| Running in NYC News about the presidential
campaign, the convention, and the relationship between D.C. and NYC
February 22 - August 26, 2004 Archives
8/26/04
Details On Judge's Ruling Against Central Park Protest Rally
A judge told protesters yesterday they can't rally in Central Park on the eve of the Republican
National Convention - but activists vowed to descend on the park anyway. ...Manhattan Supreme Court
Justice Jacqueline Silbermann hinted the protesters could have won their battle to use the park -
which has hosted huge rock concerts in the past - if they had sued immediately, in time for
security arrangements to be made. (Daily News) (New York Post) (New York Times)
If you dislike the policies of President George W. Bush, happen to be playing frisbee this Sunday in Central Park and find yourself surrounded by thousands of like-minded protesters, are you breaking the law?
The answer is murky, and it can change depending on who is answering it. But the test will come this Sunday, when thousands of people are expected at Central Park in defiance of yesterday's court ruling keeping the park off limits to a rally.
"We will use a common sense approach and take appropriate action," said Police Inspector Michael Coan. (Newsday)
29 Officially Permitted Rallies Planned
Police commanders said they could not recall a time when the city has experienced such a succession of demonstrations and rallies. The city has issued permits for 29 rallies to have amplified sound equipment or block streets. They range in size from about 40 people, for a prayer vigil outside Madison Square Garden, to 250,000, for Sunday's antiwar march. (New York Times)
50 "Leading Anarchists" Expected
Fifty of the country's leading anarchists are expected to be in the city for the Republican National
Convention, and a handful of them are hard-core extremists with histories of violent and disruptive
tactics, according to police intelligence sources.Ę Police said each of the 50 have up to 50
followers who are willing to be arrested during disturbances at the convention. This group, police
say, is expected to engage for the most part in civil disobedience, including sit-ins in front of
delegates' buses. They also may stage more direct-action tactics, such as vandalizing McDonald's
and Starbucks...(Daily News)
Pataki, Promoting Himself As A "Real Republican," Will Introduce Bush At Convention
For nearly a decade, ever since he gained national prominence for defeating the liberal Democratic standard bearer Mario M. Cuomo, Gov. George E. Pataki has been trying to convince New York's overwhelmingly Democratic voters that he is different from national Republicans. His support of abortion rights, gay rights and gun control and his embrace of labor unions have helped him win three terms as governor.
Now, with the national Republicans about to descend on New York City for the Republican National Convention, Mr. Pataki, with an eye to his political future, has a week to convince them that he can really be one of them, too. Mr. Pataki has let it be known that he might like to run for president in 2008, and his advisers have been spreading the word that in a state known for its not-so-Republican Republicans, Mr. Pataki is the real thing...Mr. Pataki has been rewarded for his efforts with the chance to speak directly to the nation and, more central to his ambitions, the heart and soul of the Republican Party. He will take center stage at the convention and, in a prime-time speech, introduce Mr. Bush to accept his party's nomination.
(New York Times)
Retailers To Shut Down Around Convention
During the months leading up to the convention, many retailers in the area around Madison Square
Garden had held out hope that the 50,000 convention-goers would scoop up souvenirs, buy a slice
of pizza or take a stroll in the neighborhood. At this point, however, most of them have concluded
that the RNC will be disastrous for their businesses and they are making contingency plans.
For some, like the Cingular Wireless store on West 34th Street, that means shutting down
completely. For others, it means slashing staff. Many will evaluate business on the first day of
the convention to assess whether it's worth remaining open for the following three days.
(Crain's NY Business)
Bush To Watch Convention From NYC Firehouse
President Bush wants to watch the Republican convention from a New York City firehouse and
"bond" with the city's Bravest, officials said yesterday.
(Daily News)
House Speaker Hastert Knocked For Anti-NY Comment About 9/11 Funding
New Yorkers yesterday slammed House Speaker Dennis Hastert for claiming the Big Apple was guilty
of an "unseemly scramble" for cash after Sept. 11 - and one city councilman demanded he return
his FDNY cap. In Chicago yesterday, Hastert insisted that the $20 billion Congress provided for
New York was adequate - and still took aim at those lawmakers who were calling for more money.
"More was never enough on this," Hastert said. (New York Post) (New York Times)
Should Protesters Tell The Police Who They Are? Advice Differ
Some civil liberties groups are advising protesters at the Republican National Convention to refuse to identify themselves to police officers, despite a recent Supreme Court ruling that the police have a right to obtain such information from people suspected of breaking the law. The advice appears in pamphlets, circulated in print and on the Internet, that instruct demonstrators on their rights if confronted by police officers. It conflicts with other advice, including that in brochures by the New York Civil Liberties Union and the People's Law Collective, warning that people detained for questioning risk arrest if they refuse to identify themselves; a law collective leaflet recommends providing no information "except possibly your name." Among the groups suggesting that people not reveal their names or other identifying information are the Center for Constitutional Rights and the National Lawyers Guild chapter in New York City, which both suggest that demonstrators who are approached by an officer should "say nothing and walk away." (New York Times)
Police Security Taking Shape
Ten thousand cops flooding into an eight-square-block region. An all-seeing blimp patrolling an otherwise empty sky. Roadblocks and random checkpoints.The NYPD's mammoth security plan for the Republican National Convention is taking shape on the ground. Yesterday, federal Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge surveyed the plans at NYPD headquarters and pronounced the city ready for just about anything.
(Daily News)
8/25/04
Kerry Campaigns In NY
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry accused the Republicans of
"fear and smear" negative tactics on Tuesday and said they would offer only
empty slogans rather than real plans to help most Americans in their
national convention here next week. Kerry delivered his speech at New York's
Cooper Union, the site of President Lincoln's 1860 speech against slavery
that historians say thrust Lincoln into national prominence. Kerry's speech
contrasted his plans for raising middle-class living standards with the past
four years, just days before Bush heads to the city to lay out his agenda
for the next four years. (Newsday)
Group Will Rally in Park, or Not at All
The lead organizer of the largest rally planned for the Republican National
Convention said yesterday that the rally would not be held if a judge upheld
a ban on protesters using the Great Lawn in Central Park on Sunday. (NY Times) (NY Post)
Chelsea Pier Will Be Holding Pen for Arrested Protestors
Unruly protesters at the Republican National Convention will get
breathtaking views of the Hudson River - a Chelsea pier will be turned into
a temporary NYPD holding pen. (NY Post)
8/24/04
Judge Bars Protest from Great Lawn
A federal judge in Manhattan refused yesterday to force the city to allow a
rally on Saturday on the Great Lawn in Central Park, after the Bloomberg
administration and protest organizers failed to reach a compromise during a
sudden round of weekend negotiations. (NY Times)
Thousands of Convention Hotel Rooms Vacant
Thousands of hotel rooms, about a fifth of those set aside for the
Republican National Convention, will not be filled by conventioneers next
week, hotel and convention officials said yesterday. (NY Times)
Police Step Up Security at Penn Station
The New York City Police Department stepped up security in and around
Pennsylvania Station yesterday, flooding the area with officers to prepare
for the Republican National Convention next week. (NY Times)
Giuliani Raising Funds for Republicans
Rudy Giuliani, who has traveled across the country to bolster Republican
candidates, has now reactivated one of his campaign funds to support them
with cash. (NY Post)
8/23/04
As Convention Nears, Uncertainty Over Protest Location Creates Potential for
Trouble
City officials and the protest's organizers, United for Peace and Justice, are
still locked in a court battle over the route of the march.
(NY Times)
Yippies Protest Near Bloomberg's Town House
The Yippies hit the Upper East Side last night, banging bongos and shouting anti-Republican
chants. They had come to protest outside Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's town house,
and they dubbed their demonstration the opening salvo of the Republican National
Convention.
(NY
Times)
8/22
If a Protest Is Planned to a T, Is It a Protest?
Activist groups are as concerned with how their protests at the Republican National
Convention will be covered by television as they are with the actions themselves.
(NY Times)
Delegates in the Land of the Free
The best things in life are free - especially if you're a GOP delegate. Getting
by on zero dollars a day may sound like a pipe dream to New Yorkers, but for
the 4,953 Republican delegates headed to the Big Apple next week, it's going
to be a cinch.
(NY Post)
Black Republicans criticize GOP
The faces crowding the stage during the 2000 Republican National Convention in
Philadelphia appeared to reflect a true rainbow coalition.
(Newsday)
8/21
Convention Boss's Other Hat: Lobbying G.O.P. for Defense Clients
With campaign finance changes, corporate roles have grown at party conventions.
(NY Times)
For Mayor, Antiwar Protest Makes a Pro-Stadium Case
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg tried yesterday to solve two problems facing his administration
with one compact solution: let antiwar protesters demonstrate in a new stadium
on the West Side.
(NY
Times)
Tourist Protesters
A city program to encourage peaceful political protest with discounts at local
stores during the Republican convention has already gotten ugly.
(NY Post)
Protesters await judge's ruling
A group of Arab-Americans will find out Monday morning whether they can hold
a large demonstration on Central Park's Great Lawn. (Newsday)
Mayor: Stadium could be used for protesters
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said a proposed stadium on Manhattan's West Side for
the New York Jets could also be used by protesters.
(Newsday)
8/20/04
Desk-job Detectives Will Patrol Trains During Convention
Hundreds of detectives in the NYPD's elite specialized units are being ordered to put
aside cases and ride the rails as extra security as early as this weekend, the Daily News
has learned. (Daily News)
Anarchists Emerge as Convention's Wild Card
As the Republican National Convention is about to begin in New York City, the police are bracing
for the actions of this loosely aligned and often shadowy group of protesters, and consider them
the great unknown factor in whether the demonstrations remain under control or veer toward
violence and disorder. (NY Times)
Police Demonstrate Readiness for Convention Disorder
The New York City Police Department rolled, flew, marched and trotted out demonstrations of its
arsenal yesterday against violent protesters, civil disobedience and the threat of terrorism at
the Republican National Convention. (NY Times) (NY Post)
Police To Use Military Sound Equipment to Communicate with Protesters
Now hear this: The NYPD has two new military devices that can loudly broadcast warnings and
instructions to a large crowd. The 45-pound machines, called Long Range Acoustic Devices, are
among a slew of new equipment that will be used to deal with potential terrorists and unruly
protesters at the Republican National Convention, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said yesterday. (Daily News)
City's Sex Workers Fear Convention Will Be Bad Business
What would a political convention be like without plenty of hookers proffering their wares to all those buttoned-up delegates from out of town? A lot like the Republican National Convention here. That, at least, is what the sexperts are saying - and that the idea the city's underground sex industry will be working overtime is a fantasy. (Newsday)
8/19/04
The Bush administration misled the public about the health hazards of the
smoke and dust at Ground Zero, a new report charges. The Sierra Club report
blames the thousands of cases of long-term respiratory illness among New
Yorkers on the White House, the Environmental Protection Agency and the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration for downplaying the health
risks and shirking their regulatory oversight roles. (Newsday)
Supporters of Ralph Nader's independent presidential campaign said yesterday
they had filed enough petitions with the state to put him on the New York
ballot. (NY Post)
The group planning what could become the largest demonstration marking the
Republican National Convention took the city to court yesterday in its quest
to rally in Central Park the day before the convention begins. (NY Times) (Daily News)
Protesters who think their prior arrests on minor violations have been
sealed and dismissed might be in for a surprise.(NY Times)
The Port Authority is spending nearly $500,000 a week to safeguard the
city's airports, waterways, tunnels and the George Washington Bridge as the
Republican National Convention draws near, officials said yesterday. (Daily News)
8/18/04
City Offers Discounts to Demonstrators
Demonstrators who wear a button pledging that they are
peaceful political activists will be entitled to
discounts at selected hotels, restaurants and
attractions during the Republican National Convention,
Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced yesterday.
