February 10, 2003

The Irreverent Sharpie

By James Eugene*

When I was not a member of the media (does this column make me one?), I used to wonder why anyone gave any respect to a certain buffoonish Reverend who suffers from a weight problem and a bad hairdo. Because I refuse to glorify his name in print, I will just call him "the Irreverent Sharpie." Not after the marker, but as a kid, a 'sharpie' often referred to a person who was too much of a smart aleck.

The Irreverent Sharpie is something of a phenomenon in New York. All the local politicians pay him homage. The four Democratic Mayoral candidates courted his endorsement. Both Mayor Billionaire and Senator Mrs. President have visited his headquarters. (At least until it burned down in a fire even I think was suspicious. But then again having just launched his Presidency and needing some publicity, did the Irreverent Sharpie arrange the fire himself or did someone else burn it down). Even African American politicians worry over a bad word about them from his lips. I always wondered "why?"

That the Irreverent Sharpie holds the premier position among black political leaders in NYC, and thus, the State, is one of the great con jobs of the past century. Now, in his pronouncement that he is running for President, the Irreverent Sharpie is seeking to take his con job national. For the sake of civil rights in America, I hope he does not succeed.

Now for those of you who think I wish to pick on just a black figure, let me put a few things straight. First, racists have their own con men, such as Newt Gingrich and Trent Lott. (Remember when Lott was Gingrich's protege during Lott's tenure in the House? As they say, birds of a feather.) Both tried to claim they were not racist, when they flagrantly were. But I write on local politics not national so I will not write a column on them.

Second, I support affirmative action, even to the respect of quotas. If you want to understand why, I will ask one simple question of you if you are white: would you rather have been born, all other things being equal, white or black? If you are honest, the answer is white, because you know society tips that way. Third, I have been honored by a well-known black Civil Rights organization, and not the "Uncle-Tom-ish" Congress of Racial Equality for my humanitarian work with populations that are predominantly black or minority.

No, I write this column because despite such prominent black public officials as Comptroller Bill Thompson, Borough Presidents C. Virginia Fields and Helen Marshal, Assemblymen Denny Farrell and Clarence Norman, the Irreverent Sharpie has become "the" spokesman for the black political establishment in New York City. The man is a fraud, every which way to Sunday.

Let's start with Sunday or rather, the Irreverent's "Reverend" status. Now some of you may remember that Tawana Brawley converted to Islam in a service that the Irreverent Sharpie, a Christian "minister" supported. But no Christian minister can support the conversion of a Christian to another religion. A Christian minister is obligated by virtue of his position and his training to believe that the Christian philosophy can provide the appropriate religious and life guidance for any person. By supporting Brawley's conversion, the Irreverent Sharpie essentially called his own religion's gospels inadequate and betrayed his faith. This action, by a layman, can be excused, but by an adult ordained minister of Irreverent Sharpie's faith, it was pure hypocrisy born for political gain. (I want to find a Rabbi who could keep his title if he encouraged a fellow Jew to become Muslin?)

And speaking of Brawley, the Irreverent Sharpie has never accepted any blame. He claims to have been misled by Mason and Maddux, her two attorneys (it seemed to be a refrain to a song, "[the Irreverent Sharpie's real name], Mason and Maddux" but to what tune who only knows). It is funny that of that trio, Mason and Maddux have suffered punishment through ruined careers. The Irreverent Sharpie? His career flourished to the point where he thinks he is bigger than Jesse Jackson (this makes me laugh, since the Irreverent Sharpie is NY1, and Jesse is CNN, but then again Jesse's career could be encapsulated to read "Evolution of a Preacher to a Con Man.")

And even white liberals kowtow to the Irreverent Sharpie. Why do Senator Mrs. President and Mayor Billionaire speak at his headquarters? To appease him (as I tend to think they do not really give him much serious thought)? But don't they realize that they add to his delusion of real influence? And this delusion adds to his influence among those who don't or should know better.

The problem with this buffoon is that he may become the leading national spokesman for a movement under attack by a President who increasingly looks like a con man of his own. (You know Bush loved looking "progressive" and pushing out Trent Lott and looking like a hero. It certainly muted the sizable criticism that would have otherwise resulted from his stand on the University of Michigan affirmative action case, which he was conveniently scheduled to announce a few weeks later.) And I do not particularly care for a buffoon leading a movement that I care so much about.

If the Irreverent Sharpie attracts significant black support as he runs for President, he gets to take his tragicomedy show national - permanently. Civil right leaders everywhere should be concerned. The Irreverent One will lose them significant white support. Oh yeah, old reliables like Susan Sarandon will still support you, but a larger, silent white majority will just not be led by a clown.

In 1992, Bill Clinton, in one of his rare moments of true leadership, ripped a female black rap singer for what he felt were racist lyrics. He did so because he wanted to let a radical segment of the black community know that he would not just let them make derisive racist comments without his criticism. At the time, everyone was surprised why Clinton took the risk, but by doing so he marginalized that radical segment. The question now is which Democratic political leader, white or black, will have the courage to turn the "Irreverent Sharpie" into the "Irrelevant Sharpie"?

Do I trust this man with my State Budget?

Governor Pataki's campaign finished in debt. This happened despite the fact that he always held both a 20 point poll (and final) lead and over a $20 million fundraising lead over his nearest competitor, Carl McCall. If the Governor, under those conditions, cannot manage his campaign to finish out of debt, why the hell should I trust him with the State Budget?! It is so obvious that Pataki is about to catch "Cuomo Third-termitis."

Kudos to Steven Malanga of the NY Post.

His January 24th article on the location of one of the Mayor's business enterprises was top-notch. Mayor Billionaire unbelievably thinks NYC can afford not to consider the City's high cost of doing business in its policies. Moreover Mayor Billionaire seems to forget that the middle class, not just business, also paid that 18.5% property tax increase and will pay more with increased assessments. Hey Mayor Billionaire, New Jersey, Nassau, Westchester and Connecticut can beckon us too and we can still commute into Manhattan. Hell, most of the city's middle class commutes into Manhattan from the boroughs anyway. If the Mayor does not wake up soon, I am moving out now, before the deluge.

* James Eugene is the pseudonym of a veteran of NYC government affairs. Inside The Big Apple will appear exclusively on the Empire Page. If you want to send tips or column ideas to James Eugene, email them to jameseugene@empirepage.com.