Jerry Nadler | The New York Observer

Tim Gunn Goes to Washington! Film is Protected, Why Not Fashion?

Fri, 08 May 2009 11:14:46 -0400

On Wednesday morning, May 6, Steven Kolb, executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, along with Project Runway judge Tim Gunn and the show's Season 5 winner Leanne Marshall, boarded a 6 a.m. train at Penn Station bound for Washington, D.C.

They had appointments lined up for the entire day to gain the support of lawmakers for the proposed Design Piracy Prohibition Act, introduced last month by New York Democrat Jerry Nadler, among...

Jerry Nadler, Stimulator

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:44:36 -0500

Location: With the stimulus, you had a victory a couple weeks ago, getting $3 billion extra for transit that didn’t make it into the final bill. What happened?

Mr. Nadler: We’re still trying to figure that out. That went into a—I wouldn’t even call it a conference. It was really a meeting of the White House and the leadership of the Senate and the House. … In the House...

Uncle Sam, Over Here! City, State Vie for Stimulus Money

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:54:40 -0500

City and state officials are positioning themselves to garner funding from any new federal stimulus package for various transportation and infrastructure projects. Most of the projects are smaller-scale and nearly ready to start development.

It’s hoped, officials say, that new federal funds from the stimulus will push the projects forward.

“Infrastructure is huge for us,” said a state official, who said that in...

Jerry Nadler Speaks to the Choir

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:25:36 -0400

Here's uber-liberal Representative Jerry Nadler of Manhattan's West Side on "radio row" in the Pepsi Center, giving a lengthy interview to Air...

Nadler: Schumer Puts 'Personal Friendship Over Everything Else'

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:46:25 -0400

At a press conference on the City Hall steps just now, incumbent State Senator Marty Connor was endorsed by the five members of Congress whose districts overlap with his: Ed Towns, Nydia Velazquez, Carolyn Maloney and Jerry Nadler. (Yvette Clarke is endorsing him too, but did not attend).

Afterward, I asked the group what they think of Chuck Schumer’s support of Connor’s opponent, Dan Squadron.

Nadler, the only one to answer...

New Yorkers Raising Money for a Florida Hopeful

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:20:47 -0400

Some prominent members of the New York congressional delegation are raising money for a Florida congressional candidate, Christine Jennings, who lost a race against a Republican in 2006 by just 396 votes.

The seat, which opened up when Katherine Harris decided to run for Senate, was ultimately won by Vern Buchanan and now Jennings is mounting another challenge.

The invitation lists Charlie Rangel, Carolyn Maloney, Joe Crowley and Jerry Nadler for the June 13...

Nadler on 'Wimps,' Filibusters

Fri, 16 May 2008 11:06:02 -0400

Also from last night’s Chelsea Reform Democratic Club meeting, here's Representative Jerry Nadler calling Democrats in the Senate “wimps” for backing down from legislation that Republicans threaten to filibuster. [About the 1:45 mark]

"Lyndon Johnson passed legislation,” Nadler said. “He didn’t have 60 votes.”

How?

“He made them filibuster,” said Nadler, who went on to add that if Senate Democrats actually made Republicans go through with a filibuster, the minority party...

Quinn, The Times, Her Members and Member Items

Fri, 09 May 2008 13:03:54 -0400

It seems that Christine Quinn has two important factions to please. On one side are the 50 other members of the City Council. On the other are good-government groups and, particularly, The New York Times editorial board.

When Quinn began discussing the slush fund scandal at the City Council, The Times editorial board--a big voice in Democratic primaries for offices like, say, mayor--held out hope that Quinn could set things straight, writing, "[her] reformist...

Jerry Nadler Defends Earmarks

Mon, 05 May 2008 16:35:25 -0400

At today’s press conference in Brooklyn about the new ferry pilot program, Congressman Jerry Nadler discussed what he called “those great, terrible things called earmarks,” which helped pay for part of the program.

“This money is earmarked money. Which is to say, Congress earmarked it for this use, for ferries in New York City, and we are very glad that Congress did,” Nadler said. When Congress does the next omnibus transportation bill...

New York's 2008 Congressional Earmarks

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:17:01 -0400

Citizens Against Government Waste published its annual list of congressional earmarks (they actually call it the Congressional Pig Book list).

Of course, what one person calls wasteful spending, another person calls bringing home the bacon, and now that Democrats are in the majority, New York was supposed to be getting more federal money.

The state made out with a good portion, particularly in the Catskills, where Maurice Hinchey brought in $43.7 million.

Here...

A Crowded Breakfast on the West Side

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:04:27 -0400

Here’s a shot from the breakfast hosted Sunday morning by the Council of Orthodox Jewish Organizations on the West Side, which, as Grace Rauh noted, attracted nearly every 2009 candidate for citywide office.

