NY Observer > Connecticut

Down to Connecticut

Steve Kornacki — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:42:50 -0500

It's down to Connecticut for Barack Obama if he's going to pick off a victory in Hillary Clinton's backyard. He fared well in New Jersey and Massachusetts -- much better than it looked like he'd do a month ago -- but not enough to win. That means he'll be competitive in each state's delegate race with Clinton but won't reap the psychological benefit of being declared the winner of either state. That leaves Connecticut, where Obama leads by about three points with about one-third of the votes counted. read more »

The Afternoon Wrap: Wednesday

Observer Staff — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 13:45:57 -0400

Budding blog emperor Lockhart Steele (best name in the biz) has started a site for "shopping, stores and the retail scene of New York City." And it's pretty cool so far--especially the sexy Bowery Whole Foods "shelf porn". [Racked]
Ohio real estate has completely and magnificently crushed Manhattan real estate (at least in one instance): LeBron James' new 35,440-square-foot palace will have "a recording studio, a two-lane bowling alley, a casino, a 26-by 63-foot theater, a sports bar, an aquarium and a barbershop." Take that, Fifth Avenue. [Beacon Journal, via Luxist]
Sadly, the LA-based studio Ball-Nogues has won MoMa/PS1 's 2007 Young Architects Competition. [The victorious installation "Liquid Sky" is above.] [Architectural Record News]
The 100-mile voyage from NYC to the pre-Revolution village Kent, Conn., is apparently one of the Great American Drives. Why? It has to do with permeating "self-reliant Yankee spirit." [Travel + Leisure] - Max Abelson

Rudy Giuliani: Because Beggars Can’t Be Choosers

Steve Kornacki — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 20:00:00 -0400

If pragmatism prevails in the Republican primaries and caucuses next winter—a questionable pro read more »

Cuomo's Deputy for Member Items

Observer Staff — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 11:04:03 -0500

Andrew Cuomo just hired Ellen Nachtigall Biben as his new Special Deputy Attorney General for Public Integrity.

Get used to hearing the name: she's the one who's going to be in charge of reviewing some 6,000 legislative member items, and who will be responsible for determining the legality of proposed items in the future. read more »

Full announcement after the jump. -- Azi Paybarah

Obama's Friends on Orchard Street

Observer Staff — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 08:30:03 -0500

Friday night, Barack Obama supporters in the city held their first meet-up at a Gallary Bar on Orchard Street, a sign of the grass roots traction he's having in Hillary's back yard. Right when you walked in, a painting of a nake woman's torso, with strategically placed scoops of Nutella.

I didn't spot any of the usual Democratic operatives at this party that I've seen at DL21C parties and other events. But the turn out was a modest 100 people or so. And after a short video, and raffle for Obama buttons, the crowd died down. But, in the pursuit of a story, I asked a few of the women why they were supporting Obama over Hillary.

Michelle Leffert, a 27-year-old college senior studying Spanish in Connecticut, was in the back drinking white wine and keeping her a-political cousin company (who didn't want to talk). Leffert said she's been an Obama fan before tonight.

"I watch CNN every morning when I get ready for school and they were talking about how the senator from Illinois was in Kenya and I didn't know anything, I mean I knew nothing about him," she said. He was there promoting AIDS testing, she said. "And I thought he was great, I just fell in love."

What about Hillary?

"I guess the reason why I like Barack Obama is that he's not in it for power and to me, she's in it for power. She's power hungry," said Leffert.

No pride, as a women, possibly seeing a woman become president?

"Not at all," Leffert said, adding, "She doesn't do it for me."

One of the night's organizers, Mohan Siva, a 24-year-old systems analyst also from Connecticut, tried explaining where Hillary and Barack differed on issues.

"I whish I can answer that one for you," he said. "It's something we've been talking about so we can better understand Hillary's piece of it. You know, with Barack, what I see as his big differentiating factor is one, he's very grass roots oriented. So Hillary has better money making capabilities than Barack. So that's one. And two, his perspective on the war. From the beginning, Barack's been 'It's not a smart war. It's a dumb war.' And even to this day he's still pushing 'lets get them out of Iraq. It's not the right war. It's not the right direction.' Hillary, Hillary is a little more prudent in that area," Mohan said. "I would say that's the biggest difference."

Which sort of explains why Steaphanie Mollison and Amanda Wolfe, two of the oldest women in the crowd (very early 30's) were supporting Obama. They were seated on a couch near discarded jackets and book bags.

"I have to be honest with," Mollison, who works in fashion, told me. "I've never really been political. But there's just something about Barack that I just connected with."

"He's really real," Wolfe, a litigation attorney, interjected. "You feel like you can actually talk to him and he'll be listening to what you had to say. "

Why not vote for Hillary thought?

"I'm going to bash Hillary," Wolfe said.

"I'm not going to bash Hillary," Mollison echoed. "Before Obama stepped into the picture, I was for Hillary. And I still love her." She went on to say, "For me, it was like I love Hillary as a person. It wasn't just because she was a woman. I liked her views. It had nothing to do with her being a woman. Oh my god. I've never been a feminist in that respect."

Would you consider yourself a feminist?

"I would, to a certain extent," said Wolfe. -- Azi Paybarah

Elsewhere: Hillary, Bloomberg, Pfizer

Observer Staff — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 12:08:14 -0500

A Cook Political Report/RT Strategies poll shows 25 percent of people in favor of sending more troops sent to Iraq. That same poll shows John McCain, who supports the surge, leading Hillary Clinton by six points. Discuss.

DMIblog has a lengthy look at Hillary's immigration policy.

Mike Bloomberg could still jump into the 2008 race in a few months, says Ben. (Speaking of whom, check out the paper under Bloomberg's arm.)

Bloomberg said that it's possible to crack down on illegal guns and respect gun owners' rights.

Ethics reform is stalled in Albany because of, what else, scheduling conflicts.

Coop makes an interesting sighting. Ads to raise awareness about Dafur will be on the subways soon.

Harry Siegel reflects on pre-Katrina problems with New Orleans the Times' coverage thereof.

Joel Klein in 2009? He didn't say no.

Chris Cillizza wonders what tonight's SOTU catchphrase will be.

John Edwards will have a full-page ad in Roll Call tomorrow.

Pfizer will lay off workers in Brooklyn, where the company was founded, but workers in Connecticut will be spared.

Someone is trying to unload a 7-foot long Ehud Barak poster. For free.

And above is Hillary with a candidate who is being sued over Family Values.

-- Azi Paybarah

Francesca Haley Howard

Daisy Carrington — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 19:00:00 -0500

Oct. 21, 2006 11:03 p.m. 6 pounds, 8 ounces Lenox Hill Hospital read more »

George and Hilly

Observer Staff — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 19:00:00 -0500

Our madcap couple has just returned from having spent Thanksgiving with a large piece of the country read more »

Russian Tea Room Returns—Again! Food Used to Stink

Bryan Miller — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 19:00:00 -0500

When I learned that the Russian Tea Room was about to reopen earlier this month after four years as read more »

The Embrace

Observer Staff — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 08:05:00 -0500

In what looks like a conscious echo of Ned Lamont's attention-grabbing literature in Connecticut, here's part of a campaign flyer being handed out by one of the opponents of Transport Workers Union president Roger Toussaint opponents showing him hugging MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow.

For more information on the flyer, or the union's election later this year, check out Chuck Bennett. -- Azi Paybarah