Pat Quinn’s moment is about to arrive – finally. Illinois’ lieutenant governor, who has toiled for decades in the less visible rungs of state politics, will ascend to the state’s top job whenever Rod Blagojevich steps down or is dragged from it. (Does anyone seriously believe that Blagojevich, arrested by federal agents before Christmas on Read More
This weekend brought two reminders that what happens in politics is often, more than anything, about the past.
On Friday, Robert Reich formally endorsed Barack Obama, a decision that was greeted as noteworthy since Reich was an old Oxford chum of Bill Clinton’s and served as the 42nd president’s first labor secretary. He also scored Read More
In late March 1992, Jerry Brown, the mercurial former California governor and sometime Linda Ronstadt companion who was then waging his third unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, stood at Castle Point in Hoboken with the Manhattan skyline behind him.
“This,” he declared, “is the Empire State!”
“It’s the Garden State!” the Read More
A few years ago, Alexander Payne’s insightful film Election introduced us to the character of Tracy Flick, a self-centered climber who regards a high-school election as the first rung on a ladder that will one day lead her to the White House.
She was pushy, calculating, friendless and phony, a Read More
Last week, Christine Quinn gave her first State of the City speech, which was generally well received and sparked even more talk about her mayoral prospects. But who exactly wrote it?
According to Council spokesperson Maria Alvarado, it came from outside City Hall.
“The speech was written by Eric Shuffler, who’s done speech writing for Read More
The Times reports Richard Codey helped put together the compromise between Jon Corzine and the Assembly speaker in New Jersey, ending the government shutdown.
Joe Lieberman debates his primary opponent, Ned Lamont.
The Sun reports that Republicans allied with John Faso are planning to oust New York Republican State Committee Chairman Read More
Last Sunday, Senator Jon S. Corzine, the former Goldman Sachs chairman and current Garden State gubernatorial hopeful, was waiting backstage at the Oskar Schindler Performing Arts Center in West Orange, N.J. Sharply attired in charcoal banker’s pinstripes, he was battling a cold with lozenges and preparing to rally support from an audience of local Democrats. Read More
