NY Observer > Haile Rivera

Brooklyn Electeds Flock to Obama Rally at City Hall

Azi Paybarah — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 16:46:10 -0500

How many black elected officials from Brooklyn were at the rally for Barack Obama on the City Hall steps this afternoon?

Enough that State Senator Bill Perkins of Harlem muttered to himself at the podium, “Oh man, we’re going to have to mix this up a bit.” He then introduced state Senator Eric Adams--who's from Brooklyn. read more »

Obama Channels Haile Rivera

Azi Paybarah — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 07:10:49 -0400

Bronx resident Haile Rivera is getting some more mileage out of his dinner with Barack Obama, courtesy of this three minute video the campaign just posted on their web site.

Rivera's Dinner with Obama

Azi Paybarah — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 10:06:15 -0400

Haile Rivera, a Bronx-based food bank employee, City Council aspirant andsupporter of Barack Obama, is back from a dinner in D.C. that the senator had with four low-dollar contributors.

Rivera seems to have been mesmerized by Obama, which I guess is bound to happen when you get to have dinner with a presidential candidate after donating just $5.

Here's part of his dispatch:

“As he greeted us, he did so with a sincere, normal smile (one of those that you know was not prepped in advance), a firm handshake and a "Hi, nice to meet you." He thanked us for coming (as if we[sic] an invitation from him could be turned down).”

He adds, “I concluded by inviting him to the Bronx and letting him know that next time, dinner was on me.”

Haile's Dinner Party Date with Obama

Azi Paybarah — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 10:58:49 -0400

Barack Obama has selected 2009 City Council candidate Haile Rivera of the Bronx as one of the winners of his "Dinner with Barack" competition, the Obama campaign just announced.

"This dinner is about hearing from the everyday experts like Haile on how we can work together to change the problems like our broken education system and the need to give a helping hand to the people who need it most," said Obama in a statement. "Haile's commitment to giving back to his community by helping prepare the next generation of leaders is what changing this country is all about."

The campaign described Rivera, who blogs on Room 8, as a community program specialist who "feels that Barack Obama understands the importance of increasing employment and education opportunities for minorities."

In July, Rivera will sit around the dinner table at a Washington DC restaurant with Obama, a miner from Nevada, a working mother from California and a former Republican firefighter from Florida.