My eight-year-old daughter Carol and I went to hear Bernie in the park today. We went with our friends Greg Grandin, Manu Goswami, their daughter Eleanor, Manu’s mom Toshi, and thousands of others.

Three highlights.

First, New York City Council Member Jumaane Williams, who’s a former student of mine, stole the show. For me at any rate. He gave a great opening speech for Bernie (see the 8 minute mark here). After quoting a Daily News editorial that accused Bernie of being at “war with reality,” Williams responded, “You’re goddam right!…Maybe if you’re not at war with reality, you’re not focused enough.” Perfect. And then Williams added, “So all we’re asking is: The people who say that it cannot be done, please move out of the way of the people who are doing it.” Exactly.

Second, Bernie’s biggest applause line came—after he talked about how drugs and drug addiction should be treated as a medical problem, not a criminal offense— when he said, “We’re going to revolutionize mental health care in this country.” You could hear all of bourgeois Brooklyn scream with joy at the thought of “free psychoanalysis for everyone.”

Third, someone had two mock street signs. The first said “Liberty Avenue,” the second “Ambivalence Boulevard.” The person was holding them up as if they were an intersection. I wondered aloud what that was all about. My daughter offered: “They’re both good things.”