(New York Times)
(Daily News)
(New York Post)
(Newsday)
Harlem Convention Protest Planned
Community activists plan to hold a march and rally in
Harlem on September 2, the last day of the Republican
National Convention, to protest policies of both
political parties, which, they say, ignore
"communities of color all over the country." (Daily News)
Democrats Challenge Questioning of Protesters
Three Democratic members of Congress, including
Jerrold Nadler of New York, have sent a letter to the
Justice Department calling for it to investigate the
Federal Bureau of Investigation's questioning of
would-be demonstrators about possible violence at the
political conventions. The three say the questions
seemed to be "systematic political harassment and
intimidation of legitimate antiwar protesters."
(New York Times)
Culture Groups Still Have Convention Hopes
Despite Boston's experience with the Democratic
National Convention, New York's arts and tourism
executives still have hopes that people attending the
Republican National Convention in New York will go
beyond the immediate vicinity of Madison Square Garden
and sample what the city has to offer.
(Daily News)
The Convention and the Homeless
The upcoming Republican National Convention has
already disrupted the rhythms and routines of the
homeless people who frequent the area near Madison
Square Garden, the convention site.
(Village Voice)
City to Pick Up Convention Trash
The city will pick up garbage normally collected by
private carters near Madison Square Garden during the
Republican National Convention.
(NY 1)
8/17/04
Seven Bus Lines Rerouted
To keep New York City buses from getting bogged down in traffic during the Republican National
Convention, transit officials announced detours yesterday on seven bus routes near Madison Square
Garden. (NY Times)
The seven bus lines -- the M4, Q32, M10, M16, M20, M34 and X51 -- will detour
from the convention site to avoid streets closed by the police, with the M10 steering clear by 11
blocks to avoid gridlock. (Newsday)
From early Monday, Aug. 30, through early morning Friday, Sept. 3, Transit Authority bus routes will be detoured. (Daily News)
Businesses Worry About Bottom Line
With the prospect of large political protests, extra security and skittish residents planning to
leave town, many businesses, far from banking on a boom, are simply hoping that the four-day
convention, which starts Aug. 30, will not make what is always a tough week worse.
(New York Times)
Bloomberg Calls Free Speech and Assembly "Privileges"
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, already under fire for his tough stance against anti-GOP protest groups,
Monday suggested that First Amendment rights of free speech and free assembly are "privileges"
that could be lost if abused. Bloomberg, speaking to Republican National Convention volunteers in
Manhattan, was trying to downplay concerns that protesters will disrupt this month's convention --
when he began articulating a broader constitutional vision. "People who avail themselves of
the opportunity to express themselves ... they will not abuse that privilege," he said at
the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. "Because if we start to abuse our privileges, then we
lose them, and nobody wants that."
The mayor's comments drew immediate criticism from protest groups and
came amid reports that federal agents and city police have been questioning activists,
monitoring Web sites and dropping in unannounced on organizational meetings.
(Newsday) (New York Times)
Sanitation Dept Takes Over For Private Carters, Costing $150K
Security concerns will require city sanitation crews to become private waste haulers for the
Republican National Convention. Normally, some 46 private carters collect commercial waste from
businesses within the Madison Square Garden security zone. But for the convention, the job will
be done by city sanitation crews, Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty said yesterday. The switch
is intended "to make it easier for the police, so that they don't have all these private
sanitation trucks coming in there," Doherty added. (Daily News)
"Pataki Passes" hot tickets for Republican VIPs
"Pataki Passes," said to be hot tickets for the week of the convention, are offered by Governor Pataki to Republican VIPs and get guests into a series of exclusive parties and events. (NY Times)
Protesters Prepare
Hundreds of thousands of antiwar protesters, abortion rights supporters, labor rights activists and anarchists are preparing to unfurl banners, march through the streets and rally in the parks, loosening a cacophonous roar of protest during the Republican National Convention.
As many as 250,000 people may march up Seventh Avenue by Madison Square Garden on the Sunday before the convention to protest the war in Iraq. Thousands of abortion rights and women's health advocates plan to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge to City Hall Park. And the Hip Hop Summit Action Network will lead a march of low-income people to Madison Square Garden, the convention site. (Washington Post)
8/16/04
Protest Rap
Sheet A Cause for Concern
Protesters arrested at the upcoming Republican National Convention could
face harsher penalties than in the past, the Daily News has learned. (Newsday)
8/15/04
Protesters:
'Rats' to GOP
Thousands of protesters armed with costumes, pies and rodents are scrambling
to get their anti-Bush messages heard during the Republican convention.
(NY
Post)
8/14/04
Sky-High NY Terror Drill Today
The skies above Manhattan will be filled with military and police air
power today as authorities stage a secret sky-high anti-terror training
drill in preparation for the GOP convention. (NY
Post)
Faults in S.I. Ferry Hiring
Over a six-month period in 2001, city Transportation Commissioner Iris
Weinshall assembled the management team that was in place two years later,
when the commuter ferry Andrew J. Barberi crashed into a pier, killing
11 people. (Newsday)
City Has First Minor GOP Protest
As far as demonstrations go, it wasn't much. (Newsday)
Group: Lawsuit Challenges Rally Permit Rejection
An anti-war group has filed a lawsuit late Friday challenging the city's
denial of a permit for a rally in Central Park (Newsday)
8/13/04
Area Hospitals Prepare for Convention Terror Attack
While the city is spending millions of dollars to make sure a terrorist
attack doesn't happen during the Republican National Convention at the end
of the month, local hospitals are getting ready in case one does. (NY 1)
Protestors Accuse Police of Scaremongering
Seasoned activists planning to protest at the Republican National Convention
yesterday dismissed as fear mongering a police document that warns officers
of violent tactics ranging from acid flinging to fire bombing. (Newsday)
Legal Observers Prepare for Convention Protests
Armed with neon-green hats, video cameras, and a knowledge of the law, legal
observers were witness to more than 2,000 arrests-some peaceful, some not-at
New York City demonstrations in 2003. This past March, Manhattan District
Attorney Robert Morgenthau predicted in a City Council hearing that there
would be up to 1,000 arrests a day during the upcoming Republican National
Convention. To prepare for this likelihood, the progressive National Lawyers
Guild is recruiting over 250 volunteers to observe rallies and marches, and
is bringing in a bevy of lawyers to handle, pro bono, any civil rights cases
that arise. (Village Voice)
Bloomberg Says Cop Protestors Must Obey Laws
Cops angry over stalled contract talks continued to trail Mayor Bloomberg
yesterday as questions swirled about whether the NYPD is treating the
protesters with kid gloves. (Daily News)
Transit Officials, Fearing Penn Station Gridlock During Convention, Plan
Alternative Entrances
Transit officials are concerned that the largest demonstration planned for
the Republican National Convention, paired with security measures, will
essentially seal off Pennsylvania Station for several hours on Aug. 29, the
Sunday before the convention opens. (NY Times)
Long Island Railroad Passengers Will Have Normal Commute During Convention
Long Island Rail Road commuters can expect as normal a commute as possible
during the Republican National Convention as trains will not be stopped and
searched upon their approach to the city, a top transit security official
said Thursday. (Newsday)
Council Will Run Ads on Security Funding During Convention
Council and labor union officials will run newspaper ads just before the
Republican National Convention to call for more federal money for local
antiterrorism and education programs, Council officials said yesterday. (NY Times)
City's Cigar Bars Quietly Plan for Republican Parties
Political conventions bring to mind smoke-filled rooms where deals of great
import are made. But no longer in New York, where smoking is banned - except
in a few exclusive places. A handful of cigar bars around the city will hold
private parties during the Republican National Convention. They include the
Grand Havana Room, a private club that rests luxuriously on the 39th floor
of 666 Fifth Avenue, where former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani will be the
guest of honor at a party that week. (NY Times)
8/12/04
Giuliani Plays Major Role In Bush Campaign
Just weeks before the Republican National Convention hits his hometown,
Rudolph W. Giuliani is emerging as a central player in the Bush re-election
effort, attacking John Kerry, racing around the country campaigning and
directly leveraging the events of Sept. 11 in ways that President Bush and
many of his closest allies have not dared. (NY Times)
One Police Officer for Every 2.4 GOP Convention Goers
At least 20,000 law-enforcement officers from agencies as diverse as the
Secret Service and Connecticut-based civilian units of the Army National
Guard will help secure the convention. Considering that the convention will
attract 48,000 visitors, from delegates and lobbyists to the media horde,
that amounts to one security officer for every 2.4 civilians at the
convention. (NY Observer)
No GOP Events At Ground Zero
There will be no formally sanctioned commemorations at the site of the
former World Trade Center during the Republican National Convention. (NY Observer)
8/11/04
Police, Firefighters Threaten Job Actions During Convention
Police and firefighters, saying their contract talks
with the city have reached a stalemate, could stage
wildcat strikes during the Republican National
convention, union leaders said yesterday.
(Daily News)
(New York Post)
(New York Times)
Protest Group Renews Effort to Rally in Central Park
The anti-war group United for Peace and Justice
yesterday reversed itself and said it would not accept
the city offer to hold a rally on the West Side
Highway the day before the Republican National
Convention. The group renewed its request for a permit
to rally in Central Park on August 29, this time
asking for a larger section of the park. The city
promptly denied the request, and the group now
threatens to take the matter to court.
(Newsday)
(New York Times)
(Daily News)
(New York Post)
Why Protest Group Changed Its Mind
The reversal by United for Peace and Justice -- which
first said it would accept a protest site on the West
Side Highway and yesterday rejected it - followed a
week of wrenching meetings by members of the anti-war
group's steering committee. (Village Voice)
Law Groups Prepares for Convention
To prepare for the Republican National Convention, the
National Lawyers Guild is recruiting volunteers to
observe rallies, protests and marches and is bringing
in lawyers to handle any civil rights cases that might
arise. The group hopes to protect protesters' rights
and provide support. (Village Voice)
Parties Point-Counterpoint on New York
The Democratic National Committee said yesterday it
will send a team to New York for the convention to
highlight what it says are Bush administration
failures in the city. But the Republicans say they
will rebut every charge. (New York Times)
Police Spying on Protest Groups
The Police Department has been infiltrating protest
groups that it says have used unlawful tactics in the
past in hopes of controlling disruptive activities at
the Republican National Convention, police sources
say. Officers masquerading as demonstrators have been
attending rallies and meetings to learn the groups'
tactics and plans. (Newsday)
Police Brief Businesses on Convention Security
Police yesterday gave Garment Center employees and
business owners a preview of Republican National
Convention security measures and tried to assure those
attending the briefing that everything possible would
be done to allow business to be conducted as usual
or nearly so during the convention. (Newsday)
8/10/04
GOP Plans Spectacle to Jazz Up Convention
When the curtain goes up on the Republican National Convention on Aug. 30, the supporting cast will include gospel- and country-music performers, elaborate videos, and celebrities doing what they can to help market President Bush's ideas and vision for America, one of the convention's organizers said yesterday. (NY Times)
New Sonar Device Will Monitor Harbor for Threats During Convention
The United States has a new weapon in its effort to prevent terrorist attacks in New York City during the Republican National Convention: a piece of sonar equipment that will scan underwater piers, hulls and seawalls in New York Harbor for suspicious activity. (NY Times)
Truck Checkpoints To Ring Midtown During Convention
The police will use a series of checkpoints in the area surrounding the Republican National Convention to screen trucks for hazardous or destructive materials, Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly announced yesterday. (NY Times)
Bloomberg Criticizes BostonŐs Handling of Protestors at Convention
Mayor Bloomberg took a shot at Boston yesterday, belittling Beantown for putting "barbed wire" around protesters at last month's Democratic National Convention. (Daily News)
From the Sky to Below Ground, Security Will be Tight at Convention
In a briefing for several hundred private security directors at Police Headquarters, officials revealed that the all helicopter flights over the city would be grounded on the last day of the convention, when President Bush delivers his acceptance speech. Underground blasting for the city's new water tunnel, now under construction just blocks from Madison Square Garden, also will be halted for the week of the convention, Aug. 30 to Sept. 2. (NY Post)
Protestors to Reopen Fight for Central Park Rally
Organizers of the biggest protest planned for the Republican National Convention are expected to try today to reopen the fight for a Central Park rally, sources said yesterday. (Daily News)
8/06/04
An Alaskan Delegate Prepares for Trip to the Big City
Doug Isaacson has a few ideas about city folks. First of all, they do not
understand Alaska. Second of all, they do not understand Alaska. (NY Times)
Republicans Face Unlikely Protestors: Cops
The Republican National Convention is more than three weeks away, but an
unlikely group of demonstrators has already turned up to protest: off-duty
police officers and firefighters agitating for a new labor contract. (Newsday)
8/05/04
Anarchists Plan Illegal Protests for GOP Convention
Members of a group opposed to the Republican National Convention, many
describing themselves as anarchists, said yesterday that they would carry
out illegal protest activities on the convention's second day. (NY Times)
Area Surrounding GOP Convention to Be Shut Down
When Republicans descend on Madison Square Garden later this month, the NYPD
plans to cordon off the surrounding blocks, banning traffic, limiting
pedestrians and deploying hundreds of police officers in the "frozen zone." (NY1)
Members of Congress Call On Mayor to Protect First Amendment Rights
Some local members of Congress are calling on Mayor Michael Bloomberg to
protect first amendment rights during the Republican National Convention
later this month. (NY 1)
8/04/04
Visiting NYC, Ridge Defends Security Alert As Non-Political
The homeland security secretary, Tom Ridge, stood in the atrium of the Citigroup Center yesterday to assure doubters the decision to raise the alarm about a possible terror strike on financial institutions was based on "actionable information," not politics.
