Ed Koch
Koch at the commissioning of USS Lake Champlain in New York City, 12 August 1988
105th Mayor of New York City
In office January 1, 1978 – December 31, 1989
Preceded by	Abraham D. Beame
Succeeded by	David N. Dinkins
Born	December 12, 1924 (1924-12-12) (age 83) The Bronx, New York
Political party	Democratic

Edward Irving Koch (born December 12, 1924; pronounced kɔtʃ) was a United States Congressman from 1969 to 1977 and the Mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989. Ship history Lake Champlain was laid down 3 March 1986 at Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula Mississippi, launched 3 April The Mayor of New York City is the chief executive of the Government of New York City, as stipulated by the Charter of the City of New York. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Abraham David "Abe" Beame (March 20 1906 – February 10 2001 was Mayor of New York City from 1974 to 1977 David Norman Dinkins (born July 10 1927 was the Mayor of New York City from 1990 through 1993 being the first and to date only African American to hold that office Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. The Mayor of New York City is the head of the executive branch of the Government of New York City.

Early life

Koch was born in 1924 to a Jewish family in the Morrisania section of the Bronx. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Morrisania ( is a low income residential neighborhood geographically located in the southwestern Bronx, New York City. His father worked as a furrier. During the Great Depression, sales of fur coats and other luxury goods sharply declined, and the family moved from New York City to Newark, New Jersey. Newark is the largest city in New Jersey, United States and the County seat of Essex County. He graduated from Newark's South Side High School in 1941. (The school is now called Malcolm X Shabazz High School). Malcolm X Shabazz High School is a four-year Public high school in Newark, New Jersey, as part of the Newark Public Schools. His mother, Joyce, died of cancer at a relatively young age. Koch attended City College of New York from 1941 to 1943. The City College of The City University of New York (known more commonly as the City College of New York or simply City College, CCNY, or colloquially as

He enlisted into the United States Army in 1943 where he served as an infantryman with the 104th Infantry Division, landing in Cherbourg, France in September 1944. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He earned two Battle Stars as a Combat Infantryman. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant in 1946. Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries police forces and other uniformed organizations around the world ^[1]

In that year, Koch began attending the New York University School of Law; that summer he also worked as a busboy in a hotel in the upstate New York spa town of Sharon Springs. See also New York Law School The New York University School of Law ( NYU Law) is the Sharon Springs may refer to a place in the United States Sharon Springs Kansas Sharon Springs New York He received his law degree in 1948, was admitted to the bar in 1949, and began to practice law. A Law degree is the degree conferred on someone who successfully completes studies in law A bar association is a Professional body of Lawyers Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their Jurisdiction

Lawyer, party official, and Councilman

Koch was elected Democratic Party district leader of Greenwich Village, holding that office from 1963 to 1965, was a delegate to the State convention in 1964, and was elected to the New York City Council in 1966. Greenwich Village (ˌgrɛnɪtʃ ˈvɪlɪdʒ often simply called the Village, is a largely residential area on the west side of downtown (southern Manhattan The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. In 1965 he made headlines for endorsing Republican John Lindsay for mayor, while still serving as a Democratic district leader. John Vliet Lindsay ( November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American Politician who served as a member of the

U. S. Congressman

Koch was the Democratic U. S. Representative from New York's 17th congressional district from January 3, 1969 until January 3, 1973, when after a redistricting he represented New York's 18th congressional district until December 31, 1977, when he resigned to become Mayor of New York City. New York's 17th Congressional District is a Congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in Southern New York. Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. The 18th Congressional District of New York is a Congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in the northern suburbs of New York Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays

Koch has said he began his political career as "just a plain liberal," with positions including opposing the Vietnam War and marching in the South for civil rights. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia ^[2] He has traced the beginning of his rightward shift towards being a "liberal with sanity" to the controversy in 1973 around then-New York City Mayor John Lindsay's attempt to place a 3,000-person housing project in the middle of a middle-class community in Forest Hills, Queens. John Vliet Lindsay ( November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American Politician who served as a member of the Public housing is a form of Housing tenure in which the property is owned by a Government authority which may be central or local Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the central part of the New York City borough of Queens. Congressman Koch met with residents of the community, most of whom were against the proposal. He was convinced by their arguments, and spoke out against the plan; this decision, he has said, shocked many of his political associates. ^[3]

