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Black Suggests Sexism At Play In Ouster
Apr 8th - 2:47 pm
In her first extended interview since she was abruptly shown the door by Mayor Bloomberg after just 95 days on the job yesterday morning, former NYC Schools Chancellor Cathie Black insisted – again – that she’s “fine” with the decision, but also suggested the fact that she’s a woman might have contributed to her failure.
FORTUNE’s Pattie Sellers reports:
Even as she recognized her inadequacies, Black says she has wondered: “If I were a guy, would I have had the pounding that I did?
“And the worst pictures!” she says, obviously referring to a horrid closeup shot of her on a February cover of New York Magazine.
(Not to mention this morning’s DN cover. Yikes).
Sellers suggested Black might be a victim of the “glass cliff,” in which men try to put them in positions “beyong their level of competence” in hopes of demonstrating how open-minded and committed to diversity they are – only to see those women fail in a highly public way.
“There may be some truth in that,” Black says, all but admitting that for a manager like her, with no professional experience in education, heading America’s largest public school system was above her capabilities. “It was like having to learn Russian in a weekend – and then give speeches in Russian and speak Russian in budget committee and City Council meetings.”
Black, 66, also called herself a “warrior,” and said she has “different options to consider” for her next career move (the Post’s Keith J. Kelly noted there are two top media spots available at the moment), but said she’s “not in a rush” to make any moves.
Skelos: Democrat Koch Wants Democrat Dominance
Apr 8th - 8:48 am
ICYMI: Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos suggested yesterday that former NYC Mayor Ed Koch’s push for redistricting reform is politically motivated.
Asked by YNN Buffalo to response to Koch’s characterization of Skelos – and his GOP conference – as “enemies” of reform after they balked at making good on a pledge to support the creation of an independent redistricting commission, the Long Island Republican said:
“The Senate, we passed a redistricting bill that we think is constitutionally correct, we think the approach Mayor Koch, the bill he’s endorsed in the past is not bipartisan.”
“…And the mayor has even indicated in the past – and remember, he’s a Democrat from New York City – that everything in the state would be Democrat. That’s wrong. We need balance in government. We saw when we went into the minority for two years, when everything was controlled by the Democrats from New York City, $14 billion in new taxes, $14 billion in spending, and that’s why we have the deficit this year that we’re dealing with.”
Koch On Black’s Ouster: ‘Shock And Awe’
Apr 7th - 1:30 pm
Asked about the ouster of city schools chancellor Cathie Black, former Mayor Ed Koch said the situation inspired “shock and awe.”
But he didn’t criticize Mayor Michael Bloomberg for appointing Black, a former publishing executive who had no educational administrative experience.
“Look, the mayor has to be given credit for bringing the education jurisdiction under that every other mayor including David Dinkins and Giuliani failed. I think the mayor if he is held responsible should be given every opportunity and right to appoint whoever he feels is capable, so I’m not going to second guess him.”
Sen. Kevin Parker, a Brooklyn Democrat, was willing to offer his critique of Bloomberg’s failed pick, saying the mayor was essentially admitting he made a mistake : “Whether she resigned or she stepped down, I think they do realize, the administration does realize they made a mistake. I think the mayor comes in with a particular perspective. He believes what’s good for Wall Street is what’s good for America. He’s more concerned about balancing the budget and test scores than what’s good for our young people.”
‘It Is What It Is’
Apr 7th - 12:37 pm
A rather testy Mayor Bloomberg chided reporters this morning for focusing on what caused him to dump his hand-picked NYC Schools Chancellor Cathy Black, instructing them to focus on how her replacement, Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott, will be “moving forward.”
Bloomberg brushed aside all questions about how his misstep in selection Black – a move for which he took “full responsibility” – might be yet another indication of third term malaise, insisting this term would be “better than the second.”
The mayor sought to sum up the Black debacle in five words: “It is what it is.”
But what it is, of course, will be widely parsed by the chattering class, and it’s a safe bet this will be chalked up as yet another in what has been a series of losses for the mayor as he strugglings to keep his footing during his final four years in office.
Just consider this:
Cuomo Won’t Attend Sharpton Event With Obama
Apr 6th - 5:33 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo will not be on hand when President Obama addresses the Rev. Al Sharpton’s “Keepers of the Dream Gala” in midtown Manhattan tonight, sources from both the administration and Sharpton’s National Action Network confirm.
