having fun and just relaxing. Knowing how to balance both work and play is a gift, and you have the key ingredients for doing this.
You have enough mental flexibility to think creatively and enough focus to implement those ideas well. This might be epitomized by your occasional difficulty focusing on subtle details, but the ease with which you’re able to adjust to changes in your life.
As someone who is neither rigid nor careless, you likely get along with most people well. On the one hand, you recognize the value of working hard and therefore consider such qualities in others beneficial. On the other hand, you know how to relax and thus appreciate people that know how to do this too. Chances are your friends and colleagues perceive you as someone that works hard, but also knows how to have a good time.
How does your personality affect your love life?
With your strong degree of confidence, it’s no surprise that you get along well with most people. Indeed, it’s self-confidence that allows people to feel comfortable interacting with others without feeling insecure and vulnerable. For this reason, you shouldn’t have much difficulty in romance, at least not initially. Your social skills will likely help relieve any anxiety your romantic partners might have on those first few dates. However, over time, the high standards that you have for yourself could potentially frustrate your partner.
Given how much you value family life, you probably get along best with people who share your values and beliefs. In fact, it’s likely that you maintain close connections with members of your immediate and distant family. For this reason, you would probably be most satisfied in a romantic relationship with someone who also values domestic life. Being in a relationship with someone who enjoys going out to parties and staying-up late at night might be fun, at least initially; yet it’s likely that you will find this tiring over time. Thus, it might be easier and more satisfying for you to develop a long-lasting relationship with a person who also enjoys spending time at home and desires starting a family. On first dates, perhaps you might suggest to your partner that the two of you spend a quiet night having dinner at one of your respective homes instead of going out to a restaurant or club.
As someone who is more relaxed than most people, you’re likely be attracted to most people. However, your free-spirited nature might make being in a relationship with a person that is more rigid than you difficult because you might perceive the person as being too uptight and controlling. For this reason, you may ultimately be most satisfied in a relationship with someone that is shares your level of self-control.
Your openness probably makes it easy for you to respect and appreciate people that are different from you. However, when it comes to romantic relationships, your openness might make it difficult for you to tolerate people that cannot appreciate diversity as much as you. Therefore, you may be happiest in serious relationships with people that share your open-mindedness. But, your openness might occasionally cause a certain degree of dependency on your end because you may be so open that you easily adopt the preferences and habits of your partners and gradually relinquish things that make you so unique.
January 5 Court Date: Request For Case Dismissal Based on Voluntary Pledge
December 26, 2008
9:30 AM, Part C
100 Centre Street
New York, NY 10013
2008 NY 040082
Mr. Youngblood.
Thank you for taking the time to appear on my behalf in court on December 18. I would like to offer this voluntary pledge based on which I request that you push for a case dismissal.
Voluntary Pledge
Not mentioning the ERC name at my Barackface blog going into the future. (http://democracyforum.blogspot.com)
Not showing up for DL21C events.
Quiet Pledge *
Not mentioning the name of any NYC young progressive at my Barackface blog going into the future.
Not going to political events in general.
* This is me saying to myself and to my business partner I wish to focus on my tech startup like a laser beam.
Please arrange for me to address the judge directly for one minute on January 5.
This is the woman I am looking into right now. This is not Elizabeth Caputo, this is Red Rose.
During the six months I felt the emotional presence of my sister first and foremost. And I also felt Adam's presence. And there were people in the Nepali community. Anil and Chandra would meet up with my Nepali lawyer to express concern. Binod Shah had me stay at his house after I got out. He is the most connected-among-Madhesis Madhesi in New York Metro. My brother-in-law bailed me out. My high school alumni association's North America's chapter founder, classmate Kiran also wrote a letter.
Adam was a top Web 2.0 person at Morgan Stanley. My job is to get him to drop out of business school when the startup can afford to have him full time. I feel like I compete with Facebook in having him with me full time, by my side, working, dreaming of billions, Facebook and perhaps some consulting company in NYC. For me personally it is not about the money, it is about the vision statement.
