Newark Mayor Cory Booker wants to know: What’s to you whether or not he’s gay? The Newark mayor and ont-nner for New Jersey’s open Senate seat told...
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- THE UGLY TTH ABOUT CORY BOOKER, NEW JERSEY’S GOLN BOYANTI-HEROCORPTN SNDALS. SKYROCKETG CRIME. ABANDONED ALLI. THERE ARE REASONS WHY NEW JERSEY IS LEWARM ABOUT S OWN SEN. CORY BOOKER—EVEN WHILE THE RT OF THE UNTRY SWOONS.OLIVIA NUZZIUPDATED APR. 14, 2017 2:38PM EDT / PUBLISHED OCT. 20, 2014 5:45AM EDT SPENCER PLATT/GETTY IMAGIT’S EIGHT O’CLOCK ON A SUNDAY NIGHT JERSEY CY, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS OCTOBER ’S LD ENOUGH TO SEE YOUR BREATH ONT OF YOU WH A EP EXHALE OF THE HUDSON RIVER AIR. IT’S CUR, GIVEN THAT, TO SEE A GROUP OF A FEW DOZEN RINTS AND VISORS OM NEIGHBORG TOWNS ASSEMBLED A PARKG LOT NEXT TO THE TRA STATN—WHILE THE NEW YORK GIANTS ARE PLAYG, NO LS. THE WORKOUT-GEAR-CLAD MAYOR, STEVEN FULOP, IS HOPPG UP AND DOWN WH HIS ARMS CROSSED OVER HIS CHT FOR WARMTH, ASKG ME WHEN I THK “HE” WILL ARRIVE.HE WOULD BE CORY BOOKER, WHO HAS PROMISED TO LEAD A MPAIGN JOG TO A LOL ICE CREAM PARLOR.AH, THAT EXPLAS THE CROWD.FORMERLY THE MAYOR OF NEARBY NEWARK—THE STATE’S LARGT URBAN ENCLAVE—AND THE ONLY UNED STAT SENATOR MOST NEW JERSEYANS UNR 30 ULD PICK OUT OF A LP, BOOKER IS, WOULD SEEM, A LTLE B BEHD SCHLE. NOT THAT THE PEOPLE RE. BOOKER IS IENDS WH OPRAH AND SPIKE LEE. HE SAV THE HELPLS OM BURNG BUILDGS AND PUPPI OM UNTIMELY ATHS. HE SHOVELS RINTS OUT OF THEIR DRIVEWAYS WHEN SNOWS AND TACKL MUGGERS WH THE GRACEFUL FORCE OF A FORMER ALL-AMERIN TIGHT END (WHICH HE IS, OF URSE). AND FOR THE PAST YEAR, BOOKER HAS BEEN WASHGTON, POSTG SELFI WH HIS FELLOW FERAL LAWMAKERS AND VOWG TO REFORM THE CRIMAL-JTICE SYSTEM. FOR ALL ANYONE KNOWS, BOOKER IS OUT ON THE TURNPIKE RIGHT NOW STOPPG TWO SEMI-TCKS OM LLIDG WH EACH OTHER THROUGH THE SHEER POWER OF HIS CHARISMA.WHAT’S MORE, BOOKER HAS ONCE AGA FOUND HIMSELF CHALLENGED BY A REPUBLIN NDIDATE WHO SEEMS LIKE HE DO NOT EVEN WANT TO W—A GOLD STANDARD-OBSSED FORMER REAGAN SPEECHWRER NAMED JEFF BELL, WHO HAS NOT LIVED THE GARN STATE FOR THIRTY YEARS, IS MORED TO BE NNG HIS MPAIGN OPERATN OUT OF A HOTEL LOBBY, AND WHOSE IA OF AN ATTRACTIVE PLATFORM IS TO ATTACK UNMARRIED WOMEN FOR SKEWG LEFT-WG BEE THEY ARE PENNT ON FOOD STAMPS.YET BOOKER IS ACTUALLY HAVG TO PUT UP A FIGHT TO BE MORE THAN JT A NGRSNAL SEAT-WARMER.THE ALLEGED FBI AND U.S. ATTORNEY VTIGATNS TO THE NEWARK WATERSHED MAY HAVE SOMETHG TO DO WH THAT. MONTHS AFTER HE FIRST ENTERED THE SENATE, THE NEW JERSEY PTROLLER ALLEGED THAT UNR BOOKER’S WATCH—OR, MORE LIKELY, BEE HE WAS NOT WATCHG—RPTN RAN RAMPANT AT A PUBLICLY FUND WATER-TREATMENT AND RERVOIR-MANAGEMENT AGENCY, WHERE BOOKER’S FORMER LAW PARTNER SERVED AS UNSEL. AND SPEAKG OF HIS FORMER LAW REER: DPE HAVG RIGNED OM HIS LAW FIRM ONCE ENTERG THE MAYOR’S OFFICE, BOOKER RECEIVED ANNUAL PAYMENTS UNTIL 2011, DURG WHICH TIME THE FIRM WAS PROFG HANDSOMELY OFF OF BRICK CY. THAT WOULD BE THE BRICK CY THAT BOOKER PROFSED TO LOVE WH THE FIRE OF A THOAND SUNS, BUT DID LTLE TO FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE. MURR, VLENT CRIME, UNEMPLOYMENT, AND TAX ALL ROSE DRAMATILLY UNR HIS STEWARDSHIP.SO EVEN THOUGH SEEMS PLSIBLE THAT BELL IS A DEMOCRATIC PLANT SENT TO FURTHER WEAKEN THE REPUBLIN PARTY NEW JERSEY, BOOKER—CELEBRY, SUPER HERO, MOTIVATNAL TWEETER—IS BARELY POLLG ABOVE 50 PERCENT.BOOKER FALLY MATERIALIZ—THE TALL, SHADOWY FIGURE THAT APPEARS AMID THE RED AND BLUE LIGHTS OF THE POLICE VEHICL LG THE PERIMETER OF THE PARKG LOT. HE WEARS A BLACK UNR ARMOUR T-SHIRT, RED BASKETBALL SHORTS, SNEAKERS, AND WHE SOCKS HIKED UP TO HIS LV. HE APPROACH THE CROWD WHICH IS—BY VIRTUE OF HIS MAGIC CHARM, OR THE LIGHT REFLECTED OFF HIS TOOTHY GR—ALREADY BEG PULLED HIS DIRECTN, WHERE FORMS A CIRCLE AROUND HIM AND FULOP.“STEVE IS TRYG TO MAKE THIS TO A POLIL MPAIGN SPEECH ABOUT POLICY. I JT WANT TO N FOR A WHILE AND FD SOME ICE CREAM AT THE END TO BALANCE OUT THE LORIE TAKE AND EX-TAKE,” BOOKER JOK. EVERYONE LGHS JT A LTLE TOO HARD. “IN WASHGTON, ’S REALLY EXCG TO BE ABOUT THE 21ST—I THK THE WALL STREET JOURNAL SAID I WAS THE 21ST MAYOR AMERIN HISTORY TO GO STRAIGHT OM BEG MAYOR TO BEG A UNED STAT SENATOR. THERE’S NOT THAT MANY FOLKS WH A PERSPECTIVE THAT YOU GET OM HAVG TO ERN AN URBAN AREA. WHEN YOU’RE A MAYOR, THE GREAT THG ABOUT IS, YOU’RE VERY, VERY PRAGMATIC. IT’S NOT ABOUT RIGHT OR LEFT, REALLY IS ABOUT, ‘HOW N I PULL PEOPLE TOGETHER TO GET THGS DONE?’”BOOKER BEGAN TRYG TO ANSWER THAT QUTN 2002, WHEN HE CHALLENGED THE CUMBENT MAYOR OF NEWARK: SHARPE JAM, A GAP-TOOTHED, GOLD-CHA-WEARG RITURE OF A RPT, URBAN NEW JERSEY POLICIAN. JAM FEND HIS S-LONG LE OF BRICK CY BY G BOOKER’S MA-FOR-MPAIGN-LERATURE BGRAPHY AGAST HIM.HAVG BEEN BORN THE LATE ’60S, BOOKER WAS YOUNG—MAYBE TOO YOUNG. HE WAS RAISED THE WHE, LEAFY UPPER-CLASS NEW JERSEY SUBURB OF HARRGTON PARK—ABOUT AN HOUR’S DRIVE OM NEWARK. STAR FOOTBALL PLAYER, STAR STUNT. SAILED OFF TO STANFORD, THEN OXFORD—AS A RHOS SCHOLAR—THEN YALE LAW. AND WHILE ATTENDG THE LATTER, 1995, HE MOVED TO A HOG PROJECT NEWARK BEE, HE SAID, HE WANTED TO HELP THE MUNY. TO JAM, AND TO HIS DISCIPL—OF WHICH THERE WERE MANY—BOOKER WAS NOT LIKE THEM. HE WAS AN OUTSIR. A PHONY. JAM WENT AS FAR AS TO LL HIM AN SUFFICIENTLY BLACK (HIS GRANDMOTHER WAS WHE) JEWISH (BAPTIST, ACTUALLY, BUT SERVED AS PRINT OF A JEWISH STUNTS GROUP AT OXFORD) “REPUBLIN WHO TOOK MONEY OM THE KKK” (SOURCE UNKNOWN).BOOKER LOST, BUT DOG SO, WON: HE STARRED STREET