"We don't do politics in the Department of Homeland Security,"Mr.Ridge told reporters and an assembly of employees who work in Citigroup Center, one of the buildings thought to be on a shortlist of Al Qaeda terror targets. "This was actionable information."
Mr. Ridge's arrival in Midtown came just days after he announced that Al Qaeda operatives had cased financial institutions in three cities as possible terror targets - the New York Stock Exchange and the Citigroup Center in Manhattan, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank buildings in Washington,and the Prudential Building in Newark, N.J.
The information came from a captured an Al Qaeda computer engineer, Mr. Ridge said, adding that the timing and type of attack was still unclear.
"Our job is to identify the threat," Mr. Ridge continued, discounting that politics motivated Sunday's terror announcement. "Frankly, I would point out that this is the most significant detailed pieces of information about any particular region we've come across in a long time, perhaps ever, and that's why we needed to share it publicly."
The Bush administration has come under fire by critics who say that most of the intelligence garnered from the Al Qaeda operative was oldÉ. (New York Sun)
Travel Restrictions On Bridges, Tunnels May Continue Through November
Travel restrictions on area bridges and tunnels will not be lifted until the Republican National Convention ends Sept. 2, and could continue until after the Nov. 2 election, some city officials said Tuesday (Newsday)
Strollers, Umbrellas, Spray Cans To Be Banned At Convention
A warning to delegates planning to attend the Republican National Convention: No guns, knives or explosives will be allowed inside Madison Square Garden. And if you are thinking about bringing strollers, spray cans or umbrellas, think again. (New York Times)
Corporate Parties At Convention May Have To Charge Admission For NY State Officials
The state Lobbying Commission yesterday threw a monkey wrench into corporate plans to host parties at the Republican convention later this month.Ę An advisory opinion from the commission yesterday has been interpreted by Republicans to mean that the corporate bashes are not exempt from state law barring companies with business before the state from giving gifts valued at $75 or more to New York public officials. The opinion could result in New York public officials being charged in advance to go to some of the swanky convention parties and events sponsored by corporations with business before the state. (New York Post)
8/03/04
Laura Bush in NY
First Lady Laura Bush and her twin daughters paid a
surprise visit to the Citigroup Center yesterday,
joining Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor George
Pataki to encourage employees who ignored the terror
threat and reported for work. "I wanted to thank
people for coming to work and I'm really glad to be
with them today," Laura Bush said. (New York Post)
Union Rally Will Protest Bush Policies
New York labor leaders announced yesterday that they
will hold a large rally during the Republican
convention to protest Bush administration policies.
Labor leaders said the September 1 protest near
Madison Square Garden, the site of the convention, is
intended to send a strong message to Republicans about
what the labor officials said were Bush's antiworker
and antiunion policies. (New York Times)
Anarchists Plan Direct Action for Convention
While protesters and police have been negotiating
permits and other rules for demonstrations at the
Republican National Convention, a group of anarchists
has been organizing a day of civil disobedience and
guerrilla street tactics to disrupt the convention. (Newsday)
Terror Warnings Won't Affect Convention
New warnings about possible terrorist attacks on
Manhattan financial institutions won't affect security
for the upcoming Republican National Convention,
authorities and security experts said Monday.
(Newsday/Associated Press)
7/29/04
Senator John Edwards, summoning all his skills as a trial lawyer and a
populist, made an impassioned case for Senator John Kerry on Wednesday,
hailing him as a battle-tested veteran ready to be commander in chief and a
man who could restore economic hope and opportunity. "Hope is on the way,"
Mr. Edwards declared to a cheering Democratic National Convention. (NY Times)
Al Sharpton delivered his address and told President Bush that African
American votes are "not for sale." (NY Times)
Jessie Jackson delivered his address and repeated an old refrain "keep hope
alive." (NY Times)
Members of the New York National Guard have been put on alert for possible
deployment during the Republican National Convention in Manhattan, and the
state plans to use three military teams trained to deal with chemical,
biological and radiological weapons when the delegates are in town, state
officials said yesterday. (NY Times)
Judge Robert W. Sweet of Federal District Court in Manhattan modified his
earlier ruling yesterday to give the police a little more flexibility if
they want to search bags and backpacks of protesters at the Republican
National Convention. (NY Times)
A soup kitchen that has fed New York City's poorest for 15 years has become
a temporary casualty of next month's Republican National Convention. (Daily News)
When word surfaced this week that a top 10 list of New York restaurants
recommended to Republican delegates included a reputed Mafia hangout, it
threatened to embarrass organizers of the convention. But as it turned out,
convention officials had already taken the kind of decisive action that
would have made Don Corleone proud: they made the list disappear. (NY Times)
7/28/04
Democrats Stress Unity
On the second day of their national convention,
Democrats presented an array of speakers who depicted
the party's nominee, John Kerry, as someone who could
unite the nation after what they described as four
years of a divisive Bush administration.
(New York Times)
Convention bloggers were ecstatic about the speech by
Illinois State Senator Barak Obama.
(Gotham Gazette)
Teresa Heinz Kerry on Her Life, Her Husband
Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of John Kerry, spoke at the
convention last night and took a dig at President
George W. Bush by saying that her husband, who fought
in Vietnam, knew about war and courage because he had
"put his life on the line." (Daily News)
In her convention speech, Teresa Heinz Kerry defended
her outspoken public style. (Newsday)
Ron Reagan on Stem Cell Research
Less than two months after his Republican-icon father
died, the son of Ronald Reagan stood before the
Democratic National Convention and took not-so-subtle
digs at President George W. Bush's opposition to
stem-cell research. (New York Post)
Live Webcasts of Democratic Convention
Live web casts of the Democratic convention (TV Worldwide)
Police Doctors to be Posted at Republican Convention
The New York police department reportedly plans to
deploy its own doctors outside Madison Square Garden
at the Republican convention to determine whether
prisoners who claim illness or injury really need
medical attention or are fakers. (Daily News)
New Ruling on Searching Protesters
A federal judge yesterday relaxed his order barring
blanket searches of protesters' bags at the Republican
convention and then stayed his ruling to allow time
for an appeal. (Daily News)
Nancy Reagan Just Says No to GOP Convention
Former First Lady Nancy Reagan will not appear at the
Republican convention in New York later this summer. (Daily News)
College Republicans Eager for GOP Convention
Area college Republicans, who say their numbers have
been growing in recent years, are looking forward to
the Republican convention. (Newsday)
7/27/04
Co-op's Warning on Convention Raises Alarm, and Scorn
The management of a large Chelsea co-op that is home to many retired union
activists is warning them to stock up on extra food and water and stay
inside during the Republican National Convention, advice that some residents
find disturbing and inappropriate. (NY Times)
Amtrak Issues Service Rules for Convention
During the week of the Republican National Convention, Amtrak riders will
need to make reservations by telephone or through the Internet for most
trains passing through New York City. (NY Times)
Democratic Delegates Focus on Rivalries, Seats and Defeating Bush
When Senator Charles E. Schumer addressed his fellow New York State
delegates over breakfast Monday morning, he went out of his way to stress
the unity of the state's Democrats and to heap praise on State Attorney
General Eliot Spitzer, who is seen as a potential rival should the senator
run for governor in 2006. (NY Times)
Clinton Assails Bush as Democrats Open Convention
Former President Bill Clinton opened the Democratic National Convention on
Monday with a systematic challenge to President Bush's leadership. (NY Times)
Hillary Steals The Show
Senator Hillary Clinton's speech was supposed to be five minutes. It was 11.
She was supposed to just introduce her husband. She did that, but only after
rousing the crowd to a fever pitch. (Daily News)
Kerry's Wife to Reporter: Shove It!
John Kerry brushed off his wife's telling a reporter to "shove it" and
Hillary Clinton egged her on yesterday as the flap threatened to overshadow
Day One of the convention. (Daily News)
7/26/04
Contest Between Liberties and Security at Convention
The Bloomberg administration's distaste for disorder
surfaced when it denied protesters a permit for use of Central Park during
the Republican National Convention. (NY
Times)
7/25/04
Clintons Highlight NY Delegation
They've lived together in the White House, have both
written best sellers and are the most recognizable Democrats in America.
It's only fitting, perhaps, that Bill and Hillary Clinton are headlining
New York's delegation to the Democratic National Convention. (Newsday)
Different Town, Same Problems
In New York, protesters will get the highway. In Boston,
they'll rally underneath it. A no-man's land in the shadow of a former
I-93 highway ramp, ringed by coils of razor wire, is the sanctioned venue
for protesters expected to converge here during the Democratic National
Convention, which starts tomorrow and runs through Thursday. A federal
judge here even conceded that the 25,800 square feet of asphalt resembles
"an internment camp." (Newsday)
While the Republicans are Taking the City,
NYers May be Taking A Collective
Vacation
While the Republicans are taking New York, New Yorkers
may be taking a collective vacation. "I don't want to be around here
for that week - not even for the security issues so much, but because
of the hassles," said Paul Mrockowski. (Daily
News)
Few oppose GOP convention
Not long ago, it would have been unthinkable _ all
this fussing over Republicans. (Newsday)
7/24/04
New York Police and Fire Unions to Picket G.O.P.
Events
The Bloomberg administration's distaste for disorder
surfaced when it denied protesters a permit for use of Central Park during
the Republican National Convention. (NY
Times)
For a Republican Everyman, a Five-Star Accommodation
When William D. Harris finishes up a long day of work
planning the Republican National Convention, he has a driver take him
to his home away from home in New York City - the Ritz-Carlton New York.