Madhesi, Jewish
There are some overlaps, and then there are not. Jesus was a Jew. Buddha was a Madhesi. There are about 13 million Jews and Madhesis on the planet, 13 million each. The Jews got their own state, Israel. We Madhesis are working to get our own state in a federal Nepal.
But there is a direct connection between Jesus and anti-Semitism. The Holocaust at some level was the Jews getting blamed for killing Jesus. There is no direct connection between Buddha and the anti-Madhesi prejudice in Nepal. We have nothing even remotely close to the Holocaust in our heritage.
Both Madhesis and Jews are good looking people.
Two Cases: Immigration, Criminal
And to think there were people back in 2000, 2001 who thought I should go to Law School. The legal process is not creative enough for me. It feels like people using clever words to keep bothering you.
The immigration case is exactly where I want it at this point.
January 5
I want the criminal charge drama to come to an end on January 5. I am in talks with a criminal lawyer. But on my own I have thought up of something. I have no desire to go down the spiral of lawsuits and counter lawsuits. And fuck Charlie Rangel. I want to spend some time thinking about Caroline Kennedy, not Charlie Rangel. He should meet me in the halls and galleries of history if he can. I really don't have any desire to meet him in court. At some level I feel plain sorry for the guy.
Voluntary Pledge
Not mentioning the ERC name at this blog going into the future.
Not showing up for DL21C events.
Quiet Pledge
Not mentioning the name of any NYC young progressive at my blog going into the future.
Not going to political events in general.
Startup
I need to focus on the startup like a laser beam. That is the only way to take it to the heights I wish to take it to. Showing up for political events made sense when I was doing Nepal and Obama work. Both are behind me. I am a crisis man. When Nepal was in crisis, I was needed. When it was not at all obvious Barack is that man, I was needed. No more. Nepal is on track. Barack is in office.
I already stole six months from the startup. Three hours at a political event is three hours stolen away from the startup.
An Hour Or Two For Barack On Saturdays
Instead of first thing in the morning every morning, I do want to continue following Barack through Google News, but now I want to limit myself to an hour or two on Saturdays.
Five to six days a week it has to be, get up, workout, and devote the day to the startup.
Get A Life
Work and life. Taking better care of me. Making conscious chunks of time for family and friends. Working hard, living well, having fun. More me time.
No Career Switch
The startup work is going to be intense fun. It does not feel like a career switch. Internet access is the voting right for this 21st century. I never imagined myself a legislator. An executive office like the presidency fascinates me. The startup might be closer to my personality. Action.
Life: Part 2
This feels like life, part 2.
Autobiography
I think I am going to end up writing 1000 pages. So it might be quite a few months before it is out online. It is going to be experimental, nontraditional. The online format is going to have a major impact on its form and content, on its style. It might be blunt and detailed.
First time I heard of this site. I am surprised considering it has become so big.
Working Out
I relish the freedom of the freehand routines. And I am proud of my achievements so far. My body has sharper contours. It has been fleshing out nice. 600 pushups on Mondays and Thursdays, 600 crunches on Tuesdays and Fridays, 600 situps on Wednesdays and Saturdays. I don't know how the ancients kept track of the week.
Creative Guy
I am primarily a creative, not a combative guy. Combat is for once in a while. Creativity is for every single day. My hero Larry Ellison says he thinks of competitors as people who are trying to steal grains of rice from his children's teeth. Time for combat will come. Capitalism has its creative destructions.
Near Death
I once got into a real bad road accident in upstate New York. That was a near death experience. There was another incident in northern Texas that was a near death experience. The six months fall in that category, very literally, in a few different ways. On to life, part two. Appreciate the air, appreciate the water, appreciate.
Katie Halper's Night
I hope I did not give the impression that Katie made fun of the Holocaust for two hours and I laughed for two hours. That is not what happened. She dealt with all sorts of themes she has been cultivating over her stand up career. It is just that once in a while she would touch upon the Holocaust as a topic as in, it is okay to talk about it, it is okay to even find a few comic twists, and, people, maintain perspective, what about Hiroshima, Nagashaki, Darfur, Rwanda, the Armenians? Most of the two hours were comics making fun of the Jewish identity like Jon Stewart makes fun of his Jewish identity on national television.