FIGHT, A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE MPAIGN, WHICH RECEIVED HIGH PRAISE OM CRICS AND AN OSR NOMATN. WHEN HE RETURNED TO CHALLENGE JAM 2006, HE WAS A CELEBRY WH A CHIP ON HIS SHOULR. JAM DROPPED OUT OF THE RACE, AND BOOKER STTTED TO OFFICE AT 920 BROAD STREET WH 72 PERCENT OF THE VOTE. JAM WOULD GO ONTO BE DICTED ON 33 UNTS OF D—CLUDG CHARGG THE CY CRED RDS WH $58,000 PERSONAL EXPENS—JT LIKE EVERY OTHER NEWARK MAYOR HAD BEEN THE PREV 45 YEARS. BOOKER—WHO GOT ELECTED BY PROMISG TO IMPROVE SAFETY THROUGH VTG THE POLICE PARTMENT AND BRG ACUNTABILY BACK TO THE CY WHICH FOR SO LONG WAS PLAGUED BY MISMANAGEMENT—WOULD BE DIFFERENT. BOOKER WOULD NURSE NEWARK’S WHEEZG, YG BODY BACK TO HEALTH. ON ELECTN NIGHT, HE BEAMED: “THIS IS THE BEGNG OF A NEW CHAPTER THE LIFE OF OUR CY.”BOOKER WAS NO STRANGER TO HEROICS. AT STANFORD, SO THE STORY GO, HE TALKED A SUICIDAL STUNT DOWN OM A ROOF. WHILE ON THE NEWARK CY COUNCIL, BEGNG 1998, HE STARTED ENGAGG THE SORT OF STUNTS THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY LEAD TO HIS SELF-MYTHOLOGIZATN: LIVG A MOTORHOME ON A DG-RAVAGED STREET RNER, AND EMBARKG ON A 10-DAY HUNGER STRIKE TO BRG ATTENTN TO THE PROJECTS.BUT A NEW CHAPTER THE LIFE OF NEWARK? BEE OF THIS ONE DU WHO QUOT GANDHI?NEWARK HAD NEVER FULLY REVERED OM THE 1967 RTS, PRECIPATED BY BTALY HAND DOWN OM WHE POLICE OFFICERS TO BLACK RINTS, WHICH LEFT OVER TWO DOZEN AD, HUNDREDS JURED, AND ED LNS OF DOLLARS DAMAG. IN THE SUBSEQUENT FOUR S, THE PLACE HAD BEEN HEAD BY JT THREE SEPARATE MAYORS. WHEN BOOKER ASSUMED OFFICE, HIS HALF-A-LN NSTUENTS WERE GRAPPLG WH HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT AND RAMPANT POVERTY. VLENT CRIME WAS SUCH THAT KEEPG THE NUMBER OF ANNUAL MURRS BELOW 100 WAS A GOAL. BRICK CY WAS A SICK PLACE AND WAS CREATG THE SORT OF SICK PEOPLE WHO WOULD RAPE A PBULL PUPPY, LIKE A MAN AT A LOL HOG PROJECT HAD, AND BRAG ABOUT AROUND TOWN.IT WOULD HAVE BEEN UNREALISTIC AND UNFAIR TO EXPECT BOOKER TO IMPROVE EVERYTHG—BUT HE SEEMED TO BE ASKG TO BE HELD TO SUCH STANDARDS. “I’D GLADLY TAKE A GRENA,” HE’D SAY, “IF MEANT SAVG THIS CY.” BOOKER WAS ON A “MISSN” AND HE WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT NOT ONLY DID HE THK WAS POSSIBLE TO FIX NEWARK, BUT WH HIM LEADG THE CHARGE, SUCH TURNAROUND WAS EVABLE.BOOKER MA HIMSELF AVAILABLE TO HIS NSTUENTS—THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, BY PHONE, ON THE STREET LATE AT NIGHT—AND WHEN THEY SOUND THE BOOKER-SIGNAL, HE WOULD PERSONALLY ADDRS THEIR PROBLEMS. CAT THE TREE? HE WOULD GET DOWN. CAR STUCK THE SNOW? HE WOULD SHOVEL YOU OUT. DOG EEZG TO ATH OUTSI SOMEWHERE? HE WOULD WARM UP. NATURAL DISASTER ED HALLOWEEN FOR YOUR KIDS? HE WOULD GIVE THEM NDY. DYG A FIRE? HE WOULD RRY YOU TO SAFETY.BUT MUCH LIKE HOW GIVG CHANGE TO PANHANDLERS WILL NOT SOLVE POVERTY, BOOKER’S GOOD EDS WERE NOT FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGG NEWARK. DPE HERG HUNDREDS OF LNS OF DOLLARS PHILANTHROPIC DONATNS TO THE CY, AND MISSNG SMETIC SURGERY ON PUBLIC PARKS, NEWARK SEEMED NO BETTER OFF UNR BOOKER THAN HAD BEEN UNR JAM. HAVG VOWED TO STRENGTHEN THE POLICE PARTMENT, HE STEAD CUT BY 13 PERCENT TO HELP BALANCE THE CY’S BUDGET. HOMICIS AND VLENT CRIME SPIKED DRAMATILLY. UNEMPLOYMENT ROSE AND CHILD POVERTY CREASED 32 PERCENT. AND ALL OF THIS ME AT A PRICE OF A 20 PERCENT TAX HIKE FOR THE CY’S RINTS.FEW OUTSI OF NEWARK NOTICED. BOOKER’S STAR WAS RISG: OVER A LN TWTER FOLLOWERS, AND HALF A LN FANS ON FACEBOOK. AFTER SAVG HIS NEIGHBOR OM A BLAZE (HAVG SHUT DOWN THREE OF NEWARK’S FIRE PANI, PERHAPS NO ONE ELSE WAS AROUND TO DO ) ELLEN DEGENER VED HIM ON HER SHOW TO GIFT HIM WH A SUPERMAN STUME. HE EQUENTLY TRAVELED OUTSI OF THE STATE ( ONE YEAR, HE WAS GONE ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE TIME) TO GIVE SPEECH—NEARLY 100 TOTAL, CLUDG 10 MENCEMENT SPEECH, AT STANFORD, BRANIS, WILLIAMS COLLEGE, BARD COLLEGE, PZER COLLEGE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSY’S TEACHERS COLLEGE, SUFFOLK UNIVERSY LAW SCHOOL, NEW YORK LAW SCHOOL, WASHGTON UNIVERSY, AND RAMAPO COLLEGE. FOR HIS ORATORY WORK HE WAS PAID OVER $1.3 LN (A SIGNIFINT AMOUNT OF WHICH HE DONATED TO CHARY).ALL THE WHILE, OM 2006 TO 2011, BOOKER WAS STILL RECEIVG ANNUAL PAYMENTS, WHICH TOTALED CLOSE TO $700,000, OM HIS FORMER LAW FIRM—TRENK, DIPASQUALE, WEBSTER—OM WHICH HE HAD RIGNED ONCE ELECTED MAYOR TO AVOID “THE APPEARANCE OF IMPROPRIETY.” BOOKER’S MPAIGN SPOKWOMAN, SILVIA ALVAREZ, TOLD ME: “HE WAS PAID OUT BY THE FIRM AS PART OF HIS SEPARATN AGREEMENT FOR WORK HE PERFORMED BEFORE HE BEME MAYOR.” OK, SURE, BUT WHILE BOOKER WAS PROFG OM THE FIRM, THEY WERE PROFG OM NEWARK: OVER $2 LN WORK FOR NEWARK’S HOG AUTHORY, THE WATERSHED CONSERVATN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATN, AND A WASTEWATER AGENCY. “THAT’S ALMOST LIKE SHARPE JAM-TYPE SH,” ONE NEW JERSEY DEMOCRATIC OPERATIVE OFFERED.BUT EVEN IF WERE SHARPE JAM-TYPE SH, ULD NEVER OVERSHADOW THE CORY BOOKER-TYPE SH THAT MA HIM SO BELOVED: HIS SCERE LIVERY OF RNY TROP ABOUT BELIEVG IN YOURSELF AND FDG THE GOOD IN OTHERS, HIS KNACK FOR REMEMBERG NAM, AND HIS CLTONIAN ABILY TO NNECT WH ANY AND EVERY DIVIDUAL WHO MAK NTACT WH HIS BIG, HAZEL EY—BE THEY A DG ADDICT, A HEDGE-FUND MANAGER, OR A SMALL CHILD STARG UP AT HIS 6’3” AME LIKE HE IS SOME HOLY CROSS BETWEEN LEBRON JAM AND ZS. IT WAS ALWAYS ASSUMED THAT BOOKER WOULD BE MOVG ON TO SOMETHG BIGGER THAN NEWARK—TO THE ERNOR’S MANSN, SEEMED OBV, BUT THEN THAT DIDN’T LOOK LIKE SUCH A GREAT IA: THE FALL BEFORE CHRIS