The Time of Her Time
Domestic Partner: I am getting tired of everyone asking what it is I could possibly see in Gatemouth. His athletic physique? His sweet disposition? His good manners and sense of fashion? His tolerance for the failings of others?
Since the answer is not immediately apparent, everyone jumps to the same conclusion, but sad to say, they are wrong; being one is not the same as having one. But please, do not think that I am with Gatemouth because of a mental deficiency; there are other reasons as well. Though I may be appear to be a simple agrarian working on my second graduate degree, I assure you that I am not a country pumpkin; I am witty and irrelevant. Yes, English is not my first language, only my fifth, but do not underestimate me . While it is true that I am beautiful and stylish, I am also very smart. I do have my reasons, even if I’ve long ago forgotten them. Besides, Gatemouth is a person of unparalleled generosity--when he has an opinion, he always makes sure to share it with everyone. One day, as is his wont, Gatemouth said something obnoxious and I told him "Stop being supercilious." He responded, "excuse me, but unlike you, I didn’t learn English in a classroom, I learned it in the street; use a smaller word." So, I said "OK, stop being a prick." I do not mind the things Gatemouth has to say about other people, although they are often mean, petty and boorish. But, then again, his subjects are local politicians, who are, by nature, mean, petty and boring. No one cares about the peculiarities of such pathetic losers and gonovim. Reading Gatemouth writing about them is like coming across one of “Herzog‘s” letters ranting about the rats in Florida. Talk about “Him with his Foot in His Mouth.“ Why can he not aspire to something more lucrative? And if not more lucrative, at least more lofty; my own personal ambition is to sit at home all day and read Proust. I don’t even mind that Gatemouth’s blogs, unlike some of his other attributes, are too fucking long. It is almost like being forced to repeatedly re-read “War and Peace,” except that Tolstoy is easier to follow and had better jokes. What I do mind is Gatemouth’s apparently uncontrollable compulsion to put his thoughts into print and publish them. If Gatemouth is wrong about such people, then they do not deserve to be his targets. And, if he is actually right about them, why does he want to want to pish them off by denouncing them? If I wanted to be targeted for a purge by the political class, I would have stayed in Eastern Europe, where I could eat my native food without sitting in restaurants full of hipsters and poseurs. I am sick of the crank calls from the likes Fat Ugly Smelly Toothless Bastard, and the complaints to Gatemouth’s employer from the likes of Emeraldstein. And don't get me stated about that homunculus, Curly Kugel. Genug icht genug. Gatemouth is on notice–no more blogging about local politics; If he continues to do so, I would not want to be him. Having recently experienced some stress on the domestic front, it is hard not to sympathize with those whose issues within their households occasionally impact upon their lives in the outside world. Political wives who’ve made a decision to tolerate the indiscretions of their husband in order to facilitate their own seat at the table of power are an oft-told tale. See, for instances, Robert Caro’s epic adventures of LBJ, or my own ruminations about the Spitzers, McGreeveys and Clintons of the world. Power is not only the ultimate aphrodisiac, but the ultimate anti-depressant, making tolerant all sorts of private humiliations, though apparently powerless to make more pleasant the public ones.Thus, Mrs. Edwards is old news. But family members of those in the political world can be inconvenient in other ways as well. Take the household of City Councilman Charles Barron and his wife, Assemblywoman Inez. Councilman Barron has long lusted after higher office, and will surely run for Borough President or try again to attain the seat in Congress currently held by Ed Towns, should one of those positions ever become vacant. Because of Barron’s tendency to speak of wanting to slap people for the sake of his mental health (as opposed to actually slapping people, which is apparently for many a lesser sin), many in the local "Progressive" community are reluctant to support Councilman Barron’s efforts at achieving higher office. Score one for them.Yet, it is rare for someone in the "Progressive" community ever to actually question whether Councilman Barron is "Progressive" on the issues. The consensus seems to be that if not for his reverse racism, he would qualify with flying colors. A recent Google search revealed that "Charles Barron" + "Progressive" attracted 6,470 hits. Contrast this with the results for WFP-endorsed Comptroller candidate John Liu (3540), WFP-endorsed Public Advocate candidate Bill DeBlasio (852), enrolled WFP member Leticia James (1,790, plus 284 if you search her as "Tish"), and such other left-liberal favorites as Rosie Mendez (713), Gail Brewer (205), Annabel Palma (147) and Melissa Mark Viverito (429). And, in fact, at the far left end of the "Progressive" spectrum, groups like the International Action Center and ANSWER consider Charles Barron the epitome of political correctness. As they put it: "[H]e will be a rare and revolutionary voice for the movement in the bourgeois white male domains of Capital Hill. Unbowed and unapologetic, Barron is the most radical member of the NYC Council, and the most consistent ally of the antiwar movement holding any elected office in New York and anywhere else. Barron led the fight to bar military recruiters from NYC public schools, and he has never hesitated to publicly support Venezuela, Cuba, and (especially critical right now) the Palestinian people." Moreover, the election results from the last time he ran for Congress indicate that white left-liberals from neighborhoods like Boerum Hill, Prospect Heights and Fort Greene apparently agree.Who cares where a potential member of Congress stands on Robert Mugabe or the teaching of intelligent design in public schools, when he opposes Atlantic Yards? By contrast, "Progressives," even those suspicious of Barron, largely despise poor Ed Towns. In 2008, Towns was rated a “Liberal Hero” by the American for Democratic Action, and has garnered consistently high rating from the ADA and other liberal groups. And yet, local "Progressives" consider Towns a reactionary. Now, some of this is Towns’ fault. Bad votes on net neutrality and bankruptcy legislation and inexplicable (except as opportunistic expediency) flailing on issues like trade and the Balkans wars have left a bad taste for some, myself included.As a result, "Progressives" have attacked Towns even when he’s walked the extra mile on their behalf. Last year, Daily Gotham blogger Michael Bouldin castigated Towns for voting against the Employment Non-Discrimination act (ENDA), a bill banning employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. In response, I wrote "I have trouble believing Towns actually opposed ENDA–as opposed to some amendment which I think even Barney Frank tried to stop--Towns is acutely sensitive about not alienating any organized constituency in his district, and Gays qualify as such, plus they raise mucho dinero, so if Towns did actually vote against it, he must have accidentally pushed a wrong button--I think it's more likely that Bouldin's information was wrong."Actually, it was I who got the facts wrong, even though my essential point, that Towns would never vote against what he perceived as being the position of the LGBT Community, was correct. Here's what Brooklyn Teacher wrote on Bouldin's thread: "Ed Towns didn’t vote against ENDA because he's anti-gay rights, he voted as a protest vote because that version of the law didn't include protections for transgendered people. It was in fact a MORE progressive vote, and this was recognized by Melissa Sklarz, a leader in the transgender rights movement active with the Stonewall Democrats who was disappointed in their decision to endorse Towns' opponent. DO YOUR RESEARCH!!" Towns was not going to let anyone get to his left on an issue involving an interest group with members in his district, and therefore took the loony-left position of making the good the enemy of the perfect. It was almost as if he was morphing into Charles Barron or Kevin Powell. As such, the heat Towns took for his ENDA vote was that rarity in politics--both an unfair slander and still well-deserved. By contrast, how can one question Charles Barron on the matter of Human Rights? The ultra-"Progressive" Urban Justice Center (UJC) recently rated the entire City Council on the matter of Human Rights and ranked Councilman Barron second out of 51. According to UJC, "Our work represents a unique and creative attempt to push for a higher standard of government accountability than U.S. legislation typically allows. For example, the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights and a host of international treaties articulate the right to basic necessities such as food, housing, health, and employment. However, U.S. safety net programs and laws do not clearly acknowledge these rights, and often circumvent or disregard them." A salient point, though UJC’s actual application of it may be worthy of some reconsideration. UJC includes in its Human Rights ratings such concerns as term limits, the recycling of electronics, street vendor permits and the Willets Point Development plan. Under such a standard, articulating support for as Mr. Barron does for violators (like Mr. Mugabe) of what are thought of as more traditionally defined "Human Rights," including those of homosexuals (who Mr. Mugabe compares unfavorably to dogs) does not bar one from being a UJC "Human Rights" hero. A contrasting view is of “Human Rights” is held by the premier national lobby for the LGBT community, which calls itself the "Human Rights Campaign (HRC)." It should be noted that, though HRC concentrates on issues of concern to its specific constituency, it has consistently supported traditionally defined "Human Rights" across the board. In New York, the local equivalent of the HRC is the Empire State Pride Agenda, and it’s primary focus is currently same sex marriage. I think it is safe to say that, in the "Progressive" precincts of New York, it is no longer considered good enough to be right on all other matters if one opposes same sex marriage. The State Assembly recently voted on the matter for the second time, and for a second time the bill passed, this time with an expanded margin. Liz Benjamin did an exhaustive summary of the vote changes from last year, documenting every vote switch and change in a seat’s occupant which effected the vote, but the impact (or lack of it) from one seat change was conspicuous by its absence.Those unfortunate enough to be living in communities like East New York cannot be blamed if they decide to derive their entertainment through their elected officials, whether it be Councilman Chuckles Barron or their former Assemblywoman, Diane "House of the Rising Sum" Gordon. When Christine Quinn forced the firing of Councilman Barron’s Chief of Staff, Viola Plummer, for advocating an attempt on the life of another Council Member, I was shocked and bothered. Voters who chose Barron as their Councilman knew what they were getting; and they had a right to a Councilman with a staff dedicated to implementing his agenda, whether it be telling tall-tales about Mr. Charlie or assassinating Leroy Comrie. Luckily, with the judicially ordained replacement of Ms. Gordon by Mrs. Barron, democracy has been allowed to prevail, and Ms. Plummer has once again been restored to her rightful place as a parasite at the public teat, this time through Assemblywoman Barron’s not-so-good offices. No one can say that, as an elected official, Ms. Barron has not lived up to expectations. Except in one matter. Unexpectedly, Mrs. Barron has followed the lead of the reactionary, Bible-thumping criminal who proceeded her in the Assembly (a women who used to have the guests at her fundraisers write the checks out to her personally) and has voted against same sex marriage. Like Charles Barron, Ed Towns also has a family member serving in the New York State Assembly. Can you imagine the uproar on the left if Darryl Towns, the Congressman’s son, had voted against the right of same-sex couples to marry? ET would surely not hear the end of it. Like everything else Ed Towns does, right or wrong, in the "Progressive" community this would have stuck to ET like Velcro. But, on the matter of Mrs. Barron’s vote, the politically correct left has so-far been silent. Where is the statement of outrage from CBID President Lucy Koteen, a outspoken supporter of Charles Barron’s Congressional race? I myself sympathize with Chuckles here. I cannot control my spouse. Why should Barron be able to control his? The fact that Chuckles sold Inez to the voters as more of the same in a prettier package does not empower him with the means to deliver what he promised. So, I am not blaming Chuck for his wife’s vote (as opposed to his wife’s election); I am merely asking that he publicly repudiate that vote. Will "Progressives" ask the same? And what will Mr. Barron say? I actually think your characterizing Barron as some kind of progressive hero is wrong. Most progressives I know DO like some of his positions, but DON'T like other positions. His support for Mugabe is often cited against him by those same progressives you like to denegrate...and they have been saying it for some time I have major problems with Towns...but I have yet to endorse anyone against him for many of the reasons you cite. Personally I think your diary would be far more effective if you put the whole point of it (Inez's anti-gay vote) near the beginning. Honestly, I almost missed it since it is buried beneath mountains of your usual progressive bashing. I think your domestic partner is not only a lovely woman (remember I met her, so I know she has the looks) but also an interesting writer from whom I would like to hear more. Can you let her have the computer sometimes so that we can hear more of what she has to say on political issues. Just one request: BREVITY/lol.
By the way: Inez Barron is apparently a fundamentalist christian type (as far as I know), so I am not surprised by her vote. I will however like to hear her rationale behind it. I think it is only fair for anyone (myself included/if ever elected) to explain their vote.
Mole: I said local progressive were reluctant to support Barron, and I also said they were also reluctant to criticize him publicly; both of those things happen to be true. Show me where on "The Daily Gotham" I can find any sustained critique of Barron. By contrast, I know where on TDG I can find a sustained critique of Towns. (By the way, I've written both, and linked them in this article). I also said Barron had attracted support from the far-left fringe of the progressive spectrum, and I've provided the proof. I know and appreciate that neither The International Action Center or ANSWER are your cups of tea, or TDG's. I never said they were. However, I've also seen little if any criticism of these pernicous groups, whose work and positions are used to discredit legitimate left discourse, on TDG. Further, I've seen little reluctance to embrace, and much relectance to criticize, despots like Chavez when they embrace an agenda of "Human Rights" which embraces the definition held by UJC, but not that held by the ACLU, HRC or Freedom House. Moreover, those "Progressives" who did back Barron, like CBID President Lucy Koteen, are now duty bound to raise the uncomfotable questions his wife's vote begs. Where does Charles Barron stand on Same Sex Marriage? Surely, this is a relevant question for a man who salivates to serve in Congress. Rock: She should explain her vote, and Charles should explain his position. First of all, I have yet to see anyone give convincing evidence that Hugo Chavez is a despot.I do not like everything he says or does, but when defeated in an electoral process (when his reforms failed to pass) he accepted the defeat. How is he a despot? Demagogue, yes. Despot, no. I once had an interesting conversation with an anti-Chavez lawyer. None of his criticisms really supported the accusation that Chavez was a despot. As to criticizing Barron, I have mentioned his flaws and my disagreements with him. Though I will admit that it was usually in te context of something he did that I liked. International Action Center I have never heard of. ANSWER I am familiar with but seldom come into contact with them or anything they are doing. As for Towns I believe I have (weakly) stood up for him from time to time, pointing out that his record is more progressive than he gets credit for, though also flawed. In this case I am not sure my critcism of your piece was that you criticized the left at all, but more that you buried your main point so far down in a litany of progressive bashing. Put it first and your arguement is stronger. ...wasn't so much to bash "Progressives", something for which I've had little occassion recently (I had expected to do it when they engaged in Obama bashing, but many of their critques are sometimes quite agreeable to me). The point was to create some annoyance to Barron from people he'd earnestly flirted with. I hope I've done that. In fact, to the extent I've bashed "Progressives" here, it is for not staying true to "Progresive" principles. I was attacked Barron mostly from his left, and trying to inspire more of the same. IAC, by the way, is one of those repulsive, Ramsay Clark affiliated groups. The ANSWER crowd assembled in slightly different formation I realized after I wrote the above that I probably had more contact with ANSWER than I had realized since I think they were among the groups organizing protests against the Iraq war when most people were still duped by Bush into supporting it. United for Peace and Justice was the main group I remember, but I think ANSWER was involved as well. I did at the time criticize these events for being unfocused and gratuitously adding other, unrelated issues to the mix like anti-Israel (complete with "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" chants which to me are as odious as right wing Israelis using a similar chant to exclude Palestinians) and free Mumia. Eventually Joy and I stopped going to such protests because we never felt completely comfortable with them. And I had written about that, though possibly that was before I became widely known enough to be attacked on Room 8. Thing with Barron is the guy does have charisma and he uses it effectively. I have at least three times heard him in circumstances where he was making a lot of sense and saying things that needed to be said but no one else was saying. Like calling foul on Vito Lopez for his farcical Democratic County Committee meetings. Or when he spoke to IND about Bush and the war. Even knowing his background he is ethralling because he is voicing what many of us felt was not being said by enough Democrats. Sadly there are things like supporting Mugabe that kind of spoint that. But Barron, unlike people like Markowitz or Bloomberg, has no problem when people disagree with them. With Markowitz and Bloomberg any dissent is met with a dictatorial response. With Barron there can be mutual respect in disagreement. I appreciate that. Doesn't mean I'd support him, but I do respect and appreciate it. And an ability to respect and appreciate a diversity of opinions is something of a progressive value. All that said, I do agree that progressives who have made alliances with Barron on issues of agreement should indeed express points of disagreement as well, particularly since Barron is fully able to work with people who disagree with him. He does not expect the kind of lock-step agreement that Bloomberg, Markowitz and others demand. I'm not sure if you realize that Barron is ideologically in lock-step with the ANSWER people. He may, upon occaision criticize Israel for its polices, as do you and I, but it is not Israel's policies which are the problem for Mr. Barron, but its very existence. If you checklist through his views on international affairs, you will find Barron's worldview is not pacifistic, but despotic. His embrace of Chavez is almost an anomoly, because Chavez at least pays lip service to democratic norms. I suppose there are circumstances where one should take allies where one finds them. We needed Stalin in World War II, forinstance. But, I think, in general Barron should be regarded like ANSWER. He is mostly worthy of isolation, lest one lend him and his agenda legitimacy. And, just to make it clear, while Barron rhetorically opposes the County organization, his record on the Council indicates he does not regard Vito Lopez as the Amelek, and usually hangs together with the rest of the Brooklyn delegation on political matters. I actually think this speaks well of his pragmatism, since who gets to be City Clerk is hardly a moral issue, but in general, it seems that Barron's criticism of the regulars mostly comes when it does not matter (like County Committee meetings). But that's really neither hear nor there. A person of Barron's views should never be let anywhere near Congress. It is not enough to stay silent, or say a plague on both house, or to imply he's a good guy, but not good enough. Obviously, support for genocidal maniacs and pushing the Jews into the sea is not enough to make Barron an object of more than mere tongue clucking among many progressives, some of whom even support him because of his opposition to a real estate development Congress will never vote on. So, that's why I'm letting you know--I think he opposes same-sex marriage. to voice his opinion on same sex marriage, because he doesn't have to. Besides, Charles and Inez are long time members of the House of the Lord Church. Same sex marriage is not on the agenda of African Liberation Theology or Black Panther type separatist ideology. (Can't remember the last time HOL Church had a rally, march, forum on the rights of homosexuals, even Black ones.) If he keeps on the downlow, trying to keep his position in the cloest, that will be answer enough.
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1) More Domestic Partner
2) More Dybbuk
3) Less Gatemouth