Gary Ackerman (Photo: Facebook)

Retiring Congressman Gary Ackerman made headlines across the country when, in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, he described the public as getting dumber. As he was campaigning for Assemblywoman Grace Meng's bid to replace him in Congress, we caught up with Mr. Ackerman to ask him what he made of the media hyping his "dumber" comment. Needless to say, he promptly dismissed the coverage of a "sound bite."

"The contextual part of that in the interview is that basically people believe anything that they see or hear, no matter how wacky it is," he explained. "These are intelligent people that I'm speaking of, if you can get my gist. The ability to convince people of the wackiest notions -- and both parties can do it -- it's part of the dumbing down of America that's really highly problematic."

"And part of it, a major contribution to that happenstance, is the media," he continued, addressing The Politicker and WNYC's Colby Hamilton. "The media's gotten lazy. They don't check anything out. You report what he reports."

Mr. Ackerman proceeded to give a historical example from his own history of interacting with the press.

"Somebody in the Western part of the district, who will be nameless -- this was about 15 years ago -- reports that I'm getting tired of the trek to Washington and that I'm probably going to retire," he said. "Then a different paper in Eastern Queens picks it up, I forgot who it was, it might have been the Bayside Times ... and says, 'As been reported, Gary Ackerman is considering retiring. And word on the street is that he's going to accept a judicial appointment.'"

"I thought that's pretty fucked up because I'm not a lawyer," he said laughing. "Nobody would put me and the Supreme Court in the same sentence, let alone the same book. ... In week three, the other guy reports, "As has been widely reported.' He made it up, he reported that he said it, and he now has it as 'widely reported.' And I'm laughing my ass off."

We also asked the congressman, who previously ran the Queens Tribune before entering politics many years ago, if fact-checking was superior back in his day.

"Yeah," he bluntly answered. "The competition wasn't as fierce. You had the big names in TV journalism. The idea was to get it right not to get it first. .. Now it's, 'If he beats me by 37 seconds, my life and my career is shot.' And people report things, there's no critical thinking even on the part of the media."

He did specify, however, that he wasn't castigating all of the media.

"Bob's dedication to his profession and to his community is emblematic of the commitment and energy he has exhibited during the many years I have had the pleasure to know him," the ad declares next to a large image of Mr. Ackerman. "Bob answered the summons of a call for help and responded with the professionalism that should be the standard. For this, I pay tribute to him."

Mr. Ackerman, however, has endorsed Assemblywoman Grace Meng in this election, and the quote seems to be a proclamation to Mr. Mittman's professional career rather than anything related to his campaign.

The ad represents the latest strange development in Mr. Mittman's dive into politics, which recently featured the doctor tacking right on social issues and investing $75,000 into his own campaign. Furthermore, when rumors of his candidacy first emerged, he did not return three phone calls seeking request for comment.

Another candidate in the race, Assemblyman Rory Lancman, initially sought to knock Mr. Mittman off the ballot, likely under the belief that he would siphon Jewish votes away from his base, but eventually dropped the challenge.

On a mostly unrelated side note, Mr. Mittman's campaign vehicle resembles an ambulance, proudly displaying the slogan, “The Prescription For A Healthy Economy." His campaign website can also be found on "slimyourbodyfast.com." Update: His campaign website is no longer on slimyourbodyfast.com, but there is a redirect in place.

The measure brought howls of protest from conservatives and from Long Island Rep. Peter King, and it ultimately went down to defeat.

This morning, Liz Crowley, a City Councilwoman from Queens who is running for the Congressional seat formerly held by Gary Ackerman sent out a statement saying that she opposed her would-be Democratic colleagues' efforts.

“Withholding federal funding from our police department because our cops have done their jobs is wrong," Ms. Crowley said. “The NYPD has acted lawfully to protect New Yorkers from very real terrorist threats. Voting for this measure frustrates the NYPD’s efforts to keep us safe.  We need to work on expanding funding for the NYPD in a dangerous world, not cutting it off.”

There were some Democrats, including Long Island's Carolyn McCarthy, who voted against the bill, but it will be interesting to see how this statement from Ms. Crowley plays out in the district. The new NY6 is a famously diverse district, although it also contains large pockets of older Jewish and ethnic voters

Ms. Crowley is locked in a three-way primary with Assembly members Rory Lancman and Grace Meng. As a testament to the district's diversity, Ms. Meng is vying to become the first Asian-American member of Congress, and Mr. Lancman has touted his Iranian-born wife.

It is also worth noting that Joe Crowley voted in favor of the resolution. Mr. Crowley is Ms. Crowley's cousin, and is also the head of the Queens County Democratic Party. The county decided to back Ms. Meng, but Ms. Crowley ran anyway, much to the chagrin of the Queens Dems.

(Photo: Wikimedia)

The Queens Tribune had some fun with Congressman Gary Ackerman this week.

"Gary Ackerman started the Tribune, has been my business partner since the late 70s and a close friend for 50 years, since 1962 – he was much older then; he’s much older now," Michael Schenkler wrote. "As a result of our relationship, I am able to share with you the truth about the season’s biggest political surprise; Gary’s retirement."

