Ward Clark writes for RedState.com about the latest dubious commentary from New York City’s mayor.
There’s this old saying, about birds of a feather sticking together.
That can happen, it seems, even through history, even over a span of generations. Case in point: New York City’s mayor, the “democratic socialist” (commie) Zohran Mamdani, took to his X account to comment on the city’s annual Italian Heritage Month, and, true to form, the one name he drops is that of Vito Marcantonio, a guy who happened to be of Italian descent but who was also a socialist agitator who was accused of being a card-carrying commie.
Here’s the thing: Vito Marcantonio was probably the most far-left commie sympathizer (if not an outright commie) to ever sit in the House of Representatives. He represented what was then New York’s 20th congressional district from 1939 to 1944, and then 18th congressional district from 1945 to 1950 as a member of the American Labor Party. That was after serving in the 20th as a Republican (!) from 1935 to 1936.
A New York councilwoman from Queens, Vickie Paladino, had a sharp response.
Ms. Paladino writes in part:
“Of course he name drops an obscure Italian-American communist who was against America’s participation in World War 2 and was investigated by the FBI for his ties to the international communist party.
“Of all the great men and women of Italian descent who’ve contributed to New York City and the United States, this is the idiot he picks.
“He is physically incapable of being anything other than a loathsome propagandist for communism.
“As the most prominent Italian-American in city government, please allow me to formally disinvite you from ever mentioning Italian heritage ever again.”
Why couldn’t Mayor Mamdani mention some of his predecessors, Fiorello La Guardia, Vincent R. Impellitteri, or, of course, Rudy Giuliani? Why not mention entertainment figures like Dom DeLuise or Guy Fieri? How about journalists like Maria Bartiromo? New York City is home to an estimated 800,000 Americans of Italian descent, and the only one the commie Mamdani mentions is some obscure croaker from almost a century ago?
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