Brooklyn Ron

Bill de Blasio Should Take Stand on Race-Baiting in Clinton Campaign

Now's the time for Councilman Bill de Blasio, who's announced he will run for Brooklyn Borough President, to  take a strong position on the increasing allegations that the Clinton campaign has been using the race issue against Barack Obama.

Today's papers (particularly a front page piece in the New York Times) raised this issue in the wake of Geraldine Ferraro's remarks, in which she essentially accused Obama of being nothing more than a beneficiary of affirmation action.

Ferraro, called the Democratic Party's Archie Bunker in a recent Brooklyn Ron posting, has said that Obama would not have come as far as he has if it were not for his being black.

Clinton at first tepidly distanced herself from the comments, but then more strongly criticized them as complaints increased, especially from African American Democrats.

There are many now who are suggesting there is a curious pattern of Clinton surrogates (her husband Bill being one of them) bringing up race happens at critical moments, this moment being the run-up to the Pennsylvania primary, where working-class whites are a crucial demographic.

Since Brooklyn is a center, perhaps THE center, of African American politics in New York City, Bill de Blasio (who managed Hillary Clinton's campaign for her U.S. Senate seat) would be wise to speak out on this matter, and do so forcefully.

De Blasio has declared himself a candidate for Brooklyn Borough President and is likely next year to be facing Councilman Charles Barron and, perhaps, Yvonne Graham (who's allied with current Borough President Marty Markowitz's office) in the Democratic primary for that position.

Markowitz is prohibited by term limits from going for another four years in that office.

We are now going through important passageways at which candidates should declare their feelings and positions.

Brooklyn's Top Elected Official Says: I'm for Barack Obama

But I suppose we should say high up, like right here, that we're talking about Brooklyn, Iowa, and not the slightly more populous place that we all know and love with the famous bridge.

The fellow who is going for Barack is Mayor Loren Rickard, who told The Brooklyn Paper's Gersh Kuntzman that, though a Republican, he's had it with the Bush administration and wants to campaign for someone against the war who's also sharp and electable.

So Obama's his man.

The sad truth here in the real Brooklyn (if we can be so bold) is that virtually all of the top elected officials have announced for Hillary Clinton, she who has only tepidly opposed the Iraq war (except, of course, for the times she has actually supported it).

We must also say this: That in sending Kuntzman out to cover the Midwest caucases, The Brooklyn Paper set itself apart from the MainStreamMedia crowd, adding a little levening that also adds perspective, and affirming the importance of having an abundance of local news outlets to spice our news diet.

Kuntzman went to the other Brooklyn with a gift from the top guy in the real Brooklyn, who would be Borough President Marty Markowitz. Marty wrote a proclamation declaring Rickard's town to be the  "official  Brooklyn of the Midwest."  (photo  is of  Rickard holding  proclamation.)

Kuntzman had a pretty decent article, some months back, on the battle for the political soul of Brooklynites, pitting New York's own Senator Hillary against the junior Senator from Illinois, Obama.