Cory Booker Maneuver Sparks Near-Riot In Newark

Booker: "see what I gotta deal with?"

Drama ensued on Tuesday night after the moderate-liberal Democratic mayor of Newark, N.J. cast a rare procedural vote in favor of a political ally. From Newser (see video here): "During a meeting to appoint a new council member, Mayor Cory Booker pulled a behind-the-scenes move that caused outraged citizens to storm the dais, knocking over a podium and prompting police to use pepper spray, reports NJ.com."

More: "Two candidates were vying for the vacant seat: Shanique Davis Speight and John Sharpe James [son of infamous former Newark Mayor Sharpe James], a known opponent of Booker [and whose father defeated Mayor Booker in his first run for mayor]. The current council members were divided between the two, and when the acting president proceeded with the nomination of Speight without letting others speak, three of them marched off stage. That's when Booker emerged to provide a quorum [because of the three departing city council members] and cast his vote in favor of Speight. 'We abided by the rules and guidelines,' says the mayor's chief of staff. 'We didn’t run afoul of anything.'"