After kicking up what was, I think, a considerable amount of dust, it would seem that Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker was in great demand after his now famous, or infamous, depending on your point of view, flip-flop regarding his sentiment toward private equity that he expressed on “Meet The Press” this past Sunday morning. However, oddly enough, apparently the Newark mayors calendar must have been pretty full as he was only available for comment on one show, that would be, of course, the nutty “Rachel Maddow Show”, and where else but on MSNBC. And I think it pretty fair to say that Booker‘s appearance on Maddow’s Monday night program was a rather odd one to say the least. The expanded segment, which lasted for more than 17 minutes, was comprised of nothing more than attacks on the GOP for jumping on Barry’s admitted “surrogate” and using his statement and flip-flop in an online campaign called "I Stand With Cory." Additionally, he admitted the White House did, in fact, contact him following his initial comments that he made on 'Meet the Press'. I think most us already knew that.
Anyway, in the opening of the rather too long, by half, segment, our favorite squirrel, Maddow, spent an inordinate amount of time talking about the statement made by Booker as well as his subsequent YouTube retraction, or “clarification” as Maddow called it. However, I thought it more than a little strange that MSNBC wouldn't play the video of the actual indiscretion made by Mayor Booker. So why didn‘t MSNBC run Booker’s video? Well, is it possible that by watching the video of Booker actually making those statements that more damage could actually result than if just hearing them? What I found as pretty funny was how Ms. Maddow would only read selected statements from the mayor’s appearance on Meet The Press, and yet, played a parade of “off message” statements from some Romney supporters. Maddow made the idiotic claim that Democrats don’t jump on any “off message statements” made by the GOP? I guess she hasn't seen any of the many ads or emails fueled by earlier campaign statements made by Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, or any GOP candidate who has since been defeated by Romney.
As far as his being pressured by the White House or the Barry campaign, Booker does admit he talked with them after his initial remarks, but he maintains that he was not pressured to release the separate video. Sure, anybody really believe that? Nope, didn't think so! Booker’s wide-eyed appearance on the show also seemed to mirror the tone of his YouTube “clarification.” He came with a prepared statement that would reaffirm his surrogate status while pitching the campaign’s standard talking points against Romney and the GOP. Booker said that a President Romney would do the following: 1) Further bankrupt our city – (Did Romney bankrupt Newark? Has the candidate said that his policies would “further bankrupt” it?). 2) Close off opportunity - He doesn’t say how or what Romney has pledged to do this. 3) Discriminate against gays and women – No clarification here either. And finally, 4) do the kind of things I think are sending America in the wrong direction – More vagueness. So I'm not sure if this will be enough to get old Cory back into Barry's good graces, but you gotta give him an "A" for effort.
Poor little Cory now says that he feels used by the GOP. But is he really to be seen as a victim in any of this? Is the mayor who takes great pride in being seen as a local super hero, of sorts, really feeling like he was being bullied or used by the GOP? I think a more honest appraisal of the sequence of events would, more than likely, expose the fact that it was the Barry campaign team who was really in the role of bully here. I wonder how long it might have been after the mayor’s off message statement that he heard from the White House. I'd be willing to bet the phone was ringing before he walked off the set. Concerning the “Stand with Cory” slogan, Booker was very direct in his feelings about that. Booker wrapped up the segment by proclaiming that he has been “used” by the GOP. But he also states that this has only made him more committed to working for Barry’s re-election. Booker may be “fired up and ready to go” for Barry, but having now shot himself squarely in the foot, one wonders if permanent damage may have been inflicted to the point where Team Barry might not be as quick to call on him as often as they have been in the past.
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