New York, NY – Mayor Bloomberg built his political reputation as the guy who speaks uncomfortable truths, but what happens to that reputation when the truth gets muddled?
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The issue arises after last week’s closed-door meeting with the five Republican county chairs who could let him onto the party’s ballot – or not.
All five chairs told the Daily News that when Bloomberg talked about Republicans he supported, he brought up John McCain. (And a top McCain source tells the Daily News’ Tom DeFrank that Bloomberg personally assured him he was a supporter, despite being publicly neutral.)
Yet when the mayor walked outside, he told reporters they talked about President Obama. And the next day, he denied ever saying he supported McCain.
“I didn’t say that at all. I’ve never said who I voted for,” Bloomberg responded. “I did say that John McCain is a friend of mine. He campaigned for me in 2001, and I’ve always respected him. … But I certainly did not say who I supported, nor will I.”
This was all mystifying to the five Republicans, who were to varying degrees charmed by Bloomberg’s performance in the meeting – because he told the truth, and asked them to take him as he is.
“He didn’t come in saying he was a great Republican. He’s not,” one chair said. “I do appreciate his honesty.”
Added another: “I found myself liking him more than I wanted to.”
But his public walk-back soured some of those good feelings – since he was the only one who ever mentioned Obama.
“He hurt himself more with the Obama issue,” a third chair said. “Why would we have waited all that time to meet with him, and then talked about Obama?”
Bloomberg’s campaign spokesman, Howard Wolfson, said the mayor never misled the chairs about McCain.
“He has supported John McCain. That’s a little different than him saying he supported him for President,” Wolfson said. “He is a Republican that Mike Bloomberg supported.”
Remember that when Bloomberg made plans to run for President, he played word games to deny it.
And he was always opposed to extending term limits – until he did it.
And he now answers questions about his new campaign with absurdities like, “There is no campaign at the moment.”
For eight years, Bloomberg has portrayed himself as the only politician unafraid to tell New Yorkers that their taxes need to go up or their firehouses need to be closed.
Now, five important Republicans are starting to have their doubts.
What happens if the rest of New York does, too?
We have to kick him out of office
So here again he goes. What is the difference between Bernie and Bloomie. While the first one only cheated the rich and the elite the later one steals and lies to the ordinary and the poor. He declared war against all motorist here in NYC in the name of now the biggest scheme in the century “global warming” he imposed taxes and double fees and fines on everything you can name and he still wants to be called a “Republican”
He says the City is broke but he would find enough money for “slush funds” or money for renaming the Triboro Bridge to RFK(very important) the water falls next to the BQE (anyone still remember this? Don’t know why this is not called Ponzi, talking money from people in the name of taxes and wasting it for nonsense. Who still remembers when he wanted to sell land on the West Side to build the Stadium for 10 cents on the dollar because he was a fan of that team?
When Bloomberg kicks off his campaign I will buy a self inking stamp and stamp every orange envelope on summonsed vehicles “COURTESY OF MIKE BLOOMBERG” in big bold print.
Mayor Bloomberg has done much good for the city, even if he has not been perfect.
Be careful, don’t get so carried away that you will do anything for change. Something the cure can be worse than the disease.
“He declared war against all motorist here in NYC in the name of now the biggest scheme in the century “global warming”
That is not accurate. He took steps to reduce traffic congestion, which hurts the economy and wastes time of many people who get stuck in traffic and gets people frustrated. The global warming theory that some believe in, was not the main motivation there, if it was involved at all.
I will never forgive the republican party if they support Bloomberg. It would prove that their problem with Democrats is giving money to the poor, but if the money is taken from poor and rich and spended for his personal pet projects then it’s OK. He is the biggest tax and spend politician in the US history. Every thing he could tax he did and those were still in the good times. Besides he is pro every group that traditional republicans and leaders of the Orthdox community are opposed to. He also is very very in the global warming camp, trying to sell us that NY can solve the problem for NY, even though that’s like saying that if your street will recycle you would be less affected by global warming. He also feels that he is in charge of your personal ife, what you eat, what you smoke, where you spend your money. He made the quality of life go down with his quality of life laws. He added stress that never existed before.
Remember he created all these fees and taxes and tickets, so dont buy into this theory that all’s the same. No, Giuliani was better and so will Anthony Wiener.
Bloomberg should leave and he should do so with grace.
He has cost all of us loads of monies in fines. This was done with a vengeance – the ticketing continues to be drawing blood from the city’s citizens.
He pretends to be working for $1. per year. It is important to note his fortune has doubled since he is mayor. Anyone with a half brain can figure out how this occurred especially these days. He may have ‘disconnected’ his name from his companies but let’s not fool ourselves, he is still the owner of all his interests. Anyone wanting a “favor” or consideration for city business or similar favors knows how to gain favor from Mr Bloomberg. And the fortune continues to grow.. You scratch my back and I will scratch yours.
Therefore let us continue with the term limits – they were created for exactly this reason..
It is absurd and somewhat embarrassing that he is attempting of changing this law back.
Bloomie enough is enough…………go like a mentsh and enjoy your wealth while the rest of us have to sit and count our pennies to pay your fines.
He took the city into much deeper debt – after Rudy had done such a swell job!
i cant wait to pull the lever against bloomberg, that big mouth with all his bugets DID NOT help the city look where we are with all his bugets no where but in pain from all his fines i cant wait to pull the lever against you and the guy that said he will stamp all the ornage envelopes just make sure its leagel if it is i would love to do that too and i call it the city of orange the symbol of this city should be a orange envelope.
The mayor has his own Pozi schemem but it’s legal.
He gives tickets and more tickets and then, just when you think you have enough, he hires a new bunch right out of their fried fats kitchens and sends them out to hurt race relations and they give even more tickets.
Bloomie is NOT a republican. He is a lib but he ran on the republican ticket on Mayor Rudy’s coat tails and because he wanted to beat the lib running against him.
dont be fooled & DONT VOTE FOR HIM!!