In mid-1976, he was threatened with murder by Uruguayan secret police. Murder is the unlawful killing of another human person with Malice aforethought, as defined in Common Law countries Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America Secret police (sometimes political police) are a Police agency which operates in Secrecy to maintain National security against internal He would learn about those threats only after Orlando Letelier's carbombing in Washington D. Marcos Orlando Letelier del Solar ( April 13, 1932 - September 21, 1976) was a Chilean economist Political figure, C. , September 1976, by Michael Townley, an American agent for DINA, the Chilean secret police, working for Operation Condor. For the Australian politician see Michael Townley (Australian politician. Dirección de Inteligencia Nacional ( English: National Intelligence Directorate) or DINA was the Chilean Secret police in the government For other uses of Operation Condor please see Operation Condor (disambiguation Operation Condor (Operación Cóndor Operação Condor was a campaign

Mayor of New York City

1977 election and first term

Koch meets President Jimmy Carter for the first time as the Mayor of New York, along with his long-time ally and the former opponent in the mayoral bid, Congresswoman Bella Abzug (February 1978)

In 1977, Koch ran in the Democratic primary of the New York mayoral election against incumbent Abe Beame, Bella Abzug and Mario Cuomo, among others. James Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr (born October 1 1924 was the thirty-ninth President of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981 and the recipient of the 2002 The Mayor of the City of New York is elected in early November every four years and takes office at the beginning of the following year Abraham David "Abe" Beame (March 20 1906 – February 10 2001 was Mayor of New York City from 1974 to 1977 Bella Savitsky Abzug ( July 24, 1920 &ndash March 31, 1998) was a American Congresswoman and a leader of the women’s movement Mario Matthew Cuomo (born Queens New York, June 15, 1932) served as the 52nd Governor of New York from 1983 to 1994 Koch ran to the right of the other candidates, on a "law and order" platform. In Politics, law and order refers to a political platform which supports a strict Criminal justice system especially in relation to Violent crime According to historian Jonathan Mahler, the blackout that happened in July of that year, and the subsequent rioting, helped catapult Koch and his message of restoring public safety to front-runner status. ^[4] Koch also attributes some measure of credit for his victory to Rupert Murdoch's decision to have the New York Post endorse him in both the primary and the general election. is gay Bold text' Keith Rupert Murdoch', AC, KCSG (born Melbourne, March 11 1931 usually known as Rupert Murdoch, is an Australian-American The New York Post is the 13th-oldest Newspaper published in the United States and generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continually Koch won the initial vote in the Democratic primary, as well as a runoff vote held between him and Cuomo. The two-round system (also known as the second ballot or runoff voting) is a Voting system used to elect a single winner In the general election, also held in 1977, Koch beat Cuomo, who ran on the Liberal Party ticket, and Roy M. Goodman, running on the Republican ticket. The Liberal Party of New York is a minor American Political party that has been active only in the state of New York. Roy M Goodman is an American Politician. He was born in New York City in 1930

After winning the election, Koch resigned from Congress to become the 105th Mayor of New York City. The Mayor of New York City is the head of the executive branch of the Government of New York City.

His catch-phrase as Mayor was "How'm I doing?" When walking down the street, he would often use that question as a greeting to the people he talked to.

As Mayor, Ed Koch is credited with restoring fiscal stability to the City of New York, and placing the City on a budget balanced according to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). In the US, generally accepted accounting principles, commonly abbreviated as US GAAP or simply GAAP, are accounting rules used to prepare present He also established a merit selection system for Criminal and Family Court judges, and established extensive housing programs. He issued an executive order prohibiting all discrimination against homosexuals by City employees. A second executive order binding suppliers of the City to the same standards was eventually struck down by court order insofar as it applied to religious organizations, which were exempted from civil rights legislation by State law. John Cardinal O'Connor and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York were participants in the lawsuit against the executive order. For the former US Representative from New York see John J O'Connor.