January 5 Court Date: Bogus Court Order Violation Charge
9:30 AM, Part C
100 Centre Street
New York, NY 10013
2008 NY 040082
Hello Mr. Harris. Rudra mentioned your name back in July when I was in immigration detention. Ms. Elizabeth Caputo charged me with harassment. That triggered a May 13 deportation order because I was out of status. I was arrested for overnight on May 21. On May 22 I was ordered by a city judge to not contact her and was given a court date of June 4. A week later I showed up at the police station to pick up my wallet from night one of arrest. They arrested me again for a court order violation charge - bogus. On May 28 the judge refused the court order violation charge, refused "the people's" request for a $500 bail and let me go, and bundled the two cases. I showed up in court on June 4. Immigration got me. I spent six months in detention. Rudra got me out.
The city long ago dropped the original harassment charge "for lack of prosecutorial evidence." The court order violation charge is based on her claim that I ccd an email to her that I sent to two friends. That simply is not true. Please go to this page to see an image of the email yourself.
Charlie Rangel's office got involved early on. That office pressured the NYPD to register a charge that should never have been registered for long enough that I would get deported. Could Rangel be sued for that?
Since her court order violation charge is completely false, can I countersue and make her pay for my legal expenses? Your fees? How does this work?
Can someone seek an order of protection against me for no reason? How does that work? Or if the case does get thrown out, does the order of protection vanish? Would I then be able to go to political events put together by her organization? I might not want to on my own, and it might not be wise, but would it be legal for me to go to those events?
I don't really want to get into a fight. But I want to know of all my options, upto and including suing Rangel?
She is a very talented woman. At one time we respected each other much. We have also liked each other a few times, although nothing happened. That complicates things. What I want is I want the legal mess to come to an end. I don't want to hurt her. I don't want to go after her. I just want things to get normalized.
Maybe you can call up her lawyer and try for an out of court settlement. Is that even an option?
Is it possible she never knew about my deportation order of May 13? As in the NYPD would not tell her about it? How does that work?
One way this could end is I would pledge to (a) not mention her at my blog going into the future, and (b) not show up for her DL21C events. But this would be a voluntary pledge, and she would not push for an order of protection. And of course she would drop the court order violation charge and pay your fee. And I would not sue Rangel.
Please talk to her lawyer and see what our options are. And what is your fee? Can it be paid in installments?
December 22, 2008
December 26, 2008
Hello James. It was good to talk to you even though you are in Wyoming. This is the latest.
I want this whole thing to come to an end on January 5. I don't want to have to spend a single minute on this after January 5. I just want to be able to focus on my work and my life.
Will a voluntary pledge to (a) no longer mention ERC at my Barackface blog going forward, and (b) not show up for DL21C events do it? On my own I am also going to make a quiet pledge to myself: (a) to not mention young progressives in NYC in general at my blog, and (b) to avoid political events in the city in general. The quiet pledge is meant to help me focus on my tech startup like a laser beam.
You can't be anything else. You can't be one person in private, and another in public. Just be yourself. That is all you can be. You are great as you are. People love you for just the way you are. You got a great last name. Your father was the Barack Obama of his time. All that is good. But it is also about you. It is about your intelligence, your compassion, your work ethic, your caring about the underprivileged, work you have already done. And you did tip the balance in Obama's favor. If Barack had not done as well in North Carolina, if he had done less good on February 5, I mean.
Adopt The Obama Program
You got a pretty face. Can't say the same about Cuomo. But it is more than about a pretty face. Primarily it is about substance. What are your policy positions? That is easy. You say you are in broad alignment with the Obama program. You have already said you are a Kennedy Democrat, a Clinton Democrat, an Obama Democrat. How about FDR? Say you are also a FDR Democrat. Go Social Security.
Say you are for the Obama stimulus package. Say you are for universal health care like Barack Obama and Ted Kennedy. Say you are for a responsible end to the war in Iraq. All the broad Obama positions are at his websites. Get your staffers working.
