Fusion Transfunctioner

Gambolling back home from the N train stop this evening we were accosted by a polite young man asking for a couple of minutes of our time. Didn't have a basketball team to outfit, but was in fact pimping for the Working Families Party. His grin barely wavered when we said "sorry, we're a foreigner, and legally can't give you money, but you're in Tish's party, aintcha?" To which the chap replies that Tish is in fact a member of their party, and that they had sooooper unregulated status, which means that they can solicit cash from the unresident. Wrong! But we admired the man's moxie.

The WFP basically rents out its line on the ballot to deserving candidates, frequently the democratic ones, providing they follow the approved left-liberal programme. It works quite well, and has led to quite a few small victories in NYC politics. You can read about their game, called fusion politics in the Nation, if you have the time and the patience. They're a rather devious bunch, if largely on the side of the angels.

And then we remembered who the party had endorsed for Brooklyn Borough president. The very same Marty "Ratner's suitcase pimp" Markowitz, leading proponent of a stadium scheme that the WFP's only councilmember, Tish, opposes. Strange bedfellows indeed. Needless to say, the polite young man disclaimed any knowledge of said bargain. It would be in character for the WFP, however, as you can read in the above-mentioned Wikipedia article.

Can we have this for Christmas?