Cuomo was invited to attend the event at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers for which Obama is making a special trip back to the Big Apple – his second in just over a week.
The governor, who has been keeping a deliberately low profile and sticking close to Albany while the Legislature is in session, declined Sharpton’s invite, opting to remain at the Capitol and work. (State lawmakers put in three days in Albany this week and aren’t scheduled to return until Monday, April 11).
The administration is sending Alphonso David, Cuomo’s deputy secretary for Civil Rights, to represent the administration at the NAN gala.
David, as you may recall, is one of a number of staffers Cuomo brought with him to the second floor from the AG’s office, where he served as special deputy AG for civil rights.
Sharpton and the governor spoke on the phone, according to an administration source, and there were no hard feelings about Cuomo’s decision to stay away from the NAN event.
Sharpton, as you may recall, criticized the lack of diversity on the Democratic ticket during the 2010 campaign, which spurred Cuomo to pledge he would create the most diverse administration in New York history if elected. (He’s still working on that, according to black and Latino leaders).
Schumer: KSM ‘Likely’ To Get Death Penalty At Guantanamo Trial
Apr 4th - 2:43 pm
Sen. Chuck Schumer was pleased by the Obama administration’s reversal trying KSM and his co-conspirators at a civilian court in New York City, insisting the “ultimate penalty” can yet be visited on the 9/11 mastermind, who the senior senator called a “dastardly criminal.”
“I have always said that KSM should not be tried in New York,” Schumer said during a stop earlier today in Syracuse.
“I have always said that he is a dastardly criminal and we have to do everything we can to find the ultimate penalty for him. I wrote the federal death penalty law that applies to him, and I hope it will be enforced. And I think that in this trial in Guantanamo it is likely to be enforced.”
Holder Stands By Decision On KSM While Reversing It
Apr 4th - 2:26 pm
US AG Eric Holder staunchly defended his decision to try the self-proclaimed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad in federal court in NYC even as he announced the reversal of that position – a move forced, he said, by actions taken by Congress.
“I stand by that decision today, as the indictment unsealed today reveals we were prepared to bring a powerful case against KSM and his four conspirators,” said Holder, describing the case as both “well-researched” and “well-documented.”
Holder blamed members of Congress for imposing restrictions that blocked the administration from bringing Guantanamo Bay detainees to trial in the US and insisted the Obama administration will continue to try to reverse that, adding: “Decisions about who, where and how to prosecute have always been and should remain decisions made by the executive branch.”
“Do I know better then them? Yes,” Holder said of members of Congress, insisting he has seen details on the case about which elected officials are not aware.
“We also must face a simple truth,” Holder said. “Those restrictions are unlikely to be repealed in the immediate future and we simply can’t allow a trial to be delayed any longer for the victims of the 9/11 attacks and for the family members who have waited over a decade for justice.”
Holder noted that he grew up in NYC (he’s a Queens native) and firmly believed all along that NYC would be able to safely host the KSM trials, even though local elected officials – including, then Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg although, in his case, not at first – had opposed the move.
The AG said the death penalty is still an option in the KSM case, although that remains an “open question.”
He decried the “needless controversy” that has surrounding this case since he first announced in November 2009 that the trials would be held in NYC, saying this should always have been about the victims and their families and not about “settling ideological arguments or scoring political points.”
Click here to read the unsealing order on the KSM indictment. Here’s the indictment (be forewarned, it’s 81 pages):
WFP Pressures Skelos On RSA
Apr 4th - 1:41 pm
The Working Families Party is using Rent Stabilization Association President Joe Strasburg’s unusually frank comments about the power of political contributions to the Senate GOP in its ongoing quest to establish a statewide public campaign finance system much like the one that exists in NYC.
As you’ll recall, Strasburg was caught on camera at a recent RSA meeting in Brooklyn unabashedly admitting his organization had “basically emptied our piggy bank” in the final 48 hours of the 2010 campaign to help the GOP retake the Senate majority, adding:
“(Senate Majority Leader) Dean Skelos, who understands how important you are as an industry – and it’s selfish – but he understands clearly that if he doesn’t hurt us or he tries to avoid hurting us, we will be there for him next time around.”
