The candidates on stage.

Cops resemble "slave catchers." Sal Albanese never smoked a joint. The Bloomberg Administration has locked the men of God out of City Hall.

These were all arguments presented at yesterday's peculiar mayoral forum, moderated by clergymen in the Bronx.

"How do you make the city safe with the thugs who are running around from the police department undercover who are from the outer boroughs and Long Island?" Randy Credico, a comedian and long-shot mayoral candidate, boomed. "They have thousands of undercover cops that are whacked out on steroids, going around like slave catchers, this is true, like slave catchers did back in the 1860's and 1850's in the wake of the fugitive slave law."

The Monroe College event drew a mix of leading Democrats and motley second-stringers, allowing discussions to veer from boilerplate campaign rhetoric to pot-smoking habits, exactly how much church should be separated from state and a slavery analogy that immediately shocked the auditorium. The bizarre star of the forum may have been Mr. Credico, a self-described "political comedian" who, along with Rev. Erick Salgado, ex-Democrat Adolfo Carrión and Mr. Albanese joined front-running candidates like Bill Thompson, Comptroller John Liu and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio on the stage. Not in attendance was the leader in all polls thus far, Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

Ms. Quinn, speculated a member of Monroe College's staff, may not have wanted to attend because of the forum's nature: the City Action Coalition, a coalition of conservative religious groups, was hosting the event and posing atypical questions. In addition to the usual inquiries about the police department's controversial stop-and-frisk and the city's struggling educational system, candidates were also asked about their stance on sex education in public schools, Mayor Michael Bloomberg's attempt to prohibit religious groups from holding services in public schools and whether "religious pregnancy crisis centers" should be able to operate without signage stating that they do not perform abortions.

The leading Democrats did not pass up the opportunity to bash Mr. Bloomberg, but they appeared caught off guard by the other questions from the panel of clergyman. Several, including Mr. Liu, did not voice an opinion on the role of sex education in public schools. And they quickly--before jumping to pile on Mr. Bloomberg--said they believed in "full disclosure" for health clinics.

"Too often government has held the faith community at arm's length to the detriment of all," Mr. de Blasio said. "I would like to see real faith representation at City Hall, a regular meeting between the mayor and top aides and faith leaders--you need proof? Just look at what happened after Hurricane Sandy where the faith community got there so often well before the government got there."

Faced with a more socially conservative audience than they were accustomed to, the Democrats sought to downplay the role of government and extol the potency of religious organizations. For example, Mr. Thompson blasted the city's attempt last year to keep religious services out of public schools.

"I believe we should continue to allow houses of worship to rent space from the City of New York. It is not a question of separation of powers," Mr. Thompson said, proposing a "mayor's office of faith-based development" in his theoretical administration. "Why would we change that now based on the whims of one individual?"

The debate swerved again when Mr. Albanese, when explaining why he would legalize marijuana and tax it, paused to emphasize that he's "never smoked pot." Mr. Credico wasn't so discreet.

"I would cut back on the money for the prosecution of pot. I'm an ex-pot smoker and I'm a part-time pot smoker, but the mayor can't raise taxes on it; it is the governor that has to do that," Mr. Credico said. "Maybe you have been smoking pot, Sal."

Pope Francis standing on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica's after being elected. (Photo: Getty)

Amalia told reporters her "romance" with Pope Francis, who was then known as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, failed because her parents opposed the relationship. She also said she regrets he was unable to officiate at her wedding to her eventual husband.

Prior to being elected pope, Francis served as Archbishop of Buenos Aires. He will be the first Jesuit pope and entered the religious order nearly ten years after his alleged relationship with "Amalia."

Cardinal Timothy Dolan (Photo: Getty)

Though he was a longshot, many locals were hoping Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who serves as the Catholic Church's Archbishop of New York, would be selected pope to replace Benedict XVI, who abruptly abdicated last month. However, when the white smoke cleared over the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican announced Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected to lead the Church, becoming the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit to hold the position. In his capacity as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Dolan released a statement reacting to the selection of Cardinal Bergoglio, who will now be known as Pope Francis I.

"The election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who has taken the name Francis I, marks a great milestone in our church," said Mr. Dolan. "As successor to Peter, our first pope, Pope Francis I stands as the figure of unity for all Catholics wherever they reside. The bishops of the United States and the people of our 195 dioceses offer prayers for our new leader and promise allegiance to him."

Cardinal Dolan described the selection as an "inspired choice" and expressed his desire Pope Francis I will be around for a long time.

