Eve Kessler

More on the political stakes in the Joe Lieberman race: Eve Kessler writes in the Forward about nervousness that "thousands of hawkish Jewish Democrats who see the Connecticut lawmaker as their standard-bearer will either abandon the party or sit out the November election."

She quotes Lieberman ally and Democratic fundraiser Michael Granoff blaming bloggers for an impending political mess: "What the blogger community is doing in Connecticut is going to hurt the party -- that's axiomatic. If the message is, 'There's no room for Joe Lieberman in the Democratic Party,' that means a whole lot of people are not welcome there. People are disgusted."

And she casts David Brooks in the token role of conservative-rubbing-hands-over-Jewish-exodus.

Of course, it's worth noting that the much-discussed notion of masses of security-minded Jewish voters defecting to the GOP after 9/11 never really materialized.

Just to put Lieberman's treatment by some grumpy bloggers in perpective.

-- Josh Benson

Hats off to Eve Kessler, a political reporter at the Forward who is moving on to the New York Post. Kessler is smart and on it. For instance, here she reported that Rhode Island Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee faces a primary challenge from Cranston mayor Stephen Laffey, who is backed by members of the Jewish community who see Chafee's pro-Arab comments as out of step with America.

Which brings up my hobbyhorse. Anyone who doubts the strength of the Israel lobby should note that within days of Kessler's article, Chafee was posturing as a rightwinger on these issues, attacking Condoleezza Rice for not doing more to prevent the Hamas victory...

Our legal reporter, Anna Schneider-Mayerson, has a must-read about the odd relationship between the job of Attorney General and the lawyering experience of the people who want it.

So who are these people? Can the office of the Attorney General, presently held by a man whom some have called the most important politician in the country outside of Washington, really be a consolation prize for politicians with previously higher ambitions? If it's the "capstone" of a legal career in New York, why don't more New York lawyers -- real lawyers -- want the job?

Also a rundown of when the candidates actually last appeared in court, and Andrew has what sound to the untrained ear like less-than-adulatory words for Eliot.

Meanwhile, I play the expectations game with Hillary's 2006 numbers, and ask John Zogby, in passing, what happened to those 2000 polls of his that gave the race to Lazio. Eve Kessler has an optimistic take on Hillary's appeal to Catholic voters.

Also: Conason on Scalia and Brookhiser on the Mormons.

It took this one a little while to pop, but Chuck Schumer is now taking heat for something he told the Observer a couple of weeks ago:

"Let's say skinheads had bought a company to take over our port," he said when asked if there was a racist edge to criticism of the Dubai ports deal. "I think the outcry would have been the same."

His defense, though, seems to have raised its own outcry.

The Forward's Eve Kessler now reports that "[t]he remark enraged officials of the Arab American Institute, a national civic groups, which is demanding that Schumer apologize or be ousted as head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee."

AAI executive director Nidal Ibrahim: "The point we're making is that this has the potential to tarnish Democrats across the country, including in key races where Arab Americans have significant numbers, such as Michigan and New Jersey."

Of course, as far as New York politics goes, no politician ever seems to have suffered for being too far right on Arabs.

Eve Kessler reports that Russ Feingold, playing wildly against type, will be speaking taking his message to Brooklyn Saturday at a "funky little synagogue" in Park Slope.

The Politicker is told that Rabbi Milton Balkany, a prolific political fundraiser before his legal problems, is back in the game: Earlier this week, Balkany hosted a gathering a fund-raiser at his Borough Park home for none other than Senator Joe Lieberman.

A photo of the Senator and the disgraced rabbi appeared in the Jewish daily Hamodia.  read more »

UPDATE: Eve Kessler has more.

The Forward's Eve Kessler asks under that heading: "Isn't it interesting, the two GOP Senate candidates being dumped this week happen to be Jeanine Pirro and Katherine Harris, both not-very-good pols with a penchant for too much mascara?"  read more »

I look into how long it's been since Hillary set foot in the Granite State (long time!), why, and whether it matters.

Jess Bruder profiles a dignified John Faso.

Eve Kessler finds out what Conservative Party officials are thinking about the GOP's choices, and prints some unfriendly words for Pirro and Weld.

And don't miss Sara Vilkomerson's er, irrverent, round-up of holiday parties, including the media's and the Mayor's. Sample, from the Daily News entry:  read more »

"You aren't allowed a date because, apparently, we are too cheap," said one reporter. "So all the grotty old men get drunk and hit on the young girls because their wives are home in Jersey." Fun!

We have a primary round-up, along with:

Eve Kessler's take on Mike Gianaris;  read more »

And Tom Scocca's Freedom Walk.

We'll be updating The Politicker a bit less regularly today, as we recover from primary night and wait for a hard vote count.

Responding, perhaps, to the low literacy rates among Jews, the Bloomberg campaign provided the Jewish press a pre-written article on his trip to the Catskills.

The Forward's Eve Kessler reprints the story, and takes offense:  read more »

"In case we in the 'Jewish media' don't write our own stories, the Bloomberg campaign helpfully has sent a press release with the subject line 'Catskills Article for the Jewish Media.' Here it is, complete with a joke at the end that, shall we say, condescends to its audience..."

The Forward's Eve Kessler is grumbling about Freddy's hiring more "foreigners."

But Freddy is actually the second candidate to hire from Baldick's consulting shop, the Dewey Square Group. Anthony hired Michael Whouley -- Baldick's partner, if not, we're told, his pal -- to run his field operation.  read more »

Ah, public matching funds!

The Democratic National Committee comes to New York and, of course, offends an ethnic group, in this case by scheduling meetings on the Sabbath.

The Forward's Eve Kessler has the details:  read more »

"I am very disappointed in the DNC," said Adena Berkowitz, [an Orthodox politico]. "Why make it difficult for observant Jews who are Democrats to be a part of this process?"