In April 1980, he successfully broke a strike by the city's subway and bus operators, invoking the state's Taylor Law, which prohibits strikes by state or local government employees and imposes fines on any union authorizing such a strike that steadily escalate each day the strike continues. The 1980 New York City transit strike in New York City (often referred to as the Subway strike) was the first work stoppage at the New York City Transit Authority The Public Employees Fair Employment Act (more commonly known as the Taylor Law) refers to Article 14 of the New York State Civil Service Law, which defines the rights On one morning he famously walked to City Hall across the Brooklyn Bridge, in solidarity with the many commuters who had chosen to walk to work. New York City Hall is located at the center of City Hall Park in the Civic Center section of Lower Manhattan between Broadway, Park Row and The Brooklyn Bridge, one of the oldest Suspension bridges in the United States, stretches 5989 feet (1825 m over the East River connecting the The strikers returned to work after eleven days.

He was a delegate to the 1980 Democratic National Convention from the city. The 1980 National Convention of the US Democratic Party nominated President Jimmy Carter for President and Vice President Walter Mondale However, he invited Ronald Reagan to Gracie Mansion shortly before that year's Presidential election, in which Reagan defeated Democratic incumbent Jimmy Carter — a move widely seen as a tacit endorsement of Reagan on the part of Koch. Gracie Mansion is the Official residence of the Mayor of New York City. James Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr (born October 1 1924 was the thirty-ninth President of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981 and the recipient of the 2002

In 1981, City College of New York awarded Koch a B. The City College of The City University of New York (known more commonly as the City College of New York or simply City College, CCNY, or colloquially as A. degree.

1981 election and second term; run for Governor

In 1981 ran for re-election as mayor, running on both the Democratic and Republican Party lines; in November he won, defeating his main opponent, Unity Party candidate Frank J. The Mayor of the City of New York is elected in early November every four years and takes office at the beginning of the following year Barbaro, with 75% of the vote.

In 1982, Koch ran unsuccessfully for Governor of New York, losing the Democratic primary to Cuomo, who was then lieutenant governor. The Governor of New York is the head of the Executive branch of New York 's government and the Commander-in-chief of the state's military A Lieutenant Governor is a high officer of state whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction Many say the deciding factor in his loss was an interview with Playboy magazine in which he described the lifestyle of both suburbia and upstate New York as "sterile" and lamented the thought of having to live in "the small town" of Albany as Governor, turning off voters from outside the city. Playboy is an American Men's magazine, founded in Chicago Illinois, by Hugh Hefner and his associates which has grown into Playboy Albany is the Capital of the State of New York and the County seat of Albany County.

Koch often deviated from the conventional liberal line, strongly supporting the death penalty and taking a hard line on "quality of life" issues, such as giving police broader powers in dealing with the homeless and favoring (and signing) legislation banning the playing of radios on subways and buses. Quality of life is the degree of well-being felt by an individual or group of people These positions prompted harsh criticism of him from the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and many African-American leaders, particularly the Reverend Al Sharpton. The American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU) consists of two separate Non-profit organizations the ACLU Foundation a 501(c(3 organization which focuses African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton Jr (born October 3 1954 is an American Baptist minister political and civil rights / Social justice

1985 election and third term

In 1985, Koch again ran for re-election, this time on the Democratic and Independent tickets; he defeated Liberal Party candidate Carol Bellamy and Republican candidate Diane McGrath with 78% of the vote. The Mayor of the City of New York is elected in early November every four years and takes office at the beginning of the following year The Liberal Party of New York is a minor American Political party that has been active only in the state of New York. Carol Bellamy (born January 14 1942) has been Director of the United States Peace Corps, Executive Director of