Sitting at the same table were, from left to right, state comptroller Tom DiNapoli, mayoral hopeful John Catsimatidis, city Councilwoman Melissa Mark Viverito, City Councilwoman Inez Dickens, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, likely mayoral candidate Bill Thompson, Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal...

Orthodox Organizations Host Most Mayoral Candidates

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:15:59 -0400

This Sunday, likely mayoral candidates Bill Thompson and Anthony Weiner are among those expected to deliver remarks at a breakfast organized by the West Side Community of Orthodox Jewish Organizations.

Notably absent from the invitation is Christine Quinn, another likely mayoral candidate who does, after all, represent parts of the West Side.

The March 30 event is taking place at the New York Historical Society, and will also include remarks from Representative Jerry...

Hoyer and Emanuel Boost Massa, Maffei and Others at Fund-Raiser

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 04:26:41 -0500

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel are special guests at a fund-raiser at the Yale Club this afternoon for six Democratic congressional challengers, including two from New York: Dan Maffei and Eric Massa.

Maffei is running for the congressional seat in Syracuse being vacated by Republican Jim Walsh. Maffei narrowly lost to Walsh in 2006 and, like the presidential candidates, is hammering away with a message of change...

Schumer Says N.Y. Win Was 'All Hillary,' Nadler Calls Obama's Talk 'Vacuous'

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:43:35 -0500

I just got off a somewhat contentious conference call with Hillary Clinton surrogates for New York reporters , who proved somewhat resistant to the pro-Hillary Clinton message coming from Chuck Schumer.

Referring to her primary win in New York yesterday, Schumer told reporters, “This was all Hillary. There was no big party machine in operation. There was no, you know, kind of things like that. It was Hillary.”

I asked him to...

Clinton Crushes Obama on Upper West Side

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:22:16 -0500

Hillary Clinton appears to have won four delegates in Representative Jerrold Nadler’s district, a liberal area of the city where Barack Obama was expected to do very well and maybe even win.

According to Nadler, who was walking through the ballroom of Clinton’s party here at the Manhattan Center on 34th street, with 90 percent of the vote in Clinton had 58 percent of the vote. The threshold to win four of the...

Nadler's U.W.S. 'Starbucks Democrats' Ripe for Obama?

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:49:41 -0500

Much of Barack Obama's New York support comes from Brooklyn, but the Upper West Side, represented by Hillary supporter and Congressman Jerry Nadler, is also home to a likely Obama demographic.

“The more liberal the Democratic base in that electoral district, the more upper-income that Democratic base in that [district], the more probably for success you have for Obama," says polticial science professor David Birdsell of Baruch College.

"Nadler’s [district] is clearly, sort of, prime...

Spitzer's Real ID Shift Goes Against Congressional Dems Too

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:50:04 -0400

It's worth noting that Hillary Clinton isn’t the only one trying to get squared away with Eliot Spitzer’s new license policy.

The governor’s (original) plan would have allowed illegal immigrants to obtain a driver's license, but now it's being linked to federal guidelines that will be outlined in the Real ID Act. Although Spitzer backed Real ID this week, a number of Democratic congress members from New York opposed...

Republicans Accuse Anti-Bush, Pro-Spitzer Dems of Inconsistency

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:42:47 -0400

Other Republicans are picking up the argument Roger Stone made to me when he refuted Democratic claim that the investigations into Eliot Spitzer are just like Whitewater.

Democratic members of congress Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney have been the latest to push the analogy, scolding the Republicans for being political and urging them to “get back to work.”

Here, Michael Brady, who used to work for the Assembly...

Nadler and 'Illegal' Presidential Behavior

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 08:46:09 -0400

Here is a clip of Jerry Nadler on the House floor recently speaking about the new electronic monitoring law. Towards the end of the three-minute clip, Nadler is asked by a Republican colleague to take back statements about the president committing "illegal" activity.

Nadler did. Sort...

Nadler Hires Ex-Knickerbocker Guy

Sun, 20 May 2007 21:32:25 -0400

In a notable bit of reverse-migration from private political work to the public sector, Micah Lasher -- the recently departed co-founder of Knickerbocker SKD is joining the staff of Representative Jerry Nadler.

Lasher, 25, co-founded Knickerbocker in September 2002 at the ripe old age of 20, along with another veteran of the Andrew Cuomo for Governor campaign, Josh Isay.

Knickerbocker has also made some recent acquisitions, partly as a reaction to Lasher's departure.

Lasher...