Give A Few Speeches
This is a mini campaign. This is dress rehearsal for 2010 and 2012. You have got to get out there and give a few policy speeches. You don't have to get too specific. You can speak in broad generalities.
But A Listening Tour Comes First
That is the number one thing to learn from Hillary who both you and I love. When she first ran for the Senate, she did this remarkable thing. She went on a statewide listening tour. Politicians go for speaking tours. She went on a listening tour. It is very important to go on a listening tour into many upstate pockets. I am glad you got an apartment on the Upper East Side. But you got to claim the upstate people. The difference between you and every other top contender for the same job is you are one person who is not going to feel like a downstate person to the upstate people. Highlight that. That just might be the number one reason for Paterson to go for you. That dude is going to be seeking his office all over again in 2010. He will hurt himself if he has too much of a downstate image.
Can't Let The Handlers Handle You
You got to be yourself. You should shoot for a DirectConnect with the people. Al Gore got "handled" in 2000 and look what happened. The staffers are there to take care of the logistics, the technical details, write speeches, give political advice, help with the media. But they are not there to script you. You could fire all your staff and get a new batch and you will still be you. It is about you.
Can't Avoid The Media
There are going to be interviews. There are going to be press conferences. Heck, there might even be an appearance on Letterman. That guy is corny. Have fun while on air with him.
Ted Kennedy: Evergreen
You are the daughter, but that guy is the brother. More New York politicians are in awe of Ted Kennedy than they are in awe of David Paterson. Make use of him, but judiciously. It can't become about him, but don't make the Gore 2000 mistake of not using Bill Clinton. Ted is your Bill. Ted is one for the ages. He could advise you on everything including how best to use him. He could make phone calls. Heck, he could have dinner with Paterson if he wanted.
Leave It To The Ultimate Guy
Ultimately it is David Paterson's call to make. I love the guy. He is just great. Do your best, do meet him a few times to make your case, campaign, go see the state, make your appearances. But don't be seen pressuring. Make your case, but don't pressure. And in case he goes for someone else, compliment him on his choice.
Harry Reid, Ted Kennedy, Mike Bloomberg, Me
That is four smart guys behind you. Don't let us down. Go get it.
Also Barack. Make that five. Also Hillary. Make that six. Six smart people.
Caroline Kennedy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia She earned a J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1988, graduating in the top ten percent of her class, several weeks before giving birth to her first child. ....... serves on the boards of numerous non-profit organizations. ..... From 2002 through 2004, Kennedy worked as director of the Office of Strategic Partnerships for the the New York City Department of Education. The three-day-a week job paid her a salary of $1 and had the goal of raising private money for the New York City public schools....... records show that Kennedy contributed $2300 to the Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign committee on June 29, 2007. She previously contributed a total of $5000 to Clinton's 2006 senatorial campaign. On September 18, 2007, she contributed $2300 to Barack Obama's presidential campaign committee. Caroline Kennedy
Radcliffe B.A. 1980
Columbia Law School J.D. 1988
Caroline Kennedy: The $100M Woman Op-Ed Contributor - A President Like My Father - NYTimes.com The Case Against Caroline Kennedy - The Fix the rough and tumble world of New York politics..... the incredibly harsh glare of the New York and national media .... a state known for its cutthroat politics .... her last name is synonymous with public service .... The idea of replacing one high-profile woman with a national (and international) reputation with another high-profile woman with national (and international) reputation makes good sense .... For many Catholics -- particularly in the Northeast -- the Kennedys are held somewhere just short of the Pope in terms of esteem. ..... Obama's message -- politics is broken, we need new faces to fix it -- clearly appealed to Kennedy. She went from a political wall flower to an endorser and a vetter during the campaign and now a candidate in her own right. Obama's Secretary Of Education: Caroline Kennedy? N.Y. Republicans Slam Caroline Kennedy, Face The Nation: Potential ... a "celebrity" without the qualifications ..... decried the Senate as becoming "a House of Lords." ..... Those characterizations of Kennedy as an elitist were not accepted by New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, who defended her experience, particularly in public service. ..... "I think people are missing the essence of this woman," Klein ..... she came to work for the kids in New York. Most of those kids grow up in poor families ..... You know, Rembrandt was a great artist. His brother Murray, on the other hand, Murray Rembrandt wouldn't paint a house ........ Dominic Carter of the New York City cable news channel NY1 said that, from what he has heard, "It is basically a done deal - that if Caroline Kennedy wants this seat (and she has expressed interest in it), then it is hers." ...... "When she walked into this restaurant in Harlem, the crowd gave her basically a standing ovation. And then she sat down for a private event. I saw confidence. I saw that she wasn't looking to run away from the media. ..... And what about Hillary? Would she support Kennedy, after Kennedy backed Obama? "She has told her people to back off," Carter said. "She is moving ahead in terms of becoming Secretary of State. And you know, for all the criticism we've heard of Caroline Kennedy, we've been there before in terms of hearing the exact same thing about Hillary Clinton."