CHRISTIE’S REELECTN MPAIGN BROUGHT HURRINE SANDY, AND WH , APPROVAL RATGS SO HIGH FOR HIM THAT J CHRIST HIMSELF ULD HAVE SAILED DOWN OM THE HEAVENS AND WON THE DEMOCRATIC NOMATN, ONLY TO BE STOMPED OUT BY CHRISTIE E ELECTN DAY.BOOKER WAS NOT GOG TO BE THE DEMOCRATS’ SACRIFICIAL LAMB—BUT HE ULD BE THEIR SENATOR.HAVG BEEN THERE FOR FIVE TERMS, THE PRICKLY FRANK LTENBERG WAS NOT EXPECTED—AT 88 YEARS OLD—TO N ANOTHER MPAIGN FOR THE SENATE. OUT OF CENCY, OR THE POLIL NEED TO AT LEAST APPEAR CENT, ALL WOULD-BE NDIDAT WAED UNTIL THE AILG LAWMAKER ANNOUNCED HE WOULD NOT SEEK REELECTN TO MOUNT THEIR OWN MPAIGNS—WELL, ALL BUT BOOKER, WHO ALLEGEDLY REFED TO LET LTENBERG FA NOBLY TO THE SUNSET AND STEAD STARED HIM DOWN HIS WEAKENED STATE TO LET HIM KNOW WHO THE BOSS WAS.WH LTENBERG SOMEWHERE THE ETHER, CHRISTIE SCHLED A SPECIAL ELECTN (AT A ST OF $24 LN TO TAXPAYERS) FOR OCTOBER 16TH. THIS LEFT BOOKER’S PRIMARY OPPONENTS—ASSEMBLYWOMAN SHEILA OLIVER AND TWO OLD, WHE NGRSMEN: THE NOODLE-LIMBED, SLEEPY-EYED FRANK PALLONE AND THE ODD, QUIET NUCLEAR PHYSICIST RH HOLT—JT FOUR MONTHS TO MAKE THEIR OWN S TO VOTERS, NEVER MD ONE AGAST BOOKER. BIS, THERE WAS THE FEAR THAT ANY CRICISM OF BOOKER'S RERD NEWARK WOULD BE MISTERPRETED AS A CRICISM OF NEWARK SELF—HIS INTY AND HIS PROGRS AS A POLICIAN BEG EXTRIBLY LKED WH THAT OF THE CY AND S RINTS.TO PLITE MATTERS FURTHER, THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO SEEMED TO HAVE ANY SIRE TO GO AFTER BOOKER WERE OF THE NSPIRACY-THEORY ILK. CHARL C. JOHNSON, THEN A WRER FOR THE DAILY CALLER BUT MORE RECENTLY KNOWN FOR QUTNG BEHEAD JOURNALIST JAM FOLEY’S PATRTISM AND FEAR-MONGERG OVER EBOLA, PUBLISHED A THLY SOURCED STORY THAT CLAIMED BOOKER HAD NEVER EVEN LIVED NEWARK—WHICH SOME HAD LONG SPECTED, BUT—LIKE MANY THGS ASSUMED TO BE TE NEW JERSEY POLICS—NONE HAD BEEN ABLE TO PROVE. OTHERS SUNK AS LOW AS TO QUTN BOOKER’S SEXUALY.“YOU ALMOST SOUND LIKE YOU’RE A BIRTHER IF YOU SAY ANYTHG ABOUT HIM,” SAID ONE NEW JERSEY DEMOCRATIC OPERATIVE. “WHO ULD HAVE POSSIBLY MA THE ARGUMENT, ‘YOU KNOW SOMETHG, CORY? YOU’VE BEEN A LOY MAYOR. YOU KNOW SOMETHG, CORY? YOU TOOK A KICKBACK.’ HOW ULD YOU HAVE POSSIBLY DONE THAT WHOUT G A POP-CULTURE LAMY?”“IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A H AGAST POPULAR CULTURE. THE GUY HAS BEEN LNIZED AS THIS MYTHOLOGIL FIGURE WHO SAV OLD PEOPLE OM BURNG BUILDGS AND SHOVELS SNOW—HOW ULD THAT HAVE NOT REVERBERATED THROUGHOUT MORE THAN JT POLIL CULTURE IF YOU DID AN ALL-OUT ASSLT ON HIM? IT WOULD BE LIKE KICKG THE PUPPY THAT HE RCUED.”THGS ONLY GOT EASIER FOR BOOKER AFTER HE WON THE DEMOCRATIC NOMATN. HIS REPUBLIN OPPONENT, STEVE LONEGAN, WAS A LEGALLY BLD YET RACIALLY SENSIVE ANTI-IMMIGRATN ZEALOT WHOSE FLACK RANTED TO A REPORTER THAT BOOKER TERACTED WH A STRIPPER ON TWTER A MANNER FTG OF “A GAY GUY.” SOMEHOW, THIS DID NOT ENAR LONEGAN TO VOTERS, AND BOOKER OFFICIALLY ENTERED THE SENATE ON OCT. 31ST.BACK JERSEY CY, BOOKER IS STILL TALKG THE PARKG LOT. HE SNS THE CROWD AS HE SPEAKS, MAKG EYE NTACT WH EACH PERSON DIVIDUALLY. HE EVEN LOOKS DOWN TO ADDRS A TODDLER WHO IS NOISILY PLAYG A RED WAGON. “I’M REALLY EXCED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNY TO BE NEW JERSEY’S UNED STAT SENATOR—NOT JT FOR ELEVEN MONTHS, LIKE I’VE BEEN NOW, BUT HAVE A FULL TERM OF SIX YEARS.”SCE HIS ELECTN, BOOKER HAS BEEN TAKG A PAGE OM THE PLAYBOOK OF SUPERSTAR SENATORS BEFORE HIM, LIKE AL FRANKEN AND HILLARY CLTON, BY KEEPG HIS HEAD DOWN. HE HAS SUBMTED TO FEW TERVIEWS, BUT REMAS EVER-VISIBLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. HIS CENTRAL SENATORIAL “ACHIEVEMENT,” IF YOU WANT TO LL THAT, IS THE TRODUCTN OF THE REDEEM ACT—AN OVERHL OF THE CRIMAL-JTICE SYSTEM THAT WOULD ENURAGE STAT TO ADDRS THE CYCLE OF RCERATN AND RECIDIVISM BY REFORMG HOW JUVENIL ARE ALT WH, AND TO MAKE EASIER FOR PEOPLE WH CRIMAL RERDS TO GET JOBS.BOOKER TRODUCED THE BILL, ALONG WH REPUBLIN SEN. RAND PL, JULY. BUT STRANGELY, BOOKER DIDN’T SEEM TO GET BEHD HIS OWN LEGISLATN. WHEN ME TIME TO PUBLICIZE THE PROPOSAL, ONE SENR REPUBLIN OPERATIVE WH KNOWLEDGE OF THE SUATN TOLD ME, BOOKER WASN’T “OVERLY FORTABLE JUMPG OUT AND HAVG THE SPOTLIGHT PUT ON HIM.” MISMUNITN BETWEEN BOOKER AND PL’S MPS LED TO THE NIXG OF THE ORIGAL PR PLAN, WHICH WAS TO DO A FULL-ON MEDIA BLZ TO PROMOTE THEIR IAS. INSTEAD, BOOKER TOOK SOFTBALLS DURG A CKTAIL EVENT, SPONSORED BY BANK OF AMERI. “I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU’D GIVE UP A WHOLE SLEW OF TERVIEWS, CLUDG DOMATG THE SUNDAY TALK SHOW CIRCU, FAVOR OF DOG A MIKE ALLEN POLI BRIEFG,” THE OPERATIVE SAID. “I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU’D DO THAT UNLS YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT THE PERSON ASKG YOU THE QUTNS.”MEANWHILE, LOOKED AS THOUGH BOOKER’S RERD NEWARK MIGHT BE TCHG UP WH HIM. AS MAYOR, HE PRID OVER AND STRENGTHENED THE NEWARK WATERSHED CONSERVATN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATN—A PUBLICLY FUND ENTY THAT MANAGED THE CY’S RERVOIRS AND TREATED WATER FOR S RINTS. PRETTY BORG STUFF. BUT A STATE D BY THE PTROLLER’S OFFICE FOUND THAT THE AGENCY’S DIRECTOR, LDA WATKS-BRASHEAR, WAS A DONOR AND CLOSE ALLY OF BOOKER’S, WAS G THE WATERSHED LIKE HER OWN PERSONAL BANK ACUNT—PAYG HERSELF $1.98 LN OVER SEVEN YEARS, WHEN HER SALARY ME TO JT $1.16 LN. THE ALSO DOLED OUT LNS NO-BID NTRACTS TO HER IENDS AND HBAND. FURTHER, BOOKER’S FORMER LAW PARTNER, ELNARDO WEBSTER, HAD BEEN ACTG AS THE WATERSHED’S UNSEL—AND HIS FIRM HAD PROFED $212,318. “HE HAD NOTHG TO DO WH THE BS THE