Urban avenger: Newark mayor counters Conan O’Brien’s comic insults by expanding ‘ban’

Newark mayor ups the ante on comic Conan O’Brien

NEWARK, N.J. — The mayor of New Jersey’s largest city has raised the stakes in his facetious feud with “Tonight Show” host Conan O’Brien, saying the late-night comic is now banned from the state.

A video of Newark Mayor Cory Booker posted Thursday on YouTube is Booker’s latest response to O’Brien’s mockery of his city.

It comes after a two-minute segment Wednesday night by O’Brien, who pretended to extol Newark’s virtues while showing images of urban neglect. A reference to its arts scene was accompanied by a graffiti-covered wall.

The exchange began last week with O’Brien joking that the city’s new health care program consisted of a bus ticket out of Newark. Booker responded Tuesday with a YouTube video “banning” O’Brien from Newark Liberty International Airport.

On the Net:

New Booker response:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZSSBUWJm0o

O’Brien response:

www.hulu.com/watch/99366/the-tonight-show-with-conan-obrien-mayor-of-newark-bans-conan

Initial Booker video:

www.youtube.com/watch?vNIMRIQh7BJk