Attention, NYC politics junkies: Meet Fred Newman (Pencil Roving)

Carrie, over at Pencil Roving, has a great and timely post introducing the unaware to Fred Newman, the head of the Independence Party in Manhattan.

Nutjob? Kingmaker? Sounds like he's a little of both:

In connection with the upcoming NYC mayoral election, local news channel NY1 is running a series on Fred Newman, political puppetmaster, former ally of Lyndon LaRouche and mentor of perpetual candidate Lenora Fulani (of the Independence Party). Again this year Mayor Michael Bloomberg is listed on the ballot on the Independence Party line as well as on the Republican line; according to NY1, in the last election the Independence Party delivered 59,000 votes for Bloomberg, a number that exceeds his margin of victory...

Post-Halloween Scare: Meet Fred Newman (Pencil Roving)