Responding to Cory Booker's now infamous criticism of the Obama campaign's attacks on Mitt Romney's record at Bain Capital, Al Sharpton hit the Newark mayor where it hurts Monday.
"I like Cory Booker, I've worked with him on education ... and will continue to," the PoliticsNation host said. "But he's the mayor of Newark -- what is he talking about? Do you know what you're the mayor of, Cory? You've got record unemployment. And venture or vulture capitalists will not help us rebuild Newark, Cory."
On NBC's Meet the Press Sunday, Booker described as "nauseating" an ad unveiled this week by the Obama campaign, which focused on workers laid off after their companies were taken over by Bain Capital, the private equity firm Romney ran.
Sharpton's attack was on point. Wall Street money has been central to Booker's efforts to rebuild Newark -- as of October, 2010, he had raked in $240 million from the financial sector to help pay for parks, schools, and police in the city.
There isn't necessarily anything wrong with that. But it helps explain why Booker might be concerned about the industry's tender sensibilities.
