By Hunter Walker 2/14 10:26pm

Cocktail Hour

Occupiers and conservatives hanging out at Harry's Pub. (Photo: Hunter Walker)

Occupiers And Tea Partiers Share Drinks At CPAC

For at least one evening last Friday night, Tea Partiers and other conservative activists mingled happily with members of the Occupy Wall Street movement over drinks in Harry’s Pub at Washington D.C.’s Marriott Wardman Park, where the annual Conservative Political Action Conference was being held. The Occupiers originally showed up to protest the conservative confab, but found themselves seated around a table with several CPAC attendees including Jim Gilchrist, co-founder of the controversial vigilante immigration enforcement group, the Minuteman Project.

“I’ve always felt that there was a common thread with their grievance and the grievance of everyday Republicans, Democrats, Independents, many of us,” Mr. Gilchrist told The Politicker. “So many of us are frustrated with our federal government.” Read More

By David Freedlander 2/14 8:50pm

Church and State

Archbishop Timothy Dolan Attends "Irena's Vow" On Broadway

Politics Comes For The Archbishop: As Reproductive Fight Comes To The Fore, Dolan Is Suddenly Centerstage

One Friday earlier this month, elected officials, activists and advocates were planning a big sign-waving, high-energy press conference and rally on the steps of City Hall to protest the Komen Foundation’s decision to pull funding for Planned Parenthood. After a national outcry, Komen changed course, but the presser went on as planned.

It was something of a desultory affair: A Friday afternoon, cold, gray skies overhead, the pigeons on the stoop far outnumbering the number of shivering press who gathered there, mostly at the behest of assignment editors who hadn’t gotten the memo that the battle was over. Only three elected officials even bothered to show up.

Fast forward two weeks: The Obama administration announced a plan to require religious institutions to provide contraceptive coverage. Amid another uproar, some of the region’s highest-profile conservative politicians tried to one-up their counterparts, planning a rare presser, just as Sunday Mass was letting out, on the glittering steps of St. Patrick’s Cathedral—the home parish of Archbishop Timothy Dolan, the man who almost single-handedly stopped the president’s initiative. Read More

By Hunter Walker 2/14 8:08pm

Law & Order

Mayor Bloomberg and NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly at the briefing following the shooting of Detective Kevin Herlihy. (Photo: Hunter Walker)

After Police Shooting, Mayor Bloomberg Calls On Congress To Fight Illegal Guns

NYPD Detective Kevin Herlihy was shot in the left arm at about 4:15 this afternoon while tracking a shooting suspect in Harlem. Detective Herlihy is in stable condition at New York Presbyterian Hospital and is expected to return home tomorrow. This evening, Mayor Michael Bloomberg held a briefing at the hospital where he gave an update on Detective Herlihy’s condition and called on Congress to do more to enforce gun laws.

Mayor Bloomberg, who said he had just visited Detective Herlihy in his hospital room, reminded the reporters at the briefing that this was the city’s third police shooting in the past two months.

“The three shooters have at least one thing in common and that is that they possessed their guns illegally, and that is true for nearly every shooting that occurs in our city,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “As long as federal laws allow guns to flow onto our streets, criminals will be able to get them and police officers will be in danger.”

Mayor Bloomberg, who turned seventy-years-old today, identified two things he wants for his birthday.

“My one birthday wish, beyond a full recovery for Detective Herlihy, would be for every member of Congress to join me here today and look into the eyes of Detective Herlihy and his wife Adrienne and explain why Washington isn’t doing more to prevent shootings like this from happening.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 2/14 4:20pm

take note

Michael Grimm (Photo: Getty)

DCCC: Hey, Did You Hear Grimm Is Facing Fundraising Allegations??

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is out with another press release this afternoon reminding reporters that GOP Congressman Michael Grimm is facing allegations he broke the law in order to finance his 2010 campaign. Linking to a tweet from a member of The Politicker team reporting House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s statement that he hadn’t spoken to Mr. Grimm about the controversy, the DCCC argued Mr. Cantor should indeed be in conversation with Mr. Grimm.

