At yesterday's meeting of the state Senate Finance Committee Mark O'Luck -- an African American businessman -- was in attendence to take questions from senators about his pending nomination to the state Power Authority.
Republican Senator John DeFrancisco took huge exception with a 2009 blog post bearing O'Luck's name that suggests the dolling out of state contracts are bias towards businesses owned by well-connected whites.
After about 15 minutes of peppering O'Luck with questions more about policy than personal stances, DeFrancisco suggests that many whites are also not well connected and that O'Luck -- a friend of Governor David Paterson's -- is an example of blacks "making it" in New York State.
In one of the most heated exchanges I have ever seen at the Senate, Senator Kevin Parker loses it on DeFrancisco, stating that he was unfairly hasseling a minority appointee in a way not seen with white nominees.
It got pretty hairy....
Race and politics -- never pretty.
Here is the video. DeFrancisco begins his line of questioning at around minute 7. Perkins finally flips his lid at about 20 minutes and 30 seconds.
http://www.nysenate.gov/event/2010/apr/27/finance-meeting
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