Al Shartpon, eschewing any awkwardness, has invited all the incumbents, primary challengers and would-be primary challengers to his Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration at the National Action Network in East Harlem.
Governor Paterson and Andrew Cuomo will be there. So will Kirsten Gillibrand and Harold Ford, Jr. Even Carolyn Maloney and her primary challenger, Reshma Saujani, both of whom, Azi Paybarah reports, are sitting on the stage. (He also reports that Anthony Weiner and Charles Barron are seated next to each other.)
Naturally, politicians play down the politics on a day like this. After his speech just now, Mr. Cuomo told reporters, “There will be plenty of time for the politics,” and tried to avoid discussing his likely gubernatorial race against the embattled governor.
“I don’t have any comment on the way other people are doing their jobs. It’s not my place,” Mr. Cuomo said.
Later, Mr. Cuomo also said he would defend the State Senate if it tried expelling Hiram Monserrate.
The speeches are streaming here.