The real reason for Mr. Ackerman's bizarrely sudden retirement, according to Mr. Schenkler, was that he was about to take a management position at his beloved New York Mets.

"Ackerman will serve as Managing Partner and has promised me the Mets will soon return to greatness," he continued. "With opening day April 5, look for the big formal announcement on April 1. You’d be a fool to miss it."

As one can probably now guess, Mr. Schenkler's otherwise convincing article might fall just short of the truth.

On John Gambling's radio show this morning, Mr. Ackerman, who said even his relatives were convinced he was about to enter the business of baseball, confirmed the story was a joke.

"They do these April Fool's stories every year and he figured he'd jump the gun," he said about Mr. Schenkler.

As to the real reason Mr. Ackerman so abruptly retired after insisting for so long he would definitively seek reelection, the congressman hinted that perhaps he wanted to have his potential primary challenger, Assemblyman Rory Lancman, exit the race first so it wouldn't appear as if anyone forced him into early retirement.

"He's a fine young man. He's the local Assemblyman, rather ambitious, and he was thinking of running and actually had announced he was going to run," Mr. Ackerman explained. "He came over to tell me he wasn't going to run ... so he was out, the Republicans still hadn't put a candidate up, so I'm relatively home-free, nobody was nipping at my heels or pushing me, and I had a clear head to make a decision."

"I said to myself, 'Hey, I'm at the top of my game. Why don't I think of doing something else at this point?'"

Elizabeth Crowley (Photo: Facebook)

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley is planning to run for a seat in the House of Representatives. Ms. Crowley, who informed The Politicker of her plans at the McManus Democratic Association's annual St. Patrick's Day breakfast Saturday, joins an already crowded field that emerged once veteran Congressman Gary Ackerman abruptly announced his decision not to run for the seat. Congressman Joe Crowley, chairman of the Queens Democratic Party, is Ms. Crowley's cousin, but he's backing one of her rivals in the race, Assemblywoman Grace Meng.

"I love my cousin very much. I hope she realizes this is in the best interests of the district," Mr. Crowley told The Politicker at a meeting where he announced the Queens Democrats' support for Ms.

Assemblyman Rory Lancman has also announced his intention to run for the seat. Some political insiders have noted the district's demographics favor a Jewish candidate like Mr. Lancman or an Asian politician like Ms. Meng.

Ms. Crowley is just 33-years-old, but her name was bandied about by politicos as a potential replacement for Anthony Weiner in the 9th Congressional district in the special election following his sex scandal last year. Assemblyman David Weprin ended up being the Democratic nominee in that race and he lost to Republican Bob Turner. The 9th district was effectively eliminated in the as-yet unapproved maps released by a federal magistrate. Mr. Turner has moved on to challenge Kirsten Gillibrand for her Senate seat.

A native of Queens, Ms. Crowley grew up around politics. Her father, Walter, was a Councilman and Democratic district leader. She was elected to the Council in 2008. Ms. Crowley has worked as a union painter and schoolteacher.

[Additional Reporting By Colin Campbell]

Assemblyman Rory Lancman, who was running against Mr. Ackerman before bowing out, had already made his plan to campaign for the seat again clear. This evening, he even more directly stated his intentions by tweeting, "Congrats to my friend Grace, looking forward to a spirited campaign on the issues."

Councilman Mark Weprin, who had been looking strongly at the seat himself, announced his support for Ms. Meng this evening over Twitter.

State Senator Tony Avella previously said he was interested in a campaign, but it's unclear if he would be willing to move forward without the establishment's support.

If it is indeed primarily a head-to-head match between Mr. Lancman and Ms. Meng, demographics will play a large role. The district is plurality Asian, but only by the tiniest of margins. In terms of likely voter turnout, older, Jewish voters could easily be a more significant force numerically, although excitement for Ms. Meng's candidacy could potentially provide a countervailing force.

The district is significantly Democratic, but not overwhelmingly so. Republican sources have pitched Councilman Dan Halloran's chances in the general election, but there has been no public indication of his intentions to campaign for the seat thus far.

"For over thirty years, Gary Ackerman has represented the people of Queens and Long Island, first as a New York State Senator, and then as a Member of Congress," Mr. Obama said in his statement. "Gary’s bipartisan efforts helped our nation confront significant challenges at home and abroad."

"Gary’s unique enthusiasm will be greatly missed in the halls of Congress, but I am confident he will continue to serve the people of New York for years to come. Michelle and I wish him and his family well in the future," he concluded.

Last night, Mayor Michael Bloomberg also paid tribute to Mr. Ackerman's service.

“When Gary Ackerman and I visited Israel at the start of Operation Cast Lead in January 2009, rocket alarms went off as we visited the police station in Sderot. As everyone scrambled into the bomb shelter, Gary was cool and collected, which is exactly how he went about business in Congress for more than three decades," he sad.

Mr. Bloomberg added, "The borough of Queens – and the people of Israel, Africa and so many other areas of the world – have rarely had a stronger ally in Congress, and our entire nation will miss Gary's encyclopedic knowledge of foreign policy and so many other issues.

