By Ross Barkan 6/13 10:00am

Blast From The Past

anthony-weiner-getty

Anthony Weiner Defends His Congressional Record in the Bronx

Today’s front-page New York Times story detailing Anthony Weiner’s lack of congressional accomplishments hadn’t been published yet, but last night, Mr. Weiner suddenly found himself defending his record.

It was at a Latino-focused forum and the topic was immigration. And, as he’s done before, the former congressman blamed Republicans for the lack of movement on the issue.

“Unfortunately, every member of the Democratic caucus, you can say, didn’t get much done during the Bush years while I was on immigration committee,” the slender-framed Democrat said, pivoting to a joke. “When I got on that committee, I was six-four, 290 pounds. This is all that is left of me.” Read More

By Jill Colvin 5/09 7:12pm

Taxation and Representation

Adolfo Carrión Jr. (Photo: carrion2013.com)

Republican Candidates Slam Bill That Would Allow Non-Citizens to Vote

City Republicans–and Adolfo Carrion Jr.–slammed proposed city legislation that would allow non-U.S. citizens to vote in local elections, calling the idea offensive, illegal and just plain dumb.

The City Council held a hearing earlier today on a bill that would allow any resident legally living in the city for six months or longer to vote in municipal elections. The bill, which is opposed by the mayor, has wide support on the council, with 34 sponsors–a veto-proof majority. Read More

By Jill Colvin 5/07 6:40pm

Takes

Congresswoman Grace Meng (Photo: Thos Robinson/Getty Images for Women's Campaign Fund)

Grace Meng’s First Policy Letter Critiques Chuck Schumer’s Immigration Bill

It’s not just conservatives who are critiquing Sen. Chuck Schumer and the rest of the so-called “Gang of Eight” for their immigration bill.

Freshman Congresswoman Grace Meng, a steady liberal hand, is also urging to re-assess the latest version of the proposed federal immigration overhaul. But her warnings come with a unique twist: potential damage to Asian-American immigrant families.

In her first such letter to lawmakers on a major piece of legislation, Ms. Meng, New York’s first Asian-American Congresswoman, told Mr. Schumer, New York’s most politically powerful voice in Washington, that she has concerns about certain provisions of the sweeping reform bill, which is set to be taken up by the Senate Judiciary Committee this week. Read More

By Colin Campbell 4/22 8:43am

Rebranding

Reshma Saujani. (Photo: Facebook)

Reshma Saujani Kicks Off Public Advocate Bid With a New Presentation

Later this morning, Reshma Saujani will officially launch her public advocate campaign, an ambitious bid for one of two competitive citywide races this year. But as she lays out her agenda, it won’t be the same Reshma Saujani politicos remember from her 2010 primary against Upper East Side Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. In that campaign, she embraced her “Pro-Wall Street Democrat” label, but now, Ms. Saujani says she’s focused on a whole new slate of issues.

“Oh my God, so much!” she told Politicker when asked if she’s learned from her experiences since then, including a stint in the public advocate’s office. “Since 2010, I have a record–a progressive record–of accomplishment. There are people in the city who I have helped put on a path of economic prosperity, that are in college because I fought for them. There are people in jobs because I fought for them … In 2010, that was harder to demonstrate, right? Because I was working as a lawyer in the private sector.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 2:13pm

King of the Hill

SWAT team prepares at the Watertown Mall (Photo: Getty)

Pete King on Boston Suspect: ‘What in the Community Radicalized Him?’

With the news that two of the suspected terrorists from last Monday’s Boston Marathon bombing have roots in the Russia’s Muslim-dominated Chechnyan region, Long Island Congressman Pete King says the United States “can’t afford to be politically correct” with its immigration policies anymore.

“I do believe that whether it’s Chechnya or whether it’s really any countries from areas where there is fighting going on–particularly terrorist fighting–that we have to be extra careful, extra scrupulous,” Mr. King argued during a PIX 11 interview earlier this afternoon. “That would include, to me, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Somalia [and] obviously …. somebody of a Chechnyan background. All of that, to me, we can’t afford to be politically correct and say that somebody coming from a country where there’s a Muslim war going on is the same as somebody … from Switzerland, for instance. There’s a difference.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 3/20 9:33am

Land of Rand

Rand Paul. (Photo: Getty)

Chuck Schumer Says Rand Paul Is ‘Really Helpful’ on Immigration

Earlier this week, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul reportedly endorsed a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. And although Mr. Paul disputes that exact phrasing to describe his speech, it was a notable announcement from the Tea Party conservative as the U.S. Congress debates the issue. Indeed, New York’s own Senator Chuck Schumer, part of a bipartisan octet negotiating a comprehensive immigration bill, praised the move last night.

“I think the bottom line is having Rand Paul come out for something not that far away from our group of eight is really helpful,” Mr. Schumer said on Inside City Hall. “After all, he’s the hard right. He’s the Tea Party. And if he can be for it, so can most Republicans. And that gives me a lot of hope we can pass a bill in both the Senate and the House. And the House will be even tougher than the Senate.” Read More

By Hunter Walker 2/12 11:46pm

Strategery

US-POLITICS-OBAMA-STATE OF THE UNION

In State of the Union, Obama Makes Controversial Issues All About the Benjamins

In his State of the Union address this evening, President Barack Obama addressed several hot-button political issues including climate change, immigration reform and gun control. Overall, the president’s speech struck a populist tone, but when bringing up his proposals to address some of these more controversial issues, he characterized them as making good business sense. Read More

By Colin Campbell 3:18pm

koch watch

(Photo: Getty)

Ed Koch Thinks NYT Should Apologize for ‘Intolerant,’ ‘Outrageous’ Editorial

Former Mayor Ed Koch is very upset with The New York Times at the moment.

The cause? An editorial on immigration, where the the publication of record saw a new opportunity to push for reform in the wake of Republican election losses this year. But Mr. Koch, in one of his regular missives typically containing movie reviews, instead used the space to accuse The Times of overreaching in its rhetoric. Read More

By Colin Campbell 10/15/12 4:51pm

Party Favors

(photo: uskidsmags.com)

State Senator Says Mitt Romney Uses Immigrants Like a ‘Piñata’

State Senator Adriano Espaillat would really prefer if Mitt Romney would stop beating immigrant communities with a stick so that candy will come out, figuratively, of course. Thus, on the eve of the second debate between Mr. Romney and the incumbent, President Barack Obama, Mr. Espaillat gathered with Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez and immigration advocates to “call out” Mr. Romney and push him into changing his tune on immigration.

“Mitt Romney has committed to the most extreme, xenophobic positions on immigration, including the promise that he will veto the Dream Act,” Mr. Espaillat said in a statement to explain his protest, which took place in front of Hofstra University where tomorrow’s debate will be held. Read More

By Hunter Walker 7/18/12 8:58am

Family Ties

romney wave

Mitt Romney Touts His Immigrant Roots in New Ad

Mitt Romney released a new Spanish-language ad today, “Country of Immigrants” featuring his son, Craig, discussing the family’s roots in Mexico.

“I’m Craig Romney. I would like to tell you how my father, Mitt Romney, thinks.  He values very much that we are a nation of immigrants.  My grandfather George was born in Mexico. For our family the greatness of the United States is how we respect and help each other, regardless of where we come from,” Craig says in the ad.  Read More