Colin Campbell’s “Daily Read” column in today’s Politicker should have focused on Al Sharpton’s JoAnn Watson-style “...Birth of a Nation” moment

As far as I’m concerned Colin Campbell buried the lead two or three times over in his 12/6/12 “Morning Read: ‘I Think Karim Camara Probably Regrets That’ ”  

Leaving aside the "... headline of the day..." about the Andrew Cuomo California-style Christmas tree, which wasn't even the headline of this morning's 8:09 AM  "Morning Read...",  the meat and potatoes of Campbell’s  “Morning Read...”    http://politicker.com/author/colin-campbell/     is clearly the quotes of leading Democrats on the state senate power-sharing deal in the aftermath of the announcement of the new kind of coalition set up to run the New York State Senate  in  January 2013.  

The important part of  Colin Campbell's  MR column started with a quote from the widely recognized  Democrat hero/villain of the piece, Jeff Klein explaining how State Senator Malcolm Smith (the new 1/5th member of the IDC, who interestingly was not one of the 4/5ths of its members to go on “Capital Tonight” last night) came to be welcomed (“happy to have him” –  if that’s the same thing) as the newest member of the IDC; next quoted was Brooklyn’s own Diane Savino, who got the headline- mentioned quote about Karim Camara (and not much other mention); continuing with  Governor Andrew Cuomo, who said he wants what everybody else wants and he’ll wait and see if he gets it, "but I don’t know who [how?] it actually works in practice” (that’s a couple of interesting questions: How would it actually works in practice?  -and-  Who would actually work it in practice?); and last, but certainly not least, was [ in my view ] the meat and potatoes, real honest-to-goodness lead story and quote from Al Sharpton (who was doing his best to channel Detroit Councilwoman JoAnn Watson’s having her “come back home with some bacon... but not just that ... quid pro quo” moment) .

Here’s how Colin Campbell quoted The Reverend Al  in all his glory:  

“It is a fact that President Obama won New York by the second largest plurality in the nation after Vermont, and by all accounts it would appear that there will be 33 Democratic Senators and 30 Republican Senators elected to the New York State Senate. ***  Within the body of the Democratic Senators there are 15 Senators of color, including the current Minority Leader. Throughout the entire history of New York State, it has always held true that the party with the majority of Senators runs New York’s Senate. In this instance, come January 1, 15 Senators of color should hold critical Senate Chairmanships on committees such as housing, criminal justice, the judiciary and education, acting upon policies consistent with President Obama and the lifeblood of Black and Brown New Yorkers. ***  For 30 Republican and 6 Democratic State Senators to brazenly ignore tradition and history in the State Senate, and effectively deny these legislators of color what is rightfully theirs: the ability to chair committees and pursue policies and initiatives that reflect the will of the people is a perversion of justice. This means that policy and resource discussion on issues such as Stop and Frisk, affordable housing and rebuilding the Rockaways after Hurricane Sandy will be led by Senators from Upstate New York rather than those Senators whose communities are most directly impacted by these policies and events. ***  Moreover, it would be enormously troubling for any leader in this state to allow such a miscarriage of justice and obstruction of the will of the people to go forward. ***   I am consulting with New York elected leaders interested in ensuring that justice and fairness prevails, and we will kick off a campaign this Saturday towards this end at the House of Justice.” 

Now some will point out or ask,  "So who is Al Sharpton? He ain't elected to nothing, so who cares what he thinks?"  However, since Colin Campbell devoted so  much space to Sharpton's quote, he obviously thinks he counts for something among New York City/State Democrats.  I don't disagree with that view of Reverend Sharpton, I'm not sure how much he counts, or what he counts for, but he does count for something to enough people to be newsworthy.  However, when he strays too far off-base he needs to be picked off  and called "Out!" if he gets caught.

In my opinion, Campbell’s real lead in his 12/6/12  “Morning Read...” should have been a riff on something like this  —   whether, in Al Sharpton’s view of New York going forward, does Sharpton  really expect to see  New York State’s Senate Chamber full of characters similar to those that appeared in the  legislative scene from D.W. Griffith’s “The Birth of a Nation”?  

The threatening tenor of Sharpton's remarks, as reported by Colin Campbell, are as racist and objectionable as anything Griffith might have put on film about a hundred years ago and which has been credited  by some with giving the KKKlan its rebirth in the 20th Century.  Words and images matter  ---  in my view, in this instance Sharpton's words about the New York State Senate connect with Griffith's images of the legislatures of the reconstructed South.