"Intense prayer from all around the world surrounded the election of Pope Francis I. The bishops of the United States thank God for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the inspired choice of the College of Cardinals," said Mr. Dolan. "With joy in our hearts, we declare "Ad Multos Annos!" (For many years!)"

Dov Hikind and his family in their Purim costumes. (Photo: Facebook)

Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind is standing by his decision to don a Purim costume that some people have described as offensive "blackface." The outfit, which consisted of brown face paint, an afro wig and sunglasses in what Mr. Hikind described as a representation of a "black basketball player"provoked widespread outrage after Politicker first wrote about it this morning. However, in a post on his personal website bluntly titled "It's Purim. People Dress Up," Mr. Hikind argued his critics don't understand the nature of the Purim holiday, a costume and wine-fueled reverie commemorating a time when Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination.

"Yes, I wore a costume on Purim and hosted a party," Mr. Hikind wrote. "Most of the people who attended also wore costumes. Everywhere that Purim was being celebrated, people wore costumes. It was Purim. People dress up."

Mr. Hikind went on to say he is not prejudiced against any ethnic group.

"I am intrigued that anyone who understands Purim—or for that matter understands me—would have a problem with this," wrote Mr. Hikind. "This is political correctness to the absurd. There is not a prejudiced bone in my body."

Eric Ulrich (Photo: Facebook)

This morning, Queens Councilman Eric Ulrich took to his Facebook page to post a scathing review of Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in The House of God, an HBO documentary on the sex abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church. Mr. Ulrich had several issues with the film, which he characterized as "an exploitive and biased account of a dark chapter in the history of the Catholic Church."

"As a proud Roman Catholic, I am truly offended by the blatant bigotry contained in HBO's so-called documentary Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in The House of God," Mr. Ulrich wrote. "It accuses His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI of being complicit in covering up sex abuses cases involving Catholic priests and unfairly criticizes the late Pope John Paul II. Above all, its chock full of anti-catholic rhetoric and demonizes members of the clergy (most of whom are dedicated, compassionate and pious men)."

Mr. Ulrich went on to criticize the movie for not noting the things the Church has done to combat sexual abuse in the wake of the scandals.

"The film does not include any of the steps the church has taken to protect children nor does it accurately depict how the church has tried to heal the emotional and psychological suffering of sex abuse victims. Instead, it glorifies trial lawyers as moral crusaders," wrote Mr. Ulrich. "If you’re looking for an exploitive and biased account of a dark chapter in the history of the Catholic Church, this film is for you."

Mea Maxima Culpa premiered on HBO February 4 and is airing on the cable channel throughout the month. It was directed by Oscar winner Alex Gibney and focuses on a number of sex abuse cases, the ensuing lawsuits and criticizes how the Pope and other Church officials responded to the situation. Politicker reached out to HBO to discuss Mr. Ulrich's gripes with the film, but as of this writing, we have yet to receive a response.

(Pesach Osina)

One power broker in southeast Queens fears that the next City Council candidate to represent the 31st Council district will be a “young Jewish boy.”

In order to prevent Pesach Osina, an Orthodox Jewish former staffer to Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder, from winning the election, Bishop Charles Norris, founder of the Bethesda Missionary Baptist Church, is urging some of the eight other candidates to step aside. The seat in the majority black district was left open when James Sanders was elected to the State Senate and next week's special election to replace him has attracted a crowded field.

“The black vote would be split among the six or seven candidates,” Mr. Norris told Politicker yesterday. “Since Jews vote in a bloc, as they usually do—and there’s nothing wrong with that—the young Jewish boy in the Rockaways would win.”

As one of the most influential religious leaders in the area, Mr. Norris is known for his fiery pronouncements and pessimistic attitude about the ability of the booming Orthodox Jewish enclave in Far Rockaway to peacefully coexist with the long-time black majority.

When asked if Mr. Osina’s victory would be a detriment to the black community, Mr. Norris laughed at the idea anyone wouldn't see how the election of a candidate who wasn't African-American would be problematic for the area's black community.

“Why would it be a detriment for him to win?” he asked. “Are you serious about that question? What has been happening in the Rockaways all the time is most of the people who have lived in that area are not Jewish. They don’t get the services that they really need, let alone deserve. If you think that electing someone who is not African-American is going to provide the kind of services that they need, you are sadly mistaken.”