The Democratic organization then “gave” Mr. Cantor Mr. Grimm’s phone number in the release. Mr. Cantor likely already has this number.

“The silence from Speaker John Boehner and Republican Leader Eric Cantor on Congressman Michael Grimm’s fundraising scandal is deafening,” said a DCCC spokesperson. “Leader Cantor pledged a ‘zero tolerance’ policy for ethics but it appears he has zero interest in even making a telephone call about it.” Read More

By David Freedlander 2/14 3:41pm

Statements

apologies

Joe Lhota Sorry For Calling Bill Perkins A Do-Nothing Legislator

In a story in today’s New York Times, new MTA chief Joe Lhota and Harlem State Senator Bill Perkins seemed to have a very different understanding of their relationship.

Both have a history of trying to tackle the city’s rat problem, and “In November 2000, Mr. Perkins, then a city councilman, held a so-called rat summit at Columbia University that Mr. Lhota spoke at. Mr. Perkins said that back then they spoke frequently about issues of rat removal, and he credits Mr. Lhota with helping make the rat conference happen.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 2/14 2:43pm

on the attack

David Storobin at a recent rally. (Photo: Colin Campbell)

Storobin Says Fidler Is ‘Unfit to Serve’ In ‘Out of Hand’ Press Conference [Video]

At a chilly press conference in southern Brooklyn this afternoon, the Republican candidate in the special election to replace former State Senator Carl Kruger, David Storobin, laid out a barrage of attacks against his Democratic opponent, Councilman Lew Fidler.

“Mr. Fidler’s character renders him unfit to serve in the State Senate,” Mr. Storobin firmly stated early in his speech. ”This is not a statement I make lightly. I realize the implications of what I’m saying.” Read More

By David Freedlander 2/14 2:23pm

The PA

BillDeBlasio-GettyImages-300x199

De Blasio Calls For Pension Funds To Invest Locally

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio unveiled a plan today for the city’s largest pension fund to dramatically expand local investments in housing and infrastructure.

“We are leaving resources on the table that we should be putting to work right here in the five boroughs. This is a very real opportunity to do right by our bottom line as a pension fund and spur job creation at the same time,” said Mr. de Blasio in a statement.

Using the pension fund to address critical local needs is something that politicians talk about all the time, but end up seldom enacting  because the funds attempt to get the greatest return. Mr. de Blasio’s office said that this is the closest such plans have come to being enacting, and note that the rate of return on what he proposes is similar to other pension investments. Read More

By Hunter Walker 2/14 1:02pm

Crategate

Sake the pug protesting Mitt Romney outside Madison Square Garden. (Photo: Hunter Walker)

Canine-Loving Protesters Dog Mitt Romney Outside Westminster Kennel Club Show

A small group of protesters and a pair of pups inspired a media frenzy in front of the Westminster Kennel Club dog show at Madison Square Garden today. The demonstrators were assisted by the liberal political consultancy Americans United for Change under the umbrella of the group, “Dogs Against Romney,” which was created after the Boston Globe published a 2007 profile of the perennial Republican presidential candidate revealing he put his Irish Setter, Seamus, on the roof of the family station wagon for a twelve hour road trip from Boston to his vacation home in Canada. Read More

By Colin Campbell 2/14 11:05am

brooklyn battle

Rodneyse Bichotte (Photo: Facebook)

Rodneyse Bichotte Formally Announces Assembly Bid

District Leader Rodneyse Bichotte formally announced her challenge to Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacobs this afternoon, setting up what could be an interesting Democratic primary to watch this summer. And although her campaign, first reported by City & State, is seeking to unseat a veteran incumbent, Ms. Bichotte’s statement made no mention of her opposition.

“Over the past six months I’ve received overwhelming encouragement from city and state elected officials, community leaders and most importantly the residents of our district. After some counsel and much prayer, I have decided to move forward with a run for State Assembly,” Ms. Bichotte said. “More can and should be done to ensure the 42nd Assembly District’s voice is reflected loud and clear in the halls of our state capitol. I am convinced that being in the State Assembly will allow me to more effectively address the issues facing our community.” Read More