Home
Search transcripts:    Advanced Search
Notable New     Yorkers
Select     Notable New Yorker

Edward KocheEdward Koche
Photo Gallery
Transcript

Session:         Page of 617

“Ed, I understand you're mad.” And he holds out his hand to shake hands. I say to him, “You prick, don't you ever talk to me again,” and I walk away.

Okay. Tempers cool down, and I certainly prefer him. I don't think he was a good legislator, but he was a good man. I preferred him to Abzug, who may be a better legislator but is not a good woman or person, in today's vernacular. Oh, she's definitely not a good person. In any event, I helped as much as I could. I can't even tell you what I did. It would be suggesting positions he might take, whatever I could to help. But I did not come out for him -- I didn't come out for anybody -- because there were two incumbents running against one another, and that was my position. But the night of the primary I said to my staff, “I can't stay away. I'm going to go up there. I've got to go up to cheer Bill Ryan in. And they said, “All right, but don't get there before the polls are closed.” The polls in a primary close at ten o'clock. I get there at one minute after ten. And I'm one of the few people in that whole campaign room for Bill Ryan up here in New York on the west side. A lot of press, because this was the race: Ryan against Abzug, and Ryan, as you know, dying of cancer. He couldn't speak well at the time his face is twice the size that it should be because he's taking cortisone. He's dying. But he worked like a horse. And the





© 2006 Columbia University Libraries | Oral History Research Office | Rights and Permissions | Help