A 'Nay' for Jerrold Nadler

When I first met Peter Hort earlier this year,he told me the hardest thing about running against Jerrold Nadler for Congress was convincing people he could actually win. That was then and this is now, and Mr. Hort has a new ally in his first political campaign - none other than Mr. Nadler himself.

The formerly rotund congressman has lost 100 pounds due to two gastricbypass surgeries and one has to wonder whether during the last operation, surgeons inadvertently removed a significant portion of his frontal lobe.

What other explanation can there be for Mr. Nadler joining with 12 other mentally challenged congressional members, including Rep. Carol Maloney, to suggest that the United Nations monitor the presidential election? The idea that America is nothing more than a banana republic needing the oversight of a scandal-plagued, donothing, anti-U.S. organization like the U.N. is patently absurd.

If I were a resident of the 8th Congressional District and had voted for this man, I would have serious misgivings about making that same choice in November without looking at other options. Peter Hort, a TriBeCa resident - and a young man in full control of his faculties - has expressed a strong opposition to any suggestion that elections require any monitoring.

In a recent press conference, details were released of a letter addressed to the U.N.Secretary General KofiAnnan, by 13 members of Congress. The letter began: "We, the undersigned Members of Congress, hereby request the Electoral Assistance Division of the United Nations Department of Political Affairs to send election observers to monitor the presidential election in the United States scheduled for November 2, 2004. We are deeply concerned that the right of U.S. citizens to vote in free and fair elections is again in jeopardy."

This ridiculous "request" would be downright laughable if we weren't in the midst of a deadly global battle against terrorism. It would really be nice if this country could present a united front against those who want to kill us.

Nevertheless, these self-serving legislators are dredging up the controversial 2000 election and mounting the tired old canard of black voters being disenfranchised. Let's not forget the thousands of Republicans in the Florida Panhandle that never got to the polls because the race was called for Vice President Gore in error.

I'm not sure if all 13 are up for reelection as Mr. Nadler is, but one wonders if he decided to jump on the racist bandwagon to deflect any examination of his record. 307 656 410 668

First elected in 1992 as a representative with substantial support in his ultra-liberal district, Mr. Nadler has become a fixture in the House. But the overwhelmingly Democratic district deserves results for its loyalty and that is rather difficult to ascertain. I researched what legislation Mr. Nadler has succeeded in getting passed and I did find something. He managed to get a courthouse on Pearl Street named for Ted Weiss.

Aside from some funding for a gay/lesbian community center and the Highline Project, I haven't discovered anything of substance, so I have to assume that everything in the 8th District is hunky-dory.

Mr. Hort plans to address four key issues in his campaigns: education, the economy, health care, and security. He endorses President Bush's No Child Left Behind initiative but says,"Throwing money at any problem is not necessarily the answer." He's an advocate of charter schools, money for capital improvements, tax deductions for education-related expenses and block grants to states for hiring new teachers

Mr. Hort also has a message for the Democrats in the 8th District on his Web site,www.peterhort.com.

"In order for a Democratic Congressman to win reelection in this District, we've seen that he must merely maintain the status quo.The less your Democratic Congressman does, the fewer enemies he makes, and the better position he's in for reelection....

"Think about it. If a Republican were to represent this district in Congress, he or she would have to work harder than any Democrat to earn your trust, respect and future support. The reason is simple: if a Republican representative in this heavily Democratic District did not earn your vote every single day, he or she would lose the honor of representing you in very short order....

"I would rather face each day knowing that I must earn your vote rather than take your vote for granted. And I look forward to that challenge."

The affable Mr. Hort is certainly not your typical politician. His smile is broad and genuine. He may have all the right answers to political issues and he's certainly adept at fielding questions and would probably win any debate with Mr. Nadler.

But I get the impression that taking on the arduous task of facing a formidable incumbent is less a quest for power than the result of real concern for the future of his two young children.

While I was talking to him in his campaign headquarters on Hudson Street, I couldn't help but notice the watch he was wearing. It was a nondescript silver toned woman's watch with a scratched and dull face plate. "It belonged to my sister, who died several years ago," he answered in response to my stare. "I never take it off."

As I said - not a typical politician.