By Hunter Walker 2/20 6:16pm

Punditry

Councilwoman Tish James (Photo: Facebook)

Tish James Takes on Fox News

Councilwoman and candidate for Public Advocate Tish James wants an apology from the Fox News host who suggested rapes do not occur on college campuses during an appearance on the roundtable show The Five.

“Questioning whether rapes happen on college campuses is deeply offensive to all, especially those who have suffered irreparable harm as a result of these vicious crimes,” Ms. James said in a statement. “Furthermore, when the very existence of rape is challenged in a public forum, such as a widely-viewed cable news channel, it discourages the reporting of an already under-reported crime.” Read More

By Hunter Walker 2/19 10:43am

Talking Heads

David Axelrod (Photo: Twitter)

David Axelrod Signs on at MSNBC and NBC News

President Barack Obama’s longtime strategy guru David Axelrod has signed on for a post-campaign gig as a “senior political analyst” for NBC News and MSNBC. Mr. Axelrod previously served as a senior strategist for President Obama in the 2008 and 2012 campaigns. During the president’s first term, he was on the White House staff as a senior advisor. Read More

By Hunter Walker 2/15 12:34pm

Beef

ruben-diaz

There Is No Love Lost Between Senator Ruben Diaz and Gerson Borrero

The latest edition of State Senator Ruben Diaz’s periodic “What You Should Know” email columns contained an attack against Gerson Borrero, a NY1 contributor and columnist for the Spanish-language newspaper El Diario. In his email, Mr. Diaz accused Mr. Borrero of lying about him, having a “deep obsession” with him and even “trying to imitate my dressing style.”

“There are some people who, when they fall in love or feel envious, may easily feel rejected. Any real or perceived rejection could bring them to the edge of absurdity. Sometimes they even become liars,” Mr. Diaz wrote. “This seems to be true in the case of Mr. Gerson Borrero, a reporter, who has issues with me. If you read or hear Mr. Borrero’s writings or commentaries about me, you might think this individual has a deep obsession with me.”

Mr. Borrero had some harsh words of his own for Mr. Diaz when Politicker called him to discuss the column this morning.

“I’m not particularly obsessed with him like he suggests,” said Mr. Borrero. “I’m definitely not enamored with him. I don’t like him, I’ve never had such bad taste. I think he’s an ugly person, not physically, he is an ugly human being. I think he is Lucifer personified.” Read More

By Hunter Walker and Colin Campbell 2/07 1:53pm

democracy

"Girls" Greenroom Photo Op - 2012 SXSW Music, Film + Interactive Festival

Lena Dunham May Have Voted After All

Lena Dunham, the star and creator of HBO’s zeitgeisty comedy Girls, took to Twitter this afternoon to fight back against reports she did not vote in the presidential election last year despite filming a controversial ad urging others to cast a ballot for President Barack Obama. According to officials at the Board of Elections in Brooklyn, Ms. Dunham’s claim she voted by affidavit ballot may have merit. Read More

By Colin Campbell 10/18/12 5:30pm

spoiler alert

Barack Obama and Jon Stewart earlier today. (Photo: Getty)

Previewing President Obama’s Daily Show Interview

Earlier this evening, President Barack Obama sat down with Jon Stewart to tape an extended, fourteen minute interview for The Daily Show set to air later tonight. While we don’t know everything that was said, a good portion of the discussion was included in a recently-distributed White House pool report.

Mr. Stewart began by declaring he’s making a campaign scrapbook, and he showed Mr. Obama two pictures and said they came from the presidential debates. As the pool report put it, “One showed Michelle Obama looking at him very angrily onstage afterward, and the other showed her smiling broadly at him afterward.”

“Do you know which debate was which?” Mr. Stewart asked. Read More

By Hunter Walker and Colin Campbell 10/18/12 2:53pm

Whodunit

A screengrab from the "October Surprise" site. (Photo: OctSurprise.com)

Meet Two of the Developers Behind the Internet ‘October Surprise’

Earlier, a mysterious website popped up online promising to reveal an election “October Surprise” document drop showing that one of the “presidential candidates isn’t being honest.” The site is nothing but a countdown clock and accompanying Twitter account promising all will be revealed at 5:30 p.m. on October 22. On Twitter, the unknown people behind the site have claimed they’re “not at liberty to say which campaign this affects, just yet” and that the site “has the propensity to turn this election from a nail-biter into the biggest electoral landslide.” They have also posted tantalizing blurry photos of documents to back up their claims. Politicker was able to identify at least two people involved with this secretive “October Surprise,” and we spoke with one of them earlier this afternoon. Read More

By Colin Campbell 10/08/12 3:07pm

Tears of a Spongebob

nick president logo

Mitt Romney Made Nickelodeon Sad

Mitt Romney picked a fight with Big Bird last week, but don’t think his battle against children’s television programming is going to be slowing down anytime soon.

Accordingly, a clearly disappointed Nickelodeon sent out a press release earlier today announcing President Barack Obama’s presence in the station’s Kids Pick the President special next week. However, one major White House contender will be absent. “After numerous attempts by Nick News to get former Governor Mitt Romney to participate in the special, his camp declined, saying he was unable to fit it into his schedule,” the statement explained. Read More

By Hunter Walker 10/05/12 11:52am

Girl Uninterrupted

Lena Dunham (Photo: Getty)

Lena Dunham Joins Push For Paid Sick Days Bill

Lena Dunham, the star of HBO’s hipster coming-of-age comedy Girls, has already dabbled in film, magazine writing and literature, but she seems to increasingly be adding local political activism to her resume. Last night, Ms. Dunham took to Twitter to express her support for the Paid Sick Days bill, which many politicos believe has been unfairly stalled by Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

“I’m always sick or convinced I’m sick. A flu shouldn’t cost you your job. That’s why I support #paidsickdays U Can 2,” Ms. Dunham wrote before including a link to an online petition asking Ms. Quinn to allow the bill to come to a vote on the floor of the City Council. Read More

By Hunter Walker 10/04/12 12:14pm

Ratings

Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama on stage for the presidential debate in Denver. (Photo: Getty)

About 40 Million People Watched the Debate on Broadcast Networks Last Night

According to preliminary Nielsen numbers, about 39.97 million total viewers watched the first presidential debate on the broadcast networks last night. The debate was also carried by cable news outlets, but those numbers are not yet available. Once the cable audience is included, this should put last night’s debate in contention to match or slightly beat the audience for the first presidential debate of 2008, which was watched by about 52.4 million total viewers including the cable channels. However, it will be hard for this debate to match the highest-rated matchup of the 2008 cycle–the vice presidential debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden, which was watched by 69.9 million people and ranks as the second most viewed debate ever.  Read More

By Colin Campbell 10/04/12 11:17am

Air War

Tim Bishop's record of failure apparently needs to end. (Photo: YouTube)

Chamber of Commerce Ramps up Efforts in New York Congressional Races

This morning, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce officially set its sights on six congressional races across New York State and launched ads in each of them. Stretching from Long Island to Buffalo, the broadcast barrage attacks Democratic congressional incumbents Tim Bishop, Kathy Hochul, Bill Owens and Louise Slaughter, and attempts to beat back Democratic candidates Sean Patrick Maloney and Dan Maffei.

The size of the ad buy wasn’t immediately available, but the Chamber launched a significant $3.3 million campaign for California Republicans last week, so their New York  has the potential to be sizable. Read More