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Aug. 27, 2014

Maureen Dowd Op-Ed column criticizes Pres Obama for failing to publicly weigh in on events in Ferguson, Mo, instead dispatching Atty Gen Eric Holder and deputizing Rev Al Sharpton to deal with issue of race. MORE

Rev Al Sharpton has transformed himself from an overweight Brooklyn firebrand into the White Houses civil rights leader of choice, an incessantly televised pundit, and even a poster child for a strict diet of salad and juice; seems a constant media presence, and never more so than in racially fraught crises, like police-related deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo, and Eric Garner on Staten Island. MORE

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio gathers with religious leaders, including Cardinal Timothy M Dolan and Rev Al Sharpton, in attempt to ease tensions in wake of choking death of Eric Garner, black Staten Island man who died in police custody; de Blasio hopes to show leadership as racial divisions escalate ahead of planned protest march. MORE

Rev Al Sharpton, seeking to defuse concerns over planned march across Verrazano-Narrows Bridge protesting aggressive police tactics, says march will instead be held on Staten Island, where Eric Garner died after being put in chokehold by police. MORE

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio will arrange meeting of religious leaders to help ease tensions between police and community leaders after death of Eric Garner, who died in police custody; is hoping that this meeting, which will be led by Cardinal Timothy M Dolan, will be more effective than one in July, where Rev Al Sharpton attacked New York City's law enforcement. MORE

New York City officials appear to be distancing themselves from oversight authority over march across Verrazano-Narrows Bridge planned by Rev Al Sharpton as protest of the role police played in death of Staten Island man Eric Garner; there also appears to be confusion among organizers about who will be in charge of the event. MORE

Rev Al Sharpton and the family of Eric Garner, who died after being put into chokehold by police on Staten Island, have asked federal prosecutors to investigate the death as a civil rights violation. MORE

Growing tensions between Rev Al Sharpton and Rep Charles B Rangel add further uncertainty to congressmans bid for re-election; Sharpton's none-too-veiled scolding to Rangel for race-baiting highlights how Rangel is fighting against time to maintain his generation's weakening grip on political power, while Sharpton is seeking to consolidate his own political influence in New York. MORE

Rev Al Sharpton sends out stern warning against race-baiting in contest for 13th Congressional District in New York; message appears to be aimed at Rep Charles B Rangel of Harlem who repeatedly discussed race in a debate for the upcoming Democratic primary for Congress. MORE

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Al Sharpton News - The New York Times

Back in the days when the citys bonfires were still raging, it would have been unthinkable that Al Sharpton would be celebrated by the mayor and the governor at a lavish birthday party.

But if you live long enough, the world will take some funny turns. Twenty-five years ago, Sharpton would have been picketing The Four Seasons; now, hes its guest of honor.

Sharptons remarkable move to the center of power cannot be adequately summarized or explained in a very brief column but with his 60th birthday looming tomorrow, its worth remembering that he was once on the ramparts drawing heavy criticism and praise for his role in events that became touchstones and shorthand in our local political vocabulary: Howard Beach, Tawana Brawley, Bensonhurst.

A protest candidate for mayor, the U.S. Senate, and President, Sharpton served as catnip for reporters who were looking for a good quote and some quick insight on an often-bland campaign trail.

Its a very different story now with Sharpton having the ear of the mayor and seeing his former top staffer serve as the chief of staff for the citys First Lady. Remarkably slim and well-tailored, it will be very curious to see if Sharpton has a third act in his career as he enters his spry sixties.

Bob Hardt

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NY1 ItCH: Al Sharpton's Four Seasons

Al Sharpton threw himself a star-studded birthday bash at the Four Seasons in Manhattan Wednesday night.

The civil rights activist and MSNBC host was loving the limelight as political and creative luminaries came by to shake hands and wish him a Happy Birthday.

Sharpton, who turns 60 on Friday, beamed as a White House representative read him a celebratory letter from Barack and Michelle Obama.

When former First Lady Hillary Clinton called him with best wishes Wednesday, he announced it in a press release. She congratulated him on his birthday and he congratulated her on daughter Chelsea Clintons new baby, he said.

Politicians in tuxedos and evening gowns migrated to the Four Seasons from the nearby Waldorf Astoria, where the white-tie Al Smith dinner benefiting Catholic Charities was held.