For his part, Mr. Ackerman thanked Mr. Obama and Mr. Bloomberg on Facebook, and said he was "overwhelmed by the outpouring of kind words I've received following my announcement that I would not run for a 16th term in Congress."

Gary Ackerman (Photo: Facebook)

Only hours after Congressman Gary Ackerman indicated he was no longer seeking reelection, possible new candidates have already started showing interest in the Queens district he was previously running in.

In a statement sent out tonight, Assemblywoman Grace Meng, who is the only Asian-American elected official in Albany, made sure to note the new district where Mr. Ackerman was campaigning is plurality Asian and indirectly suggested she would be inclined to run if she received the Democratic establishment's backing.

"This new congressional district is heavily Asian, and I will be sitting down with our Queens Democratic Organization Chairman, Congressman Joseph Crowley, our community leaders and activists to discuss how the coming months may shape out," she said, while praising Mr. Ackerman.

Meanwhile, State Senator Tony Avella, who was drawn into the same district with Senator Toby Stavisky and could possibly use an escape hatch to avoid a competitive primary, directly told City & State he was interested in the seat and aspired to be a Congressman.

“I’m honored that people are considering me, and I have always wanted to go to Congress,” he said to the publication. “It would be a dream come true.”

Assemblyman Rory Lancman, who exited the race today, was previously thought to be so interested in a Congressional campaign he was willing to challenge Mr. Ackerman in the Democratic primary, is undoubtedly contemplating jumping back in as well. His statement today even said he "would be seeking opportunities to assume greater public responsibilities in the near future.”

Other names thrown around by politicos musing haphazardly on the topic to The Politicker include Councilman Mark Weprin, Assemblyman and former Congressional candidate David Weprin, Councilwoman Liz Crowley, and on down the list of elected officials throughout the district.

All of the above candidates are Democratic, and a Republican would have an uphill battle for the seat, which gave Barack Obama 63% of the vote in his 2008 Presidential campaign. Nevertheless, it could be winnable under the right circumstances with the right candidate, and City & State reported GOP Councilman Dan Halloran is indeed interested.

Regardless of the eventual candidates, the entire sudden situation seems rather bizarre. Mr. Ackerman had personally reached out to The Politicker Tuesday night, out of the blue, to make a specific and detailed case for why he was the perfect candidate for the district he just declined to run in today.

Gary Ackerman (Photo: Facebook)

Whoah!

Less than two hours after Assemblyman Rory Lancman dropped his Congressional campaign to avoid challenging incumbent Representative Gary Ackerman in the Democratic primary, Mr. Ackerman himself pulled out of the race by releasing the following statement:

U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Queens/L.I.) today announced that he will not seek re-election to the United States Congress.

On the eve of the Federal Circuit Court’s approval of Congressional district lines that were seen to be extraordinarily favorable to Ackerman, and with the primary-free backing of the Democratic Party virtually assured, Ackerman has informed his family, staff, friends and party leaders that he will not seek a 16th term of office.

“The residents of Queens and Long Island have honored me with their trust and support for the past 34 years, first as a New York State Senator, and for the past 15 terms as a Member of Congress,” said Ackerman. “I’ve been truly privileged to have had the opportunity to fight for the beliefs of my neighbors in both the State Capital and in the halls of Congress. During my years in Congress, it has been my pleasure to address the needs of thousands of individual constituents and to influence domestic and global policy while serving on the Financial and Foreign Affairs Committees in the House. I am most thankful for the opportunity I’ve had to serve my country and my community.”

Congressman Ackerman went on to say that he remains extremely passionate about the causes related to his Congressional activities and expects that he will continue to be aggressively involved in many local and global issues as he moves into his role as a private citizen.

Ackerman’s term of office will end on January 2, 2013.

Rory Lancman (Photo: Facebook)

After aggressively campaigning against GOP Congressman Bob Turner only to see his district emerge as one of the two eliminated by the court's congressional map, Assemblyman Rory Lancman turned his attention to a new Asian-plurality district contained entirely in Queens, which would have set  him up against incumbent Congressman Gary Ackerman, who has a long history in the district despite living outside of it.

However, this evening his campaign announced he would forgo a Congressional run this cycle and would be seeking reelection in the State Assembly instead.

"My enthusiasm for running against Republican Bob Turner on a platform of leveling the economic playing field for working people doesn't extend to running against fellow Democrat Gary Ackerman,” he said in a statement. “Gary Ackerman is a solid progressive ... I have enjoyed a great relationship with Gary over the years, from interning in his office when I was a high school student to having his support in all of my campaigns for public office, and I'll be supporting Gary this year in the new Sixth congressional district."

"I have nothing but awestruck praise and tremendous gratitude for the incredible team and long list of supporters who so quickly put me in the position to win a seat in Congress had the redistricting stars aligned differently," he continued. "There will be other opportunities to assume greater public responsibilities in the near future."

For his part, Mr. Turner, also district-less, is pursuing higher ambitions at the moment and is running for the U.S. Senate.

Update: Possible game change? Congressman Ackerman announced his retirement.