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The Best of Atlas: Our Favorite Posts of 2010 – Hank Rearden

January 6, 2011
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I’m back for my first contribution in a while.

I make it a point to read all my colleagues’ postings, and I believe the most fascinating story of 2010 was the intricate story of the connections surrounding the Cathedral Club of Brooklyn.

Those connections led to my colleague Francisco D’Anconia to refer to the organization as “the Brooklyn GOP, Catholic Church and Vito Lopez united.”

He asked whether this club was potentially the “Tammany Hall of Bay Ridge,” and the evidence sure seemed to suggest some interesting connections.

The Brooklyn GOP Chairman and various members of the Brooklyn GOP are involved in the Cathedral Club. And as we came to learn through our research, their tentacles ran up to Bruce Ratner’s Atlantic Yards and Borough Hall, forming a multi-million dollar indirect consortium that connects charities with politicians.

Most fascinating was the connection of numerous Cathedral Club figures in the Catholic Citizens Committee PAC, which supposedly funded robocalls voiced by Brooklyn Diocese Bishop DiMarzio for Democratic Party Boss Vito Lopez.

DiMarzio is the “Spiritual Director” of the club.

They also worked together to send out mailings for now City Councilman David Greenfield in the 44th Special Election last year. This came after Marty Golden, a prominent figure in the club by all accounts (his picture is featured on their website), provided the Democrat with his own endorsement.

Why was this story so important?

It began to give us and our readers a taste of what my colleague Midas Mulligan referred to as “the political monopoly” of local politics.

Democrats and Republicans in détente with one another working to advance private interests (e.g., deals to assure Marty Golden remains unchallenged by the Democratic establishment) at the expense of borough-wide interests.

As a result, we all lose out.

This story, which has not even been fully disclosed, certainly deserves a place among the Best of Atlas…

from → Bay Ridge, Cathedral Club, Craig Eaton, David Greenfield, General, Martin Golden, New York City, Party Funds, Uncategorized, Vito Lopez
One Comment
  1. Republicans need to "Man Up" like "Sister Sarah" for "Sister Sarah" permalink
    January 12, 2011 1:51 pm

    Once again Sarah Palin has come out swinging and is landing some heavy body blows on the “Lamestream Media”.

    The MSNBC crowd and others “on the Left” had what they thought was going to be a field day on Sarah Palin and America’s “Gun-toting Rightwing”, because of their vicarious “responsibility” for the Tuscan mass murder. Sarah Palin was clearly the main target for her specific “cross-hairs” imagery before the 2010 elections(specifically with reference to Congresswoman Giffords’ district). For a couple of days, things went their way; and they even chided Ms. Palin for her silence and “trying to get out of Dodge” without addressing the issue.

    Palin’s silence ended with a roar. Obviously, her “Blood Libel” video hit them where it hurt. (So far a lot of them are saying things like “We have to analyze this latest statement by [Palin]” or “As usual, she’s making it all about herself, when she isn’t one of the real victims here.”)

    Some in the rightwing media have stood up for Palin, but where is the rest of the GOP on these cheap shots by the gaggle of Maddow, Matthews, Olbermann and all the other usual suspects?

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