By David Cruz
In the wake of the resignation of his Communications Director Anne Torres, Newark Mayor Cory Booker was answering questions today about the state of his administration and the perception that the Booker juggernaut has sprung a leak.
At the opening of a new park near Downtown, Booker was chumming it up with Gov. Chris Christie, showing no signs of the stress that insiders say is gripping the mayor’s inner circle. It all started with Booker’s appearance on Meet the Press, on which he criticized the Obama administration. He’s been making amends with the Democratic powers that be ever since and yesterday, jettisoned his communications director. The mayor said one thing had nothing to do with the other.
“This was in the works far beyond [Meet the Press] and I’m sorry that certain people have taken this take on that,” said Booker. “Let me just say for the record also that Anne [Torres] is a tremendous person whose service to the city was extraordinary and we’re just very proud of her as a person.”
The park opening today in the city attracted Booker’s political pals, Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo and Gov. Christie. It’s this kind of cross-party fraternizing that has critics calling Booker and DiVincenzo “Christiecrats.”
“Look, I have to work for 800,000 people,” said DiVincenzo about being so close to the mayor. “They don’t care about the partisan politics. They care about getting things done.”
New Communications Director Esmeralda Cameron was on the job today, doing her best to keep Booker on time and on message, which is a lot harder than it sounds, according to insiders, who say Booker’s communications office is torn between his national agenda and keeping the home base satisfied.
“Sometimes you don’t have control of everything that happens around you and you have to reign in your forces and make sure that every one is playing the same tune,” said Councilman Carlos Gonzalez, who has close political ties to the mayor. “I believe that’s what he’s trying to do now.”
The mayor spent a lot more time talking about the New Jersey Devils than he did about the changes in his administration. He said he’ll leave the political speculation to the press and worry about handling the people’s business, which in this case includes the opening of a new waterfront park.
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