(NY
Times)
7/22/04
Protest Group Agrees to West Side Site
The group planning the largest protest during the Republican National
Convention agreed yesterday to hold a giant rally along the West Side
Highway, acceding to the demands of the Bloomberg administration, which
opposed the group's effort to demonstrate in Central Park. (NY Times) (NY Post)
Vendors Concerned They Will Be Shut Out of Convention Area
With the GOP National Convention starting in little more than a month,
vendors who work around the Garden suspect they will be squeezed out. (Daily News)
Police Seeking Jail Space for Protestors
The NYPD considered turning the Staten Island ferry into a prison barge for
some of the thousands of activists who could be arrested during the
convention. But after stiff resistance from the Department of
Transportation, the notion was apparently dropped. Instead, city officials
are readying unused space in regular jails, which are conveniently empty in
this low-crime era. In an extreme case, the vacant Brooklyn House of
Detention in downtown Brooklyn and the Queens House of Detention in Kew
Gardens could be reopened. (NY Observer)
7/21/04
City to Appeal Ruling on Searching Protesters
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray
Kelly yesterday criticized a federal judge's ruling
that bars police from blanket searches of
demonstrators' bags outside the Republican National
Convention
and said that the city would appeal the ruling. The
announcement represented a switch for city officials
who at first said they considered the ruling a
victory. (NY Times)
(Daily News)
(NY Post)
(Newsday)
Poll Supports Park Protest
About three-quarters of New Yorkers polled said the
city should allow rallies in Central Park during the
Republican National Convention, according to a new
Quinnipiac University poll released yesterday. The
city has agreed to three Central Park rallies during
the convention, but has refused a request by United
for Peace and Justice for a 250,000-person rally on
the Great Lawn, saying that so many people would
damage the grass. Instead, the city has offered the
group a rally site on the West Side Highway, leaving
the two sides at an impasse. (Daily News)
(New York Post)
The Mayor's Park
The dispute over whether to allow a massive rally in
Central Park the day before the Republican convention
next month has become something of a personal turf war
for Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Bloomberg is a longtime
supporter of the Central Park Conservancy, which
adamantly opposes the rally. (Newsday)
Giuliani versus Kerry
Rudy Giuliani will be the lead Republican rebutting
John Kerry on the day the Massachusetts senator
accepts the Democratic nomination next week, sources
say. Republican strategists said the former mayor
will be in Boston to speak to reporters on the morning
of July 29, just hours before Kerry's address. (NY Post)
Convention in the Courts
In an effort to free up police officers during the
Republican convention, the state's Office of Court
Administration said yesterday that it would avoid
scheduling trials and hearings in New York City courts
that require the presence of police from August 23
through September 3. The plan also involves doubling
the number of criminal courtrooms open for
arraignments in Manhattan during the week of the
convention, which begins August 30, to accommodate a
possible increase in arraignments because of the
protests set for the city. (NY Times)
Convention Sublets
Scores of city dwellers are trying to rent their
apartments to visitors to next month's Republican
National Convention -- and they are charging big sums.
So far, though, there aren't many takers. (Newsday)
Street Vendors Worry About Convention Cuts
With the city planning to close several midtown
streets for the Republican National Convention next
month, street vendors are worried that the gathering
could hurt their business. (Newsday)
7/20/04
Convention Rolling Out Red Carpet For Press
Work spaces have been assigned and wireless Internet access has been
arranged. Phone lines, electric outlets, parking spots for satellite trucks:
all are details being worked out for the massive media center that will be
created in Midtown Manhattan for the Republican National Convention at the
end of August. (NY Times)
Judge Disallows Protester Searches
NYPD cops blasted a federal judge's ruling aimed at stopping them from
searching demonstrators' bags outside the Republican National Convention,
saying the decision gives "an open door to terrorists." (Daily News)
7/16/04
Protesters Picket City Hall in Support of Central Park Rally
About 150 protesters picketed outside of City Hall Park yesterday to demand
that the Bloomberg administration allow a giant rally in Central Park before
the Republican National Convention next month. (NY Times)
New Jersey's Commuters Face an Inconvenient Convention Week
Commuters on New Jersey trains face rerouting, additional police patrols,
locked bathrooms and bans on the use of overhead luggage racks and garbage
cans during the week of the Republican National Convention in Manhattan. The
security measures, announced yesterday by New Jersey Transit officials,
could cause delays and inconveniences for the thousands of passengers from
New Jersey who make trips into and out of Pennsylvania Station each day,
officials warned. (NY Times)
Unions Sue City for Preventing Convention Protest at Madison Square
Three city unions are taking their quest to protest at Madison Square Garden
to court today, the Daily News has learned. Lawyers from the city's police,
fire and teachers unions will be in Manhattan Federal Court this morning to
seek legal action against the NYPD's decision to prevent them from
assembling en masse during the runup to the Republican National Convention. (Daily News)
Republicans Plan Convention Parties
They don't call it the Grand Old Party for nothing. Plans for hundreds of
parties are under way in the days leading up to and during the Republican
National Convention. The hottest ticket looks to be the joint California-New
York delegations shindig on Ellis Island, date to be determined. (Newsday)
7/15/04
Police Offer GOP Protestors "Final Option"
The Police Department drew a line in the sand yesterday for the group
planning the largest protest during the Republican National Convention next
month, telling the protest organizers they can hold a giant rally only along
the West Side Highway, four long blocks from the convention site. If the
group disagrees with the site, police officials said, its leaders can sue
the city. (NY Times)
Clinton Not Upset She Won't Speak at Democratic Convention
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said on Wednesday that she was not upset that
Democratic Party leaders had not given her a speaking role at the Democratic
National Convention in Boston later this month. (NY Times)
Democratic Leaders Upset Hillary is Snubbed at Convention
Democratic leaders faced an embarrassing party revolt yesterday after they
refused to allow Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to address their national
convention. The stunning snub of the former first lady was blasted as a
"total outrage" and "very stupid" by one of New York's leading Democrats,
former state Chairwoman Judith Hope. (NY Post)
Schumer Returns Campaign Donations
Sen. Chuck Schumer's re-election campaign is donating to charity $4,000 it
received from indicted New Jersey developer Charles Kushner, but will hold
on to nearly $60,000 in donations from Kushner's businesses, family and
associates. (NY Post)
7/14/04
Senator Clinton Won't Speak at Convention
New York Senator Hillary Clinton is not among the
big-name Democrats slated to speak at this month's
Democratic convention in Boston, according to the list
of speakers released yesterday. (NY Times)
Bioterror Facility, Chemical-Weapons Antidote
The federal government is speeding up shipment of
chemical-weapons antidotes to New York City in advance
of the Republican convention later this summer.
Boston, site of the Democratic convention, is also
getting expedited shipments of the antidote. (Newsday) (NY Post)
Bloomberg Seeks Balance
With the Republican convention nearing, Mayor Michael
Bloomberg faces more hazards every day as he navigates
between being a Republican whose party is about to
come to this city and the mayor of a city that is
overwhelmingly Democratic. (Newsday)
7/13/04
Mayor Warns Anarchists: Don't Disrupt Convention
Mayor Bloomberg warned anarchists yesterday to keep away from the Republican
National Convention, vowing that the city will clamp down quickly on
troublemakers bent on disruptions. (Daily News)
Mayor Slams Fed's Election Proposal
Mayor Michael Bloomberg blasted the federal government's plan to possibly
delay the November presidential elections in the event of a terrorist attack
Monday, saying it smacks of defeatism. (NY Newsday)
7/09/04
Republicans Prepare to Party
The name of the candidate the Republican Party will nominate at its
convention this summer is no surprise. But many delegates are already
placing bets on what will be more fun - taking in the skyline with the
governor of California during a late-night party on Ellis Island or getting
tipsy with the New York delegation next to a wax sculpture of Derek Jeter. (NY Times)
New Jersey Transit Riders to Be Rerouted During Convention
Thousands of commuters who take NJ Transit trains directly to Manhattan will
be forced to go to Hoboken and transfer to PATH trains during the GOP
convention, officials said yesterday. The plan would be to divert NJ
Transit's 11,000 daily commuters who usually take the Midtown Direct service
into Penn Station and have them transfer at Hoboken. (NY Newsday) (NY Post)
City Has Plan for Arresting Convention Protestors
The city is ready for the prospect of holding in custody hundreds of
demonstrators who may be arrested next month during the Republican National
Convention, Correction Commissioner Martin Horn said yesterday. (NY Newsday)
Glitzy NYC Fundraiser for Kerry, Edwards
Neil Diamond, Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp were among the stars slated
to appear at a star-studded fundraiser for presumptive Democratic
presidential nominee John Kerry at Manhattan's Radio City Music Hall
Manhattan Thursday night. (NY 1)
Kerry, Edwards Draw NYC Crowd
A mix of Democrats, Republicans, tourists, locals, protesters and supporters
showed up outside Radio City Music Hall last night to get a glimpse of the
Democratic presidential ticket. (NY Newsday)
7/08/04
More Private Donations for Political Conventions
The host committees for the Republican and Democratic conventions this year
will draw almost $104 million in private contributions, 12 times what they
did a dozen years ago. (NY Times)
Mayor Warns Unions Against Protests at GOP Convention
City unions that picket around Madison Square Garden during the runup to the
Republican National Convention will be hurting only themselves, Mayor
Bloomberg warned yesterday. (Daily News)
D'Amato Calls for Bush to Dump Cheney from Ticket
Former Republican Sen. Alfonse D'Amato yesterday called on President Bush to
dump Dick Cheney from the GOP ticket. (NY Post)
7/07/04
New York Politicians on Edwards
Top New York Democrats were quick to praise Democratic
presidential candidate John Kerry's choice of North
Carolina Senator John Edwards as his running mate
yesterday, while state Republicans were just as quick
to attack the selection. (Newsday)
City Workers to Picket Garden
City police, firefighters and teachers plan to picket
at Madison Square Garden and to ask other union
members not to cross the line in a move that could
disrupt preparations for the Republican National
Convention. The city workers plan to begin their
action on July 19, when the city hands over the site
to convention organizers. The city employees are angry
over failed wage and benefit negotiations with City
Hall. (New York Post)
Battle Over Central Park Continues
The battle over the right to stage protests in Central
Park during the Republican National Convention
continued yesterday, as civil libertarians accused the
city of favoring high culture over political
expression and parks commissioner Adrian Benepe
countered that the use of the park for political
protests was an anomaly in its long history. (New York Times)
7/06/04
Kerry Chooses Edwards as Running Mate
John Kerry has chosen John Edwards to be his running mate. (NY Times)
Local Merchants Fear Convention Losses
Mayor Bloomberg has promised an economic boom for the city during the
Republican National Convention - but some merchants near the Garden fear
they will be shut out. (Daily News)
7/02/04
10,000 Volunteer for Republican National Convention, But Some May be Protestors
Ten thousand people have signed up to volunteer at the Republican National
Convention, but city officials are bracing for the possibility that some
won't show up as a form of protest. (NY Times)
Many Convention Tour Guides Will Be Tourists
Only 42 percent of the unpaid convention guides are New York City residents.
The rest are from other areas, including upstate, New Jersey, Connecticut,
Pennsylvania and Virginia, according to statistics released yesterday by NYC
Host Committee 2004. (NY Newsday)
Bloomberg Increases Donation to Republican National Convention
Billionaire Mayor Bloomberg, who already committed $5 million to the
Republican National Convention, has quietly upped his donation, sources told
the Daily News. Bloomberg's personal contribution to the four-day GOP fest
is now closer to $7 million, the sources said. (Daily News)
With Mayoral Aspirations, Weiner Criticizes Bloomberg for GOP Contributions
Only one of his likely Democratic challengers seems to draw Republican Mayor
Michael Bloomberg into snarky public dissing and all-out bridge burning:
U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner. In yesterday's episode, the congressman, who
represents parts of Brooklyn and Queens, took to City Hall steps with
poster-size blowups of federal disclosure forms to display the billionaire
mayor's contributions to the GOP. (NY Newsday)
(NY Times)
Penn Station to Close Most Entrances During Convention
Six entrances to Penn Station will be closed during the Republican National
Convention this summer, leaving more than 600,000 commuters squeezing in and
out of the remaining two. (NY 1)
Queens Congressmembers Face Primary Challenges
With the heat of summer and election season in full swing, three of Queens'
six Congressmembers are facing the prospect of primary challenges this
September if their opponents collect enough signatures to get on the ballot.