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, resplendent in a black tux, stopped by to tease Sharpton about his dramatic weight loss before turning serious.

The Rev. is half the man he used to be ... but he still has that sense of outrage at injustice. Hes no longer New York Citys Sharpton, hes the nations Sharpton, said Cuomo.

Unlike Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio ditched his fancy ensemble before showing up at Sharptons party.

Hizzoner was distinctly underdressed in a blue shirt and necktie as he entered the glitzy ballroom, decked out in gold and silver balloons and festooned with life-size cut outs of Sharpton.

This is a birthday fit for a king! Al Sharpton has been a blessing for the city, he has been a blessing for the nation, de Blasio said.

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Rev. Al Sharpton throws star-studded 60th birthday bash

Al Sharpton invited a host of great names to his 60th birthday on Friday. They celebrated the birthday in the Manhattan hotel. The hotel was in Four Seasons and it was on a Wednesday night.

The MSNBC host was really excited for being in the limelight and we saw a lot of politicians and showbiz people at the event who wished him a Happy Birthday.

Al Sharpton is a white house rep. And he also got a celebratory letter from Michelle Obama and Barack Obama. Former first lady Hillary Clinton also wished him a Happy Birthday. Al Sharpton announced this news in a press release.

Hillary wished him a Happy Birthday and Al Sharpton congratulated her on daughters new baby. At the star-studded birthday bash, male politicians were seen wearing tuxedos while females were present in beautiful evening gowns.

Andrew Cuomo also came up to Al Sharpton and he joked about him losing weight. But he soon returned to a more serious discussion with Al. Andrew said that Rev. is half the man he used to be.

But he added that Al Sharpton still had a sense of outrage at injustice. Andrew Cuomo also said that there was a time when Al used to be New Yorks Al Sharpton but now he is the nations Al Sharpton.

Mayor de Blasio did not wear his fancy ensemble at Al Sharptons birthday bash while Hizzoner was underdressed for the event, according to NYDailyNews. He wore a necktie and a blue shirt as he entered the sparkling ballroom.

The ballroom was full of gold and silver balloons and there life-size cut outs of Sharpton were also present there. A lot of people said that it looked like a birthday bash of a king.

De Blasio said that Al Sharpton was a blessing in disguise for the whole nation. The mayor said that he loves Al Sharpton and that the more people criticize him, the more he wants to hang out with the legend.

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Al Sharpton Celebrates 60th Birthday in Manhattan

Billionaire Ken Langone saw Police Commissioner Bill Bratton on the dais at the annual Al Smith dinner, but he charged the real top cop was nowhere to be found.

I dont see the person in charge of the NYPD up here tonight -- Al Sharpton, he cracked in the most pointed zinger at the fund-raiser, which drew a host of city luminaries, including Mayor de Blasio and Gov. Cuomo, who subjected themselves to a ribbing to raise cash for Catholic Charities.

Bratton, seated behind the Home Depot founder on the dais full of notables in white ties and tails, took the joke with a hearty laugh.

Sharpton, for his part, was a few blocks away throwing himself a swanky 60th birthday party -- which Cuomo slipped out of the dinner to join for a bit before returning. De Blasio headed for Sharptons bash after the event wrapped up.

Langone also protested that his much-criticized remarks comparing rhetoric on income inequality to Nazi Germany was taken out of context.

I was just saying the world should be wary of German populists -- but enough about Bill de Blasio, he quipped.

De Blasio was roundly mocked for losing his grip on groundhog Staten Island Chuck, a fumble that may have contributed to the animals death a week later.

Having the mayor here tonight means one thing -- the citys groundhogs are safe, said emcee Alfred Smith IV, great-grandson of the dinner's namesake former governor. By the way, this never would have happened to Mayor Bloomberg -- the groundhog wouldnt have fallen far.

Smith then turned his attention to Cuomo, noting, The governor just got back from Afghanistan -- the only place more hostile than Albany."

"By the way, is Rob Astorino here?" he asked of Cuomos badly trailing Republican opponent, who was in fact in the room. "Seriously, I don't know what he looks like."

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Ken Langone zings Bill Bratton, says that Al Sharpton is the top cop