In 1986, Mayor Koch signed a lesbian and gay rights ordinance for the city after the City Council passed the measure (on March 20), following several failed attempts by that body to approve such legislation. Events 1600 - The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden. Despite his overall pro-lesbian and pro-gay-rights stance, he nonetheless backed up the New York City Health Department's decision to shut down the city's gay bathhouses in 1985 in response to concerns over the spread of AIDS. The enactment of the measure the following year placed the city in a dilemma, as it apparently meant that the bathhouses would have to be re-opened because many heterosexual "sex clubs" — most notably Plato's Retreat — were in operation in the city at the time, and allowing them to remain open while keeping the bathhouses shuttered would have been a violation of the newly-adopted anti-discrimination law. Plato's Retreat was a Sex club in New York City, owned first by Larry Levenson and later by Fred J The Health Department, with Koch's approval, reacted by ordering the heterosexual clubs, including Plato's Retreat, to close as well (Plato's Retreat then moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where it reopened under the new name Plato's Repeat). Fort Lauderdale, known as the "Venice of America" due to its expansive and intricate Canal system is a city in Broward County, Florida,

Koch consistently demonstrated a fierce love for New York City, which some observers felt he carried to extremes on occasion: In 1984 he had gone on record as opposing the creation of a second telephone area code for the city, claiming that this would divide the city's population; and when the National Football League's New York Giants won the Super Bowl in January of 1987, he refused to grant a permit for the team to hold their traditional victory parade in the city, quipping famously, "If they want a parade, let them parade in front of the oil drums in Moonachie" (the latter being a town in New Jersey adjacent to East Rutherford, site of the Meadowlands Sports Complex, where the Giants play their home games). A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York City suburb of East Rutherford New Jersey. professional American football, the Super Bowl is the Championship game of the National Football League (NFL Moonachie is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, in the Hackensack River Watershed East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The Meadowlands Sports Complex is a sports and entertainment facility located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, owned and operated by the New Jersey Sports and

In his third term, his popularity was shaken after the Donald Manes suicide and the PVB scandal, even though Koch himself was not part of the corruption ring, and corruption involving associate Stanley Friedman. Donald R Manes ( January 18, 1934 - March 13, 1986) was a controversial Democratic Party politician from New York City.

Shortly afterwards Koch suffered a stroke in 1987 while in office, but was able to continue with his duties.

Koch became a controversial figure in the 1988 presidential campaign with his very public criticism of Democratic candidate Jesse Jackson, who had surprised many political observers by winning key primaries in March and running even with the front runner, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr (born October 8 1941 is an American Civil rights activist and Baptist minister. Michael Stanley Dukakis (born November 3, 1933) is an American Democratic politician former Governor of Massachusetts, and was the Democratic As the April New York primary approached, Koch reminded voters of Jackson’s alleged anti Semitism and said that Jews would be "crazy" to vote for Jackson. Koch endorsed Tennessee Senator, Al Gore, who had run well in his native south, but hadn't won 20% in a northern state. Albert Arnold Gore Jr (born March 31 1948 is an American environmental Activist, author Businessperson, former Politician, and former As Koch's anti Jackson rhetoric intensified, Gore seemed to shy away from Koch. On primary day, Gore finished a weak third place with 10% of the vote and dropped out of the race. Jackson ran ten points behind Dukakis, whose nomination became inevitable after his NY win.

In 1989, he ran for a fourth term as Mayor but lost the Democratic primary to David Dinkins, who went on to defeat Rudolph Giuliani in the general election. David Norman Dinkins (born July 10 1927 was the Mayor of New York City from 1990 through 1993 being the first and to date only African American to hold that office KBE Per, "Postnominal letters should be included when they are issued by a country or organization the subject has been closely associated with Koch's anti-Jackson campaign in '88 had angered many black voters, likely playing a major role in Koch's defeat.

Post-mayoralty years

In the years following his mayoralty, Koch became a partner in the law firm of Robinson, Silverman, Pearce, Aronsohn, and Berman LLP, (now Bryan Cave LLP) and became a commentator on politics, as well reviewing movies and restaurants, for newspapers, radio and television. Robinson Silverman Pearce Aronsohn and Berman was a New York Law firm which practiced from 1950-2002 Bryan Cave LLP is an international law firm with twenty-two offices worldwide headquartered in St He also became an adjunct professor at New York University (NYU) and was the judge on the court show, The People's Court, for two years, following the retirement of Judge Wapner. New York University ( NYU) is a private, Nonsectarian, Coeducational Research University in New York City. The People's Court is a television court show in which Small claims court cases are heard though what is shown is actually a binding arbitration. Joseph Albert Wapner (born November 15, 1919 in Los Angeles California) is a former American Judge and TV personality In 1999, he was a visiting professor at Brandeis University. Brandeis University is a private research University with a Liberal arts focus located in Waltham Massachusetts, United States. Koch regularly appears on the lecture circuit, and had a highly rated local talk show on WABC radio.