(Queens Tribune)
7/01/04
Some GOP Protest Permits Issued
City officials yesterday began granting permits for demonstrations
coinciding with the Republican National Convention, even as negotiations
over a massive anti-war rally languished. Among those winning approval was a
coalition of labor unions that plans to rally outside the convention site,
Madison Square Garden, during the Aug. 30-Sept. 2 gathering. (Newsday)
(NY Post)
Penn Station Plan for Convention Will Cause Serious Gridlock
A study conducted by railroad officials on the flow of people in and out of
Pennsylvania Station shows that New York City's plans to close six of the
terminal's eight exits during the Republican National Convention could cause
serious inconvenience for the more than 600,000 people who use the station
every day. (NY Times)
6/29/04
Cheney in New York
Vice President Dick Cheney visited New York City
yesterday, meeting with Mayor Michael Bloomberg,
attending a Yankees game and speaking at a lunch that
raised $500,000 for the Republican Party. (Daily News)
Mayor Michael Bloomberg had a half-hour meeting with
Vice President Dick Cheney in New York yesterday. The
mayor lobbied the vice president for more homeland
security money for New York City. The two also
discussed planning for the Republican National
Convention. (Newsday)
Bush Won't Visit Ground Zero
President George W. Bush will not visit Ground Zero
during this summer's Republican National Convention in
New York City, his campaign manager said yesterday.
But Ken Mehlman did not rule out the possibility that
Bush might visit the World Trade Center site on the
third anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks
-- nine days after the convention ends. (New York Post)
Two NY Republicans Take Different Approaches to the GOP
With the conventions coming to New York City in two
months, Governor George Pataki seems to be drawing
ever closer to the national Republican party, while
his fellow Republican, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, seems
to be pulling further away from it. (New York Times)
6/29/04
Protest Group and City at Odds Over a March Past the Garden
Police officials and protest organizers met yesterday to discuss whether to
let demonstrators march past Madison Square Garden the day before the
Republican National Convention begins Aug. 30, protest organizers said.
(NY Times)
Mayor: UPJ holding up permits
Mayor Michael Bloomberg yesterday accused the largest of the protest
organizations gearing up for August's Republican National Convention of
sabotaging the permitting process for smaller groups by refusing to work
with the city. (Newsday)
6/28/04
Giuliani and Pataki Will Book-End Convention
Rudy Giuliani and Gov. Pataki will book-end the Republican convention, with the former mayor speaking the first night and the governor taking the stage the night President Bush accepts the nomination, the Daily News has learned.
While Pataki gets the top spot, both he and Giuliani are guaranteed prime-time plums to enhance their political hopes and help the GOP frame the message of the four-day convention around Bush's war on terror.
(Daily News)
6/26/04
NYC Streets Will Be Blocked for Convention Security
New York City announced ambitious security measures yesterday for the Republican
National Convention, including shutting down Midtown thoroughfares for hours each day,
putting a concrete barrier around Madison Square Garden, and letting protesters
get only as close as one corner of the convention site.(New York Times)
Hospitals Advise Staff To Stay Put
The word is out, if only unofficially: if you are a trauma surgeon, an emergency-department nurse or a top hospital administrator, do not take vacation in late August, in the days up to and during the Republican National Convention Aug. 30 to Sept. 2.
For those days, nearly 4,900 delegates and alternates, thousands of journalists and their support staff and thousands of protesters will converge on Manhattan, and hospitals are girding for trouble. (New York Times)
6/25/04
Senate Agrees to Give Extra Cash to City for Convention Security
The Senate approved a measure yesterday to double the cash New York City
will receive to protect the Republican National Convention this summer. (Daily News)
Bloomberg Considers Contributing to Democrats
Sure, Mayor Bloomberg is a Republican - but he'll write checks to Democrats
if they help the city. (Daily News) (NY Post)
Police Commissioner Says Protest Permits Coming Next Week
The NYPD will likely begin issuing permits next week to protest groups
planning to gather for this summer's Republican National Convention, Police
Commissioner Ray Kelly said yesterday. (NY Post)
6/24/04
Senator Schumer Returns Tax Payer Money after Criticism from Rival
Senate candidate Howard Mills savored a minor victory this week when his
staff asserted that his rival Senator Charles Schumer had been using tax
dollars to fly around the state. (NY Times)
Months Before Convention, Bloomberg Battling Republicans
With just 2 1/2 months remaining until the GOP swoops into town for its
national convention, Mayor Bloomberg can't seem to stop feuding with
Republicans in Congress. Yesterday, it was Kansas Rep. Todd Tiahrt's turn to
feel the mayor's wrath, as Bloomberg lashed out at the congressman for
introducing an amendment to bar access to a federal gun database for use in
civil lawsuits. (NY Post)
Companies Near Convention Center Moving Employees to Other Locations
Some companies located in the office buildings closest to Madison Square
Garden are making plans to have their employees work elsewhere during the
Republican National Convention this summer. (Crain's New York)
6/23/04
Punishing Politicians Who Do Not Help NYC
Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned yesterday that there
would be political ramifications for Washington
politicians who do not help the city. (Newsday)
The mayor's plans to help friends and punish foes in
Washington may not always work. U.S. Representative
Harold Rogers helped lead a successful drive to defeat
a plan that would have sharply increased the amount of
anti-terror aid New York receives from Washington --
despite Bloomberg's $5,000 contribution to the
Kentucky Republican's campaign. And Representative Tom
DeLay, with whom the mayor has clashed in the past,
supported more aid for New York. (New York Times)
Protesters on Bikes
A senior police commander told Queens community
leaders yesterday that officers will have to be pulled
from the outer boroughs to provide security for the
Republican National Convention. (Newsday)
Reassigning Police for the Convention
Thousands of demonstrators on bicycles plan to block
city streets during the Republican National Convention
to dramatize their contention the war in Iraq is all
about oil. (Newsday)
6/22/04
Mayor Rescinds Invitation to a G.O.P. Congressman
A lunch planned for two Republican Congressional leaders at Mayor Michael R.
Bloomberg's town house was canceled when the mayor disinvited an Ohio
congressman who had voted against a plan that would have sent nearly $450
million to New York for domestic security, according to people who were
scheduled to attend the lunch. (NY Times)
6/17/04
Record Fundraising for GOP Convention
The New York City Host Committee is expecting to raise $64 million for the
Republican National Convention. The Host Committee is expecting to raise a
record amount of money, and already has tens of millions of dollars in
contributions and commitments from donors ranging from an Indian tribe that
runs a casino in Connecticut to real estate agents, financiers and drug
manufacturers. (NY Times)
Partial List of Donors to Convention
A partial list of donors to GOP Convention (NY Times)
6/16/04
Convention Protest Permits
Dozens of groups hoping to hold protests at the
Republican convention in New York yesterday expressed
frustration with the process of applying for permits
as the police still have not granted any permits or
disclosed where demonstrations will be allowed. (Newsday)
The police department said yesterday that groups
wanting to protest at the Republican convention would
have until around July 30 to apply for permits. The
original deadline for applications had been yesterday
-- June 15. (New York Times)
6/9/04
Pickets at Boston Convention Site
Six weeks before the Democratic convention opens in
Boston, picketing by union members, including city
police, has forced a delay in renovations to the Fleet
Center where the convention will be held. In addition,
police say they will start random inspection of
packages on commuter trains and subways. (New York Times)
Minister File Suit Over Protest
A minister filed suit against the city yesterday,
charging that it made it has made it so to demonstrate
outside the Republican National Convention that even a
prayer service would not be allowed. Patrick Mahoney,
a Presbyterian minister and director of the Christian
Defense Coalition, accused Mayor Michael Bloomberg of
rejecting his request to stage prayer services outside
Madison Square Garden during the convention. (Associated Press)
NY Politicians at GOP Convention
Former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Mayor
Michael Bloomberg and Governor George Pataki will be
featured prominently at the
Republican National Convention in recognition of their
actions after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a
convention spokesman said.
Leonardo Alcivar said that it has not yet been
determined what
Exact role each will play at the convention. (Associated Press)
6/8/04
Bush to New York: Here's Your $20 MillionŃNow Drop Dead
By the time the Republican National Convention starts on August 30, the host
of this party, Mayor Bloomberg, will be quietly battling with his guests,
President Bush and the GOP-controlled Congress, on almost every issue of
importance to the city. (New York Magazine)
6/5/04
We May Pen In Protesters, Top Cop Says
The highest-ranking uniformed officer at the New York Police Department Friday defended the department's use of metal pens and mounted police units to control demonstrators at political rallies and said police officials had not ruled out these and other measures during protests at the upcoming Republican National Convention.
Chief of Department Joseph Esposito's comments came in testimony Friday at a nonjury hearing before U.S. District Judge Robert Sweet in Manhattan. The New York Civil Liberties Union and several protesters have sued the NYPD, contending their civil rights were violated during a protest March 20, an anti-war demonstration on Feb. 15, 2003, and a demonstration during the World Economic Forum in 2002.
The plaintiffs are seeking a preliminary injunction against the department so that disputed procedures that they charge violate demonstrators' civil rights will not be in place at the upcoming convention. These include keeping people in metal pens, controlling access to demonstrations and using mounted police units for crowd control.
(Newsday)
Bloomberg Urges Ridge To Help Stop Turning Anti-Terrorism Money Into "A Political Slush Fund"
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg called yesterday on the homeland security secretary, Tom Ridge, to stand up to Congress over what the mayor has repeatedly characterized as its efforts to shortchange New York City on anti-terrorism money.
The mayor, appearing on his weekly radio program on WABC-AM, charged that Congress had turned the distribution of homeland security money into a political "slush fund," in which small states receive far more dollars per capita than those states at greater risk, like New York. (New York Times)
Bill Clinton Blasts Bush Terror Policy At City College Graduation Ceremonies
At the City College of New York graduation yesterday, ex-President Bill Clinton took a swipe at the Bush administration's terror war. "We have to recognize in an interdependent world we cannot ever succeed in killing, jailing or occupying all of our adversaries," Clinton said. "We've got to make a world with more friends and fewer terrorists."
Hundreds of graduates cheered as Clinton said the U.S. needs to spend more money fighting disease and global poverty alongside terrorism. "For a fraction of what we spend on defense - a fraction - we could double our efforts in all of those areas, and make a world with more partners and fewer terrorists." (Daily News)
6/4/04
Republicans Shun Risqué Broadway Shows
The New York City Host Committee recently designated eight Broadway shows as fit to ply
convention delegates with free tickets. There is barely a Tony nominee in the bunch.
All are nice, safe musicals guaranteed not to offend mainstream American tastes or, for
that matter, provoke much thought. The title song of "42nd Street" is about as risqué
as it gets, with its reference to "sexy ladies from the Eighties who are indiscreet." (NY Times)
6/3/04
Lawsuit Seeks to Change Police Tactics for Handling GOP Protests
A lawsuit aimed at changing the city's procedures for policing protests went
to trial Wednesday. The New York Civil Liberties Union filed suit on behalf
of three people who took part in anti-war protests last February. The suit
says police should not have used metal "pens" and police horses to control
the crowd. The NYCLU wants to prevent the same tactics from being used
during demonstrations near the Republican National Convention in August. (NY 1)
6/2/04
Giuliani and the GOP Convention
Former Governor Mario Cuomo predicted yesterday that
former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani will excite the crowds
at this summer's Republican convention in New York.