FIRM NDUCTED WH THE WATERSHED,” BOOKER’S SPOKWOMAN, SILVIA ALVAREZ, TOLD ME.NOT QUE CHATOWN, BUT A CY WHERE POLICE WERE BEG FIRED BY THE DOZENS, LNS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS LOST DUE TO A LACK OF OVERSIGHT IS NO SMALL MISTAKE. WHICH IS NOT TO SAY THAT BLAME FOR THE RPTN SHOULD BE PLACED SOLELY AT BOOKER’S FEET—BUT THE THE PTROLLER’S OFFICE NOTED THEIR REPORT THAT THE MAYOR DID NOT ATTEND A SGLE MEETG REGARDG THE AGENCY. HE STEAD SENT A BS ADMISTRATOR HIS PLACE, AND THEN WHEN THE ADMISTRATOR RIGNED, 2010, BOOKER NEVER REPLACED THEM. HE HAD NO TIME TO GO TO THE MEETGS, HE SAID. NEVER MD THAT A ARTH OF EE TIME NEVER SEEMED TO GET THE WAY OF A MENCEMENT ADDRS, OR A TALK-SHOW APPEARANCE, OR A SOCIAL-MEDIA STUNT.ACRDG TO REPORTS BY THE STAR-LEDGER AND NEW YORK POST, THE WATERSHED IS BEG VTIGATED BY BOTH THE U.S. ATTORNEY AND THE FBI. “THE SENATOR HAS NOT BEEN NTACTED BY THE THORI,” ALVAREZ SAID, ADDG THAT HE IS ONLY AWARE OF THE VTIGATNS “NOW, BEE HAS BEEN REPORTED THE PRS.” IN A RECENT TERVIEW WH NJTV, BOOKER LLED THE WATERSHED, “ONE OF THE BIG POLICY LOSS THAT I HAD NEWARK.”THE POLICE VEHICL TAKE OFF OM THE PARKG LOT WH BOOKER AND FULOP TOW. SOME SUPPORTERS KEEP PACE, AND OTHERS TRAIL BEHD WALKG, THERE TO OBSERVE BOOKER THE FLH MORE THAN FOR THE RD. “HE’S THE HARST WORKG SENATOR THERE,” DONNA STREETER, A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN OM NEW BNSWICK TELLS ME. SHE HAS BROUGHT HER TWO TEENAGED CHILDREN WH HER TO SEE THE MAN SHE SAYS SPIRED HER TO RE ABOUT POLICS. STREETER THKS BOOKER SHOULD CHALLENGE HILLARY CLTON FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NOMATN 2016. “I THK HE’S READY. HE’S QUALIFIED,” SHE SAYS, SLIGHTLY OUT OF BREATH.FIRST, BOOKER WILL HAVE TO GET PAST BELL, WHO ARRIVED BACK THE GARN STATE FEBARY FOLLOWG 30 YEARS SPENT FAIRFAX, VIRGIA. BELL WORKED BOTH THE NIXON AND REAGAN ADMISTRATNS. HIS PLATFORM MOSTLY NSISTS OF HIS SIRE TO RETURN TO THE GOLD STANDARD—SOMETHG POLLS SHOW NEW JERSEY RINTS DO NOT RE ABOUT—BUT HE SOMETIM PIVOTS TO FOREIGN POLICY (HE’S A NEON) AND HIS DISDA FOR THE WELFARE STATE.ON A SUNNY AFTERNOON LATE SEPTEMBER, I TRAVELED TO BELL’S BROTHER’S HOME FORT LEE (OF BRIDGEGATE FAME) TO TERVIEW THE NDIDATE. HE ANSWERED THE DOOR—BPECTACLED AND TALL, WH SHOULRS SO LARGE AND EXACERBATED BY HIS OUT-OF-DATE BLAZER THAT LOOKS AS THOUGH HE IS BEG RRIED AROUND BY A CLOTH HANGER—AND STEPPED OUTSI WH PALMS FACG FORWARD, AS IF HE THOUGHT HE WAS ABOUT TO BE SHOT. EVERYTHG THAT OCCURRED BEYOND THE DOOR, HE SAID—THE ENTIRE TERVIEW—WOULD HAVE TO BE OFF THE RERD.ALL OF THAT, AND THE FACT THAT HARDLY ANYONE WH THE STATE KNOWS WHO THE HELL BELL IS, AND BOOKER IS ONLY POLLG MOSTLY. AFTER HOVERG AROUND 42 PERCENT ALL SUMMER, WH A SENATE APPROVAL RATG OF 47 PERCENT, BOOKER ONLY JT CRACKED 50 PERCENT A MONMOUTH UNIVERSY POLL. INSI TORI ICE CREAM ON ERIE STREET, BOOKER IS STANDG AMONG HIS SUPPORTERS, A WHE TOWEL DRAPED OVER HIS NECK ABSORBG THE SWEAT DRIPPG DOWN OM HIS SHY, BALD HEAD. HE GRACEFULLY LIFTS A LTLE BOY THE AIR AND POS FOR A PICTURE. HE ANSWERS EVERY SELFIE REQUT, AS ’S AN ART HE HAS PERFECTED. HE GRASPS THE PHONE HIS PABLE HAND, OUTSTRETCH HIS LONG ARM TOWARD THE CEILG, AND ANGL DOWN JT SO.BOOKER JUMPS BEHD THE UNTER AND BEGS SOPG THE ICE CREAM HIMSELF, SERVG TO ANYONE WHO WANTS , OR JT HAPPENS TO BE THERE—CHILDREN, VOTERS, HIS FORMER TERN. HE SHOUTS ACROSS THE ROOM TO ASK IF HE N MAKE ME SOME. LOOKG AROUND, ’S DIFFICULT TO NOT NOTICE THAT EVERYBODY ELSE WHO HAD TO BE THERE TO PUT THEIR HOURS OF RETAIL POLICS—MAYOR FULOP AMONG THEM—HAD LEFT LONG AGO.A MAN THE CROWD ASKS BOOKER ABOUT THE SENATE. “THERE’S A LTLE MORE JOB SECURY RIGHT HERE,” HE LGHS. OLIVIA NUZZI
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- NEWARK MAYOR CORY BOOKER 'HATED GAYS,' HE SAID 1992 OPN PIECE REPUBLISHED BY THE STANFORD DAILY
THE UGLY TTH ABOUT CORY BOOKER, NEW JERSEY’S GOLN BOYANTI-HEROCORPTN SNDALS. SKYROCKETG CRIME. ABANDONED ALLI. THERE ARE REASONS WHY NEW JERSEY IS LEWARM ABOUT S OWN SEN. CORY BOOKER—EVEN WHILE THE RT OF THE UNTRY SWOONS.OLIVIA NUZZIUPDATED APR. 14, 2017 2:38PM EDT / PUBLISHED OCT. 20, 2014 5:45AM EDT SPENCER PLATT/GETTY IMAGIT’S EIGHT O’CLOCK ON A SUNDAY NIGHT JERSEY CY, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS OCTOBER ’S LD ENOUGH TO SEE YOUR BREATH ONT OF YOU WH A EP EXHALE OF THE HUDSON RIVER AIR. IT’S CUR, GIVEN THAT, TO SEE A GROUP OF A FEW DOZEN RINTS AND VISORS OM NEIGHBORG TOWNS ASSEMBLED A PARKG LOT NEXT TO THE TRA STATN—WHILE THE NEW YORK GIANTS ARE PLAYG, NO LS. THE WORKOUT-GEAR-CLAD MAYOR, STEVEN FULOP, IS HOPPG UP AND DOWN WH HIS ARMS CROSSED OVER HIS CHT FOR WARMTH, ASKG ME WHEN I THK “HE” WILL ARRIVE.HE WOULD BE CORY BOOKER, WHO HAS PROMISED TO LEAD A MPAIGN JOG TO A LOL ICE CREAM PARLOR.AH, THAT EXPLAS THE CROWD.FORMERLY THE MAYOR OF NEARBY NEWARK—THE STATE’S LARGT URBAN ENCLAVE—AND THE ONLY UNED STAT SENATOR MOST NEW JERSEYANS UNR 30 ULD PICK OUT OF A LP, BOOKER IS, WOULD SEEM, A LTLE B BEHD SCHLE. NOT THAT THE PEOPLE RE. BOOKER IS IENDS WH OPRAH AND SPIKE LEE. HE SAV THE HELPLS OM BURNG BUILDGS AND PUPPI OM UNTIMELY ATHS. HE SHOVELS RINTS OUT OF THEIR DRIVEWAYS WHEN SNOWS AND TACKL MUGGERS WH THE GRACEFUL FORCE OF A FORMER ALL-AMERIN TIGHT END (WHICH HE IS, OF URSE). AND FOR THE PAST YEAR, BOOKER HAS BEEN WASHGTON, POSTG SELFI WH HIS FELLOW FERAL LAWMAKERS AND VOWG TO REFORM THE CRIMAL-JTICE SYSTEM. FOR ALL ANYONE KNOWS, BOOKER IS OUT ON THE TURNPIKE RIGHT NOW STOPPG TWO SEMI-TCKS OM LLIDG WH EACH OTHER THROUGH THE