Koch had a minor heart attack in March 1999. Myocardial infarction ( MI or AMI for acute myocardial infarction) also known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood supply

Koch and Colin Powell lead the US delegation for the 2004 OSCE Conference on Anti-Semitism, held in Berlin, Germany (28 April 2004)

In 2004, together with his sister Pat Koch Thaler, Koch wrote a children's book, Eddie, Harold's Little Brother. Colin Luther Powell, KCB (Honorary MSC, (born April 5, 1937) is a retired General in the United States Army. Children's literature is an age category of literature written for published for or marketed to Children roughly through age 12 Koch writes a weekly column for the New York Press, as well as film reviews for the Greenwich Village newspaper The Villager. New York Press is a free Alternative weekly in New York City.

The former mayor occasionally appears in television specials and commercials that promote or advertise things about New York, such as commercials for Snapple (with the tagline "the best thing to ever come out of New York") and FreshDirect, a New York-based delivery service. Snapple is a brand of iced tea and fruit drinks owned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group and based in Rye Brook New York. FreshDirect is an Online Grocer that delivers to residences and offices in the New York City metropolitan area He also made cameo appearances as himself in the movies Up At Lou's Fish (a documentary about the last days of the Fulton Fish Market), The Hebrew Hammer, We Own the Night and Eddie, and an episode of HBO's Sex and the City entitled The Real Me. A cameo role or cameo appearance (often shortened to just cameo) is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the Performing arts, such as The Fulton Fish Market is a Fish market in New York, United States. The Hebrew Hammer is a Film that was released in 2003. It stars Adam Goldberg, Judy Greer, Andy Dick, Mario Van Peebles We Own the Night is a 2007 American crime Drama film written and directed by James Gray and starring Joaquin Phoenix Eddie is a 1996 sports Movie starring Whoopi Goldberg and Frank Langella. Sex and the City was an American Cable television program The original run of the show was broadcast on HBO from 1998 until 2004 for a

Since leaving office, he has frequently endorsed prominent Republican candidates, including Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg for Mayor, Al D'Amato for U.S. Senate, George Pataki for Governor, and, in 2004, George W. Bush for President of the United States. KBE Per, "Postnominal letters should be included when they are issued by a country or organization the subject has been closely associated with Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman and the Mayor of New York City. Alfonse Marcello D'Amato (born August 1 1937 is a former New York Politician. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives George Elmer Pataki (born June 24, 1945) is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York serving three consecutive "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by Koch has also endorsed Democrats, including Eliot Spitzer for governor in the 2006 election, and Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination for President; for the general election, he has said that he expects "to support whichever Democrat wins the nomination. Eliot Laurence Spitzer (born June 10, 1959) is an American lawyer and former politician of the Democratic Party. Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26 1947 is the junior United States Senator from The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by "^[5] As current Mayor Michael Bloomberg was discussed as a possible independent candidate, Koch said he would reassess where he stands for the 2008 general election; he is only with Clinton through the primary campaign. Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman and the Mayor of New York City.

Though Koch supported Giuliani's mayoral bid, he became opposed to him in January, 1996, and began writing a series of columns in the New York Daily News criticizing Giuliani, most frequently accusing him of being authoritarian and insensitive. The Daily News of New York City is the fifth most-widely circulated daily Newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 703137 In 1999, the columns were compiled into the book Giuliani: Nasty Man. He resumed his attacks, and had the book re-published, in 2007, after Giuliani announced his candidacy for President. In May 2007, Koch called Giuliani "a control freak" and said that he "wouldn't meet with people he didn't agree with. . . That's pretty crazy. " He also said that Giuliani "was imbued with the thought that if he was right, it was like a God-given right. That's not what we need in a president. "^[6]

