NY Observer > Cory Booker

Mayor: Despite Esquire Claim, Newark Free of Zombies

Matt Haber — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:20:54 -0400

In July, Esquire writer-at-large Scott Raab wrote a story called The Battle of Newark, Starring Cory Booker, which begins in latter-day New Journalism style:

Nearly 275,000 souls live in Newark, New Jersey—twelve miles from New York City—served by a grand total of one movie theater, where Cory Booker, Newark's mayor, sits on a Sunday night, hand-holding with a leggy Jersey City beauty and surrounded by various City Hall colleagues watching Will Smith in I Am Legend trying to save Manhattan from zombie hordes by devising a cure for the plague that has zombified them and wiped out most of the human race. Goddamn zombies. read more »

Report: Newark’s Booker, Devils Seeking Group to Buy Nets from Ratner [UPDATED]

Eliot Brown — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:28:38 -0400

The Star-Ledger reports that Newark Mayor Cory Booker and the New Jersey Devils are trying to assemble investors to buy the Nets basketball team from development firm Forest City Ratner.

Should the Nets be sold—Forest City denied that the team is for sale—it would presumably kill the more than $4 billion Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn, developed by Forest City under the premise that a new Frank Gehry-designed arena would be created for the Nets. read more »

Cory Booker on the Clinton Machine, Obama 'Freight Train'

Choire Sicha — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 11:49:23 -0500

EAST RUTHERFORD—Newark Mayor Cory Booker is predicting record Newark voter turnout, and high attendance throughout the state.

"We've got another upset coming on Tuesday," he said. (The Super Bowl metaphors are not gonna stop allllll day!) "We're back here not to rock the sports world like the Giants just did, we're here to rock the world!"

"We're going to be hitting hard as soon as the polls open," he said. read more »

Booker on Obama

Observer Staff — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 07:30:00 -0500

Here is Newark Mayor Cory Booker saying something important to Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion at last night's DL21C holiday party on 34th Street.

Before Booker delivered the night's keynote speech - which included a harrowing story about him putting his hands inside the chest of a man who had just been shot - I asked him what he thought of Barack Obama, another African-American politician with massive cross-over appeal who has become an object of fascination for the media.

"I think he's a phenomenal individual," he said. "This is one of those circumstances where there's incredible hype and substance to back it up."

-- Azi Paybarah

On Not Having the LMDC to Kick Around Anymore

Observer Staff — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 13:30:00 -0400

Buried deep in today's New York Times' article on the future, or lack thereof, of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, is the most biting critique of the agency that has been seen fit to print. Robin Pogrebin got her hands on a memo by noted arts consultant Adrian Ellis who wrote:

L.M.D.C. was one of the most unimpressive organizations with which I have worked in 16 years of consulting: the expression 'sloping shoulders' could have been invented for it -- everyone sitting across the table seemed furtive, cowed, insinuating, hand-wringing and evasive, from the first meeting to the last.

Today--in response?--the L.M.D.C. issued a press release confirming that it is disbanding "in the fall" and announcing that President Stefan Pryor had taken a job as deputy mayor in Newark Mayor Cory Booker's administration. The city will take over the remaining arts grants and Fulton Street's redesign, and no one has stepped up to defend Frank Gehry's performing arts center.

-Matthew Schuerman

Booker, Booker, Booker

Observer Staff — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 06:46:41 -0400

It's a New York political blog, but it's worth diverting your attention for a moment to the sweet-smelling state across the river to ponder what Cory Booker managed to do yesterday.

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

The Morning Read: June 14, 2006

Observer Staff — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 05:00:50 -0400

The Times reports the Cory Booker has won a mandate in Newark.

Hillary Clinton opens a debate on family planning.

Newsday reports that Tom Suozzi is echoing the calls of John Faso. —Nicole Brydson

The Politicker

Observer Staff — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 07:29:41 -0400

Forgive the digression, but for anyone who likes politics, it may be worthwhile to keep an eye on election results today over in Newark, where Cory Booker is attempting to shore up his thumping mayoral victory by electing a friendly majority to the city's nine-member Municipal Council.

Yes, it's a runoff council election in Newark.

But the players are kind of amazing: the champions of the old guard

And it could well determine whether Booker can build a record in office that will allow him to run for higher office anytime soon, or whether it all comes to an end amid gridlock.

My former colleague Damien has the write-up.

The Politicker

Observer Staff — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 07:29:41 -0400

Yes, it's a runoff council election in Newark.

But the players are kind of amazing: the champions of the old guard

And it could well determine whether Booker can build a record in office that will allow him to run for higher office anytime soon, or whether it all comes to an end amid gridlock.

My former colleague Damien has the write-up.

The Morning Read: June 6, 2006

Observer Staff — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 04:29:23 -0400

The Times reports on threats made against Cory Booker.

Hearings are scheduled for legislative redistricting.

Today is Primary Day in New Jersey.

The Daily News reports that Greg Meeks ranks in the top 10 of "globetrotting congressional offices."

Bill Weld is facing pressure to drop out of the governor's race. —Nicole Brydson