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loved it! And so did Carol. And we appreciated the fact that ultimately we were able to go on to other positions, public positions -- Carol as City councilwoman and me as Congressman because of the public attention given to us by the media, and it came not only from our own substantive acts and abilities but also because we were from the Village, and the Village had some kind of magnet power for the whole city. They love what happens down there. It's incredible.

Going back to this issue of where you got your guidance as district leader and the club: isn't it true that so far as the membership of the VID went, there was no geographical residence requirement?

That was true, and that was always a charge hurled against us by Carmine DeSapio: “you strangers, you come here and take over our neighborhood,” and so forth. And I remember being on a platform in Sheridan Square -- I did a lot of street speaking -- saying, “You know, it's true. Carmine was born here, and it is true that I moved here. I came here in 1956.” Because constantly the hecklers would say, “Go home! Go home where you came from! Go back to Brooklyn;” And I would say, “But I'm like an adopted child. I love you more because you took me in.” (laughs)

The question I was getting at there was when you pointed out how later on you felt responsible to the Democrats that had elected you rather than the club itself, wouldn't it have been