Cory Booker: Yes I’m (Unofficially) Running for Senate

[DonViejo]

by Lloyd Grove May 7, 2013 8:49 AM EDT

He’s the hero mayor of Newark, and yes, he’s running for Senate. Despite some recent flak, Cory Booker’s political aspirations haven’t been derailed. Lloyd Grove reports.

If anyone wonders if two-term Newark Mayor Cory Booker is really committed to campaigning for the Senate from New Jersey, he left no doubt on Monday night at a fancy dinner with fancy New Yorkers.

“Yes!” he told CBS This Morning anchor Norah O’Donnell during a mealtime Q&A presented by The Atlantic magazine and the Aspen Institute at the trendy Del Posto restaurant in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. “Unofficially, I’m running.”

In the 35-minute chat, O’Donnell managed to pose a few questions while Booker displayed his ability to speak in lengthy, well-ordered paragraphs—a gift that could come in handy during a Senate filibuster.

The African-American Democrat, who was first elected in 2006 to oust the corrupt administration of Sharpe James (a former federal prison inmate), praised the power of Twitter, a platform he uses fanatically to communicate with constituents and the wider world of nearly 1.4 million followers, regaled his audience with a story of engaging talk-show host comic Conan O'Brien in a fake feud over an ungenerous joke about Newark, defended his record on crime and schools, and argued for his “pragmatic, bipartisan” brand of politics that lets him work closely with Republican Gov. Chris Christie on economic development and public education issues.

full article
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/05/07/cory-booker-yes-i-m-unofficially-running-for-senate.html

[question everything]

1. Who is (are) his opponents? (nt)

[tabbycat31]

2. in a primary or general?

His biggest primary challenger would be Frank Pallone (who would have my vote) and possibly Steve Sweeney or Rush Holt.

In the general, who knows. The GOP has a pretty weak bench in NJ.

[question everything]

3. Thanks. Who is occupying the seat now? Lautenberg?

Seems like he has been there forever.

[tabbycat31]

4. Yes it's Lautenberg's seat

I went to his retirement announcement in February. I can safely say that not a single person in that room would vote for Booker in the primary.