The Jennings Tale:
Laden With Lunacy,
But Not A Front Page Story . . . Yet!

By MICHAEL SCHENKLER

We are not in the business of criticizing the dailies. Newspapers have a tough enough job without making things worse by taking swipes at each other.

However, living in a newsroom, we regularly react, pick apart and comment on the content, presentation and quality of the City’s dailies – in discussion, not in print.

Well, this is an exception. We think the City edition of Newsday was over the top last Wednesday when they took their exclusive of Councilman Allan Jennings’ love advertisement for an Asian woman and played it all over the front page.

We liked the story and would have run it ourselves, but not on page one.

Now, in all fairness to Newsday, the front page last Wednesday was wrapped in a special war section, so that the front was slightly demoted. But wrapper or not, there stands the Newsday flag proudly waving on one with the Jennings “Love Connection” headline and love advertisement in a Chinese language paper.

To us, it looked like a “hit job” on the lanky, loony Councilman. You got a story, you run it. You got a story laden with lunacy, you run it . . . but not on the front!

Now Newsday – the paper of record of Long Island – selected a different front page story for their flagship edition. The editors in Melville thought that the Senate slashing the President’s tax cut was more significant. They also chose a head shot of George W. and not Allan J. The Nassau County Newsday had the same “war wrap,” it even contained an abbreviated version of the Jennings nonsense, but it chose a story of substance to put on the front.

The Queens Boulevard editors, on the other hand, printed the same “Tax Cut Slashed” story – they “referred” it above the flag – and devoted the balance of the front to promoting their page and a half hit on Jennings. They even got respected columnist Ellis Henican – I believe he’s a Queens boy – to forego the war and use his space on page two to poke fun at Jennings.

Newsday Assistant Managing Editor for Queens John Mancini – who coincidentally got his start at the Queens Tribune – told us that he stands by the decision. He felt the exclusive on Jennings belonged on the front.

John, we all love exclusives, but every paper in this City knew Jennings was off the wall – that was not a scoop. A love letter ad in an Asian paper or even an infatuation with women from the east is more front page for the Enquirer or the Star than your paper. We’d love to know what the newsroom in Melville or Chicago thought of this one.

Newsday’s Thursday follow-up, revealing that Jennings’ ex-wife has accused him of domestic violence, is more the stuff people should know about.

The Jennings Adventure

The Jennings adventure began after he won his Queens Council seat in District 28 (Jamaica, Richmond Hill, Rochdale Village, and South Ozone Park) against the Dem organization candidate. Jennings, a hard worker, had previously prevailed for District Leader over the Dem organization’s preference.

Now, our timetable of Jennings jive may be slightly imperfect, but this is how we recall the bizarre adventures of Councilman Allan J.

On Feb, 7, 2002 – just after his election – this paper’s QConf page ran a bit of satire about the newly elected Councilman and a gay porn star with the same name, titled “The Naked Truth” (below, left).

Jennings reacted by declaring me a racist and threatening to sue this paper.

The following week I wrote in this column: “When we first heard of Jennings’ vicious attack in reaction to the item, we asked editor Tamara Hartman whether she thought we had gone too far.

‘If there was a gay porn star named Mike Bloomberg would you have gone with it?’ she asked.

Tamara put it all into perspective. Of course we would have gone with it if it were the Mayor — especially if it were the Mayor.

We didn’t pick on Jennings because he’s more pickable-on than most. We didn’t pick on him because he was perhaps a bit different from most of the elected officials — black, white or green — that we’ve met. We picked on him because one of our reporters, in doing her research, came upon a gay porn star with his name.

That’s it. That’s all. That simple!

And the reference at the end of the item, ‘Hmmm! Does the Councilman have any secrets he’s hiding?’ was a plain and simple reaction to the fact that Councilman Allan Jennings had recently – on two different occasions – quickly jumped off the phone during interviews when asked if he was recently married. Again, no malice was intended. We just found it very strange that community members reported to us that Jennings was married after the election but before he took office and Jennings was avoiding any discussion about his marital status.

Bad taste? Perhaps. But we don’t think so. Did we mean to offend Jennings? No. Are we upset that he’s off the wall? His problem.

Other Council members have told us: ‘Jennings wants blood.’ ‘He’s going to war with you.’ ‘He’s going to sue you.’ ‘He’s off the wall.’ ‘Jennings protests too much.’”

Sadly, we dropped the pursuit of his wife. It appears there was a story there.

The adventure continued when Jennings identified some undercover cops by name, bringing the wrath of Mayor Bloomberg and Commish Kelly for endangering NY’s Finest.

Then he insisted that he only be photographed from his left side and stopped a committee hearing to move a camera around.

He again made headlines when he opened an expensive, state-of-the-art district office and then wanted to use City funds to buy himself a car.

He passionately opposed the Miller term limit “tweak,” speaking out against it on NY1 television. The next day (presumably after he found out it prevented his predecessor from challenging him this year), he became a cosponsor of the legislation.

Jennings publicly attacked the Council Speaker’s Chief of Staff Forrest Taylor – a no-no for players.

Then, the black lover of Chinese women applied for membership in the Jewish caucus announcing his mother was a Jew. Oy vey!

Next, Jennings attempted to woo several other Councilmembers by sending them Valentine’s Day cards with his face in a heart (below).

When removed from a committee for opposing the 18 percent increase in property tax, Jennings took a crucifix-like pose on the Council floor and likened himself to Jesus.

Now, we find out from Newsday that he has placed ads in Asian-language papers, pledging his love for a Chinese woman and declaring his marriage to a Taiwanese woman ended because her family rejected him because of race.

And finally, his Taiwanese ex-wife, according to Newsday, explains the marriage ended because of Jennings temper and domestic violence.

The next chapter for the “Councilman from the moon” – as one of his collegues called him – is likely being written by Jennings’ predecessor, former Councilman Tom White, whose eligibility to run for his old seat was just affirmed by the court which threw out the term limits “tweak” on which we saw Jennings do his public flip-flop.

Stay tuned, this one could make headlines . . . yet!  

from QConf 2/7/02

The Naked Truth

While leisurely conducting an internet search on District 28 City Councilman Allan Jennings, we discovered that the politician shares a name with a well-known and gay porn star.

Both men spell their names the same way and are in the public arena — in slightly different capacities. Allan Jennings the porn star has performed in dozens of erotic movies, including many titles that cannot be repeated here. Allan Jennings the politician has given dozens of speeches and held dozens of fundraisers leading up to his unlikely November election.

After searching a bit more, the Conf scribe couldn’t find a photo of Jennings the porn star. Could it be these two men are the same person? Could this be a case of, “I was young. I needed the money”? According to a member of Allan Jennings’ City Hall office, “Absolutely, positively, for certain, no way on this Earth. No way, no way, no way.”

Hmmm! Does the Councilman have any secrets he’s hiding?

A Councilman’s Valentine’s Wish?

Made especially for you by: A Tribune exclusive that waited a month: We were given this Valentine’s Day card by one of the Councilmembers who received it from Queens Councilman Allan Jennings. Jennings’ staff did not know how many members it was sent to. Jennings did not get back to us. We share with you the juxtaposition of the message and its presentation. Score another one for the “Councilman from the moon.”

Not4Publication.com by Dom Nunziato

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Michael Schenkler can be reached at: MSchenkler@queenspress.com