Just a few notes —

1.) Pearl Jam has just released a song as the leader for a new album, called “Worldwide Suicide”. No doubt it’s a comment on modern times. I must comment, however, that Eddie and the boys are going out of their way on that track to sound like the Offspring. And that’s not necessarily bad, but . . . . if I want the Offspring, perhaps I should listen to the Offspring, and not Pearl Jam.

2.) In recent blog essays I’ve supported a rather strict and even militaristic approach to the Mexican border problem. I’ve argued that having an open border with Mexico was fine in 1920, but in a world full of anti-American terrorist threats, we have a right to take control of our borders. However, I definitely cannot support the border and immigration bill that’s now in the House. It would turn illegal alien status into a felony criminal offense (versus a civil offense subject to deportation, as at present). Now that’s going way too far; that’s playing with facism. I believe that we need to become more strict about the border, including more walls and guards; but we also need to be more understanding about the great majority of people who want to, or have already crossed it.

3.) The next mayor of Newark, NJ: Long-time mayor Sharpe James has decided not to run for re-election on May 9, which hands the election over to a young (36 years old) reformer named Cory Booker. Sharpe, now 70, was a traditional huckster-style politician who grew up in one of Newark’s gritty neighborhoods. But the people of Newark loved his act, giving him five terms in office and a State Senate seat. Booker, by contrast, is a Rhodes scholar and a Yale law graduate who grew up in the affluent suburbs thirty miles north of Newark. (He’s also a vegetarian, like me.) Nonetheless, he’s worked hard for this moment, having nearly beaten Sharpe in the mayoral election in 2002 after serving one term as a city council member. With Sharpe deciding to bow out while still undefeated and no other real opposition, it’s the start of a new day in Newark.

But I really wonder how Mr. Booker is going to do over the next four years. He reminds me of other idealistic and intelligent young reformers who tried to take the reigns of a troubled big city in the east: e.g., John Lindsay in New York (late 1960s), Dennis Kucinich in Cleveland (70s), Dr. Paul Jordan in Jersey City (70s), and Wilson Goode in Philadelphia (80s). Booker is going to take on a system of unions and council members and police directors and school officials and neighborhood leaders who know only one kind of political game: a bare knuckle, down-and-dirty stuggle for power and short-term spoils. Most urban reformers don’t do all that well in such an environment. They speak in terms of intelligence and unity and positive change, and find only stupidity and tradition and ethnic divisions and short-sighted power grabbing. They usually survive only two terms (in Philly because of term limits), by which time their popularity, charisma and idealism is gone. Then they try to run for state or federal office, but usually don’t get too far with that. They pretty much just fade away.

Well, I hope Cory does better. But from what I know of Newark, I can guarantee that he’s in for a rough ride.