In The News
Kennedy Endures Rough Start in Bid for Senate Seat Washington Post, United States "I happen to have worked with her," Bloomberg said ...... She is intelligent, competent, knows as much about the issues, I think, as most people that run for senator or have been our senators in the past ........ "The Bloomberg operation is behind this big ..... "He's the capo di tutti capi" -- boss of bosses. "He's using his influence to perhaps have someone in the U.S. Senate who he supports." ....... Bloomberg and Kennedy are both wealthy residents of Manhattan's Upper East Side ...... Liu was named John after her father, the assassinated president, and Liu's two brothers are named Robert and Edward after two of her uncles. ...... But this is an appointment, so no formal disclosure rules apply. ..... the tough arena of New York politics. ...... "It is so silly what they are doing to her," Koch said. "We all know she's a multimillionaire -- nobody resents that." ...... Kennedy's endorsement was seen by many as a turning point in Obama's tough primary fight against Clinton, and some of Obama's earliest backers in the state now are pushing for Kennedy's appointment. ....... She can energize the base that Obama got motivated in central New York." ....... "The governor is certainly going to listen to what the president-elect wants, or may want . . . because New York is going to be competing for valuable infrastructure funds" Kennedy, in Senate bid, hasn't shared financesThe Associated Press Backlash builds over Kennedy's Senate questSeattle Times Caroline Kennedy is no front-runner, peeved Gov. Paterson pledgesNew York Daily News In 1998, Caroline Kennedy received an estimated $38 million from her share of the family's sale of Chicago's Merchandise Mart and other related properties. .... Joseph Kennedy bought the Merchandise Mart, once the largest building in the world, in 1945.... her brother left an estimated $50 million estate following his death in 1999, with Caroline Kennedy and her three children the prime beneficiaries. Kennedy is focused on helping Obama begin Albert Lea Tribune, MN What's in a name? Plenty, for a KennedyScarlet Scuttlebutt The Caroline Times File: Getting Tough on Kennedy's StonewallingGawker Is Caroline Kennedy the Democratic Sarah Palin? Examiner.com Caroline Kennedy: This isn't her father's Camelot Los Angeles Times, CAClinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, and Cuomo's dad, former New York Gov. Mario M. Cuomo, clashed as far back as five presidential campaigns ago -- and apparently some of that enmity still lingers........ David Paterson, another dynastic politician, whose father, Basil, was once a major power in New York politics. ....... "Illinois may be making headlines, but it's still the Second City." ..... Kennedy -- who lives in a Park Avenue ZIP Code where the mail is sorted and hand-delivered by doormen -- now has to prove she has the appetite to mix in with apple farmers and union chiefs, and to maneuver in the clubby male-dominated atmosphere of the U.S. Senate. On Wednesday, she made her first foray as a would-be senator, drawing a press mob as she met with the mayors of Syracuse and Rochester.
Hitler would have loved to be dictator of New York, he would have had a limitless supply of Jews. (Okay, okay, before you throw me back to jail. Katie Halper spent all evening yesterday making fun of the Holocaust. Get her first.)