The Morning Read: Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 03:40:32 -0500

A 9/11 worker from Queens whose son joined Hillary Clinton at the State of the Union speech died last night. Rep. Jerry Nadler called George Bush and Rudy Giuliani "villains" for how they treated Ground Zero workers. Ben has the entire missing 140-page Giuliani campaign document online. [Note: The link to this item is being adjusted.] Hillary and Joe Lieberman clashed on Iraq during a hearing yesterday. Clarence Norman stands trial for selling judgeships in Brooklyn. Two ethics panels...

Port of New York

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 07:47:46 -0500

Here are some of the union members who joined Rep. Jerry Nadler, Council members David Yassky and Mike Nelson and Working Families Party Executive Director Dan Cantor on the City Hall steps today to protest a draft proposal from the city to close the Red Hook Container Terminal, where 633 people work. Nadler, who I'll venture to say is as knowledgeable as any elected official in the country about the shipping industry, said the...

Hillary and the Cat

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 19:00:00 -0500

Hillary Clinton called Representative Eliot Engel on Monday morning to ask him to support her potential candidacy for President of the United States. “She essentially asked me if she were to do this, she would hope that she would have my support,” said Mr. Engel. “I told her she would.” In a half-hour conversation, the two asked after each other’s spouses, joked about taking full Spanish-immersion lessons together and reminisced about thrashing their primary...

Nadler: Obama is a Novice

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 08:00:00 -0500

At an appearance last night by Senator (and prospective presidential candidate) Joe Biden at a meeting of the Israel Policy Forum at the Times Square Marriot last night, I caught up with Congressman Jerry Nadler to talk about the storyline of the day. He told me that Hillary Clinton had called him earlier yesterday to tell him that she was leaning towards running for president, and that he said he would support her. His choice,...

Rumsfeld Story

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 07:45:00 -0500

With the Senate and House under Democratic control, and the defense department in new hands, some members of Congress are apparently now comfortable enough to tell their scariest Donald Rumsfeld stories. Here's one from Jerry Nadler: "During the one month official war with Iraq, you know, before Mission Accomplished, when the tanks were rolling across the dessert, we had a secret briefing with Rumsfeld. And I went to him at the end of the briefing and...

At the Party

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 15:52:29 -0500

Jason and I have arrived! We were greeted on the second floor by a cash bar. "Premium brands" are 13 dollars. "Name brand drinks" are 11.75. Apparently it gets free-er later, which is good: Glenn Thrush is thirsty! The Bloomberg inauguration (also held here!) was the watermark in political parties. Sad. Also of note: the press room wifi is down. NY1 is replaying shamelessly Pirro's Page Ten moment. Jerry Nadler just sashayed by. It's just like Christmas...

On the Waterfront

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 10:12:17 -0400

Representative Jerry Nadler came out swinging last night at the scoping meeting for the New York Economic Development Corporation's planned redevelopment for Piers 7 through 10 on the Carroll Gardens/Red Hook Waterfront. Mr. Nadler opposed the transformation of Pier 10--currently used for maritime shipping--into a second cruise-ship terminal and 250-room hotel.
Citing the vulnerability of the Kill Van Kull--which connects Newark Bay and the Upper New York Bay and is the principal access for...

The Politicker

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 05:28:52 -0400

Jerry Nadler reacted to yesterday's setback on a housing bill with angry sarcasm -- CONGRESSMAN JERROLD NADLER 8th Congressional District of New York FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ...

The Politicker

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 05:28:52 -0400

Jerry Nadler reacted to yesterday's setback on a housing bill with angry sarcasm -- CONGRESSMAN JERROLD NADLER 8th Congressional District of New York FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ...

Tom Brokaw Advises In West Side Race- For the Son-in-Law

Sun, 05 Mar 2006 19:00:00 -0500

The Upper West Side’s special election on Feb. 28 to fill an empty seat in the State Assembly has been criticized as a vestige of old Tammany-style politics, in which the Democratic machine hand-picks the winner long before the first ballot is cast.

But the Democratic Party wasn’t the only network of power brokers exerting its influence in the weeks leading up to the election. While Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, U.S....

Delegation Divided

Fri, 04 Nov 2005 06:40:00 -0500

Over on The Real Estate, Matt Schuerman takes a look at federal legislation that would punish states and localities for using eminent domain. The bill brought a real split in the city's, and the borough's, Congressional delegation. Nydia Velazquez and Anthony Weiner, among others, backed the legislation, while Jerry Nadler and Greg Meeks were among the mere 38...

Exclusive: Dean for Mayor

Tue, 12 Jul 2005 08:21:00 -0400

Add a name to that long, sweet list of Democrats who thought for a minute or two about running against Mike Bloomberg -- Bob Kerrey, Jerry Nadler, perhaps Bill Clinton: Howard Dean. The Politicker has learned that after last November's election, when Dean was thinking about his future and about the future of Democracy for America, and before it had become clear that the Democratic National Committee chairmanship was his for the taking, he spoke to...