In an email blast to WFP supporters, the party’s executive director, Dan Cantor, said (with tongue firmly in cheek) that the labor-backed party owes Strasburg its “thanks”, adding:
“In the words of Bob Dylan, ‘money doesn’t talk, it swears.’ And Strasburg is just telling it like it is.”
“There’s a better way. It’s called Voter-Owned Elections, with public financing. In this system, eligible candidates raise small contributions from individuals, and then receive public matching funds. Big money would not vanish, but it would mean less.”
“And we’ll save taxpayers a lot of money when politicians no longer dole out sweetheart subsidies and tax loopholes to their corporate donors…Fortunately, Governor Cuomo has publicly endorsed the idea of Voter Owned Elections with public financing. But it’s up to us to give the proposal momentum and make sure the decision-makers in Albany know we’re serious.”
The WFP email includes the Strasburg video and a link to a petition that will be sent to Skelos. The party is hoping to get 50,000 supporters to send a missive to the majority leader expressing support for the so-called Voter Owned Elections Law.
Cuomo is on the record saying he supports public financing, but he so far hasn’t shown much interest in including it in any of his reform efforts. He has, however, made clear that he believes it’s necessary to both extend and “strengthen” the rent laws that are set to expire on June 15.
It’s Official, Obama Launches 2012 Re-elect
Apr 4th - 7:17 am
As expected, the Obama campaign has kicked into high gear today with the filing of papers to formally launch the president’s 2012 re-election bid.
This allows the president to crack up the fundraising, which some observers believe could reach $1 billion. Obama raised a record $745 million in his 2008 run.
Fresh off a visit last week to NYC where he raked in a cool $1.5 million for the DNC, the president is due back in Harlem Wednesday is mark the 20th anniversary of the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network.
A reader who’s part of the vast Obama grassroots network forwarded the following message and video that he received shortly after 6 a.m., in which the president writes:
“We’re doing this now because the politics we believe in does not start with expensive TV ads or extravaganzas, but with you – with people organizing block-by-block, talking to neighbors, co-workers, and friends. And that kind of campaign takes time to build.”
“So even though I’m focused on the job you elected me to do, and the race may not reach full speed for a year or more, the work of laying the foundation for our campaign must start today.”
“We’ve always known that lasting change wouldn’t come quickly or easily. It never does. But as my administration and folks across the country fight to protect the progress we’ve made – and make more – we also need to begin mobilizing for 2012, long before the time comes for me to begin campaigning in earnest.”
“As we take this step, I’d like to share a video that features some folks like you who are helping to lead the way on this journey.”
UPDATE: The second half of the president’s email message appears after the jump.
Capel To Cuomo Admin (Updated)
Apr 1st - 1:16 pm
Downstate Democratic operative Rodney Capel is returning to the public payroll – this time as a staffer for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, sources inside and out of the administration confirm.
Mike McKeon, who lured Capel away from NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s office to his PR/consulting firm, Mercury Public Affairs, confirmed the move. Capel will be doing intergovernmental work, which is pretty much what he did for Quinn.
This is a loss for Mercury, which started as a GOP-dominated firm and then broadened its horizons by bringing on a number of Democrats (a move undertaken by a number of firms back when Eliot Spitzer was about to replace George Pataki in Albany).
But McKeon insisted he’s not upset, explaining: “This is good for the governor, and what’s good for the governor is good by us.”
Keep in mind that McKeon headed up the Republicans for Cuomo effort during the 2010 campaign, so he already has ties to the second floor.
Capel joined Mercury, which was started by a number of former Pataki administration staffers, in November 2008.
Capel started working for Quinn’s in 2006 and was responsible for overseeing the Council’s member services division and its state and federal legislative offices. He replaced Kevin Wardally, who departed to join the lobbying firm of former Dinkins administration Deputy Mayor Bill Lynch.
Capel’s father, Jim, has served as Rangel’s chief of staff for decades. The younger Capel worked for the congressman on the Hill. He also worked on H. Carl McCall’s 1994 state comptroller bid and the last three Democratic presidential bids before Obama/Biden.
UPDATE: It’s official. The Cuomo admin just sent out an e-mail formally announcing Capel’s hire. His title: NYC director of Intergovernmental Affairs.
“Rodney has a longstanding and impressive career in government, both on the local and national levels,” Cuomo said.
“His experience makes him particularly suited for this appointment. He will be a great addition to my administration as we work with elected officials from across the state towards a better New York.”
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