SHEER POWER OF HIS CHARISMA.WHAT’S MORE, BOOKER HAS ONCE AGA FOUND HIMSELF CHALLENGED BY A REPUBLIN NDIDATE WHO SEEMS LIKE HE DO NOT EVEN WANT TO W—A GOLD STANDARD-OBSSED FORMER REAGAN SPEECHWRER NAMED JEFF BELL, WHO HAS NOT LIVED THE GARN STATE FOR THIRTY YEARS, IS MORED TO BE NNG HIS MPAIGN OPERATN OUT OF A HOTEL LOBBY, AND WHOSE IA OF AN ATTRACTIVE PLATFORM IS TO ATTACK UNMARRIED WOMEN FOR SKEWG LEFT-WG BEE THEY ARE PENNT ON FOOD STAMPS.YET BOOKER IS ACTUALLY HAVG TO PUT UP A FIGHT TO BE MORE THAN JT A NGRSNAL SEAT-WARMER.THE ALLEGED FBI AND U.S. ATTORNEY VTIGATNS TO THE NEWARK WATERSHED MAY HAVE SOMETHG TO DO WH THAT. MONTHS AFTER HE FIRST ENTERED THE SENATE, THE NEW JERSEY PTROLLER ALLEGED THAT UNR BOOKER’S WATCH—OR, MORE LIKELY, BEE HE WAS NOT WATCHG—RPTN RAN RAMPANT AT A PUBLICLY FUND WATER-TREATMENT AND RERVOIR-MANAGEMENT AGENCY, WHERE BOOKER’S FORMER LAW PARTNER SERVED AS UNSEL. AND SPEAKG OF HIS FORMER LAW REER: DPE HAVG RIGNED OM HIS LAW FIRM ONCE ENTERG THE MAYOR’S OFFICE, BOOKER RECEIVED ANNUAL PAYMENTS UNTIL 2011, DURG WHICH TIME THE FIRM WAS PROFG HANDSOMELY OFF OF BRICK CY. THAT WOULD BE THE BRICK CY THAT BOOKER PROFSED TO LOVE WH THE FIRE OF A THOAND SUNS, BUT DID LTLE TO FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE. MURR, VLENT CRIME, UNEMPLOYMENT, AND TAX ALL ROSE DRAMATILLY UNR HIS STEWARDSHIP.SO EVEN THOUGH SEEMS PLSIBLE THAT BELL IS A DEMOCRATIC PLANT SENT TO FURTHER WEAKEN THE REPUBLIN PARTY NEW JERSEY, BOOKER—CELEBRY, SUPER HERO, MOTIVATNAL TWEETER—IS BARELY POLLG ABOVE 50 PERCENT.BOOKER FALLY MATERIALIZ—THE TALL, SHADOWY FIGURE THAT APPEARS AMID THE RED AND BLUE LIGHTS OF THE POLICE VEHICL LG THE PERIMETER OF THE PARKG LOT. HE WEARS A BLACK UNR ARMOUR T-SHIRT, RED BASKETBALL SHORTS, SNEAKERS, AND WHE SOCKS HIKED UP TO HIS LV. HE APPROACH THE CROWD WHICH IS—BY VIRTUE OF HIS MAGIC CHARM, OR THE LIGHT REFLECTED OFF HIS TOOTHY GR—ALREADY BEG PULLED HIS DIRECTN, WHERE FORMS A CIRCLE AROUND HIM AND FULOP.“STEVE IS TRYG TO MAKE THIS TO A POLIL MPAIGN SPEECH ABOUT POLICY. I JT WANT TO N FOR A WHILE AND FD SOME ICE CREAM AT THE END TO BALANCE OUT THE LORIE TAKE AND EX-TAKE,” BOOKER JOK. EVERYONE LGHS JT A LTLE TOO HARD. “IN WASHGTON, ’S REALLY EXCG TO BE ABOUT THE 21ST—I THK THE WALL STREET JOURNAL SAID I WAS THE 21ST MAYOR AMERIN HISTORY TO GO STRAIGHT OM BEG MAYOR TO BEG A UNED STAT SENATOR. THERE’S NOT THAT MANY FOLKS WH A PERSPECTIVE THAT YOU GET OM HAVG TO ERN AN URBAN AREA. WHEN YOU’RE A MAYOR, THE GREAT THG ABOUT IS, YOU’RE VERY, VERY PRAGMATIC. IT’S NOT ABOUT RIGHT OR LEFT, REALLY IS ABOUT, ‘HOW N I PULL PEOPLE TOGETHER TO GET THGS DONE?’”BOOKER BEGAN TRYG TO ANSWER THAT QUTN 2002, WHEN HE CHALLENGED THE CUMBENT MAYOR OF NEWARK: SHARPE JAM, A GAP-TOOTHED, GOLD-CHA-WEARG RITURE OF A RPT, URBAN NEW JERSEY POLICIAN. JAM FEND HIS S-LONG LE OF BRICK CY BY G BOOKER’S MA-FOR-MPAIGN-LERATURE BGRAPHY AGAST HIM.HAVG BEEN BORN THE LATE ’60S, BOOKER WAS YOUNG—MAYBE TOO YOUNG. HE WAS RAISED THE WHE, LEAFY UPPER-CLASS NEW JERSEY SUBURB OF HARRGTON PARK—ABOUT AN HOUR’S DRIVE OM NEWARK. STAR FOOTBALL PLAYER, STAR STUNT. SAILED OFF TO STANFORD, THEN OXFORD—AS A RHOS SCHOLAR—THEN YALE LAW. AND WHILE ATTENDG THE LATTER, 1995, HE MOVED TO A HOG PROJECT NEWARK BEE, HE SAID, HE WANTED TO HELP THE MUNY. TO JAM, AND TO HIS DISCIPL—OF WHICH THERE WERE MANY—BOOKER WAS NOT LIKE THEM. HE WAS AN OUTSIR. A PHONY. JAM WENT AS FAR AS TO LL HIM AN SUFFICIENTLY BLACK (HIS GRANDMOTHER WAS WHE) JEWISH (BAPTIST, ACTUALLY, BUT SERVED AS PRINT OF A JEWISH STUNTS GROUP AT OXFORD) “REPUBLIN WHO TOOK MONEY OM THE KKK” (SOURCE UNKNOWN).BOOKER LOST, BUT DOG SO, WON: HE STARRED STREET FIGHT, A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE MPAIGN, WHICH RECEIVED HIGH PRAISE OM CRICS AND AN OSR NOMATN. WHEN HE RETURNED TO CHALLENGE JAM 2006, HE WAS A CELEBRY WH A CHIP ON HIS SHOULR. JAM DROPPED OUT OF THE RACE, AND BOOKER STTTED TO OFFICE AT 920 BROAD STREET WH 72 PERCENT OF THE VOTE. JAM WOULD GO ONTO BE DICTED ON 33 UNTS OF D—CLUDG CHARGG THE CY CRED RDS WH $58,000 PERSONAL EXPENS—JT LIKE EVERY OTHER NEWARK MAYOR HAD BEEN THE PREV 45 YEARS. BOOKER—WHO GOT ELECTED BY PROMISG TO IMPROVE SAFETY THROUGH VTG THE POLICE PARTMENT AND BRG ACUNTABILY BACK TO THE CY WHICH FOR SO LONG WAS PLAGUED BY MISMANAGEMENT—WOULD BE DIFFERENT. BOOKER WOULD NURSE NEWARK’S WHEEZG, YG BODY BACK TO HEALTH. ON ELECTN NIGHT, HE BEAMED: “THIS IS THE BEGNG OF A NEW CHAPTER THE LIFE OF OUR CY.”BOOKER WAS NO STRANGER TO HEROICS. AT STANFORD, SO THE STORY GO, HE TALKED A SUICIDAL STUNT DOWN OM A ROOF. WHILE ON THE NEWARK CY COUNCIL, BEGNG 1998, HE STARTED ENGAGG THE SORT OF STUNTS THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY LEAD TO HIS SELF-MYTHOLOGIZATN: LIVG A MOTORHOME ON A DG-RAVAGED STREET RNER, AND EMBARKG ON A 10-DAY HUNGER STRIKE TO BRG ATTENTN TO THE PROJECTS.BUT A NEW CHAPTER THE LIFE OF NEWARK? BEE OF THIS ONE DU WHO QUOT GANDHI?NEWARK HAD NEVER FULLY REVERED OM THE 1967 RTS, PRECIPATED BY BTALY HAND DOWN OM WHE POLICE OFFICERS TO BLACK RINTS, WHICH LEFT OVER TWO DOZEN AD, HUNDREDS JURED, AND ED LNS OF DOLLARS DAMAG. IN THE SUBSEQUENT FOUR S, THE PLACE HAD BEEN HEAD BY JT THREE SEPARATE MAYORS. WHEN BOOKER ASSUMED OFFICE, HIS HALF-A-LN NSTUENTS WERE GRAPPLG WH HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT AND RAMPANT POVERTY. VLENT CRIME WAS SUCH THAT KEEPG THE NUMBER OF ANNUAL MURRS BELOW 100 WAS A GOAL. BRICK CY WAS A SICK PLACE AND WAS CREATG THE SORT OF SICK PEOPLE WHO WOULD RAPE A PBULL PUPPY, LIKE A MAN AT A LOL HOG PROJECT