According to one well-connected southeast Queens operative, Mr. Osina’s victory over the seven other candidates, who are all black, is a very real possibility. While the front-runner in the race, Mr. Sanders’s former chief of staff Donovan Richards, has amassed a bevy of labor endorsements and has far out-raised his competitors, rivals like Jacques Leandre (whom Mr. Norris endorsed), Michael Duncan and Selvena Brooks could cut into Mr. Richards’s African-American base. Meanwhile, one Far Rockaway Orthodox source estimated that the neighborhood's Jewish community boasts a solid bloc of 3,500 registered voters. Though that's a relatively small number, Mr. Sanders triumphed in his 2009 primary with a little over 3,000 votes. Hurricane Sandy, which devastated the district at the end of last year, may also have lingering effects on turnout reducing the number of votes needed to win the race.

As of this writing, Mr. Osina did not respond to requests for comment on this story.

Catherine Skopic at the anti-fracking "pray-in." (Photo: Jordyn Taylor)

A group of religious leaders are hoping divine intervention will force Governor Andrew Cuomo to ban the controversial natural gas drilling procedure known as hydrofracking in New York State. Today at noon, an interfaith group of around 15 religious figures gathered outside the governor's office in Midtown Manhattan for an anti-fracking pray-in. With parkas draped over their ritual garb for warmth, the leaders adamantly spoke out against the controversial drilling process and invoked biblical imagery in their quest to convert the as-yet-undecided governor.

“When God created Adam and Eve, God led them by the hand around the garden of Eden,” preached Rabbi Marc Katz, of Congregation Beth Elohim. “We too have a garden: a beautiful, thriving Eden. Every time we pump chemicals into our water supply, every time we drill without knowing the consequences, we bring our garden closer to destruction.”

Christian leaders, like Episcopalian minister Catherine Skopic, also echoed the rabbi’s fears that fracking could destroy the “thriving Eden” that God created.

“Fracking has been proven to be destructive to creation, as shown by scientific data and experienced by all those in the 34 states and the countries where fracking has been allowed,” Ms. Skopic said. “Fracking destroys people’s health. It poisons water, land, and air. Governor Cuomo, we ask you to stand up for New York. We ask you to stand up for life. We ask you to ban fracking now.”

And just in case the prayers weren’t enough, the pray-in participants also delivered a letter, signed by 300 New York faith leaders, that urged the governor to see the light, shall we say, in the controversial debate.

As of now, Governor Cuomo is expected to take an official stance on fracking on Feb. 27. However, the governor's decision on drilling has been delayed in the past. Ultimately, the governor will have to decide if the health and environmental risks of hydrofracking outweigh the process’ potential economic benefits.

For the anti-fracking faith leaders, even if they are unable to stop the controversial drilling procedure in New York, some of those in attendance were glad to see the pray-in as an opportunity to unite members of different religions around a common goal.

“One of the important things that comes of this is that we see that all faith traditions are involved in this issue and are dedicated to this issue,” said Brother Ken Holman, a Jesuit. “It is at the root of all of our faiths—is to protect, preserve, and to love creation.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg (Photo: Getty)

Mayor Michael Bloomberg delivered one of the eulogies at former Mayor Ed Koch's funeral in Manhattan this morning and he praised his predecessor for an attitude "full of humor and chutzpah" that "embodied the spirit of New York City" and made him "our City’s quintessential Mayor." In his speech, Mayor Bloomberg also credited Koch with laying the foundation that allowed subsequent mayor's to make the five boroughs "great again." In a nod to the setting of the funeral, the Jewish Temple Emanu-El, Mr. Bloomberg compared Koch's achievements to the story of Moses.

"I’ve been doing my biblical research, and I think it’s only fitting that this week’s Torah portion is about Moses leading the Jews out of bondage in Egypt. Now, Ed, in his own way, was our Moses. Just with a little less hair," Mayor Bloomberg said. "He led us out of darkness and he gave us hope. And while he may not have parted the Red Sea, he did break a subway strike by standing on a bridge and shouting words of encouragement."

Mayor Bloomberg continued his biblical comparison with a quip about Koch's fondness for the spotlight.

"Just as Moses died right before he reached the Promised Land, Ed died hours before the documentary about him opened in theaters. Leave it to Ed to find the best way to maximize publicity for a film about his life," said Mayor Bloomberg. "No one ever enjoyed the theater of politics more than Ed. And no one – no one – was ever better at it."

