Party plans for ‘speaker’
THE ELECTION to choose a City Council speaker is three weeks away, but that hasn’t stopped allies of Democratic front-runner Melissa Mark-Viverito from celebrating.
In a move likely to rankle her detractors, Mark-Viverto’s political club has already begun organizing her “victory” party, the Daily News has learned.
Club leaders say the ascension of the East Harlem pol would be so historic — Mark-Viverito is vying to become the first Hispanic speaker — that a big bash is warranted.
She is “our President Obama,” Democratic Club of El Barrio founder John Ruiz said.
A club official said Mark-Viverito is “in no way, shape or form involved in planning” for the party.
But Mark-Viverito has acted like the race for speaker is a done deal, even though the position will not be filled until all 51 Council members vote Jan. 8.
Mark-Viverito claimed victory Wednesday after Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio, an ideological ally, tipped the scales by asking Council members and the Brooklyn Democratic chairman to support her.
She released a list of 30 Council members supposedly in her corner, and on Thursday, she spoke as if the election was over. “I’m really also very proud obviously to have made history,” she said.
Her rival for the post, Councilman Dan Garodick (D-Manhattan) and his supporters are calling a declaration of victory premature, saying her support is soft.
A prominent Democrat who opposes Mark-Viverito scoffed at the idea of planning for a victory bash. “A lot of people planned parties for Dewey too,” the Democrat said.
As for suggestions that the councilwoman is a history-maker on the scale of the President, the Democrat added, “Obama led a national movement which was largely based on breaking a barrier. No one is voting for (speaker) based on race or gender, and are actually voting based on goodies being handed out.”