HAD, AND BRAG ABOUT AROUND TOWN.IT WOULD HAVE BEEN UNREALISTIC AND UNFAIR TO EXPECT BOOKER TO IMPROVE EVERYTHG—BUT HE SEEMED TO BE ASKG TO BE HELD TO SUCH STANDARDS. “I’D GLADLY TAKE A GRENA,” HE’D SAY, “IF MEANT SAVG THIS CY.” BOOKER WAS ON A “MISSN” AND HE WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT NOT ONLY DID HE THK WAS POSSIBLE TO FIX NEWARK, BUT WH HIM LEADG THE CHARGE, SUCH TURNAROUND WAS EVABLE.BOOKER MA HIMSELF AVAILABLE TO HIS NSTUENTS—THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, BY PHONE, ON THE STREET LATE AT NIGHT—AND WHEN THEY SOUND THE BOOKER-SIGNAL, HE WOULD PERSONALLY ADDRS THEIR PROBLEMS. CAT THE TREE? HE WOULD GET DOWN. CAR STUCK THE SNOW? HE WOULD SHOVEL YOU OUT. DOG EEZG TO ATH OUTSI SOMEWHERE? HE WOULD WARM UP. NATURAL DISASTER ED HALLOWEEN FOR YOUR KIDS? HE WOULD GIVE THEM NDY. DYG A FIRE? HE WOULD RRY YOU TO SAFETY.BUT MUCH LIKE HOW GIVG CHANGE TO PANHANDLERS WILL NOT SOLVE POVERTY, BOOKER’S GOOD EDS WERE NOT FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGG NEWARK. DPE HERG HUNDREDS OF LNS OF DOLLARS PHILANTHROPIC DONATNS TO THE CY, AND MISSNG SMETIC SURGERY ON PUBLIC PARKS, NEWARK SEEMED NO BETTER OFF UNR BOOKER THAN HAD BEEN UNR JAM. HAVG VOWED TO STRENGTHEN THE POLICE PARTMENT, HE STEAD CUT BY 13 PERCENT TO HELP BALANCE THE CY’S BUDGET. HOMICIS AND VLENT CRIME SPIKED DRAMATILLY. UNEMPLOYMENT ROSE AND CHILD POVERTY CREASED 32 PERCENT. AND ALL OF THIS ME AT A PRICE OF A 20 PERCENT TAX HIKE FOR THE CY’S RINTS.FEW OUTSI OF NEWARK NOTICED. BOOKER’S STAR WAS RISG: OVER A LN TWTER FOLLOWERS, AND HALF A LN FANS ON FACEBOOK. AFTER SAVG HIS NEIGHBOR OM A BLAZE (HAVG SHUT DOWN THREE OF NEWARK’S FIRE PANI, PERHAPS NO ONE ELSE WAS AROUND TO DO ) ELLEN DEGENER VED HIM ON HER SHOW TO GIFT HIM WH A SUPERMAN STUME. HE EQUENTLY TRAVELED OUTSI OF THE STATE ( ONE YEAR, HE WAS GONE ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE TIME) TO GIVE SPEECH—NEARLY 100 TOTAL, CLUDG 10 MENCEMENT SPEECH, AT STANFORD, BRANIS, WILLIAMS COLLEGE, BARD COLLEGE, PZER COLLEGE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSY’S TEACHERS COLLEGE, SUFFOLK UNIVERSY LAW SCHOOL, NEW YORK LAW SCHOOL, WASHGTON UNIVERSY, AND RAMAPO COLLEGE. FOR HIS ORATORY WORK HE WAS PAID OVER $1.3 LN (A SIGNIFINT AMOUNT OF WHICH HE DONATED TO CHARY).ALL THE WHILE, OM 2006 TO 2011, BOOKER WAS STILL RECEIVG ANNUAL PAYMENTS, WHICH TOTALED CLOSE TO $700,000, OM HIS FORMER LAW FIRM—TRENK, DIPASQUALE, WEBSTER—OM WHICH HE HAD RIGNED ONCE ELECTED MAYOR TO AVOID “THE APPEARANCE OF IMPROPRIETY.” BOOKER’S MPAIGN SPOKWOMAN, SILVIA ALVAREZ, TOLD ME: “HE WAS PAID OUT BY THE FIRM AS PART OF HIS SEPARATN AGREEMENT FOR WORK HE PERFORMED BEFORE HE BEME MAYOR.” OK, SURE, BUT WHILE BOOKER WAS PROFG OM THE FIRM, THEY WERE PROFG OM NEWARK: OVER $2 LN WORK FOR NEWARK’S HOG AUTHORY, THE WATERSHED CONSERVATN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATN, AND A WASTEWATER AGENCY. “THAT’S ALMOST LIKE SHARPE JAM-TYPE SH,” ONE NEW JERSEY DEMOCRATIC OPERATIVE OFFERED.BUT EVEN IF WERE SHARPE JAM-TYPE SH, ULD NEVER OVERSHADOW THE CORY BOOKER-TYPE SH THAT MA HIM SO BELOVED: HIS SCERE LIVERY OF RNY TROP ABOUT BELIEVG IN YOURSELF AND FDG THE GOOD IN OTHERS, HIS KNACK FOR REMEMBERG NAM, AND HIS CLTONIAN ABILY TO NNECT WH ANY AND EVERY DIVIDUAL WHO MAK NTACT WH HIS BIG, HAZEL EY—BE THEY A DG ADDICT, A HEDGE-FUND MANAGER, OR A SMALL CHILD STARG UP AT HIS 6’3” AME LIKE HE IS SOME HOLY CROSS BETWEEN LEBRON JAM AND ZS. IT WAS ALWAYS ASSUMED THAT BOOKER WOULD BE MOVG ON TO SOMETHG BIGGER THAN NEWARK—TO THE ERNOR’S MANSN, SEEMED OBV, BUT THEN THAT DIDN’T LOOK LIKE SUCH A GREAT IA: THE FALL BEFORE CHRIS CHRISTIE’S REELECTN MPAIGN BROUGHT HURRINE SANDY, AND WH , APPROVAL RATGS SO HIGH FOR HIM THAT J CHRIST HIMSELF ULD HAVE SAILED DOWN OM THE HEAVENS AND WON THE DEMOCRATIC NOMATN, ONLY TO BE STOMPED OUT BY CHRISTIE E ELECTN DAY.BOOKER WAS NOT GOG TO BE THE DEMOCRATS’ SACRIFICIAL LAMB—BUT HE ULD BE THEIR SENATOR.HAVG BEEN THERE FOR FIVE TERMS, THE PRICKLY FRANK LTENBERG WAS NOT EXPECTED—AT 88 YEARS OLD—TO N ANOTHER MPAIGN FOR THE SENATE. OUT OF CENCY, OR THE POLIL NEED TO AT LEAST APPEAR CENT, ALL WOULD-BE NDIDAT WAED UNTIL THE AILG LAWMAKER ANNOUNCED HE WOULD NOT SEEK REELECTN TO MOUNT THEIR OWN MPAIGNS—WELL, ALL BUT BOOKER, WHO ALLEGEDLY REFED TO LET LTENBERG FA NOBLY TO THE SUNSET AND STEAD STARED HIM DOWN HIS WEAKENED STATE TO LET HIM KNOW WHO THE BOSS WAS.WH LTENBERG SOMEWHERE THE ETHER, CHRISTIE SCHLED A SPECIAL ELECTN (AT A ST OF $24 LN TO TAXPAYERS) FOR OCTOBER 16TH. THIS LEFT BOOKER’S PRIMARY OPPONENTS—ASSEMBLYWOMAN SHEILA OLIVER AND TWO OLD, WHE NGRSMEN: THE NOODLE-LIMBED, SLEEPY-EYED FRANK PALLONE AND THE ODD, QUIET NUCLEAR PHYSICIST RH HOLT—JT FOUR MONTHS TO MAKE THEIR OWN S TO VOTERS, NEVER MD ONE AGAST BOOKER. BIS, THERE WAS THE FEAR THAT ANY CRICISM OF BOOKER'S RERD NEWARK WOULD BE MISTERPRETED AS A CRICISM OF NEWARK SELF—HIS INTY AND HIS PROGRS AS A POLICIAN BEG EXTRIBLY LKED WH THAT OF THE CY AND S RINTS.TO PLITE MATTERS FURTHER, THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO SEEMED TO HAVE ANY SIRE TO GO AFTER BOOKER WERE OF THE NSPIRACY-THEORY ILK. CHARL C. JOHNSON, THEN A WRER FOR THE DAILY CALLER BUT MORE RECENTLY KNOWN FOR QUTNG BEHEAD JOURNALIST JAM FOLEY’S PATRTISM AND FEAR-MONGERG OVER EBOLA, PUBLISHED A THLY SOURCED STORY THAT CLAIMED BOOKER HAD NEVER EVEN LIVED NEWARK—WHICH SOME HAD LONG SPECTED, BUT—LIKE MANY THGS ASSUMED TO BE TE NEW JERSEY POLICS—NONE HAD BEEN ABLE TO PROVE. OTHERS SUNK AS LOW AS TO QUTN BOOKER’S SEXUALY.“YOU ALMOST SOUND LIKE YOU’RE A BIRTHER IF YOU SAY ANYTHG ABOUT HIM,” SAID ONE NEW JERSEY DEMOCRATIC OPERATIVE. “WHO ULD HAVE POSSIBLY MA THE ARGUMENT, ‘YOU KNOW SOMETHG, CORY? YOU’VE BEEN A LOY MAYOR. YOU KNOW SOMETHG, CORY? YOU TOOK A KICKBACK.’ HOW ULD YOU HAVE POSSIBLY DONE THAT WHOUT G A POP-CULTURE LAMY?”“IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A H AGAST POPULAR CULTURE. THE GUY HAS BEEN LNIZED AS THIS MYTHOLOGIL FIGURE WHO SAV OLD PEOPLE OM BURNG BUILDGS AND SHOVELS SNOW—HOW ULD THAT HAVE NOT REVERBERATED THROUGHOUT MORE THAN JT POLIL CULTURE IF YOU DID AN ALL-OUT ASSLT ON HIM? IT WOULD BE LIKE KICKG THE PUPPY THAT HE RCUED.”THGS ONLY GOT EASIER FOR BOOKER AFTER HE WON THE DEMOCRATIC NOMATN. HIS REPUBLIN OPPONENT, STEVE LONEGAN, WAS A LEGALLY BLD YET RACIALLY SENSIVE ANTI-IMMIGRATN ZEALOT WHOSE FLACK RANTED TO A REPORTER THAT BOOKER TERACTED WH A STRIPPER ON TWTER A MANNER FTG OF “A GAY GUY.” SOMEHOW, THIS DID NOT ENAR LONEGAN TO VOTERS, AND BOOKER OFFICIALLY ENTERED THE SENATE ON OCT. 31ST.BACK JERSEY CY, BOOKER IS STILL TALKG THE PARKG LOT. HE SNS THE CROWD AS HE SPEAKS, MAKG EYE NTACT WH EACH PERSON DIVIDUALLY. HE EVEN LOOKS DOWN TO ADDRS A TODDLER WHO IS NOISILY PLAYG A RED WAGON. “I’M REALLY EXCED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNY TO BE NEW JERSEY’S UNED STAT SENATOR—NOT JT FOR ELEVEN MONTHS, LIKE I’VE BEEN NOW, BUT HAVE A FULL TERM OF SIX YEARS.”SCE HIS ELECTN, BOOKER HAS BEEN TAKG A PAGE OM THE PLAYBOOK OF SUPERSTAR SENATORS BEFORE HIM, LIKE AL FRANKEN AND HILLARY CLTON, BY KEEPG HIS HEAD DOWN. HE HAS SUBMTED TO FEW TERVIEWS, BUT REMAS EVER-VISIBLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. HIS CENTRAL SENATORIAL “ACHIEVEMENT,” IF YOU WANT TO LL THAT, IS THE TRODUCTN OF THE REDEEM ACT—AN OVERHL OF THE CRIMAL-JTICE SYSTEM THAT WOULD ENURAGE STAT TO ADDRS THE CYCLE OF RCERATN AND RECIDIVISM BY REFORMG HOW JUVENIL ARE ALT WH, AND TO MAKE EASIER FOR PEOPLE WH CRIMAL RERDS TO GET JOBS.BOOKER TRODUCED THE BILL, ALONG WH REPUBLIN SEN. RAND PL, JULY. BUT STRANGELY, BOOKER DIDN’T SEEM TO GET BEHD HIS OWN LEGISLATN. WHEN ME TIME TO PUBLICIZE THE PROPOSAL, ONE SENR REPUBLIN OPERATIVE WH KNOWLEDGE OF THE SUATN TOLD ME, BOOKER WASN’T “OVERLY FORTABLE JUMPG OUT AND HAVG THE SPOTLIGHT PUT ON HIM.” MISMUNITN BETWEEN BOOKER AND PL’S MPS LED TO THE NIXG OF THE ORIGAL PR PLAN, WHICH WAS TO DO A FULL-ON MEDIA BLZ TO PROMOTE THEIR IAS. INSTEAD, BOOKER TOOK SOFTBALLS DURG A CKTAIL EVENT, SPONSORED BY BANK OF AMERI. “I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU’D GIVE UP A WHOLE SLEW OF TERVIEWS, CLUDG DOMATG THE SUNDAY TALK SHOW CIRCU, FAVOR OF DOG A MIKE ALLEN POLI BRIEFG,” THE OPERATIVE SAID. “I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU’D DO THAT UNLS YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT THE PERSON ASKG YOU THE QUTNS.”MEANWHILE, LOOKED AS THOUGH BOOKER’S RERD NEWARK MIGHT BE TCHG UP WH HIM. AS MAYOR, HE PRID OVER AND STRENGTHENED THE NEWARK WATERSHED CONSERVATN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATN—A PUBLICLY FUND ENTY THAT MANAGED THE CY’S RERVOIRS AND TREATED WATER FOR S RINTS. PRETTY BORG STUFF. BUT A STATE D BY THE PTROLLER’S OFFICE FOUND THAT THE AGENCY’S DIRECTOR, LDA WATKS-BRASHEAR, WAS A DONOR AND CLOSE ALLY OF BOOKER’S, WAS G THE WATERSHED LIKE HER OWN PERSONAL BANK ACUNT—PAYG HERSELF $1.98 LN OVER SEVEN YEARS, WHEN HER SALARY ME TO JT $1.16 LN. THE ALSO DOLED OUT LNS NO-BID NTRACTS TO HER IENDS AND HBAND. FURTHER, BOOKER’S FORMER LAW PARTNER, ELNARDO WEBSTER, HAD BEEN ACTG AS THE WATERSHED’S UNSEL—AND HIS FIRM HAD PROFED $212,318. “HE HAD NOTHG TO DO WH THE BS THE FIRM NDUCTED WH THE WATERSHED,” BOOKER’S SPOKWOMAN, SILVIA ALVAREZ, TOLD ME.NOT QUE CHATOWN, BUT A CY WHERE POLICE WERE BEG FIRED BY THE DOZENS, LNS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS LOST DUE TO A LACK OF OVERSIGHT IS NO SMALL MISTAKE. WHICH IS NOT TO SAY THAT BLAME FOR THE RPTN SHOULD BE PLACED SOLELY AT BOOKER’S FEET—BUT THE THE PTROLLER’S OFFICE NOTED THEIR REPORT THAT THE MAYOR DID NOT ATTEND A SGLE MEETG REGARDG THE AGENCY. HE STEAD SENT A BS ADMISTRATOR HIS PLACE, AND THEN WHEN THE ADMISTRATOR RIGNED, 2010, BOOKER NEVER REPLACED THEM. HE HAD NO TIME TO GO TO THE MEETGS, HE SAID. NEVER MD THAT A ARTH OF EE TIME NEVER SEEMED TO GET THE WAY OF A MENCEMENT ADDRS, OR A TALK-SHOW APPEARANCE, OR A SOCIAL-MEDIA STUNT.ACRDG TO REPORTS BY THE STAR-LEDGER AND NEW YORK POST, THE WATERSHED IS BEG VTIGATED BY BOTH THE U.S. ATTORNEY AND THE FBI. “THE SENATOR HAS NOT BEEN NTACTED BY THE THORI,” ALVAREZ SAID, ADDG THAT HE IS ONLY AWARE OF THE VTIGATNS “NOW, BEE HAS BEEN REPORTED THE PRS.” IN A RECENT TERVIEW WH NJTV, BOOKER LLED THE WATERSHED, “ONE OF THE BIG POLICY LOSS THAT I HAD NEWARK.”THE POLICE VEHICL TAKE OFF OM THE PARKG LOT WH BOOKER AND FULOP TOW. SOME SUPPORTERS KEEP PACE, AND OTHERS TRAIL BEHD WALKG, THERE TO OBSERVE BOOKER THE FLH MORE THAN FOR THE RD. “HE’S THE HARST WORKG SENATOR THERE,” DONNA STREETER, A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN OM NEW BNSWICK TELLS ME. SHE HAS BROUGHT HER TWO TEENAGED CHILDREN WH HER TO SEE THE MAN SHE SAYS SPIRED HER TO RE ABOUT POLICS. STREETER THKS BOOKER SHOULD CHALLENGE HILLARY CLTON FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NOMATN 2016. “I THK HE’S READY. HE’S QUALIFIED,” SHE SAYS, SLIGHTLY OUT OF BREATH.FIRST, BOOKER WILL HAVE TO GET PAST BELL, WHO ARRIVED BACK THE GARN STATE FEBARY FOLLOWG 30 YEARS SPENT FAIRFAX, VIRGIA. BELL WORKED BOTH THE NIXON AND REAGAN