Eva & Her Protesters



“I find them a little scary” said Eva Moskowitz about the protests she attracts.  Her City Hall press conference announcing that she will not run for mayor in 2017 unsurprisingly attracted a group of 20-25 protesters to the adjacent City Hall Park.  Their chants and shouts filled City Hall Plaza throughout her press conference, making it tough to hear the questions and answers.

In a stroke of good timing Moskowitz and one companion departed as the protesters chanted “hey hey, ho ho, Eva Moskowitz has got to go.”  She gave them a brief wave and kept walking, headed out to Broadway and back to work.

Here’s a brief clip of her departure:

No Mayor Moskowitz



IMG_4903Mayor Moskowitz?  Nope, at least not in 2018.  Success Academy Charter Schools founder and CEO Eva Moskowitz today announced that she will not run for mayor in 2017.  Moskowitz, a former City Council member who ran for Manhattan Borough President in 2005, has long had an interest in being mayor and she’s been deeply engaged with New York City and State government in her current role.  She’s been among a small group of potential 2017 mayoral candidates discussed in political circles and the press.

Moskowitz arrived early and alone, waiting for several minutes as a lectern was located and the press gathered.  Once a lectern was produced and the press in place Moskowitz told her audience that she is “not running for mayor in 2017.”  She dismissed any concerns about “winnability”, instead insisting that she’s idealistic and hopes to continue to have the opportunity to “dramatically change education.”

Continue reading No Mayor Moskowitz

The Grocery Governor (Updated*)



He went from prayers to produce in a Bed-Stuy flash.

Just minutes after a closing prayer at a political event Thursday night Governor Andrew Cuomo made a quick visit to a Bed-Stuy grocery store, greeting shoppers and staff and joining a grand reopening ribbon cutting.

Governor Cuomo attended a political event hosted by City Council Member Robert Cornegy in Bed-Stuy’s Restoration Plaza, receiving an award for “outstanding leadership and courage.”  Cornegy was joined by other Democratic Brooklyn elected officials, including Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Assembly Members Annette Robinson, Latrice Walker and Diana Richardson and Brooklyn Democratic County Chair Frank Seddio.

The event wrapped up with a prayer, introduced by Cornegy saying “Governor Cuomo, we know that prayer has been taken out of the schools but it hasn’t been taken out of Bedford Stuyvesant and Crown Heights.”  As the minister leading the prayer asked that “everyone hold hands”, Cornegy chimed in “except the photographers.”  Cuomo joined the audience in clasping hands with his neighbors and bowing his head as the minister led a prayer in appreciation of Cuomo’s attending the event and praying for Cuomo’s safe travel home.

Governor Cuomo and others join hands during a concluding prayer at a Bed-Stuy event.
Governor Cuomo and others join hands during a concluding prayer at a Bed-Stuy event.

As Cornegy concluded he invited the audience, including the Governor, to join him at a grand reopening of an adjacent grocery store.  “Let’s go!” replied Cuomo.  The press, the elected officials and Cuomo and his staff then headed to Super Foodtown, about 100 yards away via an interior courtyard. Continue reading The Grocery Governor (Updated*)

Cuomo & Jeffries



The Cuomo-Jeffries lovefest continued last night, with Governor Andrew Cuomo and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries lauding each other in back to back speeches.  Jeffries gave a warm introduction of Cuomo at an event in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy hosted by City Council Member Robert Cornegy, presenting Cuomo with an award for “outstanding leadership and courage in addressing the issues so vital to our Brooklyn communities.”  Recent news reports say that Cuomo has encouraged Jeffries to consider running for mayor against Bill de Blasio.

Cuomo:

Governor Cuomo reciprocated Jeffries’ warm introduction with kind words of his own.  Here’s an excerpt from his speech in which he talks about Jeffries:

Jeffries:

Here is Jeffries’ full speech, praising Cuomo generally as a “man of action”, and specifically on his executive order appointing the attorney general as a special prosecutor to investigate deaths of unarmed civilians killed by police.  Jeffries recounted several recent notorious cases, including Eric Garner, noting that “those officers weren’t even charged with a misdemeanor count of assault” as Cuomo listened and nodded.

Cuomo Press Q&A: The Bed-Stuy Edition



Governor Andrew Cuomo spoke this evening at a ceremony in Bedford-Stuyvesant hosted by New York City Council Member Robert Cornegy.  Cornegy was joined by other Democratic Brooklyn elected officials, including Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Assembly Members Annette Robinson, Latrice Walker and Diana Richardson.  Jeffries presented Cuomo with an award marking Cuomo’s Executive Order 147, which appointed the attorney general as a special prosecutor in all cases of police killing unarmed civilians.

Afterwards Governor Cuomo and the other elected officials walked to a nearby Foodtown which was holding a grand re-opening.  After a brief walkthrough and a ribbon-cutting ceremony Governor Cuomo spoke with the press just outside of Foodtown.

Cuomo began with a brief description of meeting the owner of this Foodtown at another store he owns located in Margaretville, New York during the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene and a question on Cuomo does his own grocery shopping.  Other question topics included whether the issuance of addenda to his Executive Order 147 signals a modification of how the cases will be reviewed and addressed, the status of an expected executive order mandating that 16 and 17 year olds held in New York State prisons be moved out of adult prisons, the latest on Hurricane Joaquin preparations, whether he’s yet selected races to focus on in the 2016 elections, whether he intends to declare a state of emergency related to Hurricane Joaquin and whether any arrests have been made in the killing Carey Gabay.

Here’s his full Q&A:

Contrasts



It was a study in Republican contrasts.Christie NH 9-25-15

Spending Friday attending separate New Hampshire town halls with Rand Paul and Chris Christie highlighted two of the most contrasting Republican presidential candidates.  Although they share weak poll results, generally at the tail end of the top ten candidates, they differ markedly in style and substance.

Paul NH 9-25-15On a personal level Paul is physically compact, appearing trim and fit, seemingly reserved and not very interested in talking about himself.  Christie is none of those.  Although they’ve held elective office for almost the same length of time (Paul was elected in 2010, Christie in 2009), Paul is a legislator and Christie an executive, each with disdain for the other’s current branch of government. Continue reading Contrasts