I have been impressed by two things about the campaign of Freddy Ferrer for mayor of NYC. One is his grassroots approach. Yeah, maybe this is forced on him because he can't match the millions of dollars that Bloomberg is personally putting into the mayor's race. But his answer is to get out among the people of NYC, talk, shake hands and listen. The second thing is the way Ferrer has been bringing together disparate ends of the Democratic Party. Howard Dean and John Kerry endorsed him nearly simultaneously. John Edwards followed later. Moderate Chuck Schumer stood side by side with iconoclast progressive Letitia James to support Ferrer in Brooklyn. Local and national politicians. Machine and progressive Democrats. Moderates and leftists.
I was lucky enough to meet Freddy Ferrer twice last week. I didn't think of it as lucky at first, but I was amazed at how much I liked him and at how well he interacted with people on the street. I met him first as he walked with Howard Dean through Union Square in Manhattan. Later I met him as he, Chuck Schumer, Letitia James and several other local politicians walked the streets of my neighborhood in Brooklyn. His reception was warm! People honked and yelled and wanted to shake hands.
Sadly, I will not be able to make the next big event in Ferrer's grassroots campaign: Big Dog is coming to town! But he and Ferrer will be hitting the Bronx, a Borough I seldom make it to.
Bill Clinton will meet with Freddy on a retail walk through Boston Road & Charlotte Street, in the Bronx @ 1:30pm on Thursday October 20th.
Meet at Boston Road & Charlotte Street and walk to Triangle Corner of 170th Street/Charlotte Street/Seabury. This is the designated meeting spot for Clinton/Ferrer.
Scheduled Time for entire event is 1:30pm-2:45pm
A press Conference will take place at the Triangle Corner of 170thStreet/Charlotte Street/Seabury
Wish I could make it!