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Rob,

Great point.

Jeff,

Advocating for human shields is not my idea of what a great New Yorker does.

Reverend billy is a great new yorker a tireless
defender of the disappearing soul of this
vanilla-izing city.

Peter, there is a large Israeli peace movement that is in full support of Rachel Corrie,
I guess they are anti semitic...

hjs,

ok.

peter
ok

Hjs,

Many, many countries violate law and do awful things, but the Green Party appears to target one country – Israel. That is anti-Semitic. The Green Party treats Jews and Israel differently from everyone else - that is anti-Semitic. If you want to know more about the Green Party and its views on Jews, Israel and other issues, that will be research for you to do.

Mr. Talen is wrong for NYC.

peter
interesting.
is the green party "anti-Semitic" in any other ways besides not supporting israel?

hjs,

There are many, many terrorists to be found in history. That doesn't making it okay. Terrorism is wrong, supporting it is wrong, and being part of an anti-Semitic leaning party is wrong. Mr. Talen is wrong for NYC.

so u'd agree with the british if they called george washington a terrorist?
and then u'd again agree with hitler if he called the freedom fighters involved in the warsaw ghetto uprising, terrorists?
or maybe words can be given more power then they should have.

hjs,

One man's terrorist is always a terrorist, it doesn't matter if you or the NY Times think differently. Mr. Talen supported a human shield protecting terrorists and is running on the Green Party a ticket, a party that appears to have anti-Semitic leanings. Not the kind of person who should be mayor of NYC.

always love Reverend Billy. the theocracy of wealth would be too funny if not true.

one man's "terrorist" is another's freedom fighter.
was george washington a terrorist?

Brian: A woman called in to 30 issues to ask about the zoning that allowed a gracious well built and beautiful old building which fitted into the neighborhood to be bulldozed in favor of a 26 story monstrosity that probably will be unaffordable. Your guests did not address this at all, but went back to a previous topic. I was waiting to hear what they had to say. I was disappointed.

Zach,

Mr. Talin supported Rachel Corrie, a woman who was used as a human shield to protect terrorists. That has nothing to do with George W. Bush.

What a terrible interview with pointless questions.
That Reverend Bill "candidate" was just too annoying to bear. I had to turn off the radio, and I think I'll just wait until the Brian Lehrer Show is over before I dare to turn it back on.
Holy crap was that obnoxious.
If he's trying to start a movement, it worked.
I moved the radio power switch from "on to "off.

Isn't it funny how anyone who challenges the status quo on an important social or political issue can be branded a "terrorist." I thought the Bush years were over. Apparently not in Sunset Park...

Rob,

Rachel Corrie gave her life acting as a human shield to protect terrorists. Mr. Talen supported her. In my strong opinion, that is very worrisome and a huge concern for New Yorkers.

Anne from Astoria wrote "Maybe he could move to Minnesota and get elected there. They don't seem to have a problem electing 'characters'."

Isn't that sad, though? Why is Minnesota unafraid to elect "characters" whereas NYC -- which has been called home by so many of the greatest 'characters' America has ever seen -- apparently prefers to stick with a bland business suit from New Jersey? I know the cult of the colorless technocrat is at its zenith, but doesn't New York deserve a leader who's a bit more, you know, NEW YORK?

No need to worry he doesn't stand a chance, he's just some bad comic relief. Thank god!

Peter, Rachel Corrie gave her life in the most peaceful of protests... fighting the illegal bulldozing of communities. What have you done other than whine?

And we wonder why we're stuck in a two-party system...

I'll add that I agree with everything he's saying, or trying to say. But by being a buffoon he's making our message easy to dismiss. Stop with the hair and the (inconsistent, poorly done) preacher nonsense if you really care about people.

I find this guy very annoying! His manner makes me want to turn the show off for the 1st time in 15 years. I have no idea if I would agree with him if he talked like a real person.

Sorry I feel this way.

Right, Reverend Billy! Brian, stop being the mouthpiece for Bloomberg Administration. You remain clueless in this debate.

Brian a SOFTBALL?!?!?!

I have never thought of Brian Lehrer as a softball interviewer. But Brian just asked Reverend Billy whether or not he supports the Green party's platform asking to divest from Israel.

Billy dodged the question and Brian didn't make him answer it.

Although I'm interested in his anti-development fun/rant, I would have really liked the answer to this question. Shame on Brian!

The personality is too distracting for me to focus on the point he is trying to make! End this torture...puhleese!

I am so glad to hear Billy Talen on your show. He is most known for his colorful performance persona, of course, but he is a smart, earnest man whose knowledge of and respect for the history of NYC and its people, and the irreducible uniqueness of the NYC experience, is admirable.

If Americans had taken his "Stop Shopping" message to heart a little sooner, the implosion of the finance industry (brought about at least partly by people buying things they could not afford) might have been avoided....

On paper, I could agree with Rev. Billy on a lot of things but his character is just too ridiculous to allow his politics to be taken seriously. Maybe he could move to Minnesota and get elected there. They don't seem to have a problem electing "characters".

Is he going to debate the other candidates?

wtf??? I just tuned in and this guy is shouting "localeujia"???? again wtf?

I read a great feature about Rev. Billy in The Indypendent newspaper, that I feel, really brought out his personality and his goal to build a local rights movement. Link: http://www.indypendent.org/2009/08/13/amen/

He sounds like Sarah Palin on mushrooms.

I know he has a point and some legit concerns, but he's too incoherent to tolerate.

Who told this guy he was funny? A me-me-me ham. I get the feeling if Comedy Central came by with an offer he'd forget politics in 2 seconds.

Please ask Mr. Talen to comment on the use of eminent domain to confiscate and destroy the Abolitionist homes on Duffield Street in Downtown Brooklyn. What does he think about the small businesses that have been destroyed in the name of economic development in Downtown Brooklyn?

Today I voted for Green and Lui

previous primary...Siegel, Lui

in GREED we trust!

On January 19, 2009, the Green Party called for divestment and a boycott of Israel.

Source: http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=169

Does Mr. Talen share the view of his Green Party that people and organizations should boycott and divest from Israel? What other countries do Mr. Talen and the Green Party think should be boycotted? Or does Mr. Talen and his Green Party treat Israel differently from all other countries?

Is this the same Reverend Billy who used to do a wild monologue called "Share the booty?" I saw him perform at the old Catch a Rising Star when I first moved to NYC in 1997, and have never forgotten it.

Please ask Mr. Talen if he opposes or supports terrorism.

In 2003, Billy Talen and his Church of Stop Shopping performed at Burning Man and made a speech supporting Rachel Corrie (a naïve young woman at best, a terrorist at worst) who was used a human shield to protect Palestinian terrorists. Please ask Mr. Talen why he seems to support terrorism, the specific targeting of Jewish women and children, and the use of human beings as human shields. Does Mr. Talen support the use of human shields in other countries such as the United States? Or does Mr. Talen believe that only Palestinians should be able to use human shields? Surely someone running to be mayor of NYC would oppose terrorism in all of its forms? At least, I would hope.