Meet the new guard black politicians

A great article about how Obama's rise is affecting the rise of young black politicians in NY -- and nationwide:

This year's meeting of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus in Albany has been the usual festive, giddy weekend of pols marching to dozens of cocktail parties and receptions, the better to rub shoulders with union bosses, lobbyists, campaign contributors, community activists, civil servants and party regulars.

Nobody's laughing louder or slapping backs more heartily than the small contingent of black pols, nearly all of them under 50 years old, who broke ranks with the majority of state Democratic officials and endorsed Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton.

With Obama leading Clinton in national polls, campaign cash and delegates amassed, the stunned young Turks are realizing that what looked like a risky bet only 60 days ago might turn into the political equivalent of a winning lottery ticket, transforming some little-known junior pols into powerbrokers with an inside connect to the next Democratic nominee for President - and, perhaps, the next occupant of the White House.

Even if Obama doesn't go the full distance, he has shaken up the political pecking order in majority-black districts from coast to coast - and that's a step in the right direction for communities in desperate need of creative, energetic, uncompromised leadership.

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Meet the new guard black politicians

Errol Louis, NY Daily News, Sunday, February 17th 2008, 4:00 AM

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2008/02/17/2008-02-17_meet_the_new_guard_black_politicians.html

This year's meeting of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus in Albany has been the usual festive, giddy weekend of pols marching to dozens of cocktail parties and receptions, the better to rub shoulders with union bosses, lobbyists, campaign contributors, community activists, civil servants and party regulars.