Such a response will spur some to urge that Giuliani
replace Vice President Dick Cheney on the Republicans
tickets and could fuel a possible future presidential
candidacy for the former mayor. (Daily News) (New York Post)
5/28/04
Fighter Jets Will Patrol During Convention
Fighter jets will return to city skies during the Republican National Convention this summer to protect New York City from terror attacks from above, FBI sources said yesterday. F-15s from a National Guard unit in upstate Troy will provide air defense during the four-day gala . an event that along with the Democratic Convention, presidential election and July 4 weekend, federal officials say could be targeted by terrorists. (NY Post)
5/27/04
Kerry Says More Must Be Done on Domestic Security
John Kerry made another sharp critique of President Bush's handling of the
war on terrorism, asserting that major domestic security needs remained
inadequately financed under his watch. (NY Times)
Kerry Will Accept Nomination at Convention
John Kerry made another sharp critique of President Bush's handling of the
war on terrorism, asserting that major domestic security needs remained
inadequately financed under his watch. (NY Times)
5/26/04
Woman plan 'pom pom' protest
Some women will brandish pom poms and flash their
underwear to protest the Republican National
Convention in New York this summer. The groups hope to
add wit and a women's perspective to a sometimes
male-dominated protest scene.
(Newsday)
5/25/04
Organization Tied to G.O.P. Gets Warning on Donations
A tax-exempt organization associated with the chairman of the United States
House Committee on Financial Services may have to register with the New York
State attorney general's office before it can stage a party during the
Republican National Convention in New York, state officials said. (NY Times)
5/21/04
Focusing on Convention, City Bans Street Fairs in Late August
Street fairs, long a staple of the hot New York summer, have been banned in the city at the
end of August so the New York Police Department can concentrate on policing the Republican
National Convention, Newsday has learned. (Newsday)
Wall Street Plans to Roll Out Red Carpet for Republicans
Despite the talk about protesters overwhelming the Republican National Convention in New York City
this summer, one sector of the city is rolling out the red carpet: Wall Street and its investment
banks. They are showering the conventioneers with money for parties and other events to make the
Republicans feel right at home. (New York Times)
5/20/04
Former Police Commissioner Calls for Bush Reelection
A day after coming under fire at a hearing into the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks, former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik said
Wednesday "the threat is imminent" for another terrorist attack and that
President Bush must be re-elected. (Newsday)
Republicans Nominate Challenger to Senator Schumer
Balloons dropped, music blared, and politicians talked tough about
terrorism. There was praise for President Bush, scorn for the Democrats and
the nomination of a candidate, Assemblyman Howard Mills, to challenge
Senator Charles E. Schumer. (NY Times)
5/14/04
Federal Election Commission Orders Sharpton to Return Funds
With his aborted presidential campaign already more than $500,000 in the red, the Rev. Al Sharpton took another hit in the wallet yesterday when the Federal Election
Commission ordered him to return $100,000 in public matching funds.
(New York Post)
5/13/04
Clinton Says She Has No Interest in Vice Presidency
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday that she
has no interest in being Senator John Kerry's running
mate this year. She also said she intends to seek
re-election to the Senate in 2006.
(Newsday/AP)
Republicans Not Spending Here Yet
The Republican convention is expected to bring tens,
if not hundreds, of millions of dollars to New York
City, but so far most of the money being spent for
planning the event has gone to consultants and
businesses in other states.
(Newsday/AP)
5/12/04
Governor Welcomes First Lady for Prayer Breakfast
Mixing piety with Republican politics, Gov. George E. Pataki welcomed Laura
Bush as the guest of honor at his annual prayer breakfast on Tuesday, using
the occasion to praise both God and the president. (NY Times)
5/11/04
Laura Bush Stops By NYC
First Lady Laura Bush visited the city Monday to honor World Trade Center
victims and buoy a presidency sagging under the Iraq war and a widening
Baghdad prison abuse scandal.
(Newsday) (Newsday)
Laura Bush and Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced funding for renovations to
the Gardens of Remembrance in Battery Park, which commemorates war heroes.
The First Lady took the opportunity to defend her husbandŐs handling of the
prisoner abuse scandal.
(NY 1) (Newsday)
First Lady Laura Bush brought good cheer to eight Big Apple schools
yesterday, announcing they've been awarded $5,000 grants to upgrade and
expand their libraries.
(NY Post) (Newsday)
Laura Bush and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg stood shoulder to shoulder
yesterday in an appearance that may well dispel any lingering doubt as to
the mayor's feelings about the president, or of the mayor's own political
identity.
(NY Times) (Newsday)
5/7/04
City is Blocking Political Protests During Convention, Charge Demonstrators
Mayor Bloomberg has said demonstrators will be able to exercise their First Amendment rights
during the Republican National Convention. But United for Peace and Justice, which first
applied for permits last June, said yesterday the city is helping only the Republicans get
their message out - not people who disagree with them.
(New York Daily News) (Newsday)
5/6/04
Mayor Criticizes GOP Official for Talking About Security
A miffed Mayor Bloomberg yesterday slammed a Republican National Convention
official for speaking "without knowledge" about security arrangements for
the four-day event. The mayor was fuming over comments made Tuesday by
convention Director of Operations Mike Miller that a potentially blocks-long
security perimeter would be erected around Madison Square Garden,
inconveniencing residents and businesses. (NY Post) (Daily News)
5/5/04
Convention Security Plans
Varying accounts of security procedures for the
summer's Republican convention appeared in newspapers
after a convention official said parts of Seventh and
Eighth avenues could be closed during this summer.s
Republican convention.
--City officials said security plans have not been
determined, and that any closings of avenues would be
announced by Mayor Michael Bloomberg or the police
department.
(Daily News)
--Two sources familiar with the city's plan for
security said an outer security perimeter will run
from West 29th Street north to West 34th or West 35th
streets, between Seventh and Eighth avenues.
Pedestrians would be allowed to shop within the
perimeter and motor vehicles would be allowed, though
West 31st and West 33rd streets could be restricted,
if not closed at times, sources said.
(Newsday)
-- A large area around Madison Square Garden will be
turned into a security zone during this summer's
Republican convention, organizers revealed yesterday.
At the security perimeter - which could extend for
blocks in all directions around the garden -
pedestrians and drivers will be required to show
identification proving they have business in the area,
said Mike Miller, director of operations for the
convention. (New York Post)
Delegates to View Wholesome Plays Only
The New York Host Committee for the Republican
convention will send delegates to special performances
of eight Broadway shows the Sunday before the
convention opens but only the most wholesome
productions have been selected.
(New York Times)
Heinz Kerry in Manhattan
Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of Democratic presidential
candidate John Kerry, visited preschoolers in an early
childhood education center in Upper Manhattan
yesterday. (Newsday)
4/29/04
Protecting the GOP Convention
New York City police officers and bomb-sniffing dogs will board trains
during the Republican National Convention and search the cars as they
approach Pennsylvania Station, Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said
yesterday. (NY Times) (Daily News)
4/28/04
Police, Firefighters to Protest
Unions representing city police and firefighters have
requested permits to protest at the Republican
National Convention to be held in New York City in
August. They are angry that New York gets less
homeland security funding per person than virtually
any state in the nation and that the city has yet to
give them a contract they can ratify. (Daily News)
Undercover Volunteers
Some anti-Republican protestors are considering the
idea of volunteering to help out at the convention and
then either not showing up or showing up and
protesting. The city is seeking 8,000 volunteers but
so far has registered only about 1,400. (New York Times)
4/23/04
10,000 Officers Will Guard Madison Square During Convention
Nearly 10,000 of 'New York's Finest' will be working to keep this summer's Republican convention safe - the largest force ever assigned to a national political gathering, NYPD sources told The Post.
The figure is more than triple the nearly 3,000 police assigned to the Democratic convention in 1992, the last time the city hosted a presidential party gala. (NY Post)
4/22/04
Mayor Koch To Recruit Volunteers for GOP Convention
Who could the Republican Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg turn to for help in
selling his predominantly Democratic constituents on the notion that
bringing his party's national convention to town should be viewed not as a
partisan event, but as a pro-New York event? The answer Mr. Bloomberg hit on
was the former Mayor Edward I. Koch. (NY Times) (NY Post) (Newsday)
4/21/04
Bush Attends New York Fund Raiser
President George W. Bush made a quick trip to New York
City yesterday for a fund-raising lunch at the River
Club on East 52nd Street that brought in $3.75
million. (New York Post)
President Bush received the biggest applause at
yesterday's fund-raiser in Manhattan when he praised
Governor George Pataki and Mayor Michael Bloomberg and
thanked them for attending the event. (Newsday)
4/20/04
Election Day Terror Warning
For the second day in a row, a top Bush administration official warned there
may be terrorist attacks in the coming months tied to the November
elections. (Daily News)
4/16/04
Sharpton Endorses Kerry, But Continues to Campaign
The Rev. Al Sharpton, who flashed quick wit and rhetorical jabs on the campaign trail but
failed to spark a large following, Thursday endorsed John Kerry for president but promised to
continue his own urban agenda campaign. (Associated Press)
4/15/04
Kerry Campaigns And Raises Millions in NYC
Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry slammed George W. Bush for
getting the country "stuck" in Iraq, but he refused to call the war a
failure during a lucrative fund-raising trip to the city Wednesday. The
Massachusetts senator made his comments in Harlem, then sped downtown to
collect $6.5 million at three fund-raisers. He's expected to raise another
$2.4 million at a Democratic National Committee event this morning. (Newsday)
(NY Post)
4/13/04
Convention Funds Falling Short
More and more, when voters in New York are given the chance to select
Democrat or Republican, they choose neither. (NY Times)
4/02/04
Convention Funds Falling Short
The city's host committee for the Republican National Convention fell short of its
goal of banking $60 million by Thursday, although sources say the nonprofit has secured
$70 million in uncollected pledges. If those commitments don't materialize, events like a huge
fete for 8,000 journalists and a Broadway theater outing for GOP delegates might have to be
scaled back, said one planner on condition of anonymity.
(New York Times)
Penn Station May Close Temporarily During Republication National Convention
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg raised the possibility yesterday that Pennsylvania Station might
be shut down temporarily during the Republican National Convention, but said it will not remain
closed for the entire Convention. (New York Times)
(New York Daily News)
10,000 Police Officers Train in Terror Preparedness For Convention
Police officers from across the city played out terrorist scenarios yesterday, from
a gas attack in a hotel room to an explosion in a subway in preparation for the Republican
National Convention in August. The two-day drill, called COBRA training, is part of a goal of
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly to train 10,000 members of the department in terrorist preparedness
for the upcoming convention. (Newsday)
3/30/04
Sharpton Loses Matching Funds
The Federal Election Commission Ruled that former presidential candidate Al Sharpton is not
eligible for $100,000 in matching funds.
(NY Post)
3/26/04
Democratic Stars Show Support for Kerry
To swelling trumpets, the biggest stars in the Democratic firmament strode on stage here
Thursday night, but true to form, they seemed to lack a certain coordination.
(NY Times)
3/25/04
White House Responds to Claims It Ignored Al Qaeda
President Bush's former counterterrorism chief, Richard A. Clarke, testified
on Wednesday to the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks that the
Bush administration had largely ignored the threat from Al Qaeda prior to
the attacks. The White House responded saying that Clarke's assessment is
wrong. (NY Times)
Big Name Democrats Get Together for Kerry
The hunger for victory is so intense among Democrats that some of the
party's biggest names - two former presidents among them - are putting aside
longstanding tensions to appear together here on Thursday night for a dinner
that is expected to collect $11 million for their presumptive nominee,
Senator John Kerry. Former President Jimmy Carter, a reluctant participant
in partisan causes, will be at the fund-raising dinner, along with former
President Bill Clinton, with whom Mr. Carter was never particularly close.
