Cory Booker Mocks Gay Rumors

NJ Senatorial candidate Cory Booker performed at Stu Bykofsky's Candidates Comedy Night which benefits the Variety Club charities on August 23. His well received comedy routine included bits that mocked about the rumors that he is gay, being frequently compared to Obama, and his friendship with Republican Governor Chris Christie. Of course, there were the requisite jokes about birth certificates, political pandering, Philly sports fans, and Oprah. Unlike several of the other candidates, the charismatic Booker was able to be funny without any hint of raunchiness.



He addressed the gay rumors after being accused of inseminating a panda by another candidate performer.

Booker said, "I have been accused of some incredible things like being a KKK member, Jewish, Republican, gay, and a member of the CIA, but never inseminating a panda."

He touched on one local issue.

Why did George Washington cross the Delaware in a boat? he asked. "Because even back then, the tolls were too damn high."

On the day of the event, Obama endorsed Booker as the Democratic candidate for the Senate in New Jersey. While proud of the endorsement, he carefully delineated the differences between the two.

"When Obama left school, he became a community activist. When I left school, I became a neighborhood coordinator," joked the NJ senatorial candidate. "President Obama was born in the United States. I was born in Washington DC. Given the way that they kept records back then, I may not be able to produce a birth certificate."

Booker made light of the criticism that he receives over his friendship with Republican Governor Chris Christie. He also dismissed the possibility of any friction between them due to the governor's endorsement of his Republican opponent.

"My opponents came after me for me being close to the Governor of my state when I am mayor of the largest city," he said. "Last night, when I was with Mary Pat and Chris brushing our teeth and we expressed our frustration."

Not one to take himself seriously, Booker mocked his celebrity status. Talking about the frustrations of the campaign trial, he said, "Thanks goodness, I have Oprah to talk to."

Oprah's Stedman: I Am In The Oprah Box

Oprah Winfrey's beau, Stedman Graham, and his daughter Wendy were in Philadelphia for the family reunion of the Benjamin and Edith Spaulding Descendants Association.  Far from being a typical family reunion, where the relatives squabble, this reunion focused on entrepreneurship and empowerment.

Stedman gave an hour long inspirational talk based on his new book, "Identity:Your Passport to Success," which details 9 steps to success. Having attended many motivational talks as a broker on Wall Street, I can tell you that it was one of the best that I had heard.

"We were slaves," he said." "We are still slaves. I used to go into my gym in Chicago and black men that had Phd's were cleaning the toilets. Black men are still cleaning the toilets but now they do not have an education."

Stedman, who grew up in Whitesboro, New Jersey with two disabled brothers, was so angry as a teenager that he is surprised that he did not end up in prison. The army and playing basketball saved him.
Now he wants to help people to climb out of "their box". For many, the grinding daily routine of working $9 an hour jobs keeps them down. Even successful people are constrained by their boxes.

"I am in the race box," Stedman said. "I am in the Oprah box. It is a nice box to be in, but it is a box."

One of his secrets of success is to not let others define you. You have to respect yourself before others can. For that reason, he disdains use of the N word.

"When I was in Africa, someone called out the N word to me. I tried to tell him we don't use that word. He answered that all your songs use it. Rappers have marginalized our brand by using the N word."



Stedman suggests for the final step to success, commit to your vision, that you follow Oprah's advice-Be the best that you can be.

To highlight that point, he repeated Martin Luther King's "streetsweeper" speech.

If it falls your lot to be a street-sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets like Beethoven composed music. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say ‘Here lived a great street-sweeper who swept his job well."

By the time that he was done, I had chills down my spine. Oprah is one lucky lady. 

Michael Vick and Oprah Unlikely to Happen

My sources at the Eagles say that Vick was strongly discouraged from appearing on Oprah because she is such an avid dog lover. Oprah now has a total of five dogs. She recently adopted and brought on her show two new springer spaniel pups.
At first, Vick was flattered that Oprah wanted him on the show. (Piers Morgan of CNN never had a chance.)Traditionally, she is a soft interview. Her rabid love of dogs may have made her growl with displeasure.