A practicing Jew, Koch writes defending Israel and combating anti-Semitism. Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility He is a contributor to Newsmax, a conservative magazine. Newsmax Media is a Conservative political organization founded by journalist Christopher W ^[7] He also appeared in the documentary FahrenHYPE 9/11 defending President Bush and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and blasting Michael Moore. FahrenHYPE 9/11 is a 2004 film that examines and challenges Michael Moore 's documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11, from a Conservative Michael Francis Moore (born April 23 1954 is an Academy Award -winning American filmmaker author and liberal Political commentator. Koch was quoted in the film saying of Moore's film, Fahrenheit 9/11, "It's not a documentary, it's a lie. Fahrenheit 9/11 is an award-winning 2004 Documentary Film by American filmmaker Michael Moore which takes a critical look "

In July 2007, Koch wrote that he was "bailing out" of his previous support for the Iraq War, due to the failure of the United States' NATO allies, and other Arab countries, to contribute to the war effort. The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign The North Atlantic Treaty The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Koch wrote, "I would support our troops remaining in Iraq if our allies were to join us. But they have made it clear they will not. " He added that the U. S. must still "prepare for the battles that will take place on American soil by the Islamic forces of terror who are engaged in a war that will be waged by them against Western civilization for at least the next 30 years. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. "^[8]

In April 2008, Koch announced that he had secured a burial plot in Manhattan's non-denominational Trinity Cemetery, stating that “the idea of leaving Manhattan permanently irritates me,” and that he hoped not to use the plot "for another 8-10 years. " For the inscription on his memorial stone, Koch has requested that the marker will bear the Star of David and a Hebrew prayer, "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Shema Yisrael (or Sh'ma Yisroel or just Shema) ( Hebrew: שמע ישראל "Hear Israel" are the first two words of a section of " It also will be inscribed with the last words of journalist Daniel Pearl before he was murdered by terrorists in 2002: "My father is Jewish. Daniel Pearl ( October 10, 1963 – February 1, 2002) was an American Journalist who was kidnapped and murdered in My mother is Jewish. I am Jewish. "^[9] Koch explained that he had been moved that Pearl chose to affirm his faith and heritage in his last moments.

Personal life

Koch is a lifelong bachelor, and his sexuality became an issue in the 1977 mayoral election with the appearance of placards and posters (disavowed by the Cuomo campaign) with the slogan "Vote for Cuomo, not the homo. " Koch denounced the attack, later saying "No, I am not a homosexual. Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. If I were a homosexual, I would hope I would have the courage to say so. What's cruel is that you are forcing me to say I am not a homosexual. This means you are putting homosexuals down. I don't want to do that. " He was able to use this to his advantage by painting Cuomo as a homophobic bigot. BenPhelpsJPG|thumb|right|Westboro Baptist Church picket signs with Ben Phelps grandson of Fred Phelps After becoming mayor, Koch began attending public events with former Miss America, well-known television game show panelist and consumer advocate Bess Myerson. The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands Bess Myerson (born July 16, 1924 in Bronx, New York) became in 1945 the first Jewish woman to win the Miss America pageant The strategy made Myerson, who had political ambitions of her own (she later ran for senator), seem like a "First Lady of New York" of sorts.

Koch has generally been less explicit in his denials in later life, and refused comment on his actual sexual experiences, writing "What do I care? I'm 73 years old. I find it fascinating that people are interested in my sex life at age 73. It's rather complimentary! But as I say in my book, my answer to questions on this subject is simply 'Fuck off. ' There have to be some private matters left. " Randy Shilts, in And the Band Played On, his influential history of the early AIDS epidemic in America, discusses the possibility that Koch ignored the developing epidemic in New York City in 1982–1983 because he was afraid of lending credence to rumors of his homosexuality. Randy Shilts ( August 8 1951 February 17 1994) was a highly acclaimed pioneering Gay American Journalist and And the Band Played On Politics People and the AIDS Epidemic is a best-selling work of nonfiction written by San Francisco Chronicle Journalist Author and Activist Larry Kramer has been more pointed in his criticism of Koch. Larry Kramer (born June 25 1935) is an American Playwright, author, public health advocate and gay rights activist He describes the former mayor as a "closeted gay man" whose fear of being 'outed' kept him from aggressively addressing the AIDS epidemic in New York City in the early 1980s. Coming outThe expressions " closeted " or "in the closet " generally refer to undisclosed sexual behavior, Sexual orientation or Gender In the late twentieth century outing became a common term for taking someone "out of The closet "—that is publicising that someone is Gay. ^[10]

Cultural references

• The 1985 musical Mayor is based on Koch's best-selling memoir of the same name. Mayor is a musical with a book by Warren Leight and music and lyrics by Charles Strouse.
• The mayor of New York in Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II, and The Real Ghostbusters was supposed to resemble Koch in both appearance and attitude, and is even given the first name "Ed" (instead of Lenny as in the movie) in the film novelization by Richard Mueller. Zuul redirects here For the videogame see Zool. Ghostbusters (titled on-screen as Ghost Busters) is Ghostbusters II is the 1989 Sequel to Ghostbusters (1984 produced and directed by Ivan Reitman. This article is about the animated spin-off of the 1984 film Ghostbusters. The 1989 novelization of Ghostbusters II by Ed Naha gives him the surname "Clotch" to further support the resemblance
• In the song "Johnny Ryall" on the Beastie Boys' 1989 album Paul's Boutique, one of the couplets is: "He knows the time with the fresh Gucci watch/ he's even more over than the mayor Ed Koch. Paul's Boutique is the second Studio album by hip hop group Beastie Boys, released July 25, 1989 on Capitol Records "
• In the 2001 episode "Lethal Weapons" of the television show Family Guy, Peter Griffin, posing as a man-eating tree, says, "look who I had for dessert - asexual former mayor Ed Koch!"
• One episode of the television show The Critic featured a parody of Ghostbusters, in which New York was being attacked by a 50-foot-tall Ed Koch, who repeatedly said, "How'm I doin'?"
• In the 2003 song "No Jumper Cables" by hip-hop artist Aesop Rock, a verse begins with the bar "Choke train buffers like a headlocked Ed Koch. "Lethal Weapons" is an episode from the third season of the FOX animated series Family Guy. Family Guy is an animated American television sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane that airs on Fox and regularly on other Peter Griffin is a Fictional character and the Protagonist of the animated television series The Critic is an American Animated series that revolved around the life of movie critic Jay Sherman, voiced by actor Jon Aesop Rock (born Ian Matthias Bavitz on May 11 1976 is an American hip hop artist "
• In Jeff Pearlman's 2004 book The Bad Guys Won! about the 1986 New York Mets, it is mentioned that when he threw out the first pitch during the season opener of the Mets he was announced as "the Mets' biggest fan". Jeff Pearlman is an American writer best known for his work on sports "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. Koch left in the first inning and at many points in the book is portrayed as a man who had no interest in sports.
• In the 2006 movie Shortbus, an openly gay character resembling Koch (played by Alan Mandell) claims to be an ex-Mayor of New York City, and makes reference to his negligence concerning the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. For other uses see Short Bus (disambiguation. Shortbus is a 2006 comedy - Drama film written and
• In Simon & Garfunkel's Concert in Central Park - After the song "Homeward Bound", Ed Koch is thanked together with the police dept, the fire dept and the Arts Commissioner.
• New York Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery has the nickname "Mayor Cotch"
• In an episode of Will & Grace, it is mentioned that Ed Koch walked in on Leo and Diane having sex. The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. Jerricho Cotchery (born June 16, 1982, in Birmingham Alabama) is a Wide receiver for the New York Jets. Will & Grace is a popular Emmy Award -winning American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from 1998 to 2006
• Appeared as himself in the episode The Real Me in Season 4 of Sex and the City, strutting down the runway of a fictional fashion show that was a mix of real people and models. Sex and the City was an American Cable television program The original run of the show was broadcast on HBO from 1998 until 2004 for a A fashion show is an event put on by a Fashion designer to showcase his or her upcoming line of Clothing. The episode also guest-starred Heidi Klum. Heidi Klum (ˈklʊm born June 1 1973 is a German model, actress TV presenter, Fashion designer, Television producer and occasional singer
• Mentioned in a scene from Tony Kushner's play Angels in America by the character Belize to support his argument that most Jews are racist. Angels in America A Gay Fantasia on National Themes is a play in two parts by American Playwright Tony Kushner.
• Ed Koch played himself as mayor in a hospital scene consoling the father of a cop that was shot in the 2007 movie We Own the Night set in 1988. We Own the Night is a 2007 American crime Drama film written and directed by James Gray and starring Joaquin Phoenix