And though Mr. Clinton's relationship with his vice president, Al Gore, has
been strained since the 2000 campaign, Mr. Gore will attend, too. (NY Times)
3/24/04
Voter Registration
The National Republican Committee will send its Reggie
the Registration Rig to MTV's Total Request Live
studio on Times Square Thursday in an effort to
register young voters. (Newsday/Associated Press)
3/23/04
Kerry's New Ad Highlights War Record
Kerry's New Ad Highlights War Record
John Kerry yesterday launched a new 30-second
television ad showing video of him as a young soldier
in Vietnam and stressing he "fought for his country."
The spot begins airing today in 17 swing states, (New York Post)
White House Rebuts Former Adviser
Top White House officials launched an aggressive
counterattack Monday against a former counterterrorism
chief who accused President George W. Bush of
"ignoring terrorism." (Newsday)
3/22/04
Bush Aid Claims That Kerry's Plans Would Drastically Increase Deficit
Mr. Bush's campaign manager, Ken Mehlman, released an analysis that he said showed a $1 trillion gap over the next
decade between spending increases Mr. Kerry has called for during the campaign and the tax increases he has already supported.
(NY Times)
3/21/04
New Yorkers Join In Day of Worldwide Antiwar Protests
Marking the one-year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, crowds of sign-waving, slogan-chanting demonstrators marched through
Midtown Manhattan and scores of cities from Alaska to Australia yesterday in a largely peaceful global rebuke to the war.
(NY Times)
3/20/04
Clinton Officials To Tell 9/11 Panel They Warned Bush Of Terror Threat
Senior Clinton administration officials called to testify next week before the independent commission investigating
the Sept. 11 attacks say they are prepared to detail how they repeatedly warned their Bush administration counterparts in late 2000
that Al Qaeda posed the worst security threat facing the nation and how the new administration was slow to act.
(NY Times)
3/19/04
Website Shows Which New Yorkers Give To Which Presidential Campaign
tony address of 770 Park Ave. is the biggest Democratic presidential money pit in the city,
with more than 20 donors pitching in $50,000 to candidates, according to a new Web site. On the
Republican side, the gold mine is 85 Broad St. - the New York headquarters of investment-banking
giant Goldman Sachs - the www.fundrace.org Web site reveals.
(NY Post)
3/18/04
Candidates Attack Each Other on Military Spending
In a blistering critique of Senator John Kerry's record on military issues,
Vice President Dick Cheney on Wednesday portrayed the Democratic
presidential candidate as weak, inconsistent and a threat to the security of
the nation. Almost simultaneously, Mr. Kerry, speaking in Washington,
denounced President Bush's foreign policy, which he said had left the United
States "bogged down in Iraq" and its troops overextended and "with the
target squarely on their backs."
(NY Times)
3/17/04
Clintons For Kerry
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President
Bill Clinton have launched a drive to raise $10
million in 10 days for Democratic presidential
candidate John Kerry.
(New York Post)
3/16/04
Sharpton Endorses Kerry, but Stays in Race
While he said he will support Sen. John Kerry as the
only way to beat George W. Bush in November, the
Reverend Al Sharpton says he will continue to push for
an urban agenda and campaign on issues affecting the
minority community.
(New York Post)
3/15/04
What Democrats and Republicans Must Learn About Politics of Sept 11
New York's experience provides insight into the benefits and pitfalls
Democrats and Republicans risk as they continue to play the Sept. 11 card in
this year's contest for the presidency.
(NY Times)
3/14/04
Bush and Pataki Took Different Tacks on Sept 11
President Bush and Gov. George Pataki took completely different tacks when
it came to using the memory of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in
their re-election campaigns.
(Newsday)
Kerry Challenges Bush to Monthly Debates
Senator John Kerry challenged President George W. Bush to monthly debates.
(New York Times)
3/13/04
Civil Rights Group Accuses City of Stifling Protest During Convention
New York City civil liberties groups accused city and police officials
yesterday of trying to stifle protests during the Republican National
Convention by publicly predicting that officers would arrest more than 1,000
people each day of the event.
(New York Times)
3/12/04
President Bush Campaigns In Long Island
With suburbia looming as a major political battlefield, President Bush came on Thursday to
where it all began: Long Island, where the first modern suburb, Levittown, was born.
(NY Times)
In Possible Precursor To Convention, Police Department Prepares Pens For March 20 Demonstration
The Police Department is denying a request to refrain from using interlocking metal barricades
to contain demonstrators at a March 20 march and rally, the organizers said yesterday.
Demonstrators, civil rights advocates and the police say they view the protest, against the
occupation of Iraq, as a test of how all sides will handle demonstrations during the Republican
National Convention.
(NY Times)
Sharpton's Presidential Bid Draw Public Money, Official Scrutiny
The government delivered good news and bad news to Al Sharpton Thursday:
The Democrat will get $100,000 in public money for his presidential bid _ and will face
an investigation into his campaign's finances.
(Newsday)
3/11/04
President Visits Long Island
President Bush's visit to Long Island today comes amid criticism of a
campaign ad in which he uses a Sept. 11 image and complaints that he has
been reluctant to fully cooperate with an investigation of the attacks. (NY Post)
New York Prepares for Bush's Visit
As Bush highlights small-business success and reborn communities, some area
residents say diverse Bay Shore, Long Island suffers from racial and
economic dividing lines. (Newsday)
3/10/04
RNC Security Cost
Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration had said the city would spend $22 million for police protection,
plus $5 million for insurance and sanitation for the convention, to be held at Madison Square
Garden from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2.
(Associated Press)
Morgy sees an arresting convention
Street protests during this summer's Republican National Convention could spur as many as 1,000
arrests a day, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said yesterday.
(Daily News)
Kerry Closer to Nomination
US Senator John Kerry has captured four more states in the latest contests to choose a Democratic
presidential contender to challenge George W Bush. Mr Kerry won by landslides in Florida,
Louisiana, Mississippi and Mr Bush's home state of Texas. (BBC News)
9/11 Ads Insult to Families
The head of the Republican Party angered 9/11 families again yesterday by saying only a
"small segment ... who are very anti-war" objected to President Bush's use of Ground Zero scenes
in his reelection ads. The father of one 9/11 victim called the comment "insulting."
(Daily News)
3/9/04
Laura Defends 9/11 Ads
First Lady Laura Bush joined the battle over her
husband's campaign ads yesterday, defending the use of
graphic 9/11 images as a reelection tool.
(Daily News)
3/8/04
What's Next for Sharpton
He may not have won many votes this primary season,
but the Rev. Al Sharpton won credit for often stealing
the show at Democratic presidential debates with his
wit and sense of humor. Now, as he contemplates
leaving the campaign trail, Sharpton is trying to ride
his into a career in television and radio, books and
movies.
(New York Times)
3/7/04
Bush Defends Ads
President George W. Bush defended his use of images of
Ground Zero in his campaign ads on Saturday, days
after victims' families blasted him for politicizing
their loved ones' deaths.
(Daily News)
Sharpton Urges Support for Gay Marriage
The Rev. Al Sharpton called on black religious leaders
Saturday to support same-sex marriage, even if that
means having to put aside their own beliefs. To do
otherwise, he told supporters of his presidential
candidacy at the Emanuel AME Church in Harlem, would
renew threats to civil rights and play into the hands
of the president, who has proposed a constitutional
amendment banning gay marriage.
(Newsday)
3/6/04
Bush to Visit 9/11 Memorial
Facing criticism for running ads that depict the
aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks, the
White House announced Friday that President George W.
Bush will visit a 9/11 memorial on Long Island this
Thursday.
(NY Post) (Daily News)
9/11 Families Speak Out for Bush
More than a dozen families who lost relatives in the
September 11 attacks released an "Open Letter to
America" Saturday declaring their support for
President Bush and his use of images of the destroyed
World Trade Center in campaign ads.
(Associated Press-Newsday)
Bloomberg on Bush Ads
Mayor Michael Bloomberg refused Friday to criticize
political ads being aired by President George W. Bush
that include scenes of the World Trade Center after
the September 11, 2001, attacks. Bloomberg said
repeatedly during his Friday radio program that he had
not seen the ads. "Certainly am not in favor of
exploiting," Bloomberg said. He said he expected the
events of 9/11 would be the subject of debate during
the presidential election, and that "dialogue and
discussion are healthy."
(Newsday)
3/5/04
Bloomberg Walking Political Tightrope For Convention
Mayor Bloomberg a lifelong Democrat who became a Republican to run for office
finds himself in an uncomfortable political position, as the Republican National Convention nears.
New York Democrats, who outnumber Republicans by a ratio of five to one, are complaining that their
mayor is doing the bidding of the White House. At the same time, Republicans close to the White
House say they view Mr. Bloomberg's Democratic background with suspicion and have clashed with his
aides over logistical and financial details of the convention.
(New York Times)
President On Defensive Over 9/11 Ads
President Bush completed the second day of a campaign swing through California
on Thursday, with pointed emphasis on his credentials as commander in chief and a robust defense of
his tax cuts. But throughout the day his aides were scrambling to counter criticism that his first
television commercials crassly politicized the tragedy of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
(New York Times)
Bush Campaign Will Use Giuliani To State Its Case On 9/11
Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani will be used by the Bush campaign to get its
side across in the national debate over the Sept. 11 attacks, top White House advisers said.
(New York Post)
3/4/04
Edwards Drops Out, Bush Launches Campaign Ads
Senator John Edwards of North Carolina formally announced the suspension of
his campaign.
(New York Times)
The Bush
campaign announced the start of what may be the most expensive advertising
campaign in presidential history, with commercials devised to erase months
of Democratic attacks by portraying President Bush as a plain-spoken leader
who steadied the nation after the 2001 terrorist attacks.
(New York Times)
New York Democrats United Behind Kerry
New York is clearly united behind Senator John Kerry. The presumptive
Democratic nominee for president cleaned up across the state in Tuesday's
primary among every possible group.
(NY1)
Low Voter Turn Out In New York
About 600,000 Democrats voted statewide on Tuesday, according to preliminary
returns. That's roughly equivalent to the number of registered Democrats in
the Bronx alone.
(Newsday)
Giuliani Criticizes Kerry
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani jabbed Democratic candidate John Kerry yesterday,
charging the senator has flip-flopped on terrorism. "One thing I admire
about [Bush] is his consistency," Giuliani said. "On the other side, we have
a lot more inconsistency."
(NY Post)
Sharpton's Campaign In Debt
As the Rev. Al Sharpton struggles to keep his slim presidential hopes alive,
he's grappling with another problem: how to pay back $485,696 in campaign
debt and loans.
(Newsday)
3/3/04
Kerry Wins New York
New York was John Kerry country yesterday as he
trounced John Edwards and dealt hometown hopeful Al
Sharpton an embarrassing drubbing.
(Daily News)
Kerry Wins Across the Board
Massachusetts Senator John Kerry convincingly beat
North Carolina Senator John Edwards among virtually
every category of voters in yesterday's New York
primary -- men and women, rich and poor, white and
black and Hispanic, upstate and down, cities and
suburbs, those who once supported Howard Dean and
those who did not. According to exit polls, Kerry did
particularly well among the many voters who considered
the ability to defeat President George W. Bush or the
candidate.s experience the single biggest factor in
deciding whom to vote for.
(Daily News)
Primary results (from the Associated Press)
Setback for Sharpton
The Reverend Al Sharpton's third-place finish in his
home state of New York Tuesday could wind up costing
him a reputation as political powerhouse in the city's
black and Latino neighborhoods.