In his eulogy, Mayor Bloomberg also noted he was "particularly thrilled" that Koch "picked my neighborhood corner shul for his funeral" making for an easy commute from his Upper East Side townhouse. He also said the location was fitting given its proximity to the Queensboro Bridge, which Mayor Bloomberg named after Koch in 2011. He described an anecdote meant to demonstrated the joy Koch felt having a part of the city christened in his honor. 

"I think there's no doubt that Ed is beaming looking down on all of us assembled here and I think it is fitting that he picked this place just a few blocks from a certain East River Span. ... Before last year’s State of the City speech, if you remember, we ran a video that included a shot of Ed standing at that entrance ramp, yelling to all the cars that approached, ‘Welcome to my bridge! Welcome to my bridge!’ Mayor Bloomberg said. "Needless to say, it brought down the house. But what most people don’t know is, after the cameras stopped rolling, Ed stayed out there in the freezing cold for another 20 minutes, yelling ‘Welcome to my bridge!’"

Mayor Bloomberg also shared another story about a video Koch filmed for the city where he was asked if he would ever consider living in another locale.

"Ed smiled, then he looked straight into the camera and said: ‘The only place I would accept is heaven; nothing else would take the place,’" said Mayor Bloomberg.

After telling this tale, Mayor Bloomberg concluded with a final biblical joke.

"It’s not hard to picture Ed getting up to heaven, meeting God, and saying with a big smile, ‘How’d I do?’ And there is no doubt–Cardinal, you’re not going to be happy about this," said Mayor Bloomberg apologizing to the Archbishop of New York, who was also in attendance. "But I’m telling you, I’ve talked to God and I know what’s happening–God said what so many people around the city and the country, and all over the world, have been saying over the last few days: Ed, you did great. You really did great."

The Satanic Temple logo.

A group of Florida-based Satanists will be holding a rally in support of the Sunshine State's Republican Governor Rick Scott on January 25. According to a press release for the event, the Satanic Temple, which organized the rally, will be showing "solidarity" with the governor for his "unwavering fortitude and progressive resolve in his defense of religious liberty," specifically his approval of a legislation that will allow students to vote on whether or not to include prayers in graduation ceremonies and other school assemblies.

"The Satanic Temple embraces the free expression of religion, and Satanists are happy to show their support of Rick Scott who--particularly with [Senate Bill] 98--has reaffirmed our American freedom to practice our faith openly, allowing our Satanic children the freedom to pray in school," the group said in a statement announcing the rally.

In its statement, the Satanic Temple also said they hope to "raise awareness of their compassion-based religion, which has traditionally been grossly misunderstood and maligned."

"God is supernatural and thus outside of the sphere of the physical. God’s perfection means that he cannot interact with the imperfect corporeal realm. Because God cannot intervene in the material world, He created Satan to preside over the universe as His proxy," the statement said. "Satan has the compassion and wisdom of an angel. Although Satan is subordinate to God, he is mankind’s only conduit to the dominion beyond the physical."

Politicker spoke with Satanic Temple spokesman Lucian Greaves about the event. He said he did not want to discuss how many members there are in the group, which was founded last year, or how many attendees are expected at the rally in advance of the event because he did not want to obscure its "message." Mr. Greaves said his group does not necessarily support Governor Scott's other policies, but is quite pleased with his approval of the prayer bill.

Mr. Greaves additionally said he is not concerned his group's support might be a political liability for the conservative governor because he believes there are more Satanists in America than most people realized and pointed to people who identify their religion as "other" in polls to back up this claim. According to the most recent statistics from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, approximately 1.2 percent of Americans are religious and do not identify as Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim or Hindu. The majority of this  group is identified as "Unitarians and other liberal faiths."

We reached out to Governor Scott's office to see whether he welcomes the Satanic Temple's support. As of this writing, we have not received a response. The temple plans to hold the rally on the steps of his office in Tallahassee.

Cory Booker with his holy books at his side. (Photo: YouTube)

When he announced his plans to "explore" a Senate campaign earlier today Newark Mayor Cory Booker had a stack of holy books at his side. Mr. Booker's reading list included five books from four different religions.

An advisor to Mr. Booker provided Politicker with the list of titles Mr. Booker had next to him in the video of his announcement. The stack consisted of the King James Life in the Spirit Study Bible, The Qu'ran, The Tanach, which is the Hebrew Bible, Chumash, a printed version of the Torah and Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, an interpretation of the Hindu holy book by the founder of the Hare Krishna movement, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Mr. Booker has long had an interest in exploring religion and spirituality. Though he was raised Baptist, while he was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University Mr. Booker was president of L’Chaim House, the campus Jewish organization headed by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach.