Rising Political Star Cory Booker

Cory Booker was a Rhodes scholar, Stanford football star, Yale Law School graduate, black and 32 years old when he ran for mayor of Newark, New Jersey in 2002.

His opponents, supporters of old-school black incumbent Sharpe James called him a carpet-bagger. They called him a closet Republican. They called him Jewish and gay and uppity and not black enough. They called him white. Booker lost.

Now, he's running again. The election is in less than a month. Polls say he's a winner. His prize would be one of the poorest cities in the country. And now the word is Cory Booker is a hero. That he'll one day be the first black president of the United States.

Hear a conversation with the new up-and-coming politician Cory Booker.

Guests:

Damien Cave, he has been following Newark's mayoral race for the New York Times

Cory Booker, frontrunner in Newark, New Jersey's May 9 mayoral race. His 2002 mayoral race was the subject of the Oscar-nominated film "Street Fight."