Straphangers hoping to make it through to the 86th and Lexington subway stop today had a longer than usual commute. Besides making their way through the throng of newspaper hawkers, there were small crowds of political canvassers plying their wares: attorney general candidate Kathleen Rice had people there, as did Ryan Brumberg, running for Congress on the G.O.P line.
But by far the most excitement–and most media attention–was centered around Congressional candidate Reshma Saujani, who is challenging incumbent Carolyn Maloney and who was handing out flyers alongside Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s longtime companion, Diana Taylor.
Taylor admitted that it is “very unusual” for her to support a challenger to an entrenched office holder, but said she was immediately taken with Saujani, because “she knows what it is to work,” which seemed to be a shot at Maloney, who has spent most of her career in public service.
She’s smart, she’s young, she works really hard and she has opinions about things. We tend to agree on a lot of things– jobs, the economy. She’s actually had a job and she knows how jobs are created, she knows what it is to work. She is passionate about education, she is passionate about the economy. And quite frankly at this point the biggest issue we have facing us is jobs and she is really good on that issue.
Knowing that Taylor was making this stop with Saujani, Maloney’s campaign flooded the area with supporters of their own, making for a crowded sidewalk and some grumbling among harried commuters.
“All politicians are fucking liars,” shouted one man at Taylor as she tried to hand him a palm card for Saujani.
“Except for this one,” said Taylor.
Taylor is a registered Republican, and so will be unable to actually vote for Saujani tomorrow.
Taylor has mused about running for the Senate against Kirsten Gillibrand in 2012, or running for mayor in 2013.
She said however that she has not discussed her political plans with her companion.
“No, no. I will do what I will like and hopefully if I decide to do something he will support me.”
And here are the two of them trying to gain traction on the sidewalks of New York:
