Ostensibly there are very few people willing to say the obvious: that relative to recent political events dealing with the issue of “same-sex marriage” (or “marriage-equality” as others label it), Joe Biden and Barack Obama both messed up. And in my estimation they messed up big time. 

I was out of the country for a couple weeks and because of this I missed the passing and funeral of a political friend and activist-ally: Jenny Ortiz-Bowman. Those of us who knew her well called her “The Queen”.  I knew of her long before I formally met her and worked with her in 1996. She was one of the many colorful people who played the Brooklyn political theater in the last half-century. 

Last night on a Brooklyn Cable Access Television (BCAT) program, attorney Terry Hinds formally announced his challenge to Assemblyman Nick Perry, for Brooklyn’s 58th assembly district. The date for this year’s state primary elections is still not known; but rumors abound that we will have an August election-date instead of the usual post-Labor Day September-primary. Jamaican-born Nick Perry has been the elected representative here since 1992, and has only faced three primary challenges during his long tenure.

I recently wrote a column giving up some of the street rumors relative to upcoming races. There have been some changes since then: so let‘s get to work (a la Ed Schultz/lol).

Political pundits are a nickel a dozen now; especially with the advent of the internet, the expansion of the overall communication process, and the 24-7 media coverage of politics. But how many pundits are worth their salt? You readers have to make that determination. Those of you who listen to the pundits on radio and/or television ; or read blogs, newspapers, magazines or other periodicals; need to hold them accountable over time. You need to evaluate them based on their prognostications and their successes.  

There are times when the movers and shakers of mainstream media simply refuse to do their primary duty: edify the public as to what’s really happening in the corridors of power. And this is why blogs -like this one- have now emerged as crucial back-ups for those who seek to truthfully bring the four-one-one to the public.

Take the recent legislative package passed in Albany for example. Mainstream media heralded it as a victory for Governor Andrew Cuomo; but is it? Really?  

So after considering a run for Congress against Yvette Clarke, Brooklyn boro-prez Marty Markowitz -I am now told- has decided against it, and is even considering endorsing Yvette for re-election. WOW!!

You really want to talk about hypocrisy and two-facedness folks? This is a sad sad commentary on contemporary political relationships. Sad.

Every ten years in the good old USA (United States of Amnesia), you can expect a big political fight over reapportionment. That’s when the lines for legislative districts are redrawn based on population growth (or decrease) and demographic shifts. This usually happens after the constitutionally mandated nationwide census-count.  

A couple years ago I wrote about certain forces (and interests) in this city that had placed a bull’s-eye on Congresswoman Yvette Clarke’s back. I got the usual suspects to call in (and e-mail) saying I am too focused on the political gossip of Brooklyn.  I wasn’t kidding. In fact I have written a few times now that that Yvette Clarke was in some people’s gunfights. I even elaborated on some of the speculative reasons why this was happening.

Since I am in my seventh year blogging in NYC, I am going to introduce a new format shortly, to supplement my “Vines” column (which I hardly do anymore anyway). I will call it “People Are Saying”. It will bring you some choice tidbits of political gossip, from my many wide and varied sources: developed after thirty nine and a half years in NYC politics.  I will try to make it a quarterly column. So strap in when you see it show up. I will try to debut said column later this month, or sometime next month. I am still working it out in my head.

Displaying a marked frustration with the troublesome reapportionment process, State Senator John Sampson (Brooklyn) today called for Governor Andrew Cuomo to veto the proposed lines being pushed by the legislature’s redistricting process.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) -an office of the US Department of Education- the 2010 numbers show that 27percent of all US citizens have obtained at least a Bachelor’s degree (BAs=17.1 & MAs/Equiv=9.9); from some institution of higher learning. Males had a slight edge on females in regard to gender.

Of course I am caught up in the current Linsanity which has overtaken the sports world. What do you expect? After all, I did write a column on the New York Knickerbockers (Knicks) last Christmas, where I predicted that the Knicks will soon become the NBA Champions. Go dig it up from my archives. I based this prediction on the arrival of both Tyson Chandler (the perfect fit to anchor the Knicks defense) and the play of a healthy Baron Davis at point guard (not Jeremy Lin’s emergence). We all knew that the two building blocks (Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony) were already in place.

It’s not nice to call people names. Period. And yet sometimes you could; and even maybe sometimes you should: especially when their blandness and sterility negatively affect the lives of millions they are supposed to be representing in the corridors of power. Let’s take a look at the State Legislature’s Black and Hispanic Caucus. 

I am often asked by those who are politically sick and tired of being sick and tired, what can be done to effectuate real change in the politics, at all three levels of government (federal, state, city/local). There are no easy answers. One thing I do know is that politics must never become a spectator sport. People of goodwill and strong ideals must participate in the process, no matter who else isn’t.