What Do You Do About Hate?

That’s the question we’re forced to face as we deal with the whole sad, absurd spectacle of the controversy over “Park51″, or, as it’s come to be known to the world, the “Ground Zero Mosque”.

Azi reports that Anthony Weiner, by calling it a distraction (which, in fairness, is exactly what it is) and changing the subject, “show[ed] Democrats how to sound authoritative, while changing the subject.”

As Azi points out, the NYT’s editorial board went exactly the other way, declaring:

The country needs strong and sane voices to push back against the hatred and irrational fears. President Obama made a passionate defense of the mosque, but only once. Most Democratic politicians are ducking.

Against the crazy, is there any real way to win? If you do as the Times says and stand up to the crazy, you’ve just put yourself in the middle of an argument that should simply have no place in American politics, and you’ve let the cynical hatemongers who are stirring up the crazy put you right where they wanted to — in the middle of a nasty fight that distracts from all other priorities.

But if you don’t oppose the crazy, who will?

It’s an evil choice.

Weiner Goes (Appropriately) Nuts On 911 Health Care Bill

From the Huffington Post:

House Republicans late Thursday were able to corral enough votes to defeat a bill that would have provided up to $7.4 billion in aid to those sickened by toxins resulting from the 9/11 attacks.

In the process, they set off a host of fiery speeches and denunciations from their Democratic colleagues and produced a veritable YouTube moment from Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y), whose district includes many of the affected.

Well worth watching:

Weiner Ahead In 2013 (!) Fundraising

The Wall Street Journal ran a story today about the cash on hand for various mayoral contendors. Weiner has $3.9 million in campaign cash, and Quinn also healthy with $2.7 million war chest. “Five officials contemplating mayoral bids in 2013 have provided The Wall Street Journal with details of their disclosures:” Quinn, Weiner, Stringer, Thompson, and Liu. Bill de Blasio declined to particpate.

Stringer is the only mayoral contendor who raised much money in the past six months:

Mr. Stringer raised more than $600,000 this year, and he said he intends to carry over about $1 million from his re-election campaign last year.

“I’m gratified by the close to 1,000 people who contributed, and I’m moving forward,” Mr. Stringer said in an interview. “This is a long journey.”

Thompson has also made his intentions clear:

“It is definitely my intention to run for mayor in 2013 and we’ll begin that process in the latter part of this year,” Mr. Thompson said in an interview.

2013 is going to be an interesting year. If all five ran, we’d also have big fields in the comptroller and Manhattan Borough President races. Not that my political acumen matters much, but if all five ran and went the distance to Primary day, I would bet on Liu.

Some Of The Best Moments With Rep. Anthony Weiner

Here are some of the best moments from Anthony Weiner’s time with us last week at the THE BIG F—ING DEAL: Healthcare Q/A & Drinks. See him as he talks about progressive principles and living with Jon Stewart, drops the F-bomb a few times, makes fun of the Tea Partiers, speaks to how the grassroots can move forward, and more:

Watch the full length video here:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=CFF4732AD545287C

Rep. Anthony Weiner with MYD, Telling It Like It Is.

As promised, here’s a compilation of three of my favorite moments from Anthony Weiner’s pre-Q&A comments at our great event celebrating the passage of the Big F***ing Deal on Wednesday night…

Apologies for the poor quality, but that’s what I get for bringing a smartphone when a true videocam was clearly called for.

Complete video to follow.

SUCCESS! Rep. Anthony Weiner and MYD, 4/7 event

More than 200 young, progressive New Yorkers gathered on Wednesday to celebrate the passage of the Health Care reform bill. Our guest was none other than Congressman Anthony Weiner, one of the most outspoken leaders on this issue. The event was donned “THE BIG F—ING DEAL: Healthcare Q/A & Drinks Featuring Rep. Anthony Weiner” after Vice President Joe Biden’s tasteful remark.  Hosted by the Manhattan Young Democrats and co-sponsored by the Brooklyn Young Democrats, Queens County Young Democrats, Billionaires for Wealth Care, Moveon.org, ACT Now, the Young Invincibles, and Greater NYC for Change, the event was dedicated to thanking Congressman Weiner for his outstanding leadership over the last year.

“This was not the bill I would have written,” said Weiner, “but it is a good bill, it sets a good foundation, and it will be much easier to add what we want on top of it than if we didn’t have the bill to begin with.”

