The New York Observer » Hiram Monserrate

Morning Read: Trump’s Birther Crusade Gets Dissed, Monserrate Slicing Pizza Now

2012: Former Giuliani booster may back Mitt Romney. [Carl Campanile]

2012: "There is zero chance that Donald Trump would ever be hired by the American people," said Plouffe. Trump's response: "They are very concerned because I am challenging him as to whether or not he was born in this country where there is a Read More

Dicker Doubts Cuomo Can Get Same-Sex Marriage Through State Senate

Just before signing off his show today, New York Post State Editor Fred Dicker threw cold water on one of Andrew Cuomo's stated goals for this legislative year.

After rattling of a list of Cuomo's goals, Dicker said, "The governor is also committed to same-sex marriage, but there is little I think he can do about Read More

Scandal One of Top Reasons NY Pols Leave Office, Report Says

Want a new legislator? Looks like there's a better chance of them get caught with their hand in the cookie jar or posting fun, flirty classifieds on CraigsList than getting voted out of office.

A report released today says that one of every 11 legislators who left office since 1999 has done so on account Read More

The Times Talks To Hiram Monserrate

And yet, Hiram Monserrate is not going away quietly.

He invited himself to a street renaming ceremony in Queens on a recent Saturday and managed to squeeze his way into photographs by holding on to a piece of rope dignitaries pulled to unveil the new sign honoring Corona's Ecuadorean population.
As the celebration wrapped up, one guest, Read More

Eye Opener: High Line Copycats, ‘The Art of the Pants Roll’

What do Governor Paterson and

Arts groups miss mayoral money. [WSJ]

Brian Williams, whatta guy. Playing softball and buying drinks. [NYP]

Apple has an announcement to make. Will they be recalling the iPhone? [CNN]

Have the Clintons outgrown Chappaqua? [NYT]

Best use yet of "I Write Like." [Gawker]

Angelina Jolie Read More

Eye Opener: My Dinner With Hiram

Cipriani's, Trump may be interested in Tavern on the Green. [NYT]

Philippe Petit will teach tightrope walking in Williamsburg this summer. [NYP]

Condo sales are on the rise. [WSJ]

Want to read an awful account of Hiram Monserrate's date with the woman he abused? [NYDN]

The KGB tried Read More

Eye Opener: Monserrate on the Prowl

The fairytale romance of Hiram Monserrate and Karla Giraldo ends. [NYP]

Syracuse students didn't really get naked to protest Jamie Dimon. [NYP]

Uncharted frontiers of fatty meat: sheep-pig bacon. [NYDN]

Analyzing NBC's leaked fall lineup. [BI]

Gramercy Park showdown! [WSJ]

David Carr meta-protests online headlines. [NYT]

Cuomo to pick Read More

Monserrate Probably Can’t Get Peralta’s Assembly Seat

Now that Jose Peralta is moving to the State Senate, his Assembly seat will be up for grabs, which, notably and not really surpisingly, Hiram Monserrate has made noise about running for.Can Monserrate win Peralta's seat? A breakdown from yesterday's election seems to suggest not. The Senate district that resoundingly rejected Monserrate yesterday is made Read More

What Will They Think of Next?

The polls are finally open in that special election in Queens where expelled former State Senator Hiram Monserrate is trying to win back his seat. His challenger, Jose Peralta, has a huge lead and will probably win.

Either way, it's been a weird campaign. Let's review:

After declaring himself the torchbearer for Yes We Read More

Giraldo Says Vote Monserrate

Karla Giraldo--whose statement about that night was drafted by boyfriend Hiram Monserrate's aides--appears in this video to encourage voters to elect Monserrate to the State Senate in the special election today.

UPDATE: An earlier version of this item included a comment from Twitter, which has been removed.

Vote for Monserrate And Against ‘Immorality’?

An interested reader emails this flier that was being distributed in Jackson Heights yesterday, urging people to support Hiram Monserrate because he opposes same-sex marriage.

"Let's Vote NO to Immorality, and YES for the Defender of Our Christian Principles," the flier says.

Monserrate has always characterized himself as a progressive Democrat, but defended this not-progressive position this Read More

Monserrate Surrounded by Anti-Monserrate Campaigners

It wasn't the physical confrontation I'd come to expect, but when Hiram Monserrate meandered in front of Jose Peralta's campaign office yesterday, things got interesting. And loud.

Solved: Anti-Monserrate Flier Is Peralta’s

Remember that anti-Hiram Monserrate flier I posted earlier, which features a photo of the former state senator being arrested and points to a web site that has video from the night he assaulted his girlfriend?

The flier doesn't say who paid for it, but I asked a spokesperson for Monserrate's campaign opponent, Jose Peralta, if Read More

Planned Parenthood Calls Oppose Monserrate

Here's the script Planned Parenthood's Political Action Committee is using in their phone banks for the special State Senate election happening this coming Tuesday, in which Jose Peralta faces Hiram Monserrate, who was recently expelled from the same Senate seat.

The script says Monserrate was "convicted of domestic abuse against his girlfriend."

Hello, is_____________________ there? Hi, my Read More

Peralta’s Ad Features Monserrate Footage

Here's Jose Peralta's new television ad, which is already running on NY1.

It features footage of the surveillance tape showing Hiram Monserrate dragging his girlfriend out of an apartment building the night he said he accidentally broke a glass against her face. The objective is pretty clear.

Also: the narrator of the ad also sounds a Read More