The New York Observer » Jason Horowitz

Little Election, Big Union

The candidates were out and about, but it didn’t feel much like an election day.

On the corner of 11th Street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, Councilman and Democratic mayoral contender Tony Avella competed for attention from a modest flow of passersby with the son of district attorney candidate Leslie Crocker Snyder.

Mr. Read More

Bill de Blasio Has Nothing to Hide Except His Get Out the Vote Operation

While public advocate candidate Bill de Blasio cast his vote in Park Slope this morning, his brother and cousin and other volunteers raised de Blasio signs on a street corner near the polling place.

When I asked de Blasio’s spokesman Matt Wing where his vaunted field operation was canvassing today, he refused to say.

The Read More

The Mayor’s Race That Wasn’t

"For the first time in New York City,” said Representative Anthony Weiner back in January of 2008, when he was widely expected to run for mayor, “we’re starting to see the middle class, and those who are struggling to make it to the middle class, wondering.”

A year later, Mr. Weiner—who presented himself, convincingly, Read More

Hassan Nemazee Arrested on Fraud Charge; New York Donors Stunned

The New York donor community has been dealt its second shock of the year.

the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Bharara recently left his job as senior legal aide to Chuck Schumer, who was close to Nemazee and was a recipient of his donations.

Nemazee is Read More

The Ballad of Josh, Jef and Howard

In 1998, Josh Isay recruited his best friend and fellow Capitol Hill operative, Howard Wolfson, to return to their native New York and work on the long-shot U.S. Senate campaign of his boss, Representative Chuck Schumer. Around the same time, Jefrey Pollock, then a 27-year-old Philadelphia transplant who tried to mask his pubescent appearance Read More

ON MESSAGE: Minimum Exposure

"This Executive Order brings New York one step closer to achieving our ultimate goal of widespread fiscal reform, government efficiency and reduced property tax burdens."

For many Democrats, these times call for bolder government regulation to correct years of unchecked business practices harmful to the economy, climate and public health. And so, for Governor David Paterson, Read More

Baldies Booker, Bloomberg, Klein Covet Larry Harvey’s ‘Fro

In the summer, a mature man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of good hair.

Or maybe it’s just that the heat gets to them. But in recent days, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his political allies have been talking a lot about their lack of locks.

It started, at 9:25 a.m. on July 14, when Read More

The Summer of Bloomberg

This week, Vanity Fair named Mayor Michael Bloomberg one of the world’s best-dressed men. The judges apparently missed the mustard-colored shirt he wore to the Pakistan Day parade, or the powder-blue socks he wore to the Yankees game.

Mr. Bloomberg is trying to keep up the appearance of a mayoral candidate in a real Read More

Now, Engel for Gillibrand

There are going to be more of these.

Now that the field has been cleared of established Democratic challengers to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's nomination, the holdout members of the congressional delegation are going to be expressing their support for the senator, as Representative Eliot Engel just did.

Here's Engel's statement, which was sent Read More

Bloomberg Picks on Social Promotion, Legislator-Rolling NRA

Citing the "impressive success" of his own administration's anti-social-promotion policies in city schools, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced today that the city would expand the program by ending automatic advancement in the fourth and sixth grades.

Bloomberg spoke at the Patrick Henry Preparatory School on East 103 street in front of children's books, his schools chancellor, Read More

Schumer Wins Again

Carolyn Maloney's decision to drop her noisy threat to challenge Kirsten Gillibrand marks yet another victory for Senator Chuck Schumer, who, by helping clear the field of viable primary opponents to Gillibrand, ensures that he will have a receptive, influence-multiplying partner in a Senate where he is playing an increasingly prominent role.

Maloney Ends It

Carolyn Maloney is officially abandoning her prospective Senate bid.

Here's a statement just going out now from Maloney:

In seriously assessing a Senate Campaign, I have been inspired by all the calls of support I have received from a broad array of people from all over the Read More

ON MESSAGE

"I am the attorney general of the State of New York. I'm focused on being attorney general of the State of New York."

-Andrew Cuomo, at a press conference in the Capitol on July 29

It's one of the most reliable dodges in politics, "focusing" on your current job to avoid discussing the job you actually want. Read More

Bloomberg Isn’t Worried About Simcha Felder or the State Senate

Michael Bloomberg said this afternoon that the relationship between him and Councilman Simcha Felder is fine despite disagreeing with Felder's recollection that the mayor, illegally, initiated the process of directing city funds to organizations in the councilman's district.

"I haven't talked to Simcha since Sunday when we spent a good part of a day together Read More

Charles Schumer, Hegemon

These days, on the subject of his own influence, Senator Chuck Schumer is unusually demure.

“I’m not going to assess my influence,” Mr. Schumer told The Observer at his weekly Sunday press conference. “I’m working hard on a whole lot of different things. God blessed me with a lot of energy and I try Read More