During the seven months that the shooting war lasted, he could be seen driving with his troops along Avenue U, in Brooklyn, scouting out the social clubs and bars where members of the enemy faction were likely to be found.
From the party's perspective, such a step is essential even though more orthodox Maoists, of whom there are still a surprising number around, find Mr Jiang's admission of "exploiters" into the party ranks difficult to swallow.China's new leaders, of whatever faction, are likely to pursue Mr Jiang's efforts to woo private business.
Democratic Party sources said such a faction was likely responsible for a recent surge in media leaks on alleged details of an ongoing FBI investigation of the Clinton Foundation.
But the other factions are likely to insist on some form of unifying role for the king in any case.
But in October 1562 the queen nearly died of smallpox, and, faced with the real possibility of a contested succession and a civil war, even rival factions were likely to have countenanced the marriage.
Since his proposal would also keep rivals from taking key roles in government, in a capital the Northern Alliance controls, other factions are likely to view the idea of a purely technical cabinet with skepticism.
Any proposal for cooperation will be anathema to the factions' hard-liners, and is likely to be dismissed as unrealistic at best.
Faction-fighting within his regime is likely to intensify.
The job of reconciling tribal factions in post-Qaddafi Libya is likely to be contested with equal vigour.Yet private mediators also have substantial advantages over their state equivalents.
There is no telling which faction will emerge ascendant, but it is likely to be the one that is most willing to use extreme violence.
