White Plains

Eliot Spitzer speaks at the Civil Service Employees Association Convention at the Sheraton Hotel.

Coalition for the Homeless holds a briefing on an increase in family homelessness in New York City at their Fulton Street headquarters.

A demonstration and rally against waterfront development will be held at 2201 Avenue U in Brooklyn.

Transportation Alternatives releases "Above the Law: A Study of Government Parking Permit Abuse in New York City" on the steps of City Hall.

The New York Immigration Coalition announces findings that show violations of the Schools Chancellor's translation and interpretation regulation in front of the Brooklyn High School of the Arts.

Public housing residents call on the state to restore operating funds for public housing in front of "The Charging Bull" at Bowling Green.

A memorial service will be held for former Giuliani aide Martin Barreto at St. Paul's Chapel at Columbia University.

NYC Voter Assistance Commission hosts a women's career forum in politics and civic engagement at Barnard College.

Keith Wright hosts a Town Hall meeting on voting rights at the Harlem State Office Building.

Black 47 headlines a fundraiser for gubernatorial candidate Malachy McCourt at Connolly's Pub on West 45th Street.

The London Review of Books hosts a panel discussion on "Does The Israel Lobby Have Too Much Influence on U.S. Foreign Policy?" at Cooper Union's Great Hall.

Marty Golden hosts a Town Hall meeting on education with the new Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard at P.S. 222 in Brooklyn.

Law enforcement unions endorse Nick Spano in front of the Greenburgh Police Department in White Plains.

Jeffrey Klein calls on the legislature to reconvene a conference committee to work out differences on civil confinement legislation at the Tuckahoe Village Hall.

The Assembly holds a hearing on the Con Edison power outages at the Westchester County Center in White Plains.

—Nicole Brydson

Jeanine Pirro just sent out an intriguing release saying that she "will discuss an official investigation into her personal life" at 4:30 in midtown.

Ben has more on the investigation here. It seems that she may have done what any law and order candidate would have done with a law-ignoring husband: tap his phone.  read more »

Release is after the jump.

-- Azi Paybarah

Monday's Times Op-Ed contained a powerful ad in the righthand corner. Headlined "How to Befriend the Muslim World" and written by a Leonard Greene, it decried the invasion of Iraq and called for humanitarian aid to win hearts and minds in Arab countries.

"Most Muslims are not terrorists, and the vast majority do not condone terrorism....Nevertheless, many Muslims who are not terrorists would kill Americans or condone such killings simply because Americans have killed so many Muslims. We should end our war in Iraq and use our army to save lives put at risk by natural disasters..."

But the stunner was the last line: "My son was killed on United 93."  read more »

Hillary's complicated position on the war, her venture into flag-burning legislation, and the general sense that she's suddenly heading out in a number of different directions produce a pretty automatic result for reporters, including this one: call some of her supporters, and see if they'll trash her.

The lesson of the week, though, is that getting daylight between Hillary and even moderately important institutional players (with the real exception of MoveOn) isn't that easy. The Village Voice, The Forward, and The Post all went this route without making it in from the margins of politics. Instead, the stories all dwell on the exceptions that prove the rule.

The Voice heads for "[g]et-out-the-vote powerhouses like the Village Independent Democrats, the Chelsea Reform Democratic Club, and Democracy for NYC," and finds heads of downtown clubs including one Steven Skyles-Mulligan and one William Stricklin to express their discontent. Also, "Michael Sussman, a former Orange County Democratic Committee member." Also "Jeff Cohen, the founder of Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting, who lives in Woodstock." And "Charles Lenchner of White Plains, who helped found the Progressive Democrats of America."

The Forward, meanwhile, notes Jonathan Tasini's roots in Labor Zionism (not, let's say, the world's most vibrant political movement these days) and finds "two leading anti-war rabbis associated with the Jewish Renewal movement, Michael Lerner and Arthur Waskow" to criticize Hillary.  read more »

This isn't to say that the people the two weeklies find to knock Hillary aren't serious and thoughtful. Just that they seem to speak only for themselves.

The Post, meanwhile, wins the prize on the irrelevant-critic front, bringing (amusing) news that Bob Kunst, the unkempt founder and sole foot-soldier of Hillary Now!, has lost his faith. The beginning of the end for Hillary.

Jeanine Pirro's husband can't seem to catch a break.

His legal problems in the past, he let on not long ago that he planned to join the Independence Party, in an apparent bid to help get his wife that line.

And here's today's news out of the Westchester County Independence Party:

"WHITE PLAINS — The former executive director of the Westchester County Independence Party admitted yesterday he told a witness in a federal investigation to lie to federal agents.

"Salvatore Lobreglio, 64, of Westchester Avenue, Yonkers, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of misprision of a felony, meaning he concealed someone else's crime from authorities....

"Dr. Giulio Cavallo, the founder and spokesman for the county's Independence Party, said yesterday that he would have to speak to the party's attorney to determine if Lobreglio could remain a district leader.  read more »

"'I think he's a wonderful guy,' he said of Lobreglio. 'I don't know what happened there. I just wish the best for the man.'"

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.-Jeanine Pirro's choice may not make for a best-selling book-as Hillary's Choice d  read more »

26 October 2003I leave the city, traveling northward by train to the hamlet of White Plains, N.Y., w  read more »