Dominic Carter

Mark Green doesn’t think much of Fred Dicker’s reporting, especially on the topic of Eliot Spitzer.

Green was on Inside City Hall Tuesday night, where he was asked about a report that Spitzer berated Christine Quinn because she opposed his plans to sell property near the Javits center.  read more »

Now that Michael Bloomberg is officially a major factor in the 2008 presidential election, it's worth asking when exactly did the mayor inject himself into that race?

I think that when the history of the race is written, people will say the Bloomberg presidential campaign started immediately after the mayor’s 2005 re-election, when the his political guru, Kevin Sheekey, went onto New York 1 News for what they thought would be some post-election analysis.

“The only question was how big a Bloomberg blow out it would be,” NY1news anchor Dominic Carter recalled.

First, Sheekey addressed the Democratic candidate, Freddy Ferrer. “He came right out and said he expected much more of a fierce battle from them," Carter said. "Then, totally unprovoked, he starts with the Bloomberg for president--‘don’t you think it’ll be a good idea Dominic?’

“He just went on for a minute and a half about 'Bloomberg For President.'”

“So it means they had already given thought to this before the race for mayor was over. That’s what it clearly said to me.”

UPDATE: NY1 Political Director Bob Hardt responds: "Ms. Fulani is obviously entitled to her opinion but our award-winning record of covering her and her organizations speaks for itself. Ms. Fulani has received several opportunities to appear on our program and has had ample opportunity to give her side of the story in every report we've aired about her."

Lenora Fulani doesn't think much of NY1 host Dominic Carter.

At a panel discussion about race and media in midtown, Fulani, who was in the audience, told Carter, who was a panelist, that his network treated her like "a nappy headed ho."

"My employers are emailing your network and I liked you a lot more when you were with WBLS, LIB and [with] us in the streets because what you and your network now do, have done to me as a black woman is to relate to me as a nappy headed ho."

Fulani last appeared on NY1 in 2005 when she failed to disavow statements critics have called anti-Semitic.

After the panel, Fulani told me she was referring to how she thought the station treated all black women, not just her.

Dominic Carter wants a piece of Don Imus [link fixed].

Baruch College hosts a panel discussion with David Seifman, Stan Brooks, Dominic Carter and Azi on the media coverage of the New York City elections.

The directors of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation meet at LMDC headquarters.

The Israel Project hosts a briefing with Silvan Shalom, a Likud Party member and former Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister at the offices of Skadden-Arps.

The National Employment Law Project releases a report on restoring New York's unemployment insurance program at the Mason Tenders District Council of Greater New York.

The Assembly holds a hearing on the high rate of suicide attempts by Asian and Hispanic women at 250 Broadway.

Ground will be broken for new low-income housing at 115 West 137th Street, at Seventh Avenue.

Environmentalists will hold a rally in support of accused "eco-terrorist" Daniel McGowan in Foley Square.

The Stonewall Democrats host their annual holiday party at the LGBT center.

—Nicole Brydson

So Alan Hevesi is going to debate comptroller opponent Christopher Callaghan after all.

It'll take place tomorrow on NY1 at 7 p.m., with Dominic Carter moderating.

Any guesses as to the rationale of Hevesi's timing?

-- Azi Paybarah

It has been a big day in MTA-world. First the Transit Workers Union Local voted to approve the contract they nixed in a January vote -- though it is not clear whether the MTA will accept the re-vote. And now we find out that transit union leader Roger Toussaint will be appearing on "Inside City Hall" tonight -- and making some big claims. Among the juiciest? That Governor George Pataki had a hand in his jail sentence:

"I would say there was political interference," he tells Dominic Carter. "Political pressure was applied to the courts, the process was predetermined."

So grab your popcorn, kids. It's going to be a fun night.

-- Lizzy Ratner

On NY1's Inside City Hall last night, Dominic Carter spoke to Senator Serphin Maltese, a republican, about the recent whisper campaign by Bloomberg aides threatening a challenge to the nine term incumbent.

"The fact of the matter is we are now attempting to work closely with the Mayor and his people to get as much additional funding for the schools as possible," said Maltese, who also admitted that he is not in favor of having a well funded challenger.

No follow up on how much or what type of funding that will be. A recent press release on Maltese's website trumpets his support for education tax credits, in line with the Governor's proposed budget, which sets aside $400 million for the program. But it is not clear that tax credits are the main source of funding Bloomberg is after.

The governor's budget includes an additional $634 million in education funding this year, bringing the total aid package to $17 billion, but the mayor has called on him to use an additional $2 billion surplus towards funding New York City schools.

An aside, Maltese will host Rep. Peter King tonight at the Queens County Republican Party Annual Gala in Howard Beach.

—Nicole Brydson

I was initially skeptical of the notion that candidates for high office should be subjected to a shouted series of yes-or-no questions, but it is looking like a pretty good idea.

Last night's debate, between Freddy and Tom -- your self-described "hard-working, middle-class human being" -- got washed out of the news cycle by the terror threat, much to Mike's benefit. But the "lightning round," again, was the only reason to watch the debate, which like national "debates" has become a ritual of avoiding questions and repeating talking points.

And there are all these questions to which it would be nice to have yes-no answers from Mike: Was the war in Iraq a good idea? Would you describe yourself as a Liberal? Was Rudy Giuliani fair to African-Americans? And so on. He gets tossed this stuff at press conferences from time to time, but live television (and Dominic Carter) might provide a bit more incentive to give straight answers.

After the show, the Sun's Fipp Avlon challenged the other debate hosts to put Mike on the spot in a similar way.  read more »

And also after the show, Politicker David Greenhouse writes in that he "spotted virginia at M&G Soul Food, a diner at 125th & Morningside, sitting alone at the counter. Who forgot to invite her to the after-party?"

For Lenora Fulani to get herself cast back beyond the pale? Well, she gave it her best shot on NY1 News last night. We look forward to the reactions of all her many good friends -- Mike, Chuck, Eliot, etc.

The whole exchange between her and Dominic Carter is here, and is worth a read, as is Bob Hardt's amused/astonished commentary.

But the bottom line is that Carter repeatedly asked Fulani about a New Alliance Party publication that said Jews "had to sell their souls to acquire Israel and are required to do the dirtiest work of capitalism - to function as mass murderers of people of color - in order to keep it."

Fulani's response: "What is anti-Semitic about it? ... That quote in my opinion isn't anti-Semitic. It's raising issues that I think need to be explored."

Also, here's the ADL report from which the quote is drawn.

Anyway, we're sure to be reminded that she's just another member of that great institution, the Independence Party. Never mind this photo.  read more »

UPDATE: One correspondent tells us that the best Fulani-and-politicians pictures are here.