ADMISTRATNS. HIS PLATFORM MOSTLY NSISTS OF HIS SIRE TO RETURN TO THE GOLD STANDARD—SOMETHG POLLS SHOW NEW JERSEY RINTS DO NOT RE ABOUT—BUT HE SOMETIM PIVOTS TO FOREIGN POLICY (HE’S A NEON) AND HIS DISDA FOR THE WELFARE STATE.ON A SUNNY AFTERNOON LATE SEPTEMBER, I TRAVELED TO BELL’S BROTHER’S HOME FORT LEE (OF BRIDGEGATE FAME) TO TERVIEW THE NDIDATE. HE ANSWERED THE DOOR—BPECTACLED AND TALL, WH SHOULRS SO LARGE AND EXACERBATED BY HIS OUT-OF-DATE BLAZER THAT LOOKS AS THOUGH HE IS BEG RRIED AROUND BY A CLOTH HANGER—AND STEPPED OUTSI WH PALMS FACG FORWARD, AS IF HE THOUGHT HE WAS ABOUT TO BE SHOT. EVERYTHG THAT OCCURRED BEYOND THE DOOR, HE SAID—THE ENTIRE TERVIEW—WOULD HAVE TO BE OFF THE RERD.ALL OF THAT, AND THE FACT THAT HARDLY ANYONE WH THE STATE KNOWS WHO THE HELL BELL IS, AND BOOKER IS ONLY POLLG MOSTLY. AFTER HOVERG AROUND 42 PERCENT ALL SUMMER, WH A SENATE APPROVAL RATG OF 47 PERCENT, BOOKER ONLY JT CRACKED 50 PERCENT A MONMOUTH UNIVERSY POLL. INSI TORI ICE CREAM ON ERIE STREET, BOOKER IS STANDG AMONG HIS SUPPORTERS, A WHE TOWEL DRAPED OVER HIS NECK ABSORBG THE SWEAT DRIPPG DOWN OM HIS SHY, BALD HEAD. HE GRACEFULLY LIFTS A LTLE BOY THE AIR AND POS FOR A PICTURE. HE ANSWERS EVERY SELFIE REQUT, AS ’S AN ART HE HAS PERFECTED. HE GRASPS THE PHONE HIS PABLE HAND, OUTSTRETCH HIS LONG ARM TOWARD THE CEILG, AND ANGL DOWN JT SO.BOOKER JUMPS BEHD THE UNTER AND BEGS SOPG THE ICE CREAM HIMSELF, SERVG TO ANYONE WHO WANTS , OR JT HAPPENS TO BE THERE—CHILDREN, VOTERS, HIS FORMER TERN. HE SHOUTS ACROSS THE ROOM TO ASK IF HE N MAKE ME SOME. LOOKG AROUND, ’S DIFFICULT TO NOT NOTICE THAT EVERYBODY ELSE WHO HAD TO BE THERE TO PUT THEIR HOURS OF RETAIL POLICS—MAYOR FULOP AMONG THEM—HAD LEFT LONG AGO.A MAN THE CROWD ASKS BOOKER ABOUT THE SENATE. “THERE’S A LTLE MORE JOB SECURY RIGHT HERE,” HE LGHS. OLIVIA NUZZI
LOOK: Newark Mayor Penned Amazg Gay Rights Op-Ed While In College * cory booker 1992 gay *
He often broached difficult subjects, om racial profilg to anti-gay prejudice, wh the rhetoril flourish that would e to characterize his polil speech. “I hated gays, ” he admted. “The disgt and latent hostily I felt toward gays were subtegori of hatred, pla and simple.
CORY BOOKER ON GAY RUMORS: SO WHAT DO IT MATTER IF I AM?
* cory booker 1992 gay *
”By his sophomore year, Booker wrote, he had grown so distrsed by the sorts of ments that he had “snapped om one extreme to the other.
By his sophomore year, Booker wrote, he had grown so distrsed by the sorts of ments that he had “snapped om one extreme to the other. His Republin opponent, Steve Lonegan, was a legally bld yet racially sensive anti-immigratn zealot whose flack ranted to a reporter that Booker teracted wh a stripper on Twter a manner ftg of “a gay guy.
14 terview wh Btle, the “S Cy” star attempted to clarify her sexualy followg a 2018 Gay Pri post. ”Kal Penn, of "Harold & Kumar" and "Hoe" fame, publilly me out as gay while announcg his engagement to partner Josh after 11 years together.
IS CORY BOOKER GAY?
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker said Thursday he was proud of a 1992 opn piece where he, then a stunt at Stanford Universy, explaed how he evolved om a hatred of gay people to acceptance of LGBTQ people. * cory booker 1992 gay *
In The Stanford Daily article, tled "Potg the fger at gays, " Booker adms he once "hated" and was "disgted by" the gay muny, but eventually nonted his feelgs after discsns wh a iend as well as an openly gay unselor. "While hate is a four-letter word I never would have admted to, the sentiment clanstely pervad my every teractn wh homosexuals, " Booker wrote.
"I sheepishly shook hands wh gays or pletely shied away om physil ntact. I still remember how my brow would often unnscly furrow when I was wh gays as thoughts would flash my md, 'What sners I am amongst' or 'How unnatural the people are.
CORY BOOKER GAY RUMORS: YEP, MSNBC’S CHRIS HAY WENT THERE (VIO)
Cory Booker’s opponent for Senate lls the gay mors surroundg Booker “weird.” * cory booker 1992 gay *
'"He then rells his "first real nversatn" about homosexualy wh unselor Daniel Bao, whom he scrib as "a betiful man whose eloquent and poignant tths began to move me past tolerance":"It was chillg to fd that so much of the ttimony he shared wh me was almost intil to stori my grandparents told me about growg up Black.
NEWARK MAYOR CORY BOOKER 'HATED GAYS,' HE SAID 1992 OPN PIECE REPUBLISHED BY THE STANFORD DAILY
Newark Mayor Cory Booker admted that he “hated gays” as a young man a 1992 opn piece republished by The Stanford Daily, which he spoke ankly about his evolutn on homosexualy. The lumn was published as Booker was pursug a master’s gree soclogy at Stanford and reprted by the newspaper on Wednday. * cory booker 1992 gay *
People found revoltg to share a meal wh them and often felt to be their duty to beat them so that they would learn proper, didn’t take me long to realize that the root of my hatred did not lie wh gays but wh myself. A problem I alt wh by ceasg to tolerate gays and stead seekg to embrace them. Newark Mayor Cory Booker says don't matter whether he's gay, so he's not gog to answer the qutn.
"People who thk I'm gay, some part of me thks 's wonrful, bee I want to challenge people on their homophobia, " Booker told the Post. "I love seeg on Twter when someone says I'm gay, and I say, 'So what do matter if I am? Booker has been asked the qutn for years, datg back to when former Newark Mayor Sharpe Jam' alli started spreadg the mor he was gay when he tried to unseat him 2002.