LI PR man wears two hats at Palin event

Robert Zimmerman had a dual role to play at Thursday's Long Island Association annual meeting.

Zimmerman, co-founder of the Great Neck-based Zimmerman / Edelson Inc. public relations and advertising firm, volunteered to help the LIA with requests by the media for seating and other arrangements for the talk by Sarah Palin. Zimmerman is also a national Democratic committeeman and frequent TV guest.

Zimmerman said he felt no qualms about helping put together a Palin event. He sat quietly through the hourlong Q&A conducted with Palin by LIA chief Kevin Law.

But after, we asked Zimmerman to give the Democratic response to the former Republican vice presidential candidate's well-received talk, in which she blasted the Obama administration's domestic and international policies.

As usual, Zimmerman was ready with a quote: "She's the Lady Gaga of national politics," Zimmerman said. "But Lady Gaga is more coherent. She's [Palin's] not a credible national figure."

Another media type, John Kominicki, an LIA board member and publisher of Long Island Business News, took another tack. Palin, he said, was "refreshing," but added, "I don't know if she's presidential material."