Books

Books by Ed Koch

• Koch, Edward I. (1980). The Mandate Millstone. U. S. Conference of Mayors. ISBN B00072XPA8.
• Koch, Edward I. (1981). How'm I doing? The Wit and Wisdom of Ed Koch. Lion Books. ISBN 0-87460-362-5.
• Koch, Edward I. ; Rauch, William (1984). Mayor. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-49536-4.
• Koch, Edward I. & Rauch, William (1989). Politics. Horizon Book Promotions. ISBN 0-671-53296-0.
• Koch, Edward I. & O'Connor, John Cardinal (1989). His Eminence and Hizzoner: A Candid Exchange : Mayor Edward Koch and John Cardinal O'Connor. William Morrow & Company. ISBN 0-688-07928-8.
• Koch, Edward I. & Jones, Leland T. (1990) All The Best: Letters from a Feisty Mayor Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-69365-4.
• Koch, Edward I. & Paisner, Daniel. (1992). Citizen Koch: An Autobiography St Martins Printing. ISBN 0-312-08161-8.
• Koch, Edward I. (1994). Ed Koch on Everything: Movies, Politics, Personalities, Food, and Other Stuff. Carol Publishing. ISBN 1-55972-225-8.
• Koch, Edward I. & Resnicow, Herbert (1995). Murder At City Hall. Kensington Publishing. ISBN 0-8217-5087-9.
• Koch, Edward I. & Staub, Wendy Corsi (1996). Murder On Broadway. Kensington Publishing. ISBN 1-57566-186-1.
• Koch, Edward I. ; Staub, Wendy Corsi & Resnicow, Herbert (1997). Murder on 34th Street Kensington Publishing. ISBN 1-57566-232-9.
• Koch, Edward I. & Staub, Wendy Corsi (1998). The Senator Must Die. Kensington Publishing. ISBN 1-57566-325-2.
• Koch, Edward I. (1999). Giuliani: Nasty Man. Barricade Books. ISBN 1-56980-155-X. Republished, 2007.
• Koch, Edward I. & Graham, Stephen P. (1999). New York: A State of Mind. Towery Publishing. ISBN 1-881096-76-9.
• Koch, Edward I. & Paisner, Daniel (2000). I'm Not Done Yet!: Keeping at It, Remaining Relevant, and Having the Time of My Life. William Morrow & Company. ISBN 0-688-17075-7.
• Koch, Edward I. & Koch Thaler, Pat (2004). Eddie, Harold’s Little Brother. Grosset & Dunlap. ISBN 0-399-24210-4.
• Koch, Edward I. & Heady, Christy (2007). Buzz: How to Create It and Win With It. AMACOM/American Management Association. ISBN 0-814-47462-4.

Books about Ed Koch

• City For Sale: Ed Koch and the Betrayal of New York — Wayne Barrett ISBN 0-06-091662-1

References

External links

• Ed Koch at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Retrieved on 2008-02-05
• Edward I. Koch's page on NewsMax.com
• podcasts of Ed Koch commentaries at Bloomberg.com
• Edward I. Koch at the Internet Movie Database
• Ed Koch Threatened with Assassination in 1976
• Notable New Yorkers - Edward I. Koch Biography, photographs, and interviews of Ed Koch from the Notable New Yorkers collection of the Oral History Research Office at Columbia University. RealClearPolitics is a Chicago -based Political news Aggregator, polling data aggregator and Blog founded in 2000 by former options The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress is a Biographical dictionary of all present and former members of the United States Congress as 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1576 - Henry of Navarre converts to Roman Catholicism in order to ensure his right to the throne of France. Bloomberg LP is a financial software services news and data company
• [Website] Photographs of the real people from Randy Shilts' history of the AIDS crisis "And the Band Played On"