September 9-15, 2004

political notebook

THE OVERLORD SPEAKETH: Vice President Dick Cheney didn't let a little paint stop him from taking the pulpit, er, podium. Photo courtesy of Bloomberg News

by Mary F. Patel

Art Lessons

Conventioneers had a grand old time partying at last week's Republican National Convention in New York City. Delegates and guests were feted all over town at events held in conjunction with the re-nomination affair.

The Creative Coalition, a league of civic-minded actors and entertainment types, held a forum on Tuesday, Aug. 31, at Caroline's on Broadway to talk about their favorite topic of this summer: whether arts education should be a priority in the public schools.

The nonprofit, nonpartisan social and public-advocacy organization of the arts community offered a similar presentation at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. Before their RNC event, actors Joe Pantoliano and Joe Piscopo, the Jerseyite who is said to have Republican political ambitions himself, kibitzed in the lobby. The pontificators were a collection of Republican politicos, Hollywoodies and analysts. The conservative co-host of CNN's Crossfire, Tucker Carlson, moderated the panel which included Pantoliano; Lawrence O'Donnell, Jr. , MSNBC's senior political analyst and a panelist on The McLaughlin Group; actor Tim Blake Nelson; GOP Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee; film director Charles Stone III; and GOP Florida U.S. Rep. Mark Foley. Celebrities on hand to watch the opinionators included Michele Lee, Illeana Douglas, George "Norm" Wendt from Cheers and Mike "Capt. BJ Hunnicut, M.D." Farrell from M*A*S*H.

Pantoliano, best remembered for his mob roles as Guido in Risky Business and Ralphie on The Sopranos said that acting saved his life when he was a ghetto kid in high school in Hoboken.

Despite the mix of conservatives and creative types, everybody sans Carlson agreed that the government — on both the federal and local levels — must fund arts education in the schools and that kids do better when they have artistic programs to attend.

Pump Them Up

That night, Central Park was a good venue for Republicans to party before keynote speaker California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger did his girlie-man thing, again.

That afternoon, Pennsylvania delegates reveled in a toney reception on the veranda of the lakeside Central Park Boathouse hosted by the Amoore Group, Pennoni Associates and the law firm Stradley Ronon, Stevens & Young. Renee Amoore, CEO of the Amoore Group and co-chair of Republican State Committee, had to bag the party early to head over to Madison Square Garden where she had the honor, at the roll call, of presenting the delegates that officially gave George W. Bush his nomination to seek re-election to the White House.

Philadelphia GOP General Counsel Michael Meehan did some schmoozing while former Secretary of Labor and Industry Johnny Butler, who is now practicing at the firm of Booth & Tucker, also drew a crowd.

Jeff Jubelirer, a principal in the Philadelphia media and issue-advocacy firm Ceisler Jubelirer, was also at the Boathouse party and attended other social functions that week. He said his wife, Tracy, was worried about him being in New York.

"I'll admit it was stressful, " said Jubelirer, whose father, Robert Jubelirer, has served nearly 16 years as president pro tempore of the state senate. "New York is a big target since Sept. 11."

Many delegates chose to hang around a while even after the buses left to transport them over to the Garden.

What they probably didn't notice was that the regular Boathouse furniture was piled up inside the restaurant and that new, upscale white tables and chairs were strategically placed around. But the new look was not introduced for the Keystone State set. It was actually for the California delegation, which would chow down there after the convention proceedings with their beefy governor. Apparently, Ah-nold decided that the regular settings were not elaborate enough and ordered the posh stuff for his late-night gathering.

On Wednesday afternoon, members of the University City Republican Committee of Philadelphia convened for cocktails and discussion in a private residence in Murray Hill before heading off to hear Vice President Dick Cheney speak on the convention floor.

"George Bush can win Philly," said GOP 27th Ward Leader Matthew Wolfe, who organized the reception. "He may not win my ward, but my job is to shift the margin. Following the party line is important in this election since we are a battleground state."

It's Our City, Too

Though it was a GOP town last week, the Democrats were not about to let the Republicans have all the fun in the liberal bastion of the Big Apple. That evening, right before Schwarzenegger's speech, the Democratic National Committee hosted its Masquerade Ball at the Social Club in the Garment District. DNC officials had promised to interject themselves into the GOP convention and they did so by hosting a packed house complete with masked Democrats.

The late President Richard Nixon crashed the party and the DJ played quippy songs like Madonna's "Material Girl." Media got free drink tickets while DNC operatives groused that they had to buy theirs. (Hey, in New York City, drinks ain't cheap past 8 p.m.)

The hot party of the evening was Gran Fiesta Salsa Party at The Rainbow Room with the Miami Sound Machine (without Gloria Estefan), boxer Oscar de la Hoya and baseball players Alex Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro.

Then, on Wednesday, People for the American Way hosted a reading from the U.S. Constitution at the Great Hall on Seventh Street featuring Richard Gere, Kathleen Turner and Alec Baldwin along with legendary newsman Walter Cronkite while down in the Village at the Tribeca Film Center, Arianna Huffington and Harvey Weinstein welcomed guests to preview the new "Mothers Against Bush" TV commercial.

That's What Dewey Thought

On the last day of the convention, Republicans were really getting punchy. Citing full confidence in their theory that Bush will sail into another four-year term, the Republican Jewish Coalition hosted a Victory 2004 Celebration at the Supper Club on Thursday afternoon in Midtown, where former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer dropped in. Meanwhile, the Israel Project, a new national nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization devoted to ensuring an accurate portrayal of Israel, hosted a reception on board the Mariner III at Chelsea Piers.

Prime Seats

The big challenge during prime time Thursday was to find the best place to watch Bush's acceptance speech. Would it be the CNN party at the Rose Lounge in the Time Warner Building or a hipper party with the College Republican National Committee?

Well, the young hipsters it was.

Along with Rock the Vote and software company Intuit, they got down at the Village nightclub and bowling alley, Pressure. Now, is there really a better way to spend the last night of the convention than to sip Raspberry Stoli in between games of pool, all the while watching Bush on a 42-foot projection TV?

During the televised balloon drop, some College Republicans commented on why they were supporting Bush for re-election.

Ariel Kohane, a member of the Republican Jewish Coalition from New York, said the main reason he was supporting the president was because Bush is pro-Israel. That, Kohane added, is the single most important issue to him. As a religious Jew, whose family members were Holocaust survivors, what did he think about Schwarzenegger's Austrian father who volunteered for the infamous Nazi Sturmabteilung (Brownshirts) and became a ranking officer?

"It is a concern to me," said Kohane. "But Schwarzenegger is not running for president and he never will since he was not born here."

David Shalom Crystal, a University of Pennsylvania alum, said he is supporting Bush because he has shown great leadership in tough situations.

"In a time of impending danger, the president has guarded the country," he said. "He sees the Arabs as a terror regime. We must support Israel and all our allies."

Crystal then shilled his new book, Clinton Versus Israel: How the Clinton State Department Instigated Anti-Israel Bias in the Media (Replica), and said he thinks that former President Bill Clinton's administration should be blamed for the media's bias against Israel. Crystal said his book exposes how the current anti-Israel bias came about and why Jews and Americans should hold the Clinton administration accountable.

"Everyone thinks Clinton was pro-Israel," said Crystal, "but he's not. Bush is."