Newark’s Mayor Saves Neighbor From Fire
Cory Booker has already made a name for himself as the Mayor who was shovels city residents out of a blizzard, now he’s saving them from fires too:
Newark Mayor Cory Booker was taken to a hospital Thursday night for treatment of smoke inhalation he suffered trying to rescue his next-door neighbors from their burning house.
“I just grabbed her and whipped her out of the bed,” Booker said in recounting the fire. Booker told The Star-Ledger he also suffered second-degree burns on his hand.
The fire started in a two-story building on Hawthorne Avenue in the Upper Clinton Hill neighborhood, shortly before the mayor arrived home after a television interview with News 12 New Jersey.
Five people were taken to the hospital for treatment: the mayor, a woman from the house and three members of his security detail. The woman was listed in stable condition at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston with burns to her back and neck.
Booker left his home shortly after 6 a.m. this morning to make an appearance on a television show in New York, News 12 reported. The mayor will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. at his home to discuss the incident.
Newark Fire Director Fateen Ziyad said after the mayor arrived home he saw flames and smoke from the second floor of the building next to his home, and no residents outside,
Booker rushed in and his security detail followed him, Ziyad said.
(…)
After being released from the hospital, Booker recounted his experience at the fire and said he thought he might have to jump out of a window because of the heavy flames.
“We got everybody out of the house, but their daughter’s screaming, ‘I’m upstairs!’ ” he told The Star-Ledger.
One of his security officers, Detective Alex Rodriguez, tried to stop him from going back in.
Rodriguez had been posted at Booker’s house in the mayor’s absence. The other two detectives, Duran Santos and Al-Tariq Whitley, were accompanying Booker from the television interview.
“Now we actually get into a fight because his job is to protect me,” Booker said of Rodriguez.
Booker said when he reached the second floor, he was engulfed in flames and smoke.
“I suddenly had the realization that I can’t find this woman.” Booker said. “I look behind me and see the flames and I think “I’m not going to get out of here. Suddenly I was at peace with the fact that I was going to jump out the window.”
Then he heard her cries in a back bedroom.
“I just grabbed her and whipped her out of the bed,” Booker said. The two made their way downstairs, where they both collapsed, Booker said.
I swear, all this guy needs now is a cape and a sidekick and he’s a Superhero.
I wonder if Chris Christie is worried about the mayor of Newark…
Or a 2016 candidate if he so chooses. He would make a good one.
@An Interested Party:
There are plenty of people in New Jersey who don’t think Booker will run for Governor in 2013
@Doug Mataconis:
Christie supporters?
@PJ:
New Jersey Democrats.
@Doug Mataconis:
Beside what and who, do you also know why these New Jersey Democrats don’t think he’ll run for Governor in 2013?
@PJ:
Because he likes being Mayor for one thing, according the numerous reports I’ve read in the New Jersey media over the past year
@PJ:
I’m not saying he won’t run, just that there’s no guarantee that he will
Someone in the Republican establishment thread was mocking the Democratic bench. I’ll take Corey Booker over Marco Rubio any day.
Christie talks tough.
Booker is tough.
Our politics in a nutshell.
@ Kansas Mom…
And Deval Patrick, Governor of MA.
@KansasMom:
Perhaps someday, but you’re not going to see a Mayor of Newark running for President in 2016.
@Doug Mataconis:
And that’s why he’s running for Governor in 2013.
@Hey Norm: And Martin O’Malley and Andrew Cuomo as well.
PJ,
You’re also not going to see a first-term Governor running for President.
@Doug Mataconis: Obama went from State Senator to President in four years. So while it is highly unlikely, it wouldn’t be unprecedented.
My two cents:
I work with a few New Jersey politicos on a regular basis. One of my closer associates also works with Booker’s ex Chief of Staff. None of them seem to think Booker is running for Governor, Senator, or anything like that in the next few years. He actually really likes being Mayor, and really enjoys doing a good job for a city that has had a tough few decades.
I’m sure as we approach the 2020’s, this won’t be the case, but for now I think Booker is staying put.
@Doug Mataconis:
Well, my guess would be that he runs for President in 2020 or 2024, but by then he would need to have a better CV than Mayor of Newark, so that’s why I see him running for Governor in 2013.
Do you a think a one term Governor who lost his reelection would run for President in 2016? Successfully?
@PJ: Well, if he follows precedent, he should decline to run for reelection, then launch a losing primary campaign, and *then* he’ll be qualified to run for president.
There will be a lot of pressure from Democrats on Booker to run for Governor in 2013, he’s popular and he’s the Democrat who’s polling the best against Christie.
Also, Christie being defeated in 2013 would be a quite a blow to his Presidential aspirations.
@PJ:
There probably will be that pressure, but I suspect that any man whose willing to run into a burning building isn’t the type to bow to that sort of pressure. Of course a lot of that decisions may have to do with how he’s doing in Newark.
If he thinks he can get a real success story there, it makes sense for him to stay for two key reasons. First, that sort of success story can make a career and assure future office. We’ve all seen what happens when stars rise into the limelight too fast. More importantly, if he is “the real deal” he appears to be, then I suspect that he really cares about making a difference and will be able to do more on the city level than on the state level (especially in Newark).
As for 2016 and Christie’s hopes… I don’t think Dem’s are particular worried about Christie. Especially with how well the adjacent Democratic governor is doing across all parties right now.
I kinda like Chris Christie, not letting some of his politics interfere with my affection. But I have a real hard time imaging him
runningrushing at all. Into or out of anything.The question is, if he did run, how well would he do against Christie…
Indeed, and this is even with taking Cuomo out of the equation…how in the hell would Christie ever get past the conservative base of the GOP…