Showing posts with label New Jersey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Jersey. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

CORY BOOKER

5 years ago, in November 2008, I wrote a post about Cory Booker, then Mayor of Newark, New Jersey. See: Drive-by Astrology: Cory Booker


I was impressed by him then, and very happy to see that he has now become a US Senator, succeeding Frank Lautenberg who died in office. He will have to stand again in 2014 to establish his place in the senate, I understand.

In the years since 2008

He has gained a national reputation for his personal involvement in public service, including going on a ten-day hunger strike outdoors to draw attention to the dangers of open-air drug dealing, living on a "food stamp" budget to raise awareness of food insecurity, shoveling the driveway of a constituent upon request, allowing Hurricane Sandy victims into his home, helping a constituent propose to his girlfriend, rescuing a dog from freezing temperatures, saving a woman from a house fire at his own risk and rescuing a dog that had been locked in a crate. He is an avid Twitter user and played collegiate football at Stanford. (More at Wikipedia)
I hope that life in the Senate will not change Booker, that he will not be infected by what appears to be a spreading disease of uselessness among congressional Democrats, or be co-opted by monied interests. I can hope, but do not feel optimistic. We shall see.