I started out laughing and hooting and hollering and clapping so hard, I realized I was drawing as much attention from the small, intimate audience as Katie herself, who was on stage performing, and also Katie's attention, so I really had to restrain myself for the next two hours. No clapping, quieter belly laughing. I might still have scared Katie's dad who happened to be sitting next to me, but that is okay. When the lights were on he came across as an understanding man. It is not like we talked or anything. I mean, before the show started I did not realize he was Katie's dad or I would have at least said hello. He was reading this big, thick, picturesque book called Indian Ink. That right there is an open minded Jew. (Okay, every comic made fun of the Jewish identity. So go figure.)
Justin Krebs started out. But he was not funny. He looked like he just woke up after a day of sleep, and he had not even washed his face. You could see sleep marks on his face. That is not funny.
Katie would perform, then give the stage to someone else, then perform, then repeat. She processed about a half dozen other comics that way. Katie Halper, Power Woman. During the final half hour, at one point, she confronted Justin Krebs. He was the technician sitting in front of his elaborate grid, I guess he flashed. I did not see, but he must shown her some kind of a light. She said, I know my time is up, but I am "speaking truth to power" and she continued for another 15 minutes. She was speaking to power, White Male Justin Krebs.
From the first time I have seen Katie perform I have been like, this is a thickly intellectual comic. So I am glad she at one point mentioned Woody Allen. That guy is also thickly intellectual. Katie must be doing a lot of homework. It is possible to laugh nonstop during Katie's performance. It is intellectual tickle.
Katie is Jewish. Negin is Arab. They act like they get along. But I think they are faking it. At one point Katie did make fun of Negin's "glasses." I noticed.
I have been in this city three years. To me the Jews of New York are like distant, badass cousins you always heard of but never met until now. The Jews remind me of Texans. I have been to all 48 states. Texans talked like Texas were another country. There was such a strong state identity. The Jewish identity really matters to Jews. It is like half of them got wiped out, and the other half multiplied for half a century to finally make up for the loss. The pain of the Holocaust makes for an intense emotional intelligence. And, by the way, Cuomo played foul with Spitzer. I am glad Caroline not Cuomo will be Senator.
There are people who have started saying Caroline Kennedy is an airhead. Barack Obama went to Harvard Law School. Noone is calling Barack Obama an airhead. My lawyer Rudra went to Harvard Law School. Noone is calling Rudra an airhead. Caroline went to Harvard Law. To call her an airhead is fundamentally sexist. As long as the US Senate does not become 50% female, I am going to keep calling it a sexist institution. We need more women there, not less. This is an opportunity to get a woman in there, a qualified woman, a compassionate woman, a woman who matches Hillary pound for pound in progressive symbolism: Hillary is a Clinton, Caroline is a Kennedy.
There are people who are saying because Caroline is a Kennedy, that makes her an airhead. She is all name and no substance. I wonder how Senator Ted feels about that.
Hillary put 18 million cracks into not just one glass ceiling, but many. Let women like Caroline benefit.
There are some local pols who are threatening to show up in the 2010 primary if Caroline is nominated now. I say, let them. I have not heard of any of them before, and even now I don't much care for their names. If I never heard of you before, how prominent are you really locally?
Caroline is one name being considered who the upstate people are not going to use against Paterson in 2010. Caroline is a lifeline to Paterson. She is also Paterson's shot at a tryst with destiny. A legally blind guy should have compassion for a gender challenged person. All women are gender challenged. This is a sexist country.
Bill Clinton also raised $350 million like Caroline, but he raised it for his library. Caroline raised it for a good cause.
This past Thursday was the Drinking Liberally Holiday Party. There are so many of these Holiday parties all over town. That same evening Manhattan Young Democrats had one not far from Rudy's, I later learned. If I had known, I would have made it to both parties. I promised Al a long time ago that I would show up for some of his events.
I went train hopping before the party. Actually I was not even planning to show up. I went train hopping. And then I decided, what the heck, it might be fun, so I showed. It is quite something to watch people at the bigger train stations. It is also nice and warm.
I got myself a bottle of Budweiser. I stick to one drink.