I would like to thank everyone for coming to our event with Congressman Anthony Weiner on Wednesday. By any measure, the event was truly a success, both substantively and symbolically. The fact that we had over 200 young people there, clapping and shouting for Rep. Anthony Weiner and his words, was awe inspiring.

There are photos from the event:

We’ll post complete video from the event soon.

Next Wednesday: The Big !@#$ing Deal Q/A & Drinks With Rep. Anthony Weiner

Brought To You By MYD’s Health Care Committee, Queens County Young Democrats, Greater NYC for Change, Brooklyn Young Democrats, MoveOn Manhattan Council, ACT NOW, and the Letters H, C, and R:

The amazing U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner will join MYD to talk about the fight for health care reform, take some questions, and join us as we drink to our health and celebrate the passage of the Big F***ing Deal!

Wednesday 4/7, 7-10PM
Libation
137 Ludlow St.

We have the first floor of the venue, and UNDER 21s ARE WELCOME to attend. DJ to be announced.

Drink Menu:
$2 Bud/Bud Light Draft
$5 mixed well (all other drinks $8 – $16)
$5 domestic beers
$6 imported beers
$7 Champagne
$5 house wines (others available by the bottle)

Full dinner menu available as well.

Event info on Facebook HERE.

Submit questions for the event HERE.

Sponsorship list is in formation email our HC Committee Chair Mike HERE for details.

Oh and btw — don’t forget to get your BFD t-shirts from our Creative Director Chas HERE.

Ladies and Gentlemen: U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner

When Anthony Weiner breaks through the fake DC collegiality and tells it like it is on healthcare (“I mean, you guys have chutzpah. The Republican Party is a wholly owned subsidiary of insurance companies.”) the Republicans get offended and ask that his “words be taken down” (disciplinary procedure for “inappropriate language”).

So Anthony Weiner retracts his statement, and then goes on to say (this is at about the 2:25 mark in the video):

Make no mistake about it, every single Republican I have ever met in my entire life is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the insurance industry.

Awesome.  My favorite moment is when the Republican asks that his words be taken down the first time, and Weiner just crosses his arms and tells him “you really don’t wanna go here.”  The Video:

Nadler: How We Can Still Do True Healthcare Reform

Here we are, at the end of a week in which I’m sure I wasn’t alone in trying really hard to look away from what was going on in Washington (and failing miserably).  As someone who thinks that the Senate healthcare bill as is may not be worth passing, but does not want to see healthcare reform fail again, I’ve been stuck– I can’t really hate on those House members who are unwilling to pass the Senate’s bill, and I think that anyone who calls Rep. Raul Grijalva a “monster” for standing up for a better bill has kind of lost it.  But I still don’t want the reform effort to collapse – we need results, and we can’t wait another decade.

So all of that said, Manhattan’s very own Rep. Jerrold Nadler issued a great press statement today explaining how true healthcare reform is still possible, still do-able, and still needs to be done.  Read the whole thing.  If healthcare reform has been getting you down, this could make you feel a bit better.  Via TPM, Nadler’s statement:

"As Speaker Pelosi has said, the House of Representatives does not have the votes to pass the Senate health care bill alone. It is clear that the great majority of the House Democratic Caucus – right, left and center – is unwilling to pass the Senate bill as it stands. But we must not let this fact, or the election results in Massachusetts, cause us to abandon comprehensive health care reform.

"We must instead negotiate an agreement with the Senate to pass a few key changes to the Senate bill through the reconciliation process so that both Houses can pass a comprehensive bill. We can then take various popular insurance reforms that cannot be passed through the reconciliation process – dealing with such subjects as pre-existing conditions, rescissions and annual and lifetime benefits – put them in a separate bill, and see if the Republicans dare to filibuster them. The alternatives – giving up on comprehensive reform or attempting to only pass small pieces separately – are either unacceptable or impractical.

"Though the process of crafting and passing health care legislation has been frustrating and disappointing for many of us, we still have a rare opportunity to enact true reform, and we must not give up."

Several members of NYC’s congressional delegation have really stepped up to the plate during this long, drawn-out, ugly healthcare reform process.  Major props to Nadler and to Rep. Anthony Weiner (remember his public debate against Betsy “Death Panels” McCaughey?) for standing up for real healthcare reform, without giving up or giving in.

And now, for kicks, here’s Anthony Weiner explaining for a live audience how Betsy McCaughey is a liar whose pants are on fire: