The Politicker

Em Whitney talks to Eric Gioia, Norman Siegel and Tony Avella at the DFNYC Fourth Annual Summer Cocktail Reception, organized around the theme of "Unity '08."

Niall Stanage thinks that the real problem with John McCain's candidacy is that he's failed to answer this question: "Why does he want to be president?"

Steve Kornacki debunks the idea that massive media coverage of Barack Obama's trip overseas indicates a raging liberal bias.

As natural gas companies race to secure drilling rights in New York State, David Paterson signed a law that will permit a risky new kind of drilling.

Abrahm Lustgarten of ProPublica writes in the Times Union that the drilling technique Paterson approved has a good chance of contaminating the city's drinking water, as well as the drinking water elsewhere in the state.

Rick Karlin tries explaining the hypothetic charges Darren Dopp may still face.

John McCain is counter programming Barack Obama's speech in Berlin by campaigning with Lance Armstrong in Ohio.

Obama leads McCain 47-41, in a new NBC News-W.S.J. poll--the same results the poll found last month.

Obama will air ads during the Olympics--an expensive proposition.

Paterson signed a new brownfield law meant to cut down on the number of developers who are profiting off tax breaks without sufficiently cleaning up the sites.

Here comes the George Pataki museum.

Two former aides to Rudy Giuliani quit working for the State Republican Party.

Doug Muzzio says, “What I've seen with Obama is a cockiness."

The M.T.A. is seeking another fare hike in 2011.

The Daily News editorial board writes, “Enough with governors, mayors and lawmakers decrying fare hikes while denying the M.T.A. adequate funding to avoid them.”

Errol Louis wants Michael Bloomberg in charge of the trains. (He also thinks Eric Gioia has a good idea about raising revenues.)

CNN may strike a deal with the M.T.A.

Republican Congressional candidate Bob Straniere is in Washington, D.C. today.

Paterson said he’d sign a law requiring even those who aren't employees of public employee unions to pay union dues.

Paterson quietly killed the “death unit.”

Some lawmakers from the city worry that a property tax cap will end up siphoning money away from city schools.

Fifteen City Council members want taxis to be able to charge an extra dollar because of rising fuel prices.

Former Newark mayor Sharpe James did not catch a break.

The New York Times editorial board wants to oust Democratic Assemblyman David Gantt because he opposes red light cameras.

More than one million New Yorkers used food stamps.

In announcing a joint $500 million effort with Bill Gates to curb tobacco use, Bloomberg said, “All the money in the world will never eradicate tobacco.”

David Seifman wrote that the Bloomberg and Gates venture is “[a]dding immense firepower” to the war on smoking.

And a cartoonist enjoys Paterson’s fight against violent video games.

In Israel Obama says,``The world must prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.''

He also said he is a member of a committee he does not belong to.

He did not discuss the status of Jerusalem.

An Iraqi journalist is disappointed that Obama said nothing to Iraqis.

John McCain hoped to counterprogram Obama's speech in Germany with a visit to an offshore drilling rig! But weather is going to ruin it.

McCain said he did not make a mistake when talking about Anbar province.

The Plank gets a German journalist to explain why Berlin is the perfect city for Obama, and the Victory Column is the perfect setting for his speech.  read more »

The chair of the Staten Island Conservative Party is reportedly going to back the Republican nominee for Congress, Bob Straniere. [Staten Island Advance]

A columnist in Queens wonders in Michael Bloomberg is facing another big defeat with the Willets Point redevelopment plan. [Queens Gazette]

Letitia James, David Yassky, Velmanette Montgomery, and reps from the Marty Markowitz's and Ed Towns' offices were at the public hearing on Admiral's Row last night. [Brownstoner]

The City Council is expected to vote in favor of the Carrol Gardens "narrow street" rezoning today.[Gowanus Lounge]

Jimmy Dahroug denounces his primary opponent's challenge to his petition. [Spin Cycle]

The City Council race in Middle Village is down to only two candidates -- the two who were separated by only 38 votes in the June 3 special election. [Queens Crap]

Michael Bloomberg has joined Bill Gates in Times Square this afternoon to announce a $500 million initiative to curb tobacco use in developing countries.

“I’m delighted Bill and Melinda Gates are supporting one of the most important public health efforts of our time,” Bloomberg said in a public statement released prior to the event. The two just walked on stage here at the New York Times center on West 41st Street to discuss the initiative.

This announcement comes on the heels of a World Health Organization report about the widespread use of tobacco, which Bloomberg helped fund. He attended the release of the study back in February.  read more »

From tireless intern Bharat Ayyar:

Congressional hopeful Eric Massa, a retired Navy commander, held a conference call with reporters this morning, and outlined his plan for veteran health care, which he says has been neglected by Washington.

“I don’t care how much it costs. I don’t care,” Massa said. He added later, “Supporting our veterans is not a matter of cost. It’s a matter of political will.”

Massa, who raised an impressive sum of $298,156 during the filing period that just ended, wants to introduce legislation that would not only mandate full funding of the Veterans Administration but also permit veterans who are too far from a V.  read more »

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Here’s Representative Anthony Weiner responding to a question about his management skills--and his reputation for high staff turnover--yesterday at the Crain’s business breakfast, which was before the New York Times story reported that he has run through more staff than any other member of the New York House delegation.

“I think I’m tough but I’m fair,” he said, adding, “And I'm cheap.”

In the story, Weiner chalks up his attitude to growing up in Brooklyn as a middle-class kid (always on message!).

City Councilman Lew Fidler, who also grew up middle-class in Brooklyn (and supported Freddy Ferrer over Weiner in the 2005 mayor’s race) told me, “I push my employees too and I haven’t had any turnover in six years.  read more »

John McCain said 'The Awakening," a breaking point in the violence in Iraq, happened because of the surge, but actually, it started before. [A.P]

Newark is mourning the possible loss of its Starbucks. [N.Y. Times]

Barack Obama's Kansan Uncle Charlie, who was among the soldiers who liberated Buchenwald during the Second World War, gives an exclusive interview to the Associated Press as Obama tours Israel. [A.P.]

House Republicans might buy an ad in The New York Times to display the op-ed by John McCain that the paper rejected. [The Crypt]

McCain canceled his press avail for today. [Ben Smith]

Last night at an event in Jamaica I spoke with City Councilman James Sanders, a former Marine and early Barack Obama supporter, who is in favor of Obama's plan to send more troops to Afghanistan. (John McCain has also said he will increase troop numbers in Afghaistan).

"The battle in Afghanistan, we have to win," Sanders said. "There, I justify putting in more troops."