Booker, Booker, Booker
He carried carried six of six council candidates to victory yesterday in Newark's runoff elections, ensuring that his allies will be sitting in each of the council's nine seats when he takes office on July 1.
It's a pretty amazing political accomplishment. Although Booker had a multi-million dollar financial advantage over his opponents, it wasn't as if the candidates who lost yesterday were nobodies. Several well-known incumbents went down, including Ras Baraka - the son of 9/11 conspiracy theorist and former state poet laureate Amiri Baraka. And another surprise loser was John James, the son of the city's domineering five-term Mayor Sharpe James.
The guy's a media monster. My guess is he's going to get more coverage in New York over the next few years than all but a handful of city and state officials.
The challenges Booker's going to be grappling with in one of the country's poorest cities makes for a compelling story, whether he succeeds or fails. (A documentary about his first, unsuccessful bid for mayor was nominated for an Oscar last year.)
And he's going to attract national attention for some of his more controversial ideas. He's a Democrat, for example, but has made himself a hero to national conservatives (and an enemy of the local teachers union) by proselytizing for school vouchers.
My Baghdad-bound former colleague Damien Cave has the wrap-up.
-- Josh Benson
You can add anti-Semite to your description of Amiri Baraka.
Plus, don't count on school vouchers gaining too much traction in Brick City, where political machines dominate and taxpayer dollars get thrown at the failing public school system.
Come now, Mr. Benson. Another cheap shot at New Jersey? Is that the stuff you come up with now in the hallowed halls of the Times? Seriously, though, I think that it's surprising that Newark hasn't gotten as much attention in the last few years. After all, millions of dollars from both New York and New Jersey go into the airport, seaport, and rail and highway infrastructure that is so vital to the region's commerce. If you care how your tax dollars are spent, you should care about Newark.
And New York Hotlist, ditto on Amiri Baraka's unsavory legacy. But don't count the vouchers idea down and out. Booker, for all intents, and purposes, has his own machine now, and the relationships that kept the old order intact, namely the alliances with the Essex County and New Jersey Democratic orgainzations, have now shifted to Booker. There are even rumors that they may ask James and/or Rice not to run for their state Senate seats this coming election cycle.
And as for failing schools being funded for by the taxpayers-doesn't that sound like a certain city across the Hudson? Don't try and tell me that Stuyvesant is the average model for NYC schools. Do you propose private school for everyone, then?