The way they do the tent in the backyard is it is all warm up there, and it is like you got your feet in the snow. Not exactly in the snow, but it is cold. Used to be different two years back. It used to be all warm. Or is that selective memory at work?
Paul and Hew are friends. Paul is a real fun guy, this was his first time at Drinking Liberally. Born and raised in New York, he said. I went to school in Kentucky, one day I went to church, and the people at church are like, can we call you Paul? I said. No, you can't call me Paul, I said. Hey, come on, Paul is a nice name, says Paul.
Hew started Reading Liberally. Both are lawyers, one a construction attorney, another a bankruptcy attorney. Hew pointed Josh out and said, "He is a real smart guy."
This woman said "Justin knows me really well." She is a regular. I have seen her a few times. I bet most people under the tent felt that way. Justin knows me real well. That is why I try not to feel too special when that guy says hello. I am one in a million.
I like Drinking Liberally. I like it how it is so casual. Although once in a while Justin Krebs gets up on a chair and starts speaking in a loud voice like he were Julius Caesar. He did at the party. Countrymen, comrades, People, People, People. Why do only the DC people get to have it? We are also going to have an inauguration ball. 20 bucks.
Much later after that speech, I bumped into him for a few seconds. I gently touched his belly. Looks like someone is trying to grow a beer belly, I said. He snuck it in quick. Me? Belly? What? He does not have much of one, I was just playing with the Drinking Liberally theme. You would think the top guy in the organization would drink a lot. He probably does.
Aaron is the coolest guy. I really dig Aaron. He was there. I just find him so funny. Every other thing he says I find funny. I have asked some people, is it just me, or is he really that funny? We chatted briefly. He was not there long.
JD. We have met before, I said to him. Yeah, it's been months, he said. I know, I thought, long months.
The best part about Drinking Liberally is that it happens every Thursday. And you don't have to go to this or that website to find out. I mean, it's Thursdays. And it is just so casual. People don't even talk politics half the time. It is just whoever talking whatever.
I met a guy who said he had been a bike messenger. I am like, wow. Apparently it is big business in town. When corporate types want something delivered like now, they use bike messengers. A friend of mine was part of this dot com called Kozmo. They used bikers to deliver pizza and movies. The company made a lot of news and went down. I moved to New York, he moved to DC around the same time. I am like, wow, you don't need a car here. He was like, wow, finally I can have a car.
I was so taken by the bike messenger talk. This woman standing next to him is like, well, I am an archeologist. It is like Indiana Jones. And also Sex And The City, sometimes I have to give presentations.
Stephanie Hausner showed up. The first thing she ever said to me was, hey, you are my Facebook friend. That was over a year ago at a debate watch party. I liked her saying that. She is the Secretary to the Young Democrats Of America. She said she had a fan club, "all guys." Later at home I checked out her Facebook profile. She is now Campaign Manager to someone running for the State Senate. I thought that was rather cool. I am really impressed.
Paul Newell sounded drunk. He said he had been to a few parties with a few more to go.
Rabbi Ben Dot Com showed up with a stunning girlfriend. It was like Lewis Cohen at that Obama event in January. I am like, wow, this guy is going places. It was Ben, Stephanie and a whole bunch of MYD types. I really wished I had gone over to their party. And this guy from Queens, we bumped fists. I believe he runs the Young Democrats there. There was a Kate. I inquired about Kristina. She said she was at grad school. Kristina did turn MYD into the top chapter in the country.
Come to think of it I saw both Al and Ben at that Bill Thompson party from not long back where the dude totally turned around on me because I was in jeans. Looks like Bloomberg might win reelection. Blacks can be Mayor in most cities in America. But this is the only town where a Jewish guy can. Plus that guy takes $1 in salary. (At The Bill Thompson Penthouse: Elvis Sighting) I appreciated seeing Al and Ben. I like them both a whole lot. They are both good guys, good heart.
I saw the DFNYC Heather. She brushed past twice. I said hey. I thought she was looking great.
At the end of the day I was so glad I showed up. I had a happiness buzz after I left, not a drink buzz.
On November 9, I had almost 1200 page hits. And I had not blogged in six months. Go wonder.
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