Bloomberg a Hypocrite? If it walks like a duck and whines like a duck...

In a moment of honesty, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg (aka King Bloomies) complimented Bill Thompson as "the greatest comptroller the City's ever had". Yet now that his reign as mayor is threatened, he's running $millions in negative ads distorting Thompson's record.

Hypocrisy?

Perhaps, but King Bloomies simply keeping in character. After all, he's the man who called the City Council's efforts to ditch term limits, calling it SHAMEFUL, and then drove the effort himself when his presidential ambitions were blocked.

He's the man who pretends to speak for 'the people', but pushes policies that have enriched his buddies in Wall Street and Park Avenue at the expense of the City's working and middle class families.

He's the man who takes a limo to the subway.

The man whose ed policies pushes the weakest students out of the schools they desperately need and then boasts that tests score are up.

I could go on and on...but King Bloomies hypocrisy? I think so.

El Diario-La Prensa Endorses Bill Thompson for Mayor

El Diario-La Prensa's endorsement (Bill Thompson for Mayor - 10/15/09) tells why all City voters must reject King Bloomies' bid for a 3rd term and instead pull the lever for Bill Thompson. en español

Excerpt 1
After a decade misspent lionizing the rich and their excesses, too many New Yorkers are paying the price for the decisions made in Washington, on Wall Street and in City Hall. What New York City needs is an executive with a balanced perspective...where families most in need are a high priority. This leader is Bill Thompson.

Excerpt 2
Thompson has a sterling record...[and] has won the backing of highly regarded elected officials, including Nydia Velázquez, José Serrano, Rubén Díaz Jr. and Adriano Espaillat...DC37, TWU Local 100 and Uniformed Firefighters Association...

Excerpt 3
[Bloomberg's undemocratic maneuver he pulled on term limits] is not simply slick scheming—it is a gross abuse of power. Even Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez conducted a plebiscite on his extended stay in power.

Excerpt 4
With city government already tipped to favor the executive branch, Bloomberg’s power grab delivers a clear message: the ability of constituents to challenge power and shape decisions at the top is seriously in danger.

Thompson v Bloomberg Debate #1 - Bloomies TKO's himself

Wow..the Thompson v King Bloomies debate wasn't even close!

Thompson was the clear winner. He was strong, factual and assertive while maintaining in his trademark likability. On the other hand, Bloomberg seemed shrunken, uncomfortable and evasive behind that masked disdain which has been his trademark.

It was a victory for Thompson on style as well as substance. But King Bloomies kinda beat himself up with his obvious lies, misrepresentations, Republican views and strange comments. Check out some of these gems:

- Insults El Museo and Latinos w/terrible, terrible Spanish
- Lies that he's never had a manicure/pedicure
- States that the city is a mixture and not a mosaic(?)
- Raves that Giuliani would make a great governor
- Claims no one's being forced to leave NYC due to rising costs
- Way prefers Joe Bruno over Pedro Espada for Senate Majority Leader
- Suggests that Ray Kelly is indispensable
- Confides that 'friends' asked him to overturn term limits
- Misrepresented his involvement in pension decisions
- Doesn't answer if schools are 55% better (as per budget increases)
- Blatantly distorts Thompson's role w/the public schools
- Doesn't deny buying political party lines
- Doesn't deny spending $200 million to win a 3rd term
- Supporting a 'stop n search' program that targets people of color
- Claims that his $235 million in grants to city nonprofit groups did not buy him silence or endorsements; and that grantees don't even know he's the donor

No wonder King Bloomies is kept under tight wraps, the man is, politically speaking, an idiot. W/o his billions he'd never ever come close to win citywide office nor even councilman from the silk stocking district.

Eight is way more than enough for this bozo.

Click here for the full Thompson v Bloomberg NY1 Debate at El Museo del Barrio

Thompson, Liu & De Blasio: The Democratic Dream Team!

The Democratic 'Dream' Team for NYC: Bill Thompson, John Liu and Bill de Blasio. A true coordinated effort by these 3 candidates could very well trump his $millions and decide the fate of King Bloomie. Stay tuned.

Unity Rally at City Hall - 10/4/09

Bill Thompson for Mayor
John Liu for NYC Comproller
Bill De Blasio for Public Advocate

Latinos for Liu -- VOTE TODAY!!!

