In case some may not be familiar with Corey Booker, the mayor of Newark, a comment. He is a man I have long eyed for higher office. His credentials are impeccable. His educational background reads like a Who’s Who in the some of the most prestigious universities in the world. He graduated from Yale Law School receiving a JD, Oxford University receiving an MA, Stanford University where he received a BA and yet another MA. He has been an attorney and now the Mayor of Newark, an ardent Democrat and a fervent supporter of the president.
He had, as I saw it, political stardom enmeshed in his DNA. Seeing his possible trajectory, I even contributed to his mayoralty campaign. Secretly, of course, I was hoping he would run and if, the fates of fortune prevailed, would ultimately become the nation’s second African American president. I allowed my political fantasy to soar because I thought he was that good. He had the background, the charisma, the ability, the verbal fluidity to make political grandiosity possible at least I hoped he would.
And then the unthinkable happened. As Democratic politicos too-often-for-me do, he imploded. Whether through assassination, accidents, or self-inflicted wounds of too-big-NOT-to-fail mouths the shooting star fades or kills itself depriving our nation of a force for good. Now, regretfully, add Corey Booker to that illustrious list felled by his own egregious misspeak on Meet the Press. He contradicted not only the president’s seminal opposition to Mitt Romney but the substance for which the Democratic Party stands in our era. What WAS he thinking when he said he was, indeed, “nauseated” by the negative ad campaign Democrats are waging against Bain Capital, Romney’s sole qualification, Romney says, for him to take a victory walk into the oval office. Booker says he was tired of sensational indicting of venture capitalists like Bain. Oh really, Mr. Mayor?
I was so incensed by Booker’s treacherous remarks that I called Mayor Booker’s office and left a few choice words on his machine. Why would a man of his intellect, loyalty to the president and having his own political aspirations commit political suicide on one of the most popular and prestigious political Sunday news programs, Meet the Press?
I believe from what I have read it really had less to do with the president and everything to do with promoting himself for higher office and thereby needing the big boys of Wall Street, venture capitalists including Bain Capital as well, to bankroll his effort. Ho hum so what else is new? Sadly, and to Middle America's detriment, Politicos need huge bucks to run for office.
Money the so called "mother's milk of politics" is front and center again. Has this not been so especially since campaigns rely more and more on expensive media – particularly television -- to sell their wares? Money has been tied to political candidacy for a very long time but, of course, since the Supreme Court’s egregious-to-our-nation Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission decision it has created a swamp as big as the Amazon Rain Forest teeming with gobs of polluted money and crocodiles of secrecy guarding its nests.
Corey Booker’s misspeak blew up explosive in his face and it should have. Booker did not realize that his comments would land on him like a ton of bricks as they should. The politicos try to hide, as best they can, their ties to Wall Street big money. No matter what party, when a politico, especially a prominent one, exposes the malignancy of corporate cash in his blood stream, we the people of the middle class are stunned. Post Citizens United we should not be. Booker is allegedly bought by the very venture capital firm that the opposition Republicans are using and touting as their raison de' guerre and entrance into the oval office. Quelle surprise on both counts!