(Newsday)
Sharpton Considers Whats Next
Following single-digit showing in his home state of
New York and in other primaries yesterday the Reverend
Al Sharpton is reportedly considering whether or not
to remain in the race for the Democratic presidential
nomination. Sharpton said he thought he demonstrated a
strong enough vote-getting ability among blacks in
urban areas like New York and Detroit to make it
necessary for Democrats to work with him as they
prepare their campaign against President Bush. But in
contrast to his previous political efforts, Sharpton
did not win a majority of the black or Hispanic vote
in yesterday.s New York primary.
(New York Times)
3/2/04
Kerry Promises To Fight Bush Policies on Taxes, Education, Health Care and Terrorism
John Kerry vowed that he would not be another "wishy-washy, mealy-mouthed"
Democrat, pledging Monday to wage a bare-knuckled campaign against President Bush as he sought a
Super Tuesday sweep to lay claim to the party's nomination.
(Associated Press)
Edwards Stays Upbeat In Final City Swing
Edwards took a final campaign swing through the city yesterday, speaking to about
1,000 people ... at the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University (LIU). "Give me a shot
to beat George Bush," Edwards said, "and I will give you back the White House."
(Staten Island Advance)
3/1/04
Kerry On NYC
In a debate Saturday that was mostly about foreign policy, John Kerry
did manage to bring up New York City, in a question about security:
"We're in New York City. Fifty percent of the African-Americans in New York City are
unemployed between the ages of 16 and 64. One of the thing the president could have done in
order to make this city more safe, frankly, he's only given it one-tenth of the money that
they need with respect to protection of water supply. He's cut $250 million for firefighters.
They're cutting firefighters and closing fire houses. They're cutting the COPS program. There's
a $5-to-6-billion deficit in the State of New York. The governor, therefore, has to either
raise taxes or cut services. George Bush's priority: tax cuts for the wealthiest American. My
priority: A $50-billion fund as a tax relief education fund, which is part of the stimulusÉ"
See a full transcript of the debate
Worst Debate Performance
We wish the New York Time's Elisabeth Bumiller was running for president, just so
that we could vote against her. She just turned in what may be the worst debate performance since Nixon sweated
through his makeup. It's the journalism equivalent of the Dean Scream. (Wonkette)
Edwards Attacks Kerry Sharply in Debate as Crucial Votes Near
Two days before the biggest round of Democratic primaries and caucuses this
year, Senator John Edwards repeatedly challenged the party's front-runner, Senator John Kerry, on
a variety of fronts yesterday in the most contentious Democratic debate in months.
Mr. Edwards, scrambling to keep his candidacy alive, tried to draw a stark contrast between
his record and Mr. Kerry's. He described Mr. Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, as a Washington
insider who had supported bad trade agreements, made too many promises and was unlikely to
bring about the change Americans wanted.
Mr. Kerry, who had grown accustomed to far gentler treatment from Mr. Edwards in recent
weeks, fired back that his record on trade was essentially the same as Mr. Edwards's, and
suggested that the North Carolina Democrat was simply looking for a political issue. Mr. Kerry
acidly dismissed the charge that he was a Washington insider by saying that the "last time
I looked," Mr. Edwards was also a member of the Senate.(New York Times)
Kerry Meets With Jewish Leaders To Ease Fears
John Kerry met privately with 50 Jewish leaders yesterday amid concerns about whom he would pick as a Mideast
envoy and his stand on Israel's security, sources said. The Democratic front-runner assured the group that,
contrary to a speech he gave in December, he wouldn't seek out former President Jimmy Carter or former Secretary of
State James Baker as his envoys, sources said. Both men are perceived as tilting against Israel, and Kerry's speech touched
off concern among Jewish leaders at the time. Instead, Kerry offered up the names of Sandy Berger, Richard Holbrooke
and Dennis Ross.(Daily News)
Kerry Talks To Amsterdam News Editorial Board
Kerry touched on a number of issues with the board - health care, death penalty, prison sentencing structure, small businesses,
the Patriot Act, gun control, education, and
Haiti.(Amsterdam News)
Edwards and Kerry Make Last-Minute New York Push
Looking for an upset in Tuesday's New York primary, Senator John Edwards rallied for votes in Brooklyn and in Albany yesterday, while Senator John Kerry sought to shore up support among upstate residents.But a contentious morning debate in New York City, filled with frequent interruptions and pointed exchanges, remained on the minds of the candidates for much of the day, the last either planned to spend in New York before the primary. Mr. Edwards, heading for Albany on his campaign plane, grinned broadly and pronounced the debate "very interesting" and "fun." Mr. Kerry, however, bemoaned the tone of the debate and what he said was the lack of discussion of education and other issues. "That was a debate?" he said when asked about it.
(New York Times)
2/29/04
Countdown To Primary
John Edwards was hunting for
votes in Super Tuesday states where he saw the best prospects for
slowing John Kerry's march to the nomination, portraying himself as the
Democrat who can attract the most independents and swing voters. "I am a
good closer," the North Carolina senator said Saturday, predicting a
come-from-behind surge and shrugging off polls that show him behind in
all 10 states choosing delegates Tuesday. (Associated
Press)
Sharpton Returns With a Few Good
Jabs but Very Few Delegates In his
three previous campaigns for public office, the Rev. Al Sharpton
generally exceeded political expectations by attracting more votes than
virtually anyone had predicted. The accomplishment added mightily to his
stature as a political force to be reckoned with in New York. But as he
comes into his home state, campaigning before the Democratic primary on
Tuesday, he brings with him only a smattering of delegates and the
widely held perception that he did poorly in his first showing on a
national stage. (New York Times)
Front-runner glows in
B'klyn John Kerry and John Edwards
started their final pitch for New York votes yesterday, as the clock
wound down on Super Tuesday's 10-state primary sweepstakes. (Daily News)
2/28/04
What do New Yorkers Want in a
President By and large, the
political desires voiced [in New York City] streets oddly echoed those
that have surfaced [throughout the country]. Voters want someone honest,
they say, or someone who will end the war, or keep the city safe from
terrorism, fix the economy, get rid of the deficit, build more low-cost
housing, improve education or find people jobs. Or all of the above."
I'm looking for anybody but Bush," said Alan Kellner, sounding a note
that has reverberated among primary voters across the country. (New York Times)
Kerry: I'd beat Bush on
security Democratic front-runner
John Kerry, painted as soft on defense by the GOP, said yesterday
America would be safer with him than it is under the Bush
administration. "I am convinced that we can prove to the American people
that we know how to make them safer and more secure," said the
Massachusetts senator. Laying out his plans to fight terrorism, Kerry
said he would beef up first-responders, intelligence and border security
and repair international alliances. (Daily News)
Testing New Voting
Machines Super Tuesday will be a big
test for new touchscreen voting machines. But computer experts are
worried about security issues. (New York Times)
2/27/04
Meeting Local Needs in a
Presidential Primary Now that the New
York presidential primary suddenly has become a pivotal moment in the
contest for the Democratic nomination, New York politicians have an
opportunity to play kingmaker, to lend their name and political prestige
to a national candidate at a time when that can really make a
difference. (New York Times)
2/26/04
Candidates Show Different Campaign
Styles in NY: Edwards Races, Kerry Lopes At a weekend event at Hofstra University on Long
Island, Senator John Edwards literally had to be held back from bounding
out onto the stage before a local legislator had finished making his
introduction. When front-runner John Kerry campaigned here, by contrast,
his events were relaxed Edwards. (New York Observer)
Local City Council Member Running
Edwards Campaign Not long ago, Bill
de Blasio was one of the state's top Democratic operatives, managing
Hillary Clinton's campaign for U.S. Senate. Now, he's the City Council
member from Park Slope, a figure so local his name is printed on garbage
cans. But he hasn't left the larger political world behind, and in his
spare time he serves as the chairman of Senator John Edwards' New York
campaign. It turns out he hasn't left behind his role as an operative,
either: Mr. de Blasio moonlights as a $6,000-a-month political
consultant to Senator Edwards. (New York Observer)
Edwards Hopes To Convert Dean
Supporters in New York There are two
strands of voters that the North Carolina senator hopes to weave
together into an upset victory in New York and elsewhere on Super
Tuesday: Deaniacs looking for a new political home since their favorite
withdrew and economically squeezed workers worried about disappearing
jobs. (Newsday)
2/25/04 Kerry Leads Poll Sen. John Kerry maintains a huge lead over Sen. John
Edwards among New York Democrats a week before the March 2 primary,
according to a statewide poll of likely voters. The Quinnipiac
University poll found Kerry leading Edwards, 60 percent to 21 percent.
(Newsday/Associated
Press)
Edwards Seeks Union
Voters John Edward has identified
union members as a key constituency in his effort to win the New York
primary and other elections scheduled for next Tuesday, March 2. Unite,
the textile workers union that has been the only labor union to endorse
him, held a rally for Edwards in New York City on Monday. (New York Times)
Sharpton Offers to Help
Haiti Speaking at a news conference
at the Haitian consulate in New York yesterday, the Reverend Al Sharpton
offered to meet with Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and rebel
leaders in an effort to help stem the violent unrest in the country.
Sharpton said Haitian-Americans in New York, as well as in Florida, had
asked for his help. (Newsday/Associated Press)
Schwarzenegger Says Kerry Will
Lose Democratic presidential
contender John Kerry can be easily defeated, Arnold Schwarzenegger told
New York Republicans at the New York County Republican Lincoln Day
Dinner last night. "He's going down, big-time," Schwarzenegger said.
Schwarzenegger helped his party raise $500,000. (Daily News)
2/24/04
Kerry Speaks to New York, Talks
Back to Washington It was a day of
political pageantry in Harlem, hard-luck labor stories in Queens and
fund-raisers on Park Avenue and Central Park West. But Mr. Kerry's
two-borough tour was quickly eclipsed by his attacks on Mr. Bush's
campaign, and the rapid-response counterattacks by the president's
representatives, in what took on the crackle of a tense day in late
October. (New York Times)
Kerry and Edwards Scrambling for
Support in New York Vote Mr. Kerry
has courted, and won, the endorsements of many elected officials. He
took to a ballroom in Harlem yesterday, introduced by Representative
Charles B. Rangel, who had been Wesley's Clark's biggest New York
booster, then headed out to Queens where the Democratic organization,
which had endorsed Howard Dean , heralded him as the next president. (New York Times)
Dems Turn Their Sights on
City Democratic presidential rivals
John Kerry and John Edwards campaigned in New York yesterday showcasing
different styles: Kerry got tough on Republicans for suggesting he is
weak on defense, while Edwards lent an empathetic ear to textile
workers. (Newsday)
2/23/04 Up to One Million
Protesters Expected At Republican National Convention Though the Police Department and
many protest organizers have been reluctant to predict how many people
will ultimately turn out for protests, estimates have ranged from
500,000 people to a million. Six months before
any delegate is to take a seat at Madison Square Garden, it is clear
that many groups are already planning strategy and activities. Labor
unions, environmentalists, self-declared anarchists and others who
merely label themselves as anti-Bush or anti-Republican are making plans
to turn out. Barely a week passes without several planning sessions in
New York, focusing on everything from housing and tactics to legal
strategy and what to expect in interactions with the police. (New York Times)
2/21/04 Mayor Gently Criticizes
Edwards For 9/11 Comment Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said yesterday that
Senator John Edwards was wrong when he suggested on Thursday that
Republicans were holding their convention in New York to exploit the
Sept. 11 tragedy, and that the city's economy was a shambles. But Mayor Bloomberg, a Republican, also softened his
earlier criticism of Senator Edwards, a Democratic presidential
candidate from North Carolina, saying that his comments were "just
political verbiage" and that he did not hold them against the
senator. (New York Times)
New
York's Confusing Primary Voting System After the 2000 election, it became hard to find anyone
who would say that voting in America was as straightforward as one man,
one vote. And to many, the presidential primary season adds another
layer of mystery to what it means to cast a ballot. (New York Times)
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