New York's El Diario has endorsed John Liu for NYC Comptroller (A vote for John Liu - Sptember 21, 2009) in today's run-off election. El Diario's reasoning is straightfoward:

1. Liu is exceptionally qualified.

"Liu spent 14 years in the financial sector, where he worked as an actuary for pension funds. He combines this impressive professional background with eight years of city government experience."

2. Liu is independent.

"As comptroller, Liu would bring more energy and independence to the table than Yassky. He has actively questioned the numbers put forth by agencies like the MTA and the city’s Department of Education and held them accountable for self-serving reports."

3. Liu is no King Bloomie pushover.

"Liu voted against King Bloomie’s undoing of term limits, while his opponent flushed his 'reformer' credentials down and voted against the voters hard fought reforms."

4. Liu is inclusive with a record of fighting for all of use constituents.

"Liu is passionately committed to increasing opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses. His campaign has excited and mobilized Asian voters. But he also appeals to a broad range of New Yorkers." While his opponent, "despite representing communities like Williamsburg...being suffocated by soaring rents, showed little interest in meeting with a coalition of 40 Latino, Black and Jewish organizations that were shut out of the Broadway Triangle planning process."

Links:
John Liu for NYC Comproller '09
John Liu: One For All video

Close D20 Race Shows GOP Weakness

The national GOP is so desperate to recapture the 20th Congressional seat, that it has dumped $1,600,000 to shore up Jim Tedisco's flagging campaign.

In contrast, the DCCC has invested a more reasonable $574K in Scott Murphy's run. But remember, Republicans hold a huge 28 point registration advantage in the sprawling, rural and still conservative district.
Rightwing pundits are trying to make the race a referendum on the Obama administration and his economic policies, which Murphy supports and Tedisco opposes. But that's utter nonsense.

Objective observers can see that this race is really a test for the Republicans; after all, the fact that Tedisco is not trouncing Murphy in the very red 20th speaks volumes about the low level of confidence in the GOP by the district's Republican majority.

With a 64% to 36% advantage over the Democrats, it seems to me that Tedisco needs to win with over 60% of the vote in order for Republicans to brag about anything. A close victory by Tedisco or a defeat, which is possible, is not good news for the Republicans--no matter how they spin it.

North Country Public radio reporter Brian Mann agrees that the stakes are huge for the Republicans.

Links:
NY-20: Democrat Closes with Palin, Limbaugh
NY House special election seen as Obama's 1st test
NY-20: The War of Surrogates

Scott Murphy Upsets GOP Plan to Retake the 20th

New York's 20th Congressional District seat was supposed to be an easy pickup for the Republicans; after all, the voters in the majority Republican and rural district prefer their politicians to reflect their socially conservative values.

While Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand won in the 20th, she did so as a hometown girl from a prominent Republican family and as pol with social conservative views on issues such as guns, war, immigration and government spending -- a so-called 'blue dog' democrat.

So, the newly minted GOP Chair Michael Steele thought it smart to fly to Albany to declare that the GOP's rebirth starts with a win in the 20th. The GOP has poured resources in support of their standardbearer, 58 year old Jim Tedisco, a longtime Albany politician who's against the Obama stimulus bill. The GOP's enthusiasm further heightened when the Democrats picked Scott Murphy, a 39 year businessman and political novice with progressive views aligned with Obama's policies.

Needless to say, Steele's tenure as GOP Big Dog has not gone as planned, and neither has Tedisco's imagined stroll to Congress. With a recent Marist poll showing Murphy gaining a slight lead in the run-up to the March 31st Special election, Tedisco is sinking under the weight of the obstructionism of the Party of No.

It seems the more national Republicans such as Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich, Boehner and others support Tedisco, the weaker he grows.

Is there a message here?

On the issues concerning Latinos in the 20th and across the country--as well as Americans of all stripes, a smart, energetic, moderate progressive newcomer like Murphy representing New York's 20th is hugely preferable to an old-line Albany pol aligned with national reactionary forces like Tedisco.

Links:
For Republicans, 20th Race Will Be 'Battle Royale' Says Steele
Murphy Takes 4-Point Lead Over Tedisco in Final Week
President Obama Endorses Scott Murphy for Congress
Scott Murphy for Congress
NY-20: Libertarian Sundwall Endorses Murphy
D-20 Map
ACTBlue: Scott Murphy