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Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Charlie Rangel on a Tear? By PATRICK D. HEALY The New York attorney general's selection of David A. Paterson as lieutenant governor angered some influential black Democrats, who had favored another candidate. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/24/nyregion/24spitzer.html?th&emc=th .................. I well recall the time Charlie Rangel, then a new protégé of J. Raymond Jones, the "Harlem Fox" and NYC's principal Democratic leader and reformer of politics in Harlem ("Get off the plantation" was his slogan then as a reprimand to previous pols there who had been nibbling crumbs off the table), burst into Ray's office in distress. He had just learned of a scurrilous anonymous attack on one of his opponents that he feared would be attributed to him and bring on a libel suit. Ray's response was "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." Frankly I have always admired Congressman Rangel and appreciated his good works in Washington. However, I am sensing these days a presumptive stance on his part to the effect that he and his contemporaries are going to run Harlem and determine who its on-going representatives will be. He presumably had another role in mind for David Paterson -- perhaps his replacement in Congress? And he has been push-pulling people around there quite a bit these days. That I do not like. I am no longer living in Harlem. But I was there when Kenneth Clark and Ray Jones put into effect the programs that opened both the doors to the middle class in Harlem and to the City University of New York where I chose to make my contribution as a teacher with the advent of open enrollment -- I had taught in CUNY both prior to and after this event and had fought (with Ray) for the opening up during the period when I could help Harlem kids (with some of whom I had worked directly at the Manhattanville Community Center) get into Yale when they were not welcome at CCNY. My words to Charlie whom I have not seen since we met at our local fried fish place closed down by the Columbia building at 110th and B'way -- back off and let the next generation do its things. I recall Ray sharing memories with an old friend, a white pol of his generation, and thinking out aloud the ways to pass things along to you, Basil Paterson, Dave Dinkins and others. Stop manipulating things and saying who will do what because you say so. If David Paterson wants to run for Lieutenant Governor, get out of his way. -- "A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy) -- Ed Kent 718-951-5324 (voice mail only) [blind copies] http://groups.yahoo.com/group/440neighborhood http://BlogByEdKent.blogspot.com/ http://www.bloggernews.net Blogger News Network is advertiser-supported, and your visits to our advertisers help BNN to meet its expenses. Help keep us afloat